USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 45
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Was there ever such an ovation ? The mar- ble walls of Broadway were never before rent with such cheers as greeted us as we passed. The faces of the buildings were so thick with people that it seemed as if an army of black ants were marching, after their resistless fash- ion, through the city, and had scaled the houses. Handkerchiefs fluttered in the air like myriads of white butterflies. An avenue of brave, honest faces smiled upon us as we passed, and sent a sunshine into our hearts that lives there still.
It was truly a great relief to the Fity James O'Brien members of the Regiment when they wheeled from Broadway into Court- landt Street, and at the Jersey City Ferry escaped the deafening noise, the struggling, jostling crowd, and the tears and caresses of friends and kindred. The Regiment num- bered at its departure, including recruits, nine hundred and ninety- one men. A nobler, braver band of young men never marched more gayly forth to the defense of any country since the world began.
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475
THE RIOT IN BALTIMORE.
1861
Arriving at Jersey City it was with great difficulty that the Regiment could disembark from the ferry-boat and reach the train. The immense depot was crowded to overflowing ; its galleries, filled with ladies, gave it the appearance of an elegant amphitheatre, while the enthusiasm exhibited as the companies entered the cars was only equaled by the grand ovation in Broadway. Amid the cheers and congratulations of Jerseymen and the prayers and bless- ings of fair Jersey women, the Seventh Regiment took its depart- ure. Knapsacks unslung and muskets carefully secured, the men hastened to examine the contents of their canteens and to taste the delicacies with which their haversacks were well stored. With appetites sharpened by the march, all did ample justice to a better meal than they were destined to again enjoy for many a day.
It was not until the Regiment left New York that its members were fully aware of the dangers that beset its pathway. They had been told of riot and bloodshed in Baltimore, but in the excitement of the day and in parting with friends and kindred they had scarcely given a thought to the future. A careful examination of the even- ing journals as the cars moved southward, and the startling but well-authenticated telegrams from Baltimore, convinced the most thoughtless that the Seventh Regiment was upon no trifling errand, and that the country now demanded the best services of her patri- otic sons. The news of the attack in Baltimore upon the Massa- chusetts soldiers as they were passing quietly through that city to the rescue of the national capital was received with indignation and anger by the members of the Seventh, and the general wish and determined purpose were loudly expressed to avenge the out- rage. It was evident to all that the right of way through Balti- more must be fought for, and, while the officers and older members calmly discussed the momentous subject, the young and thoughtless expressed their delight at the prospect of soon meeting the enemy .- The startling events of the 19th of April at Baltimore deserve par- ticular notice. The Sixth Regiment of Massachusetts militia, upon receipt of the President's call for troops, with a promptness and patriotism peculiar to that brave old Commonwealth, had rallied to the defense of the Union, and, although imperfectly armed and equipped, had hastened on its way to Washington. It arrived at Baltimore on the 19th of April, and, while passing through Pratt Street, was attacked by a mob of rowdies and secessionists ; but it
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
valiantly fought its way to the Camden Street depot, and proceeded by railroad to the capital. Although the Massachusetts troops suf- fered by this encounter, they inflicted still greater injury upon their assailants, and this fact served to exasperate the mob, and to in- crease its violence and the general excitement. Men, women, and children, armed with every variety of weapons, rushed wildly through the streets, threatening death to every Northern soldier that should dare to trespass on the "sacred soil of Maryland." Preparations were also made to immediately destroy the railroad bridges, and to cut off all communication between the seat of gov- ernment and the loyal States.
From the serious business of the morrow the thoughts of the members of the Seventh were attracted to the grand ovation re- ceived at every town and hamlet between New York and Phila- delphia. All New Jersey seemed to have rallied to bid God-speed to the Regiment. Men shouted and cheered, women brought re- freshments, and fair maidens garlands and bouquets of flowers ; even the juveniles caught the inspiration, and made the night beau- tifully brilliant with bonfires. They who had in former days ac- cused New Jersey of selfishness and want of public spirit, and declared it a foreign province, now admitted that it was one of the United States, and not the least in generous and enthusiastic patri- otisin. It was nearly 2 A. M., on April 20th, when the Regiment reached Philadelphia.
