History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 24

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 24

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the fort in a weaker part when she had her steam chest penetrated by a shot, completely disabling her, and compelling her to surrender. The Clif- ton, approaching the Battery to deliver her broad- sides with more effect, ran aground directly under the guns of the fort, of which she became a still target, and her boiler was pierced when Captain Crocker fired a nine inch shell through the vessel from stem to stern, so disabling her as to render her of no value to the enemy. The other two vessels retired from the now fierce con- test. Our killed, wounded and prisoners in this engagement were 250; in the 75th, 92 men, in- cluding six killed. The expedition was an utter failure, and the 75th returned to Algiers.

A land expedition to Texas was next attempt- ed, and a force of about 20,000 men was placed under command of General C. C. Washburn. The 75th formed a part of this command, and left for Brashear on the 15th of September, whence, by easy marches, the army proceeded to New Iberia, where it arrived on the 6th of Octo- ber, the enemy retiring as we advanced with but little skirmishing. During the 7th and 8th the army moved on to the crossing of the Vermillion River, where the enemy had erected some de- fenses, which, when flanked by the cavalry, were quickly abandoned by them, and the command reached the Bayou Carrion-crow, where ten days were spent in refitting the army with new shoes, clothing and blankets. While here, an effort was made to mount the 75th Regiment by levying horses, saddles, &c., upon the planters, and with partial success. It required all the ingenuity of the Yankee boys to find the hidden animals and equipments which were concealed with all possi- ble care. Many pathetic appeals were made by the plundered inhabitants to spare the much needed family horse, but the boys, anxious to be relieved from the toils of the long marches before them, did not heed the appeals, but took all they could find which would possibly answer the pur- pose.

Not only were horses and their equipments thus taken from the rebels, but army supplies of all descriptions, forage, flour, sugar, groceries, cat- tle, pork, etc., so far as the region afforded them; but the supply obtainable was small. Two large armies had already traversed this region and an- other was now a third time gleaning from its scanty supplies. The vigorous men, both white

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CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

and black, were in or with the rebel army, and only the women, old men, and a few slaves were left ; and the latter, as our army advanced, fol- lowed it. The people were generally helpless and could only plead for the protection of their property.

The rainy season had set in; the roads became nearly impassable; and the question of supplying so large an army became a very serious one, so serious as to lead to the abandonment of the campaign, and the army fell back to New Iberia.

The 75th, being now mounted, was detached from General Weitzel's brigade and ordered to report to General Lee of the cavalry, at New Iberia. They were here brigaded with two other cavalry regiments, the brigade being com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Redfield, and the 75th by Captain Thurber. Adjutant Lansing had resigned and returned home.

Foraging expeditions, a few brushes with the scattered rebel forces without loss to the regi- ment, the rëenlistment for three years of most of its members, about eighty only excepted, and supplying themselves with cavalry uniforms, formed the principal incidents during its stay at New Iberia.

On the 8th of January, 1864, the regiment started on its return home on a furlough of thirty days, granted as one of the conditions of their rëenlistment.

The prisoners from the 75th, about eighty in number, who had been captured at the unfortu- nate attack upon the Sabine Pass, were confined about three months in a stockaded prison near the town of Hempstead, fifty miles north-west of Houston. Their fare and treatment here were much better than had been accorded to our men in the more northern prisons. They were pa- roled on the 18th of November, 1863, and es- corted by a guard over a march of three hundred miles, occupying nineteen days, and lodged in a camp nine miles from Shreveport. Here they passed three very disagreeable months, often tan- talized with the hope of exchange, which Colonel Dwight, the exchange commissioner, finally effect- ed, and the men relieved from a captivity of ten months' duration.

Upon the expiration of their furloughs the 75th, numbering about 400 men, started for the front and reached Washington on the 5th. Here a great disappointment awaited them. The con-

dition of being mounted, on which they had en- listed, was to be denied them. They were re- manded to the infantry service under the com- mand of Colonel Merritt.

