USA > New York > Steuben County > A history of Steuben County, New York, and its people, Vol. I > Part 59
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Pursuant to General Order No. 11, Company K entrained at Hornell, via the Erie railroad, at 12:10 P. M. August 17, 1907, for a tour of camp duty and field service at Camp Charles E. Hughes, near Farnham, New York. The command arrived at its destination at 5:30 P. M., detrained and marched to Camp Hughes, three miles distant, arriving at 6:45. Tents were immediately pitched and the company street put in military order. This was the largest camp ever established in western New York, consisting of the entire Fourth brigade, which comprised the Third, Sixty-fifth and Seventy-fourth regiments. The week passed without incident other than the regu- lar routine and the high state of efficiency exhibited by Company
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K. Owing to the resignation of Lieutenant John W. Robinson and his honorable discharge on February 28, 1906, Company K went to Camp Hughes without a second lieutenant, but upon its arrival in camp First Lieutenant George H. Leonard, of Company M, re- ported for duty with Company K for the tour and was assigned as guard instructor. On Saturday, August 24, 1907, the command broke camp at 1:30 P. M. and marched to Farnham; entrained at Farnham for home station, via the Lake Shore railroad, at 3:00 P. M .; arrived in Buffalo at 5:00 P. M .; left that city at 6:15, via the Erie railroad, and arrived in Hornell at 9:00 P. M. The com- mand detrained and marched to the armory, where, after it was in- spected, the men were paid off and dismissed. The annual inspection and muster of Company K by United States, state, brigade and regi- mental officers was held on the evening of March 17, 1908. The drill season of 1908 was uneventful. An election to fill the office of second lieutenant, made vacant by the resignation of John W. Robinson, was ordered held at the armory of Company K on Wednes- day evening, February 10, 1909. When the votes had been counted it was found that Corporal Frank H. Simmons was the unanimous choice of the company for that office. He successfully passed the examination, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard and assigned to Company K, Third Regiment, on March 15, 1909. The United States, state, brigade and regimental inspection of the command for 1909 was held on the evening of March 30th, at which the company showed improvement over the inspections of the past, both as regards efficiency and drill. Pursuant to General Order No. 5, the members entrained at Hornell, via the Erie Railroad, at 9:30 A. M. August 7, 1909, for a tour of field service at Camp Josiah Porter, near Farnham, New York. The command arrived at Farnham at 1:15 P. M .; detrained and marched three and three- quarter miles to Camp Porter, arriving at 3:30. Tents were soon pitched, the street put in order and supper served, after which the men, or at least a majority of them, turned in for the night. On Monday evening, August 9th, the First battalion of the regiment of which Company K was a part, in heavy marching order, under the command of Major Butler, left Camp Porter at 7:30 P. M., and after marching one mile from camp halted and pitched shelter tents, posted a camp guard and made themselves comfortable for the night. The men carried one ration, which was to be cooked for breakfast. The night was one of those which will long be remem- bered by the men of Company K, who gathered in the company street and. sang for the benefit of the camp. The battalion broke camp at 7:00 A. M. on the 10th and marched to the permanent camp, arriving at 7:45. The remainder of the week was occupied by practical field work and consisted of advance and rear guard and attack and defense. This latter, although strenuous work, was heartily enjoyed by the men and proved most instructive in the rudimentary art of war. It was at this camp and on this tour of field service that Company K established a record that has never been equaled and one that can never be surpassed. The com- mand left Hornell for the tour of field service with one hundred per cent of its members in line. While every other company in the regi- ment had from one to a dozen or more men on the sick report book at some time during the week and in the hospital, Company K went
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through the entire tour of duty without a man reporting sick. In fact, the sick book was not opened during the tour. In view of the fact that the men of the command did their full share of the strenu- ous work, and in some cases a trifle more, the record made by them while in Camp Porter in 1909 stands in a class by itself as an ex- ample of what men can do when they are properly instructed in the manner in which they must care for their health while in the field. The record made by Company K while on this tour was the cause of much favorable comment on the part of not only the medical officers of the regiment, but of all the officers, and Captain Charles was highly complimented on the showing, not only by regimental officers, but by Colonel William H. Chapin, inspector general of the National Guard of the State of New York. The command broke camp at 8:30 A. M. August 14th, and after thoroughly policing the camp marched to Farnham. Company K left that point at 12:30 P. M. for Hornell, arriving in that city at 5:30. The company de- trained and marched to the armory, where it was inspected, paid and dismissed after the most successful tour of field service in its history. The regular weekly drills of the command were commenced October 13, 1909.
