USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 1 > Part 4
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It was decided to hold a morning dress-parade, and, responsive to the bugle-calls and the inspiring music by the band, many of the citi- zens hastened to the public square, where the various companies marched and took their allotted places in line. After the adjutant had announced the formation, Colonel Lemmon commanded, " Atten- tion, battalion !" dwelling lovingly on the last syllable of the first word, and giving to the latter a sharp, full-grown emphasis, that caused the wondering people to surmise that the "battalion " was about to be reprimanded for some cause. Finally, the " dress-parade " was ended, the band continuing to play, to the delight of the citizens, the troops, meantime, marching off.
The people had turned out in large numbers to do honor to the occasion and to quietly absorb a little of the glory en passant. They had never before seen a military organization larger than a company 2
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1861
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
within the borough limits. The presence of a whole regiment of real soldiers was an event of great importance to them; and it was, prob- ably, an event of no less importance to the soldiers to be looked upon with so much awe and admiration.
After the dress-parade had been dismissed, the officers tramped the surrounding country over in search of a suitable place for locating the regimental camp. It was finally decided to build the canvas city on the farm of Dr. David Shafer, near the railroad bridge over Rock Creek, just east of the village. In the mean time the soldiers had " deployed as skirmishers" through the town, and, like the missiles from Orpheus C. Kerr's patent cannon, went in every direction. During the day temporary quarters had been secured for the various companies, as follows :
Company A in the old Lecture-room, near the jail.
Company B in the Coach-shop in Middle Street.
Company C in the Court-House.
Company D in Sheads & Buehler's-Warehouse, second story.
Company E in Blue's Hall, Sheads & Buehler's building.
Company F in the Public School Building.
Company G in the Ten-pin Alley.
Company H in McConaughey's Hall.
The Non-Commissioned Staff were located in a brick building on Carlisle Street, above the Washington Hotel.
The Hospital was established in a brick building on Carlisle Street, between the rooms occupied by the Non-Commissioned Staff and the Washington Hotel. Dr. R. W. Pease, Regimental Surgeon, was in charge, with an excellent aide in Assistant Surgeon George D. Whedon.
Quartermaster Field fixed upon the corner room in the Franklin House (McClellan's) as a suitable place for the transaction of the business of his department. From this sightly position Quartermas- ter-Sergeant Hayes could look out upon the " broad expanse " of the public square, and take in at a glance nearly everything of interest transpiring in the town.
The band practiced " Larry O'Gaff," the " Gettysburg Quickstep," and other favorite airs, in a room on the second floor of the railroad station-house.
Hector M. Stocum, the sutler, exposed his wares for sale in a room on Chambersburg Street, adjoining Buehler's drug-store.
The Eagle Hotel (Tate's) was enlivened by the presence of the officers of the Regiment at all times when off duty.
19
ADDRESS OF COLONEL LEMMON TO TIIE CITIZENS.
1861
The following address to the citizens was issued and published in the village papers :
HEADQUARTERS PORTER GUARD CAVALRY, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, GETTYSBURG, December 26, 1861.
TO THE CITIZENS GENERALLY :
The Tenth Regiment of Cavalry, New York Volunteers, has become located in your village, under direction of the Secretary of War, preparatory to encamp- ing in your neighborhood. As commandant of this corps, the sole object of which is to assist in the suppression of an unholy and fratricidal rebellion. it is my earnest desire that its relations with you should be firmly established upon a friendly footing, and to this end I would request that any and all breaches of good order in your midst by any person connected with the Regiment be promptly reported to me. I have also to particularly request of dealers in ardent spirits that they will not, under any circumstances, sell or furnish to the non-commis- sioned officers and privates any intoxicating or spirituous beverage. All good citizens and patriots are earnestly invited to join with me in preserving the sobriety and morality of the Regiment, as essentially conducive to decency and order, and as the means whereby a desirable harmony inay be insured between us.
By order of
- JOHN C. LEMMON, Colonel Commanding Regiment. JAMES FRANKLIN FITTS, Adjutant First Battalion.
The following order was read by Adjutant Fitts, at dress-parade, on Friday, January 3d :
HEADQUARTERS TENTH REGIMENT CAVALRY, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, PORTER GUARDS, GETTYSBURG, December 28, 1861.
