USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the Genesee country (western New York) comprising the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, Volume II > Part 6
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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 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
OLD VIEW OF THE MAIN FALLS OF THE GENESEE RIVER
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it and ran away, and it is only a question as to whether Chauncey followed him or not." Chauncey's squadron of ten vessels was larger than Yeo's six, but the latter had the advantage of weight in broadside-the amount of iron which could be discharged at one time. It is interesting to note that the weight of the British broadside, about 2,800 pounds, was only a trifle greater than the weight of one sub-calibre naval shell of the present day. The dis- cussion may rest on the conclusion that Yeo was acting under orders to avoid an engagement unless actually sure of victory, and that Chauncey believed discretion was the better part of valor in dealing with his opponent.
In the early part of May, 1814, it became known that Yeo was again operating in the vicinity. General Peter B. Porter, in com- mand of all the militia in western New York, sent two cannons to the village, a 4-pounder and an 18-pounder; a company of militia, consisting of about fifty men, was drilled and ammunition dis- tributed. Commodore Chauncey at this time had not left Sackett's Harbor, where he was preparing for a campaign. On the evening of May 14th, the British fleet appeared off the mouth of the Gene- see and cast anchor. Eight vessels were in the group, manned by over 1,600 men. A messenger carried the news of the British arrival to Rochester. Isaac W. Stone had been commissioned colonel of militia ; Francis Brown and Elisha Ely, captains. These officers assembled their men and an hour before midnight began the march to the river. Upon reaching Charlotte, just at day- light, Stone placed John Williams, with twelve men, behind a gravel bank on the east side of the river to guard against a land- ing. A dense fog prevailed, but the British boats were heard row- ing around near the shore. Stone conceived the idea of capturing one of these boats, and pressed into service an old lighter which was resting upon the beach. Stone, Brown and Ely, with eighteen men, set out in the direction of the fleet under cover of the fog. The muffled oars made no noise, but when they were about a mile from shore the fog suddenly lifted and they were surprised to dis- cover that they were among the enemy boats. Without any appre- ciable delay, the bow of the lighter was turned toward shore and the intrepid militiamen bent to the oars. The British manned a twelve-oared barge and gave chase. Although the Americans were within range of every gun in the fleet, not a cannon was fired
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upon them; after some maneuvering, during which they pursued a course parallel to the shore, hoping to give their comrades a chance to fire the 18-pounder, the Americans, much relieved, once more put their feet on solid ground, the British having returned to their ships.
At 10 o'clock in the morning Yeo displayed a flag of truce for a parley. It was received by Captains Brown and Ely and ten men on Lighthouse Point. The men were ordered to keep their muskets ready to prevent a landing. At the same time, Colonel Stone was marching his men into the fort in plain view of the fleet, marching them out again through a back ravine and again bringing them into the fort. This typical Yankee ruse was suc- cessful, as the British commodore believed that reinforcements were constantly arriving. When the boat bearing the flag of truce approached the shore, the officer in command inquired if it was the American custom to receive the white flag under arms. Cap- tain Brown apologized for their lack of military knowledge and ordered his men to "ground arms," which was an even grosser military offense. Whether this display was an exhibition of real or pretended ignorance is not positively known, but the British conceived it to be a clever attempt to deceive them as to the char- acter of the defending troops.
The British officer presented Yeo's message, which was to the effect that, if the public property was surrendered, private prop- erty would be respected. "The public property," replied Captain Brown, "is in the hands of those who will defend it." This ended the parley.
That afternoon General Porter arrived with a small detach- ment of troops. Reinforcements kept coming in, among them a company from Gates under command of Captain Frederick Rowe. At about 4 o'clock another flag of truce was seen approaching the shore. Porter ordered Major Moore to meet it and report. The British officer bore a message from Yeo that if the public property was not surrendered he would land 400 Indians and would not be responsible for the consequences. Porter sent back an invitation to the British commodore to send on his Indians. By this time there was a force of 700 or 800 men, including some regulars, gathered at the mouth of the river, and wisely enough Yeo re- frained from carrying out his threat. On the third morning the enemy fleet hoisted sail and put off down the lake. The militia-
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men returned to their homes, not, however, until they had vented their excess of spirits in a wild celebration. Everything loose was given their attention and a number of incidents occurred which were not according to military ethics. One soldier after- ward attributed the disorder to the over-generous rations of salt pork, which made the men very thirsty. A captain was informed by one of his men that, if it were not for the coat he was wearing, he would be due for a sound thrashing; whereupon the captain divested himself of the protective coat and administered a trounc- ing instead of receiving one.
