USA > New York > History of the Seventh Regiment of New York, 1806-1889 > Part 7
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On the 5th of April, 1807, Governor Morgan Lewis issued the following order :
The commander-in-chief, by virtue of an Act of the Legislature, passed the 27th of March, 1807, authorizing him to organize a Third Regiment in the Brigade of Artillery of the State, orders the battalion under the command of Major A. Sitcher be organized into a Regiment, and that measures be taken for that purpose without delay by the proper officers.
By order of His Excellency :
SOLOMON VAN RENSSELAER, Adjutant-General.
On the following day the Council of Appointment ordered that commissions be issued to the line officers of the several companies of the new Third Regiment, giving them rank from April 6, 1807, and at the same time commissioned Major Andrew Sitcher as first major and Charles Snowden as second major of the Third Regi- ment of Artillery. On the 9th of June, Major Andrew Sitcher was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Third Regiment, Major Charles Snowden first major, and Benjamin Ayerigg second major.
Meantime a violent quarrel had broken out in the new Third Regiment, in which, however, the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies, constituting the Second Battalion, had no share and took no active part. A court-martial, of which General Morton was president, convened at the City Hall, pursuant to Division Orders, on the 2d day of June, 1807, for the trial of charges pre- fered by Major Snowden against Lieutenant-Colonel Sitcher. That officer was charged with disobedience of orders, and with unofficer-
51
THE CHESAPEAKE AND LEOPARD.
1807
like and improper conduct in omitting certain names from the list of staff-officers forwarded in February to Albany for appointment. Colonel Sitcher was found guilty by the court-martial and was sen- tenced to be cashiered, and the finding was approved by Major- General Stevens; but Colonel Sitcher appealed to the commander- in-chief. The court-martial of Colonel Sitcher caused a delay in perfecting the organization of the Third Regiment, and Major- General Stevens had not yet promulgated the order of Governor Lewis of the 5th of April. An effort was made to induce the new Governor, D. D. Tompkins, to countermand the order of his pred- ecessor, and to reorganize the Regiment. But, by direction of Gov- ernor Tompkins, Major-General Stevens issued on the 5th of Au- gust the necessary Division Orders for completing the organization of the Regiment, and directing all officers appointed to the Regiment to assume their respective rank and stations, except Lieutenant- Colonel Sitcher, who was suspended from all command therein un- til his appeal to the Commander-in-chief was determined.
While this unseemly quarrel was progressing in the Third Regi- ment of Artillery, events transpired of great national and histori- cal importance. In June, 1807, the American frigate Chesapeake, Commodore Barron, was wantonly attacked near the Chesapeake Capes by the British man-of-war Leopard, and four seamen claimed to be British subjects were taken away by force. When the news reached New York, an immense public indignation meeting was held in the park, of which Mayor De Witt Clinton was president and General Jacob Morton secretary. President Jefferson im- mediately issued a proclamation ordering British war-vessels to leave our harbors, and calling upon the States to detach from their enrolled militia or to enlist volunteers to the number of one hun- dred thousand men, and prepare them for active service. The threatening aspect of affairs, and the unprotected condition of the city of New York, directed the attention of its citizens and civil authorities to the harbor defenses. On the 13th of July the Com- mon Council ceded to the United States Government such portions of the Battery and other grounds as might be needed for the erec- tion of fortifications, and Congress was memorialized and urged to appropriate liberally for the defenses of the city and harbor. The necessary appropriations having been made, work was immediately commenced upon the forts and batteries at the Narrows, on Gover-
52
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1807
nor's, Bedlow's, and Ellis's Islands, Castle Garden at the Battery, Fort Gansevoort, the North Fort at Hubert Street, and others, and the War Department detailed competent engineers to superintend the work upon the fortifications.
