View source for 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment

{{no footnotes|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=20th Connecticut Volunteer  Infantry
| image=20th Connecticut Infantry monument - Gettysburg.jpg
| image_size =
|caption=Monument to the regiment at Gettysburg
|dates=1862–1865
|country=[[File:US flag 34 stars.svg|23px]] [[United States]]
|allegiance=[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]]
|branch=[[Union Army]]
|type=[[Infantry]]
|role=
|size=[[Regiment]]
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=[[1861 Springfield]]
|equipment_label=
|battles=[[American Civil War]]
* [[Battle of Chancellorsville]]
* [[Battle of Gettysburg]]
* Buzzard's Roost Gap
* Boyd's Trail
* [[Battle of Resaca]]
* [[Battle of Adairsville]]
* [[Battle of Peachtree Creek]]
* [[Siege of Atlanta]]
* [[Sherman's March to the Sea]]
* [[Battle of Bentonville]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
|battle_honours_label=
|disbanded=13 June 1865
|notable_commanders=[[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Samuel Ross<br />Lt. Col. William Wooster
}}{{Military unit sidebar
 | title = Connecticut U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiments 1861-1865
 | previous =[[19th Connecticut Infantry Regiment]]
 | next =[[21st Connecticut Infantry Regiment]]
}}
The '''20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment''' was an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[Union Army]] during the [[American Civil War]]. Formed in July 1862, the regiment served in both the eastern and western theaters until it was disbanded after the war ended.

== History ==
Raised in July 1862, upon formation the 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was placed under the command of Colonel Samuel Ross, a former [[Regular Army (United States)|Regular Army]] officer. With him becoming brigade commander soon afterwards; for most of the war the regiment was commanded by its Lieutenant Colonel, William Wooster. Wooster was a businessman in civilian life and more popular than the stern disciplinarian Ross. The regiment became part of the 1st Division [[XII Corps (Union Army)|XII Corps]] and had its baptism of fire at the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]]. On May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville, the unit suffered heavy casualties as they and other units of the XII Corps bore the brunt of [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] General [[Stonewall Jackson]]'s surprise assault.

On July 2, 1863, on the [[Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day|second day]] of the [[Battle of Gettysburg]], several units were moved from the Union right flank on [[Culp's Hill]] to the south to reinforce the left flank which was being attacked. Seeing an opportunity, Confederate General [[Richard S. Ewell]] launched an attack on Culp's Hill and his men occupied the [[earthworks (engineering)|earthworks]] deserted by the withdrawn units. Attempts were made to retake the [[fortifications]], but due to miscommunications, such attempts were unsuccessful and resulted in heavy Union casualties.

At dawn on July 3, 1863, the commander of the Confederate [[Army of Northern Virginia]], General [[Robert E. Lee]], devised a plan to launch a massive assault on the center of the Union line (the attack now infamously known as [[Pickett's Charge]]). This plan also called for Ewell's troops to renew their assault on Culp's Hill to keep any Union regiments from leaving that area to reinforce the assault's target area. Long before [[George Pickett|Pickett's]] men were ready to make the charge, Ewell's men, still occupying the earthworks, awoke to a ferocious [[artillery]] barrage from Union [[artillery battery|batteries]] nearby. Forced into action by the bombardment, Ewell sent a message back to Lee saying that he could not wait for the main assault to begin to attack, and was sending his troops into battle.

The 20th Connecticut was tasked with scouting the movements of the enemy and relaying that information to nearby batteries and did so while stayed in the woods overlooking the Confederate position. It was a dangerous task as they had to be close to the target in order to give accurate reports and several men of the 20th were killed or wounded due to misfires or faulty [[ammunition]]. The last one to be wounded was Private George W. Warner, who lost both of his arms when a misfired [[shell (projectile)|shell]] detonated above him. The infuriated Wooster sent back a report to the batteries which allegedly said that if one more of his men were injured from a misfire, he would pull the 20th out of position, turn them around, and charge the batteries himself. The courier who carried the message added the comment, "...he'd do it, too, so be careful."
The Union artillery fire proved to be devastating. A following infantry assault drove Ewell's men from the hill. Confederate counterattacks, while outnumbering the, now entrenched, defenders, were repulsed and suffered heavy losses.

This was one of the first times that an [[infantry]] unit was used as spotting force for artillery. Citing the effectiveness, the tactic was used by several other Union generals throughout the rest of the war, including [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and [[William T. Sherman]]. It later became a common practice in the army and is still being employed today.

After Gettysburg, the XII Corps was transferred to the [[Western Theater of the American Civil War|western theater]]. In April 1864, the XI and the [[XII Corps (Union Army)|XII Corps]] were reformed into the [[XX Corps (Union Army)|XX Corps]]. With it the 20th Connecticut took part in a number of campaigns and battles including the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman's March to the Sea and the Battle of Bentonville. The regiment marched as part of the [[Grand Review of the Armies]] in Washington, D.C., and was mustered out on June 13, 1865.

==See also==
* [[List of Connecticut Civil War units]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* Hawthorne, Frederick W, ''Gettysburg: Stories of Men and Monuments'', The Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides, 1985.
* Storrs, John W., [https://archive.org/details/twentiethconnec00storgoog The "Twentieth Connecticut" a Regimental History] Ansonia, Conn.: Naugutuck Valley Sentinel, 1886.
* Time Life, ''Gettysburg: The Confederate High Tide'', London, 1985.

[[Category:Units and formations of the Union army from Connecticut]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1862]]
[[Category:1862 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865]]