Yeo appeared no more off the entrance to the Genesee; a guard was kept there, but no military movements occurred in the vicin- ity, except that on September 22, 1814, 3,000 American troops under Major-General Izard landed here from Chauncey's squad- ron and proceeded thence to Batavia.
The story of Monroe County in the Mexican war is soon told. Congress declared war against Mexico May 11, 1846, but several months passed before any troops were recruited in Monroe County. Early in 1847 a company was raised with Caleb Wilder as captain, Edward McGarry as lieutenant, and about forty men in the ranks. In April it entrained for Fort Hamilton. There it was joined by enough men to bring it to full strength. In June, Captain Wilder received orders to report at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Altogether the company was in service for about sixteen months, but it participated in no engagement with the enemy.
Fort Sumter was evacuated by Major Robert Anderson April 14, 1861, and the next day President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. The war spirit was aroused in Rochester and men here, as in other parts of the state, flocked to the colors. Exact statistics as to the number of men from this county who enlisted or were drafted during the ensuing period of the war are unavail- able, but a summary of estimates places the number close to 10,000-a goodly showing for Monroe County.
On the same day that Lincoln called for the first quota of volunteers, Captain Robert F. Taylor, of the old Rochester Light Guards, enlisted a large part of his company, which became Com- pany A of the Thirteenth New York Volunteer Infantry. Com- pany B was raised mainly at Dansville, Livingston County, by Captain Carl Stephan. Company K was raised at Brockport by
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Captain Horace J. Thomas. The other seven companies were re- cruited in Rochester under Captains Lebbeus Brown, Adolph Nolte (whose command was entirely German), Francis A. Schoeffel, Henry B. Williams, Hiram Smith, George W. Lewis and William F. Tulley. The regiment was mustered in at Elmira May 14, 1861, for three months, although it actually served for two years. Isaac F. Quinby, a graduate of West Point and a member of the faculty of Rochester University, was the colonel ; Carl Stephan was lieutenant-colonel, and Oliver L. Terry, major. The Thirteenth first smelled gunpowder at Bull Run, where it lost sixty-five men. It then participated in the engagements of Mc- Clellan's peninsular campaign in 1862. At Gaines' Mill, with only 400 men in action, it lost 101. Next came the battle of the second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg, with numerous skirmishes. The regiment was mustered out May 14, 1863, hav- ing lost 465 men.
Two companies of the Twenty-sixth New York Volunteer Infantry were recruited within Monroe County. Captains Gil- bert S. Jennings and Thomas Davis were in command, and the regiment engaged in action at Bull Run, Centerville, Antietam and Fredericksburg.
Of the Twenty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry one company was raised in Monroe County, officered by George C. Wanzer, captain; Charles S. Baker, first lieutenant, and E. P. Gould, second lieutenant. Henry L. Achilles, Jr., a post-war resident of Rochester, commanded Company K, which was re- cruited at Albion, Orleans County. Severe casualties were suf- fered by the gallant Twenty-seventh, particularly at Bull Run; it later engaged in the Seven Days' battles, Antietam and Fred- ericksburg.
A number of Monroe County soldiers served in the Twenty- eighth and Thirty-third Regiments, though in neither was there a regularly organized company from the county. Charles F. Fenn was a captain in the former, and Robert F. Taylor colonel of the latter. Both regiments served in the Army of the Potomac and were in numerous engagements.
The Seventieth Infantry, known as the "First Excelsior," in command of the redoubtable Colonel Daniel E. Sickles, had one company, G, from Monroe County. Henry B. O'Reilly was cap-
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ROCHESTER'S GREATEST FIRE, FEBRUARY 26, 1904
7-Vol. 2
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tain. The regiment's entire service was in Virginia, until it was mustered out July 1, 1864.
In the Eighty-ninth Regiment of infantry, the Dickinson Guards of Rochester was mustered in as Company D. Harrison S. Fairchild, of Rochester, was colonel and was later promoted to brigadier-general.
