USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 17
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160
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1827
ner, the duties of that important office. His distinguished urbanity of manner, his thorough knowledge of the details of the city gov- ernment, his unwavering honesty and fidelity to duty, secured for him an enviable local reputation. As he advanced in years his placid and venerable appearance attracted universal attention, and the name and face of " Uncle David " Valentine became familiar to all New-Yorkers, young and old. He died in 1869, universally loved and respected. Captain Valentine commenced in the year 1841 the publication of an annual called the "Manual of the Cor- poration of the City of New York," a work involving great labor and patient research. In addition to complete statistics in respect to all the offices and institutions of the city of New York, these volumes contain a mass of valuable information in respect to the early history of the city, with copies of its oldest original maps and views of its most ancient and curious buildings, and of the most dis- tinguished edifices erected in modern times. The series is now much songht for and highly prized by all collectors of rare and valuable books. Captain Valentine also published in 1853 the first volume of the " Documentary History of New York," but did not complete or publish the second volume. His was a life of earnest and de- voted labor, of integrity and faithfulness, of kindness and charity.
On the 17th of November Colonel Stevens announced the death of Paymaster Robert J. Delavan, and in orders paid a deserved tribute to the character and virtues of that estimable and accom- plished gentleman. At an extra meeting of the Board of Officers resolutions of respect and condolence were adopted, and the officers subsequently, by permission of the relatives of the deceased, erected a head-stone with a suitable inscription at the grave of their comrade.
The feeble and somewhat mythical existence which had been maintained by the Eighth Company since its birth in May, 1826, was finally terminated by the following order :
FIRST BRIGADE, N. Y. STATE ARTILERY. NEW YORK, November 5, 1827.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
The company denominated the 8th Company in the 27th Regiment, lately commanded by Captain Warner, not having fulfilled the requirements of the law, at the Annual Reviews and Inspections of 1826-'7, it becomes the duty of the Brigadier-General to disband the said company, and by virtue of the 3d section of the Militia Law, it is hereby disbanded.
By order of ROBERT F. MANLY, Brigadier-General : J. D. EVERSON, Brigade- Major and Inspector.
1827
THE EIGHTH COMPANY REORGANIZED.
161
Arrangements had been made to organize a new Eighth Com- pany, and, upon the promulgation of the above order, the parties to whom the work had been intrusted commenced active operations John H. Brower, a popular young merchant, had accepted the captaincy of the new company, and his activity and influence aided materially in securing the necessary number of members. The strong and prosperous companies of the Regiment generously con- tributed some experienced men to the new organization, and all united in the effort to place it upon a firm foundation. On the 3d day of January, 1828, the officers of the new Eighth Company were admitted as members of the Board of Officers, and the exist- ence of the company was officially recognized as follows :
STATE OF NEW YORK. HEAD QUARTERS, ALBANY, January 19, 1828.
GENERAL ORDERS.
The Commander-in-Chief directs that a new Company of Artillery be organized and attached to the 27th Regiment of New York State Artillery.
By order of the Commander-in-Chief : N. F. BICK, Adjutant-General.
FIRST BRIGADE, N. Y. STATE ARTILLERY. NEW YORK, January 31, 1828.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
The Brigadier-General promulgates the above General Orders for information to his command. The following officers in the newly organized company hav- ing taken the oath of office, will report themselves to the Commandant of the 27th Regt. without delay, viz. :
JOHN II. BROWER, Captain. SCHUREMAN HALSTED, First Lieutenant. ALFRED H. CLARK, Second Lieutenant.
In December an association of officers and non-commissioned officers was formed for the purpose of military improvement, called "The National Guards Private Military Association." A code of by-laws was adopted, and for a time the association ex- hibited some vitality, but after a brief period it languished and ceased to exist.
162
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1828
CHAPTER EIGHTH.
182S.
GOVERNOR DE WITT CLINTON died at Albany, February 11, 1828, and military honors to the distinguished statesman were rendered in New York on the 20th day of February. The artillery paraded in line and at open order at the Battery at 10 A. M. ; the colors of all the regiments, posted first on the right, were carried from the right to the left of the line, the troops saluting; the standards were then posted in front of the center of the line, with the major-general and brigadier-generals and their staffs, and the troops were marched past in platoons, officers saluting, muffled drums and bands playing a dirge. Detachments detailed for that purpose then marched in slow time to Fort Gansevoort, the North Battery, Castle Garden, Corlear's Hook, and Manhattan Market, where guns were fired half hourly until sunset. Governor Clinton had been in early life, and for a long period, an active and promi- nent officer in the New York State Artillery, and for many years mayor of the city ; his talents had secured for him the chief magis- tracy of the State and other offices of distinction ; and his sudden death cast a gloom over the city which had been honored by his greatness and which contained a host of his friends, admirers, and partisans.
