USA > New York > Onondaga County > History of Onondaga County, New York > Part 22
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CHAPTER XXIV.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SECOND NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS - ORGANIZATION - MARCH TO THE FRONT - SOUTH MOUNTAIN - AN- TIETAM.
T HE 122d Regiment New York Volunteer In- fantry was one of the regiments furnished by the State under the call of the President for 300,000 men in the summer of 1862. The war for the sup- pression of the Rebellion was just beginning to develop the magnitude of its proportions, and to show that the North must put forth its manly energy in good earnest, if it would save the Republic from dismemberment, anarchy and destruction. The issue of the struggle upon the Peninsula for the capture of Richmond was being surrounded with doubt,
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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
when on the 1st of July, the President called for 300,000 additional troops. On the day following. Governor Morgan issued a proclamation of which the subjoined is an extract :
"This appeal is to the State of New York : it is to each citizen. Let it come to every fireside. Let the glorious example of the Revolutionary period be our emulation. Let each feel that the Common- wealth now counts upon his individual strength and influence to meet the demands of the Government.
"The period has come when all must aid. New York has not thus far stood back. Ready and more than willing, she has met every summons to duty. Let not her history be falsified nor her position be lowered."
Three days after the appearance of the above appeal, there was issued from the .Adjutant-General's office of the State a circular directing the division of the State into regimental districts, correspond- ing to the senatorial districts, with a rendez- vous camp in each. At the same time and by the same authority, a committee was appointed in each district, called the Senatorial War Committee, to whom was given the general charge and direction of affairs in their district in regard to the raising and organization of troops.
In Onondaga county, composing the 22d Dis- trict, the following gentlemen were named as the Committee : Hon. Charles Andrews, Hon. Grove Lawrence, Hon. Dennis McCarthy, Hon. Elias W. Leavenworth, Hamilton White, Esq., Hon. Austin Myres. Hon. Thomas G. Alvord. L. W. Hall, Esq., Ilon. Thomas T. Davis and Col. J. Dean Hawley.
On the 15th of July, 1862, the above committee held a meeting and organized by the election of Hon. Charles Andrews, President, and L. W. Hall, Esq., Secretary.
A resolution was passed requesting the inhabit- ants of the various towns of the county to appoint a committee of three in each town to act in con- junction with them. Also a resolution was passed requesting the Governor of the State to call an extra session of the Legislature forthwith, to insure uniform action as regards the bounty to be offered volunteers. The committee resolved to hold a ses- sion every evening at the Mayor's office in the City Hall, at half past seven o'clock, until further notice.
At this time the expedition against Richmond had failed. Pope's army, by his bold advance to cooperate with Mcclellan, was imperiled, and was being driven back, though not without able and gal- lant resistance, to the defences of Washington ; while the people were looking anxiously to see whether the foiled, yet powerful, Army of the Poto- mac, would be brought up in time to his assistance, or whether he would be able to fight his way back
with what means he had within his reach. All clearly perceived that it was only a question of time whether our armies already in the field would be able to maintain a successful defensive until the reenforcements which the great loyal North were preparing and sending forward, in response to the call of the President, could reach the front.
It was under such circumstances as these that the War Committee, in the summer of 1862, called upon the people of Onondaga for further enlist- ments. The first response under this call was the 122d Regiment, N. Y. V. I. It was raised in one month, enlistments fairly commencing on the 20th of July and the rolls closing on the 20th of August.
The first Company (A) was filled at Baldwins- ville, from the towns of Lysander and Van Buren, August 6, with Joshua B. Davis, Captain ; Alonzo HI. Clapp. Ist Lieutenant : and Herbert S. Wells, 2d Lieutenant. Captain Davis was promoted to Major, August 16, 1862, and was succeeded in the command of the company by J. M. Brower, form- erly a Captain in the 12th Regiment, N. Y. V.
Company B was filled August 14, from the city of Syracuse and the towns of Geddes, Cicero and Clay, with Webster R. Chamberlain, Captain ; Charles G. Nyc, Ist Lieutenant, and William J. Webb, 2d Lieutenant.
Company C was organized from the towns of Manlius and De Witt, at Fayetteville, August 14, with Alfred Nims, Captain ; Joseph E. Cameron, Ist Lieutenant, and Arthur J. Mead, 2d Licu- tenant.
Company D, from the towns of Onondaga, Spaf- ford, Otisco and the city of Syracuse, was organized August 14, with Cornell Chrysler, Captain ; Davis Cossitt, ist Lieutenant, and Edward P. Luther, 2d Lieutenant.
