USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 36
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Their stories will be household words and the minds of those who come after us will dwell upon the thoughts of manly endeavor, of stanch endurance, of illustrious achievements, which their silent eloquence will ever suggest. They will ever typify the grand results accomplished by the loyal men of the nation in this great rebellion, and should the flame of patriotism ever wane upon our altar-stone, the halo from these mementoes will kindle again the ancient fire that electrified the world.
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Let us, then, tenderly deposit them, as sacred relics, in the archives of our state, there to stand forever, her proudest possession-a revered incentive to liberty and patriotism and a constant rebuke and terror to oppression and treason.
In the interior arrangement of the new capital at Lansing the soldier and his services were not forgotten, but were most favorably and substantially remembered. With almost a profuse liberality, a large and commodious rotunda was set apart, designated as the "War Museum." This is the deposit of the Michigan battle flags, properly placed in regimental order in magnifi- cent vertical cases, reaching almost to the ceiling, erected around the sides of the apartment, superbly mounted with heavy plate glass; these bullet- marked and battle-worn flags are the grandest and most impressive monu- ment to the soldiers of Michigan. In addition, elegant table cases now encircle one of the rotundas, containing a large and interesting collection of relics of the war.
During the period which intervened between the birth and the death of the great Rebellion, Genesee gave to the war more than two thousand men, whose names are recorded on the rolls of one rifle, one engineer, ten cavalry and twenty-three infantry regiments and nine batteries of Michi- gan, besides several infantry, cavalry and artillery organizations of other states and one regiment of United States volunteers. Several of the regi- ments most noticeable for the number of Genesee county men serving in them are especially mentioned below in historical sketches of their organi- zations and services in the great war for the Union.
SECOND INFANTRY.
When, at the fall of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called on the several loyal states for an army of seventy-five thousand men to sustain the power of the government against a rebellion which had unexpectedly proved formidable, Governor Blair of Michigan responded by issuing his proclamation calling for twenty companies out of the uniformed volunteer force of the state, with field and staff officers to compose two regiments of infantry, to be placed at the disposal of the President if required. The war department had placed the quota of Michigan at one full regiment, but the governor very wisely concluded that a second regiment should be made ready for service if it should be needed, as he believed it would be. Three days after the governor's call (April 19) the state's quota was filled and her first regiment was ready for muster into the service of the United States fully equipped with arms, ammunition and clothing, awaiting only
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the orders of the war department. On the 13th of May it left Detroit for Washington, being the first regiment to arrive at the capital from any point west of the Alleghany mountains.
The governor's call for twenty companies had been promptly and fully responded to, and so after making up the First Regiment there still remained ten companies which, having failed to secure places in the First, were ready and anxious to be organized as the Second Regiment of Michigan. And among these companies was "The Flint Union Grays." This company had existed in the city of Flint from the year 1857. We find mention of the first opening of their armory in Flint, October 2, 1858, when they were expecting, but had not yet received, their arms from the state arsenal; the election of civil and military officers of the company was as follows :
President, L. Wesson; vice-president William P. Humphrey ; secretary, W. I. Beardsley ; treasurer, William R. Morse; captain, T. B. W. Stockton; first lieutenant. William R. Morse; second lieutenant, William Turver; third lieutenant, Levi Failing; first sergeant, L .. Wesson; second sergeant, C. Pea- body; third sergeant, R. M. Barker, fourth sergeant, James Farrand; first corporal A. J. Boss, Jr .; second corporal, L. Church; third corporal, W. Boomer; fourth corporal, William Charles; armorer, O. McWilliams.
Probably there was not one among these officers who had then ever dreamed of such scenes as some of them afterwards saw at Williamsburg, Malvern Hill and the Wilderness, or of the fame which their company was destined to win on a score of bloody fields. But the people of Flint and of Genesee county were proud of it then, as they had reason to be in far greater degree afterwards. This company furnished to various commands in the union army during the war of the Rebellion, six field officers, eleven cap- tains and eighteen lieutenants-a very unusual company record.
