USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 41
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1858
NEW SPRINGFIELD MUSKETS.
431
and lamp-posts, fire-works were exhibited in extravagant profusion, while the torches of many thousand firemen completed a scene of brilliancy such as New York had never witnessed. The failure of the Atlantic Cable soon after this celebration was doubly aggravat- ing, but hope lingered with the belief in the ultimate success of the great enterprise.
The annual inspection took place at Hamilton Square, on the 18th day of October. The Regiment was reviewed by General Hall, and, after the conclusion of the military exercises of the day, proceeded to the Battery to receive the Seventy-first Regiment returning from guard duty at Quarantine. The result of the in- spection was as follows :
Present.
Present.
Field and Staff.
10
Fifth Company
90
Non Com. Staff.
12
Sixth
66
104
Band.
40
Seventh 66
90
First Company
83
Eighth 66
99
Second
107
Troop.
29
Third
66
94
Engineers
18
Fourth
80
Total present, 856.
In November the Regiment received from the United States Government one thousand new Springfield rifle-muskets, fifty-eight caliber, with Maynard attachment, in exchange for its percussion muskets altered from flint-locks. This new stand of arms was not secured without a long and vigorous effort. In February a com- mittee of officers proceeded to Albany and ascertained that Gov- ernor King was not authorized to make any further requisitions upon the United States Government for arms, the quota for 1858 having already been received. The adjutant-general, however, made a requisition upon the Secretary of War for arms for the Regiment on account of the quota of the State of New York for 1859, and, fortified by letters from Governor King, Lieutenant- General Scott, and thirty-three of the most distinguished citizens of New York city, the committee proceeded to Washington to urge its claim. It was met by a prompt and positive refusal, on the ground that the law prohibited the issuing of arms to the several States in advance of the annual distribution. The members of Con- gress from New York city earnestly advocated the claims of the Regiment, but without success, and it was not until the Hon. Will-
29
1858
432
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
iam H. Seward, United States Senator from New York, accompa- nied the committee to the War Department, and, in the most ear- nest and peremptory manner, demanded that the new arms should be provided for the Seventh Regiment, that the Secretary of War, John A. Floyd, discovered the ways and means of accomplishing the object. Before the committee left Washington it was arranged that one thousand of the new muskets should be exchanged with the State of New York for old muskets in sufficient number to be equivalent in value. It is an John a. Jling interesting fact that the War Department, even at this period, was crowding the arse- nals of the South with United States arms, and stoutly opposed this application of the Seventh Regiment in the interest of those States which, in 1860-'65, attempted to destroy the Union. In less than thirty months from the date of their receipt, these arms were carried by the Seventh Regiment to the defense of Washing- ton, at the commencement of the great rebellion.
The First Company removed during the year 1858 to the Na- tional Drill-Rooms, and the Seventh Company and the Troop found new quarters at Tilford Hall. Tilford Hall was a new building at the corner of Seventh Street and Hall Place, the first story of which was occupied as a cheap dining-saloon, and the second and third floors for military purposes. The accommodations were narrow and unsatisfactory ; but the new Tompkins Market Armory was now progressing, and encouraged patience and hopefulness. The Second Company adopted in the early part of the year a black body-belt, to be worn at company drills instead of the white-cross and body belts. It proved so convenient and agreeable that the Fourth and Eighth Companies also adopted the black belt, and it was not long before all the companies of the Regiment were equipped in like manner. The only change in commandants of companies during the year 1858 was caused by the resignation of Captain Alexander Lytle, of the Troop, who was succeeded by Lieu- tenant Edwin T. Cragin.
433
THE QUARANTINE WAR.
1859
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINTH.
1859.
