USA > New York > Wyoming County > History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents > Part 21
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"The regiment fell back with the army to Fairfax, Chain Bridge, Long Bridge and Alexandria; and from thence moved to Fairfax Seminary and Hall's Hill. On the 12th of September it started on the Maryland campaign, passed through Georgetown and Washington, and by railroad to within five miles of Rockville; on the 13th passed through Rockville and took the road to Frederick; on the 14th reached Frederick; on the 15th to the vicinity of South Mountain; on the 16th to the vicinity of the battle ground of Antietam. During this movement Porter's corps was in the reserve and was not engaged, although an occasional shell reached its position. On the 18th the regiment moved to Sharpsburg, and thence to Antietam Iron Works. Here it was engaged in picketing the Potomac and in camp duties until the 30th of October, when it moved in the direction of Harper's Ferry; passed through that place on the 31st to the Blue Mountains; on the end of November moved on the Leesburg turnpike to Woodgrove, and then struck the road to the right in the direction of Snickersville, and came up with and relieved Sumner's corps, who were holding Snicker's Gap; remained at Snicker's Gap until the 6th, and then moved on the Alexandria road toward Middleburg; moved on the 7th, but was compelled to bivouac in conse- quence of a severe snow-storm; on the 8th followed the Orange and Alexandria railroad to New Baltimore, and from thence to Warrenton Junction, and followed the track toward Fredericksburg; 18th, continued on the march, and also on the 19th, and camped; on the 24th camped a short distance from the railroad at Falmouth."
The regiment remained in camp until the 11th of Decem- ber, when it moved with the brigade in the advance on Fredericksburg. It crossed the river in the evening, par- ticipated in the movements of the brigade, and returned on the 16th with one officer (Adjutant Wilson) killed, and two officers and four men wounded. It remained in camp until the " mud march " on January 20th. From this march it returned on the 24th, and went into permanent winter quarters.
On the 27th of April, 1863, the regiment started on the Chancellorsville campaign. It arrived on the enemy's flank on the ist of May. On the end it threw up breastworks, and on the 3d was in action, but not heavily engaged; re- mained in position on the 4th, and at about 2 A. M. on the 5th moved toward United States Ford, covered the re- treat and was the last to cross. It reached camp at Fal- mouth on the 6th. On the 18th it left camp for New York, where it was mustered out on the 22nd.
On the 3d of June Major W. T. C. Grover received au- thority to reorganize the regiment. Under this authorization a very considerable number of the members who returned with it re-enlisted for three years. The reorganization was finally effected by the consolidation with it of recruits for the 9th regiment, the 38th regiment N. Y. S. V., and the "Union Sharpshooters." It left the State in October, 1863.
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THE SEVENTEENTH NEW YORK INFANTRY-CHARLES E. BILLS.
officered by a majority of its old officers, and by officers formerly of the 9th, and composed almost entirely of vet- erans. It was ordered to the Department of the Southwest, joined the army under General Sherman, and served under him until it left the field.
The movements of the regiment in the Department of the Southwest may be briefly stated. On the 21st of December, 1863, under A. J. Smith, it began the Tennessee campaign after Forrest, losing, principally by severe frosts, about 200 men (many losing the use of both hands and feet, while there was scarcely an officer or man but was more or less frostbitten), and joining General Sherman at Vicksburg January 24th, 1864. Under that general it made the Missis- sippi or Meriden campaign, leaving Vicksburg on the and of February and marching more than four hundred and sixty miles. In April it moved to Decatur, Ala., where for thirty-three days it had skirmishes with the forces of General Roddy almost as regularly as reveille call. It sub- sequently attacked Roddy at Pond Spring, Courtland, etc., routed his forces, and captured the whole of his camp an garrison, equipage, baggage, horses, etc. At Atlanta it was in the trenches. At Jonesboro it charged and fought Clay- borne's "invincible " Texas Rangers, who boasted never to have been defeated, but who were then broken, routed, and had their works taken from them. Here Colonel Grover was killed, and 101 of its men left on the field." From Atlanta it participated in the Hood campaign in the rear of the army, and marched more than 600 miles. It returned to Atlanta at night, and started the next morning without preparation on Sherman's grand march to the sea. On the march from Savannah to the Carolinas it engaged the enemy at Averysboro, and had its lieutenant-colonel command- ing, James Lake, wounded, and Captain Wm. G. Barnett killed. The last engagement was at Bentonville, where it cut its way through the lines of the enemy when surrounded by the falling back of the first division.
