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 28
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First Battery .- In October, 1861, Captain, Terence J. Kennedy was engaged in recruiting for the First Battery, New York Light Artillery, six guns. A recruiting office opened at Seneca Falls resulted in the enlistment of a number of good soldiers. The battery was organized at Auburn, New York, November 23, 1861, to serve three years. - On' the expiration of their term the veterans and recruits were retained, and finally discharged on June 23, 1865. Upon nineteen battle-fields their presence contributed to lessen disaster or contribute to success. Their bolts were thrown into the trenches of Yorktown, and shell from their pieces aided to defeat the enemy at Williamsburg. Their fire made more deadly the bloody fields of Gaines's Mills, White Oak Swamp, and Compton's Gap. Their notes were heard in the great battle of Antietam, they augmented the horrid din at Fredericksburg, and their discharges were felt among the men in gray at Marye's and Salem's Heights. The batterymen stood to their guns in the decisive battle of Gettysburg, were active in the contest at Rappahannock Station, and found position in the thickets of the Wilderness. To the survivors, the names Spottsyl- vania, Coal Harbor, and Petersburg call up a train of reminiscences whose expres- sion would be a valuable contribution to history well worthy of their patience and their time. . Sharing in the tumult of defeat, they have known the exultation of victory, and while gun answered gun at Fisher's Hill, they aided to turn reverse to success in the memorable engagement at Cedar Creek.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE THIRD NEW YORK VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
THE Third New York Volunteer Artillery was first united as such February 22, 1862, and embraced a total of twelve batteries and one thousand and ninety- one men. So far as batteries are considered as part of the regiment, the general history will be outlined, but our interest centres in Batteries B and I in the earlier years of the war, and with D at a later date in addition. Battery B was organ- ized at New York by Captain Joseph J. Morrison. A large portion of the men were from Seneca County, and had seen service in the old Nineteenth. The Lieutenants were S. Clark Day, Edward A. Wildt, George C. Breck, and J. W. Hees. At the barracks at Palace Garden the battery was uniformed, armed with rifles, and drilled as infantry. At Washington it was joined with other batteries, all under Colonel Ledlie, and thoroughly drilled in the handling of artillery. The nucleus of this regiment was the former Nineteenth Volunteers. The Third Artillery was sent to Burnside, then in North Carolina, and, arriving at Newbern, April 5,:1862, was a welcome reinforcement to that gallant commander, who observed the numbers and discipline of the organization with satisfaction. The main body of the regiment lay for some time in camp, and acted as infantry, taking part in expeditions and waiting for orders. The first company to be detailed for active service was that of Battery I, commanded by Captain Ammon, and having in its ranks a number of Seneca soldiers. General Burnside required a company to take part in the siege of Fort Macon, and at Ammon's request Colo- nel Ledlie detailed his company, and on April 10, eighty-five strong, they went on board the " Alice Price," Foster's flag-ship, and were landed at the mouth of Slocum's Creek, eighteen miles below Newbern. Bivonacking for the night, their march next day through the swamps, along the railroad highways, a distance of twenty miles, brought them near the coast. Reporting to General Parke, in com- mand of the forces, `to operate against the fort, they were ordered to cross Bogue Sound next day, and join the troops operating from that point. . Macon was heavily
equipped with sixty ten-inch columbiads, and, second only to Monroe and Sumter, was a prize eagerly desired by General Parke. It was garrisoned by four hundred and fifty men, under command of Colonel Moses J. White, and was situated at the north end of Bogue Island, a long, narrow island, extending a score of miles along the coast. The plan of General Parke was to erect batteries in the rear on the island, while the navy co-operated from the front. Battery I crossed the sound on flat-boats on April 13, and received the fire of the fort to the number of sixty shells, not one of which did harm.
