USA > New York > Schoharie County > Military records of Schoharie County veterans of four wars > Part 21
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William McCauley.
Sharon -- Age 15; enlisted October 14, 1861; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, October 20, 1863 .- M. R. M.
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SCHOHARIE COUNTY VETERANS.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH NEW YORK INFANTRY.
COMPANY A.
Nelson L. Palmatier.
Schoharie - Farmer; married ; enlisted August 5, 1862; slightly wounded in right arm and right hand at Gettysburg ; discharged June 18, 1865; Howe's Cave, N. Y. ; operator in cement mills ; married. Children, Essie, Carrie, Maggie, Mary A., Warren, Maud.
ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH NEW YORK INFANTRY.
Organized August, 1862, for three years' service, and assigned to Wilcox's Division of the Ninth Corps; organized at Binghamton and mustered into service August 28 ; served on detail to guard railroad between Annapolis Junction and Washington, until spring of 1864, when it joined its corps, and served from the Wilderness to the fall of Petersburg; mnstered out June 4, 1865 .- Fox.
COMPANY C. Smith Kimball, Corporal.
Schoharie - Weaver ; married ; age 23 ; enlisted August 14, 1863 ; promoted to corporal; discharged 1864 .- M. R. M.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEENTH NEW YORK INFANTRY.
Raised from the counties of Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton and Hamilton, with rendezvous at Fonda, N. Y., from which place it started for the seat of war, August 29. 1862; received its arms and equipments at Sandy Hook, Md. It was one of the regiments cap- tured by Lee at Harper's Ferry at the time of his invasion of Mary- land in 1862. After parole it was ordered to Chicago to await ex- change. During 1863 it was stationed at Hilton Head and Beaufort, S. C. From early February to April 15, 1864, it served in Florida, where it incurred a heavy loss at the battle of Olustee. On the 15th of April it sailed with the Tenth Corps for Virginia, where it joined the Army of the James. During the battle of Cold Harbor the One Hundred and Fifteenth was temporarily attached to the Eighteenth Army Corps. In the engagement at Darbytown Road it sustained its heaviest loss from a volley of musketry fired by the Ninth Maine through a mistake, and at Fort Fisher much of its loss was incurred by an explosion of the magazine on the day after the fort was cap-
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tured ; mustered ont June 17, 1865. Engagements: Harper's Ferry, Olustee, Lake City, Fla., Chesterfield Heights, Va., Drewry's Bluff, Proctor's Creek, Bermuda Hundred, Cold Harbor, Siege of Peters- burg, Deep Bottom, Chapin's Farm, Darbytown Road, Fort Fisher.
COMPANY B.
Robert Kilts, Corporal.
Sharon - Farmer ; single; age 22; enlisted July 29, 1862; was surrendered with his regiment by General Miles at Harper's Ferry ; exchanged after two months at Parole Camp, Chicago ; contracted diarrhea at Hilton Head, S. C., and discharged August 29, 1863 ; re-enlisted October 29, 1864, in Company B, One Hundred and Seventy-fifth New York Infantry, and discharged as corporal, July 12, 1865; Seward, N. Y .; married ; farmer. Children, Eugene, Carrie, Nellie, Flora.
John W. Moak.
Sharon - Farmer; single; age 18; enlisted August 14, 1862 ; became a paroled prisoner with his regiment ; was sick in City Hos- pital at Chicago while on parole ; discharged for disability at Beau- fort, S. C., August 29, 1868; Mount Vision, N. Y .; farmer ; mar- ried. Children, May, Mina, Herbert.
Edward Montanye.
Esperance-Farmer; single; age 20; enlisted -; paroled with his regiment at Harper's Ferry ; wounded at the battle of Olustee, Fla., by gunshot in right leg; received sunstroke before Petersburg and fell from the ambulance, while being taken to the hospital, and was run over, sustaining fractures of ribs : discharged from Fort Colum- bus Hospital for disability ; Esperance, N. Y .; citizen ; married. Children, William H., Addie E., Eva, Mary, Laura.
COMPANY I.
Sylvanus Moyer.
Sharon - Carpenter ; married ; age 47 ; enlisted August 4, 1862; paroled under General Miles at Harper's Ferry ; was killed at or near Chesterfield C. H., Va., May 7, 1864. Children, Charles, Amenzo, Seymour H., Elizabeth.
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SCHOHARIE COUNTY VETERANS.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTIETH NEW YORK INFANTRY.
COMPANY D. John W. Murphey.
Conesville - Enlisted August 13, 1863 ; died May 24, 1864. Town Record.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIRST NEW YORK INFANTRY.
