USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 4
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The administration of Governor George Clinton, extending from 1743 to 1753, was a stormy one, for he was a stout defender of the prerogative of the Crown, and the Provincial Assembly was more intractable than ever. During the year 1744 there were grave apprehensions of war between France and England, and, by order of the Governor, the militia of the city was frequently exer- cised under arms, and the arms and accoutrements were from time to time inspected. In December the declaration of war was offi-
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER,
1747
cially promulgated in New York, and the militia was paraded to participate in the ceremonies of the day. But the organized com- panies did not respond to the call for troops for active service, and the quota required from New York city was raised in the usual manner. In 1747 the Assembly refused to further pay the troops raised for the expedition against the French, and Governor Clinton was obliged to discharge them from the service. He, therefore, ordered the colonels of the militia in the several counties to hold their regiments in readiness for any emergency. The response of the Regiment of the City of New York to the order is described by Governor Clinton in a report to the Duke of Newcastle as follows :
Accordingly this day (November 9, 1747) the Militia Regiment of this City was drawn out, and when in the field, my orders were read to them by their Colonel and Captains. But every man unanimously refused to obey any order from the Crown, unless an Act of the Assembly was passed in the Province for that pur- pose. .. . I conclude the Militia of other Counties will take example.
The Governor was deeply outraged by this disobedience of the militia, and his sensitiveness upon the subject is illustrated by the following deposition of Captain Paul Richards, mayor of the city from 1735 to 1739, and which that officer was obliged to make to appease the wounded honor of his Excellency :
City of New York S. S.
Paul Richards being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God deposeth and saith as followeth :
The said Paul Richards, Captain of one of the Companies belonging to the Militia Regiment of this city and County says : That when the said Regiment was out in November last, in order for Draughting, he marched at the head of his Company, towards the Common, by the Governor's Habitation, and looked towards his House, with intent to salute him if he saw him, but the deponent did not see him, nor any of his Children, at his Door or Windows; and that in so passing he did not hear any of his Men discharge a Gun near the said House, or in any other Place in their March to the Common. . . . PAUL RICHARDS.
Sworn before the 20th January, 1748, EDWARD HOLLAND, Mayor.
The decline of the militia during the administration of Gov- ernor Clinton, and the independent spirit of the people and their representatives, are illustrated by the following extracts from the dispatches of the Governor to the Lords of Trade :
May 23, 1749 .- There has been annually a Militia Act passed for imposing of Fines in case of neglect of Duty, and it is now inculcated among the people that the King has no authority over the Militia only by the force of the Act of the
22
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1755
Assembly passed in this Province, and on that opinion both officers and private men seem to regulate their obedience. This deserves your Lordship' attention, as it strikes at an undoubted prerogative of the Crown and may be of dangerous consequence.
October 4, 1752 .- Tho' the Assembly dare not deny the Kings authority over the Militia, yet an opinion is inculcated among the people that the powers of the Militia can only be put in execution by authority of the Assembly, so that no penalty can be incurred by disobedience without an Act of the Assembly for that purpose. Acts in former times were annually passed to lay penalties in certain cases till within this four years ; since which no Militia Bill has been brought in, tho' often pressed by me ; a general disobedience has since that time ensued and all appearance of a militia ceased.
In 1753 the people of New York were relieved from the arbi- trary and distasteful rule of Governor Clinton, and on the 10th of October his successor, Sir Danvers Osborne, "published his com- mission in New York amidst the greatest acclamations of the Peo- ple and the Sincerest demonstrations of joy that were ever Known on any occasion here." On the 12th of the same month Governor Osborne died by his own hand, and he was succeeded by Sir Charles Hardy in 1755. The French and Indian War absorbed the atten- tion of the people and of the Government from this date until the declaration of peace, which was published in New York in Janu- ary, 1763. The quota of New York city for the war was raised by voluntary enlistment, and the history of the militia at this period is without material interest. The most important service rendered by the militia of the city was the suppression of a serious riot caused by an attempt of the British soldiers, stationed in the fort, to liber- ate the prisoners from the city jail, in which one of their officers, Major Rogers, was confined for debt. They forced the doors, and such prisoners as seemed indisposed to accept their liberty, they at- tempted to drive out by force, and they proposed to carry off their major in triumph. The city militia was hastily summoned by the mayor, and soon quelled the riot and arrested the offenders.