On the night of the 14th the company marched to a position fourteen hundred yards from the front, and just to the rear of a sand-hill, where they began at once to erect a straight, embrasureless parapet, eight feet high, and held in place by bags of carpet, filled with sand and wired together. For days later twenty men, com- manded by Lieutenants Kelvey and Thomas, began a breastwork for an eight-inch mortar battery, one hundred yards to the right and front of this position. Through ten hot days and seven nights the men continued their work, and, assisted by teams at night, brought up their mortars, four to each battery. While this ardnous work was in progress, under occasional fire from the fort, a third battery was built three hundred yards in advance of the first, or ten-inch mortar battery. This work mounted four Parrott pieces, and by the 24th the armament was com- plete, and the men waiting the order to begin. Summoned to surrender, and refusing, General Parke ordered in the fleet to assist, and, at daylight of the 25th, the men of I were in their forts ready to open fire. An infantry regiment was sent to strengthen the picket line away to the front, to repel sortie, or make assaults. . As the time-picce showed the hour of five A.M., a single gun from the Parrott battery aroused the garrison. Captain Ammon, behind the parapet of the ten-inch mortar battery, fired the second gun, and then, from all the batterics, amid tongues of fire and clouds of smoke, twelve huge shells rose in the air and descended upon the fort. One shell, fired by Captain Ammon, struck within the water battery, and, exploding, killed a terrified sentinel standing near. . For a time the fort was silent. First a thirty-two pound shot eame with a rush into the sand hills, then others followed, till, within three hours from the first shot, Macon had eighteen heavy guns at work, pouring shot and shell at redoubt and batteries. Meanwhile the mortars had been brought steadily to range, and nearly every shell reached its mark. Twelve Union guns were answered by eighteen rebel, and one of these was a columbiad, one-hundred-and-twenty-eight pounder. About nine o'clock the fire of four gunboats gave assistance to the besiegers, but the roughness of the water compelled them to retire. Ammon's redoubt became the focus of great commotion. The rebel projectiles tore through the parapet, and the jar of the mortars crumbled the rampart. By eleven the men were uncovered, and the battery temporarily silenced. Soon the work was repaired, and the battery opened again accurately and steadily. One by one the rebel guns, mounted en barbette, were dismounted and deserted, and by three P.M. the one-hundred-and-twenty-eight pounder only returned our fire. An hour later a flag of truce came out, and at nine A.M. next day Fort Macon was won,-the second United States fort recaptured, Fort Pulaski having fallen into the hands of General Gillmore two weeks before. Wm. Dart, of Ammon's battery, was killed while driving a range-stake for his mortar. During the assault Battery I threw five hundred and sixty shells into the fort. Ammon's command was taken for an artillery garrison, and " Fort Macon, 26th April, 1862," was ordered by Burnside to be inscribed on their colors. The success of I was received with enthusiasm by the regiment, as this was the first victory for the Third Artillery. Battery I remained till December in the fort, and then, responding to orders, reached Newbern December 3, to join a pro- posed expedition.
The second detail from the regiment was the company of Asheroft, Battery C, which, armed with two iron field-pieces taken from the enemy, went with the Twenty-third Massachusetts nine miles from the city to guard a bridge. About April 15 the regiment moyed camp between the Trent and Neuse roads, and went to work and constructed Fort Totten. Three companies, D, G, and K, became its garrison in May. This fort was nrmed with twenty-eight captured cannon, two of which were one-hundred-pound pieces. Its parapet, eight feet high and over twelve thick, inclosed seven acres, and was constructed with five faces. The armament of Fort Totten was completed by June. Colonel Ledlie obtaining some of the brass pieces taken in the battle of Newbern, gave two to B and two to F, and drill began under Captains Morrison and Jenny. The third detail was of Battery G, Captain Wall, to garrison a fort at Washington, N. C., on the Tar. June 10, Battery K was organized and sent to General Rend across the Trent. June 28, Battery M was first sent to Fort Rend, on Roanoke Island, and then to Roanoke Island to garrison Fort Hatteras. B and F received a full armament on July 1. The former had two brass twenty-four-pound howitzers, two twelve-pound guns of the same character, and two twelve-pound Wiard's iron and rifled pieces, while horses were obtained from the baggage teams of Massachusetts regiments. Abont December 1 I received four twenty-pound Parrott, and B six twelve-pound brass
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Napoleons. Fortifications were built and strengthened during the summer ; and, although in a malarial climate, general health was good. While the Army of the Potomac advanced on Fredericksburg, Foster, in command of North Carolina, organized an expedition to cnt the Weldon Railroad, and destroy two rebel gun- boats building at Williamston. Major Kennedy, in command of the artillery force, had a number of batteries, among which were B, F, H, and K. Foster set ont, November 1, with ten thousand men, in the direction of Williamston. Occa- sional shots grew to a constant discharge. At Old Ford seven hundred infantry and a section of artillery barred progress. They were driven to works at a cross- ing called Rawle's Mills. Batteries B and K opened fire at these works, while the infantry, extinguishing the fire at the bridge, began to cross the stream, and at a late hour the rebels disappeared. The bridge was repaired, and by morning the advance was resumed. Progress was made, with brief stands at crossings by the enemy, during the day, and by midnight Williamston was reached and passed. Fonr gunboats, co-operating, moved up the Roanoke in line with the army. Finding no iron-clads at Williamston, Foster advanced to and through Hamilton, exciting a panic among the people, and causing the concentration of a large force in his front. The raid ended, and the batteries of the Third Artillery were dis- posed on the roads converging on Plymouth, and, with the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, constituted its garrison. November 22, Sergeant L. S. Bradley, Corporal Edward Richardson, and three men of Battery B, were captured while foraging, and afterwards exchanged. .