The next annual inspection and muster by United States, state, brigade and regimental officers was held on the evening of January 19, 1910, at which time Company K maintained its record for effi- ciency and drill. Pursuant to Special Order No. 109, the command left Hornell at 10:52 A. M. on June 20, 1910, for Syracuse, New York, where it was to take part in the ceremonies attending the unveiling of the Soldiers and Sailors' Monument. The command arrived at Corning at 11:55 A. M .; left Corning, via the Central railroad, at 2:30 P. M. ; arrived at Syracuse at 6:30 and immediately marched to the armory of Company C, where the command was inspected and dismissed until 11:00 A. M. the 21st. At that time Company K paraded in Syracuse. Following the parade the com- mand entrained for home station at 6:30 P. M .; arrived in Corning at 10:50 P. M. and at home station at 12:15 A. M. June 22, 1910; detrained and marched to the armory, where the command was in- spected and dismissed. Pursuant to General Order No. 4, the com- pany left Hornell at 10:10 A. M. on September 5, 1910, for Toronto, Canada. The command arrived in Buffalo at 1:00 P. M. and im- mediately left for Niagara Falls, at which place it boarded a special trolley car for Lewiston. At that place the command boarded the boat "Chicora" for Toronto. After an exceedingly rough passage, during which a number of the command became seasick, the boat landed at the dock in Toronto at 7:00 P. M. The company was formed and marched to the corner of King and Young streets, where it boarded street cars for the Fair Grounds. The command ar- rived at the camp on the exposition grounds at 8:15 P. M. On September 8th, after being the guests of the Canadian Fair officials for three days, during which time the residents of Toronto vied with each other in making it pleasant for the visitors, Company K left the Toronto Fair Grounds at 1:00 P. M., bound for home, with Company F. Headed by the Third regiment band, the companies, under the command of Captain Shephard, of Niagara Falls, marched out of the Fair Grounds at King street, where they boarded street cars and rode to Young street, four miles distant. Here the com-
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panies detrained and marched to the docks of the Niagara Navi- gation Company, where they boarded the boat "Cayuga" for Lewis- ton; left the wharf at 2:00 P. M. and arrived at Lewiston at 4:00 o'clock. Boarded street cars for Niagara Falls, arriving at that place at 5:30 P. M .; left Niagara Falls at 6:43 P. M. for Buffalo, via the Erie; arrived in that city at 8:20 P. M. and left at 8:30 for Hornell, arriving in the latter at 11:00 P. M. The company detrained and marched to the armory, where it was inspected and dismissed. Owing to the fact that it was impossible for the officers of Company K to accompany it on this trip, it went to Toronto under the command of a non-commissioned officer, the first sergeant of the company being detailed in command during the tour. This was the first time in history that a non-commissioned officer ever com- manded a company under arms from the United States on foreign soil. At the close of the tour Colonel Wilson officially complimented the company on their deportment while in Toronto, stating that no member of Company K had been other than a soldier and a gen- tleman.
Owing to his removal from the city and his consequent resig- nation from the National Guard, Second Lieutenant Frank H. Sim- mons was granted an honorable discharge on November 26, 1910. Mr. Simmons was a young officer with a great future, and the com- mand suffered a loss with his withdrawal from the guard. He was most popular with both officers and men and worked himself up from private to the office of second lieutenant within a short time.