Saturday, April 20th .- Immediately upon the arrival of the Regiment at the Broad Street depot, Colonel Lefferts was informed that Mr. Felton, President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company, anxiously awaited an interview. Mr. Felton, a thoroughly loyal and most intelligent gentleman, exhib- ited telegraphic dispatches from the agents of the railroad company, which stated that the bridges between Havre de Grace and Balti- more were being destroyed by the mob, and the road rendered im- passable. The fact that railroad communication was in danger of destruction was certainly of vital importance. A march of eighty miles from Havre de Grace to Washington through the unfriendly city of Baltimore and a country more or less hostile, without pro- visions, ammunition, or hospital supplies, was no small undertaking for men unaccustomed to hardship and fresh from offices and count- ing-rooms. . And while this long and uncertain march was being
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THE REGIMENT AT PHILADELPHIA.
accomplished the enemy might be thundering at the gates of the defenseless capital, and all be lost.
Between three and four o'clock, while all were anxiously await- ing the departure of the train for Baltimore, Colonel Lefferts sum- moned the commandants of companies to meet him at the office of Mr. Felton, to consult upon the future movements of the Regiment. While all sorely regretted the necessity of seeking another route to Washington, and of allowing a hostile city to block up the national highway, it was at once decided that a more available and expeditious route must be selected. The two other routes to Wash- ington were by the Potomac River or by Annapolis. To attempt the Potomac River with an unarmed steamer might prove a fail- ure; and the route by Annapolis seemed to promise the greatest certainty of reaching Washington at the earliest moment. To reach Annapolis from Philadelphia it was necessary either to charter a steamer and proceed by sea and by the Chesapeake Bay or to take the railroad to Havre de Grace, and trust to fortune to obtain trans- portation thence to Annapolis. The former route was decided upon, for the reason that the only vessel that could possibly be procured at Havre de Grace was the ferry-boat Maryland, which might at any hour be disabled or destroyed. By steamer to Fortress Monroe, and thence to Washington by the Potomac River, if a con- voy could be procured, and if not then by Annapolis, was the plan which Colonel Lefferts and his officers unanimously agreed upon. That this decision was eminently wise was fully proved by subse- quent events, and by the fact that the troops afterward forwarded to Washington, under the direction of the Union Defense Commit- tee, or the War Department, followed the route chosen and adopted by the Seventh Regiment. At 5 A. M. Colonel Lefferts telegraphed in cipher to the Secretary of War, announcing the arrival of the Regiment in Philadelphia, its unexpected detention for want of transportation to Baltimore, and asking for instructions. Tele- graphic communication with Washington having been destroyed about that hour, no reply was received. But no time was lost in making the necessary arrangements for a transport and supplies, and the steamer Boston, of the New York and Philadelphia Line, was chartered for the voyage. The cargo of this vessel was speed- ily discharged, coal and provisions were hurried on board, addi- tional ammunition for muskets and howitzers was procured, and at
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1861
3 P. M. all was ready for departure. In the morning Colonel Lef- ferts telegraphed in cipher to New York as follows :
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday Morning, April 20th, 8.15 o'clock. W. H. Allen, 92 Beekman Street :
We can not go by way of Baltimore. Will go to Annapolis. Require a good vessel and provisions to be sent there immediately. Go with this to William II. Aspinwall and General Sandford. M. LEFFERTS.
While the plans and arrangements above described were being perfected, the members of the Regiment were in a state of disagree- able doubt and uncertainty. It was desirable that the route of the Regiment from Philadelphia should not be known to the public, and from early dawn until 3 P. M., when the command was given to fall in and to march, nothing was known among the mnen with certainty as to the cause of the long delay or as to future move- ments. Some discussed and digested the wild rumors everywhere afloat ; others declaimed upon the necessity of immediately and at all hazards pressing forward to the conquest of Baltimore; while others, with veteran nonchalance, smoked their pipes and patiently awaited orders. With the prudence of older soldiers, all seemed disposed to provide for the future, and, by a thorough system of foraging, haversacks were filled with provisions of every variety, and early in the day all were comfortably provided for a short cam- paign in the enemy's country. The members of the Regiment were under many obligations to the citizens of Philadelphia, who invited them to their houses and their tables, and by various atten- tions exhibited their hospitable sympathy. All were delighted when delay and doubt were at an end, and with light hearts they marched on board the Boston, though few knew whither she was bound. The steamer Boston was not of the largest or most sea- worthy class, and the thousand men of the Seventh Regiment filled her to overflowing. But the bright and sunny April afternoon, the bracing air of the Delaware, and the certainty of a forward movement, made everybody cheerful and happy. With muskets, knapsacks, and accontrements tastefully arranged, and the men dis- posed in picturesque groups in every part of the ship, the Boston presented rare scenes for an artist. Although enough of the para- phernalia of war was in view to remind the men of their serious errand, the Seventh Regiment seemed to be upon one of the grand holiday excursions for which it was famous in the days of peace.
