USA > New York > A brief history of the Twenty-Eighth Regiment New York State Volunteers, First Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Corps, Army of the Potomac, from the author's diary and official reports. With the muster-roll of the regiment, and many pictures, articles and letters > Part 11
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HISTORY OF THE BAND.
his call. This call met with a hearty response and brought a host of musicians and bands, the latter numbering one each from the villages of Angelica, Belfast, Cuba and Bolivar.
The result of this meeting was that about 26 men agreed to form a band under the lead of Prof. Baxter and join the Pennsylvania regiment. These men left Friendship on the 23d day of August, Baxter having the order for their transpor- tation. After leaving Elmira Baxter either gave up or lost his order for transporta- tion, as a result of which, when the men reached Harrisburg on their way South, they were practically stranded. At this place four of them returned home and the rest, paying their own fares, went on to Baltimore, " bound to go to war or bust."
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From Baltimore the determined men got transportation in freight cars to Frederick City, Md .. where they spent the night, this being August 25th, and in the morning. struck out on foot for Hyattstown, near which place the "Bucktails" were en- camped.
When arriving at camp, on August 26th, they were a forlorn looking lot of men - "a tough looking mob," as one of their number expressed it. Instead of being an organized band in uniform, they were really aggregated fragments of several bands, dressed in a haphazard manner, appearing more like musical tramps than volunteers for the United States service. Thus clad, and from their general appear- ance, they did not compare favorably with the well-uniformed bands of the Twelfth Massachusetts, the Fifth Connecticut, and bands of other regiments there in camp, and in consequence did not meet with a favorable reception from Colonel Bidwell and other officers of the Pennsylvania regiment. These officers, upon scanning the new comers and applicants for place at right of column, concluded they were not just then in search of a band.
Thus being rejected by the Pennsylvania regiment, which they expected would re- ceive them as soon as they arrived, the musicians were greatly disappointed and disheartened. There was nothing now for them to do but to start back for their homes, which they reluctantly did that afternoon, " with," as one of their number expressed it, " satchels and horns in hand, no money, spirits below zero, and band stock away below par," taking the road leading to Frederick City which they had
traveled in the morning with such high hopes and expectations.
But a brighter future lay before these disconsolate men. Their pilgrimage and weary search for a situation, and their trying failures and disappointments were destined to quite suddenly come to an end. After traveling two or three miles along the road they spied approaching them from the direction of Frederick City some federal officers. When they met the officers eyed them suspiciously, thinking, from their appearance, they might perhaps be some dissatisfied recruits " skipping out." (It is not recorded that the officers de- manded the pass-word of the musicians, for likely they were without it themselves, having just "skipped over to Frederick City," you know, on a hurried visit to get some milk shake or soda water. And in case of an attempted arrest it might have been an even question which party should do the arresting.)
At all events the officers asked the music- ians who they were, where they were going, and what this all meant. Their story was soon told, whereupon the officers, who proved to belong to the Twenty- eighth Regiment, Captain William Bush being one of the number. urged them to return with them to camp, promising to endeavor to get them a place in the regi- ment, failing which they would see the musicians safely to the railroad on their way home the next morning.
This proposition was briefly considered by the musicians and quickly decided, the men dividing and taking opposite sides of the road, those in favor of returning to camp with the officers taking one side and those opposed taking the other side. The result was that fourteen men, namely :
H. E. Dickinson, Henry Buckley,
S. P. Lapham, R. H. Grady,
C. E. Le Suer, W. H. Withey,
James Baxter, W. M. Daniels,
Rodolphus Talcott, Joseph Crawford,
Lot Parshall, John Quinton,
Orson A. Baldwin, "Wick " Rigdon,
(with only seven instruments all told) de- cided to accompany Captain Bush and comrades to the camp of the Twenty- eighth Regiment, it being "Camp Church." near Hyattstown, Md., the rest of the men continuing homeward.
After a brief consultation of the officers of the regiment after the arrival of the inusicians, it was decided to receive them
68
TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT. N. Y. S. VOLUNTEERS.
into the regiment as a band, the arrange- . 1862, at camp near Edinburg, Va., J. S. ment for their acceptance being completed August 28, 1861. .
