At the beginning of the Civil War, it was thought that the war would only
last 90 days or so. As a result, few troops were called up from rural
areas like Deerfield. Not everyone believed that a Union victory would
be so easy, however. A small group men in Deerfield formed an organization
to get ready for military service, should they be needed for the war effort.
They called themselves The Deerfield Guard. Isaac Morrison was one of
them.
From Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors
of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1866:
Eleventh Regiment New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry:
Morrison, Isaac H. Co. B; b. Deerfield; age 32; res. Deerfield; cred.
Deerfield; enl. Aug. 15, ’62, as Priv.; app. 1 Lt. Sept. 4,
’62; must. in to date Aug. 28, ’62 as 1 Lt.; wd. Dec 13,
’62, Fredericksburg, Va.; sev. June 3, ’64, Bethesda Church,
Va.; app. Capt. Co. K, July 22, ’64; not must.; disch. Sept.
3, ’64 as 1 Lt. P.O. ad., Deerfield Centre.
These are the
battles that The 11th NH Regiment fought while Isaac Morrison
was in Service:
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Morrison was
wounded several times during the war. During the battle at Bethesda
Church, he was wounded badly enough to be discarged from the
Army. These are the battles that his regiment fought after that:
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White Sulphur Springs, Va.
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Nov. 15, 1862
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Cold Harbor, Va.
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June 5-12, 1864
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Fredericksburg, Va.
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Dec. 13, 1862
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Siege of Petersburg, Va.
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June 16, 1864 to Apr. 3, 1865
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Siege of Vicksburg, Miss.
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June 15 to July 4, 1863
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Petersburg, Va.
(assault at the Shand House)
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June 17, 1864
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Jackson, Miss.
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July 10-17, 1863
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Mine Explosion, Petersburg,
Va. (assault)
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July 30, 1864
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Siege of Knoxville, Tenn.
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Nov. 17 to Dec. 4, 1863
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Weldon Railroad, Va.
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Aug. 18, 19, 21, 1864
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Strawberry Plains, Tenn.
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Jan. 21, 1864
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Poplar Springs Church, Va.
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Sept. 30, 1864
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Wilderness, Va.
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May 6, 1864
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Hatcher’s Run, Va.
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Oct. 27, 1864
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Spottsylvania, Va
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May 9-18, 1864
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Petersburg, Va.
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Apr. 1-3, 1865
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North Anna River, Va.
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May 23-27, 1864
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|
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Totopotomoy, Va.
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May 28, 31, 1864
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|
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Bethesda Church, Va.
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June 2, 3, 1864
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|
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From Cogswell, Leander W., A History Of The Eleventh New Hampshire
Regiment Volunteer Infantry In The Rebellion War, Republican Press
Association, Concord, NH, 1891:
CAPTAIN ISAAC H. MORRISON.
Isaac H. Morrison was born in Deerfield, N.H., October 2, 1829, in the
house erected by his great-grandfather in 1774. Some of his ancestors
were engaged in the siege of Londonderry, Ireland in 1689. He received
his education in the common schools of the town, and at the academies
at Pembroke and Hampton Falls. His occupation is that of a farmer.
He enlisted as a private August 15, 1862, and, by the men afterwards organized
and mustered into the United States service as Company B, Eleventh New
Hampshire Volunteers, was chosen first lieutenant, and received his commission
as such September 4, 1862. He was honorably discharged from the service
September 2, 1864, because of wounds received at Bethesda Church, Va.,
June 2, 1864. Up to and including this battle, he had participated in
every one in which the regiment had been engaged, as well as in the skirmishes.
He was in command of Company B at the battle of Fredericksburg, receiving
three separate wounds. He was also in command of Company B in the East
Tennessee campaign, and during the siege of Knoxville was several times
brigade officer of the day. When the regiment returned from East Tennessee,
he came by rail in charge of regimental and head-quarters baggage of the
Second Division of the Ninth Army Corps.
At the battle of Spottsylvania he had command of companies C and I as
skirmishers on the advance of the regiment, and captured thirty men and
two commissioned officers. At Tolopotomoy Creek, on the morning of June
2, he was placed in command of Company I, and still had command when wounded
on the evening of that day. July 22, 1864, he was promoted to a captaincy
and assigned to Company K, but was not mustered, as he was unable to be
with the regiment because of his wounds. The following account, from his
own pen, of his record will be read with much interest:
After leaving our position on the right at Tolopotomoy
Creek, we marched by the left in rear of the Second, Fifth, and Sixth
corps, and had halted for coffee, but before getting it ready the rebels
swung around and attacked our rear. We got into line double-quick, behind
some old rifle-pits, and sent out a skirmish line. The Ninth New Hampshire
was on our right, and a division composed of heavy artillery and dismounted
cavalry on our left. About dark we received word that the skirmish line
was not complete, and Company A was ordered to fill the gap. I connected
with our line on the right, but did not find the skirmishers of the
division on our left. When, hearing the sound of troops a little advanced
some ten or fifteen rods across the corner of a swamp, and found the
"rebs" just forming a line of battle. I then turned about, and saw three
men advancing toward our lines in a diagonal direction; they discovered
me about the same time. I came promptly to them and ordered them forward,
and they, in the dark, supposing me to be one of their officers, obeyed
orders, and were close to my command, when they turned to shoot me;
but I ordered my men to shoot, and they surrendered. I then ascertained
that the division on our left had no skirmishers, and I commenced to
draw the left of my line back to protect the left flank, when a gun
ordered "Come in!" but he did not come, but discharged his rifle, the
ball passing through my right arm. My skirmishers fired upon him, and
a man was found dead near that spot in the morning. This was the last
duty I performed in the service.
Captain Morrison was town-clerk at the time he enlisted. Since the war
he has represented the town in the legislature in 1865 and 1866; has held
nearly or quite all the offices in the figt of his townsmen; is a trustee
of the Philbrick James public library; has been a member of Union Lodge,
I.O.O.F., for more than forty years; has been commander of J.E.Chadwick
Post 70, G.A.R.; and was a charter member of Deerfield Grange P.of H.
