History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 20

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762

USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

life by a short foraging expedition ; but were captured by a squad of rebel cavalry, after a sharp skirmish with them, which the boys main- tained from behind a stone-wall, and in which one of the assailants was killed, and Tobias wounded. They were taken to Libby prison, where the latter died, and the former, after being taken, first to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and next to Salisbury, N. C., was exchanged, and rejoined his regiment in June, 1862.

Colonel Clark led out repeated foraging ex- peditions in quest of army supplies. On the 11th of July, he took out on such an errand, seven companies from the 19th, and three from the 28th N. Y. While engaged in gathering supplies he sent a company up the road, with directions to lie in ambush, and to permit all that came, to pass, but to intercept their return. Soon about forty cavalry came dashing down the road, and discovered some of the decoy party, who had strayed into view and were fired upon. The main body, too eager to wait, returned the fire. The other companies under the lead of their Colonel, rushed upon the scene ; but the assailants, firing, wheeled and fled. In this affair one of the 12th New York was killed and three of the cavalry were wounded.

Before leaving Washington, disaffection toward their Colonel had arisen among several of the officers of the 19th, and they had drawn up formal charges against him, among which were those of harsh and ungentlemanly treatment of officers and men, and profanity. These were laid before General Patterson, at Martinsburgh, who had not forgotten Col. Clark's neglect of his first order, nor his failure to escort the heavy gun and the accompanying stores with his full com- mand. The General suspended Colonel Clark from the command of the regiment, which then devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Clarence A. Seward. Col. Clark was put under arrest to be tried by court-martial ; but though he repeat- edly demanded to be tried, his demand was never granted. It is perhaps a sufficient commentary upon the merits of this whole question, to state the view taken of it by Gen. Banks, who suc- ceeded Gen. Patterson, and who, after a full ex- amination of the facts, voluntarily relieved Col. Clark from all the disabilities growing out of his suspension from command, and gave him his choice of the old position in the regiment, or a

IIO

CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

position on the staff of the Major-General com- manding. Col. Clark accepted the position of aid-de-camp on the staff of Gen. Banks, and held it through all that General's campaigns, render- ing, on several occasions, signally important services.

After lying four days at Martinsburgh, the order was given on July 14th to advance to Bunker-Hill, which was reached with only a slight skirmish of the advance with six hundred of Stewart's cavalry, but who were speedily stampeded by our artillery. The New York troops encamped that night in a wheat-field, the sheaves of which supplied them with pillows and couches. Foraging had been forbidden ; yet the army would not go hungry with an abundance of supplies within reach. They took the liberty to help themselves, and fed bountifully upon the various productions of old Virginia, including poultry, pigs, mutton, beef, vegetables and fruits and whatever edibles came within their reach.

Patterson halted here, hesitating what to do. He had received peremptory orders from Gen- eral Scott, either to fight Johnston, or so demon- strate against him as to prevent his junction with the rebel General Beauregard, against whom McDowell was advancing ; but he did neither. His dilatory and unsoldiery conduct greatly in- censed General Sandford ; but, as a subordinate, he could only advise, not direct the operations to be made. On the 17th of July, Gen. Patterson moved, not toward, but away from the enemy, toward Charlestown, opening an easy and undis- puted pathway for Johnston to unite his forces with those of General Beauregard, and thus de- termined the issue of the bloody field of Bull Run on the 21st of July.

On his march to Charlestown rebel cavalry watched and reported the movements, and when they found them to be no feints, but a direct re- tirement of the army, the enemy unmolested, quickly marched through the gap thus opened for him and accomplished his awful work. What a fearful responsibility rests upon the cowardly, or traitorous head of the vascillating General. Patterson reached Charlestown on the evening of the 17th, the 19th regiment encamping in a field near that in which John Brown had been hung, many of the men visiting the scene of the tragedy. Here the army lay idly for four days, until the morning of that fatal Sunday, on which

was fought the disastrous battle of Bull Run, when it moved to Harper's Ferry, and encamped upon Bolivar Heights. On the 25th of July, Pat- terson was superseded by General N. P. Banks, and sent home, followed by the execrations of the army and the country.

General Banks found his army so weakened by the expiration of the terms of service, as to make it necessary in the then defeated and dis- organized condition of Mc Dowell's forces, to withdraw across the Potomac. In preparation for this movement, and to guard the passage, General Banks despatched Captain Kennedy with his own company and those of Captains Schenck, Gavigan, and Stewart, with two guns of the Rhode Island battery to occupy the heights on the Maryland side of the river. The army moved over and encamped on this side, picketing its shore for some forty miles up and down the river. The rebels occupying its opposite banks.

