USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
In the year 1831 the Seventh Regiment (then the Twenty- seventh Regiment) escorted the remains of ex-President Monroe from the City Hall to the Second Street Cemetery, where they rested undisturbed until July 2, 1858. In April a resolution was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia, to re- move the remains of the ex-President from New York to Rich- mond, and a committee was appointed to co-operate with the authorities of New York for that purpose. On the 26th of June the Common Council selected the Seventh Regiment as the escort, " provided it bear its own expenses of travel, maintenance, etc." The steamer Ericsson was at once chartered by the quartermaster, and preparations were made for the departure of the Regiment on the 3d of July for Richmond.
Friday, July 2d .- At an early hour in the morning the remains of ex-President Monroe were removed from the cemetery in Second Street to the Church of the Annunciation in Fourteenth Street. At 4 p. M. the military, consisting of a detail from each of the brigades of the First Division, and a large and imposing civic pro- cession, escorted the remains to the City Hall, where they were deposited in the Governor's Room.
Saturday, July 3d .- At 10 A. M. the Seventh Regiment as- sembled in Lafayette Place, numbering five hundred and sixteen officers and men, and marched to the City Hall, where it received the remains with due ceremony and escorted them to the steamer Jamestown, at the foot of Liberty Street. One file from each company having been detailed as a guard on board the Jamestown, the Regiment proceeded to the foot of Beach Street, and embarked upon the steamer Ericsson. As the vessel moved from the pier, cheer after cheer followed the departing soldiers, and, during the
421
1858
EXCURSION TO RICHMOND.
passage down the bay, salutes were fired by the ocean-steamers and by the forts in the harbor. The accommodations upon the Ericsson were very limited and unsatisfactory. The tables in the small dining-room and upon the quarter-decks seated less than half the Regiment, and the coarse fare, often wearily waited for, was far from attractive. The berths, numbering less than two hundred, were divided among the companies and then distributed by lot, making it necessary for a large number of members to seek a rest- ing-place upon the floors of the cabin or upon the deck. But all were resolute in the determination to be good-humored, and the various unpleasant features of the voyage were only subjects of amusement.
Sunday, July 4th .- At daylight all turned out to witness a beautiful sunrise at sea. The wind had increased during the night, and the rolling of the vessel soon affected those susceptible to sea- sickness. Divine service was attended, Rev. Dr. Weston, the vol- unteer chaplain, officiating, and the fine vocal music of the members of the Regiment was an attractive feature. At noon a national salute was fired by the Engineer Corps, and the national anniver- sary was celebrated by the reading of the Declaration of Independ- ence, and with patriotic airs from the band. In the afternoon the steamer entered Chesapeake Bay, and in the evening passed Fortress Monroe, and about midnight ran hard aground on Goose Hill flats, about thirty miles below City Point.
Monday, July 5th .- At 4 A. M. the steamer Glen Cove, with a committee of the Common Council of Richmond, reached the Ericsson, and the sleepy soldiers, aroused by a terrific beating of drums, hastened to transfer themselves to its commodious decks, and at ten o'clock Richmond was in sight. Arriving at Rocketts, the Regiment quickly disembarked, and was received with appro- priate honors by the military of the city. A great crowd of spec- tators, largely composed of negroes, had gathered upon the bluffs near the landing, and the members of the Seventh Regiment were considerably disappointed in the character and manners of those who welcomed them to the capital of Virginia. The appearance of the military also provoked criticism among those accustomed to the parades of the large, handsomely uniformed, and well-drilled regi- ments of the Northern cities. At eleven o'clock the procession moved from the landing, and proceeded up Main Street to Second,
1858
422
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
and through Carey Street and the outskirts of the city to Hollywood Cemetery. The appearance of the town and of the people removed, to some extent, the first unfavorable impressions, but there was an apparent want of interest, which strongly contrasted with the curi- osity and enthusiasm common in the cities of the North on great public occasions. But the colored people were wild with excite- ment, and so charmed by the New York soldiers, and by the music of the Seventh Regiment Band, that they literally danced attend- ance from Rocketts to Hollywood. The excessive heat and sultri- ness of the day rendered the long march to Hollywood extremely fatiguing, and, when the Regiment reached that part of the ceme- tery selected for the grave of Monroe, the men were thoroughly exhausted. A square was formed about the grave; the remains of Monroe were lowered into the vault; an oration was delivered by Governor Wise ; and the funeral ceremonies closed with a discharge of artillery. The procession again formed, and marched to Capitol Square, and the Regiment was escorted thence by the Virginia military to dinner at Warwick Mill.
