Chauncey Hosford War of 1812 Papers Now Available in Digital Collections

Attention deserters from the 25th Regiment U.S. Infantry

The Connecticut State Library has recently completed the digitization of the Chauncey Hosford War of 1812 papers, which is now available in its digital collections.  During the War of 1812, Chauncey Hosford (1784-1855) enlisted as a first lieutenant in Capt. Elizur Warner’s Company of the United States Infantry Thirty-seventh Regiment on April 30, 1813.  His prior military service included a commission as ensign in the Third Company of the Fourteenth Regiment of Connecticut Militia as of April 28, 1810.  The Thirty-seventh Regiment was stationed at Fort Griswold in New London.

Hosford was assigned to the recruiting service and spent much of the time in his home town of Canaan in Litchfield County recruiting men from the area.  Most of this collection of 101 items reflects his recruiting activities. Included is correspondence, orders, weekly recruiting returns that list the names and towns of recruits, and receipts for recruiting expenses.  Also included is a muster roll for Capt. Elizur Warner’s Company.

The Chauncey Hosford War of 1812 Papers was donated to the Connecticut State Library by David A. Gibbs and researched by Rosemary Pereira in 2012 and is part of the David Arthur Gibbs Collection of Hosford and Gibbs Family Papers.