USA > New York > History of the One hundred and twenty-fourth regiment, N. Y. S. V. > Part 23
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Just after dinner, I was informed that two ladies desired to go through the picket line, and rode out to examine their pass. They were well dressed, intelligent appearing young persons and were mounted on a pair of poorly groomed but fine bred animals. Accompanying them was a middle aged mulatto woman seated on a clumsy looking farm horse and carrying in front of her a large basket filled with bundles. They had refused to deliver their pass to a lieutenant who had charge of a section of the line through which the road they were pursuing ran, but as soon as
* Colonel Lakeman had that morning, I was informed, in answer to an insulting slur on Yankees in general, called Miss Jennie's attention to a sow with a litter of pigs, say- ing, " allow me to point out to you a family of the genuine F. F. Vs. of Virginia."
t Colonel Cummins had participated in the battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing. and was frequently addressed in a familiar way by his cronies as " Old Shiloh,"
-
25S
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
I rode up they handed it to me, remarking, " This gentleman here wishes to take our pass from us; and then how could we get through the line again and beside, Mr. Colonel-, at your army head-quarters, said we might keep it until we could come there for a new one." The document referred to now lies be- fore me and reads as follows :
HEAD-QUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. OFFICE PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL, FEBRUARY 4, 1864.
The bearers, Misses Payne and guard, have permission to pass from their home to Culpepper C. H. for the purpose of making purchases and return.
M. R. PATRICK,
This pass will } expire Feb. 10 5 Provost Marshal General, Army of Potomac.
I asked these ladies how often they had been through our lines on this pass, and they replied " Every day or two since we received it." " But," I said, " it states on its face that it expires February 10th and it is now the 23d-I will be obliged to take it up." They protested very strongly against my doing so but finally rode away.
About noon on the 26th of February I received an order to report forthwith in person to General Birney at Division bend- quarters. . On arriving there I was placed in command of eight hundred men who had been detailed from the various regiments, and ordered to move out with them and relieve the Sixth corps piekets-that corps having been ordered to make, in conjunction with a brigade of cavalry under Custer, a demonstration against Lee's left. All sorts of rumors were rife, and it was believed by many that the spring campaign was about to open ; but the real object was simply to hold the enemy's attention while General Kilpatrick with a division of cavalry moved around their right flank and started off on a grand raid, which it was hoped might result in a temporary occupation of Richmond and the release of our half starved prisoners confined there.
I found the piekets I was sent to relieve stretched over a space six miles in length, and it was past nine o'clock before I reached the most distant post. Early the
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 239
following morning (Feb. 27), I was relieved and ordered to proceed to Brandy Station and take charge of a corps fatigue party which was being assembled there, but before I arrived they had been sent off under some one else. I then reported to General French, at Corps head-quarters near Culpepper, and was directed by him to return to my regiment, which he said was under marching orders. I reached our camp at noon, having had a morning's ride of about twenty miles. At 3 P. M. fifty men of our regiment, who had accompanied me to the relief of the Sixth corps pickets, came into camp and stated that they had been relieved at noon by men from the Third division of our corps. That evening we learned that Birney's division was to move out after the Sixth corps. More than half of the men and company officers of the 124th were out picketing on our own division line, but about two hours after midnight they returned to camp.
Our regimental line was formed at 7 A. M. on the 28th, and we moved over to Division head-quarters where the three bri- gades were soon assembled, and at eight o'clock our division dag was seen moving away, and our brigade-with the 124th the third regiment from the head of the column-was the first to move after it. When we reached Culpepper the 14th Brooklyn, which was stationed there, turned out to salute us, and our division moved through the place at quick time with the regiments formed in column of companies, arms at a shoulder, banners fly- ing, and division band and regimental drum corps playing lively tunes. We soon reached and passed through our infantry picket line, after which we rested for about twenty minutes ; then fell in and started on again, moving at a rapid gait hour after hour, resting only five or six minutes at a time, until 3 p. M. when we reached and were halted at James City, on grounds where a di- vision of the Sixth corps had bivouacked the previous night.
James City consists of three or four dilapidated, unpainted, dingy looking frame dwellings and a deserted, doorless blacksmith shop. The 28th was a rather pleasant day, but about 10 P. M. a rain storm set in. But few of the men had brought their tents
-
260 HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
with them and nearly all were pretty thoroughly soaked before morning. Sergeant Taft writes in his diary under date of Mon- day, Feb. 29th as follows : "When I awoke this morning I found that my blankets were all wet, and that I was lying in a pool of water. I slept so soundly that I was not aware it had been raining."
