USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 6
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40
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1805
tenant-Colonel Morton, which was transferred by General Order of March 27, 1805, to the First Brigade of Artillery, and designated the Second Regiment of Artillery ; and the Brigade Company of Artillery, Captain Ten Eyck, which was raised to a Battalion of Artillery. Under this reorganization Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Morton was appointed brigadier-general, to command the First Brigade of Artillery; the First Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Curtenius, with John C. Ludlow and James Manning as first and second majors, commanding the First and Second Battalions respectively ; the Second Regiment was com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Swartout, with Lebbeus Loomis and Francis Saltus as first and second majors, commanding the First and Second Battalions respectively ; and the Battalion of Ar- tillery was commanded by Major John Ten Eyck, with Andrew Sitcher as major. Thus originated in 1805 "Morton's Brigade of Artillery," for many years the pride of the New York militia and the favorite of the public.
It will be noticed that the privileges and exemptions conferred by law upon the artillerymen of New York city largely increased the number of companies in that branch of the service during the years 1800-1805. The practice now became general of drilling one battalion (four companies) of each artillery regiment almost exclusively with muskets, and frequently both battalions paraded with small-arms. The place of assembly for drill and parade was now at the Arsenal, White and Elm Streets, although the Battery was the usual parade-ground for inspections and reviews. The artillery companies continued to recruit their ranks from the best classes of the people, and the Regiment of Artillery was honored in 1803 by the election of one of its majors, De Witt Clinton, to the mayoralty of the city. The "Morning Chronicle " of June 15, 1803, reflected public opinion at this period as follows :
ARTILLERY REGIMENT.
It is needless to impress on our fellow-citizens the importance of a well-regu- lated militia, or the peculiar dependence that this city must place on Artillery at any moment of danger. These circumstances are universally acknowledged ; but it is not equally well known that our State legislature, duly impressed with these circumstances, has endowed the regiment of artillery of this city with peculiar privileges, such as exemption from attendance on juries, and from the tax on per- sonal property to the amount of 500 dollars. They have also made a distinction highly honourable to the corps, by enacting that all persons who have served in the
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41
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
1805
regiment four years shall be exempted from militia duty for life, except in case of invasion, &c.
The regiment is at present highly respectable for discipline, for numbers, and from the characters found in its ranks. Many gentlemen who have held commis- sions in other corps have preferred the situations of privates in the artillery. An invitation is now given to our citizens generally to come forward and enrol them- selves in a department of militia which is alike distinguished for usefulness and respectability.
A volunteer band of music is at present in the act of attaching itself to the corps, whose services in the band are to be taken in lieu of other militia duty, and who are to enjoy, in consequence, the privilege granted to the regiment. We un- derstand that seventeen citizens have already volunteered their services in this band, and that it is expected to be completed in a few days.
Of the interesting military parades at this period not already noticed, may be mentioned the funeral of General John Lamb on the 31st of May, 1800. This distinguished patriot was the active leader of the Sons of Liberty during the ten years preceding the Revolutionary War, and in 1775 enrolled in New York a company of artillery, which subsequently was raised to a regiment, and per- formed gallant service during the entire struggle. The direct and legitimate successor to Lamb's Artillery Regiment was the Regi- ment of Artillery of New York, organized by Lieutenant-Colonel Bauman during the first years of peace ; and it was peculiarly ap- propriate that this organization should occupy the foremost place in the military honors to this great American patriot. The First Battalion of the Regiment of Artillery was detailed as the special military escort at the funeral of General Lamb, and fired the fu- neral volleys at the grave.
Another parade of historical interest was upon the occasion of laying the corner-stone of the City Hall in the park on the 26th of May, 1803. The " Morning Chronicle " of the 27th says :
NEW CITY HALL.
