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Home / 📁 Clement / James Harvey Clement (1836-1862)

James Harvey Clement (1836-1862)

Much of the following concerns his service in the US Civil War. Aside from personal details, the history of his regiment can be found in History of the 44th Regument.pdf:

My archives include a handwritten letter to his father Daniel Clement (1796-1872) notifying him of his son's death in battle. It reads (illegible parts in italics, emphasis in the original):

Letter to Daniel Clement, July, 1862
Harrison's Landing

Esteemed Friend
It is with sorrow rather than duty that I am obliged to send you this note. Fain would I send you one that would carry joy to your hearts but one must abide by the fate of war trusting in God that all things may yet be well, - On the 27th of June at the Battle of Gains Mill, your son was struck by a unreadable ball in the left side near the short ribs. His comrades carried him across the river as far as Savage Station where he died. He died nobly defending his country's honor under the flag we all dearly love. His comrades & officers all deeply regret his loss & feel to mourn with his relatives at home & friends who must mourn over the loss of so noble a heart which was freely given for his country.

If there is anything further which you unreadable fund out I should be happy to inform you,

Notes on this:

  • The top of the page has an additional note reading "Caronline's little boy Julius born July 1857". Caroline Clement (1832-1905) was James Harvey's sister and her son Julius also died in 1862.
  • Savage's Station was "...the wartime name of a supply depot, ammunition dump, field hospital, and command headquarters of the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War." Located in Henrico County, VA.
  • The archives have two copies of this letter written in different hands, one apparently a copy of the other. I'm guessing that the two-page version is the original since it was written on the same kind of paper that James H used for some of his letters, embossed with a "Union and Constitution" logo.

A separate letter dated July 19 1862 indicates that James was taken prisoner with other wounded and sick and reports not having seen him again:

Harrison's Landing
James River Va July 19th 1862

Daniel Clement

Dear Sir,
Your letter of July 18th has been read, and in reply to your request I will say that your sone James was not killed, he was wounded in the left side by a musketball, about 4PM Friday June 27th while deployed as a skirmisher, he was brought back to the Regt by his comrades, his wound the Dr. said was quite severe, said he would have to be removed to the hospital to have it dressed.

The enemy coming upon us in such force at that time, made it impossible for an ambulance to be brought for him, and just before dark the enemy getting around in our rear, we were obliged to cross over the Chickahominy river. I have before stated the Dr. said he though the would very severe. I am happy to write you that he was able to cross the river during the night, and was taken to Savage Sta. by our forces. I did not see him after we crossed the river.

He was left at Savage Sta. with many of our sick & wounded, among them six Commissioned Officers of our Regt, all of whom were taken prisoners.

James H Clement was a good soldier, ever ready and willing to do all things well, and by his uniformly good temper had won the respect and esteem of all, who were so fortunate as to become acquainted with him, in his loss I feel that my company has lost one of its best men.

No mention having been made in the papers of any who were taken prisoners at Savage Sta, I can give you no later account of him than Sunday noon when he was at the latter place and quite comfortable.

Asking your pardon for not writing you before in regard to him, for the reason that I knew not where to direct, I will close, promising you that any information which may be received in regard to him I will immediately forward to you.

From what I can learn from good authority, I think a general exchange of prisoners will be made in a few days.

Your Obedient Servant,

Notes on this:

  • The details seem to be correct. The Battle of Gaine's Mill was soon followed by the Battle of Savage Station, in which

Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's divisions were stalled north of the Chickahominy River. Union forces continued to withdraw across White Oak Swamp, abandoning supplies and more than 2,500 wounded soldiers in a field hospital.

  • The Library of Congress has a photo taken by James F. Gibson of the Savage Station field hospital taken on June 27, the day before the hospital was overrun. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018671740/ The image is below. The original is a stereogram, this is one half of it.

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