USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 42
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Present.
Present.
Field, Staff, and Non Com. Staff ... 23
Fifth Company 81
Band ..
37
Sixth
115
First Company.
96
Seventh 66
101
Second
109
Eighth 66 109
Third 66
88
Troop 46
Fourth
66
87 | Engineers and Color Guard 18
Total present, 910.
This was the largest inspection in the history of the Regiment previous to 1885. But in 1859, as in previous and following years, a large number of honorary and exempt members were present at the inspection, and the actual strength of the Regiment was less than eight hundred men. The official report of Colonel Duryee in January, 1859, made the numerical strength of the Seventh Regi-
1859
442
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
ment seven hundred and fifty-eight officers and men, and of Colonel Lefferts in January, 1860, seven hundred and seventy-five officers and men.
At the meeting of the Board of Officers in August a committee on testimonial to Colonel Duryee was appointed, which co-operated with committees from the several companies, and the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars was contributed for the purchase of a set of silver. The testimonial was presented by the committee at the residence of Colonel Duryee in October, 1860, Captain Bensel making the presentation speech. There was also a testimonial pre- sented to Colonel Duryee by the merchants of New York in con- sideration of his valuable services to the city in connection with the Seventh Regiment, consisting of eleven pieces of silver, valued at twenty-five hundred dollars.
Noll's Seventh Regiment Band had not succeeded in recovering the popularity lost in 1858, during the excursion to Richmond, and there was a settled determination on the part of the Board of Offi- cers to secure the services of a new band, which should be more closely identified with the Regiment and more amenable to disci- pline. The contract with Noll expired in November, and a com- mittee was appointed, of which Major Pond was chairman, to make permanent arrangements for music for the Regiment. In Decem . ber C. S. Grafulla was engaged as band-master, the committee hav- ing recommended him as "a capable leader and composer, who had for twenty years been identified with the military music of the city and country." The new band-master was authorized to select thirty-eight musicians for the new band, and a contract was made for new uniforms and equipments.
Prosperity and harmony prevailed in all the companies. The Second Company paraded to receive the City Guard on its return from an excursion to West Point, and was reviewed by Colonel Duryee at the City Hall. The Third Company paraded on May 31st in celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the election of its dis- tinguished commandant, and dined at the Metropolitan Hotel. The Fourth Company removed to Tilford Hall in May, and, on the 25th day of June, celebrated its fifty-third anniversary by an excursion to Glen Cove. The Fifth Company visited Albany on July 18th, and was hospitably entertained by the Burgess Corps of that city. The Eighth Company celebrated the Shumway anniversary in July,
443
1859
CAPTAIN ROBERT E. LAUNITZ.
by an excursion to Long Branch, and, upon its return, was received by the Third Company. The Troop, at Tilford Hall, cheerfully co-operated with the Regiment in all its movements, yet gravely discussed at its meetings the question "Does the Seventh Regiment want to get rid of the Troop, as reported in the papers ?" Captain Cragin, of the Troop, resigned his commission, and Edward M. Perley was elected his successor.
An exciting city election was held on the 6th of December, at which Wood, Opdyke, and Havemeyer were candidates for the office of mayor. Grave apprehensions were entertained lest the public peace would be disturbed by the violent partisans of the respective aspirants, and the militia was ordered on duty at the arsenals and at the company and regimental armories. The Eighth Company was detailed to the New State Arsenal in Thirty-fifth Street, in the morning, and was relieved in the afternoon by the Second Company. Fortunately, no extraordinary disturbance oc- curred during the day or night, and many attributed the unexpected quiet and good order to the presence of armed men in various parts of the city. The guard duty was performed with military precision and to the sat- isfaction of the officers of the guard, and though confined to the arsenal, the companies passed a pleasant day.
In October Captain Robert E. Launitz, engineer-officer, resigned his commission, and Captain Egbert L. Viele, late of the United States Army, was appointed his successor. Captain Lannitz enlisted in the Eighth Com- pany in 1830, and served as a private and non-commissioned officer until 1844, when he was appointed as- sistant quartermaster. In 1850 he was appointed assistant engineer, and later captain of engineers. As a private soldier he was distin- guished for his military enthusiasm, and, although somewhat deaf, his keen perceptions enabled him to anticipate and understand the orders, and to execute them with faultless precision. He was also dis- tinguished for his neat and natty military attire, and many of the im-
444
1859
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
provements in the uniformn of the Regiment were due to his excel- lent taste in this particular. He was invaluable to his company as a committee-man, was untiring in his devotion to its interests, and was popular and beloved by his associates. As a staff and engineer officer he manifested the same ability and enthusiasm in the per- formance of his duties, and to the end of his days the Seventh Regi- ment was the idol of his heart.