The United States, state, brigade and regimental inspection of the command for the succeeding year was held on April 4, 1911. This was by far the most satisfactory inspection ever passed by Com- pany K and was a source of gratification to both officers and men. On April 4, 1911, First Lieutenant Bert Arwine was granted an honorable discharge, having tendered his resignation because of his removal from the city. Pursuant to order, an election was held at the armory on the evening of May 17, 1911, for the purpose of filling the office of first and second lieutenant in the organization, made vacant by the resignation of Lieutenants Arwine and Sim- mons, both of whom had removed from the city. Captain Charles was detailed as presiding officer at this election. As a result of the election Corporal Howard A. Matson was chosen first lieutenant and Corporal LeRoy S. Weaver second lieutenant. Neither of the can- didates have, at the date of the completion of this history (May 22, 1911), been before the examining board at Brigade Headquarters, in Buffalo. This ends the active work of Company K, so far as this history is concerned, but the company has at this date a future of great brightness, and it is possessed of a record in the state of which any military organization may well be proud. Since the close of the Spanish-American war Company K has each year observed the anniversary of May 1, 1898, the date upon which the Forty-seventh Separate Company left for Camp Black, Long Island; and they will continue to do so as long as the company is in existence. Other than this the organization each year sends a squad of men to the various cemeteries before Memorial Day, for the purpose of planting a flag and a flower on the grave of all former members of the com- pany and the veterans who died during the campaign of 1898. The casualty list of the Forty-seventh Separate Company since its muster
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into the service of the state, September 30, 1891, until May 22, 1911, is as follows: Corporals William H. Benedict, Wellington G. Lee, William W. Moore and George W. Newman; Musician John B. Stevens ; Privates Claude H. Beard, Walter H. Belknap, William R. Baker, Fred Cramer, Burton D. Danks, William G. DeGroat, Joseph M. Geary, Lee S. Gillispie, William H. Howard, Edward Lundri- gan, Frank J. Kennedy, William H. Reynolds, Charles L. Redmond, Fred C. Santee, Fred C. Teasdale, Patrick Tafe, Joseph Velie, Lee M. Van Campen and Carl S. Weiss; Musician Fred A. Stewart; Privates Bernard R. Killian, Elmer H. Major, Merton W. Piatt, Thomas Ryan and Harry K. White; Captain Francis G. Babcock ; Privates Earnest S. Johnson, Nathaniel B. Haskell, John LeVor- chick and Frank Godden. There has been a total of thirty-eight deaths since the muster into state service of the company. At this time (May, 1911) the commanding officer of the organization, Cap- tain Charles, is making all preparations for the erecting of a tablet. . in the corridor of the armory, in memory of the members of the organization who died during the Spanish-American war. This tablet will later be followed by one erected in memory of the mem- bers of the Forty-seventh Separate Company who have died since, and a blank space will be left on the bronze upon which the names of those members who die in the years to come may be engraved.
CHAPTER XX.
OFFICERS OF THE LINE.
GENERAL GEORGE MCCLURE-COLONEL JOHN KENNEDY-GENERAL WILLIAM W. AVERILL-GENERAL WILLIAM IRVINE-GENERAL ROBERT B. VAN VALKENBURG-GENERAL JACOB H. LANSING- COLONEL JOHN W. DININNY-GENERAL NEROM M. CRANE- GENERAL ABEL D. STREIGHT-CAPTAIN BENJAMIN BENNITT- COLONEL WILLIAM RUMSEY-COLONEL WILLIAM W. HAYT- COLONEL WILLIAM K. LOGIE-COLONEL GABRIEL T. HARROWER -COLONEL ALLEN N. SILL-MAJOR EDWARD P. GRAVES- COLONELS WILLIAM F. AND CHARLES J. FOX-LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANKLIN B. DOTY-MAJOR MARTIN V. DOTY -MAJOR LUZERNE TODD-MAJOR JOHN BARTON -MAJOR CHARLES STRAWN.
The following line officers were born in or for a time resided in Steuben county :
GENERAL GEORGE MCCLURE.
In 1806 the governor of New York appointed George McClure, of Bath, a brigadier general in command of the militia of Steuben county. Although without any actual experience in active military operations with other militia generals, he was given a command without any reference to fitness as the result of the war proved.
In December, 1813, General McClure was in command at Fort George at the mouth of the Niagara river, Canada, a short time before taken by the Americans. The British were making vigorous preparations to regain possession. McClure, regarding his position as untenable, made preparations to abandon it, and, with the gar- rison, to cross over the river to Fort Niagara. Before leaving he set fire to the quiet and beautiful village of Newark, Canada, close by, without any adequate cause or provocation .. One hundred and fifty houses were reduced to ashes; scores of peaceable men, wo- men and children were turned into the intensely keen wintry air without sufficient clothing, homeless and wanderers. This wanton, barbarous and unjustifiable act aroused fiery and unrestrained in- dignation, and fierce retaliation followed. The British captured Fort Niagara and part of the garrison were massacred; their In- dian allies were given full liberty to plunder and destroy. Every
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village on the east side of the river was sacked and burned. Black Rock and Buffalo did not escape. Buffalo then had a resident pop- ulation of about two thousand inhabitants, and all but four of its buildings were burned and a large amount of public property de- stroyed.