The probability of immediate war with Great Britain aroused the military spirit of the people of New York and secured the formation of several new military companies and the active recruit- ing of those already in existence. Of the one hundred thousand troops called for by the President, the quota of the State of New York was 12,704, and on the 11th of July the Governor issued an order for that number of volunteers or detached militia. The troops raised under the order were to be duly organized into regi- ments and companies, and to be drilled by the officers commanding or assigned to command them, but not to be considered in active service, until by subsequent orders they should be directed to take the field. The number of officers and men required from the First Brigade of Artillery of the City of New York was 327 ; and Briga- dier-General Morton, in an order dated July 14, 1807, confidently expressed the hope that "the appeal made by the major-general to the spirit and patriotism of the brigade, so honorable to their char- acter as soldiers and as citizens, will be duly appreciated ; he is also persuaded that they will with pleasure embrace the opportunity now offered them of evincing the zeal and, promptness with which they will ever render their services at the call of their country."
The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies, Captains Hewitt, Fleming, Morgan, and Forbes, promptly volunteered as part of the artillery quota, to the number of 140 officers and men, being nearly half of the number required from General Morton's brigade. The remainder was furnished by the other companies of the Third Regiment and by one company of the First Regiment of Artillery. Thus it appears that the four original companies of the Seventh Regiment in 1807 were first and foremost in responding to the call of duty-an example which has been followed by those companies and by the Regiment of which they form a part from that day to this, whenever the peace of the city or State has been threatened, or when the welfare or the safety of the country has been in danger.
The quota required from the Division of Artillery of the State having been filled by volunteers from the several regiments, and
53
THE FOUR COMPANIES VOLUNTEER.
1807
the officers and men having been enrolled, they were organized into a Regiment by Division Orders dated November 14, 1807, and Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Curtenius, the senior artillery-officer of that rank, was assigned to its command. Major Snowden, of the Third Regiment of Artillery, was assigned to the command of the Second Battalion, which was almost exclusively composed of vol- unteers from that Regiment. From the official records it appears that the four original companies of the Seventh Regiment fur- nished the following officers and number of men :
Officers. Men.
First Company : HENRY MORGAN, Captain. EZRA ROBINS, First Lieutenant. GILBERT HAIGHT, Second Lieutenant. 3 40
Second Company : JAMES HEWITT, Captain. BARNET ANDERAISE, Second Lieutenant. 2 25
Third Company : JOHN FLEMING, Captain. THEOPHILUS W. SMITH, First Lieutenant. ALPHEUS SHERMAN, Second Lieutenant. 3 36
Fourth Company : JOHN M. FORBES, Captain. THOMAS R. MERCEIN, First Lieutenant. JOHN M. BRADHURST, Second Lieutenant. 3 28
As these companies were under the command of their own officers, no material change was made in their organization, drill, or discipline. They were exercised, however, with field-pieces and heavy artillery, and their drills were henceforth more frequent and thorough than the other companies of artillery of the city not de- tached for active service.
The suspension of Lieutenant-Colonel Sitcher from the com- mand of the Third Regiment did not bring peace to that organiza- tion. At a meeting of officers for military improvement and other purposes, on the 18th day of August, a violent altercation occurred between Majors Snowden and Aycrigg. The latter was placed under arrest, and charges were preferred against him, and Major Aycrigg also preferred charges against Major Snowden. Brigadier- General Morton declined to act upon these charges, but an appeal having been made to the major-general, Major Snowden was placed under arrest and a court-martial ordered. Lieutenant-Colonel Sitch- er also chafed under his suspension from the command of the Regi- ment, and preferred charges against General Morton for unofficer- like conduct. At the end of the year 1807 the Third Regiment was practically without field-officers, its lieutenant-colonel com-
54
1808
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
manding being suspended from duty and its two majors being un- der arrest. Although these troubles threatened the disorganization of the Regiment, the prosperity of the four companies whose history is followed in these pages was not materially affected. They had been detached for active service; their military duty was mostly performed under Colonel Curtenius, commanding the detached Regiment of Artillery ; they had no particular regard for any of the belligerent officers, and took no part or interest in their quarrels.
The military parades of the year 1807 were few and unimpor- tant, the most noticeable being on the 4th of July and the 25th of November, and a review of the artillery by the Governor on the 6th of August. The impending danger and the prospect of active service naturally led to meetings for military instruction rather than for display or amusement. But the activity at this period in mili- tary affairs of a practical character resulted in placing the four original companies of the Seventh Regiment upon a sound mili- tary basis, and inculcated principles of discipline which have never been lost.
