WILLIAM H. BROADWELL -- 34th INFANTRYPROMOTED AND DEMOTED -- CAPTURED AND PAROLED - William H. Broadwell was28 years old when he enlisted in the 34th Infantry on May 22, 1864.Seventy other men enlisted with him that day in Champlain. They went toAlbany to be mustered into the U. S. service for two years.They left the state by train for Washington on July 3 and camped justnorth of the capitol before they marched westward along the north shoreof the Potomac. The regiment moved to Edwards Ferry on October 21st, toPoolesville, MD, October 23rd, and built Camp McClellan.In late February 1862, they received orders to move to Harper\'s Ferry.The early part of March 1862 was spent in camp at Berryville, VA, andlater in the month the regiment moved back to Washington, where it wasthen ordered to the Peninsula. They participated in the Siege ofYorktown and, on May 31st, suffered 97 casualties at Fair Oaks. Theyagain lost heavily during the Seven Days\' battles.The regiment withdrew to camp at Harrison\'s landing until August15th, and then were ordered to Newport News to embark for AcquiaCreek. Before the regiment left to go north, William deserted at FortMonroe.During his army career, he had been promoted to corporal and thenreduced in ranks and had been captured and then paroled.We like to think that this is the same man who went North to enlist inthe 3rd VT Infantry, served until the end of the war, and then movedto Michigan for the rest of his life, dying in 1904, but we cannot besure.