After the surrender of General Johnston the regiment marched to Washington, took part in the review of General Sherman's army, and was soon afterwards mustered out of service. It reached New York on the 16th of June, 1865, bearing with it testimonials from the officers commanding the Ist brigade, the and division, and of the 14th army corps; the first asserting that: " In all the essential qualities which distinguish the heroic citizen-soldier, the 17th New York has been excelled by none. Representatives as you are of the great city of New York, your association with the men of the Northwest, composing the balance'of the brigade, has been of the most pleasing and genial kind;" the second, that "the general will always remember with . pride its gallant bravery in the charge at' Jonesboro, and in the battles of Averysboro and Bentonville;" and the last, that "its soldierly conduct, attention to duty, and invariably gallant conduct in action, has reflected credit upon itself and the corps."
The following was related by a fellow soldier of Charles E. Bills, of the Wyoming company in this regiment. It has been extensively published, but it is worthy of a place here: " I was in the hospital as nurse for a long time, and assisted
in taking off limbs and dressing all sorts of wounds; but the hardest thing I ever did was to take my thumb off a man's leg.
" It was a young man who had a severe wound in the thigh. The ball passed completely through, and amputation was necessary. The limb was cut off close to the body, the arteries taken up, and he seemed to be doing well. Subse- quently one of the small arteries sloughed off. An incision was made and it was again taken up. 'It is well it was not the main artery,' said the surgeon as he performed the oper- tion; 'he might have bled to death before it could be taken up.' But Charley got on finely, and was a favorite with us all.
"I was passing through the ward one night, about mid- night, when suddenly, as I was passing Charley's bed, he spoke to me: 'H-, my leg is bleeding again.' I threw back the bed clothes, and the blood spurted in the air. The main artery had sloughed off!
" Fortunately, I knew just what to do, and in an instant I had pressed my thumb on the place and stopped the bleed- ing. It was so close to the body that there was barely room for my thumb, but I succeeded in keeping it there, and, arousing one of the convalescents, sent him for the surgeon, who came in on the run. 'I am so thankful, H-,' said he as he saw me, 'that you were here and knew what to do, for he must have bled to death before I could have got here.
"But on examination of the case he looked exceedingly serious, and sent out for other surgeons. All came who were within reach, and a consultation was held over the poor fel- low. One conclusion was reached by all. There was no place to work save the spot where my thumb was placed; they could not work under my thumb, and if I moved it he would bleed to death before the artery could be taken up. There was no way to save his life.
" Poor Charley! He was very calm when they told him, and requested that his brother, who was in the same hospi- tal, might be called up. He came and sat down by the bed- side, and for three hours I stood and by the pressure of my thumb kept up the life of Charley, while the brothers held their last conversation on earth. It was a strange place for me to be in, to feel that I held the life of a fellow mortal in my hands, as it were, and stranger yet to feel that an act of mine must cause that life to depart. Loving the poor fellow as I did, it was a hard thought; but there was no alterna- tive.
" The last words were spoken. Charley had arranged all his business affairs, and sent tender messages to absent ones, who little dreamed how near their loved one stood to the grave. The tears filled my eyes more than once as I listen- ed to those parting words. All were said, and he turned to me. 'Now, H-, I guess you had better take off your thumb!' 'O, Charley, how can I? said I. 'But it must be, you know,' he replied, cheerfully. 'I thank you very much for your kindness, and now good-bye.'
."He turned away his head; I raised my thumb; once more the.life current gushed forth, and in three minutes poor Charley was dead."
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HISTORY OF WYOMING COUNTY, NEW YORK.
CHAPTER XVIII.
FIFTH NEW YORK CAVALRY, OR "FIRST IRA HARRIS GUARD" -"ELLSWORTH'S AVENGERS."