The assault upon Fredericksburg was planned for December, 1862, and Foster, with four full brigades of infantry, two of which were from Massachusetts, and a brigade of artillery having forty guns, manned by one thousand men, was ordered from Newbern to advance npor Goldsboro', North Carolina, and divert forces to that quarter. The force, twelve thonsand strong, set ont in the early morning of December 11, and, advancing rapidly fourteen miles, reached Deep Gully, a tribu- tary to the Trent, where the advance scattered a rebel picket, and where the force went into camp for the night. The road for a mile was obstructed by felled trees, which a force of black pioneers rapidly cleared with their axes. Various strategic movements accompanied the advance made on the 12th, the fortified positions of the enemy were avoided, and by night the army was four miles beyond Beaver Creek. At nine o'clock of the 13th, after a smart skirmish, reached Sonthwest Creek, nine miles from Kinston, at a point where one of four bridges crosses the stream. The stream was nnfordable, the ravine deep and wooded, but the crossing was defended by but four hundred men and a section of artillery posted in a redoubt. Lieutenant Day's section of Battery B was with the advance, and was posted on the bluff commanding the rebel work. Depressing the pieces, the second shot disabled one rebel gun, and the other was soon silenced. The other sections of the battery shelled the woods farther to the right. The infantry, crossing on a mill-dam above the bridge, flanked and won the redoubt, a six-pound gun, and some prisoners. The rest in camp was taken withont stopping to prepare coffee, so weary were the men, and after a hurried meal, taken at five next morning, the command advanced straight upon Kinston. The Ninth New Jersey Cavalry and Day's section of Battery B were in advance. Across the road, at a distance of two miles from Kinston bridge, onr forces came upon the enemy, six thousand strong, under General Evans. His forces were in line of battle on a hill crossing the road. In front was a swamp, to the west woods, and the Kinston road led to the centre of the rebel position. The infantry came up, deployed, and opened fire. Under personal direction of General Foster, Batteries B, F, and I, of the Third New York, were placed by the road a half-mile in rear of the line of attack. The infantry advanced through the swamp, and fought their way towards the hill, from whose crest the rebel artillery vainly songht to make the woods untenable. An opportunity to cnt off a rebel force retreating on onr right was lost by dilatory movement. The rebels slowly gave way, but persistently hield the heights. A bayonet charge broke the lines, and Evans was defeated. Retreating with the main body to Kinston, he ordered the bridge fired, and the service was per- formed. An attempt to save the bridge was successful. While this was in progress B and K engaged a five-gun battery across the stream in a redonbt, and soon silenced its fire. Forty-four prisoners were taken by these batteries. The enemy were prevented from removing valuable supplies by the fire from the long- range guns of E and I. News of Burnside's repulse came, and Lee telegraphed Smith at Goldsboro' he could have thirty thousand men if wanted. Foster re -. solved to advance on Goldsboro'. Rccrossing the bridge, he marched swiftly up the south bank of the river, and bivonacked ncar Whitehall. The cavalry were sent to make a dash at Mount Olive Station, while the army engaged and diverted the enemy at the river. The light batteries were planted at the base of a slope, the heavier guns of E and I near the crest. From thirty cannon on our side a heavy discharge was opened and maintained. The enemy replied with ten guns, which were silenced. Feints of crossing were made; then, leaving a force of sharp- shooters to keep up a semblance, Foster resumed his march on Goldsboro', through
heavy woods, and halted three miles from the railroad bridge over the Neuse. The cavalry returned at midnight, having for the first time interrupted mail and telegraphic communication between Virginia and the cities south. The railroad bridge was two hundred feet long, had taken a year to build, and was a handsome wood structure. The enemy concentrated for its defense. The infantry engaged a force under Clingman, defeated them, and approached the bridge .. Batteries B, E, H, and I arriving, took position, and silenced a rebel battery. A train laden with reinforcements, under General Pettigrew, approached, and was shelled with effect. An effort to burn the bridge failed; a second volunteer trial ended in failure ; other attempts were unsuccessful, until the object was attained by Lieu -- tenant G. W. Graham, the post fires being supplied by Battery B. While the bridge burned a fire was opened upon it by artillery, to prevent an attempt to save it. Rebel reinforcements began to come in rapidly, until their forces far ex- ceeded the army of Foster, who, at three in the afternoon, began a return to New- bern. A brigade under Lee, and B under Morrison, remained on the field. A party of rebels were seen standing on the railroad bank, and, being approached by Morrison, sped out of sight. Two guns were nnlimbered, and several shells thrown beyond the embankment ; there was no reply, and the guns rejoined the battery. Immediately three rebel regiments sprang upon the embankment in line of battle, and moved quickly upon the battery. With celerity the six Napoleons were placed in battery, unlimbered, and loaded with canister and spherical case. Volley succeeded volley, and still the enemy came on. At forty rods' distance the battery discharged double loads of canister. It was beyond endurance; they broke and ran for the embankment, while pursuing shell swept among them as long as one was in sight. The flags lay in sight on the field, and three hundred dead and wounded attested Morrison's withering accuracy.