Immediately after the publication of the governor's proclamation and when it was known that the Grays would volunteer in a body, a large and extremely enthusiastic public meeting was held, April 18, at the court house in Flint. A circular letter of the war committee in Detroit was read and acted on, and the meeting adopted a series of intensely patriotic resolutions among which was the following: "That the young men comprising the mili- tary company of this city, and those who may volunteer to fill up its ranks in this emergency of our common country, are worthy of all encouragement and praise for their patriotism, and that we will contribute all sums necessary to sustain and support the families of all members of said company who may be mustered into the service of the United States, if they need such aid; we will also contribute our full proportion of the amount required to equip and muster
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into the service of the United States the two regiments required from the state of Michigan." A committee composed of William M. Fenton, E. H. McQuigg and H. M. Henderson, was appointed to carry out so much of this resolution as applied to the raising of money as a loan to the state, and J. B. Walker, E. S. Williams and A. P. Davis were appointed a like committee to carry into effect that part which promised aid and support to the families of volunteers. In the published account of the proceedings of that meeting it is mentioned that "every union word uttered was greeted with thunders of applause."
On April 23 the Grays met for the choice of officers, and the following were elected to the commissioned grades: Captain, William R. Morse; first lieutenant, William Turver ; second lieutenant, James Farrand. On the eve of their departure to join the Second Regiment at its rendezvous, the Grays paraded through the principal streets of Flint and were addressed in the pres- ence of a great concourse of patriotic and admiring spectators by Colonel Fenton, whose remarks on the occasion were reported by the Citizen in its next issue as follows: "The Hon. W. M. Fenton had been with the com- pany for about a year, and constantly engaged for two weeks past in per- fecting the enlistment and preparing for its departure. At the request of Captain Morse, he now addressed the officers and men, alluding to the new position they were about to occupy-its great importance; the entire. change now to take place in their habits of life; the necessity for prompt obedience to the commands of their superiors, and of true courage, as contradisting- uished from brutality. He exhorted them to remember that the eyes of the friends they were to leave behind would be constantly on them in whatever situation they might be placed, their ears open to every report of their action, their prayers ascending night and morn for their welfare and success, and that the fervent hope would animate them that those who now went forth to stand by their country in its hour of trial would return with laurels honorably won in its service. After giving them some practical hints as to their mode of life, the importance of strict cleanliness and temperance in both meat and drink, he asked if any one of them would object to take an oath, substantially as follows :
" 'I do solemnly swear, in the presence of Almighty God, that I will support the constitution of the United States, and maintain it and my country's flag, if necessary, with my life; that I will obey the commands of my super- ior officers while in service, and will defend and protect my comrades in bat- tle to the best of my physical ability.' None objecting, the oath was repeated aloud, with uplifted hand, by all the officers and members of the company.
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The scene was solemn and impressive, and was appropriately closed by a benediction from the Rev. Mr. Joslin."
Another ceremony, no less interesting, was the presentation to each member of the company of a copy of the New Testament. Ninety-five of these had been furnished and prepared for the purpose by the members of the Methodist Episcopal Sabbath school, each book having upon its fly-leaf this inscription : "Presented by the Sabbath School of the Methodist E. Church, Flint, Michigan, To of the Flint Union Grays, April 30, 1861. 'My men, put your trust in the Lord,-and be sure you keep your powder dry .- Oliver Cromwell.'"
This presentation was made while the Grays stood in line, with open ranks, at the corner of Saginaw and Kearsley streets. A number of ladies of Flint passed along the line and pinned upon the breast of each soldier a tri-colored rosette, bearing the words, "The Union and the Constitution!" and nearly every one of the spectators wore the red, white and blue upon some part of their dress. A presentation of revolvers to the commissioned officers of the company was made by the Hon. E. H. Thomson, and as he assigned to each pistol its particular mission and alluded to their uses, the enthusiasm of the crowd around was enkindled anew.
The company left Flint on the 30th of May, being transported to Fen- tonville in wagons and other vehicles of which a greater number than were needed for the purpose were furnished by the patriotic citizens. The column was headed by the Flint Band and was accompanied by a large number of relatives and friends of the soldiers; the plank-road company passed them all toll-free. Taking the cars of the Detroit & Milwaukee railroad, at Fen- tonville, the Grays soon reached Detroit and were reported at Ft. Wayne, the regimental rendezvous.