The march was not resumed on Monday and the men spent a portion of the day building bough-houses to protect them from the storm, which seemed hourly to increase in severity. As evening approached it became so cold that the rain changed to ice as it fell. But few had been able to dry their clothes, and nearly all spent a sleepless and most cheerless night.
Tuesday afternoon (March Ist) a small drove of Confederate cattle were brought to our camp and shot. There was consider- able discussion among the men as to whether the chief object in slaughtering these cattle was, to prevent the poor animals starv- ing, or to furnish the troops with soup bones. During the day we heard considerable artillery firing in the direction of Madison Court House. Toward evening the rain gave place to snow, and the muddy ground was soon covered with a thin coating of white slush. The night was a little warmer than the previous one but we came far short of sleeping comfortably.
Wednesday morning (March 2) broke clear and cold. At 6 A. M. we received orders to return to camp, and half an hour later were under way. The roads were frozen quite hard when we started, but by 9 o'clock the sun's rays had drawn the frost from the ground and instead of walking on hard rough ruts the men sank at nearly every step, from three to ten inches in sticky, heavy mud. We however pushed on as rapidly as possi- ble, without halting to eat, or even to rest for more than two or three minutes at a time ; and before darkness appeared were in our log huts near Culpepper again-covered with mud, very hungry, and oh, how tired.
Thursday was devoted to pounding and washing the dirt from our clothing and scouring the rust from our weapons ; after which we resumed our usual camp duties.
.
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 261
Early in March U. S. Grant was made Lieutenant-General, and invested by the President with the chief command of all the armies of the United States. About the middle of the month he announced that until further orders on the subject, his headquar- ters would be with the Army of the Potomac in the field; and the work of putting that army in the best possible condition for, what nearly every soldier in it believed was to be, a severer cam- paign than it had yet known, was forthwith begun in earnest, and was most vigorously prosecuted until the order, " Forward against the foe," was issued.
We continued to spend about the usual proportion of our time on the picket lines ; but when in camp, large quantities of ammu- nition, and many an hour hitherto given to recreation, were by special orders expended in target practice and shooting at imagi- nary foes ; and drills, inspections, and reviews, became so fre- quent as to leave us but few leisure hours. The granting of short furloughs, however, was continued, and on a more liberal scale than usual ; and a considerable number of line and non-commis- sioned officers were detached from the veteran battalions and sent to their respective States on recruiting service.
On the 12th March, a detail consisting of Captain Jackson, Lieutenant Charles Stewart, Sergeants, Joshua V. Cole, of " G," Joseph Alwood of " I," and four other enlisted men, whose names I am unable to recall, were sent to Orange County to see what could be done at home toward swelling the ranks of the 124th. These parties, especially the Captain, left our camp evi- dently expecting that when they returned to the regiment they would have the pleasure of bringing with them to its depleted ranks a goodly number of brave volunteer recruits; but our re- cord, it would appear, was already too bloody. Our long list of killed and wounded, when contrasted with the comparatively small number lost in battle by Congressman Van Wyek's regi- ment, the 10th Legion, which had entered the service nearly a year before the 124th, told most seriously to our disadvantage, so far as procuring recruits was concerned. " I find," wrote Capt. Jackson, about two weeks after he had reached home, "that
262
HISTORY OF THE 14TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
every loyal person I meet here seems wonderfully proud of, and can tell me all about ' our glorious Orange Blossoms ; ' but unfor- tunately nearly every man, woman, and child in the county en- tertains a superstition that the placing of one's name on the rolls of the 124th is equivalent to signing his death warrant." About the middle of April the Captain became so discouraged because of his want of success, that he asked to be recalled to duty at the front; and on the 24th he, with his party of assistants, rejoined the regiment-but they did not bring with them a dozen recruits.
On the 17th of March Colonel Cummins received an order · from Major-General Birney, which stated that, in order to equal- ize the brigades under him, the 124th New York would be trans- ferred to the Third Brigade, and that the 40th New York, which" was then the largest regiment in the division, would be sent in its stead to the Second Brigade. I was at the time absent from the regiment, enjoying a ten day furlough, but the following copy of an original document, which I find in the official records of the regiment, shows with what feelings the officers at least contem- plated a separation from their twin brother regiment, the 86th New York, along and by the side of which they had moved, en- camped, and fought from the very first day of their entry into active service. The indorsements show something of the stand- . ing of the 124th with the generals who knew most about it.
"CAMP OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, March 17, 1864. " To MAJOR-GENERAL D. B. BIRNEY, Com'g First Die. Third Corps :
" We, the undersigned, officers of the 124th New York Volunteers, having learned with regret that our transfer from the Second Brigade is contemplated, do most respectfully ask to be allowed to remain in it for the following reasons :
" We have been in this brigade since we came into this division. Hay- ing been so long associated with its gallant officers, we have become deeply attached to them.
