Captain Jarvis E. Blinn (July 28, 1836 - September 17, 1862) was Captain of 14th Connecticut Regiment Infantry's B Company. He was the first officer of the regiment to die in the war; shot through the heart.

Life and Service

Jarvis Blinn was born in Rocky Hill, Connecticut on July 28, 1836. In 1853, Blinn moved to

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

and found work in

rulemaking In administrative law, rulemaking is the process that executive and independent agencies use to create, or ''promulgate'', regulations. In general, legislatures first set broad policy mandates by passing statutes, then agencies create more deta ...

. In July 1862, Connecticut received its second quota for enlisted men to fight in the Civil War. Blinn responded to the call on August 8, enlisting into the 14th Connecticut Regiment Infantry's Company B as it was organizing in New Britain. He was chosen and commissioned Captain on August 15. The 14th Regiment gathered at Camp Foote in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

and was mustered into service by Colonel Webb on August 23. On August 25, 1862, the 14th Regiment broke camp and set out for Washington. After marching through the town with fanfare, the regiment departed for New York by

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

, with Company B on either the "Dudley Buck" and "City of Hartford". The steamship traveled down the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

and into

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, arriving in the morning of August 26. After a meal, the regiment boarded the transport ship, "Kill von Kull", which took them up Elizabeth River, a tributary of

Arthur Kill The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It is a major navigational channel of the Port of ...

Elizabethport Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

and on to Washington D.C., arriving at the barracks on the morning of August 27. The 14th Regiment was made part of the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division, Second Army Corps under Dwight Morris; with Lieutenant Colonel S.H. Perkins in charge of the regiment. On September 7, and passing through

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

. On September 11, the regiment marched to

Clarksburg, Maryland Clarksburg is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in northern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located at the northern end of the Interstate 270 technology corridor, approximately four miles north of Germantown. ...

and reached Frederick City, Maryland on September 13. The regiment arrived at the Battle of South Mountain after the battle's conclusion the following day. The regiment would march on and take part in the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

on September 17, 1862.

Death

During the Battle of Antietam, Blinn's company had taken a forward position and was given the order to fall back. As the order was given, Blinn was shot through the heart and said, "I am a dead man!" before his immediate death. He was the first officer to die in 14th Regiment. His body was returned to New Britain on or shortly before the morning of October 11. The service was held Center Church on October 14, with an address being given by Reverend Goodell. After the service ended the funeral procession traveled to Blinn's home town of Rocky Hill for another service in the Congregational Church. He was buried with Masonic honors at Center Cemetery.

Notes

* Disagreement in the sources over the date of enlistment exists. ''Memorial of Deceased Officers of the Fourteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers'' maintains he enlisted on August 8. Where as the ''Catalogue of Connecticut Volunteer Organizations with Additional Enlistments and Casualties'' shows Blinn mustering on August 6.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blinn, Jarvis 1836 births 1862 deaths People from Rocky Hill, Connecticut Military personnel from New Haven, Connecticut Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Union Army officers Deaths by firearm in Maryland