Flowers placed by the grave of 14th Connecticut Captain Jarvis Blinn, who was killed at the Battle of Antietam. |
A 26-year-old mechanic from New Britain, Conn., Blinn was killed at the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862 -- 152 years ago Wednesday. "I am a dead man!" the officer said moments after he was shot near Bloody Lane. (See my interactive panorama here of where the 14th Connecticut attacked.) A Mason and the first officer in his regiment to die, Blinn left behind wife, Alice, and two young children.
"His wife is heart-broken," a woman who attended Blinn's funeral service noted. "Their attachment to each other was unbounded -- he was all to her. Such a sad, hopeless, despairing countenance I never saw. There are two children -- dear little creatures the eldest five years of age -- for them only his memory lives."
A close-up of the albumen of 14th Connecticut Captain Jarvis Blinn, who was only 26 when he was killed. |
During the ceremony at Blinn's grave, a re-enactor sang The Vacant Chair, a Civil War song. |
14th Connecticut re-enactors fire a salute near Jarvis Blinn's grave. |
Jarvis Blinn's descendants and re-enactors gather near Blinn's grave. |
A close-up of Blinn's repaired gravestone. |
We are overwhelmed with gratitude for all the passion and generosity of the work done to make this day happen! Our family came together, many have not seen each other in decades. I met one cousin for the first time. It was an AWESOME day for everyone. Thank you everyone!
ReplyDeleteThe small gravestone next to Alice, Jarvis' wife was indeed his daughter Allie.