History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 132

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 132

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But the time had come when this system of relief was to give way to another. On the 1st of September, 1862, eame the first town bonds, into the hands of the committee, and with them, alas! the first token of that " bounty systemn," which was to do more to dc- grade the name of the American soldier than any- thing that oceurred in the whole conrse of the war. The account of this change brings us naturally to the facts on record, in regard to the cost of the war to the connty, made necessary by the uneoncealed aver- sion of a part of the people to engage in a struggle from which the romance had departed, and where nothing remained but the grim reality of death, to be faced as best the heart might be found therefor.

The work of the Union Defense Committecs, there- fore, gave way to that of the " Ladies' Aid Societies " and the "Couneils" of the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, whose sphere of action was different. I am glad here to give a specimen of what that sphere was, by the final report of the Sing Sing Council, which has come into my hands since the above was written. This report is dated 27th of July, 1865, after the re- turn of most of the volunteers, and we extraet as fol- lows :

" This Association commenced its labors the 27th of April, 1861, just four years and three months ago. Since that period they have received $3766.88 from donations, festivals, church collections, lectures, &c., and the Sanitary Commission Sociables. These sociables sent in $129 by their treasurer. Miss Hubbell. They have expended $3378.09, leaving a sur- plus of 8388.79. It must be remembered that nearly an equal amonnt has been given in garments, materials and hospital stores, and during the past year, also, the Christian Commission has had in active operation a Society in this village, sending constantly to the front supplies of clothing and hospital stores. Taking all this into consideration, Sing Sing has great reason for congratulation that the cry for help fell not on un- heeding ears, and that her children have not been weary of well doing. The number of garments sent away exceed 9000. Several pieces of mms- lin were sent away by the Woman's Central Association to be made up ; and when after battles the calls were nrgent, efficient help was rendered by the ladies of New Castle, Pine's Bridge and Pleasantville. It would occupy too much time and space to thank all who have aided in this noble work, but the managers must express their grateful obligations to the clergy of the village for their co-operation and hearty good-will, and also to the editors of the two papers who have constantly published all their reports and notices free of expense. They also desire heartily to thank Messrs. Talleot and Burrhns for the use of the rooms for several years. Since the commencement of this society three active and useful managers-Mrs. Neff, Mrs. Weston and Mrs. Truesdell-have entered into their rest. Their associates gratefully recall their labors and pleas- ant companionship. . . While unfeignedly grateful to their Heavenly father that war has ended and peace dwells again in the land, it is with

saddened hearts that the managers recall the thought that they will never again meet asa Soldiers' Aid Society. . . The great motive for labor, which united tbem and cansed so close a bond, has passed away. The many pleasant and painful associations are things of the past. . . United in our common Christian work, we can never in after days forget the bond of union that kept us together during the four years of the war. "(Signed by) Mrs. Jesse Ryder, first directress ; Mrs. Pentz, second di- rectress ; Mrs. J. M. Smith, third directress ; Mrs. J. Van Wyck, fourth directress ; and Mmes. Van Hoesen, J. S. King, G. Brandreth, Dr. Pro- vost, Cunningham. Howsley, L. Miller, Campbell, Marsland, Woodruff, Barnes, C. Smith, Benjamin and McCord, and Misses Sing, Ryder, Lud- Inm and Snowden.