" It would separate us from the 86th New York, the officers and men of which we hold in the highest esteem, and with whom we have been associated since our organization as a regiment, having fought side by side "with them in every engagement in which we have borne a part.
" These considerations, in addition to the very high estimation in which
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 263
we have always held our present brigade commander, Brig .- Gen. J. II. Hobart Ward, induce us to make this appeal to you.
"Trusting our conduct, while under your command, has been such as to induce you to give this petition your favorable consideration, we sub- scribe ourselves,
" Very respectfully your obedient servants.
"F. M. CUMMINS, Colonel Com'ding 124 N. Y. Vol. H. S. MURRAY, Captain Company B. JAMES W. BENEDICT, Captam Company D. IRA S. BUSH, Captain Company F. THOMAS J. QUICK, Captain Company G. CHARLES B. WOOD, Captain Company A. HENRY F. TRAVIS, Captain Company I. WILLIAM E. MAPES, First Lieut. Company B. THEODORE M. ROBINSON, First Lieut. Co. E. JOHN R. HAYS, Lieutenant Company H. LEWIS S. WISNER, Lieutenant Company K.
JOHN W. HOUSTON, Lieutenant Company D. CHARLES T. CRESSEY, Lieutenant Company A. "WILLIAM B. VAN HOUTEN, First Lientenant and Adjutant."
" HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION, THIRD CORPS, March 17, 1861. " Respectfully forwarded. If, in the opinion of the Major-General commanding, the exigencies of the service will permit, I would also ask that the views of the regiment be carried out. The officers and men are very melancholy in regard to the transfer. The esprit-du-corps is great ; it is with regiments as with brigades. If a brigade of this division should be exchanged for another, the feelings of all concerned may be imagined but cannot be described. There is no better fighting regiment in this division than the 124th New York. They feel proud of their brigade and division. I sincerely hope if, in the judgment of the Major-General com- manding, the service will not be injured thereby, that the petition of the officers may be granted.
J. H. HOBART WARD, Brigadier-General."
" HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, THIRD CORPS, March 17, 1864.
" Respectfully returned. The request of the officers of this gallant regiment will be fully considered. The exigencies of the service demand a transfer now, but it may not be necessary to make it a permanent trans- fer. The Major-General commanding will try to meet the views and grant the request of the officers.
" By command of MAJOR-GENERAL BIRNEY.
"CHARLES H. GRAVES, Captain and A. A. G,"
..
264
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
. The regiment had been instructed to prepare for moving camp, but on the 18th an order came stating that it would be allowed to remain in the camp it then occupied. All reports, however, were sent to, and we received orders from the commanding officer of the Third brigade for about ten days, when we were formally re-transferred to Ward's brigade. Sergeant Taft writes concern- ing the doings of the regiment from the 19th to the 29th as follows :
" Saturday, March 19th .- We received orders about 10 o'clock last night to make ourselves comfortable, as the order to move camp had been countermanded. This news was the occasion of great rejoicing, in the 86th as well as in our own regiment. Have spent the afternoon cleaning up for Sunday inspection. All regular drills and duties were omitted except dress parade, which was held by Lieut .- Colonel Weygant, who returned from furlough this afternoon.
" Sunday, March 20th .- Clear and very cold. The whole of the Third brigade was formed in line for inspection, at 9 A. M., on the top of a bleak hill, where there was nothing to break off the piercing wind. Our regiment was the last one inspected, and we stood there shivering until one o'clock.
"Monday, March 21st .- Colder than ever. Nearly all the men of our regiment went out on picket this morning.
" Wednesday, March 23d .- A heavy storm set in about four o'clock yesterday afternoon, and when we got up this morning we found the ground covered with about eight inches of snow-a very unusual thing for the sunny south, I should imagine. But the sun came out quite warm this morning, and the snow is now (12 M.) wasting quite rapidly. Quartermaster Post has found a sleigh somewhere, and he and several of our line officers who remained in camp are riding about in high glee. General Birney has had an ambulance body placed on runners, and is also enjoy- ing the sleighing. It must have been very severe on our boys out on picket last night.
" Sunday, March 27th .- Inspection from nine to twelve by Colonel Cummins. Divine service at the theatre * in the after-
* Immediately after the army had settled in winter quarters there were erected in
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 265
noon. Chaplain Bradner opened the meeting, and Chaplain Acker, of the 86th, preached from Matthew x. 6.
" Tuesday, March 29th .- Cloudy, windy, and cold. We were ordered to be ready for corps review at nine A. M. Bugle blew ' fall in' at half-past eight, and we formed on color line and stacked arms. Before nine o'clock it began to rain, but at the appointed time, in spite of a cold driving storm, we started for the corps review ground, knowing very well that we would not have a review in such a storm. After we had marched about two miles the order was countermanded, and we returned to camp."
About the 1st of April our division moved to the left some three miles, and occupied a portion of the line which the Third division of our corps had just vacated. The 124th was here assigned to log cabins which had been erected, and occupied for several months, by the 10th Vermont. We found in their camp a regimental chapel which the Green Mountain boys had built in a tasty and substantial manner of hewn logs. It was fifty feet long and thirty-five feet wide. In one end was a speaker's stand, and it was furnished with seats made of split logs hewn very smooth. The first Sunday after our arrival there Chaplain Brad- ner preached to us a most excellent. sermon from Matthew xxiv. 35.
The 86th, as usual, lay adjoining the 124th, and in mounting guard the two regiments united forces, and one line of sentries inclosed the two camps. Our chapel, too, became joint property, and every Sunday afternoon during our sojourn there our chap- lains preached alternately to attentive congregations, composed of about equal numbers of men from each regiment.
As the month of April wore away, the fact that our long period of comparative repose was drawing rapidly to a close be- came daily more and more apparent. On the 12th an order was .. received directing that all surplus clothing, blankets, and the like, be packed in cracker boxes and sent to Washington, where,
nearly every brigade one or more large log buildings, which were used for public assemblages. These buildings were sometimes called theatres and sometimes chapels.
266 HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
it was said, they would be stored until needed again, or the owners should call for them. On the 1,6th all sutlers were ordered to leave the army. On the 21st regimental hospitals were broken up, and the entire ambulance force was kept busy for several days cart- ing the sick, first to division hospitals, and then from the division hospitals to the depot at Culpepper, where they were packed in cars and started for government hospitals in and about Washing- ton. On the 22d there was a grand review by Generals Grant and Meade, accompanied by the corps commanders ; and on the 26th the entire army vacated its winter camps and moved out and pitched its canvas and muslin shelters in the open fields- our brigade encamping in a ravine, from which the men had to go half a mile for water, and a mile and a half for wood. To this last movement there was but one accepted interpretation, which was given by the soldiers, one to the other, in such figurative but very plain terms, as " Stand from under "-" Time is up "- " Look out for breakers "-or, " I want to go home."
Since our arrival at Brandy Station, at the close of the Gettys- burg campaign, which, it will be remembered, ended with the month of July, 1863, the losses and gains of the regiment, in addition to those already recorded, were as follows :
GAINS.
FIRST LIEUTENANT E. J. CARMICK, COMPANY F.
John McGrath
. Company A
John Slawson.
. Company B
James Smith.
B
William H. Thorp
B
George Boon.
B
James Lewis.
B
Harvey P. Corey
John N. Carey B
66
B
John K. Payne.
B
Martin V. Campbell
B
John White.
B
John W. Stanton
B
Moses Rumsey
B
Charles Gordon
D
Josiah Smith
B
William H. Gordon.
D
Charles Gialicher.
B
David D. Barrett
D
Martin Everett
B
Simeon Garrison
D
Daniel Babcock
B
James Ryerson.
D
. Matthew Babcock
B
Peter D. Howell
D
Hezekiah H. Montross
B
Michael McMorris
D)
Charles Babcock.
B
William H. Morgan
John Morgan.
B
William E. Merritt.
D
Thomas Morgan
B
Joseph Quackenbush
D
Joseph Gordon.
B David D. Sayer.
D
1
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 267
George E. Storms Company D
William H. Carley
Company F
Stephen Valentine
D
George H. Crawford.
66
G
John Schofield
D
Joseph Vredenburg
G
Levi D. Fowler
Archibald Millspaugh D
G
Sylvester Quackenbush
D
Charles E. Owen
G
David Barrett, Jr
D
Nathan W. Parker
G
Garrett Decker 66
D John F. Meyers
G
Joseph Herman 66
D John Felic. .
H
Oscar S. Weymar.
66
D Charles E. Hicks
H
Almond P. Sherman
D Martin Brennan
I
Joseph J. Yeomans
66
D
Kenneth McClellan
I
James Walker
66
E Ezra Williams
. I
Nearly all the men whose names appear in the above list were volunteers from Orange County, and a considerable number of them had " seen service" in other regiments.
LOSSES.
During the period referred to the following names had, in addition to those of men killed or mortally wounded in battle, been added to our " Death List : "
HOSPITAL STEWARD ISAAC ELLISON.
CORP. Elisha P. Benjamin . Company B | Private Henry B. Appleman. . Company F
CORP. Robert W. Gardner
B John Chambers. .
5
CORP. George C. Godfrey E Nelson De Groat. G
Private Samuel Clark. 66
A James Cullen. I
Samuel Shultz.
B
Daniel E. Webb
K
" Henry Hoofman C
Eighty-two of our original members had, meantime, because of physical debility, arising in most instances from wounds re- ceived in battle, been transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. The following is a complete list of their names :
CORP. Abram Bellows. Company A | George Culver. Company B
Charles II. Valentine. A CORP. Daniel O'Hara. ..
C
Robert Potter ..
66
A CORP. Oscar Terwilliger.
C
SERGT. Robt. R. Murray B CORP. Ephraim Tompkins C
CORP. John Williams 66
B David Wright
Moses S. Clark 16
B William Bodenstein. C
Harrison Bull.
66 B George W. Florence C
: John F. Brown
B Peter Conklin
C
Herman Crans
B William H. Maney
C
James Finley
B Isaac Odell
C
Dennis MeCormick.
B CORP. E. Morris Bahrman 6.
David R. P. Van Gordon
B CORP. Ezra Ilyatt 66 D
William E. Titus
66
B Nathan Hunt.
· D
:
.
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268
HISTORY OF THE 124TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
William H. Callister Company D
SERGT. George B. Youngblood, Company H
John Gannin
. ‹
D
Samuel S. Youngblood
H
Stephen W. Garrison
Andrew Bowman
H
Norman L. Dill.
D Thomas H. Baker
H
Abram C. Forshee
D
Jesse F. Camp
H
Joseph B. Ray. .
Thornton Dawson
וי
H
William H. Tomer.
D
David Hawley
=
H
Olander A. Humphrey
D
David Traphagan
H
SERGT. William Price.
E
SERGT. Amos M. Eager
I
John H. Miller
E
CORP. Samuel McQuaid
I
Charles J. Fosdick
E
John H. McAllister
I
John H. Little
E
Whitmore Baxter.
I
Charles M. Everett.
E
James Bovell
1
Job M. Snell.
F
Jacob Chatfield
4
I
Andrew Mesler
F
Nelson Foot
I
Abram Drake.
F James C. Haggerty
I
George H. Langton
F Anson Hamilton
I
Clement B. Anderson
F
John Hamil
I
CORP. Lewis P. Miller.
David L. Kidd.
I
CORP. Charles G. Cooper
G
William Milliken
I
Peter F. Bernier.
G
CORP. George Vanskiver.
K
William E. Cannon
G
CORP. Daniel Carpenter
K
John M. Calyer.
G
George W. Camfield. 66
K
George W. Odell.
G
Hugh Foley
16
K
Abram Stalter.
G
William H. Carter
K
Alexander Trainer.
G
Ira S. Ketcham
K
Charles H. Wright.
G
The following sixty-four had been, for the same reason, mus- tered out of the service, many of them minus an arm or a leg, or otherwise maimed for life :
ADJUTANT WILLIAM BRONSON.
CORP. William McQuoid. Company A
James McElroy
Company C
Samuel L. Conklin.
A John W. Smith.
D
Abraham Hyatt
A
Richard Quackenbush.
..
D
James Jones.
Jonas F. Quackenbush. A
D
Hervey Kimball
A
William L. Becroft.
D
William Myers A
William McGarrah.
D
2D LT. GABRIEL S. TUTHILL, . . B Thomas Storms. =
D
CORP. James Scott.
..
B 1ST LIEUT. WM. A. VERPLANK,
E
Ezra F. Tuthill
B CORP. Oscar Harris, Jr.
E
William H. Luckey
B CORP. Hiram Ketcham
E
George Babcock
B
Judson Kelley 06
E
Albert Young
B Adam W. Beakes.
E
Hugh McShane
66
B 2D LIEUT. SAMUEL W. HOTCHKISS, F
Daniel C. Rider
C CORP. Michael Rensler
F
James Montgomery
.
C William H. Schofield
F
John Tompkins
C Ira Gordon.
F
George G. Taylor
C George W. Adams.
..
F
I
William H. Patterson
.6
F
Alexander Crawford.
"
..
66
FIVE MONTHS AT BRANDY STATION AND CULPEPPER. 269
Richard L. White .Company F
CAPT. LEANDER CLARK . Company I
Martin W. Quick
F
SERGT. Spencer C. Brooks. . .
I
William C. Vansickle
F
CORP. Samuel Chalmers. 66
I
1ST LT. JAMES O. DENNISTON,
G CORP. John H. Stanton
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