Here the army lay for three weeks pending its reorganization and was thoroughly drilled and disciplined. In the reorganized army the 19th regiment formed a part of the eighth brigade which was commanded by Colonel George H. Thomas, who soon became here very popular and efficient as he afterwards was in more trying and responsible positions.

The shoddy rags which till now had dangled from, and deformed the bodies and mortified the spirits of the men of the 19th Regiment, were, on the 30th of July, duly exchanged for neat and substantial uniforms, which were at once the com- fort, pride and joy of the long abused soldiers. While lying here, Captain Kennedy proceeded with a detachment of about one hundred men in a night march to Lovettsville, three miles from the river, to attempt the capture of a rebel cav- alry patrol that was in the daily habit of recon- noitering in the vicinity. But on this occasion the cavalry came by a different route from that usually taken by them, and fled so quickly when they discovered our detachment that only a long range shot could be obtained, resulting in wound- ing a few of them and in capturing trifling sup- plies. The incident was not important in itself, except as a relief to those engaged in it from the tedium of camp life.

While lying idly in camp, and the three months limit of their time of service rapidly approaching, the men matured their plans for returning home,

III

THE 19TH N. Y. S. V. HELD FOR TWO YEARS.

to which, so far as they knew, there was no ob- jection. The 5th and 12th New York regiments brigaded with them, returned home on the 30th of July and the first of August, forcibly reminding the members of the 19th that on the 22d of the latter month they too would leave for their homes. Rumors were, however, circulated that they were to be retained for the full period of their enlist- ment, two years, and an appeal was made to Gen- eral Banks for his judgment in the premises. He expressed the opinion that they could be held only for three months, the period of their muster. Lieutenant-Colonel Seward, then in command of the regiment, and an able lawyer, coincided with General Banks.

But special orders No. 323 issued at Albany, August 2d, 1861, finally settled the matter. It directed that Colonel Clark should " report with his command to the Adjutant-General of the army for duty under the orders of the United States government, for the remainder of the term of the enlistment of the regiment, into the service of the United States."

On the 12th of August the order was an- nounced in camp producing great surprise and indignation. The men were greatly disappointed, they had made every arrangement to return, and had been cruelly kept in ignorance of their legal obligations. Had section 3d of the New York act of April 16th been promptly read and fully explained to them, they would have clearly seen their obligations and obeyed them. The phrase- ology of that act was as explicit as words could be, thus :

" They," the enlisted men, " shall be at all times liable to be turned over to the service of the United States, on the order of the Governor, as a part of the militia of the State, on the order of the President, &c."

That was the obligation which the men of the 19th assumed on their enlistment, and special orders 323 legally bound them to service for the full two years. But the 22d of August had not yet come. The regiment moved with the army to Hyattstown, ten miles south of Frederick, and encamped. Here the subject was thoroughly canvassed by officers and men, all of the former and the great body of the latter, though disap- pointed in their expectations, still accepted the inevitable, against which they clearly saw it was useless to contend.

The 22d of August came at length and the

test of compliance with, or resistance to the order was to be made. The 19th was formed and over it was placed a strong body of armed men, includ- ing a battery of artillery, to quell instantly any and all attempts at mutiny or insubordination. Major Ledlie, in a few words, informed the regi- ment that they were turned over to the service of the United States for the remainder of the two years. Adjutant Stone read the special order 323. Their arms were then stacked. Major Ledlie then commanded the men to advance and take their arms. All the officers at once did so, as did all of the men in the companies of Cap- tains Kennedy and Stewart, except a single recusant in the latter. Companies C, H, and K, stepped forward with few exceptions ; but the larger part of the others held back. There were 280 who refused to obey. In Captain Gavigan's company, but one of the men obeyed, and he, because his time would soon expire, as his term of enlistment had been special. The recusants who were put under arrest, finally numbered 203. Cap- tains Kennedy and Stewart were congratulated by Colonel Thomas on the noble conduct of their respective commands, but on hearing a full ac- count of the case declared the men free from blame, and that they had not " been treated right," a conclusion to which all dispassionate men must arrive.