On the 19th of May, in the steamer Daniel Webster, they again set sail for the Department of the Gulf, reaching the mouth of the Mississippi on the 30th. At Morganza Bend they were brigad- ed with five other regiments, as the Ist brig- ade, 2d division, and 19th corps, under the com- mand of General Franklin. The division was commanded by General Grover, and the brigade, temporarily, by Colonel Merritt. At Morganza Bend were about 15,000 troops. Here they lay, comparatively inactive, from the 4th of June to the 3d of July, when, with their division, they em- barked for New Orleans, destined to reinforce the army of Virginia. The command of the brigade was transferred to Brigadier-General Birge. On June 11th Major Carpenter resigned and returned home, much to the regret of his associates. On July 13th they sailed for Bur- muda Hundreds, reaching their destination on the 22d and encamping in close proximity to the rebels. Here they were held in various defens- ive duties, without engaging the enemy, until the 31st, when with their own and another bri- gade, they were ordered to Washington, to pro- tect it from raids with which it was threatened. They remained in its vicinity for two weeks. Lieutenant-Colonel Babcock here joined and assumed command of the regiment. Colonel Merritt, owing to ill health, had been transferred to hospital duties at Washington.

On the 14th of August, the 2d division was ordered to join the army operating in the Shen- andoah Valley. After a week's march the army reached Charlestown and encamped in its vicinity, where, expecting an attack, earth-works were constructed ; but the camp was changed nearer Harper's Ferry during the night, encamping on Bolivar Heights. The 75th was sent out on a reconnoissance the next day, the 23d, and skir- mished the entire day with the enemy's pickets. Colonel Babcock on the 24th, was sent out with three regiments, and skirmished briskly with the enemy. On the 28th the 75th moved to its old camp near Charlestown, resting two or three days to strengthen its old defenses. On the 29th, in a cavalry skirmish, 500 of the enemy were captured. The camp was next moved to

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THE VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAH.

Berryville, twelve miles distant, and fortifications constructed. Here the troops remained for two weeks, with an active and close watch over the wily rebel General Early, by his equally vigilant foe, General Sheridan, who, when the proper time should come, was prepared to "send him flying through Winchester."

Winchester was eleven miles from our camp at Berryville, and here and in the vicinity Gen- eral Early's force lay, the pickets of the two armies being not far apart. On the morning of September 19th, the two armies came in collis- ion and the furious and bloody battle of Win- chester was fought. By a stratagem, Early at first succeeded in routing and stampeding a por- tion of our army, which indicated its complete defeat ; but, stimulated by the magnetic presence of General Sheridan, the escaping fugitives were reformed and returned to their work with such bravery and persistence as to transform what threatened to be a rout, into a complete victory for our troops, and Early was thrown into even greater disorder than were our own forces earlier in the day. He fled through Winchester to a defensive and fortified position, at Fisher's Hill, three miles south-east of Strasburg, pursued on the following morning by our army. Here we flanked the enemy's position and by a concerted and simultaneous charge drove him from his position in great disorder and pursued his shattered forces for several miles, inflicting a loss from the 19th to the 25th of fully 10,000 in killed, wounded and prisoners. Our losses were severe, numbering in the 75th a total of 81, of whom 16 were killed, 51 wounded and 14 prisoners. Colonel Willoughby Babcock was mortally wounded.

The Valley of the Shenandoah is an exceed- ingly fertile region, producing wheat of excellent quality and in great abundance, as well as other grains, hay, vegetables, &c. Its productions went to supply the hordes of guerrillas that preyed upon our sick and wounded or any of our men on whom they could pounce and carry off. The rebel army were largely fed and supplied from this " Garden of Virginia," therefore, after Early's defeat, General Sheridan's army was in- structed to destroy the barns, stacks and stores of hay and grain, wherever found, reserving only what was necessary to supply our own forces. The rich valley of the Shenandoah and its

affluents were swept as with a devouring fire, and became, in the track of the army, a scene of desolation.

The Confederates were unwilling to see their fair fields thus desolated and their supplies cut off, and were determined to drive General Sheri- dan from the valley. General Lee, therefore, sent Early a reinforcement of 16,000 veterans to accomplish that object. General Early's forces on the 18th of October were concentrated near the base of Fisher's Hill ; General Sheridan oc- cupied an entrenched position on Cedar Creek. The night of the 18th was foggy and dark and by taking a wide detour, General Farly envel- oped the left flank of our army by three full di- visions, captured our pickets and suddenly and fiercely fell upon our camp before the men could be formed. It was utterly dark, and our unform- ed lines were swept back in confusion and dis- order. The surprise was so complete that many of our men left their tents hatless and shoeless. The 8th Corps was thoroughly routed, their ar- tillery and camp captured, their guns turned upon the disordered fugitives that rushed in wild dis- order upon the 19th Corps, which also gave way. The 6th Corps was also forced back, losing heavi- ly in killed, wounded and prisoners, and twenty cannon. The Army of the Shenandoah was thus driven back nearly three miles, forced off the turnpike, and stragglers were scattered along the way to Winchester, twelve miles distant, where General Sheridan had staid the night be- fore. He was quickly in his saddle and dashed forward to the scene of the disaster. Facing the stragglers he rallied them with the encouraging words : " We are going back to our camp. We will lick them out of their boots." And he did it.

