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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01479 4827
HISTORY
OF THE
27th Regiment N. Y. Vols.
(Badge of the First Division, Sixth Corps.)
BEING A RECORD OF ITS MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION, FROM MAY 21st, 1861, TO MAY 31st, 1863.
WITH A COMPLETE ROSTER, AND SHORT SKETCHES OF COMMANDING OFFICERS.
ALSO, A RECORD OF EXPERIENCE AND SUFFERING OF SOME OF THE COMRADES IN LIBBY AND OTHER REBEL PRISONS.
Compiled by C. B. FAIRCHILD, of Company "D."
Published under the direction of the following Committee : GEN. H. W. SLOCUM. CAPT. C. A. WELLS.
Carl & Matthews, Printers, Binghamton, N. Y.
--
1758002
1.
F 8349 .546
Fairchild, Charles Bryant, 1842- com T.
History of the 27th regiment N. Y. vols ... Being a record of its more than two years of service in f'e war for the union, from May 21st. 1861, to May 31st, 1863. With a complete ros- ter, and short sketches of commanding officers. Also, a record of experience and suffering of some , the comrades in Libby and other Rebel prisons. Compiled by C. B. Fairchild. of company "D". Published under the direction of the follow- ing committee : Gen. H. W. SIceum. Capt. C. A. Wells. Bing- hamton, N. Y., Carl & Matthews. printers (1888]
ix, 303 p., 1 l. incl. illos., ports .. maps. front., 2 fold. maps, plan. 233.
1. U. S .- Hist .- Civil war-Regimental histories-N. Y. inf .- 27th.
2. New York infantry. 27ta regt., 1961-1863. 3. U. S .- Hist .- Civil war-l'rison- eis and prisons.
2-15066 Revised F.528.5.27th
10719
Library of Congress Copyright 1SSS: 12009
SHELF CARI
A. Milocurry
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1888, by C. B. FAIRCHILD, in the Office of the Librarian. of Congress, at Washington.
10719
TO THE
COMRADES OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT,
WHO FELL WHILE IN THE LINE OF DUTY, IS THIS VOLUME SACREDLY DEDICATED, BY THE SURVIVORS' ASSOCIATION, AS A TESTIMONY TO THEIR
HEROISM ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE, AND THEIR
SACRIFICE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE REPUBLIC.
Copyright, 1885, by THE CENTURY CO.
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PREFACE.
T HE official accounts of battles are all wonderfully alike, dealing with bodies and masses of men, and not with in- dividual hopes, aspirations and fears. We read about march- ing and flanking and enfilading; but when we go behind these terms, and ask what the individual soldier in the ranks is thinking or doing or suffering, the story is too light to be included in an official report, and too unimportant for the dignity of general history ; and yet, it is this unwritten his- tory of the war that gives any true estimate of the price that was paid to save our nation. This history is designed to give more of individual and personal experience ; not claiming that this regiment acted the most important part in the late war, but to show that its members offered them- selves a willing sacrifice in the service of their country, and at no time did they withhold the best they had to give. Years have elapsed since we left the "lines and tented fields," but time cannot erase from memory recollections of those eventful days in which the Twenty-Seventh New York, by its heroism and zeal, helped to preserve the unity of the best and freest government ever established by man. The fact that they were actors in the great struggle, and a constituent element of the grandest army the world ever saw, engaged in the grand work of saving the Citadel of Freedom, makes them take a noteworthy pride in offering to history the following record, which is made up chiefly from private diaries, personal experience and general orders, as these tend to show the esteem in which the regiment was held by commanding officers.
Our trust in the future of the country rests in the bravery, integrity and virtue of the men who fought for it. They have brought back the old flag, "its white as bright as angels' robes, and its stars Gon's stars, as truly as are the stars in the canopy of heaven."
13
vi
PREFACE.
For this, let not our people fail to recognize their duty to the returned soldiers, and to the families of those who can never return, lest they repudiate a part, and one of the most sacred parts of the national debt.
Thanks are due for the information furnished for the fol- lowing record, to-
H. . W. SLOCUM, JOSEPH J. BARTLETT, CHARLES A. WELLS,
C. C. GARDINER,
W. B. WESTERVELT,
Jos. L. Ross,
ERI S. WATSON, C. B. FAIRCHILD.
-
INTRODUCTION.
