USA > New York > Steuben County > A history of Steuben County, New York, and its people, Vol. I > Part 53
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ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The One Hundred and Seventh New York Volunteer regi- inent was organized in the dark hours of 1862, when the novelty of military life had ceased and when war, with all its horrors, con- fronted the people of the country. A gloom had been cast over the people of the north by the disastrous battle of 1861 and by the un- successful Peninsula campaign of the Army of the Potomac. It was at this time, when the pall of despondency was settling down upon the people of the north that President Lincoln, on July 1, 1862, issued his call for three hundred thousand men. At this time General A. S. Divan was member of congress from the Twenty-seventh district. At the hour of midnight, on a sultry July night, he was called upon at his residence in Washington by General Van Valkenburgh, of Steuben county, and Mr. Pomeroy, of Auburn, both members of
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congress from New York, with a message that Secretary Seward wished to see him at once. He immediately answered the summons, and the secretary, addressing him abruptly, said, "Will you go home and raise a regiment in your district? Pomeroy is going, Van- Valkenburgh is going, and you must go. I mean to invite every member of congress to do so, and thus raise regiments by districts."
General Divan said "Yes," and on the following morning left Washington for Elmira .. It is said that the Rev. Thomas K. Beecher laid aside his clerical duties and with General Divan traversed Schuyler, Steuben and Allegany counties, holding two meetings every day. The recruiting was rapid. The first company was mus- tered into the United States service in July, and on the evening of August 13th the One Hundred and Seventh left Elmira for Wash- ington. The regiment was mustered into service from July 31 .to August 31, 1862. It was the first regiment organized under the call for 300,000 men, and received a banner from the state in recog- nition of that fact. Five companies of the regiment were raised in the following towns of Steuben county: Company C, at Painted Post ; Company F, at Addison ; Company G, at Bath; Company I, at Corning; Company K, at Hornellsville. The following were the field-and-staff officers: Colonel, Robert B. Van Valkenburgh; lien- tenant colonel, Alexander S. Divan; major, Gabriel L. Smith; ad- jutant, Hull Fenton; quartermaster, E. P. Graves; quartermaster sergeant, L. B. Chidsay ; chaplain, Ezra F. Crane; surgeon, Patrick H. Flood ; assistant surgeon, James D. Hewitt ; sergeant major, John R. Lindsay ; commissary sergeant, Henry Inscho; hospital steward, John M. Flood. The companies organized in Steuben county were officered as follows: Company C, Painted Post-Captain, William F. Fox; first lieutenant, Charles J. Fox; second lientenant, Irving Bronson. Company F, Addison-Captain, James H. Miles; first lieutenant, J. Milton Roe ; second lieutenant, John F. Knox. Com- pany G, Bath- Captain, John J. Lamon; first lieutenant, C. H. Brigham ; second lieutenant, Ezra Gleason. Company I, Corning- Captain, Newton T. Colby ; first lieutenant, Benjamin C. Wilson; second lieutenant, Nathaniel Rutter. Company K, Hornellsville- Captain, Allen N. Sill; first lieutenant, John M. Goodrich : second lieutenant, Alanzo H. Howard. The regiment arrived in Washing- ton on August 15th, and after being reviewed by President Lincoln went into camp on Arlington Heights, where August 19th they were first in battalion drill. Marching orders were received on August 22nd, and on the following day the regiment moved to Fort Lyon, near Alexandria, Virginia. On September 1, 1862, the regiment was placed in the Fifth Brigade of Whipple's Division, Reserve Corps, Colonel Van Valkenburgh commanding. September 6th orders were received to join General Mcclellan's army, moving northward to repel General Lee's invasion of Maryland, and at seven P. M. they were in line of march. '
ANTIETAM AND CHANCELLORSVILLE.