GENERAL ORDER No. 20:
The Commandant desires to remind the soldiers that they are now located within forty miles of the camps of their enemies, and that, in view of this fact, strict military discipline and subordination are more than ever necessary, The health and comfort of the regiment will be scrupulously cared for by its officers, and measures are now being taken to provide for the accommodation of the men in one general encampment, or barracks, as shall be thought best. Until such time as the Regiment can be assembled together in regimental quarters, the several companies are enjoined to the observance of good order and discipline, and promptness in the discharge of duty. No soldier will so far forget what is due to the citizens and friends who have so hospitably received and welcomed us as to abuse them by taking and converting any of their property. or by disorderly or boisterous conduct. Violations of these regulations will be met by severe punishment.
Reveille will be sounded. until further orders, at 6.30 o'clock; breakfast-call at 7.30; assembly of guards at 9; drill-call at 9.15; dinner-call at 12.15; sick-call at 1.15 : retreat at 5; tattoo at 9; taps 9.30. Dress-parade at 4.30 P. M.
By order of
JOHN C. LEMMON, Colonel Commanding. JAMES FRANKLIN FITTS, Acting Adjutant.
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1862
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
Tents had been erected on the ground selected for camp, but, the number proving inadequate to the demand, it was decided to send a delegation of officers to Washington to lay before the Secretary of War the advisability of providing barracks for the Regiment.
An event that cast a gloom over the entire Regiment occurred on Saturday, December 28th. Private John W. Congdon, of Company A, who had remained in Elmira sick when the Regiment left that place, was on his way to rejoin his company. As the train he was on passed the camp, he stepped upon the platform of the car, and was swinging his hat in joyful recognition of his comrades, when his head came in contact with the timbers of the bridge over Rock Creek, and he fell from the cars and through the bridge into the creek. When the men who ran to his assistance reached him he was dead. He was a man of a kind and gentle disposition, and was much esteemed by his associates. His funeral occurred on Sunday-the day following his death-the entire Regiment turning out. The funeral ceremonies were attended by the citizens generally. The Chaplain, Rev. Robert Day, pronounced the services, which were simple but impressive, and the remains were laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery-the first Union soldier buried there. Eighteen months later, over the spot where he was peacefully sleeping, the Federal batteries belched forth death and destruction, and the graves were ruthlessly torn by shot and shell, and trodden by infuriated men and horses in one of the most desperate conflicts known to history.
The first review of the Regiment took place on Tuesday, the 31st of December. It was an event of considerable importance. The men acquitted themselves very creditably, and the whole affair was a pronounced success. The marching was very fine, and elicited ap- plause from many of the fair critics who had assembled to witness the display. -
Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine and Quartermaster Field, accompanied · by Hon. Edward McPherson, left for Washington, on Wednesday morning, January 1st, to urge the erection of barracks for the Regi- ment.
One of the attractions for New Year's was a sham prize-fight between John A. Shay, of Company F (Sayers), and Godfrey Farren, of Company C (Heenan), on the public square. The men had ex- perienced as much difficulty in getting together as professors of the manly art have in more modern times. Once or twice meetings arranged for the purpose had been dispersed or prevented by the timely arrival of the guard sent by the Colonel, but they had finally
21
BARRACKS ORDERED BUILT.
1862
succeeded in giving an exhibition before a large number of enthusi- astic spectators. At length Adjutant Fitts arrived, and, usurping the office of referee, stepped into the ring and declared the thing a draw, and ordered the men to their quarters.
From the time of the organization of the Regiment there had pre- vailed an unfortunate difference among the officers, which had grown apace with the times, until it had ripened into the most intense partisan warfare, the factions being known as " Lemmon " and " Anti- Lemmon " men ; the declared purpose of the latter being to oust Lemmon from his position as colonel, alleging incompetency and old. age, rendering him unfit for the place; while the Colonel, generally on the defensive, sometimes took the offensive. This is not the proper place to discuss or mention the merits or demerits of either party, but simply to notice the fact and its baneful influence on tlie Regiment. Not only did many of the enlisted men range themselves with the contending factions, but numbers of the citizens were un- consciously drawn into the unfortunate quarrel. Confined to the officers, the effect of such a state of affairs would have been sufficiently demoralizing to seriously impair the efficiency and morale of an organization ; but when participated in by the enlisted men and citizens among whom the officers and men moved, it became posi- tively vicious in its tendency. It stands as a monument to the high character of the men in the Regiment that they did not become seri- ously demoralized.
