USA > New York > Wayne County > Military history of Wayne County, N.Y. : the County in the Civil War > Part 28
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
COMPANY D, SIXTY-SEVENTH INFANTRY.
At Clyde steps were early taken to form a company. P. Mark DeZeng was active in promoting enlistments.
From the Clyde Times of April 20, 1861.
" We understand that Mr. P. Mark DeZeng, of this place, started for Albany to secure a commission in the volunteer army. It is rumored also that he intends to organize a com- pany of calvary in this village.
" We understand a recruiting office is to be opened in this village on Monday next. Doubtless there are many who will join ; and we learn that some few have started for Rochester and Syracuse, to join the volunteers there."
Men were enrolled promptly here as elsewhere, but some delay occurred in completing the organization, and in determining to what regiment it should be attached.
The organization finally became Company D, of the Sixty- seventh Infantry. The local name of the regiment was " The First Long Island."
The Company held a meeting, May 10th, for the election of officers. Mr. DeZeng, in calling the meeting to order, announced that Rev. Mr. Bishop had expressed his inten- tion of entering the service as chaplain. The election of officers resulted as follows: P. Mark DeZeng, Captain ; William H. West, First-Lieutenant ; W. A. Snyder, Ensign ; William Deady, Orderly Sergent; L. C. Winans, First Sergeant ; J. C. Baker, Second Sergeant; M. McIntyre, Third Sergeant; H. Goodchild, First Corporal ; Toal, Second Corporal ;
Welch, Third Corporal ; Thomas Drown, Fourth Corporal.
Captain DeZeng was called out amid tremendous cheer- ing, and returned thanks for the honor done him, and begged
337
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
them to remember that henceforth they were all Americans, fighting for a glorious cause, and knew no other nationality than that of citizens of the United States,
Rev. Mr. Brown also spoke :
" He had been afraid that the patriotic spirits of Galen were to be scattered among foreign companies, and that those who were left at home, would have no common centre upon which to place their hopes in the coming contest, He was thankful that this meeting had relieved those fears. * * * He would say with the father who sent a son to the war, ' If you turn back, go straight by my house.' If you turn your back upon the cause upon which you have entered, go straight by Clyde ; do not stop here; go straight by. If you meet Jeff. Davis, or any one of the band of traitors, give them my compliments, and pre- sent them from the cannon's mouth."
Wednesday, July 12th, 1861, the departure of the Clyde volunteers took place. There was a general gathering in Clyde from all the surrounding towns. The volunteers were received by a grand procession, comprising Wells' Cornet Band, the Cataract Fire Company, Niagara Fire Company, Hose Boys Number I, and a large concourse of citizens.
Hopkin's Martial Band, and the Lyons Light Guard, reached Clyde by a boat, and shared in the ceremonies. Assembled in the park, with the volunteers in the center, Rev. Mr. Wilson offered prayer. Colonel S. S. Briggs, made the Company a present of three hundred dollars, and Captain DeZeng announced that they would take the name of the Briggs Guards. Money to purchase a pair of epauletts was presented to Captain DeZeng, by the ladies of Clyde. A revolver was presented to Lieutenant W. H. West.
While waiting for the train at the depot, the school chil- dren sang the Star Spangled Banner.
A sermon was delivered on the previous Sunday after- noon, in the Episcopal church by Rev. A. E. Bishop, to the Clyde volunteers. His concluding paragraph was the fol- lowing :
" Let no event of the campaign be without its lesson. The war of the artillery upon the battle field is not near as grand as the rolling of the thunder, the artillery of heaven; the angered strife of man is not near as fearful as the anger and the strivings of the living God. The secret of a truly brave
338
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
man is the consciousness of truth and justice on his side ; and if these be the principles, then the Lord also is on your side, and who shall battle against you with any hope of suc- cess ? When around the camp fire at night, you raise your eyes aloft and behold the starry host in the vault of heaven, remember that God is there and is looking upon you. When on the distant outpost, and enemies are around seek- ing your destruction, O, remember that you are in God's hand, and he careth for the sons of men. Are you prepared for this. You are to strive for your country in its support, and indirectly for your own firesides. Conduct yourself so that God will be on your side. Obey your superiors as having lawful authority over you. If you go upon the bat- tle field, and victory crowns your efforts, return to it with timely relief for friend and foe, and soothe the dying hour of each, knowing no difference between them, and this shall mark you as good Samaritans. May Heaven preserve you and restore you again to your homes. We wish you God speed."
The Clyde company as it went to the front, consisted of the following officers and men. Captain DeZeng had been promoted Major immediately upon the organization of the regiment, and was, therefore, no longer connected with the company. A number of the men were from other counties :
Captain-Benjamin W. Goodman.