The night of September 17th the regiment lay on its arms, and before morning was heard the rattle of musketry and the booming of artillery, which told only too well that the battle of Antietam had opened. The surviving members of the regiment will never forget the horrors of that September day. It was an all day's contest, and
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at times a hand to hand struggle. Night put an end to the engage- ment, and ninety of the brave men who marched into the fight in the morning lay upon the field, killed or wounded. This was the baptismal fire of the One Hundred and Seventh, and right nobly did they conduct themselves during the contest. In his official report of the battle General Gordon bestowed many words of commendation on the regiment for its bravery and soldierly bearing. He said: "The One Hundred and Seventh New York Regiment, Colonel Van Valkenburgh commanding, I held in reserve, throwing them into the edge of a piece of woods on the left, which, I was informed by an aide of General Hooker, who mnet me in advance, must be held at all hazards. The Rebel lines began advancing, I threw forward a portion of my brigade to support those nearly in front, while the One Hundred and Seventh New York was directed to support Cap- tain C'otheran's battery on the left. This fine regiment, just or- ganized, was brought on the field in this battle for the first time under fire, moved with steadiness to its perilous position and main- tained its ground until recalled, although exposed to a front fire from the enemy and a fire over its head from the batteries in the rear. I have no words but praise for their conduct."
From the beginning to the end of the struggle there was not a moment that the One Hundred and Seventh was not under fire. On the day following the battle the regiment lay on the field. On the 19th marching orders were received, and they started in pursuit of the enemy, who were retreating. The One Hundred and Seventh moved to Maryland Heights and went into camp September 23rd. While here the ranks were greatly decimated by fever, which raged to such an extent that at the review by President. Lincoln, October 2nd, not three hundred men were able to report for duty. The first death in this camp was that of Corporal Joseph Couse, of Company H, and he was buried in a rough box made by Sergeant Abram White, of old fence boards. The regiment remained at Maryland Heights until late in October, when they moved to Antietam Ford. Here they remained a few weeks, and on the 10th of December moved into Virginia, passing through Harper's Ferry; thence across the Shenan- doah and down the Leesburg Valley to Fairfax Station. The regi- ment halted here for a short time; then proceeded toward Freder- icksburg, and subsequently went into camp at a place called Hope Landing, on Aquia creek. The One Hundred and Seventh remained in camp at Fairfax Station until the morning of the 19th of Janu- ary, when it broke camp and commenced marching southward toward Stafford Court House, together with the Twelfth Army Corps, com- manded by Major General H. W. Slocum. The march was con- tinued for five days during the worst storm imaginable, fording the swollen streams and making their way along seemingly impassable roads. They arrived at Stafford Court House on Friday evening. Here the regiment was paid up to October 31, 1862, being the first pay received. The regiment remained near Stafford until Tuesday, January 27th, when it marched to Hope Landing, on the Aquia creek ; remained in bivouac for a few days and then moved to a camp nearer the creek and commenced building winter quarters for the fourth time. On February 13th the regiment was still in winter quarters, with the ranks in a sadly decimated condition. Only some four hundred men were left for duty, the balance of the ten hundred
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and nineteen, who were enlisted some six months ago, were either dead, wounded or absent-sick. On April 27th the regiment broke camp and, under the command of gallant "Fighting Joe" Hooker, marched towards the Rappahannock. The order of march was gladly received, and General Divan remarked: "Never prisoners left a dungeon more eagerly than we our camp when we marched forth under the proud banner of the Twelfth Army Corps." The spring campaign was active as it wa's disastrous.
Not a week had elapsed after leaving the camp at Hope Land- ing before the One Hundred and Seventh participated in the terrible battle of Chancellorsville, adding fresh laurels to those already won on the field of Antietam. The regiment having fought gallantly at Antietam and left the field crowned with the laurels of victory, never thought of a possible defeat at Chancellorsville, and marched upon the field with the same coolness and determination that marked their movements at Antietam. On the evening of the second day, believing the enemy defeated, the regiment marched out to join in capturing a conquered army, but they reckoned without their liost. The advance soon became a retreat, and, instead of victory, it was a defeat. Soon after the regiment marched out they were ordered back to their position at a double quick, and met the flying column of the Eleventh Corps, driven before the fierce onslaught of Stone- wall Jackson like chaff before the wind. Right gallantly did the One Hundred and Seventh attempt to stay the flight and the pursuit, until night came on, when the confusion was like pandemonium it- self. During the night the regiment again formed in line of bat- tle, and until daylight over their heads blazed the shrieking shot and shell. At early dawn they entered the fight and for hours struggled with the enemy, until the last round of ammunition was exhausted, then, with fixed bayonets, stood, as they supposed, until reinforce- ments had come to take their place. Then in orderly march, proud of their endurance, the regiment retired. The reinforcements, how- ever, outstripped them in the retreat, and under a murderous fire they formed a new line near the Chancellorsville House, only to be driven from there by the artillery of the victorious foe. The battle of Chancellorsville was fought and lost. It was a bloody day for the One Hundred and Seventh, at least one-fourth of the force engaged being lost. Fearfully were its ranks thinned, but not dishonored. Every survivor who participated in that day's fight felt conscious of having performed his duty, and thenceforth the regiment was counted veteran.
