USA > New York > Erie County > Centennial history of Erie County, New York : being its annals from the earliest recorded events to the hundredth year of American independence > Part 42
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469
THE TWENTY-FIRST IN THE FIELD.
In this shape the bill was passed by the house. The senate amended it so as to provide for the payment of the interest on the bonds in coin, which occasioned another hot debate in the house. Mr. Spaulding and other leaders believed that the coin could not be obtained without a ruinous sacrifice. Finally, the expedient was hit on of providing for the payment of the inter- est in coin, by making the duties on imports also payable in coin. In this form (for the other changes were of minor importance) the bill was passed by both houses, and on the 25th of Febru- ary, 1862, was approved by the President. The bank act was not passed until a year later, and by that time the "greenbacks" authorized by Mr. Spaulding's bili had become the principal currency of the country, and remained so throughout the war.
The only practicable way of giving an idea of the services of the different Erie county regiments is to take them up, one after another, and follow it through the year. Accordingly, I now revert to the Twenty-first New York volunteers. When the great body of the army of the Potomac was transferred to the peninsula, in the spring of 1862, that regiment remained in Mc- Dowell's command, and did not meet the enemy till late in the season. In August it shared the fortunes of Pope's army, being then in the brigade of that strict old soldier, Gen. M. K. Patrick. Marches of fearful length and weariness are chronicled by the historian of the regiment. Several times it was in face of the enemy, and sometimes under fire, but without loss. Its first ac- tual battle was a fearful introduction to the business of war.
In the afternoon of the 30th of August, the day after Fitz John Porter's celebrated failure to attack the enemy, Patrick's brigade was lying down in the second line of our army, while a brigade commanded by Gen. Hatch formed the line in front of it. A road, with a rail fence on each side, was before them, a field beyond that, and still farther on was a railroad embank- ment held by the enemy. The fight which then took place has been so vividly described by Mr. Mills, who took part and was wounded in it, that in regard to a portion of it I will quote his precise words.
As they were lying down, General Hatch galloped up and screamed out an order. Instantly Col. Rogers' ringing voice was heard : "Rise up, Twenty-first ! Fix bayonets ! Forward !
470
THE TWENTY-FIRST IN BATTLE.
Double quick ! March!" Bayonets clattered all along the line. Officers leaped to the front. The first lines dashed over the road and fences. The second followed. Mr. Mills continues :
" Ten steps from the fence Tom Bishop goes down with the colors. Our company is next them and there is a rush. Hur- rah ! Dan Sheldon has got them and his noble face is transfig- ured as he flings out the folds high and free. Brave Dan ! a ball strikes that forehead and he falls upon the dear old flag. And now two stages, of ten steps each, cost each a man with the colors. Yet there are plenty more. Henry Spicer of Co. F is next upon the glorious list. Half down the slope and the left is wheeling round to bring our line fronting upon an old railway embankment, that literally swarms with the enemy. Our right has reached it and is hand to hand in the death strug- gle. The center nears it swiftly. I have almost reached the ditch when a stunning blow seems to tear me in two, and I find myself doubled up in its dry bed."
Scores of others fall at the same time. Sheltered as the en- emy are, their fire is terrific, and our soldiers are unable to seize the embankment. The Twenty-first is ordered to shelter itself in a dry ditch, about two feet deep, half way between the road and the railroad. Cool as on parade, Colonel Rogers walks along the edge, encouraging the men. A fierce fire is kept up between the ditch and the embankment. Finally the enemy turns the right, where there are no supports, and the 21st is or- dered to fall back. They do so slowly, gathering around the standard, of which so many bearers have been shot down.
Four hundred men went into that charge, of which fifty were killed, and one hundred and thirteen wounded so as to be sent to the hospital, besides many others slightly wounded. But a very small proportion were entirely uninjured. Capt. Waslıburn and Lieutenant Whiting were killed, and Lieutenant Mulligan mortally wounded. Colonel Rogers was slightly, and Major Thomas severely wounded. Captains Lee, Canfield and Wheeler, and Lieutenants Efner, Barney and Myers were also wounded.