The Warwick Mill, in which Richmond entertained the Seventh Regiment on this occasion, was situated near the James River and on the bank of the great basin of the Kanawha Canal, was eleven stories high, and was said to be the largest flouring-mill in the world. The fifth floor, where the arms were stacked, was used as a reception-room, and was adorned with immense punch-bowls, one said to contain fifty gallons, which were liberally patronized by the weary and thirsty soldiers. The dining-room, on the floor above, was one hundred and sixty feet in length and one hundred feet in width. National, State, and city flags were displayed on every side to the best advantage ; the walls and ceilings were ornamented with drapery of red, white, and blue, and with sabers, muskets, and military accoutrements, tastefully grouped and arranged ; and the columns were adorned with holly and cedar and festoons of flowers. The president's table, at which sat the invited guests, was located at the south side of the room, and at right angles with it seven long tables extended to the opposite side of the building. Over twelve hundred citizens and soldiers sat at dinner, and, though the labors and fatigue of the day had sharpened every appetite, the supply of delicacies and of substantial food proved inexhaustible. When the cloth was removed, the regular toasts were drunk and responded to,
·
1858
423
REVIEW BY GOVERNOR WISE.
and the speeches of Governor Wise and Hon. John Cochrane, rep- resenting the great States of Virginia and New York, and of Colo- nels August and Duryee, in behalf of the Richmond and New York military, were received with great applause. At dusk the several companies marched to their quarters, which were provided by the city authorities, and were the best the town afforded. The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies were quartered at the Ex- change Hotel ; the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh at the St. Charles ; and the Eighth at the Powhatan.
During the evening, Capitol Square was the center of attrac- tion, and was visited by thousands of ladies and gentlemen, and by the soldiers of New York and Richmond. Beautiful arched trans- parencies, with patriotic mottoes and devices, illuminated the entrances to the square, and thousands of red, white, and blue Chinese lanterns were suspended along the walks, upon the trees, and from the southern portico of the Capitol. At midnight the Seventh Regiment Band serenaded Governor Wise and Mayor Mayo, who acknowledged the compliment with appropriate speeches. During the night and the following day, all parts of the city were visited, and the citizens, now convinced that the · Regiment was not a horde of Northern barbarians, displayed the mnost remarkable hospitality. The police winked at all violations of the stringent regulations of the corporation, and the shopkeepers refused payment for their wares.
Tuesday, July 6th .- At 10 A. M. the Regiment paraded for review, by Governor Wise, in Capitol Square. The coldness and indifference so apparent on the previous day were now succeeded by decided enthusiasm, and the Seventh Regiment had evidently achieved a brilliant victory in conquering the hearts of the people of Richmond. The review was excellent, and the short drill that followed astonished and delighted the spectators. At the conclu- sion of the drill, the Regiment was invited to a collation, spread beneath the fine old trees of Capitol Square, and around the im- mense punch-bowl, which had been on duty at Warwick Mill, New York and Virginia soldiers renewed their assurances of eternal friendship. At 6 P. M. the Regiment formed in Capitol Square, and, after an hour's drill, which was witnessed by the Governor, mayor, City Council, and an immense number of ladies and gentle- men, it departed for the steamboat landing at Rocketts. The en-
1858
424
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
thusiasm of the people can hardly be described or imagined. Cheers followed cheers ; handkerchiefs waved in every fair hand ; and "Good-by," "God bless you," and "Come again," seemed to be upon the lips of every son and daughter of Virginia. Embark. ing upon the Glen Cove, and taking a last farewell of its large civil and military escort, the Seventh Regiment left Richmond at 9 p. M. A few miles below the city the Glen Cove was hailed by the barge Old Dominion, which came alongside and quietly fast- ened to the steamer. The Richmond Grays had chartered the barge and loaded it with refreshments, and had quietly dropped down the stream in advance of the Glen Cove, to claim the honor and pleasure of the last act of hospitality. The members of the Seventh were not slow to appreciate the compliment, and swarmed upon the Old Dominion, until it cast off and returned to Rich- mond. Before daylight all were transferred to the Ericsson, which lay at anchor near the place where she grounded on Sunday night.