" List of articles sent from Sing Sing Union Relief Association from the spring of 1861 to July 25, 1865 :- 1080 flannel shirts, 501 flannel drawers, 581 cotton shirts, 57 double gowns, 53 Canton flannel bed- gowns, 982 pairs of socks, 58 pairs of mitts, 171 havelocks, 12 pairs Can - tou flannel drawers, 15 blankets, 92 quilts, 505 sheets, 84 surgical shirts, 472 towels, 1363 pocket-handkerchiefs, 200 pillow-cases, 61 bed-ticks, 371 pairs of slippers, 64 pairs cotton drawers, 336 needle-books, 123 eye-shades, 62 arm-slings, 218 ring-pads, 98 hop-pillows, 18 napkins, 17 pil- low-ticks, 96 pillows, 86 sets of bandages rolled, 800 bandages, 24 flannel bandages, 8 caps, 3 cravats, 43 old liuen shirts, 105 packages lint (large bags mostly), 37 packages old muslin, 86 packages old linen, 2 pieces new muslin for bandages, 63 neck comforters, 3 coats, 2 pairs pantaloons, 1 jacket, I vest, G packages half-worn garments, 12 bbls. dried apples, 2 bbls. pickles, 20 jars pickles, I bbl. wine, 4 bbls. hospital stores, 1 boxes ditto, 1 box claret, 1 box whiskey, 6 boxes jelly, 4 demijohns wine, 1 demijohn brandy, 250 bottles wine, with fruits, preserves, farina, corn starch, arrow-root, spices, tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, sardines, tobacco, bay rum, oatmeal, crackers, bologna sansages, 1000 packages magazines, papers and books, and 200 books.

" MRS. CATHERINE E. VAN CORTLANDT, " Secretary and Treasurer."

THE BOUNTY BONDS .- The first bnrden which was officially taken on itself by the eounty of Westchester during the war eame in the shape of bonds issued by the Board of Supervisors under the provisions of an act passed by the Legislature March 1, 1862, "to re- lieve the families of volunteers in the field." The amount issned was fifty thonsand dollars, which was placed in bonds of varying amonnts, bearing seven per cent. interest; issued to the supervisors of the different towns for sale, the proceeds to be expend- ed in relief to the families, in mueh the same manner as that adopted by the Port Chester Volunteer Com- mittee. The amounts issued to the different towns varied from twenty-five hundred dollars, or less, to ten thonsand, aeeording to population. The last of these bonds was paid off in the year 1867.

From this time the county took no further action, in regard to the war, till July 27, 1864, when, in eon- sequence of the drafts, the inereasing elaims of the bounty jumpers and the difficulty the towns found in floating their bounty bonds, the burden was as- snined by the eonnty, as it had been in the relief of volunteers, in 1862. The sum of five hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars was raised in county bonds ; distributed to the supervisors of the towns, as in the case of the first set of relief bonds, the rate of interest being seven per eent. ; the principal payable in periods ranging from twelve to sixtcen ycars. The first hundred of these bonds was cancelled at the end of the year 1876, and the last sixty-two in April, 1881. The amonnt raised all went to answer a single call for troops; and, when the next one came, the State was obliged to step in to help the towns, which

506

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

actually made money on the difference between the bounties they paid and the amount awarded them by the State.

In a sketch necessarily so brief and fragmentary as this must be, on account of the small space given and the magnitude and number of the events to be treated, it would be superfluons to give a detailed ac- count of all the sums paid out in the county. The annals of a single town will serve as a specimen of the way in which the money was raised and expended, the table at the end of this section giving the total for the county.

The town of Cortlandt-then one of the largest in the county-raised, in the year 1862, $20,000 for bounties, of which $16,795 was expended, and 324 men sent out-an excess of 13 over the town quota. In Octo- ber, 1863, the town raised $14,000 morc, besides sums paid by substitutes, and sent out its quota of 116 men. In February, 1864, it raised $35,000 to send out 73 men. In March, 1864, $20,000 was used to send out 49 men, with $5000 more, paid by drafted men for substitutes. In July, 1864, the town received, from the county bonds already mentioned, $107,800 ; raised $15,375 in town bonds; assessed the drafted men in the sum of $10,595, with a further sum of $30,175, which the drafted men themselves paid, making their own bargains, and thus managed to fill the town quota of 219 men. The total cost of this draft is estimated at $164,500, or thereabout. On the last call, made after the re-election of Mr. Lincoln, 100 mnen were furnished at a cost of $60,000, but the town received from the State an amount sufficient to leave it a gainer of about $7000, that being the excess of the State money furnished for bounties.

