History of Seneca Co., New York, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public building and important manufactories, Part 22

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign & Everts
Number of Pages: 294


USA > New York > Seneca County > History of Seneca Co., New York, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public building and important manufactories > Part 22


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).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62


Slowly the lives drew back, artillery, with grape and canister, aiding the infantry to repel assault. The loss was heavy, but the retreat was successful. The Thirty-third lost severely. Darkness came, the corps crossed the bridge during the night. It was 8 A.M. when the Thirty-third crossed over ; two weeks before, five hundred and fifty men had marched under its banner to meet the enemy,: now three hundred only remained. On May 12, the regiment, their term of service having expired, were discharged and ordered to Elmira for muster out .. Commendations were given by Major-General Sedgwick, commander of Sixth: Army Corps, Brigadier-General Howe, of. Second Division, and Brigadier-Gen -: eral F. H. Neill, of Third Brigade. The recruits, one hundred and sixty-three in number, were formed in one company; under Captain Gifford, and attached to the Forty-ninth New York. Reaching Elmira, they departed for Geneva, and met a noble welcome. At Canandaigua a joyous reception greeted their return. Speeches were made, allusions to services occurred, and by Colonel Taylor the flag of the regiment was returned unsullied to the ladies who had bestowed it, two years before, with their prayers and blessings. The regiment left Elmira with nine hundred men ; they returned with three hundred and fifty, and crowned with honor. Returning to Geneva, the regiment was mustered out on June 2, 1863, and few of its members but that in other organizations aided to win for them those high honora ever claimed by true bravery.


CHAPTER XXIX.


THE FORTY-FOURTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS AND THE FIFTIETH ENGINEERS.


THE Forty-fourth New York Volunteers, called the People's Ellsworth Regi- ment, was to be composed of young men taken from every county in the State; selection being made of those having superior fitness for military service. The regiment was well represented from Seneca County, proportioned with other coun- ties, and her sons were no laggards in the line of duty. It was organized at Albany, from August 30 to October 29, 1861, and was mustered out of service October 11, 1864. The veterans and recruits were transferred to the One Hun- dred and Fortieth and One Hundred and Forty-sixth New York Volunteera. The regiment on departing, during October, for the seat of war, received from the hands of Mrs. Erastus Corning a beautiful banner to attest their devotion; and hard they fought and bravely, losing heavily. in that decisive battle fought at Gettysburg, in July of 1863. A few incidents will be all we can give or offer as a remembrance of the party who went with them from Seneca,


The early atage of the civil war was marked by a studious care not to offend by trespass upon property, even of a koowo and bitter enemy, and the burning of a few rails was heinous transgression ; but one of the first acts of Quartermaster Mundy was the commanding of an expedition upon the " Old Dominion," which returned from the plantations with one hundred and thirty-two wagon-loads of corn, hay, and oats. The regiment lay in camp at Hall's Hill, Va., studious of discipline and daily practicing the evolutions and arts of war, and perfecting that second nature which transforms the individual unit into a connected part of a powerful organization. Their quiet was broken on the evening of March 9, 1862, by the pleasant tidings of an order to prepare to march on the morrow. At 1 A.M., March 10, the Army of the Potomac was on the move. The Forty- fourth left their old, well-arranged camp, and moved in the direction of Manassas, via Fairfax and Centreville. The Ellsworths bad the advance of the right of the Grand Army,-the post of honor. Their course lay over fields of mad and through patches of timber to Fairfax. Here they were joined by their colonel, and with loud cheers moved out upon the road to Centreville, which place they were the first to enter. . " An hour's rest and on to Manassas," was the order ; and had it been carried ont, a march of thirty-four miles would have signalized the first day's service. Manassas was evacuated, and the movement made too late. Countermarching, a return was made to Fairfax, where the regiment lay till the 15th, when it proceeded to Alexandria, where it lay in camp till the 21st. Por- ter'a Division, in which was the Forty-fourth, was taken upon a fleet of twenty- four ateamers, guarded by two gunboats, and transported to Fortress Monroe. On the morning of March 24, the division disembarked, and marched within five milea of Big Bethel. A reconnoissance in force was made, with the Forty- fourth in advance. In sight of the rebel intrenchments, the men were deployed, and saw before them a line of rifle-pita, extending a mile and a half along their front, wherein were men in gray busily at work. At "Forward !" the line ad- vanced under cover of a close picket fence. Leveling the fence, a double-quick was struck, and the rebels fled, leaving their fires burning. The forces under


PLATE XVI


RES. OF P. K. CARVER, TYRE TP., SENECA CO., N. Y.


