Death of Private Henry Ford: 'A priceless treasure to liberty'

"...his life was truly a sacrifice to his country,"
 Captain Edwin Lee (above) wrote of Henry Ford.
Lee also did not survive the Civil War.
(Photo: John Lee of Hartford Co. and His Descedants)

Teenager Henry Ford apparently was a good son, helping support his family financially before and during the Civil War and even purchasing a cow for his mother in 1861. Life must have been challenging for 46-year-old Rachel Ford, whose husband suffered from lung disease, so every little bit her eldest sons provided probably was greatly appreciated as she reared 10 children in Cornwall, Conn.

Along with his older brother William, Henry enlisted in the Union army on Oct. 4, 1861, and both soldiers were mustered into Company D of the 11th Connecticut in mid-November. The legal age to join the Union army was 18, so 16-year-old Henry probably lied about his age on an enlistment form. Perhaps he used a ploy of other underage soldiers, writing the number 18 on a slip of paper, putting it in his shoe and then telling the recruiting officer: "I'm over 18, and I stand on my word."

After the regiment left Hartford on Dec. 16, 1861, it settled into camps near Annapolis before it shipped out for its eventual destination of North Carolina as part of Burnside's Expedition on Jan. 8. The expedition's grand fleet, consisting of more than 125 vessels, was hampered by two major storms, fog and communication problems after it left Fortress Monroe at the southern tip of the Virginia peninsula.

"The auspices under which we have commenced operations are certainly not very encouraging," a New York Times correspondendent reported on Jan. 15, 1862. After the expedition arrived at Hatteras Inlet in North Carolina, a colonel and the surgeon of  the 9th New Jersey drowned during a trip back to their mother ship after a short visit ashore, "where they spent some time wandering the beach collecting shells." Nearly 90 horses suffered the same fate when the steamer Pocahantas wrecked near a lighthouse, and 500 11th Connecticut soldiers aboard the Voltigeur ended up stranded on a sand bar in the inlet for 23 days before they finally made it ashore.

The Union attempt to put a stranglehold on North Carolina did not start well.

Sketch artist Frank Schell drew this image of the stranded Voltigeur, with
 11th Connecticut soldiers aboard, in Hatteras Inlet in North Carolina in January 1862.
(New York Public Library Collection)

Shortly after the 11th Connecticut left Annapolis aboard the Voltigeur, Henry became ill with the "measles," according to his commanding officer, Captain Edwin Lee, who had him transferred to a more comfortable quarters in a cabin on the troop transport. Initially, Ford appeared to be recovering, but he eventually was overcome by "congestion of the lungs" and died on Jan. 16.

According to this death certificate, dated March 29, 1863, the 
cause of Private Henry Ford's death was typhoid fever.
(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.)

In breaking the news of  Henry's death to the soldier's father, Lee wrote that the teenager "died in the defense of his country's flag and sustaining our nation's honor although he did not die amid the roar and din of battle, in the face of our country's foe." The captain of Company D explained to Amos Ford that army regulations prevented his son's body from being kept long enough to take ashore, so he was buried at sea the morning after he died. That ritual undoubtedly was witnessed by a grieving William Ford, who also was aboard the Voltigeur. Lee assured Amos that should anything happen to his 20-year-old son, "I shall inform you at the earliest moment if I am spared but my chances are not better than others nor as good as many."

"But grieve not at your loss," Lee wrote in the three-page letter written the day after Henry's funeral, "but rather consider it gain that you have thus contributed such a priceless treasure to liberty of man and your country. (See full text and transcription of the letter below.)

Tragedy soon rocked the Ford family again. Amos, a farmer, died of consumption in 1862, and William, who transferred to the U.S. Army 3rd Heavy Artillery in October 1862, died of disease on Dec. 9, 1863. Lee, too, would not survive the Civil War. During a charge on Confederate entrenchments at the Battle of New Bern (N.C.) on March 14, 1862, the captain from Barkhamsted, Conn., was killed when artillery fire ripped open his abdomen. He was only 28 years old.

Sources: 
Ancestry.com
Henry Ford pension file, National Archives and Records Service, Washington, D.C.
New York Times, Jan. 25, 1862
1860 U.S. census

X X X

In a three-page letter to the father of  Private Henry Ford,  his commanding officer
 broke the news of the teenaged soldier's death ftom disease. Henry was buried at sea.
(SEE TRANSCRIPTION AND REMAINDER OF LETTER BELOW.)

Hatteras Inlet, Aboard Bark Voltigeur,  Jan. 18, 1862

Mr. Ford

Dear Sir

It becomes my painful duty as commander of company D 11th C.V. to inform you of the sudden death of your son Henry, a member of my corps. A short time after we left Annapolis he was taken sick with the measels. I immediately had him transferred from the men's quarters to a comfortable place in the cabin. He appeared to be getting along finely until Thursday the 16th. About 7 o'clock Wednesday afternoon he partook of quite a hearty supper. In fact he had some of it in his hand when he was taken with congestion of the lungs and expired within a few hours. We buried him the next morning at sea with all the ceremonies due the occasion.

We could not possibly keep him until we arrived on shore and regulations demand that they shall not be kept over 12 hours. Sir, I know full well how sudden, how sad a blow this must be to you and his Mother. Tis true the loss is irreparable ...

"He was a good soldier and an upright man," Captain Edwin Lee wrote of Henry Ford.
Pages 2 and 3 of the letter were spliced together using picmonkey.com.

... but I have the consolation to offer you: He was a good soldier and an honest and upright man. He died in the defense of his country's flag and sustaining our nation's honor although he did not die amid the roar and din of battle, in the face of our country's foe. Yet his life was truly a sacrifice to his country as it would have been had such been the case. And rest assured tis an honor of the highest nature to die for one's country. William is here in good health. He will send all of any value belonging to him. There is some money due him from the government viz. two months bounty from the state, $5.00. Also two weeks pay from the U. States government $6.50 and  One Hundred Dollar bounty from the United States government. I shall notify the authorities at Washington so that the proper measures can be taken to secure it for you.

I enclose for you a letter from Wm. (William). We expect soon to be called into action. If anything happens to your other son I shall inform you at the earliest moment if I am spared but my chances are not better than others nor as good as many. But grieve not at your loss but rather consider it gain that you have thus contributed such a priceless treasure to liberty of man and your country. You will receive this as soon as they will permit letters to be forwarded. If you wish any information concerning Henry's effects I shall be happy to contribute it any time you may desire it.

I remain truly yours

Capt. Edwin R. Lee
Co. D 11th Regt. C.V.