USA > New York > Camp and field life of the Fifth New York volunteer infantry. (Duryee zouaves.) > Part 2
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Two days afterward the President of the United States issued the following proclamation :
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 ob- structed, 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 pro- ceeding, or by the powers vested in the marshals by law ;
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in 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 aggre- gate number of seventy-five thousand, in order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the Laws to be duly executed.
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The Drum-Bcat.
The details for this object will be immediately communicated to the State authorities through 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 objects aforesaid, to avoid any devastation, any destruction 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 combina- tions aforesaid to disperse, and retire peaceably to their respect- ive abodes, within twenty days from this date.
Deeming that the present condition of public affairs presents an extraordinary occasion, I do hereby, in virtue of the power in ine vested by the Constitution, convene both Houses of Congress. Senators and Representatives are, therefore, summoned to as- semble at their respective chambers, at twelve o'clock, noon, on Thursday, the fourth 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 the Independence of the United States the eighty-fifth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President :
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
At the same time the calls were made upon the several States, and the Governor of New York, Hon. EDWIN D. MORGAN, received the following communication from the War Department :
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Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 15, 1861.
SIR :- Under the Act of Congress " for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, repel invasions," etc., approved February 23, 1795, I have the honor to request your Excellency to cause to be immediately detached from the militia of your State the quota designated in the table below, to serve as infantry or riflemen for the period of three months, unless sooner discharged.
Your Excellency will please communicate to me the time at or about which your quota will be expected at its rendezvous, as it will be met as soon as practicable by an officer or officers to muster it into the service and pay of the United States. At the same time the oath of fidelity to the United States will be ad- ministered to every officer and man.
The mustering officer will be instructed to receive no man under the rank of commissioned officer who is in years apparently over forty-five or under eighteen, or who is not in physical strength and vigor.
The rendezvous for your State will be at New York, Albany, and Elmira.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War.
To his Excellency, EDWIN D. MORGAN,
Governor of New York.
The quota for New York State was seventeen regiments, with an aggregate total of, officers and men, 13,280.
April 16, 1861, the Senate and Assembly of the State being then in session passed an Act, "To authorize the em- bodying and equipment of a volunteer militia, and to pro- vide for the public defense," and the following proclamation, by Governor Morgan, was issued :
2I
The Drum-Beat.
PROCLAMATION BY EDWIN D. MORGAN, Governor of the State of New York.
The President of the United States, by proclamation, and through the Secretary of War, by formal requisition, has called upon this State for a quota of seventeen regiments of seven hundred and eighty men each, to be immediately detached from the militia of this State, to serve as infantry or riflemen, for a period of three months, unless sooner discharged. Now, in con- formity with the aforesaid demand, and by virtue of the Act of the Legislature of this State, passed on the 16th day of April, instant, entitled " An Act to authorize the embodying and equip- ment of a volunteer militia, and to provide for the public defense." and the power vested in me by the Constitution and Laws, I do call for the aforesaid quota, consisting of six hundred and forty- nine officers and twelve thousand six hundred and thirty-one men, forming an aggregate of thirteen thousand two hundred and eighty.
The organization of this force to be in conformity with article eleven, section two, of the Constitution of this State, and with the rules and regulations embraced in general orders, number thirteen, promulgated this day. The rendezvous for this State will be at New York, Albany, and Elmira, headquarters at Albany.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
the privy seal of the State, at the city of Albany, this [L.S.] eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
EDWIN D. MORGAN.
By the Governor :
LOCKWOOD L. DOTY, Private Secretary.
The Adjutant-General of the State, J. MEREDITH READ, Jr., issued a General Order, No. 13, under date of the 18th day of April, specifying the number of regiments to be raised, directions for the election of officers, etc., and declaring that the force volunteering under the provisions of the Act, would be enrolled for the term of two years, unless sooner dis- charged.
CHAPTER II.
FROM NEW YORK TO VIRGINIA.
ORGANIZATION - FORT SCHUYLER - FIRST EXPERIENCES - OUR QUARTERS - THE MEN OF THE REGIMENT-SUNDAY AT THE FORT-THE FIRST GUN FROM FORT SCHUYLER-A POLICE DESERTER-THE RANKS FILLED-TAKING THE OATH- FLAG PRESENTATION-COLOR SERGEANT-STRIKING OUR TENTS-RECEPTION IN NEW YORK-MOONLIGHT DEPARTURE-ARRIVAL AT FORTRESS MONROE- DESERTED VILLAGE-OUR FIRST BIVOUAC-HAMPTON BRIDGE BURNED.
THIS regiment was organized under the Proclamation of the President of the United States, issued April 15, 1861, calling upon the several Governors of the loyal States for seventy-five thousand men.