The First Independent Company of the Militia of the City of New York was organized during the administration of Lord Corn- bury (1702-1708), and was commanded by the Lieutenant-Governor, Captain Richard Ingoldsby. From time to time other independent companies were organized in the city, and secured temporary dis- tinction, but it was not until the martial excitement incident to " King George's War" (1745), and the French and Indian War (1755-1762), that these organizations became a prominent part of
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
1765
the militia of the city. In 1755 there were, in addition to the Regi- ment of Militia, six independent companies, of which the most dis- tinguished was the " Grenadiers." The grand style in which this company celebrated the king's birthday is illustrated by the follow- ing extract from a newspaper of the period :
November 10, 1759 .- The King's Birth Day was kept with fire-works and re- joicings, and the Militia Company of Grenadiers mustered at the house of Mr. John Marshall, on the North River, where they roasted an ox at their own Ex- pense, and Eat and drank royally.
In 1765 there was the same number of independent companies of militia in the city-the Independent Company of Grenadiers, commanded by the Right Honorable the Earl of Stirling, two In- dependent Companies of Artillery, two Independent Companies of Foot-Guards, and the Independent Company of Cadets. In several of the militia laws passed from time to time by the Assembly, the independent companies were recognized by name. In the act passed March 24, 1772, it was provided that "the Company of Cadets and Blue Artillery of the City of New York are to consist of 100 men and no more."
In March, 1765, the celebrated Stamp Act was passed, and throughout the year New York was wild with excitement. The Sons of Liberty, an association for the protection of popular rights, took the lead in public resistance to this odious measure of taxation. In this memorable contest, which practically terminated in November in favor of the patriots of New York, the militia was not called upon to preserve the peace of the city ; for, although its officers were generally loyal to the Crown, a large part of the rank and file sympathized with the Sons of Liberty, and could not be relied upon to oppose the popular movement. But the new Governor of the province, Sir Henry Moore, upon his arrival in New York, at once issued an order to Colonel Oliver Delancey, commanding the regiment of militia of the city, and to the captains of the independent companies, of which the following is a copy :
By His Excellency, Sir Henry Moore, Baronet Captain-General and Governor- in-Chief in and over the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chanceller and Vice-Admiral of the same:
Whereas, at the Request of the Mayor and Corporation of the City of New York, I have thought fit, with the advice of His Majestys Council, to order that for the Preservation of the Peace of the city, a Guard of the Militia, consisting of one Commissioned Officer, two Sergeants, and forty men, Rank and File, do mount ,
·
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1772
every Evening at 5 oclock at the City Hall, and there put themselves under the Direction of the Civil Magistrate appointed for that Evening ; to do Duty until 7 oclock the next Morning, and then to be discharged unless the said Magistrate shall order the Guard to be continued longer. The Tour of Duty to begin with the Company of Grenadiers, and having gone through the other Independent Companies according to their seniority to pass through the Regiment and after- wards to be continued in like Rotation until further orders. . . .
Given under my Hand at Fort George in the City of New York the Nineteenth day of December, 1765.
As the Sons of Liberty had already accomplished their object in preventing the distribution and use of the stamps, and as the Stamp Act was repealed in February, 1766, no collision occurred between the militia in the performance of their duty and the patri- otic people of the city in their resistance to English oppression.
From this date until 1772 no militia act was passed by the As- sembly, and the regiment of the city and the independent com- panies maintained only a nominal existence. The Earl of Dun- more, Governor of New York in 1770, in a dispatch to the Earl of Hillsborough, dated December 6th, stated truly that "the Militia having been for several years past without Exercising, would be of little use in their present state." But Governor William Tryon, who succeeded Lord Dunmore in 1771, was a military character, and proceeded at once to reorganize the militia. He secured the passage of a militia act in May, 1772, under which was revived and reorganized the Regiment of the City (eight companies) and a bat- talion of militia (six companies), a troop of light horse, and nine independent companies.