FOR several years the people of Staten Island had labored to secure the removal of the Quarantine Hospital, and had persistently claimed that its presence endangered their lives and depreciated the value of their property. Failing to secure the desired object in a legal manner, it was resolved to destroy the extensive and valuable property of the State, and thus compel a change in the location of the hospital. In the darkness of a September night a mob assem- bled at Tompkinsville, forcibly invaded the premises, and fired the obnoxious buildings. Everything of value was destroyed, and many of the inmates of the hospital barely escaped with their lives. A regiment of militia was at once ordered to Staten Island to pre- serve order and to occupy the State property, and the several regi- ments of the First Division guarded the quarantine grounds until the close of the year 1858. The Eighth, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Companies of the Seventh Regiment were ordered to relieve the Eleventh Regiment on January 3d, and, on the afternoon of that day, they proceeded by steamer to Staten Island. The day was cold and cheerless ; the wind blew violently, and the approaching night promised a disagreeable storm. Quarters were allotted to the several companies ; bunks were selected, blankets unrolled, knap- sacks unpacked, and mattresses filled with straw, and the men not on guard were seated at a substantial supper, when General Hall arrived with an order from Governor Morgan for the immediate withdrawal of the military force from Staten Island. Snow was falling as the battalion marched to the ferry, and before it reached the Battery the severest storm of the season was in full progress. As the men trudged up Broadway through the snow they congratu- lated themselves upon their fortunate escape from a winter cam- paign in Richmond County, and their speedy return to homes which never looked brighter and more cheerful.
1859
434
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Among those who were particularly interested in the trip of the Seventh Regiment to Richmond in 1858 was Udolpho Wolfe, a native of Virginia, and a wealthy citizen of New York. At a large expense he published a book entitled "The Removal of the Re- mains of James Monroe," and in January issued a circular propos- ing to present a copy to each member of the Regiment. This work contained a complete history of the public ceremonies, a detailed account of the adventures of the Seventh Regiment during its trip to Richmond, the names of the members of the Regiment, and sketches of its officers and of the prominent events in its history. The evening of the 22d of February was selected for the formal presentation of the testimonial, and a dinner was given at the La- farge House by the Regiment, which was attended by its officers, by a committee from each company, and by Mr. Wolfe and his in- vited guests. The dinner was in all respects a splendid and suc- cessful affair. Hon. W. R. Preston, of Virginia, ably represented Mr. Wolfe, and Colonel Duryee received the testimonial in behalf of the Regiment, and the regular toasts were responded to by Gen- eral Wool, Colonel Peyton, of Virginia, Rev. Mr. Montgomery, General Sandford, Captain Powell, of the navy, Mayor Tiemann, and other distinguished gentlemen.
The attention of the commander-in-chief had been called to the dismissal of Sergeant John A. Hall from the Seventh Regiment by Colonel Duryee in July, 1858, and in orders from general head- quarters, dated December 30, 1858, the order for such dismissal was canceled and revoked. In the regimental order promulgating the decision of the commander-in-chief, Colonel Duryee said :
The above order is issued by the late Commander-in-Chief, and the colonel cheerfully obeys it. But justice to himself and the members of his command requires that, in publishing the order, he should at the same time protest against the very unmilitary and illegal manner in which a part of Regimental Order No. 10 is cancelled on the ex parte statement of the captain of the Third Company of this Regiment without extending to the commanding officer, on his respectful application to General Head Quarters, the courtesy of hearing his statement of the matter at issue. The colonel dismissed John A. Hall for having received from the latter a most insulting and abusive letter, believing then as now the State law and regulations, as well as the rules and usages of the Army, gave him full power over his non-commissioned staff officers.
The colonel then proceeded to fortify his position by a letter from Lieutenant-General Scott and by a lengthy legal opinion of
435
THE HALL CONTROVERSY.
1859
Lucius Pitken, Esq. An official manifesto of this character could not be allowed to pass unnoticed by the highest military authority. On the 5th of February Adjutant-General Townsend ordered Gen- eral Sandford to appoint a court of inquiry "as to the promulga- tion of the extraordinary document" above referred to, and on the 12th of February Brigadier-General Ewen was appointed such court of inquiry. No report of this court of inquiry was ever published, nor was any other official action in the matter made public.
The conclusions to which an impartial historian must arrive in respect to the famous Hall controversy are as follows : that Hall was guilty of unsoldierly conduct, and deserved severe punishment ; that the commandant could reduce him to the ranks, and that he should have been tried by a court-martial, and such penalties in- flicted as the law prescribed ; that the Third Company and its com- mandant were unduly personal and vindictive in their defense of one whom they claimed as a member; that a hearing should have been granted to the commandant of the Regiment when respect- fully applied for before his order was revoked ; and that the severe censure in regimental orders of the action of the commander-in- chief was hasty and ill-advised, and very dangerous.