T HE election of ABRAHAM LINCOLN, in 1860, was made the pretext and signal in the South for open defiance of the authority of the Federal Government. Mutterings, even threats of secession had been heard before. the elec- tion, and were generally treated as the grumblings incident to an anticipated defeat, especially as a majority of such expressions of discontent came from the State of South Carolina, which was proverbially hot-headed. Now, how- ever, meetings were held in that and other Cotton States, declaring for Southern independence, and "minute men" were being mustered. Startling events followed each other rapidly, until, on December 20th, 1860, South Carolina passed " An ordinance to dissolve the union between the State of South Carolina and other states united with her, under the compact entitled the Constitution of the United States of America." This action was, soon after, followed by the seizure of the arsenal and other government prop- erty at Charleston. On the 12th of April, 1861, the North- ern States were astounded and shocked by the news which was flashed over the wires, that Fort Sumpter was being bombarded. The so-called secession of the State from the Union, followed by the same action on the part of other Southern States, had been regarded with indifference by many, and the public heart seemed almost insensible to the great peril which threatened to sunder the republic. But the news from Sumpter awoke unwonted echoes, and touched the patriotic chords in the great American heart. The loyalty, which had been doubted, sprang into instant life, and throughout the North, expressions of deep devotion and promise of unlimited aid were borne on the wings of lightning to the Nation's capital. The mighty heart of the people seemed to pulsate with patriotism and love of the
.
.
viii
INTRODUCTION.
government, which had been founded and maintained by the blood of our fathers. The world never witnessed an uprising as mighty, as spontaneous, and as glorious as that which now occurred. On April 15th, the following procla- mation was issued by President LINCOLN:
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, The laws of the United States have been for some time past, and now are opposed, and the execution thereof obstructed, in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, by combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, or the powers vested in the marshals by law :
Now, therefore, I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth the militia of the several States of the Union, to the aggregate of seventy-five thousand, in order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed.
The details of this object will be immediately communicated to the State authorities by the War Department.
I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate, and aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integrity, and the existence of our National Union, and the perpetuity of popular government, and to redress wrongs already long enough endured.
I deem it proper to say, that the first service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to repossess the forts, places and property which have been seized from the Union ; and in every event the utmost care will be observed, consistently with the object aforesaid, to avoid any devastation of or interference with property, or any disturbance of peaceful citizens in any part of the country.
And I hereby command the persons composing the combinations afore- said to disperse, and retire peaceably to their respective abodes, within twenty days of this date.
Deeming the present condition of public affairs presents an extraor- dinary occasion, I do hereby, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution, convene both Houses of Congress. Senators and Repre- sentatives are, therefore, summoned to assemble at their respective cham-
ix
INTRODUCTION.
bers, at twelve o'clock, noon, on Thursday, the 4th day of July next, then and there to consider and determine such measures as, in their wisdom the public safety and interest may seem to demand.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the inde- pendence of the United States the eighty-fifth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President : WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
Simultaneously with the above proclamation, calls for troops were made upon the States,-the Governor of New York, Edwin D. Morgan, being requested to immediately furnish the quota designated for the State of New York, to wit, seventeen regiments. On April 16th, the two bodies of the Legislature, then in session at Albany, passed an Act " To authorize the embodying and equipment of a Volun- teer Militia, and to provide for the public defence." This bill provided for the enrollment of thirty thousand volunteer militia, to serve for two years ; and appropriated three mil- lions of dollars to meet the expense. Governor Morgan issued a proclamation, on the 18th, citing the President's requisition, and calling for seventeen regiments, to consist of 649 officers, and 12,631 men ; forming an aggregate of 13,280; the rendezvous for the State being designated as New York, Albany and Elmira, with headquarters at Albany. Afterwards (on April 25th) the Governor issued his procla- mation for twenty-one other regiments of volunteers, which, with the first seventeen, made up the complement of volun- teers under the State act providing for 30,000. These first thirty-eight regiments were the only troops from New York State mustered for the term of two years.
CHAPTER I.
T HE 27th Regiment (Infantry) N. Y. Volunteers was organized at Elmira, on the 21st of May, 1861. It was composed of companies, recruited and accepted as follows, viz .:
Company.
Where Recruited.
By Whom Recruited.
Date of Acceptance.
A. .
Capt. Jos. J. Chambers.
April 30, 1861.
B.
White Plains. Lyons.
Capt. Alex. D. Adams.
May 2, 1861.
C. D. E. F. G. H.
Binghamton.
Capt. Jos. J. Bartlett.
May 2, 1861.
Binghamton.
Capt. Hiram C. Rogers.
May 2, 1861.
Rochester. Binghamton. Lima.
Capt. James Perkins.
May 7, 1861.
Mount Morris.
Capt. Chas. E. Martin.
May 11, 1861.
I.
Angelica. Albion.
Capt. Curtis C. Gardiner.
May 13, 1861.
K.
Capt. Henry L. Achilles, Jr.
May 16, 1861.
Capt. Geo. G. Wanzer. Capt. Peter Jay.
May 7, 1861.
May 8, 1861.
The companies were organized into a regiment by Gen- eral Van Valkenburgh, when the following field officers were elected, viz .: Henry W. Slocum, Colonel ; Joseph J. Cham- bers, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Joseph J. Bartlett, Major. The State Military Board confirmed the election on the 21st of May, by General Order No. 208, and the regiment was ac- cepted, and numbered " 27;" and Colonel Slocum was di- rected to report for duty, and hold his regiment in readiness to be mustered into the service of the United States.