The enemy, supposing the foe completely rout- ed, had made no disposition for defense, but were occupied in plundering our camp. General Sheri- dan gathered his scattered forces in order with magic celerity, returned, fell furiously upon Early's forces, and completely routed them, fol- lowing them with his cavalry sixteen miles. He compelled them to abandon everything that would impede their flight-cannon, small-arms, knapsacks and clothing. Forty cannon, includ- ing the twenty captured from us in the morning, sixteen hundred small-arms, fifteen hundred pris- oners and two thousand of the enemy's killed and wounded, were left in our hands,

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CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

Our losses in the morning had been heavy, but were trifling in the evening, aggregating al- together 3,000 killed and wounded and 800 pris- oners. The 75th had three killed, sixteen wounded and thirty-one missing.

History records no more remarkable instance of the retrieval of a lost battle, without rein- forcements, solely by the energy and ability of the commanding general. General Grant, in communicating the intelligence of the victory to the War Department said, " It stamps Sheri- dan, what I always thought him, one of the ablest of Generals."

For the next six weeks there was some skir- mishing with Early's cavalry, but he carefully avoided a general engagement. General Sheri- dan fulfilled his instructions in a further and most thorough destruction of supplies in the Blue Ridge valley. On the 9th of November camp was moved to Winchester, where the now veter- ans were mustered out, including Surgeon Bene- dict, Chaplain Worth, Major Thurber, and Cap- tains Fuller and Silsby, and a consolidation of the regiment into five companies followed with many changes in the company officers.

The battle of Cedar Creek was the last en- gagement in which the 75th participated, and here really closed their active military history, but not their military organization. That battle was fought on the 19th of October, 1864, and the regiment did not reach home until Septem- ber 24th, 1865. Meanwhile they were ordered to various points and changed as the demands of the service required ; to Stephenson's Depot on the 19th of December ; to Baltimore on the 6th of January, 1865 ; and to Savannah on the 11th of January, where they remained six months, acting chiefly as police to maintain order in the city. The regiment was sent on July 24th, 1865, to Hawkinsville, 200 miles west of Savannah, but ordered back to be mustered out on the 9th of August following.

The regiment very gladly received the intelli- gence. The war had really closed four months before, and both officers and men were very anxious to bid adieu to the sunny, suffocating and malarial South, and to breathe once more the peaceful and pure atmosphere of their native latitude. They longed for home with its affec- tions, its freedom, its peace and quiet. Four full years in camp and field, had given them a satia-

ting experience of war, its discomforts, toils, sac- rifices and horrors ; but they had the satisfying conviction that the land which they had helped to save was now " all ours,"

" Ours from the North Lake's crystal waves, To the silver Southern foam ; Ours by the changeless right of graves, Ours by the lives to come."

CHAPTER XXI.

CAYUGA IN THE REBELLION, (CONTINUED.)

CAPTAIN KENNEDY'S BATTERY - WAR Ex- PENSES-BOUNTIES PAID BY CAYUGA COUNTY FROM 1862 TO 1865, INCLUSIVE-CAYUGA COUNTY WAR LOAN BONDS-AMOUNTS PAID BY THE SEVERAL TOWNS.

