Gladding, Timothy

www.nps.gov/anti/

16th CT monument at Antietam

From the east side of the monument:
16th Connecticut
Vol. Infantry
2nd Brigade
3rd Division
9th Army Corps

From the south side:

                      Number engaged - 779
Casualties
Killed 43
Wounded 161
Total 204

From the west side:

 Position of
the 16th Conn.
Vol. Infantry
5 P.M. - Sept. 17, 1862

From the north side:

 Erected
by the
State of
Connecticut
1894

Like many surnames, there can be various spellings.  Sometimes, the name was spelled the way the person hearing it thought it should be thus or so.  With the Gladding family there are many variations.  On official records, it can be seen as Gladding, Gladden, Gladwyn or Gladwin.  Having said this, one might verify his records under any of these names (and probably a few other variations).

Timothy Gladding

Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry

1832-1862

Dateline:  September 17, 1862

Timothy Gladding was like many of the other young men in the towns of Farmington and New Britain, Connecticut in the spring of 1862.  They heard President Lincoln's call for 300,000 more men to save the Union.

Farmington and New Britain had very close ties.  Farmington was the mother town for thirteen other towns (later a fourteenth joined these ranks).  As population increased and moved to the outskirts, new church parishes started from the mother church in Farmington.  New Britain bordered the southwest corner of Farmington.  Families moved back and forth.  Portions of the family may have lived in Farmington; others in New Britain.

Connecticut would have sent more than half of its male population from ages 18-45 (plus and minus these ages) off to the sounds of martial strains.  Of Connecticut's 169 towns, Farmington sent more men proportionately than any other town.  Farmington, now a bedroom town for Hartford, was a small farming community with a population of about 900 made up of three parts--Farmington, Unionville and White Oak (later Plainville--which had as yet not made the move that the other thirteen towns had in becoming autonomous from their mother).  Despite the small size of the town, however, one hundred and fifteen men were moved to the patriotic call to serve their country during this long, arduous, and bloody war.

Most of the men enlisting from Farmington and New Britain and most of Connecticut were farmers.  Others were mechanics (physical or skilled laborers).  Timothy's father was a carriage maker.  Timothy had moved to New Britain, probably near the town line.  It is likely that he worked with his father.

As any history buff knows, the North and South called almost any given battle by at least two names--the North usually for a physical landmark...a brook, mountain, ridge--the South, the closest town.  Thus, we see the words Antietam and Sharpsburg.  It is the same battle.  However, these names were not yet carved in stone (so to speak).  In October, Candace C. Pyatt, wrote to her husband Sam (13th CT, Co A) about the battle of Sharpsburg.

Timothy stood with his Regiment--The Connecticut 16th, Company G near the town of Sharpsburg ready to go into action.  He was thirty years old.  His thoughts may have been on his brother Agariah (or Azariah) who had mustered in earlier that same year and had gone to New Orleans to be part of the garrison under General Benjamin Butler with the Thirteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.  His brother had been discharged for disability (later he reenlisted in and served again in the southern Louisiana are with the Twenty-fifth Connecticut).

Little did he know that this would be his last day on earth.  In Candace's letter, she told Samuel "Timothy Gladding (Gladden) brother of Agariah was killed at the battle of Sharpsburg."  He appears to be the only "boy" killed in the battle, although many others may have died from wounds, as it was noted in history books of "many wounded."  Not the best way to become unique, but unique nonetheless.

He had enlisted in Sixteenth, organized with the first seventy-six men of Company G and went into camp July 24, 1862.  The command of the Regiment was given to Colonel Francis (Frank) Beach of Hartford, an officer in the regular Army on August 14.  Frank W. Cheney, also of Hartford, was appointed Lt. Colonel. 

Many regiments gave themselves nicknames (or others may have so given them).  The Sixteenth was the "Plymounth Pilgrims."

A booklet entitled History of Battle-Flag Day (published 1879) described the departure of the Sixteenth from Hartford, "On Friday August 29, 1862 the regiment broke camp and slowly marching up Main street through the surging throng of people gathered to see them off, Governor Buckingham and his staff riding at the head of the column, went on board the steamers City of Hartford and George C. Collins for New York." (sic capitalization and punctuation).

The Regiment had been moved rapidly from New York via Harrisburg to a camp at Arlington Heights, outside of Washington City.  The next portion of their journey was accomplished hurriedly through forced marches reaching the Army of the Potomac.  Although the Regiment had already been exposed to the horrors of war as they had witnessed the wagon trains of ambulances returning from Second Bull Run to Washington, they had not yet had the "opportunity" to join the fight. 

The first battle for most regiments were quite some time after mustering.  But the Sixteenth was about to see the elephant as the morning of September 17, 1862 dawned, only twenty days after having left Hartford in a parade led by the Governor as raw recruits.  They were exhausted from forced marches.  The Regiment had very little drilling...and never a battalion drill.  On the eve of the battle, many had not yet fired their muskets.

Upon arrival in Maryland, the Sixteenth was brigaded on the battlefield with the Eighth and Eleventh Connecticut, Fourth Rhode Island.  The Eleventh had been held in reserve to protect an artillery battery.

At Antietam Willcox, Sturgis, and Rodman were the commanding generals for this Corps.  Cox's Division had been teporarily transferred into this Corps.  Part of the Second Corps was the Fourteenth Connecticut, the only other Connecticut Infantry to participate in this battle

At the end of the day, locations in and around the tiny Town of Sharpsburg, near Antietam Creek, would go down in the annals of history as America's bloodies day.  Previously benign and peaceful names such as East Woods, North Woods, West Woods, Dunker Church,THE cornfield (Miller's Farm), Mumma Farm, Roulette Farm, Piper Farm, and Sunken Road (which immediately acquired the not-so-peaceful name of Bloody Lane) would become known around the world for the horrific day.