Now, and for the first time, the Twenty- eighth Regiment had a band of its own. Stephen P. Lapham, an accomplished musician, was its leader, Prof. Baxter having in the meantime decided not to re- main, who, with Rigdon and Baldwin, left camp on the following day.
The muster roll of the band was made out October 31st, the members receiv- ing their first pay November 6th, at camp near Muddy Branch.
Soon after the band became attached to and a part of the regiment, Colonel Don- nelly wrote W. A. Thomas, an experienced band leader at Lockport, that the regi- ment had a band, but as yet he had not appointed a leader, and if he would enlist and join the regiment he (the colonel) would appoint him to the place. Thomas responded and soon joined the regiment, at camp near Darnestown, bringing with him from Lockport Benjamin Kaiser, another band musician of experience.
Upon his arrival, Thomas was duly in- stalled as leader and reorganized the band. W. H. and J. S. Chambers and J. M. Ford were detailed from Company A to do service in the band ; also Joel S. Davison from Company C and John Ferary from the drum corps.
On November Sth, E. B Whitmore and George Winter joined the band, from Lockport, and on the zoth of the month Lot Parshall and John Quinton were dis- charged.
This left the band as finally constituted, and organized as follows : W. A. Thomas, Lockport, leader : S. P. Lapham, Belfast, solo Eb cornet ; W. H. Chambers, Lock- port, solo Bb cornet ; George Winter, Lock- port, first Bb cornet ; R. Talcott, Cuba. sec ond Bb cornet ; C. E. Le Suer, Bolivar, solo Eb alto ; E. B. Whitmore, Lockport, first Eb alto ; Henry Buckley. Bolivar, sec- ond Eb alto : J. Crawford, Belfast, third Eb alto ; R H. Grady, Cuba, first Bb tenor ; W. H. Withey, Bolivar, second Bb tenor ; Benjamin Kaiser, Lockport, Bb baritone ; H. E. Dickinson, Portville. Bb bass ; W. M. Daniels, Belfast, Eb bass ; J. S. Chambers, Lockport, Eb bass ; J. M. Ford, Lockport, bass drum; John Ferary, New York, snare drum; J. S. Davison, Lock- port, cymbals : which organization re- mained without change until the band was discharged, save that in the spring of
Davison was returned to his company, and W. W. Eastman of Conneaut, Ohio, company musician, was detailed from Com- pany D to take Davison's place and play the cymbals.
After the final organization of the band, under Thomas' lead, and during the time the regiment remained in Maryland before crossing into Virginia, in the spring of 1862, nothing specially occurred in the history worthy to relate. It performed the regular duties of a regimental band, played daily at guard mount and dress parade, and also on marches as the regiment moved from place to place. It also occasionally took part in serenading some official and played funeral dirges at burials; and, at times. on marches, made life miserable for the members of the regiment by the singing of songs and boisterous shouting.
For a cook the band had for a time a colored man from Baltimore, Md., named "George." Subsequently, while the regi- ment was moving up the Shenandoah Val- ley another " lamb of God in the fourth degree " presented himself for hire as a mess hand. He was a stout, sixteen-year- old slave, named " Harve," who had just bid adieu to his master near whose resi- dence the regiment camped for the night. Harve's services were accepted for a stipu- lated compensation, and he remained with the band until its discharge, separating therefrom at Washington, D. C.
Harve proved to be a well-disposed boy, and many members of the band, notably W. M. Daniels, took great interest in his welfare. He was inclined to be studi- ous and thirsted for knowledge, and had learned some of the letters of the alpha- bet during stealthy interviews, as he said, with the children of his master, whom he would sometimes induce to leave with him over night their books when returning from school. Soon after his connection with the band he asked for a book from which to learn to read, and one was pro- cured for him at Harrisonburg, Va., by a member of the band. . The stationer of whom the book was purchased grinned sardonically when informed of the use to which the book was to be put. It was then a violation of the law of the State of Vir- ginia to teach a slave to read.
