USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 43
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453
CAMP SCOTT.
1860
near; and, all things considered, there are few places in the country more desirable for a week's encampment in midsummer than the Richmond Club Grounds at New Dorp.
When the storm had passed away, and the active duties of the camp had commenced, the fact was realized that the proximity of New York was a serious obstacle to the success of the encampment. Members not on guard were anxious to visit the city in the morn- ing, to attend to their business ; the officers were unable to retain a sufficient number of men to form a respectable battalion ; no regi- mental drills could be held, and the only real benefits derived from the encampment were the knowledge and experience acquired in guard and sentry duty. Some companies made feeble attempts at · company drills, but paucity of members, disgust at the absence of so many of the men, and the lukewarmness which so generally prevailed throughout the Regiment, soon extinguished all dispo- sition for military improvement. To amuse themselves, therefore, became the chief object of those who loyally adhered to the for- tunes of Camp Scott. In the evening the company streets were brilliantly illuminated, and gymnastic performances, boxing- matches, and exhibitions of fencing with small sword and bayonet, were the principal amusements. The small amount of active exer- cise during the day did not predispose the men to sleep at night, and before and after tattoo there was no end to the variety of en- tertainments. In addition to the quiet and social enjoyments not interdicted by the rules of the camp, the members indulged in various practices unauthorized by the army regulations, such as running the guard, letting down tents upon the heads of peaceful sleepers, and sounding harsh and discordant notes upon instruments of music obnoxious to Grafulla. The morning gun at sunrise was soon voted a nuisance, and the brass six-pounder mysteriously dis- appeared, and the officer of the guard and a squad of men spent a night in search before the missing gun was recaptured.
A considerable accession to the ranks of the Regiment was re- ceived on Sunday, and its appearance was quite respectable and creditable. Many ladies and gentlemen visited the camp, and the scene during the day, and especially at evening parade, was very gay and attractive. Religious services were held in the mess-tent morning and evening, at which Rev. Dr. Weston, the Chaplain of the Regiment, officiated. But Monday morning witnessed the de-
454
1860
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
parture for New York of a large number of men, and at dress- parade the Regiment mustered only seven files to a company. On Wednesday, July 11th, the camp was inspected, and the Regiment was reviewed by Inspector-General Sherman, and the officers and members present were extremely mortified with the exhibition of numerical weakness to the representative of the commander-in-chief. On Thursday the Regiment was, reviewed by General Hall, and presented a remarkably fine appearance. The company fronts were unusually large (eleven files), the burning sun and the sea-air had bronzed the faces of the men and given them a hardy and soldierly appearance, and the marching was excellent. A large number of distinguished visitors, civic and military, honored the Regiment on this occasion by their presence.
The last day at Camp Scott, Friday, July 13th, was devoted to the entertainment of the friends of the Regiment. The review in the afternoon by Major-General Sandford was witnessed by thou- sands of people, and at the last supper in camp over three hundred ladies were present and were hospitably provided for. At nine o'clock the grand fête champêtre commenced. The scene of this unique entertainment was the parade-ground, about two acres of which were inclosed by stacks of muskets. To a rope, which sur- rounded this inclosure, and was supported by the muskets, were suspended innumerable Chinese lanterns and transparencies, and the camp-lanterns, tastefully arranged at various points, added light and brilliancy to the scene. The band was stationed in the center of the grounds, and discoursed popular music for the dancing. During an intermission in the dancing there was a fine exhibition of fire-works and a parade of the Regiment with lanterns, instead of muskets, for drill in the manual of arms, which was novel, amus- ing, and effective. It was after midnight when the amusements of the evening were suspended, and the ladies and gentlemen who had participated in the festivities hastened homeward. All were suddenly seized with the fear that they would be too late for the train or the ferry, and the haste and confusion, and the running and scrambling for coaches and carriages, were a laughable conclusion to the gayeties of Camp Scott. On Saturday morning the Regi- ment returned to New York, and was received at the Battery by the Eighth Regiment with a salute of one hundred guns, and was escorted up Broadway to Bond Street, where it was dismissed.
455
THE CHICAGO ZOUAVES.