The history of all the towns, during the war, shows how, as the needs of the contest slowly but surely in- creased, what had been left, at first, to individual patriotism, was gradually shifted, first on the towns, then on the county, finally on the State.1

1 The following table, taken from the reports of the supervisors of the county, made to the State Bureau of Military Statistics, shows the total amount of money paid out by the towns and the county itself, during tbe war, for war purposes.

The towns of Bedford, Cortlandt, Fast Chester, Greenburgh, Harrison, Lewisborough, Mamaroneck, Morrisanla, Mount Pleasant, New Cas- tle, New Rochelle, North Castle, North Salem, Ossining, Pelham, Pound- ridge, Rye, Scarsdale, Somers, Westchester, Yonkers and Yorktown paid out : For towu bounties, $2,459, 697.79 ; for fees and expenses, $26,462.94; for interest on loans, $199,658.67 ; for principal of loans, $764,585.30 ; for support of families of volunteers, $73,732.35 ; making total expended for war purposes, $3,524,137.05.

The county paid for the same items the sum of $1,347,235.76. The towns of West Farms aud White Plains made no report and are not, there- fore, included in the above summary.

The towus and county together thus expended, for war purposes, the total sum of 84,871,372.81, or very nearly five millions of dollars. Of this sum, the county and towns received from the State Paymaster General in cash, $172 450.00; in State bonds, $458,600.00; and for interest on State bouds. $4862.49 ; a total of $635,912.49 ; tons leaving the actual expeuse to the towns and county. $4,235,460.32.

The reports ou which the above table is founded were unade as follows: Bedford, January, 1868; Cortlandt, December, 1866; East Cbester, October, 1866 ; Greenburgh, February, 1866 ; Harrisou, December, 1865 ;

The facts shown by the enormous expenditure, in contrast with the number of men actually sent to the front, are also very instructive as to the way in which the political disturbances that marked the county and a part of the Northern States during the war increased the cost and made the victory more difficult of achievement. The price of substitutes steadily rosc as the election of 1864 approached, while the last draft, after the contest was settled, was effected with- out difficulty and left some of the towns actual gainers by the affair.

It is further worthy of remark, though this is outside of a local history, that the substitutes, obtained at a cost of from five to six hundred dollars a man, seldom went to the front at all, but remained at home, breed- ing that odious class of mnen denominated "bounty- jumpers," who drifted from regiment to regiment, and from broker to broker, till the figures of men enlisted into the United States service, on paper, must prob- ably be diminished by at least one-third, if not one- half, to allow for the number of re-enlistments and descrtions.

This part of the history of the county is one in which few of its citizens can take much pride, and, to explain it, we must go to such records as exist of the state of political feeling in the county, as shown by the columns of its political organs, already refer- red to.

A summary of the figures in the town of Cortlandt shows that it cost, to send out each man who was cnlist- ed, as follows: In 1861, nothing ; in 1862, §51.82 per man ; in 1863, $120.70 per man, from the town, with a probable hundred more from each drafted man for a sub- stitute ; in 1864, an average of $519.60 per man, be- fore election ; and nothing for the last draft, in which the cost fell on the State, and the towns were gainers to the extent of about $70 per man enlisted.

THE RETURN OF THE VOLUNTEERS .- From the moment that General Lee surrendered his army, at Appomattox Court-House, the thoughts of the volun- tcers in the field were turned, with a unanimity sel- dom seen in the history of war, towards the liomes they had left so readily at the beginning of the con- test, at the call of their country.