Home, churches, stores were filled with the wounded and dying.  Every available piece of land held its own gruesome tale.

Probably the most famous landmark is Rohrbach Bridge (named after a local farmer) or Lower Bridge which crossed the Antietam Creek.  It is today known as Burnside Bridge.  In the vicinity of this bridge is the place where the Sixteenth was baptized by fire.

Burnside's IX Corps made several tries to cross the Antietam and take that bridge.  The Yankees--through a series of blunders (the least of which  was that the creek could have been crossed without the bridge...the water level was less than waist deep), miscommunication, bad judgment calls on the part of the Union, total confusion on the part of many of the troops (for the most part due to lack of training)--were easily held at bay. In addition, Georgian General Toombs held a better, higher position on a ridge above the creek.  A few hundred Georgians was all that was needed to keep Burnside's Corps away most of the day.

And, then, more trouble came for the IX Corps.  Relief!  Not for the Union troops, but for the Georgians in the form of A. P. Hill's Division of exhausted North Carolinian troops (part of Jackson's army) arriving from Harper's Ferry.  Union General Miles had surrendered.  At this time Confederate General Hill's Division marched seventeen miles and swung into battle immediately.  Three brigades filed in with Toombs at his right (southern).  Hill's timing and chosen position was perfect.  The southern most Union brigade was the most vulnerable.  This was the brigade led by Colonel Harland.  The Eleventh Connecticut had been used earlier as skirmishers.  This left only three regiments. not part of this bridgade,  Fairchild's Zouaves, who were also on the field--advancing against Toombs, moved so quickly that Harland and his Regiment could not keep up with them.

Nevertheless, Harland gave the order to advance. Only one of his brigades heard the order (Eighth Conn.); the Fourth Rhode Island and the Sixteenth lagged behind causing a breech in the line that the veteran Hill exploited.  Rodman, who saw what was about to happen, galloped forward to warn the raw troops, only to be mortally wounded (the ninth Union General to fall at Antietam).   The men fell by the score. 

The timing of Hill's Division joining the battle was such that The Confederate General Maxcy Gregg's brigade was still marching in columns of four.  Gregg's order was "Commence firing, men, and form the line as you fight."

Although the Sixteenth tried to return the fire, the fire power from the Confederates had been overpowering.  They were in a cornfield owned by John Otto.  The corn was so high, one could not tell friend from foe.  Total confusion reigned!  Raw recruits, unheard orders, inability to see over the corn.  Confusion!!!   More confusion was added by A. P. Hill's troops who had appropriated--and were wearing--many blue uniforms at the Harper's Ferry victory.  The men of the Sixteenth dropped by the dozens.

The Sixteenth broke and ran, taking the Rhode Islanders with them--leaving the men of the Connecticut Eighth out in front almost by themselves.  Cox sent relief in the form of Ohioans, which were portions of Kanawha's Division.  This was to no avail, as they too fell back.  Hill had broken the Union's far left. 

The Zouaves, who wanted to continue the fight, were now alone at the far left of the field.  They had to be ordered off the field.  Unlike the other units, who were untested in battle and broke and ran, the Zouaves retired in order.

History of Battle-Flag Day describes the above scene of the Sixteenth's initiation to battle as being "thrust to the fore-front of battle..., and in the fatal cornfield was confronted by the veteran troops of Stonewall Jackson, fresh from Harper's Ferry and flushed with their victory over Colonel Miles.  Posted  upon higher ground, partially protected by a stone wall and concealed from view by the waving corn, the rebels poured a destructive fire into the regiment, which in endeavoring to charge front, had been thrown into some confusion.  A portion of the regimental line engaged the enemy in a hand to hand conflict, while the remainder, owing the conformation of the field and the breaking of their line, were unable in the thick corn, which waved higher than their heads to even see the rebels who were pouring such a devastating fire into their midst.  The could only stand and take it.  The regiment finally retired from the cornfield, its place being filled by the gallant Eighth Connecticut." 

Such was the day.  Casualties were high and statistics were created.  The Sixteenth had lost four captains, one lieutenant and fifty-one enlisted men to death.  With the wounded and captured, the Regiment had over four hundred casualties.  But Farmington/New Britain mourned--not for the statistics--but for losing another one of their own beloved men. A well-known and well-liked local man had given his all.  He died in a battle that became America's worst day.

This same loss was repeated throughout countless of other small towns...North and South.  How much like home this cornfield in a little town in Maryland must have seem to may of the "boys" and yet...

As is oft the case, statistics can differ from resources.  I got mine from two different sources producing slightly different numbers.
Statistics for Maryland Campaign
Initial Strength: 779
Killed in Action (KIA): 43
Wounded (WIA): 161
Losses, % of Initial Strength: 26.2%

Chain of Command:
Army - Army of the Potomac
Second Brigade,  Third Division, Ninth (IX) Army Corps

Timothy is one of nineteen men whose name is listed on the Civil War monument in Riverside Cemetery.  This monument was placed in the late 1800's  These names are the men who died during the late unpleasantness.  A"new" monument. dedicated in 1992, stands in front of the Town Hall.  This monument lists all "casualties" from all of our America Wars.  Timothy is one of sixty-five names on that monument for Farmington men in the Civil War.

In a small church on Main Street in the middle of the town of Sharpsburg is a beautiful "Connecticut" stained glass window.  Many of those wounded and transported to that church were Connecticut men.  After the war, they collected money to honor the church that had done so much for so many of them.


Reference Sources:  Letters from private collection, Regimental History, Official Records, Gladding personnel record from archives and personal observation.