Dennis H. Jones

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Dennis Hartwell Jones was the oldes of six children born to Samuel H. and Minerva (Jewell) Jones, born in Winchester, NH on February 8, 1846. His father was a piano maker, and they moved to Brattleboro, VT and then to Boston, MA where Samuel had found work. The family made their home in the West Roxbury neighborhood. Living with them in 1860 was musician George Graves, who would later form the Boston Musical Instrument Company.

Aged only 17 Dennis (with his parents' blessing) joined the 44th Massachusetts Regiment as a Private on September 12, 1862. Private Jones served in Companies H and K. He gave his occupation as a mechanic. On June 16, 1863 he transferred to the newly formed 55th Massachusetts Regiment, and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant of Company I. The 55th Massachusetts was the second of Massachusetts' African American regiments, created because the 54th Massachusetts had many more recruits than it could accommodate. All of the officers were white. As the Captain of the company was recovering from an illness at the time of the forming of the 55th, Lt. Jones was in command of Company I for its first few weeks. Though he was only 17 he proved himself a capable, personable, and quiet leader.

Lt. Jones was accidentally shot in the heart by friendly fire in Yellow Bluff, FL on March 23, 1864. While scouting he and his party came across an unexpected foraging party of New York Engineers, and in the confusion one of men accidentally discharged his pistol and shot Lt. Jones. His mother applied for and was granted the pension for her son's service.

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From The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. Part I, Volume II: Surgical History by U. S. Army Surgeon General's Office, 1883:

"Chapter II. Gunshot Wounds of the Chest. Case. —

" Lieutenant Dennis H. Jones, Co. I, 55th Massachusetts Volunteers, was accidentally shot through the heart by a fellow-officer at Yellow Bluff, Florida, March 23d, 1864, while they were attempting to escape from an apprehended attack by the rebels.

In the band of the latter officer was a Smith and Wesson revolver cocked, which was discharged as they both slipped and fell together at the edge of the water into which they were trying to drag their boat. Jones instantly fell back into the water, only exclaiming twice "save me! save me! '' evidently under the impression that the shot came from the enemy; his face also expressing rather terror at the report than bodily pain from the wound. For an instant he convulsively grasped the rope, but soon let go, and with one gurgling respiration both heart and lungs appeared to have ceased to act within half a minute.

The supposed rebels proving to be a party of engineer soldiers from this post, the non-recognition having been mutual, the body was recovered and brought to the post hospital; no further sign of life was manifested, except a sort of groan when the body was raised, about five minutes after the accident, which may well be supposed to have been the result of the sudden displacement of the large quantity of fluid in the cavities rather than of any conscious voluntary action.

The accident occurred at five o'clock P. M…a history of the case, by Assistant Surgeon Burt G. Wilder, 55tb Massachusetts Volunteers."