The following is a dispatch from Governor Tryon to the Earl of Dartmouth on this subject :
NEW YORK, January, 1773.
MY LORD: The legislative body of this Colony at their last session having passed an act for establishing a Militia, commissions have been since issued by Government for forming the Militia in most of the Counties of the Province, and it is with a hope that the intelligence may be grateful to my Royal Sovereign that I presume to trouble your Lordship with the information that a revival of a Militia Law has been well received by the inhabitants and that the officers in gen- eral have discovered a laudable emulation of appearing and acting up to their appointments, and that the desire of acquiring a knowledge of the art military is equally conspicuous even among those of the rank and file.
Commissions for raising several military companies in this city having been given to some gentlemen of the first families and distinction on the condition that they clothed, arm, and accontre them at their own expense, the following com- panies were soon formed, viz .: two companies of Cadets, or Governor's Guards,
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1775
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
one of Grenadiers, one of Light Infantry, one of Rangers, one of Germans, and three of Artillery, forming upwards of five hundred men. On the 7th of last month I reviewed them, except two companies of artillery not then in uniform, drawn up in one battalion, when they went through the Manual Exercise and Evo- lutions with greater exactness and spirit than could possibly have been expected from the few opportunities they had of Exercising together. Their regularity, good order, and soldier-like appearance gave general satisfaction to all present, and I may venture to say it was the most brilliant militia review that was ever had within His Majesty's American dominions. These new companies when com- pleted will amount to near seven hundred men, all volunteers-a body that will be of more real service in case of necessity than treble the number of militia com- posed of the Inhabitants Generally. I am, with the highest respect and esteem, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient servant,
WM. TRYON.
The Earl of Dartmouth did not sympathize with Tryon in his enthusiasm in respect to the militia of New York, and the Gov- ernor was considerably chagrined that his efforts in this direction were not appreciated. The English statesman doubtless appre- hended that in the military instruction of the disaffected.colonists, although commanded by loyal officers, there were elements of future danger, and that the armed militia of New York might at some future day be arrayed in hostility to the troops of King George. But the militia organizations of Governor Tryon were continued until the city passed under the control of the Sons of Liberty.
On the 24th day of April, 1775, the news of the battle of Lex- ington reached New York. The Sons of Liberty at once assembled and took possession of the City Hall and the Custom-House, and distributed arms from the arsenal among the citizens. Military companies were forthwith organized ; business was suspended for drills and parades ; and the people of New York, though preserv- ing the semblance of loyalty, were really in a state of rebellion. Lieutenant-Governor Colden, in charge of the government during the temporary absence of Governor Tryon, thus wrote to the Earl of Dartmouth on the 7th of June, 1775 :
The spirit of arming and military parade still runs high in this city. Several companies are formed who have appointed their own officers, are well armed' and clothed with uniform. . . . I have reason to believe that numbers now appear in arms in the city who have not the least intention to oppose the Government. I know one company in particular who have associated to support the Government, but for the present appear and parade as others do.