On Thursday, the ISth day of April, 1861, J. M. Read, Jr., Adjutant-General of the State of New York, issued a general order for the organization of seventeen regiments of volunteers, the quota called for from this State ; and on the following day, the 19th, some of the best material in the city and its suburbs began to enlist under the banner of Colonel ABRAM DURYÉE. This officer was well known to the citizens of New York, and had a wide reputation beyond its limits, having been in command of the Seventh Regi- ment, N. G. S. N. Y., with which he had been connected for a period of twenty-one years, and which was universally acknowledged to be the best drilled and most efficient - militia organization in the United States. "The Seventh Regiment is to the National Guard what West Point is to the Regular Army." On Tuesday, the 23d, four days after the recruiting commenced, so great was the zeal and ambi- tion to serve under this popular leader, that enough picked men were enrolled to make up eight companies of about fifty men each ; and accordingly, on the evening of this day,
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P
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From New York to Virginia.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and K, were inspected and mustered into the State service, at their rooms in Canal Street, a little east of Broadway. Companies I and H subsequently joined at Fort Schuyler. A guard was stationed at the doors to prevent the men from leaving at night, notwithstanding which many of them found opportunity to make their parting visits to the city, from which they were so soon to be exiled. The organization was called, at this time, "The First Regi- ment, Advance Guard."
The next day each man was given a blanket, and marched by fours front, down to the foot of Canal Street, North River ; embarked on a steam-tug, and after a pleasant sail around the Battery and up the East River, arrived at Fort Schuyler about 6 p.M., nothing of importance having oc- curred on the trip. Immediately on arriving, they com- menced their active duties by carrying lumber, barrels of provisions, etc., to their respective places of storage at the fort. At about 10 P.M. supper was served, and the regi- ment made their first acquaintance with the biscuit which afterward became so proverbially known as "hard-tack."
Thursday, April 25. ^^-The men, in good spirits and humor, were turned out at 5 A.M. A wash at the pump was the first preparation for a drill, which lasted until breakfast, at 7.30. We were then at liberty until 10.30 A.M., when we were again assembled for drill, which lasted until noon. Dinner was served at I P.M., after which we were off duty until 4.30, when we were again drilled until 6 P.M., the hour for supper, after which we were again at liberty. At 10 P.M. all lights were extinguished, and silence deep and profound fell upon us, until roused by the reveille.
Friday, April 26 .- Colonel Duryée, in full dress, inspected th" regiment in the evening, and their movements pleased In my highly that he complimented them on their rapid Fortress, and, accompanied by ladies, inspected the quarters.
The barracks were very comfortable, about forty-five men
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Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
being assigned to each of the compartments, which are a part of the fort. The structure is of stone, with large, roomy fire-places, in which bright wood-fires were kept burning at night. Around these fires the men congregated to smoke their pipes and hold their councils. Outside of . the fort were tents, which were a part of those used by the French army in the Crimea. The cook of General Can- robert, the French General, was catering for the regiment. The men quartered in these tents christened them by such names as the " Bower of Beauty," "Schuyler Cottage," and others equally suggestive of sentiment or war, as their fancy dictated. There was one mess at least who lived on the fat of the land and water. They had built a small brick fur- nace, but where they obtained the material was a mystery. They always had something extra, fried clams, fish, beef- steak, etc., which was equally a mystery. There was evidently a latent talent for foraging, which became subsequently more generally developed under very different circumstances.
The location of the fort is a very healthy one. The con- stant breeze from the Sound gave to its inmates a supply of fresh air, and there was no impediment to the use of the salt water in which to bathe. The surgeons had nothing to do except in the case of one of the men who had broken an ankle wrestling with a comrade. The steamboat from the city touched every afternoon at the Government wharf and unloaded the stores, which were carried up to the fort by de- tails of men from the different companies. In the afternoon the men mounted the ramparts and saluted the Sound steam- ers, and were saluted in turn by them. A short time after the regiment arrived at the fort a large flag-staff was erected above the ramparts, which was climbed by one of the men for the purpose of adjusting the halyards. The "Star Spangled Banner " was hoisted for the first time, and there being no ordnance to salute the colors, three hearty cheers were given from several hundred patriotic throats.
F
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From New York to Virginia.
There were men among us who could respond to any duty- representatives from all the trades, with a sprinkling of law- yers, book-keepers, sailors, and members of the Volunteer Fire Department, many of the latter belonging to Company G. There were also veteran soldiers who had served in the British army of the Crimea, and elsewhere ; Italians who had fought under Garibaldi ; Frenchmen who had served in the armies of la belle France ; Teutons from the Prussian army ; and some of the fighting sons of Ireland, ever ready for the fray ; others who had fought in the Mexican war, and ex- regulars of the United States. Notwithstanding which. about eighty per cent. of the regiment were natives of the soil, among whom was Havens, a nephew of " Benny Havens, h !" of West Point memory ; the Van Warts from Tarry- town, descendants of "the Van Wart" of Revolutionary memory, and many others of grand old lineage. Although this was a volunteer citizen regiment, there were many vet- eran warriors who composed, with the educated officers, accomplished in military affairs, a nucleus around which to forin one of the best disciplined and most reliable bodies of men that ever left the city of New York, or rallied under any other name, for the seat of war.