First Lieutenant-Wm. H. West.
Second Lieutenant-Wm. A. Jones.
Orderly Sergeant-W. N. Deady.
Second Sergeant-Lewis J. Winans.
Third Sergeant-Thomas Gibbs.
Fourth Sergeant-Charles Baker.
Fifth Sergeant-Alexander R. Norton.
Corporals-Henry Goodchild, Thomas Drown, Henry Jones, Wm. Hilton, John Winans, Thomas Ashdown, Moses Warren, Adin Forncrook.
Musicians-Edwin Goodchild, Homer J. Church.
Privates-Charles Ashley, Thomas Armstrong, Lorenzo Buck, Henry Butts, Philo Boynton, Judson C. Boynton, John A. Bowles, Patrick Berry, John Bowman, Thomas J. Brown, James Bray, Thomas Brower, Jared Chaddock, John D. Cookingham, Eugene Crawford, John D. Congdon, Thomas Connelly, Nathaniel Davis, Samuel G. Densmore, Charles H. Ellis, Francis Ettinger, Samuel Fry, Orrin Fry, Peter Fox, Wm. Fosmire, Thomas Goodman, George Good- man, Alonzo Green, William Green, Horace W. Hamlin, Edgar Hendricks, Chester Hydley, Orlando T. Hatch,
339
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Wm. Irwin, James Jenner, Orrin Jones, Patrick H. Kinney, Philip King, Sylvester Kane, James W. Lounsbury, John W. Leonard, William Leroy, John Mooney, John McKillis, John McClary, Michael Manger, James Mack, Edwin Moran, Nelson McDougall, Thomas Mackie, Thomas Oper, Henry O'Brien, George Pool, James Pollock, Augustus Ross, James Rowley, Christian Rentel, James Rigney, Daniel Schaub, Harrison Sherman, Emerson Smith, George Seifert, George Snyder, John Smith, Milton B. Smith, Conrad Selser, Will- iam Strickland, Robert Tripp, George Tempest, George Van Alstyne, Abram J. Van Wort, Albert Vanderbilt, Jas- per Wadsworth, George Waldruff, Timothy Way, Charles Way, Charles Weochkee, Jacob Wayland, Charles H. Wright, Newell Yeuro.
Of the departure of this company, S. H. Clarke wrote in the Rochester Democrat and American :
THE CLYDE VOLUNTEERS LAST SABBATH AT "HOME" AND DEPARTURE FOR THE " SCENE OF BATTLE."
CLYDE, Wayne Co., N. Y., June 11th, 1861. " Messrs. Editors :
" Rev. J. N. Brown, of this place, preached a sermon on Sunday morning last for the especial benefit of the volun- teers. The Methodist pulpit was decorated with three American flags-one of which stood on each side of the desk ; the other was thrown over it. The 'Star Spangled Banner' was suspended above the orchestra and another of these National emblems was proudly floating alott outside the edifice. The volunteers (eighty in number) occupied the seats near the pulpit, on the right and left, in the middle aisle, and appeared to enjoy the delivery of as beautiful and patriotic a discourse as we ever heard in that or any other place of worship in this village. The text was a very appro- priate one, viz : 'Quit you like men, be strong ' -- 2 Cor., 16:13. And every sentence which followed it, met with a cordial response from every cordial heart. Benches for the accom- modation of the audience, which was very large, were placed in the aisles-all of which were immediately filled. The music was lively, soul-stirring, exellent. The volunteers in the afternoon attended the Episcopal Church, and listened to a few appropriate remarks from the pastor, Rev. Mr. Bishop. Tuesday noon (to-day) this company left in the cars for New York. About three thousand people assembled at the depot to see them off, including a fine military company from Lyons, and a host of ladies. Before marching to the depot the company and citizens halted on the park,
340
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
where an appropriate prayer, for the success of our army, was offered by the Rev. Robert E. Wilson, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, etc. Good music by the band fol- lowed both here and the depot. At 12 o'clock the cars arrived, farewells were then exchanged, and off went the volunteers to serve their country on the battlefield."
VETERANS OF 1812.
The old men gave signal proof of their readiness to do anything that might properly be undertaken by them, as is shown in the following order and subsequent action :
REGIMENTAL ORDERS-VETERANS OF 1812. " LYONS, May 10, 1861.
" The undersigned, Commandant of the Survivors of the Seventy-first Regiment of Veterans of the War of 1812, residing in the County of Wayne, pursuant to Brigade orders, made upon the recommendation of the General-in- Chief, hereby orders that a meeting of the Veterans of the War of 1812, residing in the County of Wayne, be held at the LYONS Hotel, in Lyons Village, on WEDNESDAY, the 22d day of May, instant, to organize into Companies; which Companies shall be officered according to the laws of this State, and to volunteer to hold themselves ready for any emergency.