After this, the 21st marched to Germantown and Upton Hill, and finally to Washington. Thence, under the orders of Mc- Clellan, who had been restored to the command, they moved northward to the banks of the Monocacy, and on the 14th of September the army attacked the enenry on South Mountain. Hooker's corps (late McDowell's) moved up the mountain, with
47 I
SOUTH MOUNTAIN AND ANTIETAM.
the 21st and 35th New York in front, as skirmishers. On their way the skirmish line was met by an old lady, who came rush- ing down the hill, frightened from home by these unwonted proceedings.
"Where be you going ?" she cried to the advancing soldiers.
" Only up on the hill," replied some of the men.
" Don't you go there; don't go," she exclaimed eagerly, waving them back with her hands ; "there's hundreds of Southern peo- ple up there ; some of you will get hurt if you go."
Disregarding with a laugh this well-meant warning, the line moved on. They soon came across "hundreds of them "-in fact thousands of them-and the battle of South Mountain was begun. The Twenty-first fought in skirmish line, and obtained a sheltered position, whence the enemy attempted to dislodge them. But experience has proven, a hundred times over, the immense advantage of a good defensive position. This time it was the Twenty-first, instead of the foe, that had that advantage, and its loss was consequently small ; only four men wounded, one mortally. The enemy suffered severely, some of their men falling within ten paces of the line of the Twenty-first. The rest of the Union forces were equally successful, and South Mountain was firmly held in their grasp.
On the morning of the 16th, the army advanced to the banks of the Antietam. The Twenty-first was soon in the thick of the fight. On one occasion they charged with fixed bayonets, and drove the enemy from two fences where they had ensconced themselves. General Patrick ordered them back, as they had got too far in advance of the brigade. The enemy thought they were retreating, and charged after them, but were again driven back with severe loss. The next day the foe retired, leaving the Union forces in possession of the whole field.
At Antietam the Twenty-first lost seventeen men killed, and fifty-three wounded. Captain Gardner and Lieutenants Vallier and Hickey were wounded. Some of the companies, being weak before, were reduced to nine or ten men each, commanded by a sergeant, and the average of privates for duty in a com- pany was only twelve. Yet all were exultant, and desirous to advance. But slight advance was made, however, and after weeks spent in preparation McClellan was at length replaced by
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472
FREDERICKSBURG, ETC.
Burnside, in the command of the army of the Potomac. Not- withstanding their dislike of the previous inaction, the men were angry and sullen, for McClellan, whatever the reason, un- questionably had the confidence of that army. Meanwhile General Patrick was detached as provost-marshal, and General Paul placed in command of the brigade. The irreverent sol- diers declared that St. Patrick was succeeded by St. Paul.
Then the army marched to Fredericksburg. When the main body crossed the Rappahannock, on the fatal 12th of Decem- ber, the Twenty-first was kept on the north side. On the 13th they were brought up to the river shore, and remained some time in an exposed position. One man was killed and three wounded. Burnside recrossed the river, and all fell back. The weather was fearfully cold. Good Parson Robie, who had cheerfully followed the fortunes of the regiment through all its service, lost heart amid the crowds of swearing soldiers, during those days of sad retreat and nights of bitter cold. His diary reveals that he suffered the greatest physical and moral discomfort, and felt that he was doing very little good. Shortly afterwards, General Patrick's old, decimated brigade was sent back to him, as provost-guard of the army of the Potomac, and began the new year in that comparatively easy service.
Besides the deathis before noted, there were some resignations and transfers among the officers, and consequent promotions. Lieutenant-colonel Root was made colonel of the 94th New York, Major Drew was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and Cap- tain Thomas to major. Captain Strong was made lieutenant- colonel of the 38th New York. Lieutenants Canfield and · Wheeler were promoted to captains, Second Lieutenant Gail and Sergeant Minery were commissioned as first lieutenants, and Sergeant George, Hurst, and John E. Remsen, James J. McLeish .and John W. . Dayock were appointed second lieutenants.