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1861
GENERAL BUTLER AT PHILADELPHIA.
Evening found the Boston in Delaware Bay, and during the night, with her precious cargo, she reached the broad waters of the At- lantic.
The history of the march of the Seventh would be incomplete without a passing notice of General Benjamin F. Butler, as he appeared at Philadelphia on the morning of the 20th of April, 1861. A brigadier-general of militia in the State of Massachu- setts, he had been intrusted by Governor Andrew with the eom- mand of the troops forwarded from that State, and had accompanied the Eighth Massachusetts Regiment, which passed through New York on the morning of the 19th of April, and reached Philadel- phia in the evening of that day. When the Seventh Regiment arrived at Philadelphia, it found the Eighth Massachusetts at the depot, prepared to leave for Baltimore, and patiently awaiting the return of General Butler, who was said to be at the La Pierre House, in another part of the city. About seven o'clock in the morning General Butler made his ap-
pearance at the depot. Although he had been in Philadelphia for several hours, he had apparently arrived at no plan for the advance, and as Colonel Lefferts was at the time anxiously awaiting positive or- ders by telegraph from the War Depart- ment, he did not fully explain to Butler the course to be pursued by the Seventh Regiment in case no instructions were received from Washington. But when General Butler, at 10 A. M., again left Buy. F. Battez his quarters at the La Pierre and visited the depot, and was informed that arrangements had been made for the transportation of the Seventh to Washington or Annapo- lis, he earnestly urged that sueh arrangements should be aban- doned, and that the Seventh should proceed with him to Havre de Grace. His rhetoric, however, failed to convince Colonel Lefferts and his officers that it was wise to relinquish the certainty of reach- ing Washington in the most expeditious manner, for the probability of unknown detentions at Havre de Grace and beyond. With the railroad and bridges beyond Havre de Grace destroyed, and the ferry-boat Maryland at that place disabled, as was reported, a baek- 32
480
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
ward movement to Philadelphia would be the only possible result of General Butler's expedition. The route to Washington via Annapolis would suggest itself to any tyro in American geography. Without any communication with General Butler, the officers of the Seventh Regiment decided that Annapolis was the most avail- able point from which to reach Washington, in case the Potomac River was blockaded ; arrangements were made for transportation for the Regiment to that place, and Colonel Lefferts telegraphed to New York for supplies to be forwarded to Annapolis. About the time that the New York Seventh embarked for Annapolis, the Eighth Massachusetts left Philadelphia for Havre de Grace.
The march of the Seventh Regiment to the rescue of the capital, the first formidable declaration in behalf of the perpetuity of the Union, pledged New York and its people to the mainte- nance of the Government, and aroused their slumbering loyalty. The other militia regiments of the city sprang to arms, and on the afternoon of the 20th of April, while the Seventh was passing down the Delaware, a hundred thousand men assembled in Union Square, and with the wildest enthusiasm pledged their lives and fortunes to the. defense of the Union. The effect of this immense and enthusiastic gathering in the metropolis was electric. The whole country echoed a hearty response, and the people of the North, as one man, resolved to put rebellion down. While loyal men were encouraged by this grand uprising, the secessionists, who had confidently counted upon diversions in their favor, and upon division and discord at the North, were astounded by the enthu- siasm and harmony exhibited from Maine to Kansas, and from the Ohio and the Potomac to the lakes. At this mighty meeting the name of the Seventh was upon every tongue, and was honored by the eloquent and impassioned orators of the day. Generals Baker, Mitchell, and Dix, and many others, heralded its praises and ex- tolled its patriotism. William Curtis Noyes declared that "its thousand men were the flower of the city of New York," and W. J. A. Fuller alluded to the Regiment as " the gallant Seventh, New York's Imperial Guard." Before the adjournment, a report was circulated that the Seventh Regiment had been attacked near Bal- timore, and had suffered severely in the engagement. This an- nouncement increased the excitement and the indignation of the people, and there was a universal and earnest cry for vengeance.