C APTAIN Kennedy, it will be remembered, first raised an independent battery of artillery, but, for want of guns and equipments, was compelled to change it to an infantry company. He still cherished his first idea and sought to realize it. He had, while absent on a recruiting service, been supplanted in the line of promotion by junior officers, and felt a strong desire to disconnect himself from a regiment in which he believed his just claims had been disregarded. Through the influence of the Secretary of State, he finally secured an or- der authorizing him to raise a battery of artillery, to be attached, " until otherwise ordered," to the 19th Regiment ; one condition of which was that it was to be completed in 30 days. By very en- ergetic efforts it was completed in 28 days. Col. Nichols, of the regular army, one of the staff of Governor Morgan, being at this time in Auburn to muster in the 75th New York Volunteer In- fantry, was consulted by Captain Kennedy, who made known to the Colonel his military grievances and expressed his wishes to be organized into an independent command. Colonel Nichols admit- ted the justice of Captain Kennedy's claims and instructed him as to the course to be pursued to be mustered out of the 19th Regiment and into an independent battery, which was carried out. The commissions were forwarded to the company officers and Captain Stevenson, of the regular

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KENNEDY'S BATTERY IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA.

army, then recruiting at Seneca Falls, duly mus- tered the company as an independent battery of artillery. This is a concise, and is believed to be a correct account of the organization of Ken- nedy's Battery.

On the 2d day of December, 1861, orders were received by Captain Kennedy to report with his battery at Washington, D. C., which was prompt- ly executed. The battery was here inspected by Major-General Barry and Staff, and orders given for mustering it. General Barry became and continued a warm friend of the battery. It was ordered to Camp Barry near Washington, for in- struction. The battery while here was honored by a visit of the Secretary of State and also with an invitation to visit the White House, which was accepted. President Lincoln, and Secreta- ries Seward and Chase, each addressed the mem- bers of the battery, to which Captain Kennedy responded.

Major-General Doubleday, a native of Auburn and an artillery officer of distinction, rendered the battery kindly assistance. The first battery of Rodman guns distributed to our army was to Captain Benson of the regulars, and the second, to Captain Kennedy's Battery. There was a great deficiency of guns at this time, and to re- ceive their equipment, while even the batteries of the regular army were unsupplied, was a flattering compliment.

Being fully equipped, Captain Kennedy ap- plied for marching orders to General Barry, and was directed to report at Baltimore, to Captain Ayers of the Regular Army, then commanding a battalion of light artillery attached to the 6th army corps, commanded by General W. F. Smith. At this time the battery was in perfect trim in every respect, supplied with every needed requisite and the men and animals in fine condi- tion. The battery was reviewed on its depar- ture by General Barry. In Camp Griffin, at Bal- timore, the time was passed in routine camp du- ties, company and battalion drills and in target firing. The 6th corps was composed of veter- ans and the men of the battery found their posi- tion here very pleasant.

Orders were given to march some fifteen miles to join the head of General Hancock's command. The day was rainy and the marching very heavy. The battery encamped on Flint Hill, near Fair- fax Court House. Here the army remained sev-

eral days and was reviewed by General Mc- Clellan. The next movement was toward Fall's Church, six miles distant. There were eleven of the battery then on the sick list, and these were left behind in a hospital tent, with a nurse to care for them. They could not be moved for want of proper transportation. The distance was rapid- ly made over a very muddy road and through the rain. The army encamped at Fall's Church at night and the following day advanced to near Fairfax Seminary and encamped. The soil here was a quicksand, thoroughly saturated by the protracted rain, which continued to fall in torrents, accompanied by a fierce wind, which blew down the soldiers' tents, and compelled them to pass a night of extreme discomfort. In the morning the stream over which the army was to pass was found to be greatly swollen by the rains. The attempt to ford it was made, but the ambulances were capsized and many sick and wounded men were drowned. The camp on the following day was changed to a more favorable locality, where the soil was firmer. In sight of the camp were quartered one hundred thousand soldiers. Here the battery was drilled in the manual of the piece and saw a review of the "Grand Army" by Generals McClellan and McDowell.

Here Captain Kennedy was offered the com- mission of Major in the 3d Artillery, and Colonel Ledlie and Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, through whom the offer was made, claimed the battery as part of the 3d Artillery. Captain Kennedy de- nied the claim and refused to be sworn as Major, and for the time remained with his battery, par- ticipating in the varied movements, at that time being made by our army, to Alexandria City, Fortress Monroe, Hampton City, Newport News, Youngstown and Warwick River, where the bat- tery fired upon the rebel gunboat Teaser, and where an artillery duel was for two days maintained with the enemy, the nights being devoted to the con- struction of earthworks, in which service both officers and men were greatly exhausted. The third day, after a march of six miles through deep mud, the battery was posted at Lee's Mills, in front of the enemy's works, and were held in re- serve, exposed to the enemy's fire for six hours, when they were ordered forward to join the bat- tle. They were ordered to fire upon certain works of the enemy, preparatory to their assault, which was gallantly and effectively done. As a mark

I36

CAYUGA COUNTY IN THE REBELLION.

of honor, Captain Kennedy was directed to hold his ground and discharge half-hourly guns through the night. The battery remained in the trenches several days, and moved forward with the army from before Yorktown.