Organized at Herkimer, from companies raised from Herkimer and Otsego counties ; mustered into the United States service, August 23,1862, and joined the forces under Mcclellan at Crampton's Gap. The regiment became very efficient under the eare of Colonel Upton, and was one of the twelve regiments led by him in the charge at Spottsylvania, the One Hundred and Twenty-first being in advance and losing forty-nine killed and one hundred and six wounded. Engagements : Fredericksburg, Salem Heights, Rappahan- nock Station, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Petersburg, 1865, and Sailors' Creek .-- Fox.
Jacob Salisbury.
Seward -- Mechanie ; married ; age 25; enlisted 1864; served continuously until he received sunstroke at the Grand Review ; dis- charged by general orders ; Seward, N. Y. ; mechanic; married.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD NEW YORK INFANTRY.
Organized for three years' service, August, 1862, and assigned to Williams' Division of the Twelfth Corps.
Benjamin Rodier.
Schoharie -Single ; age 17 ; enlisted August 6, 1862 ; discharged June 10, 1865 .- Town Record.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD NEW YORK INFANTRY.
Organized September, 1862, and assigned to Dwight's Division of the Nineteenth Army Corps.
COMPANY C.
Silas W. Rider.
Richmondville - Farmer; single ; age 16; enlisted Angust 2, 1864 ; contracted typhoid fever and was admitted to Hart's Island Hospital, September 9, and discharged from there, October 10 ;
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joined his regiment, and detached for duty at First Division head- quarters ; rejoined his regiment at Washington, D. C., May 15, 1865; discharged by general orders, June 23, 1865; Charlotteville, N. Y .; farmer ; married. Children, William A., Lillian A., Floyd H.
COMPANY E.
Erastus Face.
Gilboa - Blacksmith ; single; age 16; enlisted September 30, 1864; died in service, December 15, 1864. - Town Record.
COMPANY K.
Delos D. Neers.
Summit - Farmer ; single; age 17; enlisted Angust 5, 1864 ; joined his regiment at Harper's Ferry, September 10, and served regularly until discharged at Washington, June 6, 1864; mnstered out June 23 ; Portland, Ore .; architect ; married. Children, Helen R., Harry W., Bessie L.
George H. Terpenning.
Summit - Farmer; single; age 17; enlisted August 5, 1864; contracted fever, and treated at Baltimore, Md .; joined his regiment near Winchester, Va., and served regularly until discharged, June 23, 1865; East Worcester, N. Y .; farmer ; widower. Children, Louisa, Cornelius, Josephine, Jay, Frank, Delilah, Claud, George, Nora, Smith.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
This regiment was raised under the call of July, 1862. It was at first proposed to recruit a regiment from Schoharie and Delaware, but for some cause the plan was abandoned - Delaware raising a regiment within her own county, and Schoharie uniting with Mont- gomery. The first enrollments were made during the last days of July. During the latter part of August, Companies A and B ar- rived from Schenectady, and "Camp Vedder" was established on what is now the " Fair Grounds," at Schoharie. Tents and barracks were provided, a few guns were furnished to familiarize " the brave volunteer who fought without fear," and ate his grub when he got it, with the symptoms of war. The men were arranged in strings and bunches for the market, and drilled in right and left-legged
35
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mysteries. The surgeon soon put his tacties into practice, and be- fore the middle of September a large number of the men had become familiar with the infantry quickstep and the cavalry trot. Enroll- ments continued until about the 20th of September, when most of the companies had attained their maximum number, and from such companies a few were transferred to such companies as had not attained their minimum number. Of the ten companies, five - Companies C, D, E, G and I- were raised from Schoharie. A few Montgomery county men were transferred to Company I and a few Schoharie county men were enrolled in Companies A, H, and K. Factional fights occurred between Frog Alley delegates and " Hay- seeds" from Broome, Blenheim and Fulton, the former clan getting licked and jugged on each occasion. The regiment was mus- tered into the United States service, September 22, 1862, and on the day following passed through Albany, reaching New York city on the morning of the 26th, where it was quartered at Park Barracks. About thirty members of the regiment were left behind in hospital at Sehoharie, joining their comrades in the field during the months of October, November and Deceinber following. After reaching Park Barracks, the boys were presented their Belgian rifles and military fixings. This rifle had the capacity to pump lead at the rate of. one ounce per pump, and when it received its sabre bayonet extension, became more terrifying in appearance than the puny warrior who handled it. The bayonet of this gun had two prominent uses, the hilt making an admirable coffee and hard tack grinder ; and when carried in its scabbard on a drill or mareh, could trip and throw the careless son with a gun, nine times out of a possible ten. After a stay in New York of nearly two days the One Hundred and Thirty- fourth departed for Washington, breakfasting at the renowned " Cooper Shop " or Soldiers' Rest in Philadelphia, spending a night in Baltimore, and the night following in Washington. The next morning it crossed the Potomac to Arlington Heights, where it re- mained for a few days, and was then moved to Fairfax under com- mand of Lieutenant-Colonel De Agreda. Inasmuch as I shall only attempt to place on record such facts as can be compassed by a de- scription, I will not try to set down the sum of atrocities committed against the rank and file of the Union Army during the war by official authority of whisky, shoulder strap on the brain, and other maladies of a morbid ambition.