1861
481
THE VOYAGE TO ANNAPOLIS.
It is a remarkable fact, and evidence of the unsettled state of the country and the complete destruction of communications, that no reliable information was received in New York of the movements of the Seventh Regiment for several days after its departure from Philadelphia.
Sunday, April 21st .- Fortunately for the safety of the Seventh Regiment, the day was beautiful, and the sea was calm and mirror- like. The sanctity of the Sabbath was generally respected ; and the Bibles which pious mothers had placed in the knapsacks of their departing sons were perused in sober earnestness. At eleven o'clock the Episcopal service was read by Chaplain Weston to the limited number who were able to approach within hearing distance. About noon, the capes of the Chesapeake were in view. Vessels were occasionally seen, but they all avoided the Boston, and the display of the Stars and Stripes failed to secure the confidence of the shipmasters, or to convince them that the Seventh Regiment was not a body of secessionists in disguise. The only information obtained before entering the Chesapeake was from the captain of a Yankee schooner, who was hastening homeward as fast as wind and tide would permit, and who furnished the not very pleasant intelligence that "the Norfolk Navy-Yard had been burned, and the secessionists were capturing all the vessels in Hampton Roads." How far the rebellion had extended in this quarter was, of course, unknown; but if the vessels at the Norfolk Navy-Yard were in possession of the secessionists, these were surely dangerous waters for an unarmed steamer. One gun, of moderate size, and well manned, could capture or sink the Boston, and it was evidently good policy to avoid, as far as possible, all suspicious and unknown vessels. For various reasons it was decided not to stop at Fortress Monroe. By treachery or stratagem that post had, perhaps, already been seized by the enemy, and, with the control of Hampton Roads, the Boston and its cargo would certainly become a prize ; or if the fortress was yet in possession of the soldiers of the Union, the Seventh Regiment might be detained for garrison duty, and thus be diverted from its great purpose, the relief of Washington. Fortress Monroe was therefore avoided, and the Boston pushed forward with all speed up the Chesapeake. Before leaving Phila- delphia, Colonel Lefferts had telegraphed to the Secretary of War of his intended movements, and requested that a dispatch-boat
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482
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1861
meet him at the mouth of the Potomac with orders as to the route to Washington. As the telegram did not reach its destination, and no information could be obtained from any source as to the con- dition of affairs on the Potomac, it was decided to proceed to An- napolis. In all the movements of the Regiment after leaving Phila- delphia, and until it reached Washington, Colonel Lefferts and his officers were under many obligations to Colonel S. A. Curtis, a member of Congress from Iowa, for valuable advice and counsel. Colonel Curtis was educated at West Point, and had served for many years as an officer of the regular army, and he was a man of mature judgment and extensive experience. He afterward entered the United States service, distinguished himself at the great battle of Pea Ridge, and became a major-general of volunteers. After passing the mouth of the Potomac at 9 P. M., the men thronged the deck in groups, attracted by the beauty of the night and the cool breezes of the Chesapeake, and watched the progress of the steamer or discussed the prospects and probabilities of the future. About midnight the attention of all was attracted to a wonderful phe- nomenon in the sky, which was at once accepted as an omen of promise. Around the moon appeared three well-defined circles of red, white, and blue of remarkable beauty and distinctness. The mate of the steamer, a rough and uncouth sailor, was one of the first to notice the magic circles, and exclaimed : "Our banner in the sky ! God has placed the red, white, and blue in the heavens, and will not let our flag go down." The patriotic sentiment of the untutored seaman, so loudly and earnestly expressed, electrified his hearers, and all heartily joined in the applause.
