USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 32
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That part of the new militia law requiring that the regiments should be renumbered was not acceptable to the officers and mem- bers of the Twenty-seventh Regiment. Under that numerical designation the organization had acquired an enviable reputation, and was favorably and honorably known to the people of the city and the country. Many apprehensions were gravely expressed that with a change of number the organization would lose its identity, and all were loath to surrender a name around which clustered so many pleasant and honorable associations. As it had been decided that the regiments of the new First Division should be numbered. successively commencing with the unit, all efforts to retain the favorite number "27" were in vain. It was, therefore, intimated
1847
329
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH BECOMES "THE SEVENTH."
to the adjutant-general by Colonel Bremner that the number 7 would be acceptable to the officers and members of the Regiment, on account of its similarity to the old number, and because no other regiment had ever borne that number in the city of New York. By general orders issued by the commander-in-chief, Governor John Young, on the 27th day of July, for the reorganization of the First Division, the Twenty-seventh Regiment became the Seventh Regiment. The following is an extract from the orders :
The Regiment heretofore known as the Twenty-seventh Regiment of Artillery, "National Guard," under the command of Colonel Bremner, to be hereafter called and known as the Seventh Regiment of New York State Militia.
The same order consolidated and equalized the several brigades as follows :
First Brigade, General Storms, to be composed of the new First, Second, and Third Regiments.
Second Brigade, General Morris, to be composed of the new Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Regiments.
Third Brigade, General Hall, to be composed of the new Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Regiments.
The new Fourth Brigade contained all other uniformed infantry companies in the city, and its regiments were numbered the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth. In compliance with the new law, the city of New York was divided into brigade and regimental districts, and to the Seventh Regiment was assigned the Seventh and Tenth Wards. By regimental order No. 1, dated August 7, 1847, these wards were divided into eight company districts, the boundaries of which were clearly defined, and a district was assigned to each com- pany of the Regiment.
The 4th of July, 1847, witnessed the usual military parade, and a review by Governor Young at the Battery. The corner-stone of the new State Arsenal, Sixty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue (now the " old " arsenal in Central Park), was laid on the same day, and formal possession was taken by the Washington Monument Asso- ciation of its site for a monument in Hamilton Square. The Twen- ty-seventh Regiment drilled at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, on July 21st, and paraded for the first time as the Seventh Regiment on September 6th for drill at Tompkins Square. The Regiment paraded for annual inspection at Tompkins Square on the 19th day of October, and was reviewed by the commander-in-chief, Governor
330
1847
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Young. The number present and inspected was three hundred and fifty-two.
At the conclusion of the inspection, October 19th, the Seventh Regiment joined the Division, already on the march to Hamilton Square to participate in the ceremonies connected with the laying of the corner-stone of a momment to the memory of Washington. Hamilton Square, between Sixty-sixth and Sixty-ninth Streets and Third and Fourth Avenues, was said to be the highest ground upon the island of New York, and was therefore selected as the most suitable site for the Washington Monument-a monument which was expected to excel all others in beauty of design, and to be so towering that "mariners could distinctly see it when fifty miles at sea." The great expectations of that day have not yet been realized, and mariners still watch for the Highland Lights, and look in vain for the Washington Monument, to guide their ships to the harbor of New York. The ceremonies on this occasion were imposing, and the multitude of people and the large number of soldiers gave a lively appearance to Hamilton Square and its quiet and rural vicinity. Governor Young laid the corner-stone; an oration was delivered by the Hon. Samuel Jones from a platform, over which floated the identical flag which Washington unfurled in New York on the 25th day of November, 1783; and the interesting pro- ceedings closed with a patriotic ode, composed expressly for the occasion.
As the Seventh Regiment was marching in column from the ground, the Second Regiment, New York State Militia, marching by the flank, attempted to pass between the Second and Eighth Companies. This unsoldierly act was resisted by the members of the Second Company, and several members of the Eighth Com- pany, next in advance of the Second, left the ranks and took part in the engagement, and it was not long before the intruders were compelled to retire. Fortunately for the belligerents, the musket was not the favorite weapon on this occasion, and the only instance in which the bayonet was used was in a bloodless but successful charge upon the bonnet of a retreating Highlander. This skirmish caused considerable excitement and amusement, and the Regiment acquired an extensive reputation for its belligerent spirit and its prowess in the defense of its rights.