Company E was organized in the city of Syra- cuse, August 15, with Augustus W. Dwight, as Captain ; Horace H. Walpole, ist Lieutenant, and Henry II. Hoyt, 2d Lieutenant. On the 22d of of August, Captain A. W. Dwight was promoted to the Lieut .- Colonelcy of the regiment, ist Lieuten- ant, Horace II. Walpole, was promoted to Captain of Company E, and Jacob Brand was appointed ist Lieutenant, vice Walpole, promoted.
Company F was mainly from the town of Mar- cellus, and was organized August 15, with Lucius Moses, Captain ; George W. Platt, Ist Lieutenant, and James Burton, 2d Lieutenant.
Company G, from the town of Elbridge, was or- ganized August 15, Harrison H. Jilson, Captain ; Drayton Eno, 1st Lieutenant, and Peter A. Blossom, 2d Lieutenant.
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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Company H, mainly from the town of Camillus, organized August 15th, James M. Gere, Captain ; Morton L. Marks, Ist Lieutenant, and Oscar F. Swift, 2d Lieutenant.
Company I, from Syracuse and Salina, chiefly, organized August 16, John M. Dwight, Captain ; Morris H. Church, Ist Lieutenant, and Lucius A. Dillingham, 2d Lieutenant.
Company K, chiefly from the towns of Tully and Skaneateles and the city of Syracuse, organized August 19, Noah B. Kent, Captain ; Justin Howard, Ist Lieutenant, and Frank M. Wooster, 2d Lieu- tenant.
The organization was completed and the regiment mustered into the United States service, at Syra- cuse, August 28, 1862, with the following field and staff officers, viz :
Silas Titus, Colonel, rank from August 31, 1862 ; Augustus H. Dwight, Lieutenant-Colonel, rank from August 28, 1862 ; Joshua B. Davis, Major, rank from August 28, 1862; Andrew J. Smith, Adjutant, rank from July 26, 1862 ; Frank Lester, Quartermaster, rank from July 24, 1862 ; Nathan R. Teft, Surgeon, rank from July 24, 1862 ; John O. Slocum, Assistant Surgeon, rank from August 14, 1862 ; Edwin A. Knapp, 2d Assistant Surgeon, rank from August 19, 1862 ; L. M. Nickerson, Chaplain, rank from August 28, 1862.
It was expected that the regiment would remain in camp over Sunday, and thus give their many friends an opportunity to visit them before their departure to the seat of war. But, contrary to their expectations, it was announced that they would leave on Sunday morning. Much excitement was created in camp and among the friends of the soldiers outside. Before daylight they began to gather around the enclosure and at sunrise not less than three thousand people were on the ground, pressing eagerly to gain admittance to their friends, while hundreds of the soldiers were pressing from the inside, all anxious to get together and make their little arrangements and say their good-byes before separating. It was well that, on such an occasion, military stringency should yield to the dictates of affection and friendship, and there was time enough for a visit, for three hours would intervene before the time for departure. This view of the case being laid before Lieutenant- Colonel Dwight, who was the chief officer in camp at that time, permission was given for the gates to be opened and the people let in. As the guard fell back, the crowd surged in through the gate, while the soldiers within rent the air with their cheers. Then followed for two or three hours a free inter- mingling and greeting, and finally, the parting words and salutations, which were not soon for-
gotten either by the members of the regiment or their friends.
Taking a special train, the regiment arrived in New York City on Sunday night, where they spent the next day in receiving their arms and accoutre- ments, and at 4.30 P. M. the next day, went by boat to Perth Amboy, and thence the same day to Bal- timore. They lay all night in the depot at Balti- more alongside a train loaded with wounded sol- diers from Pope's battle-fields in Virginia. This first sight of the sad contingencies of war affected their nerves more seriously than did afterwards the bat- tle-field itself. The following data, from the notes of Col. J. M. Gere, furnish us with a knowledge of some of the further movements of the regiment :
Wednesday, Sept. 3. Rode to Washington, where they heard that Pope had been defeated at Chantilly and that Lee was crossing into Maryland. Slept that night in the barracks near the depot, and the next day marched through the streets of Washing- ton to Long Bridge, supposed to be on their way to Fort Pennsylvania for drill. But they were halted at Long Bridge, and their drill proved to be of quite a different character. That night they slept on the grass on the bank of the Potomac ; the next day marched back through Georgetown to a quarter of a mile above Chain Bridge, where tents were issued and camp pitched. The next day, in light marching order, joined the column moving to the front.
