Wilder Dwight, second son of William and Elizabeth Amelia (White) Dwight, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on the 23d of April, 1833. His paternal ancestor was John Dwight of Oxfordshire, England, who settled in Dedham, MA, in 1636. His mother was descended from William White of Norfolk County, England, who settled in Ipswitch, MA, in 1635. His family has belonged to New England for more than two centuries, and during that whole period has been identified with its history, its industry, its enterprises, and its institutions.
In childhood he gave promise of all that he afterwards became,-- manly, courageous, self-possessed, acute, original, frank, affectionate, generous, reliable. He was, in boyhood, not less than in manhood, one in whom to "place an absolute trust." He had a quick and irritable temper, which was a source of trouble to himself and to his friends in early life, and which, early and late in life, it was his effort to control. Full of fun, and ever ready with comical suggestions, his humor was irresistible. Many a reproof did he ward off by it in childhood; many a dark hour did he brighten by it in after years. When not 6 years old, it was said of him: "He has a sincere love of right, and aversion to wrong, though he does not desire to hear preaching on the subject." Before he was 7, he was pronounced uncommonly clear-headed and strong in intellect....
At the age of 13 he left home for the first time, to fit for college at Phillips Exeter Academy. "There," says the preceptor, "from the beginning to the end of his course, he was a pattern pupil." ...At the end of two years, he was fitted for college; but, not wishing to enter so early, he passed 6 months at the Private Military School of L.J.D. Kinsley at West Point, in order to secure the advantge of the military drill; while, at the same time, he continued his classical studies, and received instruction in French and mathematics. In May, 1849, prepatory to entering college, he returned to Exeter for a review of his studies. In the following July, he writes in his diary:
He took high rank as a scholar, and maintained it throughout his college course. The following extract from his diary shows by what means he accomplished this result.
Among the privileges which he enjoyed in college, that which he valued most highly was the instruction received, in lectures and recitations, on the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, from the Rev. Dr. Walker. Not less did he value the pulpit ministrations of this distinguished preacher...
On leaving college he entered the Law School at Cambridge, with ardent enthusiasm for the profession. There too he took a prominent position, receiving the first prize in 1855. On leaving the Law School, he passed 14 months in foreign travel. He sometimes spoke with regret of this interruption to his studies, because it placed him further from the attainment of the main purpose of his life. He resumed his studies immediately on his return, and completed them in the offices of Hon. Caleb Cushing, the Attorney-General of the United States, Hon. E. R. Hoar, and Horace Gray, Jr., Esq., of Boston.
He was admitted to the bar in 1856, and commenced practice in 1857. Of what he was as a lawyer Judge Abbott says:
...Of his position and prospects at the time of the breaking out of the war, his friend, Francis E. Parker, Esq., speaks as follows:
...The Hon. Richard H. Dana, Jr. said of him, after his death:
...He determined to raise a regiment for the war; consulting daily with Messrs. Gordon and Andrews, formerly of the U.S. Army, the future Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, he made it sure that no want of military experience on his part should prove a hindrance to the perfect accomplishment of his work. He suffered not a day to pass, after the news from Sumter, before opening a subscription paper, to guarantee the expenses which would be incurred in the enterprise....The practical difficulty in their way was that there was no law, at that time, either of the United States or the Commonwealth, under which it could be carried into operation. It was necessary to obtain from the Secretary of War special authority for the enlistment and control of the proposed regiment. For this purpose, on the 25th of April, 1861, while the excitement which followed the Baltimore riot was at its height, and the usual communication with the seat of government was cut off, Mr. Dwight and Mr. Andrews left Boston, and went by the way of Annapolis to Washington....After submitting his plan to the Secretary in conversation, he addressed to him a written statement of the same. On the next day the following letter was received from the War Department:
From this time Wilder Dwight seemed to have but one interest in life. To see the Massachusetts Second become, in organization and in discipline, a perfect regiment, and to do, in connection with it, all that such a power could do towards suppressing the Rebellion,--this was the aim which bounded his horizon. He was appointed, by Col. Gordon's recommendation, Major of the regiment, which position he held until June 13, 1862, when he was promoted by Gov. Andrew as its Lt.-Col. During what remained to him of life, the history of the regiment is his history. "All I want," he once wrote, "is the success of the regiment itself,-- nothing more or less; and there is room enough for distinction for any one who does his share in any regiment to make it a good one." To no service assigned him by his superior officers was he ever found unequal....The spirit which he carried into his new profession is best illustrated by extracts from his own letters. On the 15th of July, 1861, just one week from the day the regiment left Boston, while "in bivouac at Bunker Hill," he writes:
...Judge Gray, in the remarks from which we have already quotes, says of him:
...[Dwight] soon complains that no opportunity is offered them for "teaching the men to take care of themselves on the march and in active duty." At one time he writes: "It is idle to disguise the fact, that it is a heaviness to the natural and unregenerate heart to see no prospect of achivement, no opportunity of action." And again: "I must say, I think the tonic of victory would be of most happy and invigorating influence. Give me a little of the ecstasy of strife; bother this constant rehearsal." After rejoicing over the victories at Roanoke, in Tennessee, and in Missouri, he exclaims:
He did so; yet at times his eagerness for action would express itself. Once he exclaims:
...As late as May 9th, the service of the regiment was still to "stand and wait." Then he writes: "Of course, this is a severe trial to me,--the severest, I think, of my life,--but, equally, of course, I keep a cheerful spirit, and mean to do my best to the end."
Two weeks later, the regiment saw its first action in the field, on the occasion of Gen. Banks's retreat in May, 1862. From Gen. Gordon's official report of his portion of the retreating forces we quote the following:
Chaplain Quint of the Second wrote at that time:
Of this command if the skirmishers, Major Dwight's journal contains the following:
Many were the tributes to his bravery at this time. Of these, none so deeply affected him as one which he received from a wounded man of the regiment, whom he was endeavoring to cheer by telling him how well he and his comrades had done in the fight. The man looked at him, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Ah, Major, I'm afraid we should n't have done so well if it had not been for you."
...The Hon. Richard H. Dana, Jr., in illustrating his talent for success, says:
On his arrival within the Union lines, he writes: "I cannot describe our thankfulness and heart-swell"; and on reaching his regiment, "I cannot describe their welcome; God knows I should be proud to deserve it. I have never known greater happiness or thankfulness than to-night." Of his return to the regiment, another, an eye-witness, has given the following account:
...The next day [Dwight] wrote from Washington:
His return was long delayed; and of all the trials of his life, this was the greatest. "This is not the life for me," he said repeatedly during the week when he was flattered and caressed at home. A still severer trial awaited him. On Monday, a.m., August 11th, the day on which his exchange was effected, he heard of the battle of Cedar Mountain, in which his regiment had lost so heavily. Every true soldier can appreciate the bitterness of his feeling, at hearing that his regiment had been in action without him. The loss of his friends who had fallen cut him to the heart. He suffered as he had never suffered before. Some hours were given to visiting friends of the wounded and the killed, and to making arrangements for serving them. Then he left us, never to return. He had repeatedly said that he did not expect to come back. Those who met him that morning saw in his face what he felt. To more than one he said in parting, "It is the last time." Yet he was not depressed by the thought. "My life is God's care, not mine," he often said, "and I am perfectly willing to leave it in his hands." Now his only desire was to rejoin the regiment, and, as he said, "help those poor fellows."
On reaching camp, near Culpeper, he writes:
Soon after this a prohibition was put upon the mails, and no letter reached us from him until Sept. 3d, when he wrote from Washington:
...On Sept. 10th he wrote from Washington: "I am here now, two days, getting arms for our recruits. All is reported quiet beyond Rockville, and I do not return till tomorrow." This is the last he wrote us until the morning of the fatal day. From others, we have an account of the intervening days. Chaplain Quint has recorded his return to the regiment on the evening of Friday, Sept. 12th, when "his horse bore marks of his haste to find them," the movement of the regiment during the 3 following days, and his last march on the evening preceding the battle of Antietem, when "at half past 10 they halted." They were roused the next morning at 5 a.m. by cannonade, and their corps was speedily moved towards the front. At this time he wrote, in pencil, to his mother as follows:
Chaplain Quint writes:
His last act before receiving the mortal wound was to walk along the line of the regiment, which was drawn up under the shelter of a fence, and direct the men to keep their heads down out of reach of the enemy's fire. Col. Andrews writes:
Here, while alone upon the field between the two armies, he took from his pocket the note which he had written in the morning, and added to it the following:
On the opposite page, in larger and firmer characters he added these words, "All is well with those who have faith." The paper is stained with his blood, and the scarcely legible lines show with what diffculty he accomplished this last effort of a life filled with acts of fidelity and love.
