USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 25
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Captain Jolin Telfair Cairns joined the Second Company in 1824, and was at that time only seventeen years of age. His ex- traordinary military talents immediately attracted attention, and being a great favorite of Captain John Telfair, whose name he bore, he was, within a year after his admission to the company, elected its orderly sergeant. He performed the duties of that important position with remarkable ability and success, and was repeatedly elected a lieutenant, but declined promotion. In 1828 he accepted a commission in the Seventh Company, and in 1831 he was pro- moted to the captaincy, and had an opportunity of displaying his talents as an instructor and disciplinarian. His company was soon acknowledged to be the best drilled in the city, and it held that position until the great trial of skill in 1836. He resigned his com- mission in 1836, and organized an independent military company, called the Independence Guard, which his activity, energy, and ability soon made one of the most popular and distinguished mili- tary organizations New York has ever known. In 1845 Captain Cairns published a book of tactics, called " The Recruit," which for many years possessed an extensive and deserved popularity. War having been declared with Mexico, Captain Cairns immediately raised a regiment, and in July, 1846, was commissioned as colonel of the Fifth New York Volunteers. The regiments of Burnett and Stevenson were selected by the Secretary of War for service in Mex- ico, and the disappointment of Colonel Cairns that the regiment, upon which he had expended so much labor and all his means,
249
EXIT ORDER OF MERIT.
1836
should remain ingloriously at home, cast a gloom over the remainder of his life. He resumed the command of the Independence Guard in 1850, and continued in that position until his death in 1854.
Captain Cairns was a man of medium height, and possessed a pleasing face and a soldierly air and bearing. When in command of his company he was austere and arbitrary, but he always had a host of friends and admirers. During the thirty years which he served in the militia of this city, his military accomplishments were pre- eminent and universally acknowledged. He was distinguished for his patriotism, which was of a hearty, old-fashioned character, and he always celebrated the anniversary of the battle of White Plains upon the very spot where his ancestor had fallen in the struggle for American independence.
The Order of Merit, which had been instituted by Colonel Smith and supported by him with parental affection, speedily ter- minated its brief existence. The loss to the Twenty-seventh Regi- ment of one of its most accomplished and experienced officers and one of its largest and best companies, and the ill-feeling and bitter- ness engendered by the last competitive drill, as well as the great tax upon the time of the members of all the companies in prepar- ing for the contest, were sufficient reasons for the demise of the institution. Either the Twenty-seventh Regiment or the Order of Merit must die, and all united in the sacrifice of the latter. Its members never met after the memorable 12th day of September. In justice to its memory it must be acknowledged that its short ex- istence was not without some good results. It elevated the standard of military drill and discipline in the Regiment, and its influence in that respect was favorable at the time, and has never been entirely lost. More than all, it has been a beacon of warning to those who know its history, against competitive drills, between companies of the Seventh Regiment, or with other military organizations.
In addition to the great number of company drills, the Regi- ment made the usual number of parades, and performed more than the ordinary amount of field duty. On the 13th day of June the Regiment proceeded to South Brooklyn for instruction in the School of the Battalion, and on the 20th day of June visited Hoboken for the same purpose. When assembled on the 4th day of July at the Battery for the usual anniversary parade, a heavy shower drenched the patriotic soldiers, though it did not drive them
250
1836
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
from the field. On the 26th day of September the Regiment paraded with the Division for review by Governor Marcy at Wash- ington Parade-Ground, and passed in review at the City Hall. On September 16th a detachment of the Regiment paraded under Major Roome as an escort to the Corps of Nassau and Municipal Guards from the Fulton Ferry to the foot of Cortlandt Street en route to Newark. The 19th day of October was another field-day, and on October 25th the Regiment was inspected at the Washing- ton Parade-Ground. The anniversary of the evacuation of New York by the British was celebrated by a division parade, General Morton for the last time in command of the troops.
On the 4th of December Major-General Morton died suddenly, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His death was said to have been the result of exposure and fatigue at the parade of the 25th day of November. The First Division paraded December 6th at his funeral, which was also attended by the Tammany Society, the civil authorities, and an immense number of citizens. Line was formed at the Battery, near the residence of the deceased, and the column proceeded up Broadway to the Second Street Cemetery, where the remains were deposited. In the twilight of a mild win- ter evening, funeral volleys were fired over the grave of the veteran soldier.