The regiment was brigaded with the 65th and 67th New York and the 23d and 6Ist Pennsyl- vania regiments, under command of Brig. Gen. John Cochrane, of Couch's division, and joined the brigade at Orfutt's Cross Roads. The campaign of three weeks up to Antietam was a severe one to the raw and inexperienced troops. At South Moun- tain, after a day of severe marching, they came up just in time to see Slocum's splendid charge up the heights above Crampton's Pass, but not to take part in it. The next morning they marched over the battle-field, from which the dead had not yet been removed, and halted for the night about four miles beyond.
McClellan's army had been marching up the country from Washington, with the Potomac on his left, in three heavy columns, the 122d being in the left column next the river. At this time, those of Lee's forces which were north of the river were scattered in several bodies, threatening and dem- onstrating upon the State of Maryland. His forces upon the south bank of the Potomac were push- ing the attack upon Gen. Miles at Harper's Ferry, who, while he held his strongly fortified position,
14*
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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
was keeping Lee's army divided, and at the same time acting as an obstacle to the withdrawal of Lee's forces from Maryland, in case it should be- come necessary for him to retreat.
The interest of the Union Army lay in attacking and crushing the detached portions of Lee's army north of the Potomac, while Miles held his position at Harper's Ferry, and having done this, to reach Gen. Miles in time to relieve him. On the other hand, the interest of the rebel army was to delay the Union forces, so that they could overpower or compel the surrender of Miles at Harper's Ferry, and then concentrate their whole army against McClellan in Maryland. This they actually accom- plished through the fall of Harper's Ferry and the battle of Antietam, although the results of the campaign were far from being flattering to the Con- federate cause.
That portion of Lee's army already in Maryland had occupied South Mountain, a range of hills run- ning south westwardly across Maryland to the Poto- mac east of Harper's Ferry, the principal passes of which they had fortified. Gen. McClellan, learning of Lee's plans through a general order discovered at Frederick, pushed on in pursuit, encountering the enemy in their stronghold's at Turner's and Cramp- ton's Gaps, where, after desperate resistance, the rebels were repulsed with heavy loss. At Turner's Gap the loss to the enemy in killed and wounded was about 2,000 and 1,500 prisoners, while at Crampton's our trophies were 400 prisoners, one gun and 700 small arms. These battles were fought on the 14th of September, by Gens. Meade and Hooker, of the right, and Gen. Franklin command- ing the left wing, of Mcclellan's army. Could Franklin but have realized how precious were the moments, he was still in time to have relieved Har- per's Ferry. He was but six miles distant when it surrendered at eight o'clock next morning.
As already stated, our 122d Regiment was in neither of these engagements. On the 15th, after the battle, it passed up through Crampton's Gap to about four miles beyond, where it lay all day on the 16th, and while there heard of the surrender of Harper's Ferry.
The advance of our forces from South Mountain towards Antietam began to be made on the morn- ing of the 15th of September, led by Gen. Pleas- anton's cavalry, who overtook at Boonsborough the rebel cavalry rear-guard, charged it with spirit, and routed it, capturing 250 prisoners and two guns. Richardson's division of Summer's corps followed, pressing eagerly on that afternoon, and, after a march of ten or twelve miles, discovered the rebels
1
posted in force across Antietam Creek, in front of the little village of Sharpsburg. Here the entire rebel force under Lee was soon concentrated. Rich- ardson halted and deployed on the right of the road leading in from Keedysville ; Sykes, with his divis- ion of regulars, following closely after, came up and deployed on the left of that road. Gen. McClellan himself with three corps in all, came up during the evening. Hooker moved at 4 P. M., and making a long detour, crossed the Antietam out of sight and range of the rebel batteries. Turning at length sharply to the left, he came to an open field with woods in front and on each side, when he halted and formed his lines : Rickett's division on the left ; Meade, with the Pennsylvania Reserves, in the center ; while Doubleday, on the right, planting his guns on a hill, opened at once on a rebel battery that had begun to enfilade our center. By this time it was dark and the firing soon ceased. The infantry of the opposing lines lay down for the night within half musket shot of each other.
