07/08/2025
CIVIL WAR STORY 7/7/25
___Many years ago , Dick Frary a local historian , and our town veteran agent , compiled information on the Civil War. He included 131 men of Southampton that were called up to serve , and the men that served on behalf of Southampton men that couldn't service on one reason or another. Unfortunately , he did not include any Civil War veterans that lived in Southampton , but enlisted in another area of the country. I want to tell you about one of those men , Henry Green.
___ Everyone one of our citizens that served in the Civil War need to remember , and one day hopefully we will be able to add their names to the list. I happened to run across a brief outline of Henry Green and his role in the Civil War , while reading the History of the West Part of our town. Thankfully back in 1870 - 1900, a local historian Samuel L.T. Wright , captured the history of the West Part. If it wasnt for Mr. Wright , we would forget about this Civil War Hero.
___ Henry Green spent a large part of his youth just over the town line in Westhampton. His mother Mrs. Michael Cauliffe resided on Homestead # 5 in the West Part after she remarried. When he became an adult Henry Green longed for adventure and headed out west to California . While he was in California , Henry enlisted in the California Regular Army. In 1861 , the Civil War broke out and President Lincoln ordered his regiment east , to be part of The Army of The Potomac. For those that don't know The Army of The Potomac was the main Army unit that fought at most of the famous Battles of The Civil War.
___ Henry Green was re-assigned to the Maine regiment that was part of the Army of The Potomac. From July 1861 until May 29,1864 ; he fought bravely at each battle that the Army of The Potomac was assigned too. Some of the battles he fought at were 7 Day Battles , Second Bull Run , and even at Gettysburg . He was one of those soldiers that heard President Lincoln recite the Gettysburg Address. Unfortunately his last day on the battlefield would be May 29,1864 , at the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , Virginia . Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant had ordered an overland attack against Gen. Robert E. Lee's army . The battle lasted from May 29-31,1864 ; it would leave 1903 men injured or killed.
___ During the battle , Henry Green was hit by a Minnie Ball . His knee was shattered and the men of his regiment carried him to safety. There was nothing that the surgeon could do , and the leg had to be amputated to save his life. Many of us have heard the horror stories of what these soldiers went through when an amputation was done on the battlefield. Henry Green survived and was able to fight off the infections that killed many Civil War amputees. He would spend the rest of his life in pain.
___ A couple of months later in the fall , he returned to his families homestead in the South part of Westhampton. He spent a couple of years trying to figure out how to feel live a man again. Dec. 1867 he married Miss Hannah Duggan who had grew up in Southampton. They purchased Homestead # 15 in the West Part of Town . A few months later the first of their 9 children would be born .
___ The pain that Henry Green lived with was too much for him , and a year after purchasing # 15 , he was forced to sell the property and move back over the town line to his family's farm. The Green family stayed at the Westhampton farm for 2 years , but Henry Green needed more medical help for the wounds he received during the civil war. The family moved to Maine and Henry was put in a soldier's home. The Green family stayed in Maine until 1884.
___ In 1884 , Henry Green and his family finally returned to Southampton. They purchased Homestead # 31 in the West Part of Town. Henry Green would live out the last 16 years of his life at Homestead # 31. On April 26,1900 , his suffering finally ended , he was only 61 years old. Henry had spent nearly 36 years in pain, because of his leg was amputated on a Civil War Battlefield.
___ Our veterans return from their service , with both wounds that our obvious , and wounds that are hidden in their hearts and souls. They risk everything so that we dont ever know the true price of freedom. Henry Green is a prime example of a soldier that story , had almost been forgotten by the cruelty of time. I ask those reading this post, take the time to write down the history of your family members that served in our armed forces. We owe each of our veterans the respect to pass on their stories to future generations.
Send a message to learn more