From the Chancellorsville battleground the regiment marched to Stafford Court House, where they went into camp and remained during the month of May. While here Colonel Divan and Adjutant Fenton resigned and returned to their homes. The command of the regiment now devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel Colby. On June 12th orders were received to march at a moment's notice, and on the 13th, at six o'clock in the morning, the forces moved northward to repel Lee's invasion. This was the beginning of the Gettysburg campaign. On the 24th of June the newly appointed colonel, N. M. C'rane, of Hornellsville, Steuben county, joined the regiment and assumed command. The One Hundred and Seventh reached Gettys- burg on July 1st and prepared for the deadly contest of the follow- ing day. On July 2nd everything tending to incumber the men was
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thrown aside, guns were primed afresh and a few words of direction and encouragement were given by Colonel Crane, after which each man took his place and awaited the order that would summon them to the front, where the battle of Gettysburg was raging in all its fury. The regiment, however, was not actively engaged, and the loss was small. On July 5th the regiment left the Gettysburg bat- tlefield and followed after the retreating enemy. On the 14th Gen- eral Lee, hard-pressed, escaped across the Potomac, closely followed by the Union army under command of General Meade. They con- tinued their march through Virginia, reaching Kelly's Ford August 1st, where they went into camp and remained until September 16th, when the line of march was taken up to Bealton's Station, whence the One Hundred and Seventh was transported to Stevenson, Ala- bama, to reinforce the Army of the West. From October, 1863, to April, 1864, the regiment, with the exception of Companies B and K, which were sent to Shelbyville, Tennessee, lay at Wartrace, Bell Buckle and Wartrace bridge doing guard and picket duty. During this time the One Hundred and Seventh received by transfer from the disbanded One Hundred and Forty-fifth regiment, and by re- cruits, two hundred and fifty men, and was enabled to completely recuperate for the first time from the fatigue of its constant service since entering the field. On the 20th of April, 1864, the regiment, then six hundred strong, broke camp and commenced Sherman's memorable march. The battle of Resaca was fought May 15th, and the One Hundred and Seventh lost two killed and seventeen wound- cd. Sherman hotly pursued the retreating forces of Johnston until May 25th, when, coming upon his army at Dallas, a sharp contest ensued, in which the One Hundred and Seventh lost nearly two hun- dred men. In this fight Captain Knox and Lieutenant Hill, of Company F, were killed. Company K, of Hornellsville, lost Ser- geant Eugene Thacher, who was killed on the field. Corporal Charles Newberry, of Company I, of Corning, was killed while bravely fight- ing. Sherman lost no time, but followed upon the retreating enemy. He followed Johnston from one position to another, and from June 6th to 14th occurred a series of marches, countermarches and skir- mishes. On the 15th the enemy opened an attack at Pine Knob, and after a hard fight were defeated with heavy loss. Again there was a retreat by the enemy, and again the army of Sherman fol- lowed closely in pursuit. The battle of Culp's Farm was fought on the 22nd, and on the 27th followed the battle of Kenesaw. The foe continued to retreat, and on the 20th of June the battle of Peach Tree Creek was fought. Here the gallant Major Baldwin was mor- tally wounded, June 22nd. After a hard fight Sherman secured a position in front of Atlanta and laid siege to the city, which was finally evacuated by the enemy on September 2nd, and the One Hundred and Seventh regiment was among the first to enter the city. In this siege the regiment lost about sixty killed and wounded. The regiment remained at Atlanta for some time doing provost guard duty, and on the 15thi of September left Atlanta with Sherman on his memorable "March to the Sea." On the 26th a skirmish was had at Sandersville; on December 9th, Redoubt No. 3, nine miles from Savanna, was captured; and December 21st the city was evacuated by the enemy and the campaign closed. It may justly be written that the One Hundred and Seventh during this campaign added
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fresh laurels to those already won while with the Army of the Poto- mac. It is well known that General Sherman held the regiment in the highest esteem, and in 1875 said, "I surely know no regiment that I would prefer to meet, whose services, both east and west, make them justly proud." After the evacuation of Savannah, the One Hundred and Seventh went into camp on the Georgia side of the river, where they remained until January 17, 1865, when they moved with the army for the campaign through the Carolinas, and participated in the battle of Averysboro, North Carolina, on March 16th, and Black River, on March 19th. On the 24th they reached Goldsboro and went into camp, ending the march of sixty-six days' duration (distance five hundred miles), the total casualties of the campaign being about forty; left camp at Goldsboro April 10th, and after a series of marches, passing through Richmond and other places, the regiment encamped near Bladensburg, Maryland, on the 25th, where the muster-out rolls were prepared. On June 6th they bade farewell to southern soil; on the 8th reached Elmira, on the 9th turned over their camp and garrison equipment, and on the 10th were paid off and mustered out of the service. During its service the One Hundred and Seventh marched a total of 2,580 miles, campaigned in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee; passed through Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, and took part in the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, Dallas, Cassville, Pine Knob, Culp's Farm, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, siege of At- lanta, Sandersville, Redoubt No. 3, Argyle Island, siege of Savan- nah, Averysboro and Black River. The loss of the regiment was: Died of wounds or killed, 88; died of disease, 107; a total of 195.