" And it is earnestly recommended that all exempts, resid- ing in Wayne County, between the ages of forty-five and seventy years, be present, or send suitable representatives.
" It is not expected that the services of the Veterans or exempt Militia shall be required upon active duty out of the State ; but we can, by organization and due preparation, render important service to our Country in the crisis, as a Home Guard, and thus give a practical direction to our patriotism.
" Veterans of the War of 1812! and all who are exempt from Military duty, turn out and manifest your devotion to your Country and its Institutions.
THOMAS E. DORSEY, Colonel."
From the Democratic Press of May 15, 1861. HOME GUARD.
" We last week mentioned that a company of citizens, by law exempt from Military service in the U. S. ranks, was in process of enrollment in our village, to constitute a Home Guard. From an examination of the roll, we find that the signers tender their services 'to his Excellency, the Com-
341
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
mander-in-Chief of the State of New York,' and designate not only company officers, but also Regimental officers. By the way would not the acceptance of this company by the Commander-in-Chief, place them under his control-and would it not be in his power to order them to any point he might designate ? The officers designated are as follows :
Colonel-Wm. H. Adams.
Lieutenant-Colonel-Daniel Chapman.
Major-Lyman Sherwood.
Captain-Wm. Sisson.
First-Lieutenant-Wm. Clark.
Ensign-Newel Taft.
" Below we give the names as they appeared by the roll on Monday evening :
" A. Remsen, B. R. Streety, John Adams, Wm. Clark, Geo. R. Rudd, Wm. H. Adams, M. S. Leach, Jos. M. Demmon, E. W. Bottom, W. D. Perrine, Hugh Jameson, A. Snedaker, D. Watrous, W. Akenhead, Wm. F. Ashley, Jos. McCall, Jer'h Allee, Nelson Peck, Wm. Sisson, George Croul, John Butler, James McElwain, Ezra A. Caswell, Beekman Mead, Seth Smith, O. Bennett, Wm. Reynolds, John Layton, Den- nis McDonald, Hophni Alford, Jas. Runyan, Amos Harring- ton, Geo. S. Walrath, D. Chapman."
From the Lyons Republican of May 24th. THE VETERANS OUT.
" We have scarcely seen a more truly stirring sight this year than that presented in our village on Wednesday after- noon when the sound of drum and fife announced the com- ing of a noble band of old soldiers of 1812, all residents of this county.
"Up William street they came with the old-fashioned Union cockades on their hats and marching with much of the spirit that animated them fifty years ago. Some of them bent with years, others erect as cedars but all with the gray hair and furrowed brows of age. The veteran drummer wielded the drumsticks with a briskness that would have done honor to more youthful fingers, and the old guard stepped promptly on to their place of meeting in Prices' Hall.
" Thos. E. Dorsey was the presiding officer, and General Wm. H. Adams, Secretary.
" Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Buck. Resolutions were offered by General Wm. H. Adams and unanimously adopted.
" The old soldiers of 1812 and others exempt by reason of age met at Newark on Saturday, June Ist. Thomas E. Dor- sey, President; F. U. Sheffield, Secretary.
342
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
" It was resolved to raise a company of men between the ages of forty-five and seventy.
" James P. Bartlett, F. U. Sheffield and Clark Mason were appointed a committee.
" Verses written by Miss Frances Sheffield were read :
SOLDIERS OF 1812.
" We stood by Columbia in days that are past, When the thunder of Britain was heard on her shore,
And we will defend her just rights to the last,
For such was the oath to our country we swore.
" If foes from without or foes from within, If nursed at our side or in nations apart,
Shall trample upon her in battle's fierce din,
Impartial our swords from their scabbards shall start.
" We have laid down our arms in the shade of the olive, We hoped nevermore their service to need,
But our latest as first strength our country shall have,
Nor aught be a sacrifice so she succeed."
VARIOUS ITEMS.
A meeting of the citizens of Huron was held in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, May Ist, 1861.
At Red Creek a meeting was held May 4th. The Metho- dist Church was crowded.
D. H. Armstrong was called to the chair and Rev. Abel Lyon appointed Secretary.
Rev. Wesley Mason offered prayer, and Wm. G. Brown made an address ; the Chairman and J. B. Decker, Esq., also spoke effectively.
A choir under Prof. Parker, sang patriotic music and Cartwrights' Band also outdone themselves in martial strains. A call was made for volunteers and six young men of excel- lent character presented themselves as such, while mothers and sisters standing by seemed to make the willing sacrifice even amid falling tears.