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The Forty-ninth regiment, after remaining encamped near Lewinsville through the winter of 1861-2, moved to Fortress Monroe in March of the latter year, being assigned to the Sixth corps. After participating in the siege of Yorktown, it marched with the army up the peninsula. It was at the battle of Wil- liamsburg, and was in close support of Hancock's brigade in the decisive charge of that day. It participated in all the ardu-
473
THE FORTY-NINTH IN 1862.
ous toils of the Chickahominy campaign. It took part in the battles of Golden's Farm and Garnet's Farm, June 18th and 26th. On the 29th it made a brilliant charge, with its brigade. It was engaged in severe conflict at White Oak Swamp, and was present at the terrible defeat inflicted on the rebels at Malvern Hill. It then returned, with the rest of the army, to defend Washington.
Vet in all these services it so happened that the Forty-ninth was not required to engage in very severe combat. Not an offi- cer was killed, and I cannot learn that the men suffered any very serious loss. This frequently happens, in the fortunes of war, regiments chancing to be kept in reserve or otherwise saved from loss for a long time, and then suddenly subjected to the fiercest storms of battle.
The Sixth corps did not reach Manassas till after the close of that conflict, and the regiment suffered no loss on that side of the Potomac. But at the battle of Antietam it was hotly engaged, and Lieutenant-colonel Alberger was severely wounded. I regret that I have not been able to obtain a detailed account of the part it took in that battle.
On account of his wound, Colonel Alberger resigned, and Major Johnson became lieutenant-colonel in his place. Captain William Ellis was promoted to major. When the rebellion broke out, Major Ellis was in the ranks of the British army. Purchasing his discharge, he entered the Forty-ninth as second lieutenant. His abilities were so decided that he was soon pro- moted to captain, and then to major. The regiment was present at Fredericksburg, in December, 1862, but not in any severe fighting. Adjutant Bullymore, Quartermaster Tillinghast, Capt. Moss and Lieut. Von Gayl, all died of disease during this year.
The ranks of the regiment commanded by- Colonel Brown were filled up, and the regiment mustered into the national . service in February, 1862, under the name of the One Hundredth New York volunteers, with the following roster of officers :
Colonel, James M. Brown ; lieutenant-colonel, Phineas Staunton ; major. Calvin N. Otis ; adjutant, Peter Reisen Chadwick ; quarter- master, Samuel M. Chamberlain ; surgeon, Martin S. Kittenger ; assist- ant-surgeon, William D. Murray. Co."A, captain, Daniel D. Nash ; lieutenants, William L. Mayo and Charles Farnham. Co. B, captain. Walter B. Moore; lieutenants, M. H. Topping and Martin S. Bogart.
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474
THE ONE HUNDREDTH AT SEVEN PINES.
Co. C, captain, John Nicholson ; lieutenants, U. C. Mackay and Wm. Noble. Co. D, captain, Lewis S. Payne ; first lieutenant, Augustus Newell. Co. E, captain, Michael Bailey ; lieutenants, William Brown and Timothy Lynch. Co. F, captain, Charles H. Rauert ; lieutenants, Charles F. Gardner and C. E. Claussen. Co. G, captain, George Hin- son ; lieutenants, Samuel S. Kellogg and Jacob L. Barnes. Co. H. captain, P. Edwin Dye ; lieutenants, R. B. Smith, Jr., and C. E. Wal- bridge. Co. I, captain, Chas. E. Morse ; lieutenants, Frank C. Brunck and H. H. Haddock. Co. K, captain, Charles H. Henshaw ; lieuten- ants, John Wilkeson, Jr., and Warren Granger, Jr.
On the seventh day of March, 1862, the regiment left for the seat of war, with full ranks and completely organized. Arriving at Washington, it was assigned to the first brigade, Casey's di- vision. The last of March it was transferred to Fortress Mon- roe. With the rest of McClellan's army it participated in the siege of Yorktown, and the march up the peninsula. At the battle of Williamsburg the brigade, then commanded by the gallant and impetuous Gen. Naglee, supported Hancock while the latter made the charge which decided the conflict. Arriv- ing in front of Richmond, the One Hundredth shared the ex- citements and discomforts of that period, being under slight fire two or three times, but without loss until the 31st of May, the day of the battle of Seven Pines.