The impatience became so great, after the final col- lapse of the Rebellion, when Johnston and Kirby Smith had surrendered, that the men in the field could hardly be kept by the colors, for the necessary purposes of police; breaking out into open mutiny in some instances, when it was proposed to put them into the regular army ; indignantly spurning the idea that they were professional soldiers at all; demand-

Lewisborough, January, 1868; Mamaroneck, December, 1865; Mor- risania, December, 1866; Mount Pleasant, February, 1868 ; Newcastle, July, 1865 ; New Rochelle, March, 1866 ; North Castle, March, 1866 ; North Salem, January, 1868; Ossining, December, 1865 ; Pelham, June, 1868 ; Poundridge, October, 1866 ; Rye, December, 1865 ; Scarsdale, June, 1866 ; Somers, October, 1866 ; Westchester, November, 1866 ; Youkers, Marcb, 1867; Yorktown, December, 1865; Westchester County, Decem- ber, 1865.

507

THE CIVIL WAR, 1860-65.

ing, now that their work had been done, that they should be discharged and sent home as soon as pos sible.

The different regiments and organizations from Westchester County were in the same category with the rest, and their history, to the time they returned home, is revealed by the official records of the State.

COMPANY B, OF THE SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT, the banner company of the county, from Port Chester, served its term of two years, and was mustered out on the 3d of June, 1863; the recruits, enlisted for three years, after the company was in the field, being trans- ferred to the Twelfth Regiment New York Volun- teers. This regiment, being also a two years' organ- ization, had already been mustered out; but the recruits for three years, with a part of the Twelfth New York Militia, with which it had been consoli- dated February 3, 1862, were formed into a bat- talion, which, in its turn, was mustered into the Fifth New York Veteran Volunteers on the 2d of June, 1864. The whole force remained in the service till finally mustered out August 21, 1865.

The next organization in rank is that part of the FOURTHI NEW YORK CAVALRY recruited at Yonkers by Captain Parnell. On the expiration of the original term of service the regiment was mustered out, and the re-enlisted men, with the later recruits, consoli- dated with the Ninth New York Cavalry, February 27, 1865, under the name of Companies B, E and L, of that regiment ; with which it remained to the close of the war, being mustered out July 17, 1865.

The FIFTH BATTERY LIGIIT ARTILLERY, remarka- ble as being the only place where the name of a Mount Vernon man appears as having been an original member, was retained in the service till July 6, 1865, when it was also mustered out.

The FIRST REGIMENT MOUNTED RIFLES was con- solidated with the Third New York Cavalry July 21, 1865, the whole force being known as the Fourth Provisional New York Cavalry. This regiment remained in the service till finally mustered out, on the 29th of November, 1865.

The SIXTH HEAVY ARTILLERY, being a three years' regiment, was mustered out June 25, 1865; but the re-enlisted veterans and the recruits whose terms were not yet out were formed into a battalion of four companies. The remaining members of the Tentli and Thirteenth Regiments of artillery, in the same condition, were added to the Sixth two days after ; and the whole force remained in service till August 24, 1865, when they were finally mustered out.

The SIXTEENTHI (SPRAGUE LIGIIT) CAVALRY eloses the history of the connection of the county with the war. This foree was consolidated with the Thirteenth New York Cavalry June 23, 1865, the consolidated regiment being known as the Third Provisional New York Cavalry, under which name it was mustered out September 21, 1865.

THE ROLL OF THE DEAD .- I regret much that

there is no reliable official record accessible of the names of men, bona fide residents of the different towns in the county, who enlisted therefrom and died in the service. In some towns the patriotism of the people in charge secured such a record ; but even then the papers are, in too many cases, cast aside in a mass of rubbish, impossible of extrication.

The following names are given from the town of Cortlandt, on the authority of Post Abraham Vos- burgh, of Peekskill, No. 95, Department of New York, G. A. R.

Ilarris Light Cavalry, Company F.

Sergeant Thomas Mccutchen, killed in action at Culpeper, Va., Oc- tober, 1863 ; Private William Haines, killed in action at Brandy Station, on the same day, during the advanee from Rappahannock Station; and Privates George Archer and Delaneey Cole, died in hospital and In Belle Isle Prison, respectively. [None of these names are in the first unster- rolls of this regiment].

Sixth Ilcary Artillery.