1775
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Meantime the regular regiment of militia and the independent companies were rapidly becoming demoralized. The majority of the officers commissioned by Governor Tryon were loyal to the Crown, but some remained neutral amid the stormy events of the period, while others openly espoused the cause of the Sons of Lib- erty and aided them in their patriotic efforts. Of the rank and file a large majority sympathized with the opposition to English op- pression. With the troops of General Wooster encamped at Har- lem by order of the Congress, and with the guns of the English frigate Asia frowning upon the city from the harbor, armed neu- trality could not be long maintained. On the 26th day of June the militia companies, organized under English laws and owning allegiance to English governors, made their last parade. General Washington, en route from Mount Vernon to take command of the American army at Cambridge, and Governor Tryon, who had been temporarily absent from the city, were both expected to arrive in New York on the 25th of June. The following extract from Dunlap's " History of New York " illustrates the anomalous posi- tion of the people and of the militia of New York at this impor- tant period :
The members of the Provincial Congress were puzzled by these expected arriv- als ; and to get rid of the difficulty ordered the commander of the regiment of militia that had turned out to honour the visit of General Washington, so to dispose of his troops as to be in condition to receive either the American Com- mander-in-Chief or the Governor, as the one party or the other should have precedence in landing. Happily General Washington arrived some hours before the Governor, or else the Colonel must have been bowing two ways at once; some- thing like an attempt to serve God and Mammon at the same time. General Washington staid but one day in New York. He departed on the 26th, and was escorted on his way to Cambridge as far as Kingsbridge by several military com- panies of the city. Tryon landed at eight o'clock in the evening of the 25th, and was received with due respect by the militia and great cordiality by Loyalists.
Governor Tryon soon fled from the presence of the hostile patriots and took refuge on the British frigate Asia. With his departure the existence of the Regiment of the City of New York and of the independent companies, as organized by the English Governor, finally terminated. Of the officers and men not a few enlisted in the four regiments of troops organized in 1775, under an act of Congress, and in the company of artillery raised by Cap- tain John Lamb, the famous leader of the Sons of Liberty. Some
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
1783
died upon the battle-fields of the Revolution; others languished and expired in British prisons ; and others still achieved distinction in the Continental army, and lived to enjoy the blessings of peace and of American freedom.
The independent companies formed in the spring of 1775, and in whose loyalty to the Crown Lieutenant-Governor Colden as late as June 7th of that year expressed so much confidence, proved faithful to the liberties of their country. Among their officers were many who were distinguished for their services in the Revo- lutionary army, conspicuously Captains John Lasher, Sebastian Bauman, and James Alner, and Lieutenants Marinus Willett and William Malcolm. As the British power passed away, these com- panies were formed into a battalion under Colonel John Lasher, and by authority of the Provincial Congress performed military duty as " Minute-men " in the city of New York during the latter part of the year 1775. In January, 1776, Colonel Lasher's bat- talion voted to enlist in the Continental service, and in the same year was actively engaged in the defense of New York and par- ticipated with honor in the battle of Long Island. Some were taken prisoners in that engagement and in the retreat which fol- lowed, and the names and services of the officers and men of Lash- er's battalion who followed the American flag during the Revolu- tion are a part of the history of the country in its great struggle for independence. In the war for American independence the city of New York bore its full share of the trials and sufferings incident to that long and eventful struggle. Occupied for many months by foreign soldiery, its patriotic citizens banished from their homes, its commerce destroyed, and its churches and public places desecrated or converted into prisons for the martyrdom of the soldiers of lib- erty, no part of the thirteen colonies welcomed more heartily the successful termination of the Revolution and the restoration of peace. On the 25th day of November, 1783, New York was evac- uated by the British forces. The American army was disbanded and returned to the pursuits of peace, and the citizens of New York devoted their energies to repairing their fortunes, restoring the city to its former state of prosperity, and re-establishing its trade and commerce ; but the necessary measures of protection and defense were not long overlooked, and the militia of the city soon became an object of interest.
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1786
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
At the first session of the Legislature of the State of New York, held at Poughkeepsie during the Revolutionary War, three laws were passed in respect to the militia. The first, passed February 21, 1778, appropriated money to pay such militia of the State as the Government called into the service; the second, passed April 1st, authorized the drafting of every fifteenth man to complete and fill the five Continental battalions ; and the third was a general act, passed April 3d, entitled " An Act for regulating the Militia of the State of New York." By this act all males between the ages of fifteen and fifty were made liable to military duty, and were to be enrolled as under the colonial militia laws, the regimental districts remaining the same as before the war. In addition to the officers of the present day, the law provided for one ensign to each com- pany, and captains were authorized to appoint their non-commis- sioned officers. Each company was to be divided into four squads ; squads to drill twice in each month, and companies once in two months, and regiments to parade twice a year. The fine for a foot- soldier for non-appearance was fixed at twenty shillings ; the fines collected to be used in arming and equipping the men. Provision was made by this law for calling out the militia and for making drafts for active service. One brigadier-general for the city and county of New York was authorized, and, although that city was at the time and for several years thereafter in the possession of the British troops, John Morin Scott, a famous leader of the Sons of Liberty before the war, was commissioned on the 25th of June, 1778, as brigadier-general for New York city. The general militia law, passed April 3, 1778, was limited to two years, and was re- enacted in 1780 and in 1782, without material amendments.