The companies volunteering for the Second Regiment had done so in the supposition that it would be mustered for a three-months term of serv- ice, as the First Regiment had been. But a few days later instructions were received from the war department that no more troops be mustered or ac- cepted for a less term than three years; when this was announced, there were some in all the companies who naturally enough objected to the longer term and declined to be mustered for it. This was the case in the Flint company, as in others. The vacancies in its ranks from this cause, however, were not numerous, but it was necessary to procure recruits to fill them; and for this purpose Captain Morse returned to Flint on the 18th of May. The alacrity with which this call was responded to is shown by the fact that he arrived in Flint on Saturday and on the following Monday reported with the requisite
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number of recruits at Ft. Wayne. On the same day-May 20-the Second Regiment was announced as full, and on the 25th it was mustered into the United States service for three years by Lieut .- Col. E. Backus, of the United States Army. The field officers of the regiment were Israel B. Richardson, colonel; Henry L. Chipman, lieutenant-colonel; Adolphus W. Williams, major.
In the organization of the regiment, the company from Flint was desig- nated as F Company. A list, purporting to be a correct one, of the members of the company as mustered at Ft. Wayne is found in newspapers of that time, and as it contains names which are not found on the rolls in the adjutant- general's office, it is given below in full :
Captain, William R. Morse; first lieutenant, William Turver; second lieutenant, James Farrand; first sergeant, George R. Bisbey, second sergeant, William B. McCreery; third sergeant, Sumner Howard; fourth sergeant, Goundry Hill; fifth sergeant, Joseph McConnell; first corporal, Edwin C. Tur- ver ; second corporal, James Bradley ; third corporal, Damon Stewart; fourth corporal, Joseph Van Buskirk; fifth corporal, William L. Bishop; sixth cor- poral, Walter H. Wallace; seventh corporal, Nelson Fletcher; eighth corporal, Walter E. Burnside; wagoner, James S. Smith ; drummer, Elisha Kelley.
Privates : William H. Allen, Milton S. Benjamin, George L. Beamer, Joseph N. Bradley, Robert S. Bostwick, Andrew A. Baxter, LaFayette Bost- wick, Myrick S. Cooley, S. Bradford Cummings, Charles B. Collins, Thomas Chapin, Jr., Clark F. Chapman, John Cavanagh, George Carmer, James Coe, Edward A. Dennison, George Davis, Charles C. Dewstoe, Pratt Day, Cornel- ius D. Hart, Daniel J. Ensign, Orlando H. Ewer, John G. Fox, Squire E. Foster, William F. Furgerson, Horatio Fish, Charles L. Gardner, Joseph H. George, Richard H. Halsted, George Hawkins, Henry W. Horton, Francis Haver, William Houghton, Julius A. Hine, Charles E. Kingsbury, Philip Kel- land, John Kain, Sheldon B. Kelley, George Lee, Harrison Lewis, Merton E. Leland, John B. Miller, Charles D. Moon, Delion McConnell, David McCor- nell, Charles W. Mitchell, George L. Patterson, Samuel L. Ploss, Hamilton Ploss, James F. Partridge, John A. Palmer, Cornelius E. Rulison, Charles J. Rankin, Edwin Ruthruff, Andrew J. Rogers, Arba Smith, Jacob C. Sackner, Charles Sickles, James Scarr, George H. Sawyer, Lyman Stow, Alva L. Saw- yer, Hercules Stannard, Andrew M. Sutton, Frederick B. Smith, Albert Schultz, Hiram Tinney, Franklin Thompson, Edgar Tibbets, Charles Tuttle, Cornelius Van Alstine, Richard S. Vickery, James N. Willett, John. Weller, George Walter, Emory A. Wood and William E. Williams.
In the afternoon of Thursday, June 6, the Second Regiment, one thou-
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sand and twenty strong, embarked on three steamers, and at eight o'clock p. m. left Detroit for Cleveland, arriving there the following morning. From Cleveland it proceeded by railway, via Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Baltimore, to Washington, reaching the capital on the 10th. The following account of its arrival, which appeared under the head of "Special Dispatch to the New York Tribune," is taken from that paper and given here in full as showing the excited state of public feeling at that time, as well as the crude and peculiar ideas of military discipline and movements which then prevailed. The account dated Washington, June 10, 1861, was as follows :
The Second Michigan Regiment, Colonel Richardson, arrived at four o'clock this morning. * * * Word had come from the United States marshal that an attack would be make on them in Baltimore, and the train halted seven miles on the other side of the Monumental City where the men loaded their muskets. The orders were to avoid an encounter if possible, but if unavoidable to take no half measures, but for each company to fight to the death and for the pioneers to make clean work with houses from which they were assailed.