COL. HENRY W. SLOCUM.
3
IN CAMP AT ELMIRA.
At one of the recent reunions, Gen. Slocum explained some of the incidents which led to his election as Colonel of the 27th. Being a West Point graduate, he offered his services to the Governor of the State, who asked him to remain and assist him in Albany. This he declined, and went to Elmira at the request of some officers, who talked of making him Colonel of their regiment; but he found so much wire-pulling, and was requested to make certain pledges, that he left Elmira in disgust, and returned to his home in Syracuse. But he soon received a telegram from some other company officers, asking him to return to Elmira. He did so, and was unanimously elected Colonel of the 27th, without any pledges, although he was a total stranger to every one of the officers. That he proved to be the right man for the place, was fully shown by the subsequent history of the regiment.
While in camp at Elmira, the regiment took the name of "Union Regiment," because the companies comprising it, having been recruited from seven different counties, were united in one regiment, by their own choice.
Some of these companies had been in Elmira since the 8th of May, and had been practicing in the school of the soldier, and in company drill. They had been quartered in vacant buildings at different places about the town, till about the time the regiment was organized, when the companies moved from their several headquarters into barracks, that had been built of rough boards, at Southport, across the river from Elmira. Here the duties of a soldier were for the first time fully assumed : such as guard duty, dress pa- rade, battalion drill,-varied, between times, with a drill not laid down in Hardie's Tactics -- picking stone from the rocky ridge, and grading the parade ground. This caused a great deal of grumbling; but a greater dissatisfaction existed over the rations furnished by the government contractor. The men of Co. " E" were the first to make demonstrations to show their disgust with the fare; and one day they claimed it was necessary to imprison the beef, to keep it from walking off. So they conceived the idea of holding a
4
RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
funeral over it. They nailed a large piece strongly in a box, and, to the tune of " The Rogue's March," proceeded to inter it with the honors of war. A. W. Tourgeè (since, the noted author), preached the funeral sermon ; and for this he was severely reprimanded by the Colonel. On June Ist, the dinner was so bad that some of the companies, after being seated in long rows beside the rough board tables, led off by Companies "D" and " B," in answer to a pre-arranged signal, kicked over the tables, and sent the boards, tin plates, cups and steaming soup, flying through the air! "That same old soup never appeared again," and that night we had a good supper of mush and milk.
This incident gave Colonel Slocum an opportunity to make his maiden speech to the regiment; for, in about an hour, the "long roll " sounded, the line was formed on the parade ground, and the Colonel told the boys, "that, so long as he remained in command of the regiment, they should have what the government intended them to have, and it should be served in palatable style; that no contractor should fill his pockets at the expense of the stomachs of his men." After this, the Colonel was frequently seen about the cook-house, giving directions as to the quality of food, and how the cooking should be done. From this time on, everything was in apple-pie order, and Col. Slocum was idolized. But after the boys reached the front, occasions were frequent when they would gladly have accepted sim- ilar rations without "kicking."
On the 3d of June, Daniel S. Dickinson, from Bingham- ton, rode into camp, and, about 7 o'clock, made a rousing speech to the regiment, which was received with hearty cheers.
June 4th, after the regular drills, we had a good supper, with bread and butter and cake, which had been presented to the Colonel by the ladies of Syracuse, -- Mrs. Slocum and several of the ladies gracing the table with their presence. The boys gave three cheers for the ladies, and had a jolly time.
June 7th, there was a fine regimental drill in the fore-
-. .
5
BIG ROW WITH THE 33D.
noon, and the men were practiced in the manœuvers of street fighting.
The same routine of daily drill, of about eight hours a day, continued without incident till the 12th, on which date there were two memorable events. The first was, drum- ming a deserter out of camp; and the second, the boys had a big row with the 33d Regiment, which was camped near by. It seems that one of our boys, Gibson Dunn, of Co. " B," while intoxicated, had shown some disrespect to Col. R. F. Taylor, of the 33d or " Ontario Regiment," for which he had been arrested and confined in the guard house of the 33d. This enraged the 27th boys, and in the evening they went in a body to make an attack on the guard house, and release their comrade. Their advance was resisted by the 33d, and soon the two regiments were in battle array, armed with cobble stones; and began to entrench themselves behind windrows of stones. With great difficulty the few officers in camp prevented an attack till word could be sent to the Colonel, who was quartered in the city. He soon arrived on the ground ; the "long roll " was ordered ; and about ten o'clock the regiment was formed in hollow square, and, though it was pitch dark. the Colonel made one of his tell- ing speeches, and assured the men that their comrade should be released. This cooled the boys somewhat, and good feel- ing was restored. In the meantime Dunn had made his escape from the guard house, by removing a board from the roof. This same evening the first prayer-meeting was held in the camp, many of the comrades leaving the meeting to take part in this their first fight.