Yesterday the foundation stone of the New City Hall was laid by His Honour the Mayor, at the head of a procession composed of the Common Council, public officers, mechanics' society, &c. &c. General Stevens's regiment of artillery, under Major Curtenius, and a detachment from Col. Morton's infantry, under command of Major Loomis, formed the escort. The procession commenced at the City Hall, and proceeded through Broad street, Beaver street, and Broadway, to the Park, where the military formed and saluted the Mayor and Recorder, as they passed along the line. The stone being laid at the discharge of a single gun, a national salute was fired from the field pieces, and a feu de joye of three rounds from the musketry. The military then proceeded to the Park, where they formed a hollow
42
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1805
square, and were regaled with a supply of wine from the Corporation, and dis- missed.
The 4th day of July and the 25th day of November continued to be the great military holidays, and in the celebration of those days, in the early part of the present century, the Regiment of Ar- tillery always held a prominent place. The 4th of July was a day of sincere rejoicing and hearty enjoyment. The public demon- strations were of a more quiet, intellectual, and patriotic character than at a later period ; and instead of flying to the country to es- cape the noise and confusion, the best citizens took an active part in the celebration of the national birthday. National salutes were fired at the Battery at sunrise, noon, and sunset, from brass ord- nance taken from the British during the Revolutionary War, and the bells of the several churches were rung at the same hours. At an early hour the uniformed militia of the city assembled at the Battery and was reviewed by the Governor of the State or the mayor of the city. The line of march was generally up Broad- way to Wall Street, and through Wall, Pearl, Beekman, Vesey, and Greenwich Streets, to the Battery, and it was not until many years later that military parades were seen above Chambers Street. Arriving at the Battery, line was again formed, and the parade ended by the firing of a feu-de-joie. It was customary at this period to close all military parades with a discharge of musketry or artillery, and on all public days the corporation furnished the am- munition, the captain of each company receiving his supply at the City Arsenal on the day previous to the parade. The civic societies also paraded on the 4th of July, prominent among which were the Tammany, Tailors', Hatters', Masons', Shipwrights', Hibernian Provident, Coopers', and Mechanics' and Tradesmen's. These socie- ties were at this period popular and influential organizations, and took an active and important part in all public celebrations and popular demonstrations. After marching with music and banners through the principal streets, they repaired to church to listen to the reading of the Declaration of Independence and to an oration from a distinguished citizen. The parades of the military and of the civic societies were followed by dinners at the public-houses of the city, and the festivities of the day were concluded with balls and fire-works in the evening.
The New York artillerymen of 1805 were worthy predecessors
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1805
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
and prototypes of the young men of the Seventh Regiment. They were proud of their corps and jealous of its fame, and though the military drill and discipline of the period were of a primitive char- acter, they labored earnestly to excel in their military duties and accomplishments. The blue artillery-coat, trimmed with red, and the three-cornered hat of Revolutionary style with its tall feather, were as proudly worn at parade or festival as are the more elabo- rate uniforms of modern times. The neatness of attire and elegance of appearance, which ever characterize the true citizen soldier, were not ignored at this period ; and General Stevens, in an order for a parade of the Regiment of Artillery in 1803, especially charged the officers commanding companies "to take care that their companies parade with powdered hair, and with their arms and accoutrements in proper order, with- out black knee garters, that the Regiment may appear uniform." The artillerymen of 1805 were also proud of their arms and of the brightness and cleanliness of the same on days of parade. Their field- Flint-Lock. pieces had seen service on many Revolutionary battle-fields, and were stored at the Arsenal; their muskets, being the private prop- erty of the members, were tenderly cared for at their own resi- dences. The latter were of the ancient smooth-bore and flint-lock pattern, and, though faithfully relied upon by the confiding sol- dier of that period, such arms would now be pronounced more dangerous to those who had the temerity to discharge them than to enemies near or distant.
The introductory chapter to the history of the Seventh Regi- ment closes with the year 1805. In the following year the com- panies now known as the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Com- panies of the regiment were organized, and the history of the Seventh Regiment commences with the year 1806.
Flint-Lock Gun.
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1806
CHAPTER FIRST.
1806-1811.