On Sunday a service was regularly held in the forenoon, to which all were invited, but the attendance was not compul- sory. In addition to the service the " Articles of War " were read. It was the great day for visitors from the city, who came by boat and private conveyance, bringing the news- papers to their friends, and sometimes the remembrances from home which are not found in a soldier's bill of fare. A party made a visit to the fort from a private yacht, one of their friends being enlisted in the regiment. They desired permission from the Colonel to give their friend a sail, but the indulgence was not to be thought of. They were so wroth at the refusal, that upon setting sail for their departure, they showed their defiance by bombarding the fort with a revolver.
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Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
On Tuesday, April 30th, our first gun was fired, and it was also the first gun that ever had sent its thunders over the waters from the ramparts of Fort Schuyler. It was a brass piece hoisted into its place by the men.
On the following day, May Ist, we had a different enter- tainment. Two men, one of them a Metropolitan Police officer, who had come up and enlisted in his uniform, ran the guard. They were overtaken by Capt. Dumont, and put under arrest in the guard-house, and at evening parade were drummed out. Tuesday, May 7th, the men being nearly all supplied with their uniforms, made a fine appearance on drill or dress parade, especially as they were becoming very proficient. They had been kept hard at work drilling by companies, and exercising in the simple battalion movements on the glacis outside the fort. The rapid increase in our numbers made strict government imperative, and the disci- pline was more severe and exacting after Lieut .- Col. Warren entered upon his duties.
There had been some severe storms of wind and rain, which those on guard were obliged to endure, besides some work with the spade draining the parade-ground under the direc- tion of the Lieut .- Colonel, which began to impress upon the minds of the thoughtless that the life of a soldier was not that of a sinecurist. In addition to this there was some grumbling because rifles were not substituted for Springfield muskets, as was promised on enlisting.
On Thursday, the 9th of May, the men were examined by Dr. ALEXANDER B. MOTT, and a few were rejected ; the ranks were full, and he said that a finer body of men could not be found in Christendom.
We were sworn into the United States service by Capt. T. Seymour. Ist U. S. Artillery, who was in Fort Sumter at the time of the bombardment by the rebels. We took the oath to serve for two years, unless sooner discharged, and the men now realized that they were in fact soldiers of the United States.
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From New York to Virginia.
At evening parade, on Saturday, May 11th, a handsome stand of colors were presented to the regiment, the gift of GEORGE KEMP, Esq., of the firm of Lanman & Kemp. Adjutant Hamblin read the following letter of presentation :
EVERETT HOUSE, May 7, 1861.
COLONEL A. DURYÉE,
Advance Guard, N. Y. Vols., Ft. Schuyler :
SIR :- Having been a member of the 7th M. for many years, during the greater part of which time the corps was under your command, I have noticed with the utmost interest your gallant and successful efforts to raise a regiment of volunteers in aid of our beloved country in her present unhappy difficulties. No one who is acquainted with your patriotism can be surprised at this manifestation of your active and most honorable zeal.
ALL who know your military ability must rejoice that you are in the field in defense of the National Banner. It is, indeed, a consolation, at this period of trouble, to feel that if the noble heritage, bequeathed to us by our fathers, is menaced by treachery and rebellion, Providence has blessed the land with true hearts and strong arms ready for the emergency, and has caused to rise up among us noble and worthy leaders, among whom few are to be named before our old commander of the National Guard, Colonel Duryée.
I now take leave, sir, to present to you, for the Advance Guard of New York Volunteers, a flag of the United States, emblem of our dear country's prosperity, might, and happiness-not less, I sincerely believe, in the future than in the past. This color will be presented to you, on my behalf, by Mr. Thomas W. Cart- wright, Jr., and Mr. John Gillen, both young men of irreproach- able character and steady habits, who, for the purpose of en- listing in your regiment, have just suspended their labor of several years in my employment-to return to it (I trust with honor and in health) after the triumph of law, order, public faith, and of the Constitutional Government of our country shall have enabled you io release them from the service which they are now entering with the most unbounded confidence in their gallant leader.
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Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
May God preserve you, sir, and be favorable to the righteous cause to which, like a true soldier, you have devoted yourself.
Pray accept this flag which I now offer. I know you too well to doubt that the men who are so fortunate as to serve under you . will bring it back again to this city with honor and in glory.
I have the honor to be, sir, Very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
GEORGE KEMP.
The colors were handed to Color-Sergeant Charles F. Mather, of the Broadway Squad of Police. He was one of the tallest men in the regiment, being 6 feet 4 inches, and handsomely proportioned.