Although military companies and associations were formed in New York soon after its evacuation by the British, it was not until 1786 that the militia of the city was effectually organized. The militia acts of 1778, 1780, and 1782, were adapted to the wants of the State in a period of war, and on the 4th day of April, 1786, an act was passed for the establishment of the militia on a peace basis. This law contained many of the provisions of former acts in respect to the enrollment of the militia, courts-martial, fines, etc., etc. All persons between the ages of sixteen and forty-five were made liable to military duty, and were required to furnish themselves with arms and to parade at stated periods for instruction in their respective
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
company, regimental, and brigade districts. It provided that to each regiment of infantry should be attached two light-infantry flank companies, composed of volunteers, to be uniformed at their own expense, and that to each brigade of infantry should be at- tached a company of artillery. The artillery companies were also to be composed of volunteers, uniformed at their own expense, " the color and fashion to be determined by the General com- manding the Brigade "; each company to consist of a captain, one captain-lieutenant, three lieutenants, six sergeants, six corporals, six gunners, six bombardiers, one drummer, one fifer, and thirty-two matrosses. The militia was required to meet four times annually " for training," twice by company, once by regiment, and once by brigade, the Adjutant-General of the State to attend the brigade musters. This law authorized the organization of a regiment of artillery in the city of New York, to consist of not more than four companies, to be armed and accoutred in the same manner as the brigade companies of artillery, to be called out not less than six times in each year.
Under the act of April 4, 1786, the militia of New York city was rapidly organized, and on the 4th day of October William Mal- colm, a distinguished officer of the Revolutionary War, was com- missioned a brigadier-general by Governor George Clinton, and placed in command of all the militia of the city, with John Miles Hughes as brigade inspector. Isaac Stoutenburg was at the same time commissioned lieutenant-colonel, to command the First Regi- ment of Infantry ; Morgan Lewis, lieutenant-colonel, Second Regi- ment ; Aaron Burr, lieutenant-colonel, Third Regiment ; and Rich- ard Varick, lieutenant-colonel, Fourth Regiment of Infantry. Se- bastian Bauman was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, commanding the New York City Regiment of Artillery. Of the above-named officers and their chief subordinates, nearly all had served with dis- tinction in the Revolutionary War, and were prominent and influ- ential citizens. The artillery, as organized under the act of 1786, is the parent of the militia of the city of New York as it exists at the present day ; and as the Seventh Regiment traces its organiza- tion directly to that corps, its history will be more particularly fol- lowed in these introductory pages.
In 1784 Colonel Sebastian Bauman, of Revolutionary fame, or- ganized the first company of artillery, which soon became a battal-
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1788
ion, and in 1786 was raised to a regiment. It was mainly officered by men who had seen service, and the élite of the city enlisted in its ranks. "Old Fort George" at the Battery, which was demol- ished in 1789, was originally its headquarters, and there it paraded for inspection and fired the salutes in honor of the anniversary of American independence, and on other great occasions. Previous to 1789 the drills were held sometimes at the fort and sometimes at the race-course or in the fields beyond the city, and whenever it paraded in the streets it attracted many spectators and was the sub- ject of general admiration. The 13th of October, 1788, was a gala- day for the Regiment of Artillery. In the forenoon it was in- spected at the fort by the adjutant-general; in the afternoon it was reviewed in the fields by Governor Clinton ; and in the evening it entertained its friends at the fort with music and fire-works.
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