The band being composed of men from different places and from different. organi- zations, each providing his own instru- ment, the latter were, as a consequence, of 1
69
NEW INSTRUMENTS FOR THE BAND.
many different makes and styles ; and, although numbering some good pieces, the instruments were, as a whole, odds and ends of different kinds and material, and necessarily seriously lacking in uniformity of quality of tone. With such instruments the band could do justice neither to itself nor the regiment, a fact soon made appar- ent to the members of the regiment, par- ticularly the officers. On account of this, soon after the final organization of the band under Thomas, the matter of obtain- ing a new and better set of instruments for the men was occasionally discussed among the officers and other members of the regi- ment who took an interest in its appear- ance and standing among other regiments with which it was associated. Finally, on the evening of May 19, 1862, at camp " Round Hill," near Strasburg, Va., at a meeting of the officers of the regiment, it was decided to make an effort to procure a new and better set of instruments.
To raise the necessary means for making the purchase the members of the regiment were assembled the next day and a proposition discussed and agreed to by vote that each private should subscribe 50 cents toward a fund for the purpose, the commissioned officers agreeing to sub- scribe liberally toward making up the necessary amount The members of the band were assessed according to their pay, the assessment amounting to about $160.
This action of the regiment resulted successfully, and funds were at once guar- anteed for a set of new instruments, which Leader Thomas ordered at once of a house in Boston, Mass., this being on May 20ch.
But when this action by the regiment was taken its members little realized how soon and suddenly the wisdom of its action would be demonstrated. From Camp Round Hill the regiment moved to. ward Winchester, reaching that city late at night of May 24th. The next morn- ing-Sunday -when the battle of that date promised to become interesting. Sur- geon Helmer ordered the members of the band to put their instruments in a place of safety and report to him for further duty. The first part of this order the men obeyed with alacrity, but they did not generally report to the surgeon, this being rendered impossible on account of the movements of the contending forces and Banks' re- treat. One result of this conflict was that, with the exception of four pieces, the old
band instruments were lost and never recovered.
The new instruments, ordered on May 20th, were long coming. their delay caus- ing a great deal of impatience to the mem- bers of the band as well as to the other members of the regiment who had liber- ally subscribed for their purchase. They finally arrived at the end of 40 days, reach- ing the regiment on June 29th at camp at Front Royal. The instruments were the " Allen " make, German silver, and cost about $900, and were vastly superior to the ones lost at Winchester. With the new instruments the members of the band were greatly pleased, and they were enabled to render much more acceptable. service to the regiment.
Aside from the fact that some of its members carried private revolvers, the band was not armed. At one time a move was made to arm the band, which resulted in the members being supplied with artil- lerymen's sabres - broad, short, heavy, straight "stabbers," with sheaths and belts - but the boys did not take kindly to them on account of their weight and clumsiness.
But the regiment, after having sub- scribed liberally for the set of fine new instruments, was soon destined to be de- prived of its band. By the fore part of the year 1862 the volunteer army of the Federal service had become large, and the bands of the volunteer regiments, taken together, would have made, as to numbers, a respectable division by themselves. However they may have been regarded by the various regiments, these bands were looked upon by men at the head of affairs to be unnecessary and expensive luxuries ; and, as a result, on March Ist of that year, a bill was introduced into Congress by Mr. McPherson, providing for the discharge of such bands. This bill was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, with the final result that an act for discharging bands was passed July 8, 1862, which re- ceived the President's signature on July 17th, the provision being that bands of volunteer regiments were to be mustered out of the service within thirty days of the date upon which the act became a law, i. e., on or before August 16, 1862.
However, no haste was made in dis- charging many of the bands in accordance with this act, including the band of the Twenty-eighth Regiment. August 14th, when we were in camp at Culpeper Court House, an order came to discharge bands,
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70
TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT N. Y. S. VOLUNTEERS.
and on the 16th or 17th a leisurely, delin- quent official made his appearance at camp (at Culpeper Court House) and gathered sufficient energy with which to muster out two bands, one at f1 o'clock in the fore- noon and the other about 3.30 P. M. That evening the order to move came, and in the morning, August 18th, the regiment filed into the highway, headed northward, and no further opportunity was presented for making out discharge papers for the band until the regiment went into camp near Rockville, Mary- land, a few days preceding the battle of Antietam.
At this camp, on September 6, 1862, Leader Thomas got an order for the dis- charge of the band, the discharge papers being made out and signed the next day. The clerk who filled out the blank dis- charges sat in one of the regimental cov- ered wagons, the filled blanks being dated " At Camp near Rockville, Maryland, the 7th day of September, 1862," and signed by W. H. Mapes, "Captain Commanding Regiment."