The first part of the year was distinguished for the activity of the Regiment in its military exercises. The company drills of the winter months were followed by frequent drills of officers and non- commissioned officers at the arsenal-yard. On the 9th day of May the officers of the First Brigade assembled at the arsenal-yard " with side-arms in citizens' dress for military improvement." On the 23d of May the right wing of the Regiment drilled in full uni- form at the arsenal-yard, and on the 26th day of May the left wing drilled at the same place. The annual spring parade, in full uni- form, occurred on the 4th day of June, line forming in Park Place.
163
RECEPTION OF PHILADELPHIA GRAYS.
1828
On the 16th of June the Regiment paraded for brigade drill "on the Red Hook Road, south of the village of Brooklyn." As this drill occupied the entire day, and as the men had no knapsacks or haversacks for the transportation of rations, the Board of Officers appointed a committee "to provide sutlers whose duty it shall be to provide good and wholesome refreshments in convenient order and at reasonable rates for the Twenty-seventh Regiment." So earnest was Colonel Stevens in his efforts to improve the Regiment, that he secured the unanimous adoption by the Board of Officers at the February meeting of the following resolution : "Resolved, that the officers will attend future meetings with side-arms for drill."
An application having been make to Colonel Stevens by the Philadelphia Grays, Captain Miles, for permission to parade with the Twenty-seventh Regiment on the 4th day of July, arrange- ments were made for the reception and entertainment of that corps. The Fourth Company, Captain Holt, was detailed for the escort duty, and on the afternoon of the 2d day of July received the Philadelphia Grays at the ferry and escorted them to their quarters at the National Hotel. The officers of the Regiment, in undress uniform, assembled at the hotel to receive their military guests, a bountiful collation having been provided for their entertainment. General Manly, Colonel Moore, Colonel Hunt, and other distinguished officers of the militia, were present, and participated in the festivities of the occasion. From the hour of the arrival of the Grays until their departure the officers and members of the Twenty-seventh Regi- ment extended to them every possible attention, and their visit proved mutually agreeable and satisfactory. On the 4th of July the Regiment marched to the quarters of the Philadelphia Grays, and escorted them to their place in the division line. As military excursions from city to city were not of common occurrence at that period, the Philadelphians attracted considerable attention during the parade in Broadway. On the following day the Philadelphia Grays gave an exhibition drill in the Park, and were reviewed by the mayor, the Fourth Company volunteering a sergeant and twenty men for guard duty on that occasion.
On the 14th day of April the resignation of Lieutenant-Colonel Howard A. Simons was accepted, and at an election held on the 21st day of April, Major John J. Manning was elected lieutenant- colonel, and Captain Robert B. Boyd, of the Fifth Company, was
164
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1828
elected major. Lieutenant-Colonel Howard A. Simons was born near Albany in 1786, and at an early age came to New York and engaged as a book-keeper in the leather trade. He retired from business in 1833, and died in 1841. He enlisted as a private in the Fourth Company, served as a non-commissioned officer, and was elected lieutenant in 1823, captain in 1824, major in 1826, and lieutenant-colonel in 1827. He was a very popular and valuable officer, and was dis- tinguished for his kind and ge- nial manners, and for a remark- able ability to entertain his friends and comrades from an exhaustless fund of anecdotes. Lieutenant-Colonel Howard A. Simons. Being a fine musician, his songs were the delight of all convivial meetings of his company and of the Regiment. In person he was short and stout, had a bright and pleasant face, and his appearance in uniform was attractive and commanding.
On the 9th day of July, Colonel Stevens announced, in regi- mental orders, the resignation of his commission. As Colonel Stevens was induced at a subsequent period to resume command of the Regiment, a sketch of the valuable service of this accomplished officer is deferred until the date of his final retirement from active duty in the Regiment. The officers and members of the Regiment testified their appreciation of Colonel Stevens as a soldier and gentle- man by presenting to him two elegant silver pitchers, upon which were engraved the arms of the corps and a suitable inscription. The presentation took place at the house of Colonel Stevens, on the 31st day of December, in presence of the officers of the Regiment and a committee of the non-commissioned officers and privates.