The Embargo Act, passed by Congress in December, 1807, for the purpose of compelling England and France to remove the unjust restrictions which, as war measures, they had imposed upon the commerce of the United States, failed to secure the desired result. It weighed heavily upon the commercial interests of New York, and was the cause of great political excitement and animosity. Business was prostrated ; merchants were embarrassed or hopelessly ruined ; and a general gloom enveloped the metropolis of the coun- try. Although it was confidently hoped that diplomacy would avert impending war, preparations for defense were actively con- tinued. The forts in the harbor and at the Narrows were strength- ened ; the army and navy were increased ; arms and ammunition were manufactured, and the militia was more completely enrolled. In General Orders of April 1, 1808, the organization of the quota of militia of the State of New York was announced. Under an act of Congress passed March 30, 1808, the quota of the State was fixed at 14,389 men, and, by General Orders of November 15, 1808, this number, which included 551 men from the Brigade of Artillery of New York City, was detached and ordered to be held in readiness for active service. The detachment from the Brigade of Artillery included the four companies which are now the First,
55
1808
THE WALLABOUT MARTYRS.
Second, Third, and Fourth Companies of the Seventh Regiment, with their officers, as already named, and their numbers consider- ably increased. Under this order, the officers and members of these companies were subjected to additional military duties, and the constant drills and military exercises were a severe tax upon their time and business pursuits. From an official report, dated September 20, 1808, it appears that the First Company, Captain Morgan, numbered at that time forty-two men; the Second, Cap- tain Hewitt, thirty-six men ; the Third, Captain Fleming, forty-one men ; and the Fourth Company, Captain Forbes, forty-eight men.
The difficulties and dissensions in the Third Regiment of Artil- lery, already noticed, were finally adjusted. General Morton was acquitted of the charges preferred by Lieutenant-Colonel Sitcher, and Majors Snowden and Aycrigg were relieved from arrest and restored to duty. Lieutenant-Colonel Sitcher was also restored to the rank in the Brigade of Artillery, of which he had been de- prived, but was not assigned to any command. In General Or- ders of August 25, 1808, the Third Regiment of Artillery was reorganized, and Major Francis Saltus, of the Second Regiment of Artillery, was transferred to its command, with the rank of lieu- tenant-colonel. The regiment was divided into two battalions-the Second Battalion containing the four companies commanded by Captains Morgan, Hewitt, Fleming, and Forbes. In General Or- der of September 14, 1808, the disputed question of rank of cap- tains was finally determined and settled by denying any preference on account of commissions held by those officers in the infantry of the State previous to their connection with the Third Regiment of Artillery.
Since the War of the Revolution the bones of American pris- oners who had died upon the British prison-ships at Wallabout Bay had not been properly entombed. In making improvements in and near the Brooklyn Navy-Yard, many of these bones had been collected, and the Tammany Society of the City of New York re- solved to honor the memory of the Revolutionary martyrs by a public funeral. On the 13th of April, 1808, the corner-stone of a tomb was laid in Hudson Avenue, near York Street, Brooklyn, with imposing ceremonies. Major Aycrigg, of the Third Artillery, was the grand marshal, and the procession consisted of the Tammany and other civic societies and many military organizations. On the
56
1809
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
26th of May, when the ashes of the patriot dead were removed to the vault, New York witnessed a magnificent funeral pageant. At the head of the procession was a trumpeter mounted on a black horse, carrying in his hand a black flag, upon which was inscribed in letters of gold : " Mortals, avaunt ! Eleven Thousand Five Hun- dred Spirits of the Martyred Brave approach the Tomb of Honor, of Glory, of Virtuous Patriotism !" Then followed the military of the city, including the new Third Regiment of Artillery, under command of General Morton, the "Wallabout Committee," each member with a buck-tail in his hat, the Tammany Society, with all the insignia of the order, the municipal officers of New York and Brooklyn, the Governor and other State officers, members of Con- gress, military and naval officers of the United States, and, finally, all the various civic societies of the city. Before crossing to Brook- lyn, the funeral procession passed through the principal streets of New York, which were elaborately decorated with emblems of mourning, and were thronged with people. Dr. Benjamin De Witt delivered the oration, and, at its conclusion, the coffins were depos- ited in the tomb, and the procession returned to New York.