The men here discharged were those of the band, who had enlisted as musicians, and who had not previously belonged to any of the companies or to the drum corps. They were :
W. A. Thomas, H. E. Dickinson,
R. H. Grady, George Winter,
R. Talcott, C. E. Le Suer,
W. M. Daniels, H. Buckley,
Benj. Kaiser, E. B. Whitmore.
S. P. Lapham and J. Crawford were in hospital, and W. H. Withey was a pris- oner. Withey had remained at Culpeper Court House to care for Lieutenant-Colo- nel Brown, when Pope's army moved northward after the battle of Cedar Moun- tain, the colonel being too feeble to be moved, both falling into the hands of the enemy.
S. P. Lapham's health failed him when the army commenced its retrograde move- ment from Culpeper Court House. Trans- portation was provided him, and he did not again do service in the band. He was in hospital at Washington a few days, then sent to Philadelphia, where he was in hos- pital when the band was discharged. His discharge paper, and that of Crawford, was made out at the same time the others were made out, and Crawford, soon ap- pearing, received both, Lapham's being forwarded to him at Philadelphia.
Crawford having continual poor health, did little or no service as a musician while a member of the regimental band, and was in hospital much of the time.
Armed with the discharge papers from the regiment, the elated band boys started for Washington to receive their pay and mileage preparatory to returning home, meeting on their way a large part of McClellan's army hastening up the Po- tomac to meet Lee, who was then moving northward.
But puny man knoweth not what is be- fore-what trials, sorrows and grievous disappointments. The boys walked nim- bly to Georgetown, where they stopped for the night, and in the morning, with high hopes and cheerful countenances, pushed on to the War Office to have the final acts of their discharge completed. But when presenting themselves before the august officials of that institution, they were con- fronted with the astounding information that there was no such band in the Fed- eral service. The officials told the aston- ished men that they could do nothing for them ; but, by way of consolation, told them that the department had no claim on them, and they were at liberty to go home, but they could pay them no money. They didn't tell the men at the same time that the walking was good, but the disheartened men always believed the officials thought it if they didn't say so.
When told they could have no money, the crestfallen musicians instinctively felt in their pockets for money that wasn't there, there being, probably, not enough money among them all to pay one fare home. What to do under the circum- stances suddenly became a question of great moment among the disheartened men. To be told that they could have no money was bad enough ; but after the long months of service they had performed as a band, the long weary marches and ske- daddles they had made, the wear and tear to which they had subjected the Maryland and Virginia turnpike roads, and the tons of hardtack they had faithfully helped to keep from spoiling, to be told they were never in the service was like adding insult to injury.
But ups in life sometimes come as sud- denly and unexpectedly as downs ; and so with the now thoroughly disheartened men. A way up out of their trouble and affliction came to them as unexpectedly as they were plunged into it. As good
BAND DISCHARGED.
fortune would have it, General Banks-the ever courteous, sympathetic, attentive and obliging General Banks-chanced to be in Washington, and was seen in and about the War Office.
The men cheered up when they saw him, for they now knew that, at least, they had a friend at hand. Their case was soon laid before the affable general, and he, having repeatedly seen the band in his command, and having on one or two oc- casions brought the nose of his fiery steed near the base drum when the band was practicing at camp to help get it accus- tomed to the racket of military life, dif- fered in opinion with the war officials on the question of the band being in the ser- vice. He at once interceded for the help- less men, and his influence with the officials at the War Office was sufficient to have a peremptory order issued to "muster that band into the service (under the proper date) and muster it out."
As a result of this order the men were mustered into the service and out again as fast as the different sets of papers could be written out, it being all done in one day.
It appears that by some inadvertence or neglect on the part of the officer, whose duty it was to attend to the matter, the muster roll of the band had never been filed with the secretary of war and there was, in consequence, no record in the war office showing that the Twenty-eighth regiment ever had a band. Hence the sudden turn with which the men were fetched up by the officials of the war de- partment on presenting themselves for final discharge.
After receiving their final discharge from the service and vouchers for pay and mileage due, the boys were not long in getting their money, which they received just after noon on the ISth day of Septem- ber, 1862. And now everything was lovely with them and they were as happy as a lot of women with new bonnets. Their faces, which an hour before meas- ured ten inches up and down and five inches horizontally, now measured ten inches on the level and five inches high.