An election for colonel was held at Stoneall's on the 19th of July, at which Lieutenant-Colonel John J. Manning was elected colonel, and Captain Levi Hart, of the First Company, was elected lieutenant-colonel. The reign of Colonel Manning was brief and
165
COURT-MARTIAL OF CAPTAIN HOLT.
1828
stormy. His election to the highest position in the Regiment was unexpected, and was not satisfactory to officers or men. So para- lyzed were all by the resignation of Colonel Stevens, that the attend- ance at the election on the 19th of July was small ; there was no concert of action, and many of the leading officers anticipated that so important a matter would be postponed for more careful consid- eration ; but Colonel Manning was elected, and soon learned that "uneasy rests the head that wears a crown." Mutterings of dissat- isfaction were heard on every side; predictions of disaster and of the downfall of the Regiment were freely circulated, and many of the most accomplished and conservative officers were disposed to despair or be mutinous. The very first act of the colonel-elect re- sulted in an eruption from the slumbering volcano.
On the 26th of July a regimental order was issued directing commandants to forward to headquarters complete muster-rolls of their companies. As Captain Holt, of the Fourth Company, was not particularly prompt in making the required return, Colonel Manning issued, on the 7th of August, a special order upon the subject to Captain Holt, in which his non-compliance with the pre- vious order was referred to. At a meeting of the Board of Offi- cers, held on the evening of August 7th, Captain Holt, who was considered one of the ablest leaders of the opposition to Colonel Manning, called the attention of the board to this special order, and demanded that the charge of " neglect of duty " should be retracted. During his remarks he was frequently called to order by the pre- siding officer, Colonel Manning, but was allowed by the board to proceed, and, in the fierce and furious debate which followed, Cap- tain Holt again demanded that "if he had neglected any duty he should be placed in arrest." The board, after a long and exciting session, adjourned. The challenge of Captain Holt was accepted, for, on the 9th of August, Colonel Manning placed him in arrest.
The charges preferred against Captain Holt by Colonel Man- ning were disobedience of orders and unofficer-like conduct, and he was tried by a court-martial convened at Stoneall's on the 27th day of August. The case was well contested, and resulted in the conviction of Captain Holt of "disobedience of an order," and a sentence to pay a fine of twenty dollars. The treasurer of the Fourth Company was present, and, in the name of the company, immediately paid the fine. In fact, throughout this brief but ex-
166
1828
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
citing contest, the members of the Fourth Company, which was at this time the largest and most popular in the Regiment, adhered to the fortunes of their captain with the greatest devotion. By reso- lutions unanimously adopted approving the action of Captain Holt and asking Colonel Manning to resign ; by a complimentary com- pany parade in honor of their commandant; and in divers other ways, they manifested their confidence in the captain and their hos- tility to the colonel. The result of the court-martial was considered unfavorable to the colonel, the conviction of Captain Holt being evidently technical and the fine nominal, and, yielding to what seemed to be the demand of public opinion in the Regiment, Colonel Manning immediately tendered his resignation. The period from the date of his electon to the acceptance of his resignation was only fifty days, during which time there were no drills or parades.
Colonel John J. Manning was born in Stockbridge, Mass., in 1792, and enlisted in Captain Bremner's company, Eleventh Regi-
ment, in 1812, was promoted to second lieutenant in 1819, and first lieutenant in 1820. He was com- missioned as quartermaster of the National Guard Battalion in 1825, major of the Regiment in 1827, lieutenant-colonel in 1828, and colonel July 19, 182S. At the time of his resignation he was en- gaged in the fruit business in Fulton Street ; he was afterward an officer of customs, and, at a later period, was a successful car- penter and builder. Colonel Man- ning was a man of moderate edu- cation, and possessed neither the Colonel John J. Manning. From a photograph, 1870. military ability nor personal popu- larity requisite to the command of such an organization as the Twenty-seventh Regiment. Having only served as a lieutenant in the heavy artillery and as quarter- master of the Regiment, his military experience did not qualify him for a position in the field, and he never paraded at the head of the Regiment as its colonel. Being a fine horseman, and of tall and
167
ELECTION OF COLONEL HART.