Their introduction to the work of war was a terrible one. Three companies of the regiment were on picket, the rest were with their brigade. After divers marchings and countermarch- ings, Casey's division, a little after noon, became engaged with the enemy. Those who were present declare that overwhelming numbers of the foe were hurled against its unsupported ranks, and the loss sustained by it certainly proves that it was con- fronted by a very heavy force. The One Hundreth was on the left of the Richmond road, and in front of it was a quantity of "slashing," or trees felled hit or miss, so as to obstruct an advance.
Col. Brown had the reputation of a severe disciplinarian, but his valor was of the truest metal. During the first part of the battle he sat on his horse, coolly smoking his pipe. When the fight raged more fiercely, he galloped up and down the line, en- couraging the men with his ringing words. At length came an order for Naglee's brigade to charge the enemy. To do this the One Hundredth would be compelled to march into the dense
475
" CHARGE, THE ONE HUNDREDTH."
slashing in front of them. Col. Brown was heard to mutter an angry denunciation of the order, but the next moment he thundered out the command, "Charge, the One Hundredth ; " and with their leader at its head, the regiment dashed into the slashing. The rest of Naglee's brigade went forward on their right. In the slashing the troops soon broke up, and as the rebels, according to the testimony of many officers, massed sev- eral divisions on this point, Casey's whole command was soon obliged to give way. It suffered fearfully, the casualties in that one division numbering about seventeen hundred, or one-third of the entire loss of the army in the battle of Seven Pines.
The One Hundredth New York lost a hundred and sixteen men, in killed, wounded and missing, out of the four hundred present at the beginning of the fight. Lieutenants Wilkeson and Kellogg were slain. Captain Nash and Lieutenants Mayo and Brown were wounded. Licut .- colonel Staunton was also slightly wounded. The last that was seen of Colonel Brown he was striving, with all his might, to rally the shattered and re- treating lines. Then he disappeared, and was never seen more. Battling to the uttermost, he must have fallen in the deadly fray, and some one of the thousand accidents of the battle-field prevented the subsequent discovery of his body. Lieutenant Wilkeson, just mentioned as one of the killed, was a grandson of Judge Samuel Wilkeson, so often spoken of in the earlier part of this work. Post Wilkeson, of the Grand Army of the Republic, is named in honor of the slain hero of Seven Pines.
Gen. McClellan at first censured Casey's division for giving way, but on learning all the facts he revoked his criticism. Be- sides the casualties above mentioned, Captain Bailey, Lieuten- ants Lynch and Newell, and twelve men, were cut off and cap- tured while on picket.
Throughout that fateful month of June, the One Hundredth, with Lieut .- Col. Staunton in command, shared the toils and perils of the army, but was not again in severe conflict. When McClellan determined to change the scene of operations to the banks of the James, Naglee's brigade was the rear guard of one line of march. It was engaged at Gaines' Mills, and suffered a small loss. Lieut. R. B. Smith, of the One Hundredth, was reported missing, and was never heard of afterwards. Doubtless he was
476
CHANGES, PROMOTIONS, ETC.
killed, and buried in some nameless grave. Being exhausted by their arduous duties as rear guard, Naglee's command was not called on to take part in the battle of Malvern Hills, where the rebels suffered such terrible punishment. Immediately after- wards, the army moved to Harrison's Landing, twenty-five miles below Richmond, where it remained during July and part of August.
During all this time disease as well as battle was thinning the ranks of our soldiery. The One Hundredth was reduced to fif- teen officers and four hundred and thirty-six men, all told ; less than half the number that left Buffalo four months before. It was proposed to consolidate it with some other command. Alarmed lest the identity of the regiment should be lost, its friends aroused themselves, and on the 29th of July the Buffalo Board of Trade adopted it as their especial charge. By their exertions, with other influences, the ranks were rapidly recruited.