Wednesday, July 7th .- About noon the Ericsson passed Old Point Comfort and turned her prow toward Washington. During the afternoon dancing and gymnastics were popular amusements ; card and chess parties occupied every quiet nook and corner ; and the evening was enlivened by the mock trial of a Dutch drummer. It was expected that the Regiment would reach Washington at an early hour the next morning, and great disappointment was ex- pressed when, at 10 P. M., the Ericsson cast anchor, the pilot alleg- ing that, on account of the darkness of the night, and the narrow and difficult channel of the Potomac, it would be unsafe to proceed until daylight.
Thursday, July 8th .- At reveille the Ericsson was again in motion, but soon ran aground on Kettle-Bottom Shoals. Efforts were made at intervals, during the forenoon, to relieve the ship from her unpleasant position, but without success. The quarter- master at an early hour had taken passage upon a propeller for Washington, for the purpose of chartering a steamer to convey the Regiment to that city. At 5 P. M. the steamer Thomas Colyer, of Washington, arrived with a party of gentlemen on board, who had expected to meet the Ericsson at Mount Vernon, but, learning that she was aground, had come to her relief. They brought the agree- able intelligence that the quartermaster had secured the steamer
425
1858
REVIEW BY PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.
Mount Vernon, and would return in the evening. The owner of the Thomas Colyer kindly consented to take three of the companies on board, and the Third, Sixth, and Eighth Companies left the Ericsson and reached Washington at 11 P. M. The remaining com- panies embarked upon the Mount Vernon about midnight, and reached Washington at an early hour in the morning. It had been the intention of the Regiment to return to New York by sea, but so much time had been lost by delay, and the members were so completely disgusted by their long confinement on the Ericsson, that · it was unanimously resolved to re- turn home by railroad.
Friday, July 9th .- The Regi- ment was quartered in Washing- ton at the National and Brown's Hotels. During the leisure hours of the morning the members vis- ited the publie buildings and other objects of interest, and at eleven o'clock the Regiment marched to the Executive Mansion for review by President Buchanan. The re- view was remarkably good, and James Buchanane the President and the army officers present were unqualified in their expressions of admiration. After the review the Regiment was invited to the East Room of the Ex- ecutive Mansion, and each officer and member was honored with a personal introduction to President Buchanan.
Mr. Richard Wallach, of Washington, having kindly tendered the use of the steamers Mount Vernon and Thomas Colyer to con- vey the Regiment on a flying visit to the tomb of Washington, nearly all the members availed themselves of the opportunity, and at 4 P. M. embarked for the Mecca of American patriotism. The steamers landed at a dilapidated wharf, and the members of the Regiment proceeded by an old plank-walk to the tomb, situated upon a small hill, facing the river, and about a hundred yards dis- tant. Gathered about it, all reverentially uneovered their heads and listened to a few appropriate and patriotic remarks by the chaplain and by Mayor Mayo, of Richmond. The interesting visit
.
1858
426
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
to the tomb was concluded with prayer, and the young soldiers proceeded to the Washington Mansion. The Mount Vernon estate had not yet become the property of the Ladies' Mount Vernon Association, and its proprietor, John A. Washington, was active on this occasion in exhibiting to the officers and members of the Regi- ment all that was curious and interesting. The rooms occupied by the illustrious Washington, and remaining in the same condition as at his death, were thrown open, and various works of art and care- fully preserved mementos were exhibited. While the mansion itself and its contents seemed to be in a fair state of preservation, the neglect of the shrubbery and the want of care in the cultiva- tion of the estate were painfully apparent to those accustomed to the thrifty and prosperous agriculture of the North. Even at the tomb of Washington, the rank vegetation and untrained shrubbery betrayed the absence of proper care, and the dust of years which had gathered upon the sarcophagus rendered the inscription almost illegible. The shades of evening hastened the departure from Mount Vernon, and at 11 P. M. the Regiment reached its quarters at Washington. It was on this occasion that Mr. J. Cruchett, pro- prietor of the factory for the manufacture of Mount Vernon memen- tos, notified Colonel Duryee that he should present the Regiment with something com- memorative of this visit, which promise he subse- Mount Vernon. quently fulfilled by for- warding to each mem- ber a walking-stick, manufactured from material procured from the Mount Vernon estate.