General Banks, understanding the great griev- ances of the men, gave them time to consider the matter. They were labored with by their offi- cers, and the whole case, its causes and necessary consequences, was fully explained to them. Gen- eral Banks and Father Creedon, of the Holy Family Church in Auburn, earnestly pressed upon them their obligations, and all but twenty-three finally returned to duty. The recusants were tried by court martial and sentenced to the Dry Tortugas for two years. They were pardoned the following November on condition of serving out the remainder of their time honestly and faithfully, and they did so.

The men who manifested such remarkable firmness in their resistance to what they believed to be a great wrong were " Michael Banett, Wm. Buckley, Thomas Burke, Daniel Doyle, James Downell, James Dwyre, Wm. Galvin, Thomas Green, Thomas Head, John Hogan, Patrick Kel- laher, Michael Lacy, Francis McCarthy, John Mc- Kean, John O'Brien, and James Tracy of Co. D ;

II2

CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

John L. Crounce and James Gaffney, Co. E; Morgan L. Joslyn, Co. G ; Samuel Barr, John P. Barber, Walter M. Fowler and Morris Ryan of Co. I.

The camp of the regiment was now changed to Seneca Creek, in the vicinity of Hyattstown, where it remained until the 24th of September. Meanwhile the brigade commander had been changed, Colonel Biddle succeeding Colonel Thomas, who was transferred to a command in the West. At the latter date the regiment was ordered to Muddy Branch, to guard the depot of supplies established there, where from ten to fif- teen hundred wagons were daily loaded and despatched. In this duty great vigilance was required to protect the very valuable freight from rebel raids upon it, and heavy picket and patrol duty was exacted. The regiment remained here through October and November and fitted up their tents with comfortable fire-places of their own invention, consisting of a covered ditch ex- tending outwards a few feet from the tent and connecting with a fire-pit within it, the latter cov- ered or nearly so with a flat-stone, while the outer terminus of the flue surmounted with a barrel, or other arrangement for a short chimney, finished the work ; such fire-places, very quickly constituted, became common in all our armies during the rebellion.

By furlough, discharges on account of disa- bility, and other causes, the regiment was reduced in September Ist to 639 men, and on the 2d Capt. Kennedy was detached for the recruiting service in Cayuga County. Lieut .- Colonel Sew- ard resigned his commission on the 13th, owing to impaired health, and was succeeded by Major Ledlie, Capt. Stewart being elected Major. It was expected that Colonel Clark would soon resign his commission and the command of the regiment devolve upon Lieut-Colonel Ledlie. In the frequent absence of the latter, the com- mand and drill of the regiment mainly devolved upon Major Stewart, who from that time forward, in an especial manner, displayed his admirable military and soldierly talents and won the deserved esteem of officers and men. The regiment was reduced to a battalion by consolidation of com- panies, and Captains Stephens and Angel, and Lieutenants Squires, Parker, Carr, Fosting, and Field were at their own request, mustered out, Capt, Angel raised a new company.

On Sept. 25th, the 19th Regiment was trans- ferred to the third brigade under command of Colonel G. H. Gordon, and on the 8th of Octo- ber, that brigade was placed under the command of Gen. A. S. Williams, who instituted a thorough course of military instruction. In October and November a large number of desertions occurred, which the vigilance of the officers could not pre- vent ; sixty-seven deserted in October and November, fifty in a single night. On Decem- ber Ist, the regiment numbered but 425 effective men. Capt. Baker resigned and left Nov. 5th.

The plan of consolidating the 19th Regiment with the 28th N. Y. Volunteers was now broached, but a display by its officers before Gen. Williams of the thoroughness of its drill and the zeal and capacity of its officers, defeated the scheme and new and vigorous efforts were made to replenish the regiment. Capt. Giles, Lieut. Boyle, and Sergeant Barrus were detached on recruiting service.

Col. Clark having been relieved by Gen. Banks from all disabilities arising from his sus- pension from command and been offered and ac- cepted a position on his staff, he resigned the command of the 19th Regiment. Major Ledlie then became Colonel, Major Stewart, Lieuten- ant-Colonel, and Captain Giles, Major.