The Hall controversy produced a great excitement in the Seventh Regiment and in military circles generally. The officers and members of the Regiment, with the exception of the Third Company and an insignificant minority, enlisted upon the side of their colonel, and gallantly adhered to his standard. Circulars from the Third Company on the subject were treated with contempt, and the continued and persistent agitation by the adherents of Hall was condemned as subversive of discipline and dangerous to the Regiment. To assure the colonel of its support, the Regiment serenaded him on the evening of the 21st of February. The offi- cers and members assembled in large numbers in citizens' dress, and proceeded in military order, under command of Adjutant Pond, to the residence of Colonel Duryee in Thirty-eighth Street. Great enthusiasm characterized the whole affair, and the speech of Colonel Duryee from the balcony was heartily applauded. At the conclu- sion of the serenade the officers of the Regiment and committees from the several companies were warmly welcomed and hospitably entertained by Colonel Duryee.
The purchase of the Mount Vernon estate by the Ladies' Mount
1859
436
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Vernon Association was at this time a subject of general interest. An appeal from the officers of the association to the Seventh Regi- ment for material aid was favorably received, and committees were appointed by the several companies to secure concert of action. The amount subscribed by the officers and members was two thousand dol- lars, and the Seventh Regiment since 1859 has possessed a pecuniary interest to that amount in the home of the Father of his Country.
The Regiment paraded on the 22d day of February, and was reviewed by Mayor Tiemann at the City Hall, and by General Wool, of the United States Army, in Fourteenth Street. At the conclusion of the review, General Wool addressed the Regiment, and touched its vanity by pronouncing it "the finest regiment in the world." A regimental field-day at Fashion Course on May 16th attracted a large number of spectators. A memorable military move- ment of the day was the charge of the Troop upon the infantry companies in square, and the disorderly retreat of the troopers, whose untrained horses were madly ungovernable under a discharge of El Morgan. blank cartridges. There was a field-day of the Third Brigade on June 23d at East New York, and on the 4th day of July occurred the usual parade of the First Division. The Regiment proceeded to East New York on September 29th for battalion drill ; there was a parade of the Third Brigade and a review by Adjutant-General Townsend on Novem- ber 10th at the Battery ; and the First Division was reviewed on November 25th by Governor Morgan in Fourteenth Street, and passed in review at the City Hall.
By a vote of the several companies, a trifling change was made in the fatigue-cap of the Regiment, by which it would con- form more closely to the style worn by the French Army. The black belt which had been for some time worn at company drills was now adopted as a part of the Bill of Dress to be worn at regi- mental drills when so ordered. During the year a new uniform was adopted and ordered by the Board of Officers for the drum corps of the Regiment.
437
1859
RESIGNATION OF COLONEL DURYEE,
On the 9th of March, 1859, an association of the exempt mem- bers of the Seventh Regiment was organized, called the " Veterans of the National Guard," and was subsequently incorporated by the Legislature of the State. Its constitution stated its objects : "1. To constitute a bond of fellowship and union between former and present companions in arms; 2. To institute and perpetuate an official record and registry of the origin, acts, and members of the Seventh Regiment; and, 3. To create a fund for useful and benevo- lent purposes." The first officers elected were John M. Catlin, colonel and president ; Linus W. Stevens, lieutenant-colonel; and James B. Wilson, major. The character and ability of the officers and members of the association insured its immediate success, and it was confidently expected that as a social and benevolent organiza- tion it would prove useful to exempt members and honorable to the Regiment.
On the 4th of July Colonel Duryee tendered his resignation. The fact becoming known to the Regiment, several of the compa- nies at once protested against its acceptance, and a mass-meeting was held at Lafayette Hall, on July 11th, at which appropriate reso- lutions were adopted, and a large and influential committee, repre- senting all the companies, was appointed, to secure the withdrawal of the resignation. Upon the recommendation of this committee there was a volunteer parade of the Regiment in full uniform at 8 P. M., July 13th, for the purpose of proceeding to the residence of Colonel Duryee, to express the wishes of the officers and members. The eloquence of the committee and the presence of the Regiment failed to accomplish the desired object, and Colonel Duryee in per- son announced his unalterable resolution to retire from the service. The acceptance of the resignation of Colonel Duryee was announced in brigade orders on July 18th, which also noticed in compliment- ary terms his long and valuable services.