The routine of our camp was enlivened a few days after- ward by the arrival of our band of musicians, which added a new interest to our dress parades. A Maine regiment, brought by a steamer, disembarked on Willett's Point, opposite Fort Schuyler, where they went into camp. Some of the men paid the Fifth a visit.
Rumors were current in regard to an early departure of the regiment, and the inen were anxious to get into active service. Every day added to their impatience, as they were willing to go anywhere to meet the enemy.
On the morning of Wednesday, the 22d, the regiment was fully armed and equipped, the tents had been struck, and we were under marching orders. Knapsacks were packed, and officers and men ready to move when called.
One of the daily journals of New York gave the following narrative of our movements to its readers :
"The orders to leave the fort reached the regiment on Wednesday last, and the prospect of active employment being so near at hand, delighted the men greatly.
" The greatest activity at once became visible throughout the entire encampment, the tents were struck and everything put in
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---
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From New York to Virginia.
order for immediate evacuation, when, to the chagrin and dis- appointment of all hands, orders arrived countermanding those previously given, and the regiment was doomed to a new and, what at first appeared, a more acute disappointment. Fortu- nately the obstacle (whatever it might have been) to their im- mediate movement was of but brief duration, as the orders post- poned their march for only one day. Short as it was, however, there was no disguising the fact that both officers and men were considerably put out of temper by what seemed to be a most ex- traordinary course of proceeding. The tents having been struck, and the regiment placed in readiness to march, all the materials of comfort and convenience were out of immediate reach, so that when sleeping-time came on Wednesday evening the men were left to select the softest grass on which to make their beds. Still there was no complaint of any kind ; everything was taken as it turned up, and both officers and men endeavored to accommo- date themselves to circumstances with the best grace. In this they altogether succeeded.
" The bivouac of Wednesday night was one of the most picturesque and delightful that can possibly be imagined. Out in that lone fort, on the soft, green sward, over eight hundred men lay down to repose. There was no covering at all above them save the cerulean .sky, but there, wrapped in their blankets, they all lay down, and perhaps slept sweeter and sounder for their devotion to their country and to their duty, than many who are enabled to stretch themselves on beds of down. Some of the officers' tents had not yet been struck, and these were certainly centers of attraction during the night. Camp fires were lighted at short distances from each other all along the encamp- ment, and the watchful sentinel having been placed on his nightly guard, the whole garrison went safely and quietly to rest. The scene at the midnight hour, when so many stalwart men were sleeping as calmly as children, was far different from that of the same afternoon when the roll was called for the last drill within the fortification prior to the departure of the regiment. Over a thousand citizens from New York, Brooklyn, and adjacent places were present to witness what was really a sight worth seeing. The whole regiment was uniformed in the full Zouave costume,
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Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry.
and armed and accoutred in splendid style, they presented a gal- lant and unbroken front. The drill of the past month was certainly not lost upon the men, for their evolutions were as regular and as perfect as if they had always made the science of arms their profession. The spectators were delighted with them, and expressed their pleasure by frequently applauding.
"The final preparations for departure were made early in the morning. The few tents which had remained standing were struck, and the baggage of the regiment packed for transmission to the city. The steamboats chartered to remove the troops were at the dock at an early hour of the morning, and everybody was prepared to start."
Thursday, May 23 .- We left Fort Schuyler at one o'clock in the afternoon, and embarked on three tugs-the Satellite, Only Son, and C. P. Smith-the baggage and tents occupy- ing a fourth.
We were indeed on our way at last. It was an exciting and exhilarating scene. As the tugs moved off, the fort saluted each respectively with one gun, and the men on board gave three hearty cheers for Fort Schuyler, in response to the salute. The officers and men were all in the highest spirits, and as we passed the revenue cutter Vixen, near Throg's Neck, each of the steamers were again saluted.
At Riker's Island, where the Hawkins Zouaves were en- camped, as the steamboats approached, the men were drawn up in line on the brow of a hill overlooking the river, in honor of the Zouaves Three guns were then fired from the fort, and the men gave three cheers for Hawkins' Zouaves. The enthusiasm was very great, and cheer after cheer rent the air.
Along the piers as we approached the city, there were crowds of people who saluted us with cheers and waving of handkerchiefs.
The boats landed at the foot of East Fifteenth Street about four P.M., and upon disembarking, the regiment pro- ceeded to Fourteenth Street, and after formning in order,
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From New York to Virginia.
marched through that street to Broadway. The sidewalks and windows of the houses were thronged with people, and from every building floated the national flag.
It was a splendid sight, and one that will not soon be for- gotten by those who witnessed it. The regiment, eight hundred and forty-eight strong, fully drilled and disciplined, marched with their long, steady stride in solid ranks, and eyes to the front, amid the cheers and plaudits of thousands of spectators.
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