In a suburb on the other side a brick was thrown at a private. It did not hit, but the orderly sergeant of Company E drew his revolver and fired at the stoner. He was seen to fall, but whether killed or not is unknown.
At the depot a raw private accidentally discharged his musket, the ball whisked through the car, causing great excitement, but no harm was done.
Two miles this side of Baltimore a shot from behind a fence went through a car. The lights were extinguished and the men ordered to form in line of battle if the shot should be followed by more. Sentinels were posted in each car. Near the Relay house firing was heard from one of our picket guards. It was reported that they had been attacked and had killed four men. The truth is not known. The informant adds that the regiment received a hearty welcome from the women in and beyond Baltimore, while no man, so far as he saw, greeted them.
The regiment is a fine-looking body, numbering ten hundred and twenty. Their uniforms are dark blue, like the First Michigan, and they are armed partially with new Minie guns and partially with the Harper's Ferry musket of 1846. They are well supplied with clothing and camp equipage. Thirty women, who will serve as nurses and laundresses, accompany the regiment. This afternoon the regiment was received by General Scott and the President at their residences.
The regiment made a stay of several weeks in the District of Columbia, its camp being named "Camp Winfield Scott." It was brigaded with the Third Michigan, First Massachusetts and Twelfth New York, the brigade commander being Colonel Richardson, of the Second Michigan. When General McDowell made his forward movement towards Manassas, this brigade moved with the army into Virginia and was engaged in the fight at Blackburn's Ford, July 18, and in the battle of Bull Run, Sunday, July 21. In the panic and disorder which ended that disastrous day the Second Regi- ment behaved with great steadiness, covering the retreat of the brigade to-
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wards Washington, for which it was warmly complimented by the heroic Richardson.
After Bull Run the regiment was encamped for some weeks near Arl- ington, and later in the season at Ft. Lyon, Virginia, where it remained dur- ing the fall. About December 20 substantial and comfortable winter-quart- ers were constructed at "Camp Michigan," three miles from Alexandria, on on the Acotink road. While this camp was in process of construction an officer wrote that "Cabins are growing up on every side, adorned with doors and windows, procured by a process called 'cramping,' which is somewhere on the debatable ground between buying and stealing." Here the regiment remained until March, 1862, when it moved with its brigade and the Army of the Potomac to Fortress Monroe, and thence up the Peninsula to Yorktown and Williamsburg, at which latter place it took active part in the severe engage- ment of Monday, May 5, sustaining a loss of fifty-five killed and wounded. Among the latter were Captain Morse, of F Company, who was afterwards transferred to the invalid corps, and Capt. William B. McCreery, an original member of F Company, but who had been promoted to the command of Com- pany G; he received three severe wounds, by one of which his left wrist was permanently disabled. Afterwards having recovered sufficiently to return to the field, he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-first Mich- igan Infantry, and two months later became its colonel. He led his regiment gallantly through the fire and carnage of Stone's River (December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863), and fought at its head at Chickamauga (September 20, 1863), until he had received three severe wounds, and was finally taken pris- oner by the enemy. He was sent to Libby prison, Richmond, from which, however, he succeeded in making his escape by tunneling under the walls, February 19, 1864. Six days later he returned to Flint, where a public recep- tion was extended to him by leading citizens and a banquet was given in his honor at the Carlton House, March 2. The disability resulting from his num- erous wounds compelled his retirement from the service and he resigned in September, .1864. Maj .- Gen. George H. Thomas, in reluctantly accepting his resignation, took occasion to compliment him highly, in orders, on his honor- able record and the gallantry of his service in the Army of the Cumberland. These facts relating to the military career of Colonel McCreery are mentioned here in connection with the battle of Williamsburg because that fight virtually severed his connection with the Second Regiment, in which he was among the most honored and popular of its officers.
From Williamsburg the Second Regiment moved with the army up the Peninsula to and across the Chickahominy and fought in the battle of Fair
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Oaks, May 31 and June 1, 1862. Its loss in that engagement was fifty-seven killed and wounded; that of Company F was fourteen, or one-fourth the total killed and wounded of the regiment. Three companies of the Second, how- ever, were not engaged in the fight.
