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Former City Marshal John W. Babbitt dies.  Quoting from the Keene Evening Sentinel:  "A DISTINGUISHED SOLDIER.  Col. John W. Babbitt Dies Suddenly at Concord.  Health Had Been Rapidly Declining for Several Weeks - Served Through Civil War, Receiving Numerous Promotions for Distinguished Services and Gallantry. [Monday, October 22]:  

Col. John W. Babbitt of this city, who had been under treatment at the state hospital in Concord the past week or two, died suddenly Saturday night about 8 o’clock, after an illness of a month or six weeks with softening of the brain.   

"It had been noticed that he was not as well as usual for some time before his final illness.  He was confined to his bed only the last few days that he was sick.  Col. Babbitt, like the late Gen. Simon G. Griffin, was one of Keene’s most distinguished soldiers in the Civil war.  Both, with many others less prominent, acquired distinction for frequent deeds of bravery and gallantry and both also proved themselves competent to lead men on the field of battle, for which services honorable promotions were accorded them." 

[Compiler's notes:  The following biographical account of Col. Babbitt's life provides an in-depth look at the type of individual who headed the Keene Police Department over 100 years ago.  City Marshal Babbitt was commonly referred to as "Colonel Babbitt" (Civil War rank), and the jail cells were jokingly referred to as "Col. Babbitt’s apartment hotel under city hall."] 

"John Wood Babbitt, the son of Joseph H. and Jerusha (Wood) Babbitt, was born in Keene June 12, 1835.  His school days were passed here, after which, when still a young man, he went West in 1859, going out as far as Pike’s peak and what is now Denver, and thence south to New Mexico, Arizona, etc.  In 1860 he was on his way East and at the outbreak of the war had just reached Bloomington, Ills., where his brother Charles was a resident.  When the first call for troops came in April, 1861, young Babbitt enlisted for three months, joining the 8th Illinois regiment, Col. Dick Oglesby.  At the end of three months he was discharged at Cairo, after doing duty in that vicinity.  He went back to Bloomington and began recruiting men for three years, expecting to go out in the 36th Illinois.  He was taken sick with pleurisy and did not go with that regiment, recruited men, instead, for the 58th Illinois, with which he went to the front as second lieutenant of company B, being commissioned the December following his first enlistment.  He never asked any compensation for two or three months spent in recruiting troops, although many officers had their commissions dated back on account of such services.   

"The first lieutenant of Company B did not go out so Col. Babbitt acted as first lieutenant.  The 58th Illinois left Camp Douglas for the front in time to reach Fort Donaldson before its surrender to Gen. Grant, and was sent to form on, an important investing line.  The regiment got into position just as the Rebels broke through the Union lines at a weak point and made their last desperate rush to escape.  The 58th stood its ground, however, and soon began advancing.  The result was the Johnnies were driven away back into the fort.  That night the men of the brigade, which had done hard fighting all day and lost many men, had to lie all night on their arms, without fires or blankets, in a swamp where the dead and wounded were found frozen tightly to the ground in the morning.  Nearly all the officers went to the rear for shelter, where there was a hospital, but Lt. Babbitt was not one of the kind to desert his men, and he remained in command of the company.   

"The next morning came the surrender, and the 58th Illinois was assigned the position of honor and was the first to move into the fort.  When the captain of Company B reported in the morning, anxious to lead his company on that occasion, he was placed under arrest, with many other officers who had left their posts in the night, and Lt. Babbitt commanded the company when the surrender of the Rebels was received, having the second position from the right of the line.   

"A few years ago, on request from the writer of this sketch for facts regarding his military career, Col. Babbitt stated that he supposed he had among his papers a written order from Gen. U.S. Grant detailing Company B, 58th Ills., Lt. J. W. Babbitt commanding, to take charge of thirteen or fourteen thousand prisoners who surrendered at Fort Donaldson.  At all events, he said, his company took charge of the prisoners.  Col. Babbitt, as all who have known him will testify, was in no sense a blowhard about his military achievements and would seldom talk of himself, but rather of ‘the boys’ who were under him.  Such an order from Gen. Grant could only be construed as a recognition of the services of the lieutenant who remained on the field with his men while others sought shelter and warmth at the rear.  The 58th next went to Fort Henry where it remained until it started up the Tennessee to Pittsburg Landing.  The regiment, with a battery, was sent out to break up a Rebel station.  The captain of Company B remained on the boat and had gone when his company returned, and as a result Lt. Babbitt was soon after made captain of Company B.   

"At the battle of Pittsburg Landing Captain Babbitt was wounded in the left thigh.  About every officer in the 58th was killed, wounded or taken prisoner.  Capt. Babbitt was sent back with two companies to take a cotton gin, to cover the Federal retreat of the first day.  He encountered a large Rebel force, and while endeavoring to conduct his men to the cover of a fence, was wounded.  Soon after he was taken from the field in an ambulance just as the Rebels closed in and captured his entire command.  His wound and subsequent illness compelled him to resign some months later.   