Talcott, Grady and Kaiser found em- ployment at Washington at their respective
trades after being discharged from the regiment, but the rest of the men lost no time in getting to the Baltimore & Ohio depot to take a north-bound train, most of them returning home by way of New York.
Harve, the faithful young cook who had remained constantly with the band after coming into the regiment, was left at Washington, as there was an order in force that no transportation be given colored people northward on railroads leading out of Washington without a special permit from some one in authority.
When the men were discharged from the regiment, at camp near Rockville, as stated, W. H. and J. S. Chambers, J. M. Ford, W. W. Eastman and John Ferary returned to their respective companies. WV. H. Withey, who was for some time a prisoner, was finally exchanged and re- ceived his discharge from the regiment in due time.
. Thus, imperfectly recounted, began, continued and ended, the band of the Twenty-eighth New York Volunteers.
Some of the members of the band to whom I have addressed communications for facts have not responded.
I have not been able to trace Withey's. movements after his capture at Culpeper, nor Crawford's after he left the band the last time.
I have an inkling that a man by the name of Stebbins once, nominally at least, belonged to the band, but died. I have been able to get no particulars as to the matter. I remember that a man by that name died at camp sometime in Novem- ber or December, 1861, but was under the impression that he belonged to one of the companies .*
In conclusion I wish to express hearty thanks to old band comrades C. E. Le Suer, H. E. Dickinson, S. P. Lapham, R. H. Grady and W. W. Eastman, and comrade C. W. Boyce, for valuable assist- ance rendered in the matter of making up this history of the band.
* Henry K. Stebbins, Co. D, died June 22, 1362. at Front Royal, Va. There is no record of his connection with the band .- C. W. B.
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TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT N. Y. S. VOLUNTEERS.
THE FIFE AND DRUM CORPS.
By W. W. EASTMAN, Fifer, Company D.
T 'HE Fife and Drum Corps of our regi-
ment was originally supposed to be made up of two musicians from each com- pany.
The organization was completed at In- dustrial School barracks in Albany, after we had sworn in as a regiment, and Mat- thew G. Tieranney was given the position of Drum Major ; and, being a fine musician in both branches. Major Tieranney had full charge of both fifers and drummers.
The roster of musicians was made up as follows :
Company A .- Frank Repass, fifer ; Wil- liam Baker, drummer. Company B .- Jo- seph W. Chandler, fifer ; Wright Bodger, . drummer. Company C .- Daniel Olmstead, fifer; John Ferary, drummer. Company D .- William W. Eastman, fifer; John O. Swan, drummer. Company E .- Lorenzo A. Sa- bine, fifer; Mark J. Blakely, drummer. Com- pany F .- W. H. Brady, fifer; John Brost, drummer. Company G .- Merritt Ray- mond, bass drummer; Origin Richardson, snare drummer. Company H .- Joseph Tay- lor, fifer; John Minor, Geo. Egner, Joseph Morris, drummers. Company I .- Horace L. Drake, fifer; Homer Fields, drummer. Company K .- Edmond Stony, fifer; Byron C. Anderson, drummer.
Major Tieranney was a tireless worker and a good-natured, popular instructor, and at once demonstrated himself to be master of the situation, and perfectly quali- fied to lead the drum corps to the front rank of martial bands in the service, and, with that end in view, he inaugurated a system of drills which accomplished the desired end, and the old Twenty-eighth will remember the unearthly racket we used to make while drilling in the woods and fields adjacent to camp. Major Tieran- ney, if he is living, will not forget how he used to rouse us out to play reveille at sunrise, and the companies used to dread the end as we struck "Three Camps," closing . the eight parts of our regulation reveille, for that meant every man "turn out," "fall in for roll call," or be marked "absent without leave."
The Fife and Drum Corps was a dis- turber of the peace and quiet of the sol- dier's reverie, and he was not, as a conse-
quence, very friendly to that branch of the service, and when Adjutant Sprout would call for Major Tieranney to bring out his corps for dress parade or guard mount, the boys would cuss and discuss the merits and demerits of the Drum Corps, and particularly the latter.
In camp near Stafford Court House, Vir- ginia, it was currently reported the regi- ment was going to be ordered to Balti- more to finish our term of enlistment do- ing guard duty in the Fort, and the very idea filled our souls with unspeakable joy;
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