In May the Second and Third Companies, on account of the
1847
COMPANY AFFAIRS.
331
proposed demolition of St. John's Hall, removed their quarters to the Mercer House, and during the remainder of the year five of the companies of the Seventh Regiment were located at that place. The Second Company proceeded on a target-excursion to Bergen Point in September; the Third Company went for the same pur- pose to Navesink, N. J., and was entertained at the residence of ex-Colonel Jones ; the Seventh Company visited Newark, N. J., for target-practice, and was received and entertained by the Union Blues of that city ; and the Fifth Company visited Poughkeepsie in August, and paraded also in November to attend the funeral of one of its members. The Troop lost the valuable services of Cap- tain Brinckerhoff by his resignation, and elected Lieutenant Lewis H. Watts to fill the vacancy. Although the arms of American soldiers were fast making history in Mexico, the period was not eventful to the citizen soldiers of New York. Peace and harmony prevailed in the ranks of the Seventh Regiment, and nothing of importance occurred to disturb the even tenor of its way.
The annual receipts of the regimental treasury (1841-1847) averaged about eight hundred dollars, and the annual expenditures were about the same amount.
American Flag adopted in 1777.
332
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1848
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH,
1848.
THE engagement with Lothian's New York Brass Band ex- pired in January, and was not renewed. As no band could be obtained which was satisfactory to the music committee, an ar- rangement was made with Peterschen for a martial corps, to con- sist of a drum-major, bass drum, tenor drums, fifes, and cymbals, to be uniformed at the expense of the Regiment with cap and coat of the same style as worn by musicians in the United States Army. But the officers and members had been so long accus- tomed to the music of a brass band, that Peterschen's Martial Corps did not prove altogether satisfactory, and during the year an engagement was made with Wallace's band to play for the Regiment when required. Wal- lace's band was a part of Lothi- an's band, and the legitimate suc- cessor to that long-time famous musical organization, and its music was as acceptable for military pur- poses as any that could be obtained at that period.
Early in March the venerable and illustrious John Quincy Adams, ex-President of the United States, died suddenly in the hall of Con- gress at Washington. His long and faithful public services, his 9. 2. Adams. eminent talents, and his purity of character, had secured the respect, veneration, and affection of the American people; and the announcement of his death produced a sensation through- out the land as profound as it was universal. The remains
333
1848
RECEPTION OF GENERAL SCOTT.
of the great statesman reached New York on March 8th, and were received at Whitehall by the city authorities. A vast procession, consisting of the military, civic, and political societies, and of citizens, escorted the remains through the principal streets to the City Hall. From the shipping and the public buildings, and along the route of the procession, the usual manifestations of respect and sorrow were displayed; and, from the general and unusual solemnity which prevailed among the thousands that thronged the street, it was evident that a great and good man had passed away. At the City Hall three volleys were fired by the Seventh Regiment ; the Eighth Company was detailed as a special guard for the night at. the Governor's Room, and on the following morning escorted the remains of the ex-President to the steamer, en route to their last resting place at Quincy, Mass.
After a brilliant and successful campaign in Mexico, General Winfield Scott returned to the United States, and was received with the greatest enthusiasm. Having consented to become the guest of the city of New York, he left his home at Elizabethtown, N. J., on the morning of May 25th, and, accompanied by a com- mittee of the Common Council, arrived at the Battery at eleven o'clock. He was welcomed to the city by Morris Franklin, Presi- dent of the Board of Aldermen, and acting mayor, and then re- viewed the troops. The First Division paraded with unusual strength, and presented a remarkably fine appearance. The steadi- ness and soldierly appearance of the Seventh Regiment particu- larly attracted the attention of the veteran general, and he re- marked that it was the finest regiment of soldiers that he had ever seen. General Scott had been for many years a warm friend and admirer of the Seventh Regiment, and, on many occasions, both public and private, had complimented, in the most liberal terms, its drill and discipline. The review completed, General Scott, at the head of the column, proceeded through Broadway, Astor Place, and the Bowery to the City Hall. At all points along the route he was received with tumultuous applause, and his progress was a con- tinued ovation. The ladies, from windows and balconies, welcomed him with waving handkerchiefs and showers of bouquets, while cheer upon cheer from the crowded streets and house-tops greeted his approach. His reception was pronounced the most flattering and enthusiastic since the memorable visit of Lafayette in 1824.
