Stanford

Soldier Profile: Francis Stanford

Co.C, 15th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.

Francis served in the "Lyon Guard," a regiment that saw the full spectrum of the Civil War’s horrors, from the tactical disaster of Fredericksburg to the invisible scourge of disease in the southern swamps.

From Clonee to the Elm City

• Born: December 31, 1838, in Clonee, Mohill, County Leitrim.

• The Youngest Son: The last of ten children born to a Leitrim farming family, Francis sought a new horizon in 1857. Alongside his brother Thomas, he crossed the Atlantic, eventually settling in New Haven, Connecticut.

• The Call to Arms: On August 15, 1862, Francis enlisted as a private. He was mustered in just ten days later, joining a regiment comprised largely of his neighbors from New Haven County.

Fredericksburg and the 15th Connecticut

The regiment was initially stationed near Washington, D.C., where the men suffered heavily from malaria before being thrust into the winter campaigns of 1862.

• Assault on Marye’s Heights: On December 13, 1862, Francis and his regiment stood before the stone wall at the Battle of Fredericksburg. While many Irishmen fell that day in the desperate charge toward Marye's Heights, the 15th Connecticut was positioned such that they escaped with only light casualties—two killed and eight wounded.

• The Fever and the Fall: Francis left the regiment in February 1863, narrowly missing the unit’s dark period in New Bern, North Carolina. While Francis was away, the regiment was ravaged by Yellow Fever, losing seventy men to the disease, and was later captured nearly in its entirety during the Battle of Wyse Fork.

A Troubled Peace: The New Haven Courtrooms

While Francis’s military record was characterized by service to his country, his personal life in the 1880s and 90s was marked by domestic turmoil that frequently captured the attention of the New Haven press.

• Family Conflict: Francis spent decades in a cycle of litigation and legal trouble. Newspaper reports from The Morning Journal-Courier and The Day detail a history of family neglect and domestic violence, including a 60-day jail sentence in 1883.

• The Opium Trial: In a sensational 1894 case, Francis and his son accused his wife of being a "confirmed opium eater." However, the judge, impressed by her "respectable appearance" and her testimony that Francis was an idle man who "hung about the house," dismissed the case and warned Francis against further harassment.

• The Pension Battle: By 1899, Francis was receiving a $30-a-month military pension. His wife successfully petitioned for a conservator to manage the funds, arguing that Francis drank too heavily to be trusted with the money.

The Final Muster

Despite the turbulent headlines, the community still recognized the aging veteran’s service as his life reached its end. In October 1904, the local press reported he was "gravely ill," specifically citing his military record as a soldier of the Union.

• Death: Francis Stanford passed away on April 11, 1905.

• Burial: He is buried in New Haven, Connecticut, resting in the soil of the city he called home for nearly half a century.

Service & Life Timeline

DateEventDetail

Dec 31, 1838 Birth Clonee, Mohill, Co. Leitrim

1857 Emigration Arrived in America with brother Thomas

Aug 15, 1862 Enlistment 15th Connecticut Infantry

Dec 13, 1862 Assault on Marye’s Heights, Fredericksburg

Feb 1863 Discharged End of Active Military Service

Jan 31, 1879 Pension Filed for Invalid Pension

Apr 11, 1905 Deceased New Haven, Connecticut