ARLY in the Rebellion, both in numbers and effectiveness, the cavalry of the rebels was far superior to that of the Union forces. Having been made aware of this deficiency, the military authorities at once set about the work of sup- plying it. On the 26th of July, 1861, the Secretary of War authorized Colonel Othniel De Forest, of New York city, to raise a regiment of cavalry, and by the last of September of that year he had gathered on Staten Island the nucleus of a cavalry brigade. From his recruits Colonel De Forest organized the 5th N. Y. cavalry, which was called the " First Ira Harris Guard," in honor of Sena- tor Ira Harris, of Albany, under whose patronage the organization was accomplished. The men of this regiment were largely furnished from New York city, though com- panies and parts of companies were raised in Wyoming. Allegany, Essex, Tioga and Orange counties, and a few men came from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey. Wyoming county was represented in this regiment by the inen named below :
Merrit D. Chaffee, G. L. Platt, E. D. Tolles, Luke 8. Williams, Attics ; George D. Hathbun, Castile; Charles Whitney, Eagle; Wesley Barnard, Thomas Donlin, William E. Briggs, John W. Barnard, Wilson Cummings, Joseph Coggon. Peter Freeman, P. A. Graves, Franklin S. Huestis, William D. Lucas. James H. Rice, Charles B. Thomas, Gainesville ; Alfred W. Nourse, Genesee Falls: Horace Atken, Joseph D. Axtel, Milton Bennet, George W. Dodge, Samuel Falson, Lucius Grimth, Martin Granger, William Pickett, Dwight Patridge, John Smith, George W. Wells, William H. Wells, Willis Washington Wheeler, Pike; William Hutton, Ass A. Luther, Warsaw.
No bounties were then paid to recruits, and a bounty of only $100 was promised to be paid by the government at the expiration of the term of service.
On Staten Island the regiment was quartered in what are termed A tents, and the place was called "Camp Scott," in honor of the veteran who was then closing his active military labors. The first and second battalions received their horses during the month of October, and began to receive instructions in mounted drill. On the 31st of the same month the regiment was inspected for the first time by Lieutenant-Colonel D. B. Sackett, of the United States army. At that time the last company had been mustered in, and the command numbered 1,064 men besides the of- ficers. On this day of inspection the regiment was mus- tered for pay, and on the 6th of November was paid. That time the men were paid in gold and silver, but they were not again encumbered with the precious metals.
On Monday, November 11th, the regiment was presented with two beautiful flags, one by the Common Council of the city of New York, and the other by Misses Kate Harris and Mary F. Blake. The presentation speech was made by Senator Harris.
The regiment left its rendezvous on the 18th of Novem- ber and arrived at Baltimore on the 19th. While it was here the 3d battalion drew horses and equipments, and on the 25th the regiment made its first march, from Baltimore
to Annapolis. On the 28th it pitched its tents about three miles from the city, at a place which was named, in honor of its patron, Camp Harris. In this camp it remained till the last day of March, 1862, when it broke camp and prepared for the realities of field service.
During the month following it was almost constantly on the move, but was not engaged in any fight. On the 6th of May, about four miles from Harrisonburg, the rebel colonel Turner Ashby was encountered, and a sharp engagement ensued. The rebel force consisted of picked cavalrymen, and the quality of the 5th was tested for the first time. In the conflict one man was killed, two wounded, and one, Sergeant William H. Whitcomb, taken prisoner. He effected his es- cape, however, before leaving the field.
May 12th the 5th had a skirmish with the enemy at Woodstock, and on the 21st General Hatch, with about 150 of the regiment, made a successful attack on Ashby's forces, driving them many miles, and killing, wounding and captur- ing several, without the loss of a man.
About this time Company H, which had been in the Luray Valley with General Sullivan, and had been engaged in quite a number of skirmishes, rejoined the regiment.
On the 23d of May, 1862, General Banks received in- formation, through messengers of the 5th, that a sudden at- tack had been made by Stonewall Jackson on Colonel Ken- ley's force at Front Royal. Companies B and D of the 5th were sent to Colonel Kenley, and arrived just as the rebels came upon the garrison from the hills and down the valley.
The cavalry charged them in a gallant. manner, but were compelled to retire because they were greatly outnumbered, flanked, and almost surrounded. In this charge the gallant young officer Lieutenant Dwyer, of Company B, was mor- tally wounded, and Captain A. H. White, of Company D, and Adjutant Griffin were taken prisoners.
The valley was at that time cleared of Union troops, and the rebels began to throw their forces across the Blue Ridge to attack the main Union army in front of Washington ; leaving only a strong picket line at the foot of the valley op- posed to the Union army in Maryland. The 5th regiment, which had been divided in the retreat, advanced from Har- per's Ferry and from Williamsport. The former column met the enemy at Charlestown and repulsed them ; and the latter advanced on Martinsburg, drove the pickets through the town, captured several prisoners, a wagon. muskets, am- munition and an American flag. They also recaptured several of the officers and men lost at Front Royal, and among them Adjutant Griffin.