General Jacob Morton was a man of ability and distinction. Born in 1762, in New York, to the inheritance of wealth and liber- ally educated, he was one of the leading young men in the city at the close of the Revolutionary War. Fond of society, and distin- guished for his hospitality, his house was for many years a social and fashionable center of great celebrity. Mrs. Morton was a lady of great beauty and fortune; all the distinguished men who visited New York were welcome guests at the superb mansion, No. 9 State Street ; and the elegant entertainments at that place during the first quarter of the century, noticeable among which was the ball in honor of Lafayette in 1824, were unsurpassed in the country at that period. General Morton received his first commission in the New York State militia in 1786, and he was on duty in 1789 at the first inauguration of Washington as President of the United States. Ile rendered active and efficient service to the country during the War of 1812 as brigadier-general of artillery, and in 1815 succeeded General Stevens as commandant of the First Divis-
251
GENERAL JACOB MORTON.
1836
ion, which position he retained until his death, having completed his fiftieth year of active service in the New York militia. Gen- eral Morton was also distinguished in civil life. In 1795 he was elected a member of the Assem- bly, in 1797 a judge of the City Court, and in 1803 an alderman. He was also City Comptroller and City Inspector, and in 1809 became Clerk of the Common Council, which position he held through various political changes until his death. He was one of the most able, popular, and pub- lic-spirited citizens of. New York, and, after a long and exemplary life of public service, died univer- sally respected. In 1837 Colonel General Jacob Morton. Charles W. Sandford was promoted to the command of the First Division of New York State Artillery.
The Second Company proceeded to Bull's Ferry for target- practice on the 23d day of June, and the Fifth Company to the same place for the same purpose on July 19th. The target-excur- sion of the Sixth Company was on the 29th day of June, and Bath, L. I., was the place selected for the entertainment. The Fourth Company paraded September 13th as funeral escort to the remains of Colonel Gamble of the United States Marines. The Third Company paraded in May for the reception of a company from New Haven, and received a vote of thanks from the Board of Officers for the handsome manner in which the duty was performed.
During the year the veteran captain, John Telfair, retired from the command of the Second Company, and was succeeded by Lieu- tenant John Cumings, who also retired before the close of the year, and was succeeded by Lieutenant William Williams. The im- portant changes in the Seventh Company have been already no- ticed. During the latter part of the year Lieutenant Cornelius H. Bryson was commissioned as its commandant, but he was a captain without a company. In the Eighth Company Lieutenant Henry C.
252
1836
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Shumway was unanimously elected captain, rice Denison resigned. At the same time the company presented an elegant sword, de- signed by Robert E. Launitz, to Captain Shumway, as a testimonial of his brilliant services as lientenant commanding the company during the years 1835 and 1836, and of the high estimation in which he was held by his comrades as an accomplished gentleman and a valued friend.
Captain Samuel D. Denison enlisted in the Eighth Company in 1829, was elected second and first lieutenant in 1830, and captain in 1832. He was absent from the city on furlough from December, 1834, until the spring of 1836, and he re- signed his commission in Sep- tember .. Captain Denison was an officer of distinguished ability. He was a thorough soldier, theoretically and prac- tically, attentive to every duty, dignified and commanding in manner and address, and uni- versally respected and be- loved. He was nearly six feet high, and well proportioned ; erect, soldierly, and remarka- bly handsome ; the very beau- James Demisen idéal of the citizen soldier. In a letter to the Eighth From a photograph, 1878. Company announcing his res- ignation, Captain Denison pleasantly alluded to his absence from duty since his return to New York in the spring of 1836 and to his eminent successor, as follows :
The situation of the company on my return from Europe seemed not only to preclude the necessity of my reporting for duty, but to have done so at that time would unquestionably have been altogether improper. Pursuing as you were under Lieutenant Commandant Shumway a regular course of drill preparatory to the " Trial of Skill." then so near at hand, I could not by assuming a right deprive him of the high honor which awaited him on that occasion. That trial has taken place, and its glorious result reflects immortal honor upon you as a Company, and eutwines an unfading wreath of fame around the brow of our much-loved
253
CAPTAIN SAMUEL D. DENISON.