Colonel J. Howard Kitehing, died of wounds received at Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864. The G. A. R. P'ost, at Youkers, is named, after him, "Kitching l'ost, No. 60, Department of New York, G.A. R." Killed in action : Sergeant William H. Lent, Petersburg; Corporal Henry M. Gillett, Cedar Creek : Privates P. Corne Cruger, David A. Lent, Cedar Creek ; William Fitzgerald, James Moriarty, Alexander Super, James Christian, George Bradley-all at Petersburg ; Frederick Yunng, Abram A. Wood, Washington Van Seoy and John Foley at Spott- sylvania, May 19, 1864. Died in hospital : Corporal Theodore Garrison ; Privates John Conklin, Frank Bleakley, John Henry Lent and Abraham Lent ; Private John Terbushi died at home from disease contracted in the army. First Lieutanant Richard Montgomery Gilleo, died at home, on sick leave ; Private Charles Conklin was killed at Po River, Va., May 12, 1864.

Ilawkins' Zouaves, Ninth New York Volunteers.

Color-Sergeant William Patterson, killed at Antietam with the colors, September 17, 1862. Died in hospital : Privates William Van Houten, Rosier Garrison, John Bennet, G. W. Witeox, from wounds.

Nineteenth New York Volunteers.

Privates George Dykman, James Free and Jefferson Lent, died in the service.

Twenty-seventh New York Volunteers.

Privates Thomas Ilawkins, killed in action ; Jeremiah Murden, mur- dered in Elmira, in trying to arrest a deserter, June, 1861; (he was the first soldier said to be killed from the town of Cortlandt) ; Private Charles Gardner died in hospital.

Forty-fourth New York Volunteers (Ellsworth Avengers).

Private Thomas Wildey, Company A, killed at Hanover Court-House, Va.

Forty-eighth New York Volunteers.

Captain Lewis Lent, killed in action.

Fifty-first New York Volunteers.

Color-Sergeant George W. Fisher, killed with the colors at Petersburg, Va., July 29, 1864 ; Private James D. Odell, killed at Roanoke Island.

Fifty-ninth New York Volunteers.

Privates Edgar Sutton and Pierce Miller, killed at Antietam ; Jolin Fitch and Benjamin Gaudeer, died at Andersonville; George Fowler, died at Annapolis, after being paroled.

Seventieth New York Volunteers.

Joseph Davenport and James Cummings, died in hospital from wonnds.

Ninety-first New York Volunteers.

William Stocker, died in hospital.

Ninety-fifth New York Volunteers.

Lieutenant Edwin B. Leut, died at lomo from wounds.

Miscellaneous.

C. A. Turner, 38th N. Y., wounded at Fredericksburg, died at homo ; Calvin Lounsbury. prisoner from 39th N. Y., never came back ; Sergeant David Ferris, 144th N. Y., killed at Fair Oaks; Henry Forman, Company

508

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

C, 133d N. Y., died at Baton Rouge, in service ; George Tice, Jesse Sey- mour, Isaac Brodie, 168th N.Y. died in service ; IIenry Halstead (colored), 30th N. Y., killed at Deep Bottom Va. ; Johu W. Knapp (colored), Co. B, 29th Conn., died iu service.

From the town of Yorktown there is a partial list, showing that of the Sixth Heavy Artillery, from that town, the following men fell :

George Guinea, Ilarvey L. Searles, Lewis M. Searles. Obadiah Oakley and T. J. Head, died in service ; l'eter Ames, 12th N. Y., was killed at Fair Oaks ; Cyrus II. Brown (regiment unknown) was killed at Peters- burg; George Powersand Eugene M. Wright, 59th N. Y .; John Jones. 4th N. Y. Art. ; Joslma B. Young, 95th N. Y .; William and Elias Searles, 57th N. Y. ; William Sheppard aud William Sherwood, 87tl N. Y., all died in service.