The One Hundred Fifth infantry regiment was organized at Camp Hillhouse, Rochester, and three companies were recruited in Monroe County. They were commanded by Captains Bradley, McMahon and Purcell. McMahon later became colonel of the One Hundred Eighty-eighth Regiment. The regiment was con- solidated with the Ninety-fourth on March 19, 1863, at which time Howard Carroll, of Rochester, became lieutenant-colonel; he received a mortal wound at Antietam. Purcell's company lost twenty men of thirty-three engaged at the second Bull Run. Antietam and Fredericksburg were other high spots in the service of this regiment.
When the call for 300,000 men was made in 1862, the One Hundred Eighth Infantry was raised in Monroe County-the sec- ond regiment in the state to be organized under this call. Its history was one of distinction. Few regiments suffered greater losses or performed more meritoriously on the field than the old One Hundred Eighth. It went through to the finish and marched back to Rochester June 1, 1865, with 169 men. The company was mustered into the service with Oliver H. Palmer as colonel; Charles J. Powers, lieutenant-colonel; George B. Force, major. The captains of the respective companies were: H. B. Williams, H. S. Hogoboom, William H. Andrews, J. G. Cramer, A. K. Cutler, F. E. Pierce, T. B. Yale, E. P. Fuller, William Graebe and Joseph Deverell. Within a month after being mustered in the regiment received its baptism of fire at Antietam and lost 200 men, includ- ing Major Force and Lieutenants Tarbox and Holmes. The career of the regiment was an uninterrupted succession of bril- liant accomplishments. At Fredericksburg, at Chancellorsville, at Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, where men fell by the thousands, and before Petersburg, the story was the same.
The One Hundred Fortieth Infantry was also organized at Rochester and the greater part of the regiment came from Monroe County. Its first colonel was Patrick H. O'Rorke, a West Pointer
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and former resident of Rochester. Louis Ernst was lieutenant- colonel; Isaiah F. Force, major; and the following were the cap- tains when the regiment was mustered in, September 13, 1862: William F. Campbell, W. J. Clark, Patrick J. Dowling, W. S. Grantsynn, Benjamin F. Harmon, Monroe M. Hollister, Elwell S. Otis, Perry B. Sibley, Christian Spies and Milo F. Starks. The regiment was engaged at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and at Gettysburg it assisted in holding Little Round Top against the repeated assaults of the Confederates. At the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania it lost heavily. It then participated in the siege of Petersburg, was present at Lee's surrender at Ap- pomattox, and arrived in Rochester June 6, 1865, with only 290 men. It was at Little Round Top that the regiment lost Colonel O'Rorke; also Lieutenants Klein and McGraw. The Wilderness brought a loss of 257 privates and eleven officers within the space of a half hour, and at Spottsylvania Colonel Ryan and Major Starks made the supreme sacrifice. So, in three days, the regi- ment lost over half of its strength.
William Emerson, of Rochester, was colonel of the One Hun- dred Fifty-first Infantry, in which there was one company from Monroe County, commanded by Captain Peter Imo. After muster at Lockport, October 22, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Vir- ginia and took part in the battles of Cold Harbor, Winchester and some minor actions. It was mustered out of the service June 20, 1865.
Five companies of the Third Cavalry were recruited in Mon- roe County. They were commanded by Captains Judson Downs, Charles Fitzsimmons, Nathan P. Pond, Alonzo Stearns and John M. Wilson. Another company was raised later by Captain George W. Lewis, who was transferred from the Thirteenth Infantry. The regiment first served with General Burnside in North Caro- lina and was afterwards with the Army of the Potomac until the close of hostilities.
The Eighth Cavalry was raised in the fall of 1861 and was formed chiefly of Monroe County men. It was mustered in with Samuel J. Crooks, colonel; Charles R. Babbitt, lieutenant-colonel ; W. H. Benjamin and William L. Markell, majors. Its entire service was with the Army of the Potomac. After Lee's surren- der it took part in the grand review at Washington, May 22, 1865.
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On June 28, 1865, it arrived at Rochester with only 194 men fit for duty. The battle flag of this regiment bore the record of sixty-four engagements.
Monroe County supplied four companies for the Twenty-first Cavalry, of which Charles Fitzsimmons, formerly of the Third Cavalry, was lieutenant-colonel. The four companies were com- manded by Captains William Godley, James S. Graham, John S. Jennings and David A. Signor. The regiment saw its hardest service in the Shenandoah Valley and the siege of Petersburg. This regiment was mustered out by detachments in Colorado.