Saturday, May 25th, there was a pole raising on Eddy Ridge, Marion. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening. A splendid flag was thrown to the breeze, which had been procured by the efforts of Miss Emma Short, Miss Sarah Smith and others.
Some attempts were made at this time to organize volun- teer companies, under the general laws of 1854, to be ready
343
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
for emergencies. These subsequently gave way to other organizations. At Williamson and Pultneyville, fifty names of men were enrolled. At Marion there was a similar organization, of which John Burrud was chosen Captain, Avery S. Durfee, First Lieutenant, and Henry Allen, Ensign.
Under date of June 12th, Captain Corning wrote a let- ter of thanks to citizens of Macedon for a timely contribu- tion of money for the benefit of his company. The letter is addressed to Messrs. Purdy M. Willits, D. Servoss, and others.
East Palmyra was the scene of considerable excitement. A splendid liberty pole erected, at the outbreak of the war. was cut down. The outrage was not sufficient to daunt the people of this locality, another was erected, and this in turn was also destroyed, but was again replaced and this time was allowed to stand.
Saturday, June 8th, there was a flag raising at the White school house, Galen. Editor Joseph A. Paine, of Clyde, was Chairman, Elijah Smith, Secretary. Rev. Mr. St John offered prayer. The school children sang patriotic pieces, Rev. Mr. Brown, Rev. Mr. Halliday and Judge Cowles made brief addresses.
June 22d, there was a flag raising at Shepherd's Corners, with speeches by Messrs. Cowles and Baker, of Clyde.
The four companies comprised the majority of the Wayne county volunteers, at this opening stage of the contest.
In the western part of the county, however, there were quite a number of volunteers who joined the old Thirteenth at Rochester.
This will appear in the lists by towns subsequently given in this volume.
In the eastern part of the county, also, there were a num- ber of men who joined the Nineteenth, which was princi- pally a Cayuga county regiment. This will also appear in the lists of the towns from which they went.
The Nineteenth, not long after its organization, was changed to the Third Artillery. As such, it had a long and honorable career. Its history is quite fully written in " Hall's Cayuga in the Field."
344
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
THE THIRTEENTH.
As stated above, a few men from the western part of the county, joined the Thirteenth Infantry. This regiment was formed at Rochester, in the enthusiasm of the first response to the call of the President.
Its ranks were rapidly filled . and it was mustered into service May 14, 1861.
Its first officers were : Isaac F. Quinby, Colonel; Carl Stephan, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Oliver L. Terry, Major ; Charles J. Powers, Adjutant; Montgomery Rochester, Quartermaster ; Dana Little, Surgeon; George W. Avery, Assistant Surgeon ; John D. Barnes, Chaplain.
The nearness of Wayne county to Rochester, rendered the western towns fair recruiting ground for officers from that city. No very great number were obtained here, but the town lists will give the names of a few who, like many other patriotic sons of old Wayne, hurried into the first and most convenient companies that were formed. In fact, scores of men from this county during all the war, were steadily enrolling themselves in regiments from other sections. Little regard was paid at first, to official honors or to local pride. The safety of the country was the controlling ques- tion, and not whether this town or that had filled its quota.
It was some months later before there were any figures made as to how many any town ought to furnish.
THE NINETEENTH INFANTRY .*
This regiment was better known as the Third Artillery, to which it was changed a few months after its organization, and before it had been engaged in actual battle. As it received, either at the outset or not long afterwards, quite a number of recruits from this county, a brief mention is at least appropriate. It is all the more important to notice it because of the very early attention given by some of its organizers to the important crisis pressing upon the nation in the winter of 1860-61. In December, 1860, Benjamin F. Hall, of Auburn, editor of a daily Republican newspaper, the Union, an intimate friend of Governor Seward, went of his own
* For the substance of this account we are indebted to the work entitled "Cayuga in the Field."
345
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
accord before the Supervisors of the county then in session, and invited them to anticipate the expected conflict by tak- ing some action that would secure military preparations. It is believed that this was the first of the kind in the State. In January following, Solomon Giles, Esq., a lawyer of Weeds- port and Captain Terrence J. Kennedy, of Auburn, a paint merchant by occupation and an artillery officer of long stand- ing in the militia, tendered their services to the Governor of the State for raising troops. No affirmative action was taken in these cases; the necessity of it was doubted. The suggestion of it by Mr. Hall, was even ridiculed by the people. A memorable Saturday in April, 1861, awoke the people of the North from their long dream of peace.
On Monday, April 15th, President Lincoln proclaimed the rebellion and called the country to arms.