This retaliation did not stop on this frontier. It inspired the revengeful savages, urged on by the British, on the shores of Chesapeake bay; led to the capture, sacking and burning of the city of Washington, the hoisting of the English flag over the na- tional capitol, the attack on Baltimore and the bombardment of Fort McHenry-all primarily and directly aroused and demanded by the wanton and barbarous act of McClure against the peaceful and inoffensive Canadian village of Newark. We have one inspira- tion derived from these retaliations-the immortal production of Francis Scott Key, "The Star Spangled Banner."
George MeClure was a prominent man in this county while he resided here. He had held a number of county offices and been a member of the New York legislature for several years; his educa- tion and experience better fitted him for a politician than a soldier. He died at Elgin, Illinois, about 1848.
COLONEL JOHN KENNEDY.
Colonel Kennedy was a son of Henry Kennedy, one of the early settlers of the town of Bath, who located at what is now Kan- ma, long called Kennedy's Corners, later Kennedyville, where, for a long time, he kept a tavern. He originally came from Montgom- ery county, New York, where John Kennedy was born. After ar- riving at manhood he enlisted in a company of militia, in which he was appointed an ensign, a rank now known as second lieutenant. Upon the breaking out of the War of 1812 he was drafted with his company into the service of the United States and was sent to the Niagara frontier in the vicinity of Lewiston, New York. Ken- nedy's company volunteered to cross the Niagara river and take Queenstown in Canada. General Stephen Van Rensselaer, a fossil- ized officer of the Revolution, with more wealth than gray matter, was placed in command. Winfield Scott, then a lieutenant colonel in the United States army, was in command of the reserves, several miles up the river. General Van Rensselaer, covered with gold lace and filled with pomposity and assumed bravery, gave the order to cross the river and take Canada. Boats were provided, the jubilant Americans crossed the river and effected a landing, but were met by a volley of musket balls from the Canadian militia and am- bushed Indians. This unexpected reception was not expected by the invaders, most of whom fled down the steep bank of the river, re- gained the boats and recrossed the river. Those who could not find the boats secreted themselves under the steep bank of the river. Kennedy was the only officer left. Van Rensselaer hurriedly re- crossed the river, as he said, for re-inforcements, but neither he nor the re-inforcements ever materialized. Occasional firing was kept up by both sides. Colonel Scott and his reserves were ordered to the scene of action. He immediately took command. The Brit- ish general, Brock, was at the mouth of the river. The Canadians at Queenstown were badly demoralized and frantically appealed to that commander for assistance. Brock, with a body of British
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regulars, hastened with all speed to relieve the fright of the Cana- dians and Indians, who were concealed by a stone wall. Brock ordered an advance, he leading. It is said his horse stumbled and fell, throwing its rider. The British general, bareheaded and lead- ing his horse, inspired his men to follow. Here General Brock fell, mortally wounded. Kennedy and his men were ordered to deploy as skirmishers, and, seeing the advance of the British, fired. Re- covering from the confusion occasioned by the fall of their leader, the English re-formed for an advance, being of a much superior force to the invaders, and, with no means of escape, the Americans were compelled to surrender. Kennedy always claimed that Brock was shot by one of his own men. The spot where Brock fell is marked by a tablet in plain view from the cars on the Gorge road. Kennedy, with other prisoners, was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and thence paroled for exchange. While a prisoner he was promot- ed to a captaincy. Before his parole had expired Captain Kennedy was in command of a company at Fort Erie, in defiance of his parole, and took part in the brilliant sortie at Fort Erie, resulting in raising the siege of that place by the British. Captain Kennedy was commissioned a colonel for his bravery. At the close of military operations on the Niagara frontier Colonel Kennedy returned to peaceful employment. He was never exchanged and died a prison- er of war at his home in Dansville. He was a member of assembly from this county in 1825 and was sheriff of Steuben county from 1826 to 1829. He married Flora, a daughter of Major Asa Gaylord, of Cold Spring, this county. He was a man of great personal cour- age, which was frequently displayed on the Canadian frontier.
MAJOR DANIEL CRUGER.
Major Daniel Cruger, a native of Pennsylvania, was born De- cember 22, 1780. He learned the printer's trade; was proprietor and editor of the Owego Democrat; came to Bath, studied law and was admitted in 1805. He was commissioned a major in the New York militia in 1812 and served with gallantry in the War of 1812 on the Niagara frontier with General McClure's brigade. He was afterwards a member of the New York legislature and of congress. He was a brilliant and learned lawyer. By compliment he was called "General." He died in June, 1843.