Quartermaster Field received the regimental flag, storm flag, and guidons, together with boots, blankets, etc., for the men, on Saturday, January 5th, and issued them immediately.
The officers deputed to visit the Secretary of War, at Washing- ton, returned on the 6th of January, with authority to have barracks erected. The site selected was on the farm of Mr. George Wolff, about one mile east of the village, on the south side of the York road. The location was on high ground, insuring good drainage and pure air. Adjoining the place decided on for erecting the barracks was a fine wood, and in the rear a broad, open field, well suited for manceuvring the Regiment. A detail of eight men from each company was made every day to work on the buildings, the lumber and material for which was furnished by dealers in town.
The inclement weather had prevented continued work on the barracks, and as a consequence the companies remained in their " temporary " quarters in town, until Monday, February 3d, when a
22
1862
HISTORY OF THE TENTHI REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
sufficient number of the buildings were completed to admit of four companies moving in.
An event of great interest to the Regiment and the citizens oc- curred on Saturday, the 1st of February. After many delays and postponements the presentation of a silk banner to the Regiment, the gift of Miss Elizabeth Porter, of Niagara Falls, took place on that day. The affair had been well advertised, and an extra train of cars was run from Hanover. The presentation speech was made by Adju- tant Fitts, and the flag was accepted by Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine on behalf of the Regiment, in an appropriate address, Colonel Lemmon having been suddenly called to Washington. The speeches are too lengthy to admit of reproduction here.
The ladies of Hanover forwarded frequent donations of clothing and delicacies to our sick, and gave the "Union Relief Association of Gettysburg " much valuable assistance. Mrs. R. G. Harper, Pres- ident of the Gettysburg Relief Association, and Mrs. Jerome Young, President of the Hanover Association, worked harmoniously and efficiently for the relief of our sick in hospital.
The brilliant Union victory at Roanoke Island was celebrated by a grand parade, music by the band, and burning of powder, on Saturday, February 15th.
The anniversary of the birthday of the immortal Washington made a further draft on the large stock of patriotism always kept on hand by the Regiment. The memory of the Father of his Country was duly polished up by parade and serenade, promenade and lemon- ade, firing of cannon, and speech-making. . The band had just re- ceived new instruments, and used them for the first time on this occasion. A company of home-guard cavalry came straggling into town to join the Regiment in celebrating the day. The uniforms worn by this peculiar cavalry company were unique, combining ap- parently the ancient, medieval, renaissance, and Comanche. And such style of horsemanship! It was low down and away up with every step the horse made when trotting. The brief sojourn of these , valiant knights in town furnished an abundance of amusement.
There were frequent social gatherings in the village during the stay of the Regiment, and the soldiers always constituted a good part of the attendance. Few, if any, doors in the village were closed to the Porter Guards. The names of Harper, Culp, Fahnestock, Shick and Shead, McPherson and McConaughey, Mellhenny and McCully, Tyson and Tate, Wills and Wolff, Kendlehart and Codori, Shafer and Shriver, Ziegler, and hosts of others, will ever be pleasantly asso-
1
SURGEON ROGER W. PEASE.
23
CARD FROM SURGEON PEASE.
1862
ciated with the name of Gettysburg by those of the Regiment who passed the winter of 1861-'62 in the village.
Serenades by the band were of frequent occurrence, and were greatly enjoyed by the citizens.
Early in March rumors were circulated of a change of location for the Regiment, and it was no surprise that came on the 6th of March, to be prepared to move the next day. The cars were in readiness, and immediate preparations were made for leaving our brevet home. By noon on Friday, the 7th, all arrangements had been perfected, and the two long trains bearing the Porter Guards · steamed away, amid loving adieus, and waving of handkerchiefs. The Sentinel, in mentioning the departure of the Regiment, said :
The large number of our citizens who assembled to " see them off" must have shown to the Tenth Regiment that their presence among us had not been an un- pleasant one; and we think we utter an almost universal sentiment, that their departure was regretted. For ourselves, our intercourse with those of the officers and men with whom we were placed in familiar and almost daily sociality, and of their pleasant and lady-like companions in life, has been one of the most agree- able character, and we need not say we parted from them with regret. . . .