[CLICK HERE FOR A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF WILDER DWIGHT'S LAST HOURS]
Mr. Justice Hoar, in his address to the Suffolk bar upon the occasion of the death of Wilder Dwight, closes with the following words:
For us there is left the precious legacy of his life. Brethren, it is well that we should pause, as we are entering upon our stated and accustomed duties, to draw inspiration from such an example. For who can think of that fair and honorable life, and of the death which that young soldier died, without a new sense of what is worthiest in human pursuits, a stronger devotion to duty, a warmer ardor of patriotism, a surer faith in immortality."
"On Monday, July 16th, I was examined for entrance to the Freshman class, and, after due trepidation and effort, on Tuesday, at about 4 p.m., I received my 'admittatur,' overjoyed at finding it an unconditional one."
"March, 1850...I am somewhat of 'a dig,' I suppose; and though the character is rather an ignominious one in college, it is in so good repute elsewhere and among wiser persons than Freshmen or even Sophomores, that I shall endeavor always to deserve the title. Natural geniuses, that is, lazy good scholars, are few and far between. I shall, therefore, estimate myslef as a very common sort of a person; and as I desire to excel, I shall choose the way which seems to promise success."
"I can say, in reference to my appreciation of him, what I know will be appreciated as the highest evidence, in my judgment, of his qualifications as a lawyer, that I have come up before the tribunal which I respect above human tribunals, depending entirely upon briefs furnished by my associate, this young man. I have trusted, beginning with the first cause he ever had occasion to try after being admitted to the bar,--trusted, what I should rarely do, the entire preparation of causes to him, and sat down to the trial of them without any personal attention to them myself."
"He had everything which a man of high ambition most desires: he had youth and health, fortune and friends, a profession in which he delighted, the practical talents which smooth the way in it, and the confidence in himself which made labor light. But when the trouble of our country came, he thought that all advantages and successes which did not aid her were to be trampled under foot. He gave up to his country, without a moment's hesitation, all that he had gained and all that he was."
"He had that combination of qualities which led to success in whatever he undertook....His love was for that kind of intelligent labor which looks to specific results....He had an intuitive knowledge of himself, and instinctive knowledge of other men. He adapted his means to his ends. He knew what he was uited to do, and he had a power of will, a faculty of concentration, and patience, perseverance, and confidence, which insure success....When the war broke out, he determined to become a soldier. His friends knew he would make himself one. He determined to offer the first regiment of three years' men to the army, and he did so. He went to Washington to obtain advantages and opportunities most difficult to secure; but we felt that he would succeed, and he did succeed."
"Washington City, April 18, 1861. To Messrs. Wilder Dwight and George L. Andrews. The plan which you communicated for raising a regiment in Massachusetts for service during the war meets my approval. Such a regiment shall be immediately enlisted in the service of the government, as one of those which are to be called for immediately. The regiment shall be ordered to Fort Independence or some other station in Boston Harbor, for purposes of training, equipment, and drill, and shall be kept there 2 months, unless an emergency compels their presence elsewhere. I am, gentlemen, very respectfully, Simon Cameron, Secretary of War"
"I hope for a big, worthy battle, one that means something and decides something; and I hope to have strength, courage, and wisdom to do my duty in it. I never felt happier or more earnest than for the last few days, and I never realized more fully the best significance of life. I have always had a dream and theory about the virtues that were called out by war. I have nothing to say of the supply which I can furnish, but I am vividly impressed by the demand. The calling needs a whole man, and it exacts very much of him. Self gets thrown into the background..."
"To those who really knew him, his warmth of feeling was not less remarkable than his purity of principle and strength of character. None but his intimate friends knew how much of his time was taken up in acts of kindness and charity. From the time he became a soldier, he was devoted to the care of his men, both as a matter of military judgment and of right feeling; in this, as in other things, showing how his intellect and his heart worked together."