While lying before Yorktown, which is not far from' Lee's Mills, Captain Kennedy, acting under the advice of Major-General Sumner, accepted the proffered commission of Major in the 3d Ar- tillery, on the 16th day of April, 1862. The bat- tery was then formally turned over to Lieutenant Andrew J. Cowan, who was its commander dur- ing the remainder of the war. Captain Kennedy left his battery with much reluctance ; between him and his command the relations were mutually pleasant. A striking evidence of the attachment of the men to their commander is found in the fact that a petition to Secretary Seward to use his influence to secure the transfer of the battery to the 3d Artillery, was signed by all the officers and men then connected with it, excepting two lieutenants.

The battle of Williamsburgh was about to take place and Major Kennedy applied to Major-Gen- eral Smith for permission to remain until it was over, which was granted. He was placed upon the General's staff, and during the three days of that desperate battle he rode along the lines col- lecting and reporting information at head-quar- ters. In that battle his Battery did effective work. After the battle the Major bade adieu to his old command, and left for his new field of duty. His old Battery remained with and shared the varied fortunes of the army of the Potomac, and won for itself imperishable honors.

WAR EXPENSES.

It will be seen from the following tables and statistics that Cayuga County's part in the war of the Rebellion was one of which she has just reason to be proud, one to which her sons in fu- ture ages will recur with pride and satisfaction. Her commendable promptitude and generous re- sponses to the successive calls for men and her lavish expenditure of means, alike evince a high order of patriotism and a keen appreciation of the merits of the question which that fearful and desperately sustained contest settled forever ; forever, because in the interest of truth and jus- tice, which, though "crushed to earth will rise

again." She aided not more by her contributions of men and means to the successful issue of the war than by the statesmanship and sagacity of her Seward, whose voice in the highest councils of the nation, and whose shrewd diplomacy, holding at bay the hostile armies of unfriendly nations, made easier and more certain the victo- ries gained by our armies in the field.

The following three tables, for which we are indebted to Horace F. Cook, Esq., the very care- ful and accurate County Treasurer, will show the sources and amounts of the "war taxes" paid by our citizens for bounties to volunteers, dur- ing the Rebellion ; to which should be added the large sums paid by individuals for substitutes, and also the immense " Internal Revenue taxes," imposed upon the various objects and industries, and for which large sums are still paid, fully equalling, it is believed, the bounties paid to vol- unteers. The startling aggregate of these vari- ous "war taxes and expenses" sufficiently ex- plain where the resources of the people have been expended.

Bounties paid by the County, from 1862 to 1865, inclusive :

Two CALLS OF 1862 FOR 600,000 MEN.

In 1862 the bounties paid were $50 and $100, and in the following proportions : Number of men paid $50 each 196, amount . $ 9,800 00 26,700 00 100 4 267, "

CALLS FOR 1863 AND 1864 AGGREGATED 800,000 MEN,

To whom bounties, on our quotas were paid as follows :

Number of men in 1863 paid $100 each 48, amount. $ 4,800 00

1864 44 300 " 1144, 44 343,200 00

600 4 928, 46

556,800 00

650 44 5,

3,250 00

700 4 127, 88,900 00

CALL OF 1864 FOR 300,000 MEN.

In the year 1865, $500 and $300 were paid to one year men, $400 to two years' men, and $600 to three years' men ; the number in each class was as fol- lows :

Number paid $500 each 1, amount

$ 500 co

יר 66 300 44 39,

11,700 00

400 44 5,

2,000 00

600 4 665,

399,000 00

$1,446,650 00

There was paid in 1864 for procuring recruits. ... $1,005 00

In 1865 "'hand money" 68,025 00

Incidentals . .. 11,310 13

80,340 13

$1,526,990 13

Thus making the total number of men receiving bounties 3,425, and the total amount paid, $1,526,990 13.

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History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 24

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