1860
Camp Scott was a success and a failure. Its success consisted in the completeness of its arrangements, the extent of its accommo- dations, and the beauty of its location. It failed from want of men. The deserted appearance of its streets during the day was painfully mortifying to the Regiment and to its friends, but was readily accounted for. During the preceding years the time and means of the members had been heavily taxed by frequent parades and expensive excursions ; it was a prevailing sentiment that the project for an encampment in 1860 had been carried by the influ- ence of the officers and against the wishes of the enlisted men ; and the short distance and easy access to New York made it difficult to retain a sufficient number in camp for company and battalion drills. The time which should have been devoted to military improvement was almost a total loss, and a heavy debt was also among the un- pleasant results of Camp Scott. Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott, in whose honor the camp was named, acknowledged the compli- ment as follows :
WEST POINT, July 7, 1860.
DEAR SIR : Being temporarily lame, I pray you to pardon me for declining the invitation to visit your Regiment on Staten Island, which has done me the honor to call its camp of instruction by my name. I have long honored the noble corps. It has well earned the title of the National Guard at Richmond, at Boston, and at Washington, as on frequent occasions at home, where I do not think it too much to say that law and order, the life and property of every citizen, depend, in the last resort, on the high moral tone, the steady valor and discipline of the Seventh Regiment of New York Volunteers.
With high respect, I remain, my dear Colonel,
Yours truly, WINFIELD SCOTT.
To Colonel LEFFERTS, National Guard.
The advent of the National Zouave Cadets, popularly known as the Chicago Zouaves, was an interesting military event of the period. The Western newspapers had sounded far and wide the praises of this corps, but it was the prevailing opinion in New York that this was the result of local pride or provincial ignorance. The trip of the Chicago Zouaves to the East was an uninterrupted triumph, and before they reached the metropolis public curiosity was fully aroused to witness the wonderful performances of these aspirants for the first place among the volunteer soldiers of the country. On the afternoon of July 14th they gave an exhibition drill at the City Hall Park. The prevailing disposition among the spectators was
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456
1860
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
to be cool and critical, but so perfect was the drill in every particu- lar that coolness gave place to enthusiasm and criticism to admira- tion. Their first appearance established their reputation, and the military men of New York were foremost in awarding the praise due to their accomplishments. During the following week the Zouaves gave public drills in New York and Brooklyn, all of which were attended by large and delighted crowds of people. Colonel Ellsworth, the commandant of the Zouaves, frequently intimated while in New York a desire for a friendly trial of skill with one of the companies of the Seventh Regiment ; but all overtures of that kind were positively declined. Apart from the general objections which prevailed in the Regiment to such contests, no company had the hardihood to enter a contest with a corps that had been exer- cised daily for many months, and which would therefore have so decided an advantage over any company that had drilled but once a week during half the year.
The only military courtesies to the Chicago Zouaves from the Seventh Regiment were extended by the Second Company in an excursion to West Point on July 26th. At 3 P. M. the Zouaves paraded for drill on the grounds adjacent to Cozzens's Hotel, and among the distinguished military gentlemen present were Lieuten- ant-Colonel Hardee, Commandant of Cadets at West Point, Jefferson Davis, ex-Secretary of War, and Governor Banks, of Massachusetts. The drill of the Zouaves was excellent, and at its conclusion, by the earnest solicitation of Colonel Ellsworth, Captain Shaler consented to a short drill of the Second Company. Its performance compared favorably in many respects with that of the Zouaves ; some parts of it were pronounced decidedly superior ; and, if the amount of applause from the spectators was a test, the Second Company was clearly the favorite. Colonel Ellsworth was astonished, if not cha- grined, at the result, and hastily formed his command for a second trial, in which the Zouaves excelled themselves, and secured their full share of favor and applause. On the following day the Chi- cago Zouaves and the Second Company dined together at the St. Nicholas Hotel by invitation of its proprietors. In an elegant speech, overflowing with expressions of gratitude for the kindness and attentions to his command from the New York public, Colonel Ellsworth handsomely alluded to the fame and example of the Seventh Regiment in the following words :
457
THE WASHINGTON STAND OF COLORS.