THE military organization now known as the Seventh Regiment commenced its existence in the year 1806, by the organization of its first four companies, and its origin is directly traceable to cir- cumstances of great historical interest. The right claimed by Great Britain to search American vessels, and take from them any British subjects serving therein, had been denied by the Govern- ment of the United States, and its enforcement had frequently en- dangered the friendly relations existing between the two countries. British men-of-war had repeatedly boarded and searched American merchantmen upon the high-seas and upon the coast; but so strong and so universal was the desire for peace, that these outrages had been overlooked, or noticed only by harmless protests.
In the month of April, 1806, the British ship Leander, fifty guns, the Cambrian, forty-four guns, and the sloop-of-war Diver, appeared off Sandy Hook, and persisted in boarding and searching all the vessels that entered the harbor of New York. On the 25th of April, the wind being favorable, over twenty vessels, mostly coasters, entered the harbor, at which nearly one hundred shots were fired by the British vessels. Some were boarded and ex- amined, and others escaped without search to the city. The sloop Richard, from the Delaware, was fired upon, and the second shot struck the helmsman and killed him instantly. John Pierce, the victim of the outrage, was a respectable citizen of New York, and well known to many of the people; and when his body arrived in the city and the facts were made public, the excitement was in- tense. During Saturday, April 26th, his remains were exposed to the public at Burling Slip, and were viewed by thousands of in- dignant citizens. At the head of the editorial column of the New York "Evening Post" of that date conspicuously appeared the following announcement :
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NEW YORK ALARMED.
1806
MURDER.
When the sloop Richard, Captain Pierce, was coming in the Hook yesterday afternoon from the Delaware she was fired at twice by the British ship-of-war Le- ander. After the first shot the sloop hove-to, when John Pierce, brother of the captain, who was standing at the helm, was killed instantly by the second shot.
The editor of the " Post," in commenting upon this event, de- nounced in the most violent terms the repeated outrages upon American commerce and insults to the American flag, and declared "our harbor invaded by an armed force, and that the ships-of-war of a nation professing to be at peace with us are at this moment blockading our defenseless port."
A special meeting of the Common Council of the city was held the same day, at which a committee was appointed to take charge of the body of Pierce and make arrangements for a public funeral. A meeting of citizens was also called, the following notice being posted in the public places and published in the evening news- papers :
GENERAL MEETING.
A general meeting of the Federal Republicans of this city is earnestly re- quested to be held at the Tontine Coffee-House this (Saturday) evening, at seven o'clock, to take into consideration the present defenseless state of our harbor, already stained with the blood of our fellow-citizens.
In spite of a severe storm, the Tontine Coffee-House was crowded to overflowing by the leading citizens of the town. Amid the most intense excitement, resolutions were adopted severely con- demning the recent outrage, prohibiting all intercourse with the British vessels, and calling upon the Government to defend the city and maintain the honor and dignity of the nation. On Monday, April 28th, the funeral of Pierce was attended at the Council Chamber, and his remains were interred in St. Paul's churchyard. The "Evening Post" of that date says :
The body of John Pierce, who was murdered on Friday last by a foreign force in our harbor, was this day attended by thousands of our fellow-citizens as mourn- ers. The corpse was preceded by the reverend clergy in white scarfs; next went Captain Pierce, brother of the deceased, and the hands belonging to the sloop; then a great number of seafaring men with weeds in their hats; and lastly our citizens of all ranks, amounting to several thousands.
The excitement caused by the death of Pierce, and the difficul- ties and dangers likely to result from it, directed the attention of
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1806
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
the patriotic young men of New York to military organization. Large accessions to the ranks of those companies already in suc- cessful existence immediately followed, and new companies were promptly organized. Prominent among the new organizations were four companies of artillery, which are now known as the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies of the Seventh Regiment. At the time of their organization and for many years thereafter they were not designated numerically as above; but, according to the custom of the period, were known and recognized by the names of the commanding officer, as "Captain Morgan's company," "Captain Hewitt's company," etc. But to avoid any confusion in the identity of these four companies, they will be uniformly desig- nated in the following pages by the numbers by which they are now known.
