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Captain Parlin in the Civil War, Introduction

A few words on the origin of this work and how it is presented:    Captain William Davis Parlin, my great-great grandfather, was  born in Natick, Massachusetts in 1839 to a painting contractor named Asher Parlin.  Captain Parlin married Mary Miranda Brown in 1865 after serving honorably and heroically in the War Between the States.  He and his wife had four children, two sons who died of diphtheria at age 6 and age 3 within days of each other in 1873, and two daughters.  My great grandmother, Mary Winifred Parlin was born to the family in 1874.  She married my great grandather Charles Aubrey Eaton in 1895.  Charles A. (Doc) Eaton, D.D., born in 1869 in Nova Scotia, was the minister of the First Baptist Church in Natick when he met parishioner Mary Winifred Parlin, who was known as "Winnie."    In 1903, Captain Parlin and his wife Mary decided to sell their hardware business in Natick (which had grown from a paint store business star...
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Captain Parlin in the Civil War, Chapter 1

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                                                                   Chapter 1                                           Enlistment, Commissioning as an Officer Sometimes I go up to Georgetown, . . .  and old town--just opposite it in the river is an island, where the niggers have their first Washington reg't encamped--. . . since they have begun to carry arms, the secesh here & in Georgetown (about 3/5ths) are not insulting to them as formerly.                                      Walt Whitman, in a letter to his mother, July 7th, 1863       ...
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Captain Parlin's in the Civil War, Chapter 2

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                                                  Chapter 2.      Duty in Norfolk and the murder of Lieutenant Sanborn.  Duty in New Bern and Plymouth, North Carolina. Dismal Swamp Raid.  Ram Abermarle.  Norfolk , New Berne, and back to Hampton.     The Captain continues:      Our first service in front of the enemy was at New Bern, Plymouth and Elizabeth City, N.C.     They were green troops then, knowing very little about handling fire arms.  In slavery guns were kept from them.       At Wilson's Landing one darkie wanted to enlist but said he was afraid of the muskets.     On one of the first nights on picket at Plymouth, they fired repeatedly at an imaginary enemy.  I was so used up in going from post to post that just at dawn when all quieted down I fell a...
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Captain Parlin in the Civil War, Chapter 3

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                                                             Chapter 3                     Wilson's Wharf.  Fitzhugh Lee's attack.  Pickett's absence.                              He who attacks must vanquish. He who defends must merely survive.                                                                         Master Kan                               The speech delivered at the Natick gathering of...
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