GENERAL WILLIAM W. AVERILL.
Major General William W. Averill was born in the town of Cameron, Steuben county, November 5, 1832, a son of Hiram Aver- ill, a native of Delaware county, same state. His grandfather, Ebenezer Averill, lived at Brock Rock, New York, where, in 1814, he furnished supplies for the army under the command of General Scott, on the Niagara frontier. The future general was educated at the Elmira Academy. In July, 1851, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point; was graduated in 1855, received the rank of second lieutenant in the United States army and was assigned to the Mounted Rifles, serving on the frontier up to 1858, when he was severely wounded in a night attack by the Indians. He was sent east for hospital treatment, and after recov- ering from his wounds returned to the army. He served in the War of the Rebellion from 1861 to 1865, and for his gallant and meri-
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torious services was rapidly promoted, through the different grades, from second lieutenant to brevet major general. His promotions were due entirely to his bravery and distinguished conduct on the field of battle. He was one of fifteen officers to receive a commis- sion as brigadier general for daring, meritorious and specific con- duct. His last active service was in the West Virginia campaigns in connection with General Sheridan. At the close of the war he was placed on the retired list of the army. For the following eight years he was assigned to duty as assistant inspector general of Homes for the Disabled Soldiers and Sailors of the United States. In 1885 he married Kezia Hayward. The last years of his life he resided at Bath, New York, in impaired health. He died at Bath several years since.
GENERAL WILLIAM IRVINE.
General Irvine was born in Chenango county, New York, in 1824. In early life he was employed in lumber yards, engaged in rafting on the Susquehanna river. He was inclined to be of a saving turn, was a diligent reader, possessed an observing mind and was always ready to engage in discussing the political questions of the day. He was a clerk in his uncle's store in Greene. Some cus- tomers readily got in debt, but were not so ready to pay and suits were brought to enforce payment in the justice's court. Young Irvine took charge of these matters, and met with such success in collecting that the recalcitrants settled the claims without being sued. He entered a lawyer's office, became an apt student and was early admitted to the bar.
General Irvine began the practice of law at Corning, New York, in 1849. He became the head of the law firm of Irvine, Hyde and Maynard and became one of the most successful lawyers in the county. He was a member of congress from the Steuben district in the years 1857-9. At the commencement of the Rebellion he took an active part in raising a regiment of cavalry for the regular army and served with distinction in the campaigns of West Virginia. Governor Reuben E. Fenton appointed him adjutant general of the state of New York, and he served two years in that office. After that he removed to California and entered into important and ex- tensive practice of the law, being regarded as one of the ablest lawyers on that coast. He died in San Francisco about ten years ago.
GENERAL ROBERT B. VAN VALKENBURG.
General Robert B. Van Valkenburg, born in 1824, and for many years a respected citizen of Steuben county, was a native of the county and long a resident of Bath. He was a law student in the office of Hon. David Rumsey and was admitted to the bar of the state of New York in 1841. During the Civil war he was brave and active in the military service of the United States. He was most active in raising the One Hundred and Seventh Regiment in the counties of Steuben, Schuyler and Chemung, and was its first com- mander, under the call of President Lincoln of July 1, 1862, for three hundred thousand men. The disastrous battles of 1861 and the unsuccessful Peninsular campaign cast a pall over the north and lifted high the hopes of the south. The novelty of a soldier's
Vol. I-29
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life had passed and fierce war was staring us grimly in the face. The state of New York, to raise its quota, offered to the first regi- ment that was raised in this state and accepted by the authorities at Washington the premium of a state battle flag. Energetic efforts were made by General Van Valkenburg, General Alexander S. Divan and Rev. Thomas K. Beecher. On August 13, 1862, the One Hundred and Seventh regiment left Elmira for Washington, where it was immediately mustered into the service and received the prize state banner. Shortly afterward General Van Valken- burg resigned his commission on account of the serious and fatal sickness of his wife, a sister of David Rumsey. He resumed the practice of law at Bath, in connection with Judge Rumsey. He was elected to congress in 1862; in 1867 was appointed and con- firmed minister to Japan and on his return became a resident of the state of Florida. In 1872 he was appointed a justice of the supreme court of that state and died in Florida in 1887.
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