Captain Kennedy had not waited until that hour. His offer in January had been declined, but as an intelligent student of public affairs, he watched the development of the treasonable designs during the winter with kindling interest. He could not rest. He resolved to act, though he had no official sanction. On the 12th day of March, a month before the attack on Fort Sumter, he began the forma- tion of an artillery company in Auburn, to be held in readi- ness for service in case of an outbreak in the South. An enlistment paper was prepared in these words :
" We, the undersigned, hereby pledge our words of honor to associate together for the purpose of forming a light artillery company to serve as long as the war shall last."
This document was a historical one and, if still in exist- ence, should be prized as a memorial of that eventful period -a paper worthy to be enshrined in public archives or handed down to the succeeding generations of Captain Kennedy's family. It was signed first by Kennedy and next by John Polson. In the course of twenty days five men had signed the roll.
After the capture of Fort Sumter an office was opened in the armory. By April 17th, Kennedy had 130 men. He heard that the Governor could only accept infantry. Then he disbanded his company and began over again. Forty of his artillery company immediately re-enlisted with him as
23
346
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
infantry. By the 22d of April he again had a full company, and so reported to Albany. Some delay in the preparation of formal papers made his company rank second from Cayuga county, but to Captain Kennedy must be awarded the credit of remarkable foresight and a clearer appreciation of the coming events than is recorded of any other man in the entire State. His name must have been the earliest in the State to be actually appended to an enlistment paper. The formation of the regiment was a rapid affair. Little effort was required to obtain men, and even less expense. No bounties were offered. Very little personal solicitation was resorted to.
Captain John T. Baker's company, designated " A," was mustered in, April 24, 1861, by Brigadier-General Jesse Segoine, of the State Militia. Captain Kennedy's "B" on the same day. Captain James E. Ashcroft, of Seneca Falls, offered Company " C." He had been for sometime previous at the head of an independent Zouave organization, and in November, 1860, had tendered the services of his company to the Governor, to go to the field, in case of war. It was not accepted. His company of volunteers, rapidly raised, partly from the Zouaves, was mustered in April 26th. Owen Gavigan raised a company in one day-a memorable Sunday, April 21st-sixty-five mcn went directly from the Catholic church after mass and signed the roll at the Armory. It became Company D. Theodore H. Schenck, a young lawyer of Auburn, raised a Company, E, in five days. Nelson T. Stephens, Esq., of Moravia, organized Company F. It was mustered in May 6th. Captain Charles H. Stewart. of Auburn, offered Company G, and it was sworn in on the 6th. Captain Solomon Giles, of Weedsport, (who had tendered his services to the Governor, January 20th) now offered a full organization, and it became Company H, sworn in May 7th. The same day Company I, under Captain John H. Ammon, was mustered in. On the 10th, Company K, from Union Springs, under Captain James R. Angel, completed the regiment.
This notice of the Nineteenth has been somewhat extended, on account of its great interest, though the field of its work
ยท
347
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
was beyond the lines of Wayne county. But if we glance through the town rolls we find that the Nineteenth had eight or ten members from Wolcott, about fifteen from Huron, four from Butler, twelve from Rose, three or four from Sodus and quite a number from other parts of the county. A very handsome contingent was thus furnished from Wayne to this earliest Cayuga regiment, though Wayne County is scarcely mentioned in any Auburn accounts of the formation of this regiment.
By the middle of the summer these early movements were complete. The four companies had gone to the front. Many had also enlisted in other regiments, until probably about six hundred men at this time had left Wayne County. It seemed to be a large number, but it was only the vanguard of a much larger force that was ere long to be summoned from the county. From all the towns, from villages and hamlets, from every district and neighborhood, men were yet to follow by scores and hundreds these first heroic volun- teers.
CHAPTER III.
PROGRESS OF THE MOVEMENT - SUMMER AND FALL OF 1861 - ENLISTMENTS IN THE FORTY-FOURTH, SEVENTY-FIFTH, NINETIETH, NINETY-SIXTH, EIGHTH CAVALRY, TENTH CAVALRY, THIRD ARTILLERY, &C., &C. - MOVEMENT FOR AN ENTIRE REGIMENT-OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH - ORGANIZATION CAMP RATHBONE-S. B. GAVITT, COMMANDER - COL. DUTTON.
T HERE was a pause in the work of enlistment. The four companies already described had gone from this county. Company B, of the Thirty-third, with its headquarters, while organizing, at Palmyra; Company I, of the Seventeenth, at Newark; Company B, of the Twenty- seventh, at Lyons ; and Company D, of the Sixty-seventh, at Clyde.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.