USA > New York > New York regiment, 1887-1895 > Part 19
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5
New York State Volunteers.
not yet. The "On-to-Richmond!" cry had ceased to delude the most sanguine, and the oft-repeated saying, "The war won't last ninety days," no longer found believers; on the contrary, it was everywhere and by every one recognized that the Republic was battling for its very existence. Oswego County, in proportion to its population and size, had already contributed its quota, and even more than its quota, towards sustaining the burden of the war. How well Oswego County bore its burden is shown by the fact that it furnished in round numbers five thousand men in excess of its quota-the quota being some seven thousand five hundred, while it furnished about twelve thousand five hundred men. In addition to raising five regiments -the Twenty-fourth, Eighty-first, One Hundred and Tenth, One Hundred and Forty- seventh, and One Hundred and Eighty-fourth-it furnished men to the following named organizations, viz .: Cavalry Regiments- Seventh, Eleventh, Twelfth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-fourth, and First Veteran. Artillery Regiments - Bat- teries F and G, First; Battery M, Second ; Third, Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Sixteenth; independent battery, Twenty-first. Engineers' Regiments-First (new), Fif- tieth. Infantry Regiments-Nineteenth, Twenty-first, Twenty- third, Thirty-seventh, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh, One Hundred and Forty-third, One Hundred and Forty-sixth, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth, One Hundred and Ninety-third.
It was under these gloomy and terrible circumstances and con- ditions, thus briefly and inadequately stated, that Oswego County, again responding to the proclamation of the later-on martyred President Lincoln, calling for five hundred thousand additional troops to serve for one year, and which proclamation was dated July 18, 1864, sat about the enlistment of another regiment to be added to the other Oswego County regiments that had already gone to war, and from which regiments maimed and wounded inen were continually returning home as leaves falling to the carth from trees smitten by the autumn frost.
G
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
Under the auspices and direction of the War Committee of the county, whose chairman was the late Hon. Elias Root, a series of so-called war meetings was held throughout the county to promote the enlistment of men for the proposed regiment. These meetings were addressed by, so far as I now recollect, Hon. Cheney Ames, Hon. Henry Fitzhugh, Dr. A. Van Dyke, Hon. A. B. Getty, Hon. D. G. Fort, and others whose names I do not now call to mind. The recruiting and formation of the regiment was authorized by Hon. Horatio Seymour, the Governor of this State, on the personal application of Hon. Elias Root as chairman of the War Committee of the County of Oswego. It is my recollection that these so-called war meetings did not continue for a time longer than from ten days to two weeks, for recruiting and enlist- ments proceeded rapidly and the number of men necessary to fill the regiment was soon obtained; in fact, there were some four- teen hundred men and over recruited for the regiment from Oswego County alone, and some two hundred and over from Madison and Cayuga counties. This excess of men went into and formed part of other organizations that were at this time in pro- cess of formation throughout the State.
The companies of the regiment, when recruited and enlisted, were clothed, mustered, and sent forward to Elmira, N. Y., the general rendezvous, by A. L. Scott, Esq., then Provost-Marshal at the City of Oswego. Companies A, B, D, and F were forwarded from Oswego to Elmira at the dates following : Company A, August 30th; Company B, August 31st; Companies D and F, September 5th. They remained at Elmira until on or about Sep- tember 13, 1864, when they were forwarded to Washington, D. C., by General Devins, then in command at Elmira. The remain- ing companies of the regiment (C, E, G, H, I, and K) were on or about the 14th day of September, 1864, clothed, mustered, and sent forward to Elmira by Provost-Marshal Scott, where such companies remained until on or about the 16th day of September, 1864, when they were sent forward by General Devins, via Balti- more, to the Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred, near City
7
New York State Volunteers.
Point, a place then and later on a very important point so far as the Federal forces were concerned, as it was the base of supplies for the armies then operating in front of Richmond, Petersburg, and points farther south, and at which place an immense amount of army supplies of all kinds was gathered.
So great at this time (in 1864) was the need of men at the front, that the United States authorities, without waiting for the arrival of the six companies at Elmira, despatched, as I have stated, the four companies to Washington, and, without waiting for the arrival and muster-in of the field and staff, despatched the six com- panies to Bermuda Hundred as above stated; in fact, every availa- ble man was sent to the front as rapidly as possible all over the country, and when regiments were not complete, companies and even detachments were forwarded to the front. It will be re- membered that in the case of the Twenty-fourth, Eighty-first, One Hundred and Tenth, and One Hundred and Forty-seventh regi- ments, they each went to the seat of war as complete organiza- tions, fully equipped, etc.