1828
handsome figure, his appearance on parade was commanding and distinguished. He died in Brooklyn in 1877.
On the 24th day of September the election was held to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Colonel Manning, which re- sulted in the unanimous choice of ex-Colonel Linus W. Stevens ; but Colonel Stevens could not be prevailed upon to take the com- mand, and, at an election held on the 16th day of October, Lieuten- ant-Colonel Levi Hart was elected to the colonelcy. Meetings were held on the 19th day of November and the 17th day of December for the election of a lieutenant-colonel, but without result. Major Boyd, Captain Holt, and other prominent officers, positively declined promotion, and the lieutenant-colonelcy remained vacant for several months. There were during the year several changes among com- mandants of companies. In the First Company Lieutenant Smith Spelman succeeded Captain Hart, promoted ; in the Second Com- pany, Lieutenant Richard Ellison succeeded Captain Raymond ; in the Fifth Company, Lieutenant Bailey J. Hathaway succeeded Captain Boyd, promoted ; in the Sixth Company, Lieutenant Ben- jamin B. Beach succeeded Captain Thompson. Of the retiring offi- cers, Captain Raymond was greatly distinguished for his soldierly accomplishments.
On the 24th day of September and on the 28th day of October the Regiment paraded in the city in full uniform. On the 20th and 22d days of October, drills of officers and non-commissioned officers were held at the arsenal-yard. The annual inspection and review occurred on the 15th of November, the line forming on Broadway between Art and Bond Streets. The Regiment paraded with the division on the 25th day of November, in honor of the evacuation of New York by the British.
In the month of May, Benjamin Gifford, Jr., an active and popular member of the Eighth Company, was instantly killed at the burning of the Bowery Theatre. The officers and members of the company, by resolutions and by emblems of mourning, manifested a due appreciation of their deceased comrade and their sorrow at his untimely end. At the December meeting of the Board of Officers it was resolved that the officers drill twice a month from January 1 to May 1, 1829, and the non-commissioned officers be invited to participate. The officers also unanimously adopted a pompon, about three inches in height, to be worn instead of the plume.
168
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1828
At this period it was a common practice for the proprietors of places of amusement to extend to the prominent officers of the militia invitations to witness their entertainments. Colonel Sand- ford, subsequently and for many years major-general of the First Division, was at this time proprietor and manager of the Lafayette Theatre, and extended to Colonel Stevens the following compli- mentary invitation :
LA FAYETTE THEATRE, 30th June, 1828.
Colonel Sandford presents his compliments to Colonel Stevens and field, and requests the honor of their presence at the La Fayette Theatre on the evening of the 4th of July, on which occasion a National Drama will be presented and the new Corps de Ballett introduced for the first time to an American audience.
Matchlock.
Matchlock Gun of the 17th Century.
169
THE ADMINISTRATION OF COLONEL HART.
1829
CHAPTER NINTH.
1829.
THE year 1829, which comprises nearly the entire military ad- ministration of Colonel Levi Hart, was an uneventful one in the history of the Regiment. The activity and energy, which charac- terized preceding and following years, were absent, and officers and men performed their routine military duties without much enthusi- asm. It was one of those years when the Regiment was dissatisfied with its condition, longed for a return of the past, and indulged in visions of a brighter future.
At a special meeting of the Board of Officers held at Stoneall's Shakespeare Tavern on the 21st day of January, resolutions were adopted expressing the respect and affection universally entertained for Lieutenant M. K. S. Lee, of the Second Company, lately deceased. In regimental orders of April 11th, Colonel Hart directed that " the time for all parades and drills be taken from the chapel clock in Beekman Street," and that "the signal for countermand of orders (a white flag with the initials 'N. G.' in black) shall be displayed."
During the year, the proposition to adopt gray trousers as a part of the uniform of the Regiment was agitated in the Board of Officers. The probable cost was stated to be about five dollars. At a special meeting held November 14th upon this subject a reso- lution "that gray cloth pantaloons be worn by the officers at the next inspection parade " was lost, but " permission was granted to any officer that desired to wear the gray, to do so."
By general orders, dated Albany, March 24, 1829, the First Brigade of Artillery, including the Twenty-seventh Regiment, was transferred from the Second Division to the First Division, New York State Artillery, commanded by Major-General Morton.
