This is a photo of my 4th great grandmother, Eliza J. Richards, that my mom sent over today. We’re pretty sure the small frame on the wall behind her is a portrait of her husband/my great-great-great-great grandfather, Charles L. Keeney... which I’m totally nerding out about. I’ve always been interested in Charles’ life as a soldier during the Civil War and wondered what he looked like. It’s impossible to tell from this blurry, miniature image, but Charles was a total bad ass. In 1862 (at age 16) he enlisted as a volunteer in the 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. His Regiment was among the first to arrive at the Battle of Gettysburg the following summer, and distinguished itself by its gallant defense of Culp's Hill, a critical part of the Union Army defensive line Jul 2-3, 1863. At Gettysburg, the 20th was tasked with scouting the movements of the enemy and relaying that information to nearby batteries. It was one of the first times that an infantry unit was used as a scout force for artillery. They stayed in the woods overlooking the Confederate position and sent back constant updates. Save for a few mishaps, the artillery was incredibly effective. It did enough damage that the following infantry assault drove the Confederate units from the hill and repulsed with heavy losses other rebel troops in the area who attempted to charge up the hill. The 20th Connecticut was also engaged at the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Siege of Atlanta and Sherman’s March to the Sea, among others. In 1865, after defeating the last of the Confederate troops in the Carolinas, Charles’ regiment marched north with General Sherman to Washington D.C., where they paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of huge celebratory crowds in the last Grand Review of the Armies, May 24, 1865. With the war over and his regiment disbanded, Charles mustered out of the army and began his journey home to Connecticut. He worked as a jeweler before marrying Eliza and moving to her home state of NJ. Love my patriot ancestors and grateful for all of the genealogy work that my mom has done to help preserve and pass along these stories. 🇺🇸♥️🇺🇸