RES. OF THOMAS W. COMPSON , TYRE TP., SENECA CO., N. Y.


HENRY HOSTER.


RESIDENCE AND FARM OF HENRY HOS



... MRS HENRY HOSTER.


ETTE, SENECA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


ABRAHAM LINCOLN.


ULYSSES S. GRANT.


.......


63


HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


General Porter moved, on May 27, upon the enemy stationed at Hanover Court- House, and after four hours' bard fighting, drove them from their position. The. Forty-fourth left camp at two A.M., and marched fifteen miles in a northwest direc- tion, through a region of swamps,-mud to the knee, and rain falling in torrents. Having arrived at a cross-roads, four miles from the court-house, Allen's Fiftlı Massachusetts and Martin's Third Rhode Island Batteries were put in position, and the Forty-fourth placed in support and in reserve. Meanwhile, Martindale's Brigade and Berdan's Sharpshooters pushing forward, skirmishing began, and the enemy giving way in front swung round upon the rear and prepared to profit by the situation. The Forty-fourth advanced to the support of a seetion of Allen's Battery, as the presence of the rebels became known. Four companies were de- ployed as skirmishers, to guard the left flank, and were fired upon, while in the open ground a North Carolina regiment, with colors flying, was seen in motion towards the battery. At a double-quick the skirmishers were gathered in, and the regiment drawn up to receive them. The enemy turned and retired to the woods. Presently, in front and on the right, a hot fire opened, and the men, re- tiriog to the road, lay there for one and a half hours, exposed to a severe cross- fire. Yet they and the Second Maine held a brigade at bay, and kept up a galling fire. Wounded and dying, the soldiers expressed fealty to their flag and heroic devotion. They bceame weary, and the fire upou them redoubled ; but just then the sound of a few shots, then a volley, then a continuons erackling of musketry told that the rebels were attacked by our returning troops, and speedily the action was at an end. Of five hundred in action, nineteen were killed and sixty-five wounded, of whom eight died. The colors were piereed by forty-three balls, and the staff by one, making the number of the regiment. Not a man left the ranks, and all were a unit in the battle. Leland, a soldier of " F," after being twice wounded in the bead and having a finger shot away, fired twenty rounds Two hundred killed aod wounded rebels lay on the field, as evidence of Union marks- manship. On June 7, the regiment had advanced to the eastern bank of the Chiekahominy, and took their part in duty on the picket line. He who follows the regiment forward through its varied fortunes, will see them bear the battle's brunt with conrage, and sustain their name with honor. They were discharged upon the expiration of term of service, September 30, 1864. Out of one thousand choice young men who went out to battle three years before, ahout one hundred were left to return to their families.


THE FIFTIETH NEW YORK ENGINEERS.


This regiment, which achieved sueh distinction during the war, was organized by General Charles B. Stuart, in the months of July, August, and September, 1861, at Elmira, New York, by direction of the Secretary of War, as a regiment of engineers, pontoniers, sappers, and miners, and was mustered into the service on September 18, as "Stuart's Independent Volunteers." At the breaking out of the Rebellion there was only a battalion of engineers in the service belonging to our small regular army, and jt was soon apparent that the command was entirely inadequate to perform the constantly inereasing duties of their branch of service. General Stuart, eminent as an engineer, was empowered to raise a regiment for this duty from among those whose occupations adapted them to its performance. The organized regiment had men qualified to build railroads, run locomotives, and conduct trains, and ranged from common laborer to first-class lawyer, and, what was to the purpose, first-elass engineers. Starting for the seat of war September 18, 1861, the Engineers were quartered for a few days on the Battery, at New York, to receive arms and equipments; then proceeding to Washington, they received quartermaster's supplies on Meridian Hill, marched through Georgetown and continued to Fort Corcoran, and pitched their first camp on rebel soil. Here. arose a serious difficulty. Enlisted for a special service, and promised the allow- ances pertaining, the War Department had made no provision for this elass of soldiers, and the men were ordered into the field as infantry. Severe denuncia- tion of officers followed for making promises they could not fulfill. Subsequently, a special Aet of Congress was passed which placed the regiment upon its proper footing. Orders were received to proceed to Hall's Hill, Virginia, and report to General Butterfield, then commanding a brigade in Fitz-John Porter's division. This foree, under MeClellan's favorite officer, was composed largely of regulars, and contained many of the best regiments in service. General Butterfield gave the regiment ineessant exercise in the line of duty. There were drills by squad, company, regiment, and battalion; accompanied by guard and pieket duty, while recitations in military taetics were the order for the night. During this time the regiment was reviewed four times,-once by General Porter, three times by General Mcclellan. About November 1, the Engineers were ordered to Waslı- ington to receive instruction in especial duties of their branch, and, going into camp near the Navy Yard, the practice of bridge-building, by the French ponton system, was commenced. Thorough instruction was given in the construction of field fortifications, to military roads, and to war appliances, such as gabions,