1836
Shumway. With the name of Harry Shumway is identified the captaincy of the Eighth National Guard ; his deep devotion to the interests of our association, his untiring efforts for its improvement in military science, and, most of all, the high place which he holds in your affections prove him worthy of that high station.
Captain Denison was born in Boston, in 1810. He attended the famous military school at Middletown, Conn., and entered Yale College, but was obliged to relinquish his studies on account of deli- cate health. In 1829 he located in New York, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1841, when he commenced the study of theology, and was ordained in 1845. From parish-work in New England, Dr. Denison was appointed, in 1853, Secretary of the For- eign Committee of the Board of Missions of the Protestant Epis- copal Church, which position he resigned in 1870, and was elected honorary secretary. He died in New York in 1880.
The demolition of Stoneall's Shakespeare Tavern, in Fulton Street, compelled the Board of Officers to seek new quarters, and rooms were engaged for meetings at Drew's Second Ward Hotel. It was with many regrets that the officers abandoned the old familiar halls which had witnessed the organization of the Regiment, and around which clustered so many pleasing associations.
A Minute-Man, 1775.
1837
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
254
CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.
1837.
THE high price of flour during the winter of 1837 was a source of great distress among the poor of New York, and led to frequent disturbances. On the afternoon of February 13th an immense meeting was held in the Park, under the auspices of unscrupulous politicians, to consider the state of the times, and to devise means of reducing the prices of provisions and destroying the combinations of speculators. The greatest excitement prevailed, and when the meeting adjourned a general rush was made for the large flour- stores. The inflammatory handbills calling the meeting, the large and boisterous assembly of dangerous characters, and the incendiary language of the speakers and leaders, had alarmed the authorities, and an appeal was made for military assistance. Scarcely had the mob left the City Hall Park when the officers and members of the Twenty-seventh Regiment appeared in large numbers, and were joined by members of other militia regiments. The adjutant rap- idly formed all the soldiers present into a regiment, the quarter- master meantime hastening to the arsenal for a supply of ammuni- tion, and without loss of time the whole force, under command of Colonel Smith, left the City Hall and marched double-quick down Murray Street to the principal scene of disturbance. Arriving in Washington Street, between Dey and Cortlandt Streets, the mob was found actively engaged in sacking the large flour-store of Eli Hart & Co., rolling the barrels into the street, or throwing them from the upper windows; the rabble carrying away the loose flour, or scattering it broadcast. A charge was made upon the rioters, who went flying down Cortlandt Street to West Street, the muskets being used only to beat about the heads of the tardy or refractory. The streets adjacent to Hart's flour-store having been completely cleared, were held by the Regiment until about midnight, when, the city being quiet, it was marched to the City
255
GREAT MONEY PANIC.
1837
Hall and dismissed. The cold northwest wind which swept through the deserted streets, near the North River, during the hours of guard duty, long lived in the memories of the soldiers of the Twenty-seventlı.
The distress among the poor and the high price of provisions continued, and the city authorities requested the military to be in constant readiness to suppress any outbreak. Other incendiary meetings were held in the Park, the excitement was renewed with increased intensity, and a repetition of the former disturbance being apprehended on the 6th day of March, the Twenty-seventh Regi- ment was ordered to assemble at 11 A. M. to protect the public peace. It was marched to Broad Street, near Pearl, and was halted in the vicinity of the large flour-store of A. B. Meech & Co. Din- ner was provided for the Regiment at the Broad Street House by the flour-merchants of the vicinity, after which it was marched to Wall Street, where it was halted for an hour, and thence to Castle Garden, where it was dismissed at 6 P. M.
