Newton Spaulding Manross

A Yale graduate, he earned a PhD in Gottingen, Germany in 1852 and was a noted mineralogist. In 1856 he explored and reported on the geology of Chiriqu" (now in Panama) - notably coal and gold - and in 1861 taught Chemistry and Botany at Amherst College. In 1862 he organized and was Captain of Company K of the new 16th Connecticut Infantry, mustering into Federal service on 16 August 1862.

He led his company in their first combat, at Antietam, and was mortally wounded by an artillery round which took off his left arm at the shoulder on the hill above Burnside's Bridge on 17 September. He died the same afternoon on the field.

The nugget about Chiriqu" from his report - online from Google Books. The fine photo used here is from one in the Bristol Historical Society collection, scanned and posted online, along with details about his death, by John Banks on his blog. Further biographical information from the Biographical Register1.

See an excellent article about Manross and his colleague William Clark, Colonel of the 21st Massachusetts Infantry, from Patrick Browne on his Historical Digression blog.

06/20/1825; Bristol, CT

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD; burial in Forestville Cemetery, Bristol, CT