1. 17 TH CONNECTICUT ENLISTMENT AND MUSTER AUGUST 18, 1862- SEPTEMBER 3, 1862

2. ON JULY 1 ST, PRESIDENT LINCOLN CALLED FOR 300,000 SOLDIERS TO SERVE FOR 3 YEARS GOVERNOR WILLIAM BUCKINGHAM OF CONNECTICUT RESPONDED BY CALLING FOR TROOPS

3. ON JULY 23 RD WILLIAM NOBLE OF BRIDGEPORT, A LAWYER AND PARTNER OF P.T. BARNUM, WAS COMMISSIONED AS COLONEL OF THE 17 TH CT VOLUNTEERS

4. WITHIN 30 DAYS, COLONEL NOBLE COULD HAVE MARCHED A THOUSAND MEN TO THE FRONT

5. WHY DID THEY ENLIST? PATRIOTISM ADVENTURE THE DRAFT WAS IMMINENT BUSINESS WAS DEPRESSED THERE WERE FEW JOBS AVAILABLE THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN “ENLISTMENT FEVER” ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS WERE GOING OFF TO WAR AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND OR TO MISS THE EXCITEMENT!

6. DOUGLAS FOWLER HIS 23 YEAR OLD WIFE, MELISSA, DIED IN CHILDBIRTH IN 1855. THEIR BABY GIRL DIED 3 WEEKS LATER- BOTH ARE BURIED IN PINE ISLAND CEMETERY, NORWALK LOCKSMITH WHO WAS ORIGINALLY FROM GUILFORD, CT, BUT HAD MOVED TO NORWALK SERVED WITH THE 3 RD CT AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN HELPED TO RECRUIT SOLDIERS AND RAISE THE 8 TH CT REGIMENT WAS SO POPULAR THAT HE WAS ABLE TO RAISE TWO COMPANIES (A AND F) FOR THE 17 TH WITHIN A FEW DAYS. ALL OF THE MEN WANTED TO SERVE WITH HIM! BECAME CAPTAIN OF COMPANY A AND WAS LATER PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL

7. CAPT. DOUGLAS FOWLER COMPANY A CAPT. DOUGLAS FOWLER COMPANY A

8. COMPANIES OF THE 17 TH : CO. A - NORWALK – CAPT. DOUG FOWLER THE FOWLER GUARD CO. B – STAMFORD/DARIEN CAPT. ALLAN G. BRADY- CO. C – DANBURY/BETHEL CAPT. JAMES E. MOORE THE WILDMAN GUARD COMPANY D – BRIDGEPORT CAPT. W.H. LACEY THE HOWE RIFLES

9. COMPANIES OF THE 17 TH CO. E – WESTPORT- CAPT. H.T. BURR CO. F – NORWALK – CAPT. ENOCH WOOD THE LOCKWOOD GUARD CO. G – RIDGEFIELD/REDDING CAPT. JAMES E. DUNHAM CO. H – NEW CANAAN CAPT. ENOS KELLOGG

10. COMPANIES OF THE 17 TH CO. I – GREENWICH- CAPT. D.O. BENSON CO. K – FAIRFIELD/BRIDGEPORT CAPT. J.J. MCCARTY THE ROUGH AND READY GUARD

11. SOME SOLDIERS FROM COMPANY H

12. INTO CAMP CAMP WAS ESTABLISHED AT WHAT IS NOW SEASIDE PARK IN BRIDGEPORT. THIS WAS PROPERTY THAT WAS BEING DEVELOPED BY COLONEL NOBLE AND HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, SHOWMAN P.T. BARNUM. IT WAS CALLED “CAMP AIKEN.” THE MEN REMAINED IN CAMP UNTIL THEY RECEIVED ORDERS TO SET OUT FOR BALTIMORE ON SEPT. 3, 1862. THEY HAD BEEN ASKED TO JOIN THE 11 TH CORPS UNDER MAJOR-GENERAL FRANZ SIGEL.

13. AND THEN…. IT WAS OFF TO WAR!