Bridgeport was a fairly modest city at the time of the Civil War. It was known as a developing mill town and a shipping port on Long Island Sound. After the war, the city had the magnificently restored Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Seaside Park along Long Island Sound built to honor its men. In 1906, a second monument was built at the Mountain Grove Cemetery on the West Side. The entrance to this large Rural Cemetery is at 2675 North Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. It is open from 8AM to 4PM each day. The monument is near the large pond to its south west. The monument is in front of standard Union Civil War headstones for members of the Grand Army of the Republic. I travelled Route 1, North Avenue, from New York City and found a Welcome to Bridgeport sign in front of the entrance to the cemetery.
Like many other Rural Cemeteries, this space has a creek running through it, bodies of water, and hills and trees. It is particularly nice to visit on warm summer days, but I photographed it on a wet January day with some of the water frozen.
The Elias Howe Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Post, named after the inventor of the sewing machine who served as a private during the Civil War, acquired plots at the cemetery in 1883 for the burial of its members. The backing is solid granite with a bronze listing of the names of the men of the G.A.R. There is a large base with the Latin expression “Pro Patria”, “For Country.” On top of the monument is a bronze kepi, coat, and sword.
The four corners of the soldiers’ plot are marked by piles of cannon balls.
There are at least 83 graves in the plot. None of these are graves of men killed in the war, and even those who died during Reconstruction are not here. Those interred here died more than a decade and a half later.
When I visited, the graves had Veterans’ Day flags and Christmas wreaths, so it is clear that people locally know that the graves exist and take care of them. However, the 1906 monument needs upkeep and restoration. It is heavily stained by weather, although both the bronze and granite are in structural good shape. Unfortunately, because of the stains from weather it is hard to read the names of the men from the city listed on its rolls.
The sculptor, Paul Winters Morris of Bridgeport, was a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He has two figures at either end of the bronze plaque, a soldiers on the left and a sailor on the right with heads down. They are praying, or are showing signs of sadness, or just exhausted. Across the top are the names of six battles: FORT SUMTER VICKSBURG MOBILE BAY ANTIETAM GETTYSBURG APPOMATTOX.
The monument is inscribed: ERECTED BYSTATE OF CONNECTICUT & POST ELIAS HOWE, JR.NO. 3 G.A.R
Underneath the list of service personnel: IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DID NOT RETURN
On the right side is the sailor.
Above is the kepi, coat, and sword.
Below, these are the lists of those who severed, organized by the regiments and batteries they served in.
As you can see, this listing is very hard to read.
There is also a marker to the side of the soldiers’ plot.
Below is the grave of S.W. Clarkson of the 127th Regiment of United States Colored Troops.
Not all buried here served in Connecticut regiments. Here is Jonathan Byrnes who served in the 25th New York Cavalry Regiment.
Nearby is the grave of Frank Cargill of the 6th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
All color photos were taken by Pat Young unless otherwise noted. To see more sites Pat visited CLICK HERE for Google Earth view.
Sources:
Connecticut’s Civil War Monuments
Civil War Monuments of Connecticut by Dave Pelland (2014)
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An admirable monument for honorable men.
I only question why a similar admirable monument for the honorable men of the South are so disliked, desecrated and removed?