This encouraging advance took place May 31st. On the 4th of June the regiment advanced to Winchester, where its fragments were reunited. Companies B and D, however, which had distinguished themselves at Front Royal, were detached from the regiment to serve on a battery.
Nothing noteworthy occurred after that till the 6th of July. On that day a squad of cavalry was encountered at Sperryville, and the 5th was victorious in the fight. July 8th the regiment engaged in a skirmish with the enemy at Culpepper Court-house and drove them through the town, capturing fifteen prisoners. On the 17th the 5th had a skirmish at Orange Court-house, and on the 18th it returned to Rapidan Ford. A large portion of Company A was captured while doing picket duty at Barnett's Ford.
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THE FIFTH NEW YORK CAVALRY.
On the and of August the regiment was engaged in a brisk battle at Orange Court-house, under General Crawford. The rebels were driven back with a loss of 50 prisoners, includ- ing a major, a chaplain and two lieutenants.
On the 17th of August, 1862, detachments from the 5th N. Y. cavalry and the 1st Michigan, under Colonel Brod- head, went to Louisa Court-house and captured General Stewart's adjutant-general and several important dispatches.
On the 20th of August the regiment advanced to Kelley's Ford, and in a general engagement there acted as support to a battery which was exposed to a terrible fire. On the 24th it participated in a severe engagement at Waterloo bridge, but suffered little loss. On October 20th the regiment was ordered to do picket duty at Chantilly, and it continued to picket and patrol the country till the 28th, when it went to Centreville, and the next day to Manassas Junction and back to Chantilly.
During the month of November the regiment was engaged in picketing and scouting. On the 29th the men of the 5th, in command of Captain Krom, of Company H, went with an expedition under General Stahl into the Shenandoah valley. On their arrival at Snicker's Ferry, on the Shenan- doah, the rebels annoyed them by firing from houses beyond the river, but they were soon attacked and defeated with a loss of two lieutenants, thirty-two privates, one stand of col- ors and several wagons, one of which was laden with tents and provisions. On the 30th the expedition returned to Chantilly. After the close of the campaign of 1862 the 5th made its camp at Germantown, and spent the winter in pick- eting and scouting. During this time Mosby's guerrillas gave much trouble, and on the 23d of March, 1863, they gave the regiment a lively chase, inflicting on it serious in- jury. April 21st it received a new and beautiful flag, which was presented by the city of New York. On the 3d of May the 5th engaged in another hand-to-hand fight with the Mosby cavalry, in which it defeated the enemy and cap- tured twenty-three wounded men. May 30th it had a sharp but short contest with Mosby's men again, and took from them a twelve-pound howitzer. June 30th, while the regi- ment was at Hanover, Va., it met the rebel cavalry under General Stewart, in a hand-to-hand conflict, in which it lost 9 men killed, 31 wounded, and a few prisoners. The rebels were routed with heavy loss. In this engagement Adjutant Gall was killed.
A volume of history would be required to follow this gal- lant regiment through all its marches; campings and conflicts, until the close of its term of service. Indeed, a history of the regiment was written by Rev. Louis N. Boudrye, chap- lain of the regiment, which is in book form. It is but just- ice to the author to state that this sketch was compiled from his work.
In July, 1863, the regiment won a series of victories over Stewart's cavalry. Its most important engagement in the campaign of that year was on the 11th of October, at Bran- dy Station.
The regiment had its quarters for the winter of 1863-4 at a point known as "Devil's Leap."
February 28th, 1864, a detachment of the 5th accompa- nied Colonel Ulric Dahlgren on his raid to Richmond. The purpose of this was to release Union officers and men con- fined in prisons there, and to destroy the mills, workshops, materials, stores and public property of the rebels in that
city and vicinity, and to cut off their railroad communica- tions. In this expedition fifteen of the regiment were cap- tured; the others returned March 12th.
To the 5th was accorded the honor of opening the battle of the Wilderness, May 5th, but it paid dearly for this honor, for it lost heavily. Subsequently it shared the varying for- tunes of the Army of the Potomac, until the close of the war.
In the history written by Mr. Boudrye one hundred and seventy-two distinct engagements or fights in which the reg- iment participated are mentioned. Of these, one hundred and nineteen were termed skirmishes.