1848
334
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
In the evening, General Scott dined with the officers of the First Division at the Astor House, and, on the following day, received the citizens at the Governor's room.
While honoring the returning heroes of the war with Mexico, New York city was not unmindful of the gallant dead. Imposing funeral ceremonies took place July 12th, under the direction of the mayor and Common Council, in honor of Lieutenant-Colonel Bax- ter, Captains Pierson and Barclay, and Lieutenants Chandler, Galla- gher, and Forbes, killed in Mexico. The Fourth Brigade was detailed as the military escort, and the Troop of the Seventh Regiment was assigned to duty with that brigade. The officers of the First Warfield Scot Division attended the funeral in a body, and occupied a prominent place in the procession. The route was from the battery up Broadway to Fourteenth Street, and down the Bowery to the City Hall. At the conclusion of the parade an address and poem were delivered from a platform erected in front of the City Hall, General George P. Morris being the poet, and Hon. John Van Buren the orator of the occasion.
A public reception was given, on July 27th, to the First Regi- ment of New York Volunteers, recently returned from Mexico. Upon the arrival of the regiment at Castle Garden it was officially welcomed by Morris Franklin, President of the Board of Aldermen. The First Division was already in line upon the Battery, and, when the ceremonies at Castle Garden were completed, escorted the Vol- unteers through the principal streets of the city. The weather was intensely hot, and so fatiguing was the march that the troops were halted in Broadway, near Canal Street, for rest and refreshment. The curiosity of the public to see the heroes of so many well-fought battles filled the streets with people, and the war-worn veterans were delighted with their enthusiastic reception. Returning to the City Hall, Colonel Ward Burnett restored to the city the flag which had been presented to the regiment on its departure from New
1848
COLONEL ANDREW A. BREMNER.
335
York, and which had been carried in triumph from Vera Cruz to the gates of Mexico. After receiving the medals which had been voted to them by the city of New York, the Volunteers returned to their quarters at Fort Hamilton.
The usual spring parade of the Seventh Regiment in the streets of the city occurred on the 8th day of May. Regimental drills took place at Hoboken in June, and at Tompkins Square in No- vember. The usual division parade occurred on July 4th, but was omitted on the 25th day of November. The anniversary of the evacuation of New York by the British in 1783 had been uniformly celebrated by the military since the War of the Revolution ; but the lapse of time had lessened the interest of the people of the city in that important event in its history, and the failure to honor and observe the anniversary-day in this and subsequent years was not a subject of much surprise or criticism. Such omission in the early part of the century would have been regarded as an evidence of declining patriotism.
The annual inspection took place at Tompkins Square, October 16th, with the following result :
Present.
Present.
Field and Staff
8 | Fifth Company
44
Non Com. Staff
3
Sixth
66
46
First Company
29
Seventh
25
Second
25
Eighth
39
Third
43
Troop
41
Fourth
25
Total present, 328.
The vacancy caused by the resignation of Major Divver in the spring of 1847 was filled in February, 1848, by the election of Andrew B. Brinckerhoff, ex-captain of the Troop. The resignation of Colonel Bremner was announced in November, and in the fol- lowing February the officers of the Regiment gave him a compli- mentary dinner at the Florence Hotel, and presented him with a handsome service of silver. Adjutant James L. Morgan retired from the service with Colonel Bremner, having performed the duties of his important office with great ability, faithfulness, and discretion.