fascines, chevaux-de-frise, stockades, palisades, sap-rollers, and block-houses. Early in the spring of 1862, the regiment moved into Virginia, under command of General Woodbury, of the regular engineers, and was assigned to General McDowell's corps, then covering Washington.


Marching to Manassas past the formidable Quaker guns, which were the occa- sion of mirth and cheer, the command proceeded to Bristol Station, where Cap- tain John B. Murray was directed to deploy a portion of " K" Company, under Lieutenant McDonald, to skirmish the road in advance, as hostile cavalry had been seen hovering npon our flank. While thus advaneing and eager to meet' the enemy, a halt was sounded, and an order read from General MeClellan direct- ing a return of the engineer brigade to join his force at Yorktown. With cheer upon cheer at the prospect of active service under the commanding officer, the men eountermarehed at quick time for Alexandria. Arriving on April 10, the steamer Louisiana took the Fiftieth on board and conveyed it to Cheesemau's Landing, near Yorktown, on the 13th, when duty at once began in the trenehes under incessant fire of the enemy's batteries. The regiment was now ordered .to bring up their ponton boats, and throw hridges across the various streams that obstructed communications with different parts of the field, and to open roads for the passage of heavy artillery. It is difficult to realize the firmness required to perform these hazardous duties under the demoralizing effect of ponderous shells constantly exploding in their midst. During the siege, an immense battery for ten thirteen-ineh mortars was constructed by the regiment, and was to have opened on the enemy the very day of the evacuation. On the bright snnny Sabbath morning of May 4, while the men in the eamps excitedly awaited the opening of the mortar battery with its one-hundred-pound shells, the news spread that Yorktown was abandoned and the enemy in retreat. Captain Murray and another officer riding within the works, the latter's horse trod upon a buried shell and was blown to pieces; the former marvelously escaped unhurt. Lieutenant MeDonald, with K Company, was ordered up to remove buried torpedoes and shells, which duty was performed with many misgivings, except by John B. Parker, who, finding an immense shell, removed the plug by aid of his knife and poured out the powder ; the men jocosely offered him the contraet for the rest of the job without claim in a share of the profits. Gathering up the siege material, bridge traius, and tools used in investment, the regiment followed in pursuit of the enemy up the Peninsula by way of the Pamunkey River. Marching from West Point ou this river to the White House, thence to the Chickahominy, near New Coal Harbor, bridges were at once commenced aeross this treseherous stresm. At Bottom's Bridge, a portion of the structure was left standing, and it was rapidly rebuilt for the passage of Casey's Division to the battle-field of Seven Pines.


The Chiekahominy, near Richmond, in a dry season, is a mere brook, with more or less marsh on either side, and is often not more than ten to twenty yards wide ; but on the night of March 30, while attempting to build a timber bridge across the stream at a point near Gaines's House, it rose so rapidly during the prevalence of a heavy rain that the approaches to the bridge were entirely under water, and in five hours the stream had widened to ten times its ordinary channel. For a time, it was.believed the enemy had dammed the stream above and had let down the accumulated water to destroy the bridges. It seemed a very crisis, and the Engineers, in water to the waist, worked like beavers, momentarily expeeting the enemy to open on them from the wood beyond. Anxiously awaiting to cross this bridge was the Forty-fourth Regiment of Butterfield's Brigade, who had taken the place vacated hy the Fiftieth the year before at Hall's Hill. Edwin W. Viele and E. J. Emmons, of Seneca Falls, were in the ranks, and had heen engaged in the fight at Mechanicsville a few days before.


