USA > New York > History of the 10th Regiment N. Y. Heavy Artillery, from Madison Barracks to Appomattox, with reminiscences, &c > Part 7
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
Babcock, of Dexter, supplied subsistence in abun- dance. Morse managed the intricate columns of record and account Louis C. Thierry, at head- quarters, was always ready with heroic and cheering words to welcome the new recruits. Col. Biddlecom exercised a fatherly care over the whole. Meanwhile the outside work was going on. With an understand- ing at Albany, Brownville and Hounsfield were to raise one company, of which Capt. O. Gilmore and Stephen Flower were to be the first officers.
My first meeting was called at Sulphur Springs, supported by Mr. Inglehart and S. W. Flowers and two charming ladies from a city on the Hudson A crowded house listened to our statement and asked with respectful but evidently saddened brows: More sons? more husbands? seemed to be the silent ques- tions. By the side of our chairman sat a very comely lady with a profusion of curls, watching every move and gesture of the speaker; and when the call for vol- unteers was made, with the waving of handkerchiefs by my lady friends, out came the response from the
76
fair one in curls: "Why don't you go yourself!" It was a line shot; the first of the campaign and meant to kill. But for my commission to fight at home. with presentation of my authority from the ruling powers, I should have been beaten and confused. Our fair opponent prevented any enlistments that night. The next evening a meeting was held at East Houns- field, with Judge Hammond as speaker. To be better prepared our party was strengthened with the presence of that grand old hero Admiral Theodorus Bailey, who had just returned from the naval and victorious engagement at New Orleans; the first under Farragut to pass the forts and water batteries and to tackle the enemy's fleet. His account of that magnificent ad- vance is thrilling in the highest degree:
"With my eleven-inch guns charged with one to two bushels of six-pound shot; made it impossible for the land lubbers to stand at the port holes of the forts and they made kindling wood of their rebel fleet. Our greatest danger was from fire-rafts and rams, or water batteries. In the thickest of our morning hunt my old gunner sung out, 'Where next, Commodore? 'Anywhere, old boy, anywhere; they are as thick as ducks.'
His landing at the levee, with only a Lieutenant ac- companying him through the streets to the state house, is described by Cable as the sublimest exhi- bition of manly and moral courage in the annals of our race. Thousands of mad, brutal outlaws fol- lowed his steps with shouts, kill him, shoot him, knife him; with revolvers often placed with the muz- zles to his head. The demons glare and all had no power to check his course. At the court house the haugthy officials demanded his credentials. He pointed to our fleet and said. "If you want any more we will give them to you and yours." It was sufficient.
This brave old hero, just out of this historic scene, addressed the good people of Hounsfield something after the style Nelson talked from the quarter deck. With some bracing and puffing and assurances he would as readily meet the whole Confederacy as to attempt a speech. but, said he, "Don't think this war is over. Cherish the idea I see manifest and upper- most in your minds, that this is the United States,
77
and is going to remain so. That you are going to sail in on the enemy of the old flag. Take good care of your health. Make a good ready. Don't forget your sweethearts, that helps amazingly; then let Jeff. Davis know his piratical ship has no port, no country, no name. Sink her, boys. Sink her! Sink her so deep she will never show her bunting again."
Flower's list rapidly filled up, and among the first to enroll was the brave young husband of our beliger- ent friend of the Springs.
A like opposition exhibited itself at Ontario Hall, Sackets Harbor. A man known as a "powerful ex- horter," harrangued the packed assembly, charging upon the speaker the "crime of disturbing the public peace. If he is so anxious to save the country why don't he go himself." The less we say about that man, "his antecedents and subsequents," the better; he subsided suddenly like a very noisy bee into very hot syrup, when down marched Miss Walrath and Miss Crowell, each with a recruit to the enrolling stand.
I presume like opposition and encouragement was manifest in other districts. Our townspeople were not satisfied with expressions of good words merely, but subscribed freely of their means as a solid offering and a token of their attachment and admiration of our boys for the front.
Only one death occurred at the post that I remem- ber. At the request of the officers I was invited to participate in and direct the exercises so as to give a semblance of military order that a proper respect might be shown to the deceased comrade.
A hollow square at the flag-staff, where religious services were conducted by Rev. M. Young, then be- tween close ranks extending through these extensive grounds to gate No. 1 passed out the first victim on the death roll of the Tenth Artillery.
The day before the first installment went to the front of 1,200 men, it was estimated 6,000 friends and relatives visited the barracks, and that 3,000 somehow made a night of it in the enclosure.
I ask your indulgence in one or two reminiscences to elose.