I have always attributed, and at this time attribute, the com- paratively small loss the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regi- ment sustained to the fact that the regiment was sent forward in detail as above mentioned. I never understood, and do not now understand, why the six companies should not have been ordered to join the four companies in the first instance. I can understand why, after the several portions of the regiment reached the front, a nnion could not readily be effected, growing out of the fact that the commanding officer of whichever part of the army to which a portion of the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth was attached would be averse to letting go such portion, or to diminishing his command by losing such a substantial body of men. I know that from the moment I was mustered in I was constant, in season and out of season, in using every effort in my power to effect the union of the several portions of the regiment. I at once upon Iny muster-in, and even before that, called the attention of General Derins at Elmira to the unpleasant and unfortunate condition of
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8
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
affairs, and was assured by him that as soon as the field and staff reached the front this unfortunate state of affairs would at once be remedied. However, "Man proposes, God disposes," and to- day I am satisfied that to the condition of affairs above mentioned, and for which none of us were or are responsible, we owe, by the favor of Heaven, the immunity of the regiment from greater loss and disaster.
On Friday, the 16th day of September, 1864, at Elmira, N. Y., and at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of that day, the writer, as Colonel, William D. Ferguson, as Major, and Howard M. Smith, as Adjutant, were severally mustered into the service of the United States. At 5 o'clock of the same day Major Ferguson, by order, left Elmira, destined for Washington, to join the four com- panies and to take command thereof; and on the same day Adju- tant Smith, by like order, left Elmira to join the six companies already sent forward to City Point. The writer, accompanied by Hon. Elias Root, left for Albany to attend to regimental business at the Adjutant-General's office of the State of New York.
On the 22d day of September, 1864, at Elmira, N. Y., William P. Mckinley, as Lieutenant-Colonel, and John Dunn, Jr., as Quartermaster, were mustered into the service of the United States as of September 16, 1864.
The regiment thus organized, mustered, and enrolled, con- sisted of the following named field, staff, and line officers :
Wardwell G. Robinson, Colonel, enrolled by Governor Seymour; mustered September 16th, by Lient. W. G. Fitch, U. S. A.
William P. Mckinley, Lieutenant-Colonel, enrolled by Gov- ernor Seymour; mustered September 16th, by Lieut. W. G. Fitch, U. S. A.
William D. Ferguson, Major, enrolled by Governor Seymour ; mustered September 16th, by Lieut. W. G. Fitch, U. S. A.
Howard M. Smith, Adjutant, enrolled by Governor Seymour ; mustered September 16th, by Lieut. W. G. Fitch, U. S. A.
John Dunn, Jr., Quartermaster, enrolled by Governor Sey- mour; mustered September 16th, by Lient. W. G. Fitch, U. S. A.
9
New York State Volunteers.
Nelson R. Barnes, Surgeon, enrolled at Harrison's Landing by W. G. Robinson ; mustered November 8th, by Lieut. L. H. Brown, A. C. M.
Theodore S. Kinnie, Assistant Surgeon, enrolled in the field by Capt. A. J. Smith ; mustered November 1st, by Capt. Smith. Jacob Post, Chaplain, enrolled at Harrison's Landing by W. G. Robinson; mustered December 31, by Lieut. L. H. Brown, A. C. M.
COMPANY A -Joel S. Palmer, Captain ; Cheever P. Strong, First Lieutenant; Marquis L. Branch, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 12, 1864. Ninety-three enlisted men, mustered between July 29 and September 4, 1864.
COMPANY B- William S. Morse, Captain ; James H. Root, First Lieutenant; Charles H. Peavey, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 12, 1864. Eighty-four enlisted men, mustered between August 9 and September 2, 1864.
COMPANY C-James W. Parkhurst, Captain ; George A. Leonard, First Licutenant; David Bothwell, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 16, 1864. Ninety-eight enlisted men, mustered between August 13 and September 1, 1864.
COMPANY D-Sylvester R. Town, Captain ; Augustus Phillips, First Licutenant; Joel H. Warn, Second Lieutenant. Captain mustered at Elmira, September 14, First and Second Lieuten- ants, September 12, 1864. Eighty-five enlisted men, mustered between August 15 and September 1, 1864.
COMPANY E-John Sheridan, Captain; Jolin W. Francis, First Lieutenant ; James H. Loomis, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 15, 1864. Eighty-four enlisted men, mustered between August 6 and September 12, 1864.