Saturday, July 10th .- The Regiment left Washington at 7 A. M. for New York. At Baltimore it was received and escorted to the Philadelphia depot by a company of light artillery from Fort McHenry, and by the Baltimore City Guard. The sultry and suf- focating atmosphere, and a burning, broiling sun, after a week of fatigue and sleeplessness, were too much for human endurance, and before the Philadelphia depot was reached fully half the Regi-
427
DEATH OF HAMILTON.
1858
ment had succumbed to heat, thirst, and exhaustion. Rest and refreshments during the passage to Philadelphia served to recruit the strength and spirits of the men, and no permanent injury re- sulted to any one from the famous march through Baltimore. Exten- sive preparations had been made by the military of Philadelphia for the reception and entertainment of the Seventh Regiment, but the de- termination of Colonel Duryee to reach New York before Sunday compelled him to reluctantly but Tomb of Washington. peremptorily decline the hospitali- ties of the Quaker City. At 2 A. M. the Regiment reached New York.
The elaborate reports of the progress and adventures of the Seventh Regiment, which had appeared in the New York daily journals, had produced a great excitement, and a hearty welcome awaited its return. The Seventy-first Regiment and the City Guard paraded on Saturday afternoon for its reception, and thou- sands of people thronged the streets, rendering them almost impass- able, to join in the grand ovation. All were disappointed at its non-appearance, and, though many wearied with waiting, large numbers were present at its arrival. Fire-works illuminated the streets and rendered brilliant its triumphant march up Broadway, and at all points along the route the members were greeted by the salutations and congratulations of enthusiastic friends. At 3 A. M. the Regiment was dismissed at Lafayette Hall.
A shadow was cast upon the brilliant events of the trip to Rich- mond by the untimely death of Private Laurens Hamilton, of the Sixth Company. In the darkness, confusion, and excitement which prevailed when the Regiment left Richmond, he accidentally fell overboard and was drowned. On the following day his body was found in the James River, near Rocketts, and removed to the Capitol, and was forwarded with a military escort to New York by the city authorities. The funeral was attended at Trinity Church by a large concourse of friends and relatives, and the Richmond military received from the Sixth Company the most
428
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1858
liberal attentions. Laurens Hamilton was a grandson of Alexander Hamilton, and a young man of fine abilities, correct habits, and rare promise. Ile was a graduate of Columbia College, and died at the early age of twenty-three years.
No event in the history of the Seventh Regiment accomplished more in extending and nationalizing its reputation than the trip to Richmond in 1858. Its patriotic errand endeared it to the whole country ; its martial bearing and the gentlemanly deport- ment of its members charmed the citizens and the authorities of the cities visited ; while New York, viewing with pride its progress and success, renewed its allegiance to its old favorite. The report- ers of the New York press furnished their respective journals with the most minute details of the excursion ; the pictorial weeklies were crowded with illustrations of its adventures; and the Rich- mond and Washington papers sounded its praises in terms most complimentary and flattering. To the principal Northern cities it had long been favorably known, but its name now became as familiar as a household word at the South and in all parts of the country.
Upon the bright and sunny fortunes of the Regiment the trip to Richmond, fruitful of troubles as well as honors, cast some im- portant shadows. While en route, Colonel Duryee refused to except John A. Hall, the right general guide, from the regulation requiring non-commissioned staff-officers to wear the knapsack, and soon after received from him an insulting letter. Young Hall was a son of General William Hall, commanding the Third Brigade, and it was supposed by some that on that account his insubordination would be overlooked and forgiven. But he was immediately reduced to the ranks, and in regimental orders, dated July 29th, was dismissed from the service, "for conduct unworthy of a soldier and gross disrespect to a superior officer." To the right of the colonel to dis- miss from the Regiment a non-commissioned staff-officer, Hall took exceptions. He appealed to the commander-in-chief, and was sup- ported vigorously by the officers and members of the Third Com- pany, of which he was a member at the time of his appointment as right general guide. Thus commenced a controversy pregnant with important results.