At daylight next morning (Sept. 17) the battle opened in earnest. Meade's left and the right of Rickett's line became engaged at nearly the same moment, the former with artillery, the latter with infantry ; while a battery was pushed forward be- yond the woods directly in Hooker's front, across a plowed field, to the edge of a cornfield beyond it, destined before night to be soaked with blood. Twice during that bloody day was this cornfield taken and lost, and the third time it was taken by our forces and held. On this part of the field the most terrible fighting of the day was done. In one of these charges, the 34th New York, which had broken at a critical moment, while attempting a ma- neuver under a terrible fire, was almost literally cut to pieces ; and the 15th Massachusetts, which went into the action Goo strong, was speedily reduced to 134.
During the battle of Antietam the 122d Regiment was not engaged in actual fighting, but their division (Couch's) had been ordered to the left to outflank a supposed flanking movement of the enemy. Greeley in his American conflict, referring to this movement, says : "Gen. Couch's division, 5,cco strong, had been sent away towards Harper's Ferry - evidently through some misapprehension - and only arrived at a late hour next morning." Some of the officers say they returned to the battle-field on the night of the 17th. However, the difference is immaterial.
September 18th and 19th were spent upon the battle field, and on the 20th Couch's division tin- cluding the 122d) marched to Williamsport, where, after some skirmishing, they drove off the rebel
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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
cavalry under Stewart, which had crossed the Poto- mac at this point. Here private Hunn, the first man wounded in the regiment, received a flesh wound in the leg. One man in Company A was wounded. The regiment remained here two days, and on the 23d went into camp in a pleasant clover meadow at Downsville, where they received shelter tents and remained under drill about two months, Major Jos. E. Hamblin, of the 65th New York (afterwards Maj .- Gen.) being detailed by Gen. Cochrane, com- mander of the brigade, as the drill-master. He was very competent, and under his excellent drill the regiment soon became one of the most efficient in the army.
October 18th and 19th, Saturday night and Sun- day, marched 28 miles up the river to Hancock. On the 21st, left Hancock and marched (most of the distance by night) eight miles down the river to Cherry Run ; and after lying two weeks at Indian Spring, returned to Downsville, and the next day marched as wagon-guard, crossing the Potomac into Virginia at Berlin on the 3d day of November.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SECOND REGI- MENT, CONTINUED - FREDERICKSBURG - BURN- SIDE'S MUD EXPEDITION - CHANCELLORSVILLE - GETTYSBURG - RAPPAHANNOCK STATION - SANDUSKY, OHIO - RE-ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY UNDER LIEUT .- GEN. GRANT.
O N the 8th of November, 1862, Gen. Burnside superceded Gen. McClellan in command of the Army of the Potomac, and immediately there- after planned his campaign to move upon Rich- mond via Fredericksburg. The 122d Regiment was now in the left grand division of the Army of the Potomac (Franklin's), Ist brigade (Gen. John Cochrane), 3d division (Gen. D. A. Couch), 6th corps (Sedgwick's), then commanded by Gen. W. F. Smith ; and joined the march towards Freder- icksburg, November 10, halting till the 15th, at New Baltimore, thence in two days to Stafford Court House, and in four days to Belle Plaine and thence to Fredericksburg. Pontoon bridges had been laid opposite the city and also two miles be- low, on the night of the 10th, by our engineer corps, and troops were then crossing. Our brigade lay near the bank of the river at Franklin's Cross- ing during the night, and crossed at 4 A. M., on the IIth of December.
Gen. Lee, having learned of Burnside's purpose, had occupied Fredericksburg with a brigade of
sharp-shooters (Barksdale's) and had posted his en- tire force of not less than 80,000 men in strong in- trenchments along the heights for two miles up and down the river in the rear of the city. Gen. Sumner, with the advance corps of our army, had arrived on the 7th of November, and on the 21st had summoned the city to surrender. The inhabit- ants had mostly abandoned the place ; the sharp- shooters had been driven out by the shells of Burn- side from the heights of Falmouth and by an in- fantry raid across the river in boats, and the pon- toon bridges had been successfully laid. Such was the state of things when our army began to pour across on the night of the 10th of December.