This is the most reliable list, that I have been able to obtain, of men who actually died in the ser- viee, exeluding those who are marked as having " died sinee the war." Were there any sort of local pride, in the different towns in the county, regarding the action of its citizens during the war, the list could doubtless be extended far beyond the present limits; but the readers of this chapter will see for themselves, in the unfortunate differences that existed in the county, on account of the war, the reason why such records were poorly kept. Save by the families of those who actually went to the front, but little interest seems to have been taken by any one in the deeds of the Union armies, and the records were not kept, principally because the majority of the voters in the county did not elect officials who cared to per- petuate the services of the soldiers.

Sinee the close of the war there has been a move- ment, in the establishment of Grand Army Posts at different places, to eolleet these records in something of a reliable form. The graves of Union volunteers are dceorated annually, but these do not represent, to any degree, men who went to the service from West- chester County, but rather those who have come to it sinee the war. Many of them are those of men who died after the close of the war, and so the records do not properly come in at this place,

It only remains to give a short list of a few of the men who were drafted and furnished substitutes for this chapter to be finished.

THE DRAFTED MEN .- The records of the draft in West Chester County, as far as regards the names of the men drafted, are generally missing, though the bonds necessary to save them from going to the frout remained, to be finally extinguished, in 1881. In the town of East Chester, however, I have sueeeeded in securing a copy of the names of the men drafted, and the prices paid for substitutes, which makes very interesting reading at the present day.

It embraces the ealls for July, 1864, and the last call in December of the same year. Mr. Stephen Bogart was supervisor for the year, and his name appears among the list of the drafted men. The numbers drawn by the provost marshal appear to have been taken at random over the county, for they are not continuous. The first man caught in East Chester

is No. 964, William M. Harward, while the highest number is 3241. There were two hundred and thir- teen men drawn in the town, altogether. Some took the commutation of three hundred dollars, allowed by the State, and furnished their own substitutes, in the best way they knew how. Others furnished the sub- stitutes at a definite cost ; but the greater part let the town military committee do all the work, through the bounty brokers, who settled the whole business.

Of the whole two hundred and thirteen, only two entered the service, taking the bounty money them- selves.

Their names will be found in the list.

The following men were paid the commutation of three hundred dollars, under the Conscription Act, and made their own bargains with substitutes, at their own risk :

William Holdredge, James Cordial, William Searing, Charles Kane, John L. Brown, Ferdinand Holm, Michel Donohue, Jacob Grubb, Jacob Reinhardt, Christian Geissman, Patrick Scott, John Mullaly, Sanmel B. Lyons, John Muller, Otto Weigand, John Hinz, Charles Bock, Stephen Bogart, Thomas McConnel, John Stinard, William Gordon, George Rob- inson, William Hagemeyer, Theodore Holly, Daniel Kane, Samuel Ber - tine, Ferdinand Haag, William Doolittle, William Tribent, Cornell Val- entine, John Kennedy, Abram M. Bennett, Philip llaag, James Hunt. Christian Rost, William Mulloy, Jacob llyser, George Horst, Thouins Dooling, Thomas Donaldson, Francis Schleicher, Philip Flood, William llickey, William B. Jones, William Deverman, Walter 1I. Manning, John Pugmire, Thomas Barker, Frederick Von Garrell, Thomas IIuut and Lonis Behr.

The following men furnished their own substitutes, at a cost of four hundred dollars :

Charles Leland, Aaron R. Ilaight, Isaac Richards, A. M. Ilungerford, George Ferris, Samuel llorton, Robert Hall, Gideon Mead, Warren Ackerman, Timothy Bennett, Sanmel Burpo, W. H. Ilustis, Constantine Weiss, Edgar Schieffleiu, John Boda, Alexander Masterton, llenry A. Bowerman, James llay, Aaron M. Diederer, John M. Masterton, B. F. Bowerman, S. Purdy Carton, David Dunham, Robert M. Masterton, S. Moore, George King, Thomas W. Atkinson, Edward Keudrick, John Ostrander, O. L. Underhill.

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 132

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354