When the committee were called to select a Colonel
78
there was a feeling with some that our noble regiment was of too valuable material to be turned out for rought treatment, and by those who might be ap- pointed over them, having no knowledge of their worth and our attachment for them. One member expressed his views after this manner: "This regi- ment should be. and by all means shall be, known as a Black River regiment. We don't propose to let it go out of our hands or protection. We hold ourselves responsible for its character, and are proud of its quality, and the Colonel chosen must be made to un- derstand we shall hold him responsible to this com- mittee. and that he is not to assume authority over the men not consistent with the wishes and directions of these headquarters. And that Colonel Barney, who has received the unanimous choice of this meet- ing, be notified accordingly." A member suggested that Colonel Barney nor no other competent man would accept the position under the resolution if passed. Once our regiment and its chosen Colonel were mustered into the United States service they were completely out of our jurisdiction. General Mcclellan would not request Colonel Barney to pay his respects to our war committee, asking the privil- ege of moving the Tenth Artillery out of camp, or to carry their colors to a post of danger or honor. Dr. Rosa, in his quiet way, remarked, "that's so."
Mr. Chapman is to reply this evening to the senti- sentiment. "Col. Piper-from chaos to discipline." Up to a certain period I judge this condition of affairs to be the case, and that our separate batteries were orphans and apportioned around after the manner of fresh air children about country homes. still doing effective and important duties. On the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1863, the Hon, Theodore Roosevelt, one of the allotment commissioners, and worthy sire of the now celebrated citizen of that name, wrote to me as fol- lows:
"Can you inform me where to find the separate bat- teries of the Black River Regiment? The pay depart- ment cannot. A pretty state of things."
By some means it was in my power to give him the location of the separate batteries. As Mr. Roosevelt . well says: "This is a remarkable state of things."
79
After Colonel Piper assumed command, and the whole regiment was in elegant form, guarding Washington, this deserved and complimenting remark was made to me from an officer of high trust in that city: "Yes, the Tenth is priveleged to come and go without the usual restraint upon troops here. A lady or anybody seeing their number in the street are insured against insult and feel a sense of security with their presence here, that cannot be said of some." Again, when occupying Petersburg, with our Lieutenant Flower as Quartermaster, I was hospitably entertained there by a former banker, and then acting as clerk in the department. He remarked that when the Tenth cap- tured the fort commanding the city, a mortal dread seized them all. To save their valuables and family treasures from the horrid Yankees hastened them to Richmond for safety. "If we had only known the Tenth as we do now our property would be intact and safe here instead of being burned up by our own people. Pity we did not send word for them to 'come in, as they could have done, and were expected.'"'
In the spring of 1885 I called upon Colonel Piper at his quarters in San Francisco. At parting with me afterward in the city he gave me this commission: "Remember me most kindly to any of the Tenth you may meet with assurances they hold a warm place in my remembrance and regard, and hope to see them some day when I can say to them more than I can express to you now."
About 1844 a Second Lieutenant of the United States army was stationed at Sackets Harbor, and re- port says he was fond of the game of draughts or checkers. Someone in Watertown' was also an adept at the game, and many a combat came off between these ardent players. The same determination to master his opponent by summoning all his resources was noticeable then, a quality that so distinguished him as the great General and made his name im- mortal. One game could not be sati-factorily settled for some reason. so our Lieutenant proposed a foot- race across the Public Square. Those who saw the young Ulysses in his flight say they remember a pair of lively logs, a determined look and a linen duster, likely to go into rags from the speed of the winner.
80 .
A few years pass by. The exuberance of young man- hood had been modified by varied experiences and chastened to better meet the responsibilities the God of battles and his loyal countrymen were to place in his hands. From almost ignominous seclusion we see him step to the front, ready to commence that game, the stake of which was a nation's existence or its fall. His first move was upon Paduch, and won. Another ready at Bellmont prepared the way to move upon Forts Henry and Donaldson, with his uncon- ditional demands of surrender. Next were . swept from the board Shiloh, Corinth and Vicksburg. The Goliahs of the rebellion had met their David to be vanquished. With such knights for attack as Sher- man, Hooker, Logan, Smith, Wallace, the great Thomas and Sheridan, and many more, and thousands of the now inspired heroes of the west, who could withstand the conqueror and the appointed one as he moved upon Hood in the valley of the Tennesee, or upon the mountains and above the clouds carried the emblem of our national existence to victory.
One more move, upon which the world looked on aghast. From the capital southward against the idol of the Confederacy, down into the Wilderness went the Army of the Potomac-the heroes of Gettysburg- under their new leader and chieftain. Oh, how soon came up the wail of the stricken, the cry of "butcher!" from the despairing hosts.
Amid the storm of battle and doubtful result the great mover sent the historic sentence to Washington, and doomed Richmond: "I shall continue on this line if it takes all summer." Moving to the left, moving to the right, still onward until Appomattox was reached, and there face to face met the great Ulysses and the world renowned representative and chieftain of a "lost cause," check-mated.
And-and -- the boys came marching home!
-
.
F8349532
5748
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.