The Second Company was organized at St. John's Hall, in Frankfort Street, near the City Hall Park, on the 6th day of May, 1806, and the original parchment roll is among the archives of the company. Unfortunately, the original rolls and records of the First and Third Companies, if in existence, are not in their posses- sion, and the precise dates of their organization can not be ascer- tained. The roll of the Fourth Company, on parchment, is com- plete from 1812 as a company in the Eleventh Regiment, and contains also the names of members at that time in the company who had enlisted from 1806 to 1812. The want of care as to mili- tary records and the preservation of the same at this period, and the very limited notice by the few public journals of the local news of the day, must account for the paucity of particulars in respect to the origin of the original companies of the Seventh Regiment. That they were organized in the months of May and June, 1806; that their founders were active merchants and tradesmen ; and that patriotism and a desire to serve in the defense of the city were the immediate causes of their organization, are important and unques- tionable facts connected with their origin.
When the number of men had been duly enrolled as required by law, the companies proceeded to elect their officers, and they selected for the more important positions those who had been most active and influential in organizing the companies, and whose abil- ity, energy, and social standing would be likely to secure their con- tinued prosperity. It was a prevailing practice at this period to
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THE FIRST FOUR COMPANIES ORGANIZED.
1806
confer the offices of military organizations upon those who could contribute most liberally in time and money to their support. But this custom did not prevent the four original companies of the Sev- enth Regiment from bestowing their honors upon men of merit, and in some cases upon officers of considerable experience in the militia of the city.
The First Company was organized by the election of Henry Morgan as captain, Ezra Robins first lieutenant, and Aaron For- man second lieutenant. Captain Morgan had been connected for several years with the militia of the city, having been commissioned an ensign in the Fifth Regiment of Infantry in 1802 and a captain in the same regiment in 1803.
The Second Company was organized May 6, 1806, eleven names being subscribed on that day to the following :
We, the undersigned, do voluntarily annex our names under Captain
- Company, by the name of the Masonic New York Artillerie, commanded by - General Jacob Morton, and severally Engage to Comply with the laws of the State of New York for organizing and regulating the militia of the State.
The original members of this company were members of the Masonic order-Philip Becanon and Barnet Anderaise being prominent officers of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and their connection with that order suggested the name of the company and secured its adoption. James Hewitt and Barnet An- deraise, two of the original signers of the roll, were elected captain and lieutenant respectively. Captain Hewitt had been connected with the militia for nearly fifteen years, and a commissioned officer since 1793.
The organization of the Third Company was completed by the election of John Fleming as captain, Theophilus W. Smith first lieutenant, and Alpheus Sherman second lieutenant. The name of Captain Fleming does not appear among the officers commissioned in the militia of the State previous to this date, and it may reason- ably be presumed that his military experience was limited.
The first officers of the Fourth Company were Captain John W. Forbes, First Lieutenant Thomas R. Mercein, and Second Lieu- tenant John M. Bradhurst. They were young men of ability and social distinction, but it does not appear that the first officers of the Fourth Company had achieved any prominence in military affairs previous to the year 1806. 5
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1806
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
So active and energetic were the founders of the four new com- panies of artillery, and so successful were their efforts at this period of patriotic excitement in enlisting young men for military service, that in June an application was made to the Governor of the State for official recognition. It was promptly and favorably responded to by General Orders, dated June 25, 1806, providing for the addi- tion of several companies to the Battalion of Artillery of the First Brigade, and authorizing the officers already elected to act as such until duly confirmed by the Council of Appointment of the State. On the 26th of June General Stevens issued the following order :
STATE ARTILLERY, DIVISION ORDERS, S
NEW YORK, July 26, 1806.
In compliance with General Orders of the 25th of June, Major Sitcher will take charge of the Battalion in the First Brigade, late commanded by Major Ten Eyck, who has resigned in consequence of indisposition ; and Major Snowden, of the Second Regiment, is transferred to the said battalion to act as second major.