Six bridges at different points were rapidly constructed, covering a distance of six miles from one extreme to another, and known officially as Sumner's, Wood- bury's, Duane's, Alexander's, the Grapevine, and New Bridges, near Coal Harbor. On June 26, Porter ordered the bridges on his front destroyed, as the battle of Mechanicsville had that day commenecd. During the battle of Gaines's Mills next day the pontons were taken up and a portion of the regiment ordered forward, while the remainder were placed at different bridges to blow them up as soon as Porter's Corps should cross from the battle then pending. Pushing on rapidly during the night, Captain Spaulding and Lieutenant McDonald bnilt two bridges at White Oak Swamp in time for Keyes's Corps, who had the advance towards the James on that day. These two bridges were destroyed the next day by General French, commanding the rear guard, just before the arrival of Stonewall Jackson at the swamp.


Pressing forward through the woods with their muskets slung, the meu plied their axes vigorously, opening parallel roads for the immense trains of heavy artillery hurrying on to Glendale and Malvern Hill. At this latter place the regiment slashed the woods for a long distance, to enable the gunboats to open on the enemy during the expected battle there, and rendered very effective service in placing formidable obstructions along the right of the line, where the


64


HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


'rebela subsequently attempted to capture our batteriea. While on this battle-field, the members of the Fiftieth from Seneca had an opportunity to exchange greet- ings with their comrades of the Thirty-third. Still pressing forward in the advance with the ponton bridge, great difficulties were encountered from fugi- tives from our own army while laying the bridges over the swollen streama on our route, and not until General Kearney had ordered the cavalry to clear the way did the Engineers succeed in completing the last crossing that landed our heavy traina at Harrison'a Landing.


While at the landing, the enemy making a demonstration on our front, the Engineers were ordered np to take part in the expected fight. Cheerfully and promptly they responded; but the movement proving a feint, the men returned to their more legitimate duties. Anticipating an attack, MeClellan ordered bridges constructed over Herring Creek and several smaller atreams for the rapid co- operation of the different corps, then occupying a line of about five :miles in extent. While the hulk of the army scemed at reat, this regiment was con- atantly on duty, strengthening the defensea of the camp and increasing the sur- rounding communications by opening new roads and facilitating the passage of supply traina from the landing to the more distant troops on the outposts.


On July 22, Captain John B. Murray, of "K" Company, resigned to assist in organizing the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment, then about being raised in Seneca County. Lieutenant Lamb also resigned, and left the company under command of Lieutenant McDonald, who was promoted to the captaincy vacated by Murray. On August 13 the regiment was divided into detach- ments, and Captain McDonald with "K" was ordered to the Chickahominy, some twenty miles distant, to prepare the way for the army about to evacuate the Pen- insula. Arriving at Charles City Court-House, a gallowa standing in the court- house yard greeted the vision of the men, while an aged negro gave the informa- tion that it had been used to hang such of his race as had attempted to escape slavery. An axe was laid to the root of this evil, and the boys cooked their coffee over a fire made of its material. Each man, in addition to arms and forty rounds, was obliged to carry an axe or apade, three days' rations, and a knapsack. Find- ing this load too heavy for the rapid marching and heavy road-work, a young man on his way to. mill with a mule-team was impressed, the wagon filled with knapsacka, and, thus lightened, the men pushed on rapidly, repairing several bridges on their route, and reached the mouth of the Chickahominy at Barnett's Ferry next day. Here the company assisted Captain Spaulding of the Fiftieth to lay a ponton bridge nearly sixteen hundred fect in length. Mcclellan arriving on the 17th, declared this the longest bridge known to him in history. During three - daya and nights the bridge was occupied by the passing of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and the interminable supply trains.


On the morning of the 19th, General Pleasonton came up with the rear- guard, and two gunboats took position to restrain the enemy while the bridge waa dismantled .. K, taking thirty-nine. pontons, started for Fortress Monroe via the James, and, arrived, received orders. to bring the bridge-trains to Aquia Creek. The company was placed in charge of six bargea loaded with bridge- equipage and other valuable engineer property. Taken in tow. by au old blockade-runner recently captured, the barges started ou the evening of August 23, on Chesapeake Bay, for the Potomac.