The return to Newbern was accomplished by the 20th, and the artillery won official commendation. In March, 1863, Lee sent D. H. Hill, with twenty thou- sand men, to drive Foster from the State. On March 13 an attack was made on Newbern, and failed: Four days later, Hill advanced on Washington, garrisoned by twenty-two hundred men, and by the 29th beleaguered the place. Foster threw himself into the place before the place was entirely invested, and arranged skillfully for defense. Hill demanded a surrender, but did not assault on being refused, but erecting batteries, began a siege which lasted seventeen days.
The time of the original Third Artillery expired in May, 1863, and they were assembled at Newbern, where they set sail in steamers for home. A formal and. grand reception met the battalion at Auburn, and an address was made them by Secretary Seward. The men were mustered out on June 2. The disbanded soldiers of Caynga and Seneca Counties were called together, to aid in defense of New York City during the riot, and quickly responded, but before they could be organized the danger had passed. The discharge of the two-years' men reduced the ranks of the Third Artillery to eight hundred and eighty-nine men. A, C, D, and K were transferred to E, K, and I, and twelve batteries were reduced to eight, one of which, known as the First New York Independent, was with the Army of the Potomac, and was known on the rolls as Battery L. Many of the men minstered out of the Third went into a new regiment, known as the Sixteenth Artillery, and did excellent service.
Foster's army, known as the Eighteenth Army Corps, assembled at Beaufort to take Wilmington. No help being practicable from the navy, the corps was directed to proceed to Charleston and assist DuPont in an assanlt upon that city. The Third Artillery was disembarked at St. Helena. DuPont was not ready, and two months passed idly away. On April 1 the troops to make the attack on Charleston were embarked. On the 7th the assault was made by the iron-clads, and was bravely continued for three hours. During the attack Hunter landed four thousand men on Folly Island, with Batteries B and F, and after the failure of attack the force was strengthened with four thousand more. The rest of the Third Artillery was posted partly at Beaufort, and a part at St. Helena. On April 23 it was sent to Newbern, leaving behind its guns. A few days after landing at Folly Island, Battery B was taken to Seabrook Island to strengthen the forces there. In June it was ordered to Morris Island. Gillmore took' command in June, and energetically labored at planting batteries, and by July 9 was ready to open. July 10 was passed in heavy bombardment, and the hitherto dominant rebel artillery began to find themselves put on the defensive. Unsuccessful attempts were made to carry Fort Wagner, and a siege was inaugurated., Batteries B and F, ordered np from Folly Island, took position near the extreme right, and, while a guard against sortie, managed to restrain the fire of the rebel sharpshooters from the fort. Lieutenant Day was ordered to make a breastwork on the beach during the night; B responded, and, using an old boat for a basis, a pile of sand was raised upon it. Wooden boxes, used in transporting heavy shells, were plenty, and, filled with sand, answered for bags. Morning came, and the new work re- ceived its baptism in a round from a carronade of six four-pound balls.
August 22, Battery B was placed in garrison in Fort Shaw. Fort Wagner
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
fell into our hands September 6, and F retired with its guns to camp. The bombardment of Sumter, constantly kept up, reduced the work to ruin. In November, Lieutenant Day, of B, was promoted to captain of F. This battery was engaged, in February, 1864, in an expedition to John's Island, S. C. De- serted by infantry within half a mile of the enemy, Captain Day had the good fortune to withdraw his battery in safety, and on April 22 was taken by steamer to Beaufort, and there encamped.