The parades of the year 1808, with the above exception, were unimportant, and military duty was almost entirely limited to drills, inspections, and artillery practice. The Brigade of Artillery paraded for inspection and review in May and September. The 4th of July was celebrated by a parade of the First Regiment of Artillery, the officers of the other artillery regiments parading in a body with the regiment. On the 17th day of June the corner- stone of a new arsenal "near the Collect," for many years the mili- tary headquarters of the city, was laid with appropriate military honors.
On the 1st of March, 1809, the Embargo Act was repealed, and a non-intercourse act was passed, which opened the ports of the country to commerce with all nations except France and England. During the same month assurances were received from the Prime Minister of England that the restrictions upon American commerce would be removed on the 10th day of June, and the President forthwith proclaimed that trade with England would be renewed on that date. By Order of April 20, 1809, the detachment of New York State militia, which had been organized in 1807-'S for the United States service, was relieved from duty, "and no longer held
57
A NEW MILITIA ACT.
1810
in readiness for active service." The prospect of peace and of a revival of trade was hailed with delight by the citizens of New York; military ardor and excitement subsided ; offensive and de- fensive preparations were to a great extent abandoned, and the people joyfully turned their attention to their business pursuits. But the English Government failed to fulfill its pacific promises, and in August the Non-intercourse Act was renewed by president- tial proclamation.
The interest in military affairs speedily declined with the proba- bility of peace and with the discharge of the militia which had been detailed for active service. The drills of the four companies whose history is followed in these pages were for some months sus- pended, and, when resumed in the winter of 1809-'10, took place only monthly. The reaction which follows unwonted activity was everywhere visible, and in November, 1809, for the first time since the Revolution, the celebration of Evacuation Day by the military was omitted.
An act to organize the militia of the State of New York, passed March 29, 1809, contained several new and important provisions. It required that the artillery of the State of New York should ex- ercise or drill not less than twelve times in each year. The term of service was fixed at seven years for all men enlisted after March 7, 1807. It exempted officers and members from jury duty during their term of service, and property to the value of five hundred dollars was exempted from taxation. It authorized the commander- in-chief to direct as to the color and fashion of the artillery uniform for all companies not already provided.
The year 1810 witnessed some revival of military spirit, espe- cially upon holiday occasions. The anniversaries of the birth of Washington, of the Declaration of Independence, and of the evacua- tion of New York, were duly celebrated with military honors. On the 7th of June the Brigade of Artillery paraded in the afternoon at the Battery, and "the Band belonging to the Second Regiment played upon a barge anchored off the Battery opposite the Flag-Staff in the Evening." The parade of the Brigade of Artillery on the 1st day of November was pronounced by the New York " Columbian " to be " one of the most splendid and gratifying military displays ever witnessed in the city." The brigade was reviewed at the Battery by Governor Tompkins, after which a variety of evolutions were
58
1811
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
performed, including artillery practice with field-pieces, and the troops paraded through the principal streets in the city. At the parade of November 25th the Third Regiment was presented by the city corporation with a stand of colors. The Regiment marched from the Battery to the City Hall, where, in presence of the Com- mon Council and a large assemblage of people, Major Radcliffe de- livered the standard to Lieutenant-Colonel Saltus with an appro- priate speech.
During the year 1810 there was no material change in the con- dition of the companies composing the Second Battalion of the Third Regiment of Artillery. In drill and discipline, and in the character and standing of their officers and members, these compa- nies were not surpassed in the militia of the city. Some valuable members, who had enlisted with the expectation of immediate active service in the defense of the city, withdrew from the companies during the year, but their places were readily filled with recruits from the best class of citizens. The most distinguished of the retir- ing officers was Captain James Hewitt, of the Second Company, who was succeeded by Lieutenant Barnet Anderaise.
Captain James Hewitt was commissioned as an ensign of in- fantry in 1793, and served with distinction as an officer until his resignation in 1810. Although an Englishman by birth, he was distinguished for his patriotism and loyalty to the country of his adoption. He was an active and able officer, and a popular and accomplished gentleman. Captain Hewitt was a dealer in music and musical instruments in Maiden Lane, and was distinguished for his musical accomplishments.
