FIRST - Civil War Volunteer From Connecticut - Hartford, CT
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 41° 45.864 W 072° 40.924
18T E 692678 N 4626215
A relief sculpture of General Joseph Roswell Hawley, the first Civil War volunteer from Connecticut, is located inside the east side of the north porch of the Connecticut State Capitol at 210 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, CT.
Waymark Code: WMQ9T4
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2016
Views: 1
A 6' diameter circular, gilded, bronze relief sculpture of Civil War soldier General Joseph Roswell Hawley is decorated with a 6" wide ornate marble surround. The sculpture was created by Herbert Adams and dedicated on October 18, 1912.
A three quarter length portrait of General Hawley is shown with his head facing is left shoulder. He wearing a Civil War uniform with his cape draped over his right arm and his right hand touching his belt. His left hand holds the handle of the sword on his left side.
To General Hawley's right is inscribed:
THE FIRST
VOLUNTEER IN
CONNECTICUT
1861
BREVET MAJOR
GENERAL
1865
HERBERT ADAMS
MCMX
To General Hawley's left is inscribed:
GOVERNOR
1866 1867
REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS
1881 1905
{Seal of the State of Connecticut}
On the marble surround is decorated with an overlapping leaf pattern and is inscribed in black capital letter:
BORN MDCCCXXVI PATRIOT SOLDIER STATESMAN DIED MCMV
JOSEPH ROSWELL HAWLEY
Joseph Roswell Hawley was born on October 31, 1826, in Stewartsville, NC to northern parents. He moved to Connecticut with his parents when he was 11 years old. He graduated from Hamilton College in New York in 1847, was admitted to the bar in 1850, and practiced law in Hartford, Connecticut. An ardent abolitionist, in 1852 he helped form the Republican Party in Connecticut. In 1857 became editor of the Hartford Evening Press.
After the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, SC on April 12 -14, 1861 he answered President Lincoln's and Governor Buckingham's call and helped to recruit and organize an infantry company and became Connecticut's first Civil War volunteer as a first lieutenant in Rifle Company A, First Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, which was mustered into service April 22, 1861. He eventually led the 7th Connecticut Volunteers Regiment and rose to the rank of Brevet Major General.
After the war he served as Connecticut Governor (1866 - 1867), in the US House of Representatives (1872 - 1875), and the US Senate (1881 - 1905). He died in Washington, DC in 1905.
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