Six companies will be added to the battalion, to be provisionally officered as directed in General Orders, a copy of which is hereunto annexed and the injunc- tions of which are to be punctually obeyed. ...
By order of Major-General STEVENS. P. IRVING, Aide-de-camp.
Under the above orders the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies were officially attached to the Battalion of Artillery commanded by Major Andrew Sitcher, it being expressly under- stood that the battalion should be raised to a Regiment as soon as the authority could be obtained from the Legislature for that pur- pose.
The 4th of July, 1806, was celebrated in New York with un- usual enthusiasm, owing to the patriotic excitement which univer- sally prevailed ; but the four new artillery companies were not fully prepared to parade on that occasion. No time, however, was lost in procuring their uniforms, arms, and equipments. The uniform adopted was similar to that worn by the First and Second Regi- ments of Artillery, and consisted of the blue artillery-coat with artillery-buttons and red trimmings, the three-cornered hat with tall white feather, the color of the top indicating the particular regiment, and white vest and trousers. The regiments of artillery at this period consisted each of two battalions, the first drilling gen- erally with field-pieces and the second with muskets. The four
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THE FIRST PARADE.
1807
new artillery companies decided in favor of muskets, and from that day to this, though nominally artillery, have drilled as infantry or light infantry. The muskets, which were forthwith purchased by the members, were of the smooth-bore, flint-lock pattern of the pe- riod. Drills for instruction were also commenced without delay, and were generally held in the afternoon in the open air, and before the end of the year the four new organizations could justly claim to be equal to any in the city in military accomplishments. Great precision in drill was not required at this time, and the simple tac- tics of Baron Steuben were soon easily and sufficiently mastered for all practical purposes.
The first parade of the new artillery companies, now the First, Second, Third, and Fourth of the Seventh Regiment, took place on the 25th day of November, the twenty-third anniversary of the evacuation of New York by the British. The Brigade of Artil- lery, General Jacob Morton commanding, was the great military attraction of the day, and consisted of the First and Second Regi- ments of Artillery, a squadron of two troops of " Horse or Flying Artillerists," and the Battalion of Artillery, the latter parading under Major Andrew Sitcher and containing seven New York city companies, four of which were the new artillery companies com- manded by Captains Hewitt, Morgan, Fleming, and Forbes. No effort was spared on the part of the officers and members of these companies to make their first appearance creditable and successful. With the advantage of new uniforms, arms, and equipments, they compared favorably with any companies of the brigade, and Gen- eral Morton complimented the officers upon the fine, soldierly ap- pearance of their commands. The brigade was reviewed at the Battery by Major-General Stevens, and at the conclusion of the parade two elegant stands of colors were presented in the City Hall Park by De Witt Clinton, Mayor of New York, in behalf of the corporation. The ceremony, which was not a common affair at that day, was witnessed by a large concourse of people, and the elo- quent address of Mayor Clinton, which accompanied the presenta- tion of these tokens of official favor, was received with great ap- plause. Subsequently General Morton presented these stands of colors to the First and Second Regiments of the brigade.
Application was made to the Legislature of 1807 for authority necessary to raise the Battalion of Artillery of the City of New .
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HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1807
York to a Regiment, and on the 27th of March the following act was passed :
CHAPTER LXXI.
An Act to organize a Third Regiment within the First Brigade of Artillery of the State.
Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That it shall and may be lawful for the commander-in-chief, when- ever he shall deem it expedient, to organize a Third Regiment of Artillery within the First Brigade of Artillery of the State ; the officers and privates of which said Regiment shall be entitled to the same privileges and subject to the same duties as those of the First and Second Regiments of the said brigade, except as to the time of service, which shall be seven years.
And be it further enacted, That no person who shall hereafter enlist in either the First or Second Regiments of Artillery, within the city of New York, shall be entitled to exemption from military duty until they shall have served seven years in said corps.
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