COMPANY F- William Dickson, Captain ; Irving W. Darrow, First Lieutenant ; Samuel H. Brown, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 12, 1864. Ninety-eight enlisted men, mustered between August 17 and September 5, 1864.
COMPANY G- James T. Outerson, Captain ; Joseph H. Grant, First Lieutenant; Thomas W. Smith, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 15, 1864. Ninety-six enlisted tren, mustered between August 19 and September 2, 1864.
COMPANY H-Henry W. Ramsay, Captain; George W. Woodin, First Lieutenant; Thomas M. Watkins, Second Lieutenant. Offi-
10
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
cers mastered at Elmira, September 16, 1864. Ninety-eight en- listed men, mustered between August 20 and September 4, 1864.
COMPANY I - George Wetmore, Captain ; Edgar F. Morris, First Lieutenant ; John H. Gilman, Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 16, 1864. Ninety-eight enlisted men, mnstered between August 12 and September 5, 1864.
COMPANY K-Stephen J. Scriber, Captain ; Merritt G. Mc- Coon, First Lieutenant ; no Second Lieutenant. Officers mustered at Elmira, September 15, 1864. Eighty-six enlisted men, inus- tered between August 22 and September 9, 1864. (Leonard S. Carter was afterward mustered as Second Lieutenant of Com- pany K, and Jerome H. Coe was promoted from Orderly Ser- geant of Company K to First Lieutenant of same company, vice Merritt G. McCoon, resigned.)
After the regiment was united, Sergeant M. V. Wadleigh, Company F, carried the National colors, and Sergeant Burton Wheeler, Company C, the State colors.
The total of field, staff, and line officers and enlisted men was nine hundred and fifty-seven, according to the original muster-in rolls.
On the 23d of September, 1864, the Colonel, Lieutenant- Colonel, Quartermaster, Thomas G. Sinclair, Sutler, and James Raney, Sutler's clerk, left Elmira bound for City Point, via Balti- more and Fortress Monroe. Upon reaching City Point it was learned that the regiment was encamped about two miles from Bermuda Hundred and about one or one and one-half miles from the front, and, as was found, within hearing of the firing along the picket lines. The camp of the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth was reached about 6 o'clock p. M. of the 26th day of September, 1864. It is the recollection of the writer that at this point and time Sutler Sinclair concluded not to go further, and somewhat later P. H. Ellis became Sutler of the regiment.
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The four companies reached Washington at 10.30 P. M. of the 16th day of September, 1864, and remained at the Soldiers' Rest in that city during that night. On the afternoon of the 17th of
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11
New York State Volunteers.
September, 1864, the men of the four companies marched to Fort Corcoran, on Arlington Heights, and remained at the fort for the following four days. Just where and when Major Ferguson joined the detachment is not entirely elear, but it must have been at the Soldiers' Rest on the 16th of September, or at Fort Cor- coran on the 17th, for it seems to be reasonably clear and certain that the first company report made (that of Company A, Captain Palmer, Mr. Squires acting as company clerk), was made to Major Ferguson, as commander of the detachment, on Sunday morning, the 18th day of September, 1864.
On the 20th of September, tents and rubber blankets were issued to the detachment. On the 21st, guns and accoutrements were issued. On the 22d, forty rounds of ammunition were issued to each man, and on the same' day the first dress parade of the detachment was had.
On the same or following day (September 23d), the detach- ment was forwarded from Fort Corcoran by cars to Harper's Ferry, and, marching to Bolivar Heights, camped there until the 27th of September, when the detachment was assigned to and became a part of a provisional brigade commanded by Colonel Heine; and on the same day, at about 3 o'clock P. M., the brigade struck tents and took up the line of march for Winchester, Va. This provisional brigade was assigned to duty as a part of a guard to a supply train destined for General Sheridan's army.
On the 28th of September the brigade and detachment went into camp a mile or two beyond and south of Winchester, the march being twenty-two miles. On the 29th of September the troops camped about three miles from Strasburg, or Fisher's Hill, a march of twenty-two miles. On September 30th the march was twenty-five miles, to Mount Jackson, and on October 1st the march was about thirty-five miles, to Harrisonburg, where the troops arrived at about midnight. During almost the entire march this day the troops were looking upon the unaccustomed sight of burning barns, houses, mills, and stacks of hay and straw that had been fired presumably by the Federal cavalry.
12
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
On Sunday, the 2d of October, the day was passed in camp. and for a part of the time the men of the detachment were en- gaged in scraping and beating the dried mud of the so-called "sacred soil of Virginia " from their clothes, and in scouring and removing the