Among those who enlisted in the One Hundred and Seventh from Hornellsville, and who, after the close of the war returned to his native village, which, by the aid of a gifted pen he helped in after years to make a city, none occupied a higher place in the esteem of his officers and comrades than did Russell M. Tuttle, whose biographical sketch is given below. Mr. Tuttle was born in Almond, Allegany county, New York, Jannary 12, 1840. He re- moved with his parents to Hornellsville in 1842, where he resided until his death. He was the son of Rufus Tuttle, who was for more than thirty years a prominent business man of Hornellsville. He was married to Ervilla, daughter of the late Dr. Levi S. Goodrich, on November 7, 1867. He received his education in the Hornells- ville public schools, at Alfred Academy and at the University of Rochester, where he was graduated in 1862. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and. Seventh New York Volunteers. He was promoted to first sergeant on August 12, 1862; to second lieutenant March 1, 1863; to first lieutenant August 1, 1864 : cap- tain Mareh 13, 1865, serving on the staff of Brigadier General T. H. Ruger. During his service on the staff he was made topographical engineer and, as such, was with Generals Ruger and Ward. At the elose of the war Captain Tuttle returned to his home in Hornells- ville. He was elected president of the village in 1868, and repre- sented the Second assembly district of Steuben county in the legis- latures of 1880-1. He took especial interest in the organization and management of the Hornell Library Association. His chief in- terests were in the newspaper and printing business. He was editor
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and proprietor of the Hornellsville Times from its establishment in 1867 to 1879, and again from 1888 to 1906. Mr. Tuttle died at his liome in Hornell, May 28, 1908.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIRST NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The One Hundred and Forty-first Regiment New York Volun- teers was organized at Elmira during 1862. The regiment was raised by Colonel Samuel M. Alley, of Hornellsville, in the unprece- dented time of twenty-one days. At that time Colonel Alley was made one of the Central War Committee by Governor Morgan. He was prevented from assuming command of the regiment by the clamor of the Senatorial War Committee, so far as Democrats were concerned, that they should have the colonelcy of the regiment, which they claimed was rendered necessary by a proclamation of President Lincoln. Hence Colonel Hathaway took command. Mr. Alley was then made colonel and given command of the Elmira ren- dezvous, where he remained until relieved, at his request, by Gen- eral Quimby. The maximum number of men were recruited before the last day of August, but the regiment was not ordered to the front until September 15, 1862. After reaching Washington it went into camp at Laurel, Maryland, to do guard-duty on the railroad between Baltimore and Washington, and construct artillery forti- fications in the vicinity of Laurel. It was relieved November 24th of the same year, ordered to Miner's Hill, Virginia, and joined Gen- eral Cowden's brigade, of Abercrombie's division, in the defense of Washington. The roster of the officers of the regiment at that time was as follows: Colonel, Samuel G. Hathaway, Jr .; lieutenant colo- nel, James C. Beecher ; major, John W. Dininny; adjutant, Robert M. McDowell; surgeon, Joseph W. Robinson; assistant surgeons, O. S. Greenman and M. T. Babcock. Companies D, E, F and H were raised in Steuben county and were officered as follows: Com- pany D-Captain, Charles A. Fuller ; first lieutenant, William Mer- rill; second lieutenant, Joseph Townsend. Company E-Captain, William K. Logie; first lieutenant, John A. Shultz; second lieu- tenant, E. J. Belding. Company F-Captain, Andrew J. Russell ; first lieutenant, John Barton; second lieutenant, William L. Col- lins. Company G-Captain, Daniel N. Aldrich ; first lieutenant, John W. Hammond; second lieutenant, John H. Rowley. Company H-Captain, William A. Bronson ; first lieutenant, Stephen S. Ros- coc; second lieutenant, James W. Smith. The regiment moved from Miner's Hill to Arlington Heights on February 12, 1863. At this time Colonel Hathaway and Lieutenant Colonel Beecher resigned. Major Dininny was promoted to the