Fair day. The Smith band came up and gave a serenade this
forenoon; have had a pleasant time at Mr. West's. News came today that Captain
L. D. Thompson of Waterbury was decapitated by a solid shot in battle at Cedar
Creek, Va., and that Adjutant Wyllys Lyman, Captain C. F. Nye, Lieuts. G. E.
Davis, G. P. Welch, A. W. Fuller and B. B. Clark were also wounded there. We
have had seven officers killed, twelve wounded and two captured since the first
of June, making twenty-one in all, the regiment's full quota not including non-combatants,
were they all present which is never the case, being thirty-four. Who will say
we haven't stood up to the rack? I guess they intend to kill us all off — men
and all! I may not-have included all the casualties among the officers in the
foregoing. Poor Dillingham, Stetson and Thompson! They were my original
officers in Company B — all gone — killed in battle. They were good fellows — intrepid
and valiant to a fault. Lieut. Stetson was a considerate, kindly friend, and a
man who was fair and manly, and never took a mean, unfair advantage of anyone
so far as I know; he won my esteem. I became fond of Captain Thompson; he grew
on me constantly until we were good friends, and the manner of his unfortunate
death shocks me. Poor fellow! I sincerely regret his tragic end; He was brave,
always genial, obliging and friendly. They grew to like, respect and esteem me,
and I have lost three staunch friends — probably among the best in the regiment
with the officers. They have all been martyrs to the cause of the Union. May
their souls go marching on and finally welcome mine in eternity!
SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections
and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 225-6