The attempt of Burnside to storm the heights of Fredericksburg on that memorable 13th of Decem- ber, 1862, must ever remain as the darkest, bloodi- est and most fruitless sacrifice of our brave soldiers during the whole war. Lee, with 80,000 troops, was posted behind his breastworks for miles along the bluffs. In and before Fredericksburg were the grand divisions of Hooker and Sumner, numbering 60,000. While 300 rebel guns were advantageously placed on every eminence, and raked every foot of ground by which they could be approached, Marye's Hill, directly in the rear of the city, and in front of our storming column, was defended by an impregnable stone wall, four feet in height, behind which was posted Barksdale's brigade of rebel infantry. Our heavy guns were mostly on the north side of the river where they could hardly reach the enemy. Our storming column consisted chiefly of Hancock's and French's corps, in which Meagher's Irish brigade suffered the severest losses. It dashed itself repeatedly against those impreg- nable heights until two-thirds of its numbers" strewed the ground. General Meagher, in his official report, says :
" Of the 1,200 I led into the action only 280 ap- peared on parade next morning." Says the cor- respondent of the London Times : "That any mortal man could have carried the position before which they were wantonly sacrificed, defended as it was, it seems to me idle for a moment to believe. But the bodies which lie in dense masses within forty yards of the muzzles of Colonel Walton's guns are the best evidence what manner of men they were who pressed on to death with the dauntless- ness of a race which has gained glory on a thousand battle fields, and never more richly deserved it than at the foot of Marye's Heights on the 13th day of December, 1862."
Franklin's grand division on the left, had crossed about two miles below the city, his whole force numbering about 40,000, and having assailed the right of the enemy, with heavy loss in Meade's and
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HISTORY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
Hooker's divisions, were unable to carry their works. Meade's division alone lost 1,760 men out of some 6,000 engaged. Three repeated charges were made at this point to take a rebel battery and although the fighting was terrible and the loss of life great, no particular advantage was gained on either side. And so ended one of the bloodiest days in the annals of the war.
Our 122d Regiment was placed well to the left in support of the Pennsylvania Reserves, was under heavy artillery fire four hours and had four men wounded.
Monday, December 15. Recrossed the Rappa- hannock at night and went into camp near Fal- mouth, where the regiment remained doing ordinary camp and picket duty till January 20, 1863.
January 20. Marched in Gen. Burnside's famous " mud campaign." This movement contemplated a crossing in force at Bank's and United States' Fords, above Fredericksburg, while, at the same time, to attract the attention of the enemy in that direction, a feint of crossing was to be made at the Sedden House, six or seven miles below. His preparations were perfected and his army put in motion on the 20th of January. The morning was fair, but at 10 o'clock, P. M , rain and sleet began to fall, and during the next day rain poured down in torrents, taking the frost all out of the ground and letting the army trains, artillery and baggage, into the mud so inextricably that it was impossible to move. After lying there two days in mud and dis- comfort, order was given to return to camp, and all made their way back as best they could. The movement was intended to have been made under cover of night, but, on account of the impediment of the storm and mud, daylight revealed them hope- lessly floundering in view of the enemy, who, though they immediately guarded the fords, were not fool- ish enough, had they been able, to squander their men and animals in an attempt to assail our stalled and struggling forces.
Gen. Hooker having assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on the 16th of February, 1863, devoted the following two months to improv- ing the discipline, perfecting the organization, and exalting the spirit of his men. During this time our 122d Regiment was engaged chiefly on picket duty. Hooker soon had an army equal in numbers and efficiency to any ever seen on this continent, nearly 100,000 strong, its artillery not less than 10,000, and its cavalry 13,000. Being at length ready, Hooker dispatched Stoneman, with most of his cavalry up the north side of the Rappahannock with instructions to cross at discretion above the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad, strike Fitz-Hugh Lee's cavalry (computed at 2,oco) near Culpepper Court House, capture Gordonsville, and then pounce on the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad near Saxton's Junction, cutting telegraphs, railroads, burning bridges, &c., thence towards Richmond, fighting at every opportunity, and harrassing by every means the retreat of the rebel army, which, it was calculated, would now be retiring on Rich- mond. This order was issued on April 13. The rains and the swollen river caused the delay of the army. and the recall of the cavalry, which had already effected a crossing of the Rappa- hannock ; the main army did not move till the morning of the 25th, our 122d Regiment and brigade marching at 2 P. M., in the 6th (Sedgwick's) corps, carrying pontoons to Franklin's Crossing two miles below Fredericksburg. The 122d were engaged all night in laying the pontoons. Before daylight Brook's division had crossed in boats and drove off the rebel pickets. Gen. Wadsworth, commanding the advance of Reynold's division, and Sickles's (3d ) corps, being now apparently ready to cross in force, the 3d corps was ordered to move silently and rapidly to the United States' Ford and thence to Chancellorsville, while part of the pontoons were taken up and sent to Banks's Ford. Reynolds, after making as great a display as possible, and ex- changing some long shots with the rebels in front, followed on the 2d of May, raising Hooker's force at or near Chancellorsville to 70,000 men.
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