Captain Launitz was a man of distinguished personal appearance. His soldierly manner and carriage, his trim and symmetrical figure, his sharp features and keen, restless gray eye, his closely cut gray hair and long gray mustache would have attracted attention in any army in the world. His voice was loud and shrill, and he spoke with a nervous rapidity indicative of his ardent and excitable tem- perament. He was born in Riga, Russia, in 1806, of a distinguished military family, was highly educated, and was celebrated as a lin- guist, being able to speak fluently the languages of all civilized nations. He studied under Thorwaldsen, the great Danish sculptor, at Rome, and established himself in his profession in New York in 1828. In his department of art he had no superior, and the " American Cyclopædia" says that "he has been called the father of monumental art in America." He died in New York in 1870.
The current or ordinary expenses of the Regiment were about two thousand dollars in 1857 and three thousand dollars in 1858, but in 1859 were increased to five thousand dollars-an amount which, a few years before, would have been considered enormously extravagant and likely to bankrupt the regimental treasury irre- trievably .- In the latter part of the year the Regiment was aston- ished by a verdict in favor of Mrs. Castle for fifteen hundred dol- lars in the suit against Colonel Duryee for damages from injuries at Camp Worth in 1855. But it was unanimously resolved to appeal to the higher judicial tribunals, where, it was confidently believed, the decision would be reversed .- The New State Arsenal in Thirty- fifth Street was opened to the public in October, and the evening battalion drills of the Seventh Regiment, which for many years had distinguished the City Arsenal in Elm Street, were thereafter held at the new arsenal until the completion of Tompkins Market Armory.
445
THE MILLS STATUE OF WASHINGTON.
1860
CHAPTER FORTIETH.
1860.
EARLY in February the new Seventh Regiment Band was in a condition to make its first public appearance, and a rehearsal at the City Arsenal, at which the officers of the Regiment were present, gave universal satisfaction. On the 18th of February a concert was given at the Academy of Music by the new band, assisted by several eminent vocalists, and, although the day and evening were very stormy, the house was crowded and the concert was a com- plete success.
The Seventh Regiment received an invitation, on February 18th, from the congressional committee having in charge the arrange- ments for the inauguration of Mills's statue of Washington, to be present and participate in the ceremonies at the national capital on the 22d of February. A mass-meeting of the members was held at the City Arsenal, on February 20th, to decide whether the invita- tion should be accepted. The following telegram from Hon. John Cochrane, a member of the congressional committee, was read :
WASHINGTON, February 17, 1860.
To COLONEL LEFFERTS :
The Committee in charge of the Inauguration of the Washington Statue on the 22d inst. are urgent for the attendance of your Regiment. They can't do without you. You will be the principal feature of the great occasion. You will do honor to yourselves and to your country. Don't fail to come. You will have free quarters here. I will write you more fully. JOHN COCHRANE.
The letter referred to in the telegram promised "princely quar- ters and an enthusiastic reception." The question having been sub- mitted to the several companies, it was decided, by a large majority, to accept the invitation.
Tuesday, February 21st .- At 3 P. M. the Regiment formed in Lafayette Place, and marched with full ranks, through snow and mud, to the Jersey City Ferry, and took the cars for Philadelphia. It was expected that the Regiment would arrive at Washington at
446
1860
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
an early hour on the following morning, but a series of unexpected and annoying delays prevented its reaching the capital until mid- day. At Baltimore the Regiment was joined by the Baltimore City Guard, and the good-fellowship of its members served to relieve the dark and rainy forenoon of its horrors, and to shorten the slow and tedious journey to Washington.
