3 minute read
Historical Perspective
The Milford Grenadiers
Back in the Colonial era, after acquiring our freedom from Great Britain under one flag as the United States of America, individual states still held their own militias, and Connecticut was no exception.
Of the Connecticut Militia, there was one group of men who were famously known in Milford and its surrounding areas as the First Flank Company of Light Infantry of the 32nd Regiment of Connecticut Militia, more commonly called the Milford Grenadiers.
“Grenadiers are a specialized infantry group that was an offshoot of the Janissaries from the Ottoman Empire,” says local
resident Matt Michell. (The Janissaries, formed in the 14th century, are considered the first modern standing army in Europe.) “Typically used as an elite shock troop, they were often physically larger than other infantry, carried grenades, an infantry weapon, and could often be relied on for siege warfare-type assaults on defended fortifications.”
The Milford Grenadiers were originally organized in 1796 with the officers of Captain Daniel Sacket, Lieutenant Abram V. H. DeWitt, and Ensign Benjamin Bull. The regiment served the Milford community until they were officially disbanded on June 15, 1836.
During their active days, their presence instilled a feeling of safety and security amongst the residents of Milford. The company marched through the town with music following in their wake and the citizens knew they were protected. The men serving in this company wore scarlet coats with buff facings, gold lace trimmings, drab knee breeches with buckles, Suwarrow boots with tassels, and 18-inch pointed caps. Several years later, the breeches were swapped out for blue broadcloth pants, and in 1815, white pants were the new standard. In the mid-1820s, the cap was changed out for a heavy, square-top inverted fire bucket with a red feather. One of the most notable times in the Milford Grenadiers history began on the first Monday of May 1812, one month before the War of 1812 began, when Captain Pond delivered the news of a British ship taking four of his men and his interview with the ship’s
Two Milford Grenadiers hats are part of the Milford Historical Society collection.
commander, Viscount Wellington. He proudly declared himself a representative of Milford, Connecticut and stated that further such actions would surely lead to a war with the United States. Captain Pond shared the news that the commander had said “…Heaven save us from a war with the United States so long as the Milford Grenadiers retain their reputed efficiency, discipline, and bravery.” Despite this statement, war broke out in the next month, and as British ships were seen out in the Sound, the Milford Grenadiers were called to defend Fort Trumbull.
In 1816, the company was changed from the 32nd Regiment to the 2nd Regiment. In 1822, the ranks had reached its height with 70 men enlisted.
Beginning in 1827, under Captain Curtis Summers, the Milford Grenadiers began their slow decline. Rivalries, political maneuverings, and suspicions of treachery took their toll and Summers lost the confidence of his men. Old timers retired and the numbers quickly declined. Finally, on August 5, 1836, the last of the Grenadiers disbanded.
The History of the Milford Grenadiers,
written by John W. Fowler and published in 1876, describes the scene in dramatic fashion: “All that remained of that once unrivalled corps (about twenty-five) assembled at the junction of Broad and Wharf streets, surrounded by many of the “old Guard” and amid the tears of the populace, the funeral obsequies were performed and the once renowned Milford Grenadiers were ranked among the things of the past; and the mourners went about the streets.” —Brian Creevy
“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.” – William Ewart Gladstone, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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