A wild speculation in real estate and in all kinds of property culminated in the spring of 1837, and on May Sth and 9th a money panic prevailed in New York. Wall Street was filled with excited people, and the ignorant and timid crowded the banks to draw their deposits. On the afternoon of May 9th the banks decided upon a general suspension of specie payments, and, as threats had been made to sack and rob them, it was feared that when their suspen- sion became known to the public a serious riot would ensue. The announcement was made in the morning papers of May 10th, and at 7 A. M. the Twenty-seventh Regiment assembled in the Park. Wall Street was again the scene of great excitement, but as the day ad- vanced the tumult subsided, the crowd gradually dispersed, and the services of the Regiment were not required to protect the property of the banks or to preserve the public peace.
On the 4th day of May the resignations of Colonel Smith and Major Roome were announced. A special meeting of the Board of Officers was held on May 11th to consider the state of the Regi- ment, at which a committee was appointed to nominate candidates to fill the vacancies. This committee did not arrive at any satis- factory conclusion until September, when the election was held and resulted in the promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel John M. Catlin to the colonelcy ; Captain William Jones, of the Third Company, to
18
256
1837
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
the lieutenant-colonelcy ; and Captain Nathaniel S. Burt, of the Fifth Company, to the majority. Lieutenant Albert H. Doughty succeeded Captain Jones, and Lieutenant Washington R. Vermilye was elected captain, vice Burt promoted.
Colonel Morgan L. Smith was an officer of the militia in Dutch- ess County from 1818 to 1825. Having removed to New York, he was appointed adjutant of the Washington Guards in 1828, which position he retained until he accepted the majority of the Twenty- seventh Regiment. In January, 1830, he was elected lieutenant- colonel, and in February, 1835, he was promoted to the colonelcy. Colonel Smith was a dashing officer, full of enterprise and energy, and was earnestly devoted to the interests of the Regiment. He was distinguished as an executive officer, was very popular, espe- cially with the rank and file, and his popularity was not diminished by his lavish expenditure of money. The methodical and rigid military system of Colonel Stevens had established the discipline of the Regiment, and the popular qualities of Colonel Smith brought its merits more prominently before the public and extended its reputation. In person he was tall, soldierly, and commanding ; in manners, courteous, frank, and hearty. His fine personal appear- ance on parade always attracted attention, and he was one of New York's well-known and prominent citizens. A host of friends and admirers always followed his standard, for his bold and generous spirit made him a leader of men.
Colonel Smith was born in Dutchess County, New York, in 1801, and in 1826 removed to New York city and established the house of Smith & Schultz in the leather business in the Swamp. He was an active Democratic politician, was assistant alderman of the Fourth Ward in 1833, and alderman in 1835; and was a candi- date for State Senator. He was also prominent in business affairs, being a director in the Leather Manufacturers' Bank, Bank of the State of New York, Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, and New York and Erie Railway, and a member of the Chamber of Com- merce. In 1837, having met with business reverses, he removed to the Republic of Texas, and established a commercial house, and was a sugar-planter also. In 1843 he was appointed United States consul to the Republic of Texas, and took an active part in secur- ing its annexation to the United States. In 1859 Colonel Smith removed to New York, but, when the war of the rebellion com-
Colonel Seventh Regiment 1835-1337
257
MAJOR EDWARD ROOME.
1837
menced, he returned to Texas to look after his large landed prop- erty there. He took no active part in the contest, and remained quietly on his plantation until the end of the war, when he returned to the North. Colonel Smith died at his residence in Newark, N. J., in 1884.
Among all the brilliant and attractive young men who graced the ranks of the Twenty-seventh Regiment during the first decade of its existence, Edward Roome was prominent and noticcable. A thorough, practical soldier, devoted to the Regiment, proud in the performance of his military duties, and in every rank and station serving with great distinction, he would have at- tained the highest honors had he re- mained in the service. He was a re- markably lıandsome man, both in face and figure, and in all his movements was prompt, easy, and graceful. His address was elegant and courteous ; he was gay, genial, and companionable ; and in military circles as well as in society he was a universal favorite. Major Roome was born in the city of New York in 1807, and enlisted in the Fourth Company in 1827. He was elected second lieutenant in 1828, first lieutenant in 1829, and captain in Edward Formel 1830. Under his administration the Fourth Company reached the maximum of prosperity, and on one occasion inspected one hundred men, an unparalleled number at that period. In 1835 lie was elected major, and resigned in 1837. He died in New York in 1853.