"Capt. Babbitt returned to Keene after his discharge from the 58th Ills., being still on crutches.  Soon after recruiting for the 9th New Hampshire volunteers began, the now famous Company I of that regiment was enlisted and Capt. Babbitt was commissioned as its captain, Jacob Green and Nelson Sawyer, who were prominent in recruiting the company, being its lieutenants.   

"The company left for the front August 25, 1862, and joined McClellan at Arlington Heights.  They went at once into active service and until the close of the war were in the thick of the fighting.   

"Arlington Heights was followed by Frederick City and South Mountain.  Company I had Windsor rifles, and their superiority in this respect was at once noted by the Rebels.  Col. Babbitt has said that his company really held the line at South Mountain until the Federals formed, and covered the right.  The company did great service at Antictam, Pleasant Valley, Fredericksburg, etc.   

"November 22, 1862, Capt. Babbitt was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on account of his distinguished services, being advanced of Major Everett, Col. Fellows having resigned and Col. Titus being made colonel of the 9th.  The next spring the 9th was assigned to the 9th corps and went to Kentucky and thence to Vicksburg.  The regiment remained there during the siege and was sent around the river and up the Yazoo river, and when Vicksburg surrendered the 9th started after Johnson with Sherman.  They then went to Kentucky and down to Knoxville, guarding the railroad.  A large portion of the regiment was disabled by sickness, Col. Babbitt being so ill that he had to come home.   

"Returning to Kentucky he started with the regiment in January, 1863, for the Knoxville campaign, after which the 9th corps was again sent East to join Gen. Grant.  Col. Babbitt came home on account of his father’s death about as the campaign of 1864 opened; staying till Burnside ordered him to join his regiment.   

"At the battle of the Wilderness, during the second day’s fight, Lt. Col. Babbitt was placed in command of the 32d Maine through written orders from the general on the field, and he remained in command until wounded with a mini ball through the hip at Spottsylvania. 

"This was his last active service.  Col. Babbitt was carried back to Fredericksburg and the surgeons could not find the ball and said he could not recover.  His brother, George, then of Bellows Falls, was notified of his condition and came down.  After much difficulty leave was obtained, through Senator Patterson, for the colonel to come home, special leave being obtained from the secretary of war.  After he reached home Dr. George B. Twitchell located and removed the bullet which the army surgeons in several hospitals, including the surgeon-general at Washington, had in vain tried to find.  They had all said he could not live.   

"After partially recovering Col. Babbitt went to the hospital at Annapolis and tried to rejoin his regiment, but was unable to do anything except on court martial and military commission details until the close of the war.  He was given an opportunity to get a commission as captain in the regular army, and was later assured that he would have received the commission, because of his war record, but for his wound, which rendered him unfit for service and prevented him from passing the physical examination required.  Had he been then commissioned, it may be noted, he would have been a captain in the regular army before Gen. Miles had attained the rank of captain.  It was the intention of the late Senator Patterson to see that Col. Babbitt was honored with the rank of brevet brigadier general and a bill so promoting him was adopted by the appropriate committee, of the senate after the close of the war.  Col. Babbitt received a letter from Col. Patterson addressing him as ‘My Dear General,’ showing that the senator fully expected passage of the bill, but it was left over with unfinished business at the close of the session, probably at or near the end of Senator Patterson’s term, and Col. Babbitt never asked anyone else to look after it.  It was very recently found that this bill was simply never brought before the senate.   

"Since the war Col. Babbitt has made his home in Keene, where his circle of friends was large.  He was a prominent and active Republican and was always identified with Post 4, G.A.R., of which he was a past commander.  He was also a member of Social Friends lodge of Freemasons.  August 21, 1879, he married Hattie L. Mason of this city, who died about a year and a half ago.  He leaves three children, Helen I., Ruth J. and Charles E. all of this city.  Funeral services will be held at his late home, 28 Cross street, Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock.  Friends are invited." 

Quoting from the Keene Evening Sentinel:  "A SOLDIER’S BURIAL. [October 23]:  The funeral of Col. John W. Babbitt took place this afternoon at his late home on Cross street and there was a large attendance of neighbors and friends, besides members of the G.A.R. post and Relief corps.  The Rev. H. Sumner Mitchell of the Unitarian church was the officiating clergyman and the bearers were the former comrades of Col. Babbitt in Company I, 9th N.H. Vols., of which twelve members were present. [...]" 
 
This text was extracted from the book "IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE" -- A 422 page hard covered book  with gold badge on the cover) chronologically spans 200 years of police history and crime which occurred in Keene, NH.