Monday, April 22d .- At an early hour the steamer Boston reached the vicinity of Annapolis, and waited until daylight to en- ter the harbor. As she proceeded toward the city in the fog of the morning, a large man-of-war appeared in view, and there was some apprehension in respect to the character of the formidable stranger ; but, as the distance lessened, the Stars and Stripes became visible, and all breathed more freely at the sight of the national emblem. That the Seventh was expected was evident, for the officer hailed as follows :
" Is that the Seventh Regiment of New York ?"
" Yes."
"Come to anchor, and send an officer on board."
483
THE EIGHTH MASSACHUSETTS.
1861
The vessel proved to be the old frigate Constitution, the school- ship of the Annapolis Naval Academy. At half a mile distant lay a long and clumsy steamer, which those familiar with the New York and Washington Railroad Line de- clared was the steamer Maryland, and with the aid of a glass it was ascertained that the Eighth Massa- chusetts Regiment was on board. In the distance was the ancient city of Annapolis, and on either side of the beautiful bay were the fine The Constitution. farms and plantations for which this part of Maryland was distin- guished.
The Eighth Massachusetts arrived at Havre de Grace in time to secure the ferry-boat Maryland, and after a variety of adventures had reached Annapolis. Since the riot in Baltimore, on the 19th of April, this part of Maryland had been the scene of great excite- ment. The railroad from Annapolis to its junction with the road from Baltimore to Washington had been effectually disabled ; those officers and students of the Naval Academy who sympathized with the rebellion had departed for the South ; and the secessionists in the vicinity had threatened to seize the frigate Constitution and other United States property, and had inaugurated a reign of terror that silenced all remonstrance to their outrages. At the Naval Academy
alone, in all that region, floated the American flag, and the young students and their officers stood alone in its active defense. At the request of Captain Blake, of the Naval Academy, General Butler had placed a company of the Eighth Massachusetts on board the Constitution as sailors, and another as marines, and had towed her to a safe distance from the shore. Unfortunately, the Mary- land, with the Eighth Massachusetts on board, ran aground, and was in this unpleasant situation when the Seventh Regiment ar- rived. The commanding officer of the Constitution advised that the Seventh Regiment should not land until Colonel Lefferts had communicated with the officers of the Naval Academy, who were familiar with the state of affairs in the city, and were able to advise understandingly upon all matters of interest and importance. Communication was established with General Butler, and a dele- 33
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
gation proceeded to Annapolis to consult with the United States officers.
While these movements were in progress the situation of the members of the Seventh was becoming more and more uncomfort- able. For two days they had been crowded almost to suffocation ; some had been sea-sick ; meals had been irregular, and the fare scant, coarse, and unpalatable; and last, but not least, the water was exhausted, and all were desperately thirsty. The hours of the day passed slowly away ; all prayed for terra firma once more, and wondered why they were not permitted to land. The only circum- stances which relieved the monotony of the day were the departure of the frigate Constitution for a safer and more distant anchorage, and the efforts of the Massachusetts men to relieve the Maryland from her uncomfortable position. Freight-cars were thrown over- board, and the men were shifted from side to side, but all in vain ; the Maryland persisted in sticking fast in the mud. The active Yankee boys, though suffering from the want of food and water, were nevertheless in good spirits, and, when nothing else afforded employment, paraded for drill on the broad decks of the Maryland, much to the amusement of the more accomplished soldiers of the Seventh.
Soon after noon the officers that had visited Annapolis returned to the steamer. The State and city authorities protested against the landing of the troops, or their passage through the city or State, and the officers of the Naval Academy represented the feeling of the people as bitterly hostile, and that an attempt to march to Washington with so small a force would probably fail; but Colonel Lefferts and his officers promptly decided to land at once, and, if possible, force a passage to the national capital. Before landing, however, considerable time was spent by the Boston in unavailing efforts to float the Maryland. At 5 P. M. the Boston reached the wharf, and the Regiment marched to the lawn between the acade- my buildings and the river Severn. After a consultation with the officers of the academy and the city and State authorities, Colonel Lefferts called his officers together and communicated to them the various statements and opinions he had received in respect to the possibility and the probability of the Regiment being able to reach Washington. It was said that the whole country was in arms ; that the roads were infested with guerrillas and bushwhackers, and that
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