A considerable part of seven companies in the Twenty-second Cavalry, which saw service during the last year of the war, was raised in Monroe County. Major Caleb Moore was the command- ing officer of this regiment most of the time. It was brigaded with the Eighth Cavalry and served under General George A. Custer.
Battery L, First New York Artillery, was raised in Monroe County, and was commonly called Reynolds' Battery, because: John A. Reynolds was its first captain. He was promoted to major and afterward became chief of artillery in the Twelfth. Army Corps, then was with Hooker at Lookout Mountain, and later with Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign and the march to the sea. The battery, however, remained with the Army of the Potomac and took part in numerous engagements.
Mack's Battery, commanded by Captain Albert G. Mack, was officially known as the Eighteenth Independent Battery. It served in Virginia and was in most of the battles of the Army of the Potomac.
Barnes' Rifle Battery, the Twenty-sixth Independent, was commanded by Captain J. W. Barnes. It served in the Depart- ment of the Gulf and was with General Banks on the famous Red River expedition.
When four companies of the Eleventh Artillery had been raised in western New York, in 1863, they were ordered to Penn- sylvania to assist in repelling Lee's invasion. Under command of Colonel William B. Barnes, they took part in the battle of Gettysburg, after which they were transferred to the Fourth New York Artillery. The captains of the first four companies were William Church, William F. Goodwin, Seward F. Gould and. Henry P. Merrill, all from Monroe County.
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Elisha G. Marshall was the first colonel of the Fourteenth Artillery; Clarence A. Corning, lieutenant-colonel; William H. Reynolds, major. In July, 1863, when only about half completed, 200 men of the regiment were ordered to New York City to pre- serve order during the draft riots. Its first actual engagement was at Spottsylvania, after which it took part in the siege of Petersburg.
In 1861 a regiment organized as the Fiftieth Infantry was made the Fiftieth Engineers. One company in this regiment came from Monroe County, and the Sixth Company of Sharp- shooters was a Monroe County organization, commanded by Cap- tain Abijah C. Gray.
Rochester during the early days of the war, and throughout the struggle, was the scene of warlike preparation. Patriotism was at high tide. During the exciting days after Lincoln's first call for troops nearly a thousand men enlisted in the first week. The municipal council appropriated the sum of $10,000 for nec- essary expenses, and at a mass meeting in the city hall $40,000 was pledged to assist the families and dependents of those joining the colors. During 1862 recruiting was at its height. Stations, or tents, for this purpose were scattered at advantageous points throughout the city; some were on the plaza facing the city hall, others were at the four corners. Camp Hillhouse, a concentra- tion camp, was established on the east side of the river and was later supplanted by Camp Fitzjohn Porter on the west side near the rapids. The first conscription occurred in August, 1863, when 1,096 names were drawn by blind Robert H. Fenn. In De- cember, 1863, a grand bazaar was held in Corinthian Hall and more than $15,000 was raised for sick and wounded soldiers. Rochester women responded with traditional ardor and courage; many of them sought service in the field under the badge of the Red Cross, and those at home labored for the soldiers at the front.
In 1895 a revolt broke out in Cuba under the leadership of Generals Gomez and Maceo. General Valeriano Weyler was sent from Spain to quell the insurrection. His subsequent cruelties aroused the indignation of the civilized world, but protests to the Madrid government went unheeded. In May, 1897, Congress, by resolution recognized the rights of the Cuban belligerents and
FIRST AQUEDUCT, ROCHESTER
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appropriated $50,000 for the relief of the Cuban sufferers. About the same time meetings were held in Rochester to raise money for the same purpose. All over the country resolutions asking the United States government to intervene were adopted by state legislatures, chambers of commerce and political con- ventions, regardless of party. When the U. S. S. Maine was blown up in Havana harbor on the night of February 15, 1898, everyone felt that war was inevitable. Three military organ- izations of Rochester began to prepare for active service. They were the First Separate Company, organized in 1889 and com- manded by Captain L. Boardman Smith; the Eighth Separate Company (Company E of the old 54th Regiment), commanded by Captain Henry B. Henderson; and a separate division of the naval militia, organized in 1891, under command of Lieutenant Edward N. Wallace.