The plan of converting the 19th Regiment into artillery was now formed and successfully executed. The singular and sad fortune of the regiment, the zeal, fidelity and admitted capacity of its officers, and the fact that it had come from the home of Secretary Seward, had not only drawn public attention to it, but had prepared the way for successful appeal in its behalf. Justice, long deferred, was soon to be awarded to it. Col. Ledlie visited Washington, had an interview with Secretary Seward, and proposed his plan, which was cordially endorsed by the Secretary. The latter accompanied Col. Ledlie on a visit to Gen. McClellan, the result of which was that an artillery regiment, 1,900 strong was authorized to be raised, of which the 9th was to form a part. The order for this purpose was dated De- cember 11th, 1861, and in addition to directing the formation of the regiment of heavy artillery, the design of which at that time was to defend the Capital, there was this significant clause :

"And any companies which may now be serv- ing as light artillery, will be detached, and mus-

113

THE THIRD NEW YORK ARTILLERY-ORGANIZATION.

tered as independent companies, and their places in the regiment will be supplied by other compa- nies."

This clause was interpolated to do justice to Captain Kennedy, who, when detached on re- cruiting service as theretofore related, had raised a battery of artillery that had been mustered into the United States service on November 23d, as the Ist Independent N. Y. Battery.

This gave a new and strong impulse to re- cruiting, in which all heartily joined. On De- cember 18th, Captain Angel reported with a full company, K, William Richardson, First, and T. J. Messereau, Second Lieutenants.

The autumnal rains and the heavy traffic over the roads, rendered them so heavy as to compel Gen. Banks, on December Ist, to change his base of supplies from Muddy Brook to Frederick. Here they established winter quarters. The march of thirty miles to this point over horribly muddy and half frozen roads, was extremely fa- tiguing, but it was accomplished in two days. A camp was here selected in a piece of woods, through which ran a fine stream. Substantial huts were built, with a base of logs three to four feet high, the crevices filled with mud, surmount- ed with tents, and then floored and supplied with fire-places. Here the regiment remained in com- fortable quarters, until January 6th, when the threatening movements of the enemy under Stonewall Jackson, in the vicinity of Hancock, demanded attention. That village, where was stationed a Union brigade, was shelled on the 13th of December, and the attack vigorously re- pelled by our artillery. Jackson had concentrat- ed along the Upper Potomac a force of some 20,000 men, and to strengthen our lines there, it was decided to forward thither the 3d Brigade, then consisting of the 10th and 28th New York, 5th Connecticut and 46th Pennsylvania Regi- ments, Gen. Williams, commanding. The march was through snow several inches deep, and the first night, while under the temporary command of Col. Donnelly, it was compelled to encamp in the open fields without the protection of tents, and suffered intensely. The cruel commander was severely reprimanded by Gen. Williams for his harsh treatment of the men. The third night the regiment found quarters in Hancock.

Here they were subjected to all the privations and hardships incident to a winter campaign, un- til February 18th, 1862. Heavy patrol, picket

and engineer duties were required of the men. The village was small, and its accommodations insignificant. Exposure brought on colds and fevers, including the dreaded typhus, attended with many fatal results. As a sanitary measure the camp was removed to the open fields, and the men supplied with Sibley tents, holding fifteen men each, warmed with the Sibley stoves, and well ventilated.

At the date mentioned, pursuant to the order of the War Department, the regiment started on its return march to Washington, in furtherance of Special Order No. 584, issued on the 30th of December, reciting that "the 19th Regiment of New York State Volunteers is hereby organized into an artillery regiment, to be known and des- ignated as the 3d Regiment of New York Vol- unteer Artillery." Before leaving, the Brigadier- General commanding complimented the regi- ment, officers and men, for their good order, dis- cipline and their marked improvement in drill. A three days toilsome march over very bad roads brought them to Frederick, where cars awaited them, and in which they reached Washington on the 22d.

Here closed the career of the "Old Nine- teenth " without a battle, after much toil and many sacrifices on the part of both officers and men, and with little of that eclat usually attach- ing to successful military achievements. Subse- quently, in another organization, and under a new name, the same officers and men won many lau- rels upon sharply contested fields, and earned the undying gratitude of the country.

CHAPTER XIX.

CAYUGA IN THE REBELLION-(CONTINUED.)

THE THIRD NEW YORK ARTILLERY-ORGAN- IZATION-IN FORT CORCORAN-CHANGED TO LIGHT ARTILLERY-SERVICE IN NEW BERNE -EXPEDITION TO GOLDSBORO - BATTLE OF WHITEHALL-ATTACK ON NEW BERNE-IRON CLAD ALBERMARLE - VARIOUS MILITARY OPERATIONS - SERVICES OF THE SEVERAL BATTERIES-MEMBERSHIP AND LOSSES.