"Exploit, achievement, victory! and I not there! I may feel and express foolishness, and I think I do; but I had rather lose my life to-morrow in a victory than save it for 50 years without one! When I speak of myself as not there, I mean the Massachusetts Second, in whose fortunes and hopes I merge my own. I ought, perhaps, to burn this letter; but I'll send it, I believe. In an hour or two I shall be cheerful as ever, and continue the service of standing and waiting with good heart, I hope."
"I presume I love life, and home, and friends as much as any one; but I should sooner give them all up to-morrow, than to have our regiment go home empty....If you have any prayers to give, give them all to the supplication that the 2d Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers may find a field whereon to write a record of itself...."
"Major Dwight, of the 2d Massachusetts, while gallantly bringing up the rear of the regiment, was missed somewhere near or in the outskirts of the town. It is hoped that this promising and brave officer, so cool upon the field, so efficient everywhere, so much beloved in his regiment, and whose gallant services on the night of the 24th instant will never be forgotten by them, may have met with no worse fate than to be held a prisoner of war."
"Our hopes that Massachusetts will be proud of the late history of the 2d Massachusetts are clouded by the anxiety felt by every man as to the Major's fate....You will know how nobly he commanded the little band of skirmishers on Saturday night last; when his small force was formed against cavalry and infantry, with entire success; how his clear, cool deliberate words of command inspired the men, so that no man faltered, while, in 10 minutes, one company lost one fourth of its number."
"When he was made a prisoner at Winchester, and the Rebels were taking all their prisoners to Richmond, he determined not to go to Richmond, and he did not go, but was paroled. Some of us know the sagacity and perseverance by which he gained his point."
"It was in the dusk of Monday evening, June 2d, just after evening parade, while officers and men were in or about their tents, many talking of the Major and his probable fate, that a stir was perceived among the officers. The lamented Captain Cary was heard to exclaim, 'Good heavens, the Major!' as he rushed forwards; then the Major was seen running on foot towards the regiment. The officers ran to meet him. More than one lifted him in his arms. The men ran from their tents towards the limits of the camp. They could not be restrained: they broke camp and poured down upon the Major with the wildest enthusiasm."
"I am here to see about my exchange, &c. I am sorry you had so much anxiety about me, but thankful to be able to relieve it. My reception by the regiment is reward enough. I must get back to them."
"A sharp, sudden half-hour's work, under desperate circumstances, has crippled us sadly, as you must have heard only too well....Our five brave, honorable, beloved dead are on their way to Massachusetts. She has no spot on her soil too sacred for them, no page in her history that their names will not brighten..."
"After an experience of 16 days, here I am, humiliated, exhausted, yet well and determined. Pope's retreat, without a line and without a base, is a military novelty. We ived on the country with a witness,--green corn and green apples. Twice cut off by the enemy, everything in discomfort and confusion, forced marches, wakeful bivouacs, retreat, retreat! O, it was pitiful!"
"Dear Mother, it is a misty, moist morning. We are engaging the enemy, and are drawn up in support of Hooker, who is banging away most briskly. I write this in the saddle, to send you my love, and to say that I am very well so far."
"Col. Dwight was as active and efficient as ever. It was not for several hours that our regiment went into action....I am told of his bravery and daring,--that after our regiment had captured a Rebel flag he galloped up and down the lines with it, amid the cheers of the men, reckless of the fire of the enemy."
"Lt.-Col. Dwight was mortally wounded within 3 feet of me. He had just come from the left of the regiment, and was about to speak when the ball struck him. He fell, saying, 'They have done for me.' The regiment was soon ordered to fall back, and men were ordered to carry him; but the pain was so intense that he refused to be moved."
"Dearest Mother, I am wounded so as to be helpless. Good by, if so it must be; I think I die in victory. God defend our country. I trust in God, and love you all to the last. Dearest love to father and all my dear brothers. Our troops have left the part of the field where I lie. Mother, yours, Wilder."
"Tender and loving son, firm friend, true soldier, Christian hero--we give thee up to thy fame! For thee life has been enough
'Goodness and greatness are not means, but ends'
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