We shall follow the Porter Guards as they go onward. They have our wishes for a speedy and honorable service, and trust they will look back with kind re- membrance to the pleasant intercourse they had with us.
These kind words were in consonance with those which appeared in the Star, a few days after the arrival of the Regiment in the vil- lage, the following being a brief extract :
This much we can say for the Forter Guards, that we have not seen anywhere in our experience a finer-looking regiment-a regiment, generally speaking, com- posed of men more gentlemanly in their deportment, more intelligent and better behaved, and we profess to have seen no inconsiderable numbers since the out- break of the rebellion.
The following card was published in the village papers :
GETTYSBURG, March 7, 1862.
On leaving Gettysburg I desire to return most grateful acknowledgment for the unremitting kindness and sympathy manifested by its inhabitants toward our sick and suffering soldiers. The ladies have been most faithful visitants at our hospital, supplying each want and administering to every need. Gentle hands, prompted by warm hearts, have been found ready to respond to oft-repeated calls. And as we go forward. doing what we may in behalf of our beloved country, we shall hold in grateful remembrance the unnumbered favors of which we have been the recipients.
R. W. PEASE, Surgeon Tenth Regiment New York Cavalry.
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HISTORY OF THE TENTII REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
1862
The Hon. Edward McPherson rendered the Regiment excellent service while it was in Gettysburg. To his interest and influence the Regiment was indebted for its barracks.
There has long been an unanswered question, how the Regiment came to be sent to Gettysburg in 1861. The following letter, ad- dressed to the historian, will explain this :
CLERK'S OFFICE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, January 25, 1800.
MY DEAR SIR: I have yours of 23d. I received from the Secretary of War the assignment of Gettysburg as the place of rendezvous for the Porter Guards in the winter of 1861-'62. I was then Representative in Congress for that district ; and as the United States authorities were seeking proper sites at that time for camps for drill purposes, I represented the accessibility, convenience, and other advantages of Gettysburg. The Hon. Simon Cameron was the Secretary of War, and granted my application.
I was in Gettysburg on their arrival, and made the personal acquaintance of many of the officers and men of the Regiment. The Lieutenant-Colonel, William Irvine, had served with me in the preceding (Thirty-sixth) Congress. But I was absent from Gettysburg during the larger part of their stay.
Very respectfully yours,
EDWARD MCPHERSON.
1862
THIE JOURNEY TO PERRYVILLE.
25
CHAPTER II.
PERRYVILLE, HAVRE DE GRACE, BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON.
LOW and tedious was the journey from Gettys- burg to Baltimore. It was nine o'clock when the Monumental City was reached. Nearly the entire night was consumed in transfer- ring the baggage and camp and garrison equipage to the President Street Depot, where the boys were enabled to catch a little sleep in the cars. After considerable switch- ing and thumping y about, changing of cars, etc., the trains finally started out, and the Regiment was whirled away toward Perry- ville, Md., over the P., W. & B. Railroad, leaving Baltimore early in the morning, arriving at its destination about 9 A. M.
At Perryville comfortable quarters were in waiting in the bar- racks but recently vacated by the Fourteenth United States Infantry. Perryville, at the time of the arrival of the Regiment, was a densely populated town of mud, mules, and mulattoes, of which the mud was the only permanent fixture. That stuck through all time. The mules were there for instruction and muster into service. They were confined in a stockade covering several acres. A corps of negroes were in attendance to drill them, " break 'em in," as they expressed it, which consisted in harnessing and hitching them to heavy wagons and turning them loose in the mud. After proper instruction in the art of " drawing," they were branded " U. S." on the shoulder with good, serviceable Gothic letters. This constituted a mule's muster into service.
Perryville had been an important point in the early days of the rebellion. On assuming command of the troops in and around Wash- ington, General McClellan says in his report :
I directed a large depot for transportation to be established at Perryville, on the left bank of the Susquehanna, a point equally accessible by rail and water.
26
1862
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
Captain C. G. Sawtelle, Assistant Quartermaster, was detailed to organize the camp.
Captain Sawtelle was in charge of the depot at the time the Tenth was there. The importance of the depot was not great, however, at that time. The Ira Harris Cavalry was also en- camped at Perryville, like the Tenth, awaiting horses and equip- ments.