The annual spring parade took place on the 13th day of May, regimental line forming in the park in front of the City Hall.
1829
170
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Drills of the Regiment and of officers and non-commissioned officers were frequently held at the arsenal-yard during the year, and Colonel Hart spared no effort to maintain the drill and efficiency of the Regiment. It is a noticeable fact that nearly all the drills of the Regiment as well as of the officers during this year were in citi- zens' dress, but in some cases the dress was a mixture of the civic and military, as appears from the following order :
TWENTY-SEVENTHI REGIMENT, N. Y. STATE ARTILLERY. NEW YORK, May 16, 1829.
REGIMENTAL ORDERS.
This Regiment will assemble at the Arsenal Yard on Tuesday next, 21st inst., at 4 p. M., and also on Thursday, the 23d inst., at 4 P. M., at the Washington Parade Ground in citizens' dress, with cap and pompon ; Officers and Sergeant-Major with side-arms. All non-commissioned officers and privates will appear with musket, bayonet, belts, and cartridge-box. The first drill will be by company, the second by battalion. Fife-Major Anderson will furnish a fife and drum for the drills.
By order of L. HART, Colonel : W. P. MILLARD, Adjutant.
The 4th of July, 1829, was a November day, rainy in the fore- noon, with pouring showers at frequent intervals in the afternoon. The newspapers were merry over the "muddy pantaloons and drip- ping plumes " of the citizen soldiers at the Battery ; at the failure of the corporation dinner, "not, however, for want of guests or good wines "; and at the positive refusal of the corporation fire- works to go off at the time and place appointed. It was said to be the "first Fourth of July that the sun ever refused to shine upon our goodly city."
The parade of the 4th of July was a serio-comic affair long to be remembered. General Jacob Morton, commanding the First Di- vision New York State Artillery, was at this time about seventy years of age, and had far outlived his usefulness in the militia. His principal military duties were to write long and patriotic orders for the parades of July 4th and November 25th, and to appear at the head of the troops on these occasions. The general had fallen into the bad habit of being late at parade, and it was not an uncommon occurrence for the troops to be in line for two or three hours await- ing his appearance upon the field. On the 4th of July, 1829, the division paraded at the Battery at the usual hour, but, on account of the changes that had been made in the brigade by general orders of March 24th and subsequently, disputes arose among the colonels
171
FAMOUS PARADE OF JULY 4TH.
1839
as to their relative rank and the places of their regiments in line. The old general and his young and inexperienced staff attempted to settle these differences, but to no purpose ; for, no sooner had one difficulty been adjusted, than others appeared. Several officers were placed in arrest, and, after a hearing, were released, and thus nearly the whole day was exhausted. Meantime the line officers and the men were under arms at the Battery, grumbling and dis- gusted. The execrable weather aggravated their troubles, and tor- rents of rain poured down upon their devoted heads. The officers of the Twenty-seventh Regiment remonstrated against the extraor- dinary delay without avail, and finally, toward night, during a shower of rain, the ranks broke, and the men, believing that for- bearance and discipline were no longer virtues, retired to seek shel- ter from the storm and not to return to the field. Other regiments applauded the action of the men of the Twenty-seventh, though it does not appear that they imitated the example. The field-officers and many of the line-officers of the regiment were, however, greatly chagrined at this precipitate retreat of their men, and all were somewhat alarmed at the punishments from courts-martial and courts of inquiry which were likely to follow this unparalleled in- subordination.
The affair of the 4th of July, of course, created a great sensa- tion in military circles. The general ordered a court of inquiry, of which Brigadier-General Hopkins was president, to examine and re- port the facts, with an opinion of the conduct of the field-officers of the Twenty-seventh Regiment. It appeared, upon investigation, that the field-officers were entirely ignorant of the movement, and were astounded at the flight of their men, and, as for the rank and file, no one could be found who could or would give any satisfactory in- formation as to the leaders or participants in this memorable retreat. The report of the court, therefore, exonerated Colonel Hart, " he having left his regiment to obtain leave of absence from the com- mandant of the brigade," and lightly censured Major Boyd, "who was actually in command when the Twenty-seventh Regiment dis- persed, and did not make all the exertions to keep the said regi- ment together, which his duty required ; but that he did not, from the testimony, appear to act from improper motives, and the occa- sion gave him but little time for reflection." The court expressed the opinion that the dispersing of the Twenty-seventh Regiment,
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