Colonel Andrew Augustus Bremner enlisted in 1832 in the President's Guard, and passed through the various grades of office in that organization until 1839, when he was elected captain of the
23
336
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1848
Seventh Company of the Twenty-seventh Regiment, and in the same year was transferred to the command of the Fourth Company. In 1841 he was elected major; in June, 1845, lieutenant-colonel ; and in November, 1845, colonel of the Regiment. To Colonel Bremner is due the honor of introducing in the Seventh Regiment a higher order of drill and discipline than had ever before been known. He was a thorough practical soldier, a master of military tactics, and an able and accomplished instructor. To secure pre- cision and uniformity in drill he was constant and untiring in the instruction of his officers and non-commissioned officers, and the result of his devoted and intelligent labor in this direction was ap- parent during his administration and was of great permanent value to the organization. Colonel Bremner was a man of energy and activity, of sound judgment and of great discretion. He possessed fine executive ability, and, having the entire confidence and respect of both officers and men, the Regiment was harmonious, progress- ive, and prosperous during his administration. To solid merit and fine abilities, rather than to natural personal advantages, was due the brilliant reputation of Colonel Bremner as commandant of the Seventh Regiment. He was small in stature, of pleasant counte- nance, modest, retiring, and reticent, cautious and deliberate, with none of the dashing and showy qualities of some of his prede- cessors. At drill and parade he made no mistakes, and was always prompt and self-possessed. His heart was warm with generous impulses, and to those who knew him well he was a pleasant com- panion and a faithful, self-sacrificing friend. A more complete and admirable character it would be difficult to find among the many distinguished men who have figured prominently in the history of this Regiment.
Colonel Bremner was born in the city of New York in 1812, and belonged to a distinguished military family. His grandfather served in the French and Indian War and in the War of the Revo- lution, and his father was a captain in the Eleventh Regiment, New York Artillery, during the War of 1812 and afterward its major. Colonel Bremner was a successful business man, and was engaged with Major Thomas Morton in the manufacture of spring balances and fancy steel goods from 1841 until 1854, when he retired from business and removed to Manhasset, N. Y. After the war he re- engaged in business, and now (1889) resides in Brooklyn, an active
Anou A. Brown
2
1845 -1849.
337
THE EIGHT COMPANIES.
1848
and vigorous man of seventy-seven years, and as loyal and as de- voted to the Seventh Regiment as when he commanded it nearly half a century ago.
The First Company during the year 1848 was located at the Mercer House, and in September proceeded to Bergen Hill for target-practice and amusement. The Second Company, also located at the Mercer House, gave an invitation ball at the Coliseum in January, and its annual target-excursion took place at Chester, N. Y., in August. In November, Captain William A. Pond, of the Eighth Regiment, was elected captain of the Second Company vice Williams resigned, and brought with him to the company about twenty members. The Third Company removed from the Mercer House to Lafayette Hall in May, and in June visited Fort Lee for target-practice. Captain James Price, of the Eighth Regi- ment, was elected its captain in May. The Fourth Company con- tinued at the Mercer House, and, although small in numbers, main- tained its ancient reputation, and indulged in neither ball nor target-excursion. The Fifth Company received and entertained the Poughkeepsie Guard in September at its quarters in the Mercer House, and the noisy and turbulent conduct of several members of the Second Company who were present was severely commented upon by the "Military Argus." Upon investigation, however, it appeared that the property of the Second Company, especially its musket-rack, had also suffered in the general breakage, and that the scrimmage had been a free one, in which nearly all present took an active part. The Sixth Company was now permanently located at Lafayette Hall, and its target-practice took place in September at White Plains. The company lost the valuable services of Captain Loutrel, who resigned his commission, and elected Lieutenant Robert H. Taylor to the captaincy. The Seventh Company remained at the Mercer House. It did not flourish under Captain Underhill, and in June that officer resigned, but it was unable to secure a satisfactory commandant during the year. The Eighth Company, always active, reliable, and prosperous, and prominent in every military improvement, commenced the year with the adoption of leather belts and new knapsack-straps. The com- pany made a parade in May in its new equipments, and proceeded to Strycker's Bay in September for target-practice and a day's pleasure. It was permanently located at Lafayette Hall, and
1848
338
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
by its superior drill was making that place famous in military circles.