Another trouble during the Richmond trip was the mutinous conduct of Band-Master Noll and his musicians. The fatigues of
429
MONTREAL FIELD BATTERY.
1858
the journey, the heat of the weather, and perhaps the free flow of wine and lager-beer, had demoralized the band, and Noll, who was a poor disciplinarian, could not control his subordinates, even were he so disposed. During the night at Richmond, Colonel Duryee sent an order to the band to parade and serenade Governor Wise and Mayor Mayo, but no attention whatever was paid to the order, and it was not until he went personally to the quarters of the band and gave the order that it was obeyed. During the remainder of the trip the musicians were distinguished for their indifference, sul- lenness, and constant grumbling. Thus, in a brief week, the Sev- enth Regiment Band, which since its organization in 1852 had been petted, praised, and patronized, fell from the height of popularity into disfavor and disrepute. No sooner had the Regiment returned to New York than the subject of a new band was agitated, but Noll at length made an apology for the conduct of his band while in Richmond, and he was continued in the service of the Regiment.
John D. Bailey, the military reporter for the New York "Sun- day Mercury " at this period, was a member of the Fourth Com- pany, and was in its ranks during the excursion to Richmond. Taking offense at some trifling circumstance, he forthwith com- menced a fierce fusillade through the columns of that paper against the Regiment and its commandant. In August the Fourth Com- pany expelled him, and, though he protested and appealed, and quoted the Constitution and the law, and made a terrible commotion generally, he was never able to reverse its action. But for a long time his assaults upon the Regiment were as regular as the arrival of the first day of the week, and, though he did not have the power to materially injure the organization, he had ample facilities to annoy its officers and members. But Bailey died soon after the War of the Rebellion, and the Regiment continued to live.
The Second Company received the Montreal Field Battery of Artillery on August 31st, and escorted its guests to the Stevens House. In the afternoon the two companies visited the public institutions on Randall's and Blackwell's Islands, and were enter- tained by the ten governors. After speeches from several distin- guished gentlemen, all heartily joined in drinking the health of the Queen and the President, and in singing the national airs of America and Great Britain. It was late in the evening when the companies reached the armory of the Second Company in Thirteenth Street,
1858
430
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
where a collation awaited their arrival. On the following day the Montreal corps paraded with the Seventh Regiment.
The completion of the Atlantic Cable and the successful trans- mission of telegrams between the two continents created great ex- citement and enthusiasm. The 1st day of September was selected for the celebration throughout the United States of this important event in the history of the world. New York, as the commercial metropolis of the country, fully appreciated the importance of this new bond of peace and commerce, and prepared with unusual ex- travagance to commemorate it. At an early hour the streets were thronged with citizens and strangers, and business was entirely sus- pended. At 1 P. M. Cyrus W. Field, the active American manager of the Ocean Telegraph Company, and the officers of the Niagara, Gorgon, and Indus, the vessels engaged in laying the cable, were officially received at Castle Garden by the city authorities, and at 3 P. M. the grand procession moved from the Battery. Broadway was magnificent beyond description. Flags of all nations, a count- less number, floated from the buildings ; costly decorations, ingen- ious devices, and appropriate mottoes everywhere met the eye ; sidewalks and house-tops were crowded with people, and every win- dow was a bouquet of beauty. All were in high spirits, and cheered for everybody and everything in the procession. The jolly tars from the Niagara, as they rolled along, were overwhelmed with applause ; an immense coil of cable on a large truck was an object of general interest ; and the productions of a printing-press and a telegraph instrument in the procession were sought for as eagerly as if they had been bank-notes. The great attraction, however, was the First Division, and the chief and central military figure was the Seventh Regiment, doubly famous from its recent trip to Rich- mond. Its approach was welcomed at all points in Broadway and Fifth Avenue by cheer upon cheer from the streets and house-tops, and by clouds of waving cambric from the windows. The Regi- ment was strong in numbers, and marched with a grace and steadi- ness never excelled, and September 1, 1858, was one of the proud- est and most memorable days in its history. In the evening the firemen's procession passed down from Forty-second Street to the City Hall, and Broadway was a river of light. Nearly every build- ing was illuminated or adorned with an elaborate and costly trans- parency, innumerable Chinese lanterns were suspended from trees
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.