Colonel Abram Duryee enlisted in 1833 as a private in the One Hundred and Forty-second Regiment, New York State Militia ; in 1834 was a sergeant, and in 1836 sergeant-major of that regiment. In 1838 he was transferred to the First Company of the Seventh Regiment, in 1840 was elected second lieutenant of the Second Company, in 1841 first lieutenant, and in 1844 was promoted to the captaincy. In 1845 he was elected major of the Regiment, in the latter part of the same year its lieutenant-colonel, and in 1849
438
1859
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
was elected colonel. In 1861 Colonel Duryee was among the first to volunteer in defense of the Union, and on the 9th day of May was commissioned as colonel of the Fifth Regiment, New York Volunteers (Duryce's Zouaves), a distinguished corps, which his energy and influence had rapidly organized. He was engaged in the battle at Big Bethel, was promoted to be brigadier-general in . August, 1861, commanded the District of Baltimore, and erect- ed Fort Federal Hill. In 1862 he commanded a brigade under General McDowell in northern and central Virginia ; he served under General Pope, and was actively engaged in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station, Thoroughfare Gap, Grove- ton, Bull Run, and Chantilly, and under General Mcclellan at South Mountain and Antietam. He was wounded at Antietam, being the third wound he had received in the service. General Duryee resigned in 1863, and was brevetted major-general in March, 1865, for faithful and distinguished services during the war. Generals McDowell, Pope, Ricketts, and Meade noticed, in their official reports, his gallantry and meritorious conduct in the various battles above named.
Colonel Duryee first achieved military distinction as an officer of the Second Company of the Seventh Regiment. During the six years of his service as its lieutenant and captain, it was transformed into a thoroughly drilled and disciplined corps. Natural talent, remarkable enthusiasm, constant practice, and diligent study, made him a superior military instructor and a company officer of remark- able accomplishments. During his administration a spirit of mili- tary pride and emulation was aroused ; drills, which in former days had been considered a nuisance, became interesting as well as in- structive ; inattention to duty was voted an offense which merited the severest punishment ; in short, Captain Duryee, by faithful labor, intelligent management, and in the face of many difficulties and discouragements, elevated his company to a commanding position, and when promoted to the majority, in 1845, he left it in a high state of prosperity. As commandant of the Seventh Regiment his military talents had wider scope, and secured universal appreciation and acknowledgment. To that high position he transferred the same talent, activity, energy, devotion, and enthusiasm which he had exhibited as a company officer, and he soon achieved the same success and distinction. Under his administration the Seventh
foiunel Sylenth Regimen. 1849 7859.
439
COLONEL ABRAM DURYEE.
1859
Regiment acquired a higher reputation for the excellence of its drill, the completeness of its discipline, and the remarkable military pride and spirit of its members ; and the distinguished services of Colonel Duryee, in securing this result, entitle him to rank among the most successful and accomplished militia officers that the United States has ever produced. He was an admirable instructor, and was cool, ready, and correct in his commands ; his keen military eye and practical experience enabled him to detect and correct all errors ; and he possessed a remarkable capacity for displaying the military accomplishments of the Regiment, whenever occasion offered, to the best possible advantage.
In person Colonel Duryee was small, with a trim, handsome figure, and a fine, pleasant, and intelligent countenance, and in man- ner and bearing he was the perfect soldier. His voice was perfec- tion itself, and the recollection of its power and of its loud, clear, and musical tones, could never pass from the memory of those who listened to it on the Common of Boston or in the Capitol Square of Richmond. As a gentleman he was pleasant, affable, and social, and during his whole career in the Seventh Regiment he enjoyed an enviable popularity. Colonel Duryee was of French Huguenot descent, and was born in New York in 1815. He commenced busi- ness in early life as a lumber-merchant, and by his energy, industry, and talents acquired a handsome fortune, which was seriously im- paired in later years. In 1873 he was appointed by Mayor Have- meyer a commissioner of police, the duties of which office he satis- factorily performed until the expiration of his term of office in 1875. He resides in New York (1889), but his health is seriously impaired.