1860
I resided in New York some five or six years ago, and often witnessed, with admiration and pride, the soldierly bearing and proficiency, in all martial exer- cises, of the Seventh Regiment; and afterward, in Chicago, when my comrades here did me the honor to call upon me to take caminand of them, I set before myself and them the Seventh Regiment as our model-this is the secret of our success.
At the conclusion of the entertainment the Zouaves were escort- ed to the Philadelphia steamer by the Second Company, and dur- ing the march down Broadway were greeted at every step with unmistakable manifestations of favor and approbation. The re- markably correct and gentlemanly deportment of the Zouaves and their wonderful excellence in drill and discipline had captivated the hearts of the people, and the young and handsome Ellsworth never saw a prouder day than this, except when, in the following year, he marched to the defense of Washington at the head of his thou- sand New York Fire Zouaves.
On the afternoon of September 5th a stand of colors from the Corporation of the City of Washington was presented to the Sev- enth Regiment in the City Hall Park. After a review of the Regiment, Robert Ould, Esq., who was at that time United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, but during the great rebell- ion the Confederate commissioner for the exchange of prisoners, presented the colors with an eloquent and- patriotic address, and they were received by Colonel Lefferts with appropriate acknowl- edgments. This stand of colors, the most elegant and expensive ever presented to the Seventh Regiment, consisted of a silk national flag, of the regulation size, and a regimental banner, upon which was an artistic painting of Mills's statue of Washington and the coats-of-arms of the city and State of New York and of the United States. Both flags were splendidly mounted, and were accom- panied by an elegant case for their safe-keeping and preservation. The national flag presented on this occasion was carried by the Seventh Regiment in April of the following year, when it marched to the relief and defense of the national capital. In the evening a dinner was given to the Washington committee by the officers of the Seventh Regiment at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, at which the mayor, General Sandford, and other distinguished gentlemen were present.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies at the City Hall, on the 5th of September, the Seventh Regiment marched to its new armory
458
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1860
at Tompkins Market. Having arrived at the armory, it was assem- bled in the large drill-room, and formal possession of the building was given by Mayor Wood in behalf of the city. In. concluding his remarks, Mayor Wood said :
I have felt it my duty to make this reference to the part you have taken in the measures which have produced this building, to show that your claims to the occupancy of this room are based upon grounds of substantial service. But, sir, were these facts not so, I am sure that the pride the city of New York takes in your Regiment, arising from the proficiency it has attained as a military corps and from the gentlemanly deportment of officers and men, would warrant us in devot- ing to your use this hall ; and, as a proof that civilians are not alone of this opin- ion, I refer to the fact that every regiment of the First Division except two united in your application to the Common Council with reference to it. And it is cred- itable to the liberality of your fellow-soldiers of other regiments that they, with rare unanimity, awarded to you the exclusive right to its occupancy. It may not be out of place for me to say that the public authorities of the city are justly proud of its volunteer military system, and of the personnel of the officers and soldiers of the First Division. The lives, the property, and the peace of the city can be in no danger from enemies either within or without while we possess a pro- tective power of this character. I am sure, in all the elements necessary to con- stitute a strong military power, New York is not surpassed by any city of her population on the globe; and, among the best-disciplined corps, it is generally conceded that the Seventh Regiment holds a position second to none. In conclu- sion, colonel and gentlemen, I give you formal possession of this room, hoping that, by its use, you may be enabled to render your discipline, if possible, yet more perfect, and your efficiency yet more powerful.
The remarks of Mayor Wood and the brief response of Colonel Lefferts were received with great applause, and the building rang with cheer upon cheer from the delighted soldiers. For many long years the officers, members, and active friends of the Regiment had hoped, at times almost against hope, for the period when its sev- eral companies might be located under the same roof, and possess an armory worthy of its name and fame; and when, after divers delays and disappointments, the happy time arrived, and, by the actual occupancy of the most splendid structure of the kind in the country, the hopes and wishes of the most ardent and enthusiastic were more than realized, it can readily be imagined that there was no limit to the pleasure and satisfaction of the recipients of this testimonial of the esteem and confidence of a great and generous city.