The month of October and part of November was spent at Fairfax in drill, picket and guard duty. While here Colonel De Agreda re-
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signed and Charles R. Coster was appointed colonel, and at a later date Allen H. Jackson lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. In the month of November the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth having been as- signed to the Second Division of the Eleventh Corps, marched with its division to Thoroughfare Gap on a reconnoissance, and after a stay of two or three days returned to near Germantown, Va., and encamped until December 8. On that day the Eleventh Corps, be- ing the reserve of the Army of the Potomac, started for Fredericks- burg, with five days' rations. Beginning the march with snow at a depth of from three to six inches, and continuing through unlimited inud, on the afternoon of the 11th the ears of the weary men were greeted with the boom of artillery from Fredericksburg, as they reached the heights south of Dumfries. On the day following, after a rapid march, the regiment eneamped about noon, exhausted and weak from lack of food. After a night's rest, and receiving a day's rations, the boys resumed the march on the afternoon of the 13th. From elevated ground on the route the smoke of the battle of Fred- ericksburg became visible. Two days later the regiment went into camp to the rear of Falmouth, where it remained until the afternoon of Janu- ary 20, 1862, when it playel its part in the drama of " Stuck in the Mud," by marehing to a point several miles below Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock. Already drenched with a drizzling rain, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth sought rest on " downy beds " of clay and scrub oak, at 9 r. M., to be aroused at 5 A. M., and to find that the watery elements had interposed for peace for the pres- ent. Three days later the regiment reached its old quarters at Fal- mouth, to resume its old duties of picket, guard and drill. Camp life at Falmouth is not remembered by the boys of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth as a pleasant experience. Beginning after a seven days' march at the commencement of a Virginia winter and continuing until early in February, without sufficient shelter to protect them from the cold and storms, the bitter memories of quinine, calomel and the dead mareh, still linger around the name of Falmouth. On January 12, 1863, the regiment exchanged the Belgian rifle for the Enfield. On the 5th day of February, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth started on another constitutional, and after two days of snow, rain and mnd. encamped near Stafford C. H., remaining until February 21, when it moved to Hope Landing on Aquia ereek. At this place guard, drill, picket, and fatigue duty oeeu- pied the business hours of the regiment until the 17th of April, when it removed to Brooks' Station on the Aquia and Fredericks-
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burg railroad. It remained at that place until April 27, when it started on the Chancellorsville campaign by way of Kelley's Ford, Germania Ford, and to the right wing of Hooker's Army near the Cul- peper and Fredericksburg plankroad, and reaching that position on the night of April 30. May 1 and the forenoon of the 2d was spent in waiting, watching and countermarching, without being brought into collision with the enemy. On the afternoon of the 2d, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth with a part of its brigade were sent on a reconnoissance into the wilderness in "light marching order," leaving their knapsacks and camp equipage under guard at their position in the Union lines. Many of the owners never saw their Saratogas again, and a few not until two years later, when they passed by the mouldered remnants on their way to the Grand Re- view, and had nearly encircled the Confederacy, under Sherman.