On April 13, 1898, Congress authorized the president to inter- vene and ten days later Mckinley called for 125,000 volunteers, though war was not formally declared until the 25th. On May 1, 1898, the two Monroe County infantry companies left Roches- ter for camp at Hempstead, Long Island. There Captain Hen- derson's company became Company A and Captain Smith's, Com- pany B, Third Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. After two weeks at Hempstead, they were mustered into the country's service May 17, 1898. Early in June they were ordered to Camp Alger, near Washington, D. C., where they remained until ordered home in September. Much to their chagrin, they were not called into active service, but owing to the bad location and unsanitary condition of their two camps their casualties were heavy. The troops arrived in Rochester September 13, 1898.
The Naval Reserves saw more of the war, though they did not serve as a unit. A part of the company served on the monitor Mason and the others on the auxiliary cruiser Yankee. Under the second call for troops, a company commanded by Captain Theodore S. Pulver left Rochester July 28, 1898. It was assigned to a regiment known as the 202d and did garrison duty in Cuba for several months, but was not actively engaged with the enemy.
It is a matter of municipal concern that the history of Roches- ter and Monroe County in the World war should be properly preserved and there is no community in the United States where
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more elaborate or efficient methods of doing this work have been adopted. In the latter part of 1924 there came from the press the excellent volume, the "World War Service Record of Roches- ter and Monroe County," devoted to the biographies and por- traits of every man from the city and county who made the supreme sacrifice during the war. This is to be followed with a similar record covering those who returned. This work came about through the recommendation of the late Mayor Hiram H. Edgerton. A commission of 104 citizens was formed, with Ed- ward R. Foreman, city historian, as editor-in-chief. A card index system was adopted and exhaustive work begun to com- pile the records of the 25,000 (approximate) men who served.
Mere figures are painfully inadequate to portray fittingly the exalted spirit, the patriotism, the heroism and the unselfish- ness of the people of Monroe County and Rochester during the struggle overseas, but it is essential to preserve these statistics that they may serve as the substance and foundation of the end- less and thrilling narrative of the war which will be written and rewritten through the coming generations. An approximate tab- ulation shows that 512 Rochester men and 97 from elsewhere in the county were killed or died in the service. Records have been secured of 17,000 men from the city and 2,000 from the county, outside of the city, which, with the 400 records of those engaged in civilian work, slightly exceeds a total of 20,000. Many other citizens, some of foreign birth, joined the allies. The World War Service Record gives the following information concerning the registration :
"The man-power of Rochester and Monroe County is indicated in the draft tabulations. There were four Selective Service regis- trations: June 5, 1917; June 5, 1918; August 24, 1918; and September 12, 1918. On these dates a total of 68,776 men were registered by the eight local boards for the City of Rochester, and 16,084 by the three local boards for Monroe County, making a total of 84,860 registered for the entire County of Monroe. Of those registered, there were called, inducted and accepted, 7,627 from the City of Rochester, and 1,520 from the County of Monroe, making a total of 9,147."
The constantly departing troops and the attendant scenes, ill- supressed grief of friends and the grim resignation of the men, of
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the inspiring parades and stirring music, the rousing meetings held in every public hall, the impassioned oratory and all the other wartime demonstrations, provided a never ceasing stimu- lus for those at home busy with the serious work necessary to sustain the boys in the field. The stories of the Red Cross, the Home Defense Committee, the Draft Boards, the Liberty Loan workers, the Y. M. C. A., the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus, the churches, and every other agency in the city and county form an integral part of the tremendous story of the war and which, in due time, will be adequately told by those best fitted for the work.
The Monroe County Home Defense Committee consisted of Joseph T. Alling, Edward Bausch, Andrew H. Bown, Mrs. Henry G. Danforth, George Eastman, Thomas C. Gordon, Rt. Rev. Thomas F. Hickey, Abram J. Katz, Edward G. Miner, William T. Noonan, F. Harper Sibley, Hiram W. Sibley and Arthur E. Sutherland. Mayor Edgerton, Judge John B. M. Stephens, and Daniel Harrington, chairman of the county board of supervisors, were made honorary members. John G. Cutler was chosen the first chairman of the committee, and was later succeeded by Elmer E. Fairchild. George Eastman was elected vice chairman; James G. Cutler, secretary; and Edward G. Miner, treasurer. This committee was active in various ways. It supervised the raising of funds for war purposes, assisted in the organization of home defense units, encouraged war gardens, provided farm labor, gave patriotic instruction to foreigners, and aided in the campaign for the conservation of food.
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