The first parade of the year was on the 4th day of July. On July 12th the Regiment proceeded to Harlem for battalion-drill, and was reviewed by ex-Colonel Stevens. On the 12th day of Sep- tember the Regiment drilled in the School of the Battalion at the "Potter's Field." The annual inspection and review took place at Washington Parade-Ground on October 19th.
The year 1837 was a critical one in the history of the Regiment. The whirlwind of commercial disaster which swept over the city
,
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1837
258
carried away the fortunes of many officers and members of the Twenty-seventh. Young men were thrown out of employment by the general suspension, and were in no mood to enlist in a military organization. Among those already enlisted, apathy was a natural result of the remarkable depression in business circles ; for to sup- ply the actual wants of life fully taxed the time and talents of many who had been comparatively independent.
The Twenty-seventh Regiment had been called upon during the last few years, on several occasions, to assist the city authorities in the suppression of mob violence, and in the preservation of peace and order, and. by its prompt response and uniform success had proved an important ally in the enforcement of the laws. That the city should furnish drill-rooms as an equivalent for services already rendered, or at any time liable to be required, was naturally suggested at a period when expenses for rent were a serious burden, and the Second Company, at this time weak numerically and finan- cially, was the first to make an effort in that direction. At a meet- ing of that company held in August, 1837, a committee was ap- pointed to draft a petition to the Common Council for a suitable hall for military purposes, and to wait upon the aldermen and assist- ant aldermen with a copy of the petition, and solicit their support of the project. On the 17th of October the petition was introduced in the Common Council, and referred to a committee. On the 25th of October the Second Company sent a circular upon this sub- jeet, with a copy of the petition, to the other companies of the Regiment, and to the Board of Officers. The project was approved by the several companies, and on December 7th the Board of Offi- cers appointed a committee to draft a memorial to the Common Council, to be signed by the officers and sent to the other regiments of the brigade for signature. Thus originated a movement which secured to the militia of New York the use of Centre Market for military purposes, and established a precedent by which the Seventh Regiment obtained in 1860 commodious military accommodations, and other city regiments subsequently secured suitable armories at the public expense.
The petition presented to the Common Council on the 17th day of October, 1837, was drawn by Cornelius L. Everitt, the secretary of the Second Company, in later years the President of the New York Gas Company, and read as follows :
259
APPLICATION TO THE CITY FOR DRILL ROOM.
1837
To the Honorable the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty
of the City of New York :
The petition of the Second National Guard respectfully sheweth : That your petitioners, in behalf of themselves and the different military corps of the city, would most respectfully call the attention of your honorable body to the consider- ation of the propriety of providing a military hall, with suitable accommodations for drills and meetings for improvement in tactics and discipline, under such regulations as may be deemed expedient.
Your petitioners have enrolled themselves for the term of seven years in a uni- formed company, in consideration of certain privileges, and among the duties obligatory upon them is that of being in readiness to aid the city authorities when called upon for that purpose. From the experience of the last four years, in which period they have been called out a number of times for the preservation of the peace of the city, and to protect public and private property, it seems highly necessary that a suitable rendezvous should be prepared, where they might assem- ble upon the proper signals on similar occasions, without any obstructions or uncertainty, instead of collecting in a public manner, thereby causing undue ex- citement, and, as has been the case on several occasions, being obliged to occupy the court-rooms of the city.
Such a measure would also be beneficial for the improvement of the military, as the drill-rooms about the city are generally too limited in size to admit any but the most common manœuvres to be executed. It has been generally reported that the State Arsenal is about to be removed from its present location, and, in such an event, the ground and buildings would revert to the city. If this understand- ing is correct, your petitioners would respectfully suggest the appropriating of these premises for military uses, it being the most central location for assem- bling troops, and contiguous to the Halls of Justice, and in the vicinity of the sit- tings of the Common Council, besides affording sufficient space (with the yard) for drills, while the upper stories would provide ample accommodations for business meetings of the different companies.
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