Bio: Asa W. Bartlett : Pittsfield, Merrimack County, New Hampshire

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Submitted by: Rick Giirtman rickman@worldpath.net
Date: March 9, 2001
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From the Book
'History of Pittsfield, N. H. in the Rebellion'
by H. L. Robinson, published 1893


ASA W. UARTLETT

Asa W. Bartlett, a brother of the above (*Bradbury H. Bartlett*)and the
youngest of the family, was born at Epping, N.H., August 39, 1839. His
parents moved to Pittsfield when Asa was quite small. Here he got his
education in the town schools and academy, working on a farm and studying
for the profession of law until the spring of 1859, when he went West. There
he taught school and continued his studies.

Being a ready speaker, he took an active part in the political campaign of
1860 in behalf of Abraham Lincoln, and in other campaigns until 1886. He
returned home in 1862, and August 21 of that year he enlisted in Company F,
Twelfth New Hampshire volunteers, as a drummer, being of too small stature
to go in the ranks. He was soon detailed as clerk, and served in different
departments until he became sergeant-major of his regiment. March 3, 1864,
he was made a second lieutenant of Company G, and on July 15, 1864, he was
made first lieutenant, and, finally, he was commissioned as captain of
Company C, same regiment, September 28, 1864.

He was with his regiment in the battles of Chancellorsville, Swift Creek,
Relay House, Drury's Bluff, and Port Walthall. He had a thrilling experience
in the fight and retreat from the first-named battle, when he took the
national flag from the hands of a wounded color-bearer and succeeded, in
spite of rebel Minies and a sweeping storm of shot and shell, in carrying
the flag safely from the field.

During his term of service he acted in many different capacities, besides
performing his duties as a line officer in command of a company, some of
which were quite important and responsible. He was selected by General
Wistar to act for some time as judge advocate general. For a while he
performed the duties of chief signal officer for the Army of the James,
having had but three weeks' instruction, although all the old signal
officers had had six months' study and drill. He was the only one of several
examined who was found able to do quick signalling, and in a few days was
given charge of the important transmission and observation station on the
Bermuda Front, known as Butler's or Cobb Hill tower, where he was for
several days a target for Whitworth projectiles. A picture of Bartlett and
this tower appears in Butler's book, page 680.

Later, while in charge of Crow's Nest tower near Dutch Gap, he was under
fire of five of the enemy's guns, three of them 200-pound rifles, from nine
o'clock a. m. until four p. m. During that time the tower received one
hundred and sixty-five shot, and he was standing in it one hundred and
thirty feet from the ground. A soldier who visited this tower soon after
said, " I don't believe there was a whole stick left in the structure; all
were either splintered or broken. Even the boards of the platform on which
Bartlett and his companion stood were broken by pieces of shell that had
burst below them."

At the battle of Chapin's Farm, Bartlett found that two cannon had been
planted the night before just across the river on purpose to knock him out
of the tower while the heavier guns of Hewlett's battery were trying to
knock it down. No wonder that when the "ball" opened on that eventful day,
he turned to his flagman and remarked, "We might as well make our peace with
God, for we shall never get out of this alive." Yet, strange to say and
impossible as it seems, though the platform, posts, ladders, and braces were
rent, splintered, and broken, the tower stood, and they did get out of it
not only alive but unhurt.

Captain Bartlett has informed the writer that though it was a mighty
"uncertain balance of chances," he has once or twice stood in places of
greater danger, but never where it required greater nerve power to control
himself. " To keep your eye," said he, " steadily on the glass and keep cool
enough to catch and interpret every switch of the distant flag through the
smoke of battle, while a 200-pound shell explodes within the tower directly
beneath you, and spiteful percussion 10-pounders are flying around your head,
is not, as you can imagine, a very easy thing to do. There is an almost
irresistible impulse to let the message, however important it may be, go to
the d---l, and look around and see if you are not going the same way
yourself."

He continued in the signal service until December, 1864. when by reason of
sickness and meritorious conduct he was given a three-months furlough by
General Ord. At the end of that time, March 18, 1865. he wrote his
resignation while lying sick, as he had been most of the time during his
furlough, on what it was thought would be his death-bed. It was two years
before he was able to resume the active duties of life. After serving for a
time as judge advocate on General Wistar's staff" he was recommended by that
officer for promotion as post judge advocate, with rank of lieutenant-
colonel. At nearly the same time a position as signal officer was tendered
to him, which he accepted, preferring an active life at the. front to a
station at Fortress Munroe.

Comrade Bartlett is still living in this town, and is well known throughout
the state as a vigorous speaker.

A comrade tells the following incident: "The Twelfth regiment was being
moved from one part of the field to another, when they passed a signal
tower, at the foot of which General Devens (I think) sat on his horse,
fretting because no officer could stay in it long enough to take a dispatch
without being wounded. ' I can take that dispatch,' said Bartlett to a
comrade. ' Very well then, my little man, go up and take it," said the
general, who overheard the remark. Bartlett ran up the ladder like a
squirrel, took the dispatch and repeated down, and then came down as fast as
he could. The men had nearly all passed, and in the meantime the enemy had
brought another battery to bear, and before Bartlett had gotten away they
knocked it over, so that the timbers in falling struck near him, while the
amateur signal officer ran away, clapping his hands and laughing like a
school boy at a game of ball."

Rev. J. A. Chamberlin, a member of the Christian Commission, tells the
following story : "I was sitting in General Wistar's tent when Capt. A. W.
Bartlett was announced, and a slight boyish figure entered. Had I seen him
anywhere I should have thought him the young son of some officer who had
taken his boy out to let him see something of the war. General Wistar
motioned him to a seat, and commenced to ask him questions. These were
readily answered-in fact before I could comprehend them the answer came, and
it proved always correct. When the examination was through Bartlett said,
"General, may I ask a question ? " " Yes, sir," was the answer. Then
Bartlett stated his question. "I don't know," General Wistar replied, "what
would you do in such a case?" "I don't know either," answered Bartlett; "if
I had known I should not have asked the question. It occurred to me such a
case might arise and I asked for information."

As Bartlett left the tent the general turned to Mr. Chamberlin and inquired,
" Have you any more such little boys up in New Hampshire? "