In the retreat, or "change of base" as it has sometimes been called, from the York River railroad to James river, the regiment fought at Glendale, or Charles City Cross-Roads, June 30, and at Malvern Hill, July I. From the latter field it retired with the army and moved to Harrison's Landing on the James, where it remained until the general evacuation of that position, August 15, when it marched down the Peninsula and was moved thence by way of the Chesapeake bay and Potomac river with other troops to the assistance of the imperiled army of General Pope in the valley of the Rappahannock. During this campaign it took part in the fights of August 28, 29, 30, and in the battle of Chantilly, September I.
At Frederickburg the Second was not actively engaged. It crossed the Rappahannock on the 12th of December, but in the great battle of the next day was held in reserve and sustained only a loss of one killed and one wounded by the enemy's shells; but, with the Eighth Michigan it was among the last of the regiments of the army to recross to the north side of the river on the 16th.
On the 13th of February, 1863, the regiment moved to Newport News, Virginia, and on the 19th of March took its route to Baltimore, and thence by the Baltimore & Ohio railroad and steamers on the Ohio river, to Louis- ville, Kentucky, with the Ninth Army Corps, of which it was a part. The corps remained in Kentucky during the months of April and May, and in June was moved to Mississippi to reinforce the army of General Grant near Vicksburg. The Second went into camp at Milldale, near Vicksburg, on the 17th and a few days later was stationed at Flower Dale Church. On the 4th of July, the day of the surrender of Vicksburg, the regiment left Flower Dale and moved east towards the capital of Mississippi to take part in the operations against the rebel army of General Johnston. It arrived in front of Jackson on the evening of the 10th, and on the I Ith advanced in skirmish line on the enemy's rifle-pits, which were taken and held for a time. Superior numbers, however, compelled the Second to retire from the position, with a loss of eleven killed, forty-five wounded and five taken prisoners. On the 13th and 14th of July the regiment was again slightly engaged. On the 17th and 18th it was engaged in destroying the Memphis & New Orleans railroad in the vicinity of Jackson and Madison and then moved through Jackson, which had been evacuated by the enemy, back to Milldale; it remained there
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till August 5, when it marched to the river, and thence moved with the Ninth Corps by way of Cincinnati, to Kentucky, and encamped at Crab Orchard Springs, in that state, on the 30th of August. Here it remained twelve days Before September 10 it broke camp and took the road for Cumberland Gap and Knoxville, Tennessee, reaching the latter place September 26. It moved from the vicinity of Knoxville, October 8, and was slightly engaged at Blue Springs on the 10th. On the 20th it was again at Knoxville, but immediately afterwards moved to Loudon, and thence to Lenoir, Tennessee, where, on the 8th of November, its men commenced building winter quarters. The strength of the regiment at that time was reported at five hundred and three, present and absent.
The anticipation of passing the winter at Lenoir was soon dispelled by the intelligence that the enemy under General Longstreet was moving up the valley of the Tennessee in heavy force, evidently having Knoxville as his objective point. On the 14th of November the Second Regiment, with its division, the First Division of the Ninth Corps, was ordered out to meet and repel Longstreet, who was reported to be crossing the Tennessee below Lou- don. He was found in force near Hough's Ferry, on the Holston, and the division fell back to Lenoir. Here a line of battle was formed; but, on the enemy coming up, the retreat towards Knoxville was resumed, the Second Regiment, with its brigade, forming the rear guard. On the 16th it again stood in line at Campbell's Station to resist the advance of Longstreet, who was pressing up with great vigor. A sharp engagement ensued in which the Second lost thirty-one in killed and wounded. The position was stubbornly held till dark, when the retreat was resumed. The regiment reached Knox- ville at five o'clock in the morning of the 17th after a march of nearly thirty miles through mud and rain and a battle of several hours' duration, all with- out rest or food. It took position on a hill below the city, at Ft. Saunders, where rifle-pits were constructed and where the regiment remained during the siege which followed. On the 19th and 20th it was slightly engaged, and on the 24th, under orders to attack a line of rifle-pits, it advanced under command of Major Byington, moving several hundred yards across an open plain swept by a front and flank fire of musketry and canister. The line was carried, but could not be held; the attacking force was dislodged and com- pelled to retire, with a loss to the Second Regiment of eighty-one killed and wounded-very nearly half its whole number in the fight. Among the killed was Adjutant William Noble and Major Byington was mortally wounded.
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