Wednesday, February 22d .- The rain had partially subsided when the Regiment reached Washington, but the mud in the streets was almost fathomless, and the city presented a most uninviting and forlorn appearance. The Washington military was in line at the City Hall, about half a mile from the depot, and the Seventh Regi- ment, having trudged through the mud to that locality, to meet a formal reception, hastened away to its quarters and to dinner. At 2 P. M. the Regiment took its place in the line, and the procession moved. In passing from the City Hall to Pennsylvania Avenue the members almost foundered in the mire, and many who had taken the precaution to protect their feet with overshoes lost them in the mud. The Seventh Regiment, as it passed through Penn- sylvania Avenue, and by the President's house to the Georgetown road, presented a splendid appearance, and a striking contrast to the straggling and slovenly military by which it was accompanied ; yet it failed to elicit any marked enthusiasm among the numerous spectators, who lounged listlessly upon the sidewalks or at the win- dows. So cool and chilling was the reception, that when its mem- bers, wet, muddy, tired, and uncomfortable, arrived at the statue, they were quite disgusted with themselves, with their excursion, and with the people of Washington. Their experience during the inauguration ceremonies did not remove the unfavorable impres- sion, for, after standing an hour or more in the mud, outside the inclosure, they were most happy to learn that the Regiment, on account of its fatiguing trip, was excused by the grand marshal. Without catching a glimpse of the statue, or witnessing any part of the ceremonies, the Regiment returned to the city, and was dis- missed. The companies were quartered at the National, Clarendon, and Brown's Hotels, but so limited were the accommodations that the "princely quarters " promised by the congressional committee was the joke of the season. An hour's rest, with baths and supper, brought a return of gayety and good spirits, and the evening was as pleasant and cheerful as though the day had been free from an-
1860
THE PARADE IN WASHINGTON.
447
noyances and disappointments. Some visited the distinguished members of Congress; others partook of the hospitalities of the Washington military at the Arsenal ; others drifted about town in search of novelty and amusement ; and before midnight it was generally admitted that Washing- ton, after all, was not the most disagreeable place in the world. It is but justice to the congres- sional committee and the authorities of the city of Washington to state that Executive Mansion. they seemed anxious to please their guests, and that a limited experience in the entertain- ment and proper accommodation of large bodies of men was the only cause of their failure. A correspondent of the "New York Tribune " graphically described the peculiarities of the day as fol- lows :
Rain ! rain ! drip ! drip ! splash ! splash ! pour ! pour ! the wind all the time blowing furiously ; the streets reeking with mud; the horses with depending tails; the soldiers with drooping plumes ; the ladies with bedraggled crinoline; the civilians with cotton umbrellas, and all looking woe-begone and downcast ; the very negroes, in their holiday attire, grinning ghastly smiles! Thus was it until long after meridian of this day of Washington's birth; and the inaugura- tion of Clark Mills's brazen caricature, called by courtesy, and an act of Congress, " the statue of the Father of his Country." Except for the presence of your magnificent Seventh Regiment, the procession would hardly have outshone that which Falstaff would not lead through Coventry. . But for that corps, the mili- tary display would have been beneath contempt. How that brilliant Regiment distanced all competition in soldierly arts between it and the few shabbily-genteel militia companies mustered in the Federal Capital, and from the contiguous cities and counties of the slaveholding States ! How even the marines from the Navy Yard, and a squad or two of other regular troops, seemed to shamble along in crooked and waving lines, regardless of time and tune, when placed in close con- trast with the elastic tread and manly mien of your celebrated corps !
Thursday, February 23d .- The morning was bright and pleas- ant, and at ten o'clock the Regiment marched to the Executive Mansion. After the officers had been individually introduced to President Buchanan he reviewed the Regiment, and delivered a neat and patriotic address. Hon. John Cochrane, in behalf of
30
1860
448
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
the congressional committee, made a few appropriate remarks, and the Regiment returned to its quarters and was dismissed. During the afternoon the members were actively engaged in visit- ing the Patent-Office, the Smithsonian Institution, the Halls of Con- gress, and other objects of interest. By a vote of the House of Representatives, its door-keeper was specially instructed to provide the members of the Regiment with the best accommodations, and many availed themselves of the opportunity of witnessing the pro- ceedings of Congress. and were honored with a personal introduc- tion to Vice-President Breckinridge, Senator Seward, and other distinguished officials. The Regiment left Washington in the evening, homeward bound.
Friday, February 24th .- The Regiment was expected in New York at 7 A. M., but did not reach Jersey City until nearly noon. The Ninth and Twelfth Regiments and a battalion of the Seventh Regiment, under ex-Colonel Duryee, paraded for its reception, and wearily awaited its arrival. A collation had been provided upon the ferry-boat for the returning soldiers, and was a most welcome and considerate testimonial of regard. The reception of the Regi- ment in New York was hearty and enthusiastic, and its triumphant march up Broadway was the most pleasing and gratifying part of its excursion to Washington in 1860.