The regiment numbered when it left for the war, 1,064 men. While in the service 5 officers were killed, 22 were seriously wounded, 19 were made prisoners, 4 died of dis- ease, 10 were dismissed by court-martial, 5 discharged, and 37 resigned; 75 enlisted men were killed or mor- tally wounded, 236 were seriously wounded, 517 were cap- tured, 114 died in rebel prisons, and 90 died of disease. Only 167 of the original veterans remained when the regi- ment was mustered out in July, 1865. The commanders of the regiment during its term of service were Othniel De For- est, John Hammond, and Amos H. White.
FORTY-FOURTH N. Y. VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
The 44th New York volunteer infantry was organized at Albany early in the autumn of 1861. It was more common- ly called " the Ellsworth regiment," or "Ellsworth's Aveng- ers," having been raised by an association which sought in this way to honor the memory of one of the most conspicu- ous of the early victims of the war for the Union, as well as to powerfully promote the objects of the war. It was also sometimes called " the people's regiment," from its consist- ing of picked men from all over the State, of exceptional character and physique.
The field and staff officers (nominated by the association's committee) were: Stephen W. Stryker, colonel; James C. Rice, lieutenant-colonel; James McKown, major; William Frothingham, surgeon; Charles L. Bissel, assistant surgeon; Loomis H. Pease, chaplain; Edward B. Knox, adjutant; and Frederick R. Mundy, quartermaster.
After receiving a beautiful flag from Mrs. Erastus Corn- ing, and being reviewed by Governor Morgan and a com- mittee of the Ellsworth Association, the regiment left Al- bany for the front on the 21st of October, 1,061 strong. A week later it encamped at Hall's Hill, Va., near Washing- ton.
The following winter the 44th did picket duty along the Leesburg turnpike. On the 21st of March, 1862, it sailed from Alexandria for Fortress Monroe, whence on the Ist of April it marched for Yorktown.
After garrisoning Fort Magruder, the 44th left that post on the 15th of May, and a few days after set out for Gaines's Mill, on the expedition to Hanover Court-house. On the 27th it bore a leading part in the sanguinary battle at that place, holding the field with the 2nd Maine against supe- rior numbers, and suffering terrible loss. The 44th, having exhausted its ammunition, was on the point of charging when reinforcements arrived. The regiment lost 30 killed and 70 wounded. Its flag was pierced by more than forty balls and four times shot down. The enemy were finally routed.
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HISTORY OF WYOMING COUNTY, NEW YORK.
During the next month the 44th did picket duty along the Chickahominy, and on the 27th was engaged in the bat- tle of Gaines's Mill. An extemporized earthwork thrown up and defended by this regiment on the Union left proved the salvation of that part of the line.
The Ellsworth men were next in action at Turkey Bend, and next came the battle of Malvern Hill, July 21st. It is recorded that in the charge of the 44th in this action " Col- onel Rice halted his men four times under the fire of the enemy, and as carefully 'aligned ' them as though they had been on a dress parade. He charged a brigade of rebels. took their colors and more prisoners than he brought men of his own alive out of the charge."
In August, 1862, the 44th fought in the second Bull Run battle. coming out of it only 87 muskets strong. It was held in reserve at Antietam, and was actively engaged at Shepardston Ford. After a variety of camping and march- ing experiences the regiment found itself in the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13th, under a destructive fire.
On the 30th of April, 1863, the regiment led the advance of the Army of the Potomac to Chancellorsville. After a large part of the line had been driven in by "Stonewall " Jackson in the battle of the end of May, Couch's corps, with the 44th N. Y. on the right, repulsed his repeated assaults, inflicting fearful loss upon the rebels.
The next fighting was at Middleburg. June 21st, and the next at Gettysburg, July and, when the 44th lost 111 ' killed and wounded, among the former Captain Larrabee and Lieutenant Dunham. In November the regiment fought at Rappahannock Station and Mine Run.
The 44th bore itself gallantly and conspicuously in Grant's Virginia campaign of 1864; beginning with the Wilderness on the 5th of May, where it lost 60 killed and wounded in half an hour, but bravely held the ground. On the 7th it fought at Spottsylvania Court-house, receiving a repulse after a gallant and bloody struggle.
It fought with its accustomed bravery at North Anna, Bethesda Church and Petersburg in May and June, and last on the Weldon Railroad, in August. September 24th it was mustered out and left for home, reaching Albany on the 29th, where it was honored with a brilliant reception, Gov- ernor Seymour delivering an address. But 14 officers and 170 enlisted men returned.
CHAPTER XIX.
HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH NEW YORK INFANTRY.
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