A second expedition to John's Island was made in July, 1864. Batteries B and F were with the force, which was quite heavy. Advance, with considerable opposition, was made towards Charleston, the enemy augmenting in force as they retired. On the 7th of July the head of the column was checked by a four-gun battery planted in a redoubt. The Twenty-sixth, colored, charged upon it five successive times, and, each time repulsed, lost a total of ninety-seven killed and wounded. F Battery took position, and silenced the battery next morning, and from this point the spires of Charleston were discernible. A ereek, crossed by an open plank bridge, was covered with meu, and the batteries withdrawn and trained to bear upon it, while a line of breastworks was thrown up. At half-past five in the morning, in the midst of a dense fog, the rebels made their expected attack, and the One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York, on picket, were driven in dis- order before their lines, many captured, and the rest crowded over the bridge. After them came the rebels, rushing for the bridge. Blast after blast of canister, from the double-shotted guns of B, strewed the ground with dead, while F on the right and the infantry poured in a deadly fire. Routed, the rebels received rein- forcements and tried it again, with a like result. The gray ranks betook them- selves to the tree-tops to pick off the gunners. B raised the muzzles of her cannon and riddled the tree-tops, turning the guns to rake with canister. And this was a failure to the rebels, who, opening fire with a single gun, it was dis- mounted at three hundred yards' distance by a solid shot from B, the gun having been sighted by Lieutenant Crocker. The rebel loss was two hundred and fifty. To the regret of the men, orders were given to withdraw, and the batteries re- turned to their former positions.
In March, 1864, the Third Artillery was reinforced by the arrival of four. hundred and fifty-nine recruits, from whom two batteries were formed, and known as D and G. Battery D, commanded by Captain Van Heusen, was composed almost entirely of Seneca County men. Batteries E and K were now sent to Virginia, where H and M had gone the previous fall. John J. Peck, command- ing the army in North Carolina, saw signs indicative of a rebel attack upon his positions, and placed himself on guard as far as possible. On April 20, Hoke, with seven thousand men and three batteries, captured Plymouth, with General Wessels and two thousand prisoners. The rebel ram " Albemarle" assisted in the result. Peck was called to Virginia. I. N. Palmer was his successor. He ordered Washington evacuated, and Hoke now felt sure of Newbern, which place. he approached on May 4, and on the morning of the 6th summoned Newbern to surrender. But the " Albemarle" was met at the entrance of Albemarle Sound, and driven back by our boats, and Hoke on receipt of this intelligence retreated. In September the yellow fever entered Newbern, and thirty-seven men of Battery D, alone, fell a prey to this scourge. With the coming of frost, October 9, the dis- ease was checked .. During this month the regiment was recruited to twenty-five hundred men and eleven full batteries. Battery A, from Cayuga, a soldierly body of men, arrived on the 20th, and became the garrison of Fort Anderson. About November 15, 1864, Foster was ordered to collect all available forces to move upon and destroy a portion of the Savannah and Charleston Railroad as a prelim- inary to aid Sherman, who had set out from Atlanta on his march to the sea. Five thousand veteran soldiers were gathered, and with them were B and F, the former with Captain Mercereau, the latter with Lieutenant Titus in command. The force, after various experiences, were found at daylight of November 30, on the march down the Savannah Turnpike. The One Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York, in the advance, engaged the rebel picket, and nearing the corner of the straight Grahamville Road, a section of twelve-pound cannon opened on our coluyun, and the rank vegetation was fired. A section of B, under Lieutenants Wildt and Crocker, took position, and a score of well-aimed shots sent the rebels to the right-about. Driving the enemy towards Grahamville, over two miles, the rebel artillery made a brief stand and was routed by B. During this artillery duel a solid twelve-pound shot struck Lieutenant Wildt in the groin, rushed on and killed a horse and an infantry soldier. A stretcher was brought, and the brave fellow was taken to a church in the rear. With fresh forces the enemy now made a determined stand at Honey Hill, three miles from Grahamville. Here was a position naturally and artificially strong. In front was a swamp, through which flowed a creek, crossed by a wooden bridge, upon which nine cannon were trained. Upon the crest of the hill was a redoubt, and trenches on either flank were manned by two thousand men. A heroic charge was made by the Fifty-fifth, colored, and proved in vain. The artillery was now ordered to
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