The Board of Officers voted in February in favor of an encamp- ment in July, if approved by a majority of the com- panies, and the beautiful grounds of the Richmond Club, at New Dorp, Staten Island, were se- lected as a suitable place for the purpose. But when the place, expense, duration of encampment, and other arrangements were submitted to the Smithsonian Institution. several companies, it ap- peared that only a bare majority of the officers and members were kindly to the project, and it was not until June that the Board of Officers finally decided that the Regiment should encamp at Staten
449
THE NEW ARMORY.
1860
Island in July for ten days, at an assessment of fifteen dollars per man. Extensive preparations were forthwith made for the accom- modation and comfort of the members, and no effort was spared by the officers to make the affair popular and worthy of the reputation of the Regiment. A new and elegant set of large wall-tents was purchased expressly for the occasion, an appropriation of five thou -. sand dollars for that purpose having been secured by Senator Ben- jamin F. Manierre from the State Legislature.
The new Armory Building at Tompkins Market was now ap- proaching completion, and active measures were inaugurated to prepare and furnish it for the use of the Regiment. In March the field-officers and captains of companies were appointed by the Board of Officers a committee to prepare rules and regulations for the gov -. ernment of the new armory, and in April a special committee was appointed with power to furnish and decorate the officers' room. A joint committee from the several companies was also organized to fit up the several company rooms, and an effort was made to secure a uniformity in the style. The deliberations of the commit- tee on this subject resulted in the adoption by the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Companies of the plans submitted by Charles W. Clinton, architect, and in a contract for eight hundred and eighty-five dollars for each company for the musket-racks, desks, and lockers of their several rooms. The other companies adopted different plans, more elaborate and expensive, and during the sum- mer the work within the armory rapidly proceeded.
The Eighth Company paraded on May 9th as funeral escort to the remains of Colonel Charles H. Sandford, son of General Sand- ford, for many years an active member of that company. In May occurred the usual brigade field-day at East New York. The Regi- ment paraded with the First Division on July 4th, and the troops were reviewed in Fourteenth Street by Governor Morgan and at the City Hall by Mayor Wood. During the year the Troop was officially designated as the Ninth Company (Company I) and the Engineer Corps as the Tenth Company (Company K), and changes were made in their drill and organization tending to their ultimate organization as infantry companies.
The Troop had long been regarded by the infantry companies as an excrescence which should speedily be dispensed with, and the troopers themselves and their officers were aware of this fact, and
450
1860
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
fully realized their delicate and uncomfortable position. But it is not easy to reconcile a mounted man to military exercise on foot, or to induce him voluntarily to exchange the saber for the musket, and so the Troop continued its existence. But it yielded so far to the pressure as to purchase fifty United States musquetoons, and to commence drill with the same, and thus took the first step in the desired direction. Captain Perley resigned the command of the Troop in August, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Napoleon B. MeLaughlin.
In January, 1860, the Engineer Corps consisted of about fifteen men, and was under the command of Captain Egbert L. Viele, the regimental engineer. It was generally regarded as an appendage of the Regiment more ornamental than useful, and the project to reorganize it as an infantry company was generally approved. The members of the corps were for a long time opposed to any increase in its numbers or change in its organization, but it finally yielded to the advice and solicitation of Colonel Lefferts and Captain Viele, and consented to organize as an " Artillery Corps." It recruited rapidly, and on the 26th of March met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, thirty members being present, and was inspected by Brigadier-Gen- eral Hall, and selected its officers. The organization of the Tenth Company (Company K) was announced in regimental orders of April 9, 1860, as follows :
Under orders from Head Quarters, an additional company has been attached to this Regiment, to be known by the letter " K," and directed to serve as light artillery or infantry, as the commandant may direct. The following officers have been commissioned : Captain, E. L. Viele; First Lieutenant, G. C. Farrar; Second Lieutenant, E. M. Le Moyne.
To maintain as far as possible its distinctive character, the Tenth Company adopted various changes in its uniform, among which were a black pompon for uniform hat and black belts for knapsack ; a breast-plate with the crossed cannon above an exploding shell, with the regimental number, "7"; and for the cap an exploding shell with "7" thereon. Captain Viele, the regimental engineer, took no active part in the company after its reorganization, and on the 16th of August Lieutenant George C. Farrar was elected cap- tain of the Tenth Company.