Captain Cyrus H. Lontrel enlisted in the Sixth Company in 1839, served with distinction for several years as a non-commis- sioned officer, and in 1846 was unaminously elected captain. He was an excellent military instructor and disciplina- rian, and thoroughly un- derstood and zealously performed his duties as an officer. In person he was short, stout, and sol- dierly ; in manner bluff, frank, and commanding ; and his energy, faithful- ness, and integrity of pur- pose always inspired his associates and comrades with confidence and re- spect. A man of decided opinions and of sound judgment, he was influ- ential in the affairs of the Regiment while in its act- From a photograph, 1848. ive service, and he al- ways took an active part as a veteran and exempt member in every project for promoting its welfare and prosperity. Captain Loutrel ranks high in that dis- tinguished class of officers who labored long, earnestly, and effect- ively for the Seventh Regiment, and, not aspiring to its highest honors, have been content to contribute their time and talents to advance its fame and fortunes. Captain Loutrel was born in New York in 1821. He was a manufacturing stationer in Maiden Lane, and successful in business. He was a Commissioner of Emigration, a director in several banking and insurance companies, and held many other positions of honor and trust in financial circles. Cap- tain Lontrel died in New York in 1885.
Military customs and fashions are not exempt from change, and the time had now arrived when the annual target-excursions of
339
TARGET EXCURSIONS.
1848
military organizations were to rapidly decline in popular favor. After the year 1848 such excursions by the companies of the Sev- enth Regiment were rare, and soon ceased entirely. They had for a long period been a source of great pleasure and of some military improvement ; for, while they gave to officers and men a delightful holiday in the country, and extended their acquaintance with each other and renewed and cemented old friendships, they also in- structed them in the practical use of the musket, even if they did not make them expert marksmen. The immediate cause of the decay and death of target-shooting as a military amusement was the fact that the politicians of the city adopted it as a weapon of politi- cal warfare. During the weeks preceding an election every avail- able place in the vicinity of New York was daily thronged with rough men and boys, who, in semi-military form and uniform and under the leadership of local politicians, engaged in target-shooting for prizes furnished by candidates for office or by their political friends. The riotous conduct of the target companies was almost unendurable; they were a grievous tax upon all who aspired to political preferment ; and the evil continued to grow and extend until terminated by the War for the Union (1861-'65) and by legis- lative enactments. Meantime, the citizen soldier, however well instructed in the manual of arms, rarely had an opportunity to load or fire a musket, and from 1850 to 1872, when target-practice was again resumed, under proper military regulations, at Creedmoor, there were frequent instances of militiamen performing faithfully a full term of seven years' service without discharging a gun or firing a ball-cartridge.
340
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1849
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.
1849.
AT an election held at the Mercer House, January 29, 1849, Lieutenant-Colonel Duryee was chosen colonel, Major Brinckerhoff lieutenant-colonel, and Captain Thomas Morton, of the First Com- pany, major of the Seventh Regiment.
In January the Board of Officers made arrangements with S. K. Dingle to furnish music for the Regiment. Dingle had been a musician in the British Army, was soldierly in appearance, and well qualified for the position of band-master. His band numbered about twenty men, was uniformed in red coats, and used none but brass instruments. Dingle's Washington Brass Band was one of the most popular musical organizations of the period. The expense for regimental music for each parade during the years 1849 and 1850 was about eighty dollars.
In the winter of 1848-'49 an extensive epidemic prevailed in New York, popularly known as the " gold fever," and thousands of the enterprising and adventurous young men of the city hastened away to seek their fortunes in the distant and then unknown regions of California. Among the pioneers was a large number of the most active members of the Seventh Regiment. Some of the com- panies lost nearly half their members, and the numerical strength and the prosperity of all were seriously impaired by this unexpected inroad upon their ranks. A few of the gold-seekers returned to the ranks of the Regiment in after-years, and completed their term of service; but the majority either succumbed to hardship and ex- posure in the new El Dorado, or returned to New York in broken health and spirits, and without any taste for military service.
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