colonelcy. Captain William K. Logie, of Company E, was advanced to be lieutenant colonel and Captain E. L. Patrick, Company I, was promoted major. The division broke camp April 15th and was sent to Suffolk, Virginia, to the department then commanded by ex-Governor General John A. Dix. On May 3rd it was ordered back, via Fortress Monroe, to West Point, up York river, and thence to the confluence of the Mattapony and Pamunkey rivers. General Gordon now assumed command of the division, numbering eight thousand men, consist- ing of infantry, cavalry and artillery. After spending three weeks in building fortifications the regiment was suddenly ordered back to Yorktown. While liere Colonel Dininny resigned his commission,
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and Lieutenant Colonel Logie was promoted to the vacancy, Major Patrick to the lieutenant colonelcy and Captain Charles W. Clau- harty, Company A, senior captain, was advanced to the majorship. On June 9th the regiment took up the march to Williamsburg ; June 11th the march was resumed, reaching Diascund bridge June 13th, where it remained, far in advance of the rest of the troops, in a low, marshy and unhealthy locality, and the duty was constant, onerous and harassing. At this point the regiment had its first skirmish with the enemy, David McCann (Captain McDowell's com- pany) being the first victim of Rebel bullets. On June 26th the regiment resumed its march to White House Landing and joined General Dix's whole command, numbering some thirty thousand, on an expedition toward Richmond. Gordon's division advanced as far as Bottom bridge, only twelve or fifteen miles from Richmond, skir- mishing frequently. Engagements were frequent between the pick- ets, but no general battle took place until July 8th, when orders were received to abandon the expedition and the troops were trans- ferred to the Army of the Potomac. For four or five months the bill of fare served up partook of so much sameness that the regiment suffered extremely in general health. July 8th it took up the line of march to Williamsburg. The severity of the Peninsula campaign was now apparent in the hard marches made, and these were the im- mediate cause of more sickness and death in the One Hundred and Forty-first than was subsequently experienced. The rain fell in tor- rents, and the weather was so hot that the men's feet were scalded in their wet shoes and stockings. Hundreds went to Yorktown barefoot- ed, the feet blistering sore. But there could be no delay-it was laid out to capture Lee in Maryland. The regiment left Yorktown by transport and proceeded direct to Frederick City, Maryland, arriving there July 14th. The same night the whole Confederate army made a safe retreat across the Potomac river. Gordon's division was now disbanded, and the troops transferred to the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps. The One Hundred and Forty-first was consigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Eleventh Army Corps, General Howard commanding the corps. The regiment joined the corps at Berlin, Maryland, after a three days' march from Frederick City. July 19th it crossed the Potomac and arrived at Warrington Junc- tion on the 25th. It remained in this locality for some time, marchi- ing, countermarching, changing camp and drilling, until September 24th, when the order was received to move. The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, under the command of Generals Howard and Slo- cum, both under the command of Major General Joe Hooker, were transferred to the Army of the Cumberland, then in Tennessee. The regiment arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, October 2nd and went into camp on the banks of the Tennessee river, having traveled four- teen hundred miles in eight days. The enemy held the railroad through Chattanooga valley, and General Hooker took the job of opening up the valley, which was accomplished in forty-eight hours, ending with the famous moonlight "Battle of Wauhatchie" on the night of October 28th. This opened the railroad nearly to Chat- tanooga. The One Hundred and Forty-first took part in this bat- tle, which was fought on the Union side entirely by eastern troops. The One Hundred and Forty-first participated in the battle of Lookout Mountain, where Hooker and the Eleventh and Twelfth
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