The arrival at Washington of an embassy from Japan, and the movements of the representatives of that unknown land and its
451
THE JAPANESE EMBASSY.
1860
mysterious people attracted great attention. The commercial classes of the country naturally desired to secure the good-will of the Japanese embassadors, and New York prepared to give them a grand reception. Their arrival at Castle Garden, on the afternoon of June 16th, was announced by salutes from the forts in the har- bor; the First Division paraded at the Battery as their escort ; and the streets were crowded with people, intent upon given them a hearty welcome. A prominent feature in the procession was the box containing the treaty recently ratified between the United States and Japan, which was conspicuously placed in a carriage, resembling an Eastern pagoda, and was carefully guarded by several of the Japanese of inferior rank, among whom was the young and favorite "Tommy." At all points along the route the Japanese were received by the curious public with the greatest enthusiasm. The chief embassadors received the various complimentary atten- tions with a dignity bordering on indifference; the members of their suite smoked and chatted, and nodded familiarly to the crowd ; while Tommy, the particular representative of young Japan, having learned the customs of the country, was active in acknowledging the bouquets showered upon him by the ladies in the windows. Arriving at Union Square, the embassadors alighted from their carriage, and, seated upon a platform in front of the Church of the Puritans, received a marching salute from the troops. The appear- ance of the Seventh Regiment, as it marched steadily by, with its large company fronts, delighted them exceedingly, and they ex- pressed through their interpreter their profound admiration. The review completed, they were escorted to their quarters at the Met- ropolitan Hotel, and the troops were dismissed. In the evening the hotel was brilliantly illuminated, and the honors of the day closed with a serenade.
On Monday, June 18th, the official reception of the embassy took place at the City Hall, and the Seventh Regiment was ordered to report to Captain Dupont for escort duty. At the Metropolitan Hotel the Regiment formed a square, inclosing the carriages con- taining the embassadors, and proceeded to the City Hall Park. Governor Morgan and Mayor Wood, in behalf of the State and city of New York, received the embassadors at the Governor's Room, and at the conclusion of the ceremonies the members of the embassy witnessed a drill of the Seventh Regiment, with which
452
1860
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
they were delighted and astonished. During their sojourn in the city they visited all the objects of interest, made extensive pur- chases, and received every imaginable attention. The Japanese ball, famous for the magnitude of its expenses, and the large and miscellaneous attendance, was a prominent event in their visit to the metropolis.
Thursday, July 5th, was selected as the day for the Regiment to leave New York and pitch its tents at New Dorp, and at 2 P. M. it assembled in Lafayette Place. The day was dark and stormy, but more gloomy features of the occasion were the small number of members appearing at the parade, and the want of interest mani- fested in the success of the encampment. The Second Company, which was the largest, numbered only fifty-one men, and some companies paraded barely a corporal's guard. A council of officers was held, before leaving Lafayette Place, to consider the propriety of proceeding to Staten Island with so beggarly a number of men, but it was unanimously decided that it was too late to abandon the project, and the Regiment marched down Broadway to the ferry with company fronts of less than a dozen files. A serious accident to a party who fired a salute in honor of the Regiment at the ferry, and a terrific storm during the passage down the bay, added to the gloom of the occasion. At 6 P. M. the Regiment reached its desti- nation ; tents were pitched and guard mounted ; and the men made themselves as comfortable as unfavorable circumstances would per- mit. The rain continued during the night, a cold wind from the sea swept furiously through the encampment, and the début of the Seventh Regiment at Camp Scott is not among the pleasant remi- niscences in its history. Camp Scott was beautifully located about sixteen miles from New York, on the south side of Staten Island, upon the shore of the lower bay. The tents were pitched within the drive or race-course of the Richmond Club, and the parade- ground was level and extensive. On the right of the camp was the club-house, and beyond it were beautiful farms and elegant country- seats, and on the left was the lower bay, with Sandy Hook and the Highlands of Navesink in the distance, and a moving panorama of ships and steamers passing to and from New York. The grounds were dry and sandy, and the location healthy ; the breeze from the ocean, by night and by day, was cool and refreshing; ex- cellent places for sea-bathing were abundant and conveniently
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