During the morning of the next day, early, the wind blew fresh, and at sunrise had risen to a gale; besides the aoldiera, there were on board forty civilian teamsters, who, panic-stricken, attempted to throw overboard the heavy ponton- wagons, lashed to the decks. A squad of the Engineers, with fixed bayonets, repelled the. attempt. Meanwhile the gale hecame furioua, and the scene appall- ing; two of the barges in the rear came together with fearful crashes, and threatened each moment to go down. The men on board of them were shouted to cross by the connecting hawaer to the leading barge. Calling each man by name, he crossed upon the rope, hand over hand, till ten men were rescued. The laat to cross was Albert Kissinger, strong, young, and an excellent soldier ; as he acized the hawaer and started on his perilous way, the abandoned barge gave a audden lurch, and went down, tearing out the Samson part to which the hawser was attached, and Kissinger was forever lost to view. From Fortress Monroc, the ateamer Canonicus, and the powerful tug, Seth Low, were sent to the rescue, and soon. towed them round "Old Point Comfort," where a safe landing was made. Orders to proceed to Alexandria came next day; a new bridge train waa made up, and September 3 the company set out for Aquia Creek, to build bridges for General Burnside, then about to evacuate Fredericks- burg. On September 7, the men were ordered back to the Fortress, to convey ponton boats and bridge equipage from that depot to Washington. A start was mado on September 20 for Harper'a Ferry via Rockville aud Frederick City, with bridges, to replace those destroyed by the enemy on their retreat, after the battle of Antietam. The pontons being laid at the ferry, the company used as a guard-room the old " Engine House," made famous in history as John Brown'a


stronghold, on his capture of the place. President Lincoln was frequently seen in consultation with General Mcclellan, as they crossed and recrossed the bridge. About the 25th of September, a long ponton bridge was laid across the Potomao at Berlin, Maryland, aix miles below Harper's Ferry, and by that causeway the old Army of the Potomac once more crossed into Virginia. The company was theu directed to take charge of the bridge at Harper's Ferry, dismantle the one at Berlin, and go into quarters for the winter. Later, the order was changed, and K was directed to procced to Washington, to take part in the campaign against Fredericksburg. The failure to take Marye'a Heights was attributed to the non-arrival of the ponton bridges. This history may not be known beyond the limits of Senees County, but it ia due her soldiery that events wherein they were concerned should be fairly stated ..


On November 13, 1862, Major Spaulding, commanding-the battalion at Har- per's Ferry and Berlin, was ordered by the chief engineer of the army to go to and make up at Washington large bridge trains to operate ou the Rappahannock near Fredericksburg. This order was dated, " Headquarters Army of the Potomac, near Front Royal, November 7,"-the very day Mcclellan was relieved of command. Major Spaulding called Captain McDowell to witness the reception of the order, six days since the date of its issue. Procceding by rail, the Engineers assisted at Washington to make up the desired bridge equipage. Starting from the capital, November 19, with fifty ponton boats by land, it required nearly a thonsand animals to draw this immense train of bridge material. Alexandria was scarcely reached, when the rain poured down and the road became a quagmire. Horses were new to the harness, and often the heaviest hills were surmounted by attaching drag-repes to the boats, while the men drew them to the top: This march occupied six days and nights of arduous toil in rain and mud, the men lifting the wagons from the ruts, and pushing them on as fast as possible. Major Spaulding saw horses and men giving out, and the roads utterly impassa- ble, and bridging the Occaquan, at Occaquan City, crossed the stream, made the boats into rafts, and took them via the Potomac to Belle Plain in tow of a large tug. The boats were immediately loaded on the wagons with other material, and the train moved to a position near and opposite to Fredericksburg, on November 25. In camp a few days near the Lacey House, and then, as ordered, retired from the river and went into camp at White Oak Church. The first week of Decem -. ber was occupied by Burnside's chief of artillery and officers of the battalion in reconnoitering positions for crossing the river, some ten miles below the city. Roads were repaired and miles of corduroy laid through swamps approaching the river, along positions hidden from the enemy. After a few days the plan was changed, and the army were to cross opposite the city. Captain McDonald, with: K and F companiea, was designated to throw a bridge across opposite the city, at a point some three hundred yards below the ruins of the railroad bridge. Care -. fully examining the route through an opening in the bluff, and repairing the road leading to the designated point during the night, every precaution was taken to approach the river without alarming the enemy's pickets on the shore opposite. ..




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.