To the lieutenant-colonel, Marshall Lefferts, all conceded the succession, and on the 9th day of August he was elected colonel of the Regiment. The colonel-elect was remarkably popular and heartily devoted to the interests and welfare of the organization, and he was a man of energy, talent, and many accomplishments. With the united support of a corps of company'commandants, dis- tinguished for experience and ability, the administration of Colonel Lefferts was inaugurated under the most favorable auspices. Major Crawford was elected lieutenant-colonel, and Adjutant William A. Pond was elected major.
The Richmond Grays arrived in New York on August 13th, and
1859
440
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
were received by the Eighth and Fourth Companies of the Seventh Regiment and escorted to the Brandreth House. Nearly every member of the Regiment was present at the Philadelphia depot, and the publie generously assisted in extending to the strangers a hearty and hospitable welcome. On Sunday, August 14th, they at- tended St. John's Church with the Eighth and Fourth Companies, and listened to an appropriate discourse by Rev. Dr. Weston, the Chaplain of the Seventh Regiment. During the afternoon they received various attentions from their military friends and acquaint- ances, and visited the objects of interest in the city and vicinity. On Monday, by invitation of the city authorities, they visited the public institutions on Randal's and Blackwell's Islands, accompanied by the Sixth and First Companies, and they were entertained in the most hospitable manner by the ten governors. A moonlight excursion up the Hudson River concluded the pleasures of the day.
The official reception and entertainment of the Richmond Grays by the city authorities took place on Tuesday. The Second and Fifth Companies escorted them at 1 P. M. to the City Hall for review by Mayor Mayo, of Richmond, and Mayor Tiemann, of New York. After a march in Broadway to Union Square, the battalion attended the dinner given by the corporation of the city at the Metropolitan Hotel, in honor of the Richmond Grays and of a com- mittee of the Richmond Common Council. The dinner was ex- cellent ; all the arrangements were complete and satisfactory ; and the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed. The speeches of the mayors and the military representatives of the two cities, pledg- ing eternal union, and fidelity to the national flag, were received with enthusiasm, and a witness of this grand reunion of North and South could not have believed that within two years the arms ear- ried that day in friendship would be in hostile array. The speech of Mayor Mayo, alluding to the threats to dissolve the Union, closed with these words: " Whatever trouble may befall the Union, the bayonets of the Richmond Grays will be seen going shoulder to shoulder with the Seventh of New York." Within two years Mayor Mayo actively aided in securing the secession of Virginia, and the Richmond Grays were in arms against the Union ; within two years the Seventh Regiment hastened to the defense of the national capital, and held a post of honor in the column that
441
THE BALTIMORE CITY GUARD.
1859
crossed the Potomac to invade the Old Dominion, and to restore the old flag to the Heights of Arlington.
On Thursday, August 18th, the Third and Seventh Companies entertained the Richmond Grays at the City Arsenal, and escorted them to the foot of Courtlandt Street; and the same scene of en- thusiasm which distinguished their arrival was witnessed at their departure for Richmond.
The Baltimore City Guard, consisting of two companies com- manded by Major Warner, was received on August 27th, by the Second and First Companies of the Seventh Regiment, and escorted to the Clinton Place Hotel. In the afternoon the Eighth and Fourth Companies escorted the battalion to the Park for review by Mayor Tiemann, and entertained its members at the City Arsenal. The officers of the Seventh Regiment and several distinguished citizens were present at the collation, and the military visitors were warmly welcomed to the metropolis. On Sunday afternoon the members of the Regiment in full uniform, but without arms or music, escorted the Baltimore City Guard to the depot on its de- parture for Baltimore. The great rebellion totally disorganized this fine corps. Most of its members belonged to the aristocratic families of Baltimore, and entered the Confederate service, but some remained loyal to the Union and fought bravely in its defense.
The annual inspection of the Seventh Regiment occurred on October 20th, at Hamilton Square, and it was reviewed by Gov- ernor Morgan. The result of the inspection was as follows :
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