The Tompkins Market Armory is eligibly situated at the june- tion of the Third and Fourth Avenues with the Bowery, and occu-
459
TOMPKINS MARKET ARMORY.
1860
pies the entire block bounded by the Third Avenue, Sixth and Seventh Streets, and Hall Place. Immediately in front of it is a small park, at the upper end of which is "The Union," or Cooper Institute, and in its vicinity are located the Bible House and the Astor and Mercantile Libraries. The building is of iron, of the composite order of architecture, with a front of two hundred feet on Third Avenue, and about one hundred feet on Sixth Street. The basement is fitted up in a plain and substantial manner for
Tompkins Market Armory.
squad drills and for rifle practice, and the first floor is occupied as a public market. Spacious entrances in Sixth and Seventh Streets, with wide iron stairways, lead to the second floor, upon which are located ten large company rooms, a room for the use of the officers, a company drill-room, and a room for the band and non-commis- sioned staff. The officers' room was handsomely furnished by the Seventh Regiment in 1860, and was adorned with elegant paint- ings and the various stands of colors that had been presented to the
1860
460
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Regiment. Upon the third floor of the building is the large drill- room, commodious and admirably adapted to its purpose. Six of the company rooms, as originally constructed, were finished in solid black walnut, and the desks for presiding officers, the chairs, the lockers of the members, and the revolving musket-racks, were made of that material. The windows were furnished with drapery val- ances, in the French style and fabricated of green cloth ; two five- light chandeliers, ornamented with Roman and heraldic designs, were suspended from the ceilings, and the walls and ceilings were elegantly and tastefully frescoed. The rooms of the Sixth and Eighth Companies were in every respect more elaborately and ex- pensively fitted up and furnished, and the rooms of the Troop and the Engineer Corps were models of elegance. After 1860 the sev- eral companies procured, from time to time, new fixtures, furniture, and decorations for their rooms, and from first to last not less than fifty thousand dollars were expended by the Seventh Regiment upon the rooms at Tompkins Market. Since the occupation of the armory by the Regiment, in 1860, the character of the neighbor- hood and of the population in the vicinity has greatly changed and deteriorated, and the construction of the Third Avenue Ele- vated Railway has considerably impaired the appearance of the building.
After an extensive tour through the Canadas and the United States, the Prince of Wales reached New York on the 11th of October. The intimate and friendly relations existing between the two great nations, and the respect entertained for the virtues of the royal family, secured for the heir to the English throne, from all classes of the American people, a hearty and enthu- siastic welcome. It was reserved for New York to eclipse all other parts of the country in the splendor of his reception. It was a beautiful autumnal day, and at an early hour the streets were crowded with people. The Prince of Wales was officially received by General Scott upon the revenue cutter Harriet Lane, at Amboy, New Jersey, and, as he approached the city, salutes were fired by the forts and the men-of-war, and the Battery was brilliant with the glittering arms and bright uniforms of the First Division.
In the uniform of a colonel of the line, and well mounted, the Prince hastily reviewed the several brigades at the Battery, and,
461
RECEPTION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.
1860
having taken a seat in a barouche with Mayor Wood, the Duke of Newcastle, and Lord Lyons, he proceeded up Broadway, escorted by the First Division. His attractive uniform, which consisted of a scarlet coat with blue facings trimmed with gold, black trousers, chapeau with plume, crimson sash and blue ribbon, with the star of the Hanoverian-Guelphic order, enabled the people to readily identify the future sovereign of Great Britain, and his youthful and handsome face and pleasant and prepossessing manners se- cured him a cordial reception. The appearance of Broadway was memorably brilliant. English and American flags were displayed in endless profusion ; the windows were filled with elegantly dressed ladies ; the house-tops were fearfully crowded by curious spectators ; and the streets were blockaded by a mass of humanity. The Prince at length reached the City Hall, where he received a marching-salute from the troops. The Seventh Regiment was particularly fortunate in its appearance on this occasion, and the distinguished visitor expressed to General Sandford his admiration by pronouncing it the finest regiment he had ever seen in any country. It was nearly dark when the Prince reached Grace Church, and all the people above that point, who had wearily watched and waited his coming and were most grievously disap- pointed, soundly berated General Sandford, to whom they attrib- uted the delay. The Prince having reached his quarters at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the troops were dismissed. New York has rarely witnessed so vast a concourse of people, and the good nature exhibited under the many inconveniences and annoyances incident to the crowded state of the streets, and the uniform respect with which the representative of a foreign nation was received by all classes of the people, were subjects of remark and congratulation. The subsequent attentions and compliments to the Prince of Wales by the authorities and citizens of New York were numerous and in good taste, and were gracefully received and acknowledged. On the 12th of October a grand complimentary ball was given at the Academy of Music, by a committee of prominent citizens, and on the 13th he was honored by a torch-light procession and review of the Fire Department.