During the absence of the regiment, the Rebel Jackson made his noted assault on the Union right, and while the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth continued its advance into the wilderness, and the men consoling themselves with, " we're licking them back there," Howard was fleeing with his demoralized followers toward Chan- cellorsville. Any honors conveyed by the title "the flying half moon," belong to O. O. Howard. Any wide awake private belong- ing to the Eleventh Corps knew that Rebel troops had been moving past their front and cutting trees in the wilderness for twenty-four hours previous to the attack. Darkness found the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth far into the wilderness, and with but one avenue of escape. By cautiously countermarching for some time and then filing to the right, it succeeded in reaching the forces who were hold- ing Jackson at bay, and at about the time that popular Rebel received his death warrant. He had sufficient hardihood to parade himself as a chosen servant of God, and a defender of human bondage, but always lacked courage to attack an equal force in open fight. After joining the army, the regiment lay behind one of the Union batteries until the approach of day, when it followed the general movement to the left and below the Chancellor House. The historic "Chan- cellorsville" consisted only of a commodious brick Virginia house, and at the time of the battle was occupied by Mrs. Chancellor and her daughter. During the 3d, 4th and 5th of May the regiment oc- cupied various positions in the rear of the Union lines, and slept on their arms, the night of the 5th being passed in a drizzling rain without shelter. At daybreak on the 6th, and during a dense fog it crossed the Rappahannock at United States Ford, and was soon on
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its way to the hills of Stafford, where it went into camp, May 7. From May 7 until June 12, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth lay in a beautiful pine grove near Stafford C. H., drilling and per- forming its share of pieket duty. On the afternoon of the 12th of June it broke camp and marched to near Hartwood Church ; on the 13th to Catlett's Station ; on the 14th it crossed the Plains of Manas- sas and encamped at 9 P. M. on the Bull Run, and on the morning following marched to Centerville. During these three days the regi- ment suffered severely from heat, lack of water, and fatigue inci- dent to rapid marching. The regiment left Centerville on the morning of the 17th, and after a foreed march, halted at 3 P. M. on Goose creek, where it lay until noon of the 24th, and then marched to Edwards Ferry on the Potomac. At half-past six of the morn- ing of June 25, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth began its march into Maryland, and by way of Poolesville, Monocacy Aqueduet, and Doub's Station, reached Jefferson village at 9:30 P. M., after a severe march of thirty miles. On the following day it moved to the foot of South Mountain, remaining until the evening of the 28th, when it moved east of and beyond Frederick city and encamped at 9 o'clock.
On the morning of the 29th the regiment continued its pilgrimage through rain and mud to Emmittsburg, and on the eve of the day following removed to a new position two miles beyond. At eight A. M. of July 1, 1863, the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth started for Gettysburg in a misty rain and over a tiresome road. It ap- proached the town by the Tennally Town Road, and near its junction with the Emmittsburg Pike, made a detour through the cemetery, and reached Baltimore street by the cemetery gates. It halted for rest on the left side of the street and on the line on which the street fence of the National Cemetery has since been erected. From this position and overlooking the town, the conflict between the First Corps and the enemy could be seen. The men were ordered to rest and to put their wet guns in order. Let history be true in this case. Many of them failed to remove the moisture from the tubes of their guns, so that when they were suddenly brought to close quarters with an overwhelming foe, with empty guns, they had no time to remedy the fault and were slaughtered. At 4 P. M., the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth in advance, the One Hundred and Fifty- fourth New York and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania of the First Brigade, Steinwehr's Second Division, under acting Brigadier-Gen- eral Coster, were ordered forward through the town at a double- quiek. Reaching its northern limits, the brigade filed to the right
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and east beyond the " Brickyard " and took position between Stevens' Run and the Harrisburg road and facing north-east. Here they were met by Hoke's North Carolinians of Early's Division, who poured a destructive fire into the little brigade. Being over- powered from the front and endangered from the right, those not disabled and choosing death rather than capture, retreated toward the town, leaving a trail of dead and wounded. During the brief period of about twenty minutes during which the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth was under fire, it lost in killed, wounded and captured, two hundred and fifty men, the dead and most of the wounded re- maining in the hands of the enemy until the morning of the 4th, and after the retreat of Lee. A few escaped capture by conceal- ment within the town, and a few by strategy after capture. Be- tween thirty and forty of those captured were hurried to Richmond and confined in Belle Isle, where six of the number afterward died, while those remaining and not paroled were removed to Anderson- ville early in the year following. Of the number captured at Gettys- burg and confined in Rebel prisons one-half died in captivity.
The remnant of the regiment, with the decimated One Hundred and Fifty-fourth and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania retreated to " Cemetery Hill," and was assigned to a position on the western slope of the cemetery, bordering the Tennally Town Road near its junction with the Emmittsburg Pike. Here it was rejoined by those who had become separated in the retreat or had escaped . from the enemy, and here it remained behind the boulder fence and tombstones of the cemetery during the second and third days of the battle. After Lee's retreat from Gettysburg, the regiment started in the tardy pursuit with the forces under Meade, and after marching a short distance south of the Potomae, was ordered to Alexandria, where it performed guard duty in escorting conscripts, deserters, and recruits to the front. On the arrival of the regiment at Alex- andria the number of officers and men present for duty did not ex- ceed one hundred and fifty. Quite a number who had been slightly wounded, and who had been discharged from hospitals rejoined their regiment soon after. Colonel Coster was detailed on recruit- ing service at New York city, but resigned soon afterward, the command of the regiment devolving upon Lieutenant-Colonel Jaek- son, who remained its commander until the close of the war.