The feeling of discontent among the enlisted men of the Regi- ment, which had been growing in consequence of being withheld from active service, became more manifest after reaching Perryville. The sentiments entertained were not displayed by boisterous talk or threatening acts, but a quiet and firm resolve was made by a large majority of the men to endeavor in some manner to carry out the purposes for which they enlisted, and it was thought that the best way to reach that object was to petition the Secretary of War to have the Regiment mounted and sent into the field or disbanded. The partisan feeling in the Regiment at this time was running high, and no doubt contributed not a little to the disaffection among the en- listed men.
On the 26th of March the command was moved across the river to Havre de Grace, relieving the Scott Life Guard, Fourth New York Volunteers. Here were comfortable barracks and good drill-grounds located on the banks of Chesapeake Bay. The First Battalion, under Major Avery, was assigned to duty guarding the important bridges of the P., W. & B. Railroad between Havre de Grace and Baltimore. Company F was located at Perrymans, Company G at Gunpowder Bridge, Company C at Bush River Bridge, and Company A, with whom Major Avery established headquarters, at Back River Bridge, near Baltimore. The companies at Havre de Grace guarded the large ferry-boat Maryland, used in transporting the cars across the river at that point. This historic old craft had played an important part in the early days of the war. On the 20th of April, 1861, the day following the Baltimore riot, General Butler arrived at Perry- ville with nearly eight hundred Massachusetts troops en route for Washington, and, finding the bridges between that place and Balti- more had been burned, embarked his troops on this steamer and took them to Annapolis.
While lying at Havre de Grace, a petition bearing the signatures of a large number of the enlisted men of the Regiment was for- warded to the Secretary of War, praying that the Regiment might be mounted and sent into the field or disbanded. About this time Ser-
MAJOR JAMES M. REYNOLDS.
2
27
1862
MUSKETS STORED.
geant Frank Place, of Company B, received a furlough, and while home, in Cortland, N. Y., recruited a sufficient number of men for an infantry organization then being raised to entitle him to a com- mission, thereby securing his honorable discharge from our Regiment. He was a popular young man, of marked ability, whose loss was much regretted.
Rumors had been in circulation among the men that an attempt was to be made to transfer the Regiment to the infantry service, and this caused renewed excitement. Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine had ex- pressed the opinion that the men would have to take muskets for a while. The boys well knew that to take muskets for a while meant to retain them to the end, and they assumed and maintained a firm stand in opposition to taking them. The muskets were already stored in the various barracks at Havre de Grace and along the rail- road. They were a rusty lot of old-fashioned pieces, unsightly and unsafe. They would " hang fire " equal to a book agent and kick like a hungry mule. The fine canvas-back ducks would sometimes cause the boys to forget their vows not to use them; but they gen- erally felt the full measure of punishment for breaking their prom- ises. Once, and only once, were they used by the boys as " imple- ments of war." This occurred at Back River on the 4th of April. On that day a Government detective appeared in the quiet camp of Company A, and asked to be shown to the commanding officer's quarters. He stated that a schooner was lying at anchor down the bay some three or four miles, on which were a large number of re- cruits for the Confederate armies, which he thought might be capt- ured by prompt action. The story of the capture is best told by one of the participants, Corporal (afterward Captain) J. P, White, of Company A. Here it is, verbatim :
In the summer of 1862 Company A was camped at Back River, Maryland, seven miles from Baltimore, guarding the railroad bridge. Our arms consisted of old rusty muskets, turned over to us by the Fourth New York Infantry (Scott Life Guards). A Government detective, or secret-service officer, came to camp one day and informed the officer in command that a party of rebels had secretly left Baltimore, and crossing the river had seized a wood schooner about eight miles below our camp, on Back River, confined the crew of the schooner below, and were awaiting an opportunity to sail out into the Chesapeake Bay, and cross over into Rebeldom. Lieutenant T. II. Weed, with eleven men, composed of sergeants, corporals, and privates, armed with the above-mentioned rusty mus- kets, with one cartridge in gun and one in pocket, started out to end the rebellion. We marched through the hot, deep sandy roads and woods near the banks of the river, until we were opposite the schooner. There were only two persons in sight,
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