The annual inspection and review of the Seventh Regiment occurred on October 18th, at Hamilton Square, and resulted as follows :
462
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1860
Present.
Present.
Field, Staff, and Non Com. Staff .. 20
Fifth Company
91
Band
40
Sixth
98
First Company
87
Seventh
95
Second
110
Eighth 66
109
Third
88
Troop.
32
Fourth
101
Engineers
30
Total present, 901. Total present and absent, 1,026.
In November Lieutenant-Colonel Crawford resigned his com- mission, and in December Major Pond was elected lieutenant-colo -. nel and Captain Alexander Shaler, of the Second Company, was elected major. First Lieutenant Emmons Clark was elected in December captain of the Second Company, vice Shaler promoted. Lieutenant-Colonel Edgar M. Crawford enlisted in the Third Com- pany in 1845, was elected first lieutenant in 1846, and, upon the resignation of Captain Mount in that year, was tendered the cap- taincy. But he declined promotion, and served for two years as lientenant- commanding until the elec- tion of Captain Price in 1848. He resigned his com- mission in 1852, but was elected major in 1856 and lieutenant-colonel in 1859. Colonel Crawford was an able and reliable company Embranford. officer and an excellent military instructor, and he managed the affairs of the Third Company while in command with great discretion. As a field-officer he was intelligent, self-possessed, and thoroughly familiar with his military duties. Prepossessing in appearance, modest and unassuming in manner, and amiable and genial in disposition, Colonel Crawford possessed all the elements of popularity both as a soldier and as a gentleman. His excellent judgment and sound common sense were always rec-
463
BAYONET EXERCISE.
1860
ognized, and his conservative opinions upon regimental affairs were duly respected. Colonel Crawford was born in Westchester County in 1821, and was a prominent merchant in the tobacco trade.
The new armory at Tompkins Market was formally opened on December 28th, and was visited and inspected by the city authori- ties. A collation was prepared in the small drill-room, the band enlivened the occasion with music, and the officers of the various departments of the city government and their families were de- lighted with the elegant appearance of the several rooms, as well as the hospitality of the Regiment. The fine painting, "The Bom- bardment of Fort McHenry," presented to the Regiment in July, 1860, by the Baltimore City Guard, adorned the walls of the offi- cers' room on this occasion, and a small library of military books, presented to the Regiment by ex-Colonel Morgan L. Smith, D. Appleton & Co., Henry Grinnell, and others, was an interesting feature of the opening of the Seventh Regiment Armory at Tomp- kins Market in December, 1860.
The death of Josiah Culbert, the accomplished and popular first sergeant of the Fifth Company, and of Private Gustavus A. Ratz, of the First Company, occurred during the year 1860. The latter was a distinguished amateur gymnast, and was well known to the entire Regiment. He was drowned, although an expert swimmer, while bathing at the Highlands of Navesink, and the First Com- pany paraded as military escort at his funeral.
The military novelty of the year was the bayonet exercise of the Second Company. A class of about twenty men was thor- oughly drilled by Captain Shaler until able to practice bayonet fencing with remarkable cleverness. Large numbers of military gentlemen were attracted to the National Drill-Rooms to witness the drill, and were delighted with the exhibition of skill and pro- ficiency. The dress adopted by the bayonet class consisted of the gray jacket and cap of the Seventh Regiment, red Zouave trousers, and white canvas gaiters. Muskets with whalebone bayonets were used, and masks to protect the face from injury.
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