Col. Phineas P. Bixby (1829 - 1877)
Born Piermont (NH); died Concord (NH).
Portrait by U. D. Tenney, 1877.
Presented to the State by friends, 1877.

Phineas Bixby was a tradesman in Concord when the Civil War began. He was commissioned Adjutant of the Sixth New Hampshire Regiment of Volunteers, November 30, 1861. Wounded and taken prisoner at the Second Battle of Bull Run (VA), August 29, 1862, Bixby was for some weeks confined at Libby Prison before being exchanged, October 3, 1862. He rejoined the Sixth, and on October 15, 1862 Bixby was commissioned major, to replace O.G. Dort who had resigned. After the death of Lieutenant Colonel Pearson at North Anna (VA) on May 26, 1864, Bixby was in command of the regiment for some time.

The Sixth was in the siege of Petersburg (VA), and Bixby was wounded twice in events leading up to Petersburg. The second time he was wounded so severely that it was three months before he came back to the Sixth. In his absence he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and after his return he was again in charge of the regiment most of the time. He was appointed Colonel, February 21, 1865. On April 2, 1865 Bixby was formally put in charge of the brigade, and he remained in charge until Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House.

Bixby was mustered out with his regiment on September 17, 1865. "He also received the brevet appointment of 'Colonel of United States Volunteers, for gallant and highly meritorious conduct in the assault before Petersburg, Virginia, to date from April 2, 1865.'" [Captain Lyman Jackman, Historian, and Amos Hadley, Editor, History of the Sixth New Hampshire Regiment...(Concord, 1891), pp. 375-376.]

Location: First Floor, State House