On the 15th, the regiment was moved from Southport to the barracks on the Fair Ground. These barracks after- wards became noted as the place of confinement for Con- federate prisoners.
On the 25th, the men of the Union Regiment received their first pay, it being for twenty days' service previous to the 21st of May; in amount, $8.60.
On the 29th, we received our equipments; and as we dressed ourselves in blue, and took charge of our guns,
6
RECORD OF 27THI REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
knapsacks, haversacks and canteens, we realized more fully than ever that we were no longer citizens, but soldiers, ready to enter the service of the government.
Sunday, June 30th, divine service was held in camp, when the Chaplain, D. D. Buck, preached his first sermon to the regiment. From this time till after the 4th of July, many of the men were allowed to go to their homes on furlough.
On the 5th, the regiment was mustered into the U. S. service for two years from the 21st day of May, 1861, by Capt. Sitgraves, U. S. A. Seven men refused to take the oath, and were discharged and sent home. About this time one of the Corporals in Co. "A," who had been sent to arrest some men in one of the low dives of the city, was murdered. His body was recovered and sent to his home in White Plains, under an escort from his Company.
The officers of the 27th, being gentlemen of manly and gallant bearing, were cordially received into the best society at Elmira ; a circumstance which led those of other regi- ments who had been less favored, to facetiously christen the "Twenty-seventh " officers as the " Mutual Admiration Society."
' On the morning of July roth, we received orders to leave Elmira for Washington ; and, amid uproar and enthusiasm, commenced packing up. Almost every man was loaded with useless articles, and had yet to learn the hardest lesson of the soldier,-how many things to get along without.
At 2 P. M. the regiment bid the barracks good-by, and marched into the city. After a short parade through the streets, the cars were boarded, and at 4 P. M. moved out on the Northern Central road, amid the waving of handker- chiefs and the cheers of assembled thousands. It rained all the way to Williamsport, Pa., where we arrived about 9 P. M. Here the ladies had prepared a fine supper for us, and we left the cars to find a grand entertainment. Tables had been spread in the square near the depot, and the pa- triotic ladies were out in force to give the boys one good meal, and bid them a hearty God-speed as they set their faces toward the South. This entertainment was one of
7
TRIP TO WASHINGTON.
the bright spots in the history of the regiment : and there were many expressions of admiration for our fair hostesses. One comrade, at least, was so much impressed with the kindness of these ladies that he asked the privilege of writ- ing to one of them ; and, months afterward, he applied for a furlough, returned to Williamsport, and married his fair entertainer.
About 10 o'clock we returned to the cars, and rode all night, getting but little sleep. In the morning we found ourselves opposite the City of Harrisburg, where we re- mained about an hour. It was a beautiful morning, and from our position, looking across the Susquehanna, we had a grand view of the city, and the dome of Pennsylvania's Capitol, towering above the structures of the city. Here the train was divided, and we ran slowly on through a splendid country, especially about York, Pa., where we passed immense fields of wheat, corn and rye. Here the farming lands are excellent ; large and beautiful houses ; with a degree of thrift that but few of the men had ever seen before. After crossing the Maryland line, we found soldiers quartered at every bridge on the road ; and as we approach Baltimore, the track is being guarded by the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment. The people do not welcome us in Maryland as they did in Pennsylvania, and there is not near as much enthusiasm. We roll into Baltimore in fine shape, where we left the cars, formed in line, and having fixed bayonets, marched through the city. Some of the officers proposed that the men should load their pieces, but Col. Slocum, thinking it a useless precaution, did not order it. The streets were crowded with people to see us. There were many who cheered for the Union, and some for Jeff. Davis. We were received very kindly at the depot where we took the train, and were soon under way for Washington. We halted some time at the Rellay House, where several regiments of New York troops were stationed. Soon after dark Washington was reached, and we were marched to our quarters, afterwards named Camp Anderson, on Franklin Square, a splendid placc.
8
RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
Before leaving Elmira, Col. Slocum had taken the pre- caution to send Lieut .- Col. Chambers on to Washington, to provide rations for the men when we should arrive there. But, alas ! when we reached camp, between 10 and I I o'clock at night, we found nothing except two barrels of salt pork : so we had to go to bed supperless, filled with disgust at the officer who had given too much attention to refreshing his own inner man, to the neglect of his weary men.
Sunday, July 14th, we had company drill before break- fast, and preaching service, by Chaplain Buck, at 10 o'clock. During the service several regiments, that had been ordered to Virginia, marched past our camp, on their way to the Long Bridge ; and the Chaplain, with more enthusiasm than piety, gave out a hymn ; and as we sang the chorus-
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