As a consequence of the renewal of commercial intercourse with France, the year 1811 witnessed many new outrages upon Ameri- can commerce by English war-vessels stationed upon the coast. Business in New York was prostrated, and the sufferings of the people were beyond endurance. The arts of diplomacy had failed, and it was evident that the sword must settle the pending difficul- ties. Congress assembled in November, and by its legislation fairly represented the warlike spirit of the people. But the Presi- dent hesitated to involve the country in a war that promised to be long, expensive, and of doubtful results, and the year closed with- out a solution of the questions in dispute and with grave apprehen- sions of the future.
59
1811
THE THIRD REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY.
The Brigade of Artillery paraded in June, and was reviewed at the Battery on the 25th of November by Governor Tompkins. Regimental and company drills were more numerous as the proba- bility of war with England increased. The Third Regiment of Artillery, as the leading and most popular military organization of the city, was distinguished for its activity ; and during the summer and autumn the companies of Captains Morgan, Anderaise, Flem- ing, and Forbes devoted many afternoons to drill and artillery prac- tice in the fields in the outskirts of the city or in the beautiful country near the hamlet of Hoboken. With the prospect of active service at no distant day the prosperity of these companies rapidly increased, and at the close of the year 1811 their strength and effi- ciency were the subject of favorable comment in military circles.
During the year 1811 there occurred several important changes among the field-officers of the Third Regiment of Artillery. First Major Charles Snowden resigned his commission, and Second Major Benjamin Aycrigg was promoted to fill the vacancy ; and Captain Cornelius Harsen, of the First Battalion, was commissioned as sec- ond major. Major Aycrigg also retired from the service, and Major Harsen was appointed first major, and Captain John W. Forbes, of the Fourth Company of the Second Battalion, was com- missioned as second major. Lieutenant John M. Bradhurst was elected captain of the Fourth Company, vice Forbes promoted.
G. Talcoff
From a photograph about 1855.
60
HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT.
1812
CHAPTER SECOND.
1812-1815.
IN the early part of the year 1812 the regiments of artillery of the State of New York were numbered by lot, and the Third Regi- ment of Artillery of the City of New York became the Eleventh Regiment of Artillery ; the companies which are now the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Companies of the Seventh Regiment, being the Second Battalion of the regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Saltus resigned his commission in April, and, on the 23d of May, First Major Cornelius Harsen was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, Second Major John W. Forbes first major, and Captain Henry Morgan, of the First Company of the Second Battalion, second major. Lieutenant Aaron Forman was chosen captain of the First Company, vice Morgan promoted. By the order renumbering the regiments the First Regiment of Artillery of New York City be- came the Second Regiment, the Second Regiment became the Ninth, the Fourth Regiment became the Third, and the Third Regiment became the Eleventh, as before stated.
Although war had not yet been declared, the President, under authority of an act of Congress passed April 12, 1812, called upon the several States for troops, and a General Order was issued on the 21st of April, 1812, detailing 13,500 militia of the State of New York for immediate service. In compliance with this order, General Morton detailed 450 officers and men from his brigade of artillery (that being its quota), and organized them into two bat- talions of three companies each : the First Battalion under tlie com- mand of Major Robert Swartwout ; and the Second, of Major John Bleecker, and they were ordered to be ready for active service at a day's notice. The Eleventh Regiment furnished its full proportion of officers and men for this detachment by voluntary enlistments from its several companies.
On the 18th of June, 1812, the long-expected declaration of war
61
WAR WITH ENGLAND.
1812
with Great Britain was promulgated. Though a large and power- ful party regarded the war as unwise and unnecessary, vigorous measures were at once taken to organize an army and navy, and prepare to meet the enemy on land and sea. Volunteers were called for, the militia was drafted, the forts upon the seaboard were garrisoned, privateers were fitted out and sent to sea, troops were hurried forward to the northern border; and the President, Congress, and the Governors of States actively co-operated in offen- sive and defensive preparations.
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