T HE Special Order, No. 584, directing the formation of the 3d New York Heavy Artillery, bore date December 11, 1861. At

114

CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

that time the efforts which had been made to re- cruit for the 19th Regiment by Captains Ken- nedy, Giles and Angel were supplemented by the personal efforts of Colonel Ledlie and others.

Recruiting for the 3d Artillery was not, how- ever, confined to the 21st Military District. Accessions were obtained from various sources. Captain Edwin S. Jenney, of Syracuse, raised in his vicinity one hundred and forty-two men ; Battery H of the regiment was formed from skeleton companies from Utica and Rome ; Bat- tery M came from Cortland and Battery B from New York City, and all these recruits concen- trated at the latter point, and were clothed in heavy artillery uniforms and supplied with, and drilled in the use of rifles, a requirement of the arm of the service for which they were destined. They numbered five hundred and thirty men and were accompanied to Washington by Major Giles, where they arrived on the 21st of Febru- ary, joined the camp of the " Old Nineteenth." They were assigned by General William F. Barry, commanding the defences of Washing- ton, to Fort Corcoran, on Arlington Heights. This was one of the series of five forts, on the west side of the Potomac, intended for the pro- tection of the Capital. It was on the plantation of the Rebel General Lee, whose elegant and costly mansion was occupied for his headquarters by Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart. It was an ele- vated, healthy, and in every way, a very pleasant location for an army. With the Sibley tents well floored, warmed and ventilated, the camp well laid out and supplied, the men of the 3d Artil- lery began a very agreeable military experience.

At this time the official organization and nu- merical force of the regiment were reported as follows : Colonel, James H. Ledlie, November 18, 1861 ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Charles H. Stew- art, December 23, 1861 ; Majors, Henry M. Stone, December 23, 1861, Solomon Giles, Jan- uary 23, 1862, T. J. Kennedy, January 23, 1862 ; Adjutant, J. Fred. Dennis, December 23, 1861 ; Quartermaster, John H. Chedell, May 29, 1861 ; Surgeon, Theodore Dimon, May 20, 1861; Assistant Surgeon, William H. Knight, October 17, 1861; Chaplain, William Hart, November 14, 1861; Commissary Sergeant, George E. Ashby ; Sergeant-Major, Frank G. Smith.

Company A-Captain, Charles White, 35 men;

Company B-Captain, J. J. Morrison, IOI men; Company C-Captain, James E. Ashcroft, 63 men ; Company D-Captain, Owen Gavigan, 95 men; Company E- Captain, Theodore H. Schenck, 64 men ; Company F-Captain, Edwin S. Jenney, 142 men ; Company G -- Captain, John Wall, 89 men ; Company H-Captain, William J. Riggs, 102 men ; Company I-Captain, John H. Ammon, 96 men ; Company K-Captain, James R. Angel, 96 men ; Company M-Cap- tain, James V. White, 145 men ; a total of 1,091.

On the 23d of the previous November, Cap- tain Kennedy's Independent Battery had been mustered into the United States service and had up to this time been attached to the army of the Potomac, rendering important service. Colonel Ledlie desired to attach it to the 3d Artillery and to secure the revocation of the order constituting it an independent command, in which he suc- ceeded, and it was entered on the rolls as Com- pany L, and as such a few reports were made by Captain Kennedy, but when he was elected Ma- jor in the 3rd Artillery the command of the bat- tery devolved upon Captain Cowan, who, for reasons never fully explained, maintained its "independent existence to the end of the war.

In Fort Corcoran the 3rd Artillery were thor- oughly instructed in the heavy artillery exercise in all its parts, the men being divided and drilled in the different forts. They were nearly all raw recruits in this arm of the service, and its very alphabet had to be taught them, but they had intelligent and thorough commanding officers, and rapid progress was made. Accessions were, from time to time, made to the regiment, so that by April it numbered 1,350 men. So many new men brought together during the inclement sea- son, subject to heavy guard and patrol duty, was attended by much sickness, the veterans of the old 19th mostly escaping.

The old acqueduct bridge over the Potomac was strictly guarded and no one permitted to pass unchallenged. One night, however, an at- tempt was made to do so by the driver of a heavy carriage from the Maryland side, on the plea that it contained distinguished official persons, a prob- able ruse to test the fidelity of the guards ; but their pretensions were useless. The carriage and its inmates were promptly arrested and brought. into the presence of Lieutenant Stewart, who

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 20

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 762

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762