When the greater part of Mcclellan's army was sent into the vicinity of Washington, the One Hundredth was left near York- town, and remained there till December. After much delay, the vacancy caused by the death of Col. Brown was filled by the appointment of George F. B. Dandy, of the regular army. This caused much dissatisfaction in the regiment, and Lieutenant- colonel Staunton resigned, on account of being overslaughed by an outsider. Major Otis was made lieutenant-colonel, and Captain Nash, the youthful commander of company A, was promoted to major. Several vacancies among subordinate offi- cers had been caused during the season by deaths and resigna- tions, and consequent promotions took place. Edwin S. Bishop was appointed quartermaster. Lieutenant Granger, then only nineteen years old, (and who by the way was a grandson of the early pioneer, Judge Granger,) became captain of company K. Lieutenants Mayo, Brunck and Topping were also appointed captains of their respective companies. Second Lieutenant Haddock, and Sergeants Charles Shaffer and Horace Baker were promoted to first lieutenants, and Charles H. Runckle, Charles Coleman, William Richardson and John McMann were commissioned as second lieutenants.
After the disasters around Richmond, in June of this year,
477
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTII.
the President called for 300,000 more volunteers. Governor Morgan immediately divided this State into regimental districts, of which Erie county was one, appointing a committee of prom- inent citizens in each district to superintend the raising of a new regiment. After several efforts to find a proper commander, the committee in this district happily hit on Major Edward P. Cha- pin, the officer who, in 1861, had raised the Erie county company for the Forty-fourth New York, or Ellsworth regiment. His marked abilities as a soldier had soon caused his promotion to major of tliat regiment, in which capacity he had been present with it at the battle of Hanover Court House, where he was severely wounded. After some difficulty, he obtained the per- mission of his superiors, and assumed command on the 16th of August. Meanwhile a large number of recruiting-orders were issued, the work was vigorously pressed, and on the 3d of Sep- tember the regiment was mustered into the United States service at Fort Porter, with 929 men, under the name of the One Hun- dred and Sixteenth New York volunteers. From among the numerous recruiting officers to whom permits had been given, Colonel Chapin recommended the necessary regimental officers, who were commissioned by the governor. The roster was as follows :
Field and staff, colonel, Edward P. Chapin ; lieutenant-colonel, Rob- ert Cottier ; major, George M. Love ; adjutant, John B. Weber ; sur- geon, C. B. Hutchins ; assistant surgeons, Uri C. Lynde and Carey W. Howe ; quartermaster, James Adams ; chaplain, Welton M. Moddesit. Co. A, captain, Ira Ayer ; lieutenants, J. C. Thompson and Warren T. Ferris. Co. B, captain, Albert J. Barnard; lieutenants, Leander Willis and Daniel Corbett. Co. C, captain, David W. Tuttle ; lieutenants, Robert F. Atkins and Edward J. Cornwell. Co. D, captain, John Hig- gins ; lieutenants, Charles F. Wadsworth and Elisha Seymour. Co. E, captain, Richard C. Kinney ; lieutenants, James McGowan and Thos. Notter. Co. F, captain, George G. Stanbro ; lieutenants, Wilson H. Grey and Clinton Hammond. Co. G. captain, John M. Sizer ; lieuten- ants, Timothy Linahan and George Peterson. Co. H, captain, William Würz ; lieutenants, David Jones and Frederick Sommers. Co. I, cap- tain, P. R. Stover ; lieutenants, George W. Carpenter and Edward Irvin. Co. K, captain, James Ayer ; lieutenants, P. W. Gould and John W. Grannis.