During the stay at Alexandria most of the companies were tem- porarily consolidated by placing two companies under one captain and one orderly sergeant. While here the boys enjoyed one of their
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brief picnics, which always followed or preceded seasons of hardships and suffering. About the last of September the regiment marched to Washington, and as part of the Twelfth and Eleventh Corps under Hooker, were packed inside and on top of box cars, and started on the long journey for Bridgeport, Ala. When about eight miles from Washington the hind truck of the car preceding the one occupied by Company C left the track, causing the car following to jump the track and roll over and over, down a steep embankment. Those on top were obliged to jump, and many of them were severely injured, while those inside were more fortunate. After the wreck was cleared up and the injured cared for, the journey was continued by way of Harper's Ferry, Cincinnati and Nashville. While pass- ing through Ohio the boys received many bountiful lunches, spread out by the citizens at various stopping places, and while passing along, hundreds of little lunch parcels, accompanied by a letter and request to reply, were thrown to the top of and into the open doors of the cars by the Union-loving girls of Ohio. No doubt many family altars were set up in after years by the boy in blue who ate the dainty lunch, and the Buckeye girl who prepared it. The long journey westward became too monotonous to allow an opportunity for fun to pass unimproved. In those railroad days the water tanks standing by the side of the track were manipulated by pulling a rope when the fireman wished to replenish his boiler. Through a desire for revenge on their comrades sheltered within the car and for mis- chief generally, the " roosters " were not slow to discover an admir- able plan to gratify their wishes by pulling the rope as the train passed a tank, and thus sending a six-inch stream of water against the side and into the open doors of the cars. No record has been left of the precise form of language used by those sitting opposite those doorways. This pastime came near a fatal termination on one occasion. After the rope had been released, in swaying back toward its place, it became entangled around the neck of Hiram Gage of Company C, and before released he was dragged to the third car. The injury to his neck was quite painful for some time. Previous to this accident he had been one of the inside passengers and had made the transfer to the top to escape drenchings. The journey by rail continued to a safe termination at Bridgeport, Ala., and within twenty-eight miles of Chattanooga.
Here the. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth remained for three or four weeks, awaiting the arrival of the balance of the corps, and performing such fatigue and other duty as is incident to a supply
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depot. At that time the Army of Rosencrans lay " cooped up " in Chattanooga, and by the time the balance of the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, with Sherman's Army from the West, had reached Bridgeport, it had nearly reached the point of starvation. On the 26th of October the regiment, with its division, crossed the Tennessee and began its march in the direction of Chattanooga, encamping for the night at Whiteside. Early on the following morning the march was continued, and at 9 A. M. the boys of the One Hundred and Thirty- fourth beheld the now historical Lookout Mountain, and the sig- nal flags of the enemy giving warning of trouble to come. The regiment led the advance of Hooker's Army at this time, and passed around the base of the mountain through open country and into woods, behind a strong skirmish line, from which it emerged into open country and in full view of the beleaguered troops of Thomas, who held a position on Raccoon Mountain. In making the detour of the base of " Lookout" one picket line of the enemy was driven up the mountain and one near the river captured. On the evening of the 28th, the Rebels came down the mountain to drive the tired tramps of Geary's Division from their doorsteps, but the Yanks awoke in ill humor. When the Johnnies began building breastworks the Second Division of the Eleventh Corps got mad too, the Second Brigade charging on them in the darkness and driv- ing the Rebels back to their bunks in the attic. Here the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth met their old foe of Gettysburg, but this time it was Longstreet's men who retreated. After the battle of Wanhatchie, the regiment rested until the arrival of Sher- man's Army, when it took a prominent part in the capture of Mis- sionary Ridge and the subsequent movements which resulted in driving Hood and Bragg from Tennessee. Previous to the battles around Chattanooga and after the battle of Wanhatchie, Longstreet had been sent to lay siege to Burnside at Knoxville, whose situation had become so critical, that on November 27 the Eleventh Corps, under Howard, and Sherman's Fifteenth Corps were sent to his re- lief. The experiences of the march to the relief of Knoxville will be remembered by the surviving members of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth, who performed that journey, as the severest of their whole army life.
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