Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon was born November 3, 1841, at Oxford, Massachusetts. He received
his preparatory education at Thetford Academy, Vermont, and entered college at the
commencement of Freshman year, August 24, 1860.
He left us during the Spring term
of Freshman year, at the very beginning of the war, and
enlisted as a private in the Third Battalion, Massachusetts
Rifles, General Charles Devens commanding, and remained for
the term of service, three months. He then reenlisted as a
private in the Fifteenth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers.
In a short time, he received a commission as Second Lieutenant
in the One Hundred and Second Regiment, New York Volunteers,
his friends having procured it for him from the Governor of
New York, as Governor John A. Andrew, of Massachusetts, could
not conscientiously commission him from that State, having
already commissioned two of his brothers, and deemed it unjust
to commission three from one family, when there were so many
other deserving applicants, both in the field and at home.
While serving as Second Lieutenant
in the One Hundred and Second New York Regiment, he was
instantly killed by a bullet through his heart, at the battle
of Chancellorsville, on Sunday, May 3, 1863. His body was not
recovered, though every effort possible was made by his two
brothers, both then in the Service. The youngest brother was
afterward killed in the same manner, and his body was
recovered and brought home and buried. A monument to the
memory of the two brave young officers was erected in Rural
Cemetery, at Worcester, Massachusetts, bearing the dates of
birth and death on the side, and at its base the inscription
"Par nobile fratrum."
Source: "Memorialia
of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by
John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884,
Chicago
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