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| Clothed in regulation uniform with greatcoat, the bronze infantry soldier gazes out over the horizon. |
Dedicated on June 17, 1874 to all Middletown men who died in the Civil War, the Soldier’s Monument is located at Middletown’s South Green (Union Park), at the intersection of Main Street and Pleasant Street. Old Church Street borders it on the right. The monument was created by sculptor Melzar Mosman.
There are three bronze plaques on the face of the granite pedestal that list all 110 the names of the fallen soldiers.
North face: lists all those who "Died in Service."
West face: lists all those who "Died of Wounds; Died in Military Prisons; Died Since Muster Out"
South face: lists all those who were "Killed in Action."
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| South-facing plaque for all those "Killed in Action." |
Private Daniel H. Otis is listed on the plaque "Killed in Action." He is listed as "Killed in Action" on December 20th. For the life of me, I cannot figure out where the city of Middletown got this inaccurate date from. Daniel Otis was "Killed in Action," on December 13, 1862 at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and died a few days later on December 16/17, 1862.
Mistakenly, the city gave Private David B. Lincoln, Daniel Otis' date of death of December 17, 1862! (On the plaque, David Lincoln's name is listed right above Daniel Otis' name. Photo below). Otis and Lincoln were mortally wounded by the same artillery shell on December 13, 1862. The records are very clear that "Lincoln died the same evening while Otis lived a day or two longer" (Source: "History of Company B," page 13, by Sergeant Elnathan B. Tyler).
How the mix-up in dates occurred, one can only wonder!
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| Close-up of the south-facing plaque for all those "Killed in Action." Red arrow points to Private Daniel H. Otis. Notice, Private David B. Lincoln is listed above him. Both Otis' and Lincoln's dates are incorrect. |
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| "Honor to the Brave" The same epitaph can be found on the grave of Private Daniel H. Otis |
For more detailed information and photos of the Soldier's Monument, check out these two sites!
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| 1906 postcard of the Soldier's Monument, Middletown From my collection of vintage postcards and photographs |
Article on the dedication of the Middletown Soldier's Monument; from the Hartford Courant, Thursday, June 18, 1874, page 1. Monument dedicated on June 17, 1874.
CLICK HERE to download and read a copy of the above (page 1).
CLICK HERE to download and read a copy of the above, which was briefly continued from page 1.
Remember this?
Middletown Soldier's Monument Swallowed by Shrubbery
Middletown Soldier's Monument Swallowed by Shrubbery
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| Soldier's Monument being swallowed by shrubbery, 2019. |
When I arrived in Middletown in April 2019, this (photo above) was the state of the Soldier's monument: swallowed by an ever-growing ring of shrubbery! The shrubbery was so large that it blocked out the existing lighting system. So, when nighttime arrived, instead of illuminating the names of Middletown’s fallen sons on the bronze plaques, it illuminated the unnecessary thick ring of shrubbery that surrounded the monument! The plaques, and therefore the names of these brave soldiers were in utter darkness! In my eyes, this was unacceptable.
I contacted the Superintendent of Parks, Mr. Brian Young, and it was not long before he had the shrubs removed and smaller plantings in place. Now the present lighting system once again illuminates the names of Middletown’s fallen sons. Thank you, Mr. Young!