The One Hundred and Sixteenth, like the Twenty-first, was entirely an Erie county regiment. Recruiting commissions had been sent into the country towns more liberally than before, and a large part of the command was composed of stalwart young
478
WIEDRICH'S BATTERY.
farmers, mechanics, etc., from the rural districts. Companies A and K were principally recruited in Evans, Hamburg, East Ham- burg and vicinity. Their two captains, Ira and James Ayer, were brothers, both farmers of the town of Evans, whose enter- ing the service was especially noticeable, as both were approach- ing the age of fifty, a time when most civilians think themselves exempt from the hardships of military life. Lieutenant, after- wards Major, Carpenter, with a portion of his company, was from Marilla. Co. F was raised in Concord and adjoining towns.
The regiment departed for the front on the 5th of September. Until the Ist of November it remained most of the time near Baltimore, engaged in unremitting drill. Colonel Chapin was a born soldier, and soon brought his command to a high degree of efficiency. On the 2d of November the One Hundred and Six- teenth, with other regiments, was ordered south, and after sev- eral delays and a tedious sea-voyage reached Ship Island, off the southern coast of Mississippi, on the 13th of December. Just at the close of the year they proceeded to New Orleans, and went into camp near that city.
Wiedrich's battery fought bravely and suffered severely during the campaign. On the 8th of June it was at Cross Keys, under Fremont, where six of its men were wounded, two mortally. On the 22d of August it took part in the battle of Freeman's Ford, where it had one man killed and five wounded. At the second battle of Bull Run, the gallant Germans were in the thickest of the fight, Lieutenant Schenkelberger and thirteen men being wounded, out of a little over a hundred engaged. Five of the six guns belonging to the battery were disabled, and two of their carriages had to be left on the field, but by desper- ate exertions the men saved the pieces. The battery was only in some minor engagements during the remainder of the year.
. Turning from fields of battle to the less dangerous, though hardly less bitter, conflicts of the political arena, we find that the defeats suffered by the Union arms, during the disastrous summer of 1862, had naturally injured the administration and the party which supported it. The Democratic majority of 1861, in Erie county, was greatly increased in 1862. Hon. John Ganson, then State senator, was elected to Congress by about three thousand majority, and Cyrenius C. Torrance, of Collins, was chosen dis-
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479
BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
trict-attorney. The assemblymen elected this year were John W. Murphy and Horatio Seymour of Buffalo, T. A. Hopkins of Amherst, and Anson G. Conger of Collins.
By a law passed this year, Buffalo was allowed more than one supervisor for each ward, except the 13th. Some had two and some three. The list for 1862 was as follows :
Amherst, Charles C. Grove ; Alden, John C. Baker; Aurora, Seth Fenner ; Boston, George Brindley ; Brant, Thomas Judson. Buffalo, Ist ward, Thos. Edmunds, John O'Donnell and James Fleeharty ; 2d ward, John M. Scott, Amos Morgan and Jas. S. Lyon ; 3d ward, James P. Bennett and John Stearn; 4th ward, B. W. Skidmore, Philip G. Lorenz and Frank Fischer; 5th ward, James S. Irwin, Henry Nauert and George Baldus ; 6th ward, Jacob H. Pfohle, John Haller and Felix Bieger ; 7th ward, George Reichert, Adam Weller and Henry Bitz ; 8th ward, Thomas H. Myers and Dennis M. Enright ; 9th ward, George P. Baker and William Ring; roth ward, Joseph Libby and Joseph Candee ; rIth ward, Thomas R. Stocking and Alfred H. Giddings : 12th ward, Christopher Laible and John A. Smith ; 13th ward, Daniel M. Joslyn. Cheektowaga, Eldridge Farwell; Clarence, David Wood- ward ; Colden, Nathan C. Francis ; Collins, Marcus Bartlett ; Concord, S. W. Goddard ; East Hamburg, James H. Deuel ; Eden, Lyman Pratt : Evans, Lyman Oatman ; Elma, Christopher Peek; Grand Island, Ossian Bedell; Hamburg, Allen Dart; Holland, Nathan Morey ; Lan- caster, Wm. W. Bruce ; Marilla, H. T. Foster; Newstead, Henry At- wood ; North Collins, Wilson Rogers ; Sardinia, Jas. Rider ; Tonawan- da, David Kohler; Wales, A. G. White; West Seneca, Nelson Reed.
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