USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 10
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The Second Battalion of the Eleventh Regiment (the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies of the Seventh Regiment) suffered in common with the other military organizations of the city at the close of the war. Its numerical strength was seri- ously impaired ; accessions to its ranks were trifling; and the at- tendance at drills and meetings was unsatisfactory. The general aversion to military duty, and the absence and indifference of so many members, were sufficient to discourage the most loyal and the most hopeful. Fortunately for the . companies, the offices made vacant by the resignations of the officers who had served during the campaign of 1814 were filled by active, able, and influential young men, whose energy, ambition, and talents carried the com- panies safely through a most critical period in their history. Lieu- tenant James Benedict was chosen captain of the First Company, vice Forman promoted; Lieutenant Christopher Wolfe became
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1815
captain of the Second Company, vice Rockwell resigned ; and Lieu- tenant Garrit Forbes was appointed captain of the Fourth Com- pany, vice Bradhurst resigned, but was succeeded before the end of the year by Lieutenant William Kumbel, who had won an enviable reputation during the active duty of the years 1812-1814 as the adjutant of the Eleventh Regiment.
Captain John M. Bradhurst was born at Washington Heights, in the city of New York, in the year 1783, and his ancestors were among the most respectable and distinguished of the early Dutch colonists. He was educated as a physician, but engaged in mer- cantile pursuits as a wholesale druggist, and the firm of Bradhurst & Field was for many years distinguished for its wealth and pros- perity. During the patriotic excitement of 1806 young Bradhurst was active and influential in the organization of a company of artil- lery, now the Fourth Company of the Seventh Regiment, and his wealth, education, and talents secured him the office of second lieu- tenant. In 1810 he was elected first lieutenant, and in 1812 he was chosen captain. In the latter position he achieved great success, and his company was so distinguished for its drill and discipline during the War of 1812 that it was popularly known as " Brad- hurst's Regulars." In addition to his active military service, Cap- tain Bradhurst manifested his patriotism by a liberal subscription to the war loan of the Government. He died in 1855, upon his extensive estate at Washington Heights.
Captain Edward Rockwell was one of the founders of the . Second Company, and was a distinguished character in its early history. At the organization of the company, in 1806, he was chosen orderly sergeant, and was commissioned second lieutenant in 1807, first lieutenant in 1809, and captain in 1813. He was an active and intelligent officer and a patriotic and popular citizen. His business as manufacturer and dealer in gold and silver jewelry was located at No. 200 Broadway.
The changes among the general militia officers in New York city in 1815 were also important. Major-General Ebenezer Ste- vens retired from the service, and Brigadier-General Jacob Morton was commissioned major-general of artillery. Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Curtenius, of the Second Regiment of Artillery, succeeded to the command of the New York Brigade of Artillery.
General Ebenezer Stevens was born in Boston in 1752, and was
1815
GENERAL EBENEZER STEVENS.
~83
an active member of the famous " Boston Tea-Party " in 1773. In 1775 he was commissioned as captain, and raised two companies of artillery and a company of artificers for the expedition to Quebec. In 1776 he was commissioned major of artillery, and was in charge of the artillery at Ticonderoga and at the battle of Stillwater. In 1778 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel, and was assigned to Colo- nel Lamb's regiment, was with Lafayette in Virginia, and in com- mand of the artillery, alternately with Lamb and Carrington, at Yorktown. After the Revolutionary War General Stevens became a leading merchant and a prominent citizen of New York. In 1798 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, commanding the New York Regiment of Artillery, in 1804 brigadier-general, and in 1805 major-general of artillery. During the War of 1812 he served actively and efficiently in the defense of the city of New York, and he resigned his commission as major-general in 1815. General Stevens died in 1823. The records of the militia of the city of New York bear upon their pages no name of greater dis- tinction than that of Ebenezer Ste- vens. He was an active patriot, a brave and accomplished soldier, an enterprising merchant, and a pub- lic-spirited citizen. His name was prominently connected with every public movement for the advance- ment of the interests and prosper- ity of New York, and his descend- ants have maintained his fame by their distinction in the commercial and public affairs of the city and A Soldier of the Eleventh Regiment, N. Y. S. Artillery. 1806-1815. State.
The uniform which had been worn by the artillery of New York since 1806 was modified, in 1815, by the adoption of a new cap, and by some other unimportant alterations. The following bill of dress was promulgated in orders of February 3, 1815, and
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1815
was not materially changed until the adoption of the gray uniform in 1824 :
BILL OF DRESS OF ELEVENTH REGIMENT, N. Y. S. A.
A cap, seven and a half inehes high (yeoman), two and one half inches front, bound with brass, trimmed with a cockade and yellow cord, braided and fes- tooned : a brass plate in front, and tassels on the right side ; a red band around the lower part of the crown, edged with yellow; feather, same as now worn by regiment.
The coat to be blue, with red collar, with two yellow buttons and holes; skirts turned up with red ; single-breasted : with stamped artillery-buttons, four on each cuff around the wrist, four on each pocket-flap, and eight on the hips and in the plaits.
Pantaloons to be white for those doing duty with muskets, and blue for those doing duty with field-pieces. Vests of the same color.
Long boots, to be worn over the pantaloons.
Daniel D. Tomp kins
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PARADES IN 1816.
1816
CHAPTER THIRD.
1816-1824.
BY an act of Congress, passed April 20, 1816, the old English regulation in respect to rank of field-officers was abolished. Com- mandants of regiments had heretofore ranked as lieutenant-colonels only, and bore that title; but, under the authority of the act re- ferred to, all lieutenant-colonels became colonels and first majors became lientenant-colonels of their respective regiments, and only one major was allowed to a regiment. The Council of Appoint- ment of the State of New York, on the 8th of July, 1816, by resolution ordered the commission of colonel to be issued to Lieutenant-Colonel Mercein, of the Eleventh Regiment of Artil- lery. First Major Andrew Bremner having recently resigned, Second Major Aaron Forman was appointed lieutenant - colonel, and Captain George W. Brown, of the First Battalion, was ap- pointed major.
Military affairs were exceedingly dull during the year 1816, the only parades worthy of notice occurring upon the 4th of July and 25th of November. On the anniversary of American Independ- ence the Brigade of Artillery was reviewed by Major-General Win- field Scott, of the United States Army. Line was formed in Hud- son Street, the review was followed by a marching salute in the park, and a feu-de-joie at the Battery concluded the exercises of the day. This was the first time that this distinguished officer appeared before any of the companies of the Seventh Regiment, but for a period of half a century thereafter his face was a familiar one to its officers and members, and his friendship and admiration for the corps were manifested on many memorable occasions. The commander-in-chief, Governor D. D. Tompkins, accompanied by Generals Scott and Gaines, of the United States Army, reviewed the Brigade of Artillery on the 25th day of November, and on the following day expressed in general orders his great satisfaction
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1816
with the appearance of the troops. A detail from the Eleventh Regiment hoisted the flag at the Battery at sunrise, and fired the national salute at noon, on the 25th of November, 1816.
From the organization of the Eleventh (Third) Regiment of Artillery, in 1807, it had consisted of two battalions-the first armed with field-pieces, and the second battalion (First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies of the future Seventh Regiment) armed with muskets. During the War of 1812, and the troublous times preceding it, the Second Battalion was often drilled as artil- lery, but always appeared with muskets at parades. After the war the drills of the Second Battalion were confined exclusively to the musket, and it gradually became apparent that the union of two battalions with different arms in the same regiment was incongru- ons and inconvenient. The time had not yet arrived for the sepa- ration of the two arms of the service into distinct regiments, and the difficulty was temporarily overcome by ordering the drills of the two battalions at different times and places. After this date the two battalions of the regiment rarely appeared together except at parades, and occasionally all the battalions of the artillery regi- ments of the city that were armed with muskets were exercised together for military improvement under the command of one of the colonels of the brigade.
During the season favorable to exercise in the open air, in 1816, the drills of the Second Battalion of the Eleventh Regiment were held at the arsenal-yard, or in the fields adjacent to the city. In the winter, meetings for business or drill were held at St. John's Hall, in Frankfort Street, near what is now known as Printing- House Square ; Tammany Hall, in the same vicinity, long famous as the headquarters of the Democratic party ; Harmony Hall, in William Street, near Frankfort Street; and Hodgkinson's (after- ward Stoneall's) Shakespeare Tavern, at the corner of Fulton and Nassau Streets. When not engaged for public balls, political meet- ings, or other purposes deemed more important than military exer- cises, the companies were occasionally called together at one of these places for drill and social reunion. As the arms, uniforms, and equipments of the members were always kept at their respect- ive residences, permanent quarters were not as necessary as at the present day.
A valuable souvenir of the period is a gold medal, which has
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GENERAL PETER CURTENIUS.
1817
been faithfully preserved in the First Company of the Seventh Regiment, and which bears the following inscription :
Presented by Captain James Benedict and Lieutenant Joseph Coles to the SECOND COMPANY, ELEVENTH REGIMENT, U. S. A.,
In memory of its late commandants, Henry Morgan and Aaron Forman.
April 15, 1816.
The First Company was at this date second in rank, and was therefore called the Second Company.
By the death of General Curtenius, in the early part of the year 1817, the command of the New York Brigade of Artillery devolved upon Colonel Horatio Gates Stevens, of the Second Regiment, who was subsequently commissioned its brigadier-general. General Peter Curtenius was the son of a distinguished Revolutionary patriot of the same name, and was for many years one of New York's foremost citizens. He was commissioned as a lieutenant of artillery in 1786, captain in 1793, major in 1794, and lieutenant- colonel commanding in 1804, vice Ebenezer Stevens promoted. He commanded the Second Regiment of Artillery during the War of 1812, and also held the position of United States Marshal for the District of New York in 1813. In 1815 he was commissioned as brigadier-general of artillery, vice Morton promoted. General Curtenius died in 1817, having completed thirty years of active and distinguished service in the New York State Artillery. His funeral took place on the 28th of March, and he was buried with military honors.
General Stevens entered upon his duties as commandant of the New York Brigade of Artillery with the earnest determination to revive the military spirit which had characterized it in former years. In his first order, the battalions of the brigade doing duty with small-arms were ordered to parade on the 21st of May, 1817, in full uniform for drill under Colonel Mercein, of the Eleventh Regiment, and the battalions doing duty with field-pieces were ordered to parade on the 22d of May, under Colonel Hunter, of the Third Regiment, and similar drills took place in June. On the 12th of June, President James Monroe visited New York and was honored with a public reception. The Brigade of Artillery paraded at the Battery, where it was reviewed by the President, accom-
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
panied by General Scott, after which the distinguished guest of the city was escorted to the City Hall and was formally welcomed by the mayor. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, President Monroe was escorted to the Merchants' Hotel in Wall Street. On the 4th of July the brigade paraded, and was reviewed by Governor De Witt Clinton. In August the Eleventh Regiment of Artillery pro- ceeded to Staten Island upon the steamer Connecticut for a day's target-practice, and in September the officers of the brigade were ordered to the same place "for practice with field-pieces, howitzers, and mortars." On the 4th of November the brigade paraded for annual inspection and review, and the usual parade took place on the 25th of November.
The officers of the Eleventh Regiment actively seconded the efforts of General Stevens for a military revival. The regiment continued to maintain its leading position in the brigade. A few of the veterans of the War of 1812, influenced by military tastes or attracted by old associations, remained in its ranks, and, by precept and example, aided and encouraged the younger members to pre- serve the fame and the good name of the organization. During the year 1817 Lieutenant-Colonel Aaron Forman resigned his com- mission and was succeeded by Major George W. Brown. Captain George H. Stanton, of the Third Company, was appointed major, vice Brown promoted, and Lieutenant Andrew T. Goodrich was his successor as captain of that company. Lieutenant-Colonel Aaron Forman was one of the founders of the First Company, and was elected second lieutenant at its organization in 1806. He was pro- moted to first lieutenant in 1809, captain in 1812, second and first major in 1815, and lieutenant-colonel in 1816. He was an earnest, faithful, and reliable officer, and was universally esteemed and re- spected.
The activity in military affairs which commenced with the accession of General Stevens to the command of the brigade con- tinued throughout the year 1818, but without very favorable re- sults. Indifference to drills, carelessness in appearance, and an increasing disposition to convert the military organizations of the city into convivial associations, were among the remarkable features of the condition to which a few years of peace had reduced the splendid regiments which New York furnished to the United States service in the war with Great Britain. A new militia law,
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FUNERAL OF GENERAL MONTGOMERY.
1818
passed in 1818, was intended to aid and encourage the uniformed militia ; but, as it required companies of artillery to be composed of volunteers, and to furnish their own uniforms, arms, and equip- ments, and, at the same time, afforded no reasonable or sufficient inducement for such voluntary service and additional expenditure of time and money, it was of no particular benefit to the New York Brigade of Artillery.
The 4th of July and the 25th of November were celebrated with considerable spirit in 1818, and the troops were reviewed by Governor De Witt Clinton, who, as a distinguished and favorite son of New York, always secured an enthusiastic welcome. The only military event of importance of the year was the funeral of General Richard Montgomery, who fell at Quebec in the early part of the Revolutionary War. On the 8th of July, 1818, his remains arrived in New York from Quebec, and were deposited in St. Paul's churchyard. The military, the civic societies, and at least five thousand citizens, paraded in Broadway, the right of the line resting on Bowling Green, and, after marching through Broadway and Chambers, Chatham, Pearl, and Beaver Streets, attended the funeral ceremonies at St. Paul's Church. While the procession moved, minute-guns were fired by the Washington seventy-four- gun ship, at the navy-yard, and at the forts in the harbor. The service was read by the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart, the sacred music was performed by the Handel and Haydn Society, and a vol- ley of musketry was fired by a detachment of infantry over the grave of the brave and distinguished soldier.
Colonel Thomas R. Mercein and Major George H. Stanton re- signed their commissions in 1818, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brown was promoted to the colonelcy. Captain James Benedict, of the First Company, was appointed lieutenant-colonel, and Captain Jonas Hubert, of the First Battalion, became major. Lieutenant Joseph Coles was chosen captain of the First Company, vice Benedict pro- moted, and Lieutenant Peter Bolles was chosen captain of the Third Company, vice Goodrich resigned, and before the end of the year was succeeded by Lieutenant Matthias O'Connor.
Colonel Thomas R. Mercein was one of the founders of the Fourth Company of the Seventh Regiment, and at its organization in 1806 was chosen first lieutenant. In 1810 he was promoted to captain and served upon the staff of the Brigade of Artillery, and
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT. 1819
in 1813 held the responsible position of brigade-major. His valu- able services during the War of 1812, and his ability as a staff- officer, were duly recognized by his superiors and by the public generally. He was appointed by the Governor of the State to the responsible office of Sheriff of the City and County of New York, and from 1813 to 1816 was the comptroller of the city. He was also Treasurer of the Defense Committee in 1814. In 1814 he was appointed major of the Eleventh Regiment, N. Y. A., vice Morgan deceased. In 1815 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and during the same year was commissioned as colonel. Colonel Mercein was a prominent, popular, and patriotic citizen, and one of the ablest and most distinguished military officers of the period.
Major George H. Stanton enlisted in the Third Company at its organization in 1806, and was one of its most active and devoted members. In 1810 he was a sergeant, and was promoted to second and first lieutenant in 1812, captain in 1813, and major in 1817. Ile was distinguished for his ability as a company officer, and was a thorough military instructor. His earnestness and energy in promoting the interests of his command and in maintaining its reputation were noticeable at this period, and gave him distinction among his contemporaries.
During the year 1819 the Eleventh Regiment renewed its activity and gave promise of returning prosperity. Many active and influential young men entered its ranks ; its drills were more frequent, and its parades larger and more attractive. At the same time its apparent prosperity was to a great extent due to the change which was taking place in the character of the association. A per- ilous condition of the country had originally called the regiment into existence ; during the war it had been purely and practically a military organization ; but in the dull and monotonous years of peace which followed, it had gradually laid aside its stern military features, and assumed a more social and convivial character. In a regimental order dated May 17th, Colonel Brown complimented the regiment upon its improved prospects and referred to the "valu- able amendments to the militia law passed at the last session of the Legislature " as likely to increase its members and promote its wel- fare. The provisions of law referred to were intended to encour- age enlistments, by defining and extending the privileges and ex- emptions of artillerymen, as well as to enforce discipline by proper
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PARADES IN 1819.
1819
fines and penalties, and the collection and enforcement of the same.
Several drills for officers and non-commissioned officers were held at Tammany Hall, the recognized headquarters of the regi- ment. The Board of Officers met monthly at that place to devise ways and means of advancing the interests of the regiment, and the dinners and social reunions of the several companies nearly all took place at Tammany Hall. Several battalion drills were ordered during the year at the arsenal-yard, the two battalions of the regi- ment parading for that purpose on separate days-the First under the lieutenant-colonel, and the Second under the major. But the efforts for military improvement were not successful in re-establish- ing the reputation of the regiment as a military organization. The " Evening Post " noticed editorially the parade of the Brigade of Artillery on the 4th of July, 1819, as follows :
The line was formed at the Battery, and having marched through Broadway, Greenwich, and Chambers Street to the City Hall, they were dismissed in the park, having, on the whole, performed an arduous march of nearly half a mile. The performance ended by the firing of a feu-de-joie, by the way of three cheers, I presume, for the feat they had achieved. The parade was not that we have seen in former times, particularly at the close of the last war. - The men did not march as well 'in any respect, nor make so soldierly an appearance ; some of them nodding familiarly to their friends and acquaintances, and others very soberly smoking their cigars as they marched along. The music too was inferior, the marches badly selected. The animated fife of Cochran was not there-nor anything to remind one of it. The commanders certainly made a creditable ap- pearance, and were in general well mounted. I like to see an officer at the head of his regiment, with a grave and manly countenance, suitable to the occasion and his business, showing that he is occupied with that and that only; and not that sort of a look which seems to say, " Girls, have at ye all, damme !"
The first parade in 1819 was on the 24th of May, regimental line forming in Chatham Square; and the Eleventh Regiment also paraded on the 8th and 28th of June. The usual parade took place on the 4th of July, the Eleventh Regiment forming "at the Flag- Staff, on the Battery." The annual inspection and review was on the 2d day of November, regimental line forming in front of the arsenal, in Elm Street. The regiment paraded on the 16th of November ; and the last parade of the year was on the 25th day of November, when the troops were reviewed by Governor De Witt Clinton. At the conclusion of the military ceremonies of the day, the officers of the Second, Third, Ninth, and Eleventh Regiments
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1820
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
of Artillery dined together at Tammany Hall. A peculiarity of the parade of the 25th of November, which was a subject of cur- rent criticism, was the formation of the brigade line in Canal Street -a locality distant from the center of business and population. Target excursions were now becoming popular, and in September the non-commissioned officers of the Second Battalion of the Elev- enth Regiment proceeded to Williamsburgh for a day's shooting.
The only change in the field-officers of the Eleventh Regiment, in 1819, was caused by the resignation of Major Humbert, who was succeeded by Captain William Kumbel, of the Fourth Com- pany. Lieutenant Gilbert Hopkins became captain of the First Company, vice Coles resigned ; Lieutenant Charles Hull, captain of the Second Company, vice Wolfe resigned ; Lieutenant John D. Wilson, captain of the Third Company, vice O'Connor re- signed ; and Lieutenant Jacob Hunter, captain of the Fourth Com- pany, vice Kumbel promoted. Of the retiring military officers, the most distinguished was Captain Christopher Wolfe, of the Sec- ond Company. He enlisted as a private in 1808, served with dis- tinction as a lieutenant during the War of 1812, and was elected captain in 1815. He was a thorough soldier, a splendid officer, and an accomplished gentleman. He held a high social position in the commu- nity, was an active, enterprising, and successful merchant, and a public- spirited and patriotic citizen.
In February, 1820, Colonel Brown resigned his commission, and Lien- tenant-Colonel James Benedict was promoted to the colonelcy of the Eleventh Regiment of Artillery; Major Kumbel was appointed lien- tenant-colonel, and Captain Josiah- Mann, of the First Battalion, became major of the regiment. In Septem- ber Lieutenant-Colonel Kumbel re- Lieutenant-Colonel William Kumbel. From a photograph, 1866. signed, and Major Mann became lieutenant-colonel ; and Captain Peter W. Spicer, of the First Battalion, was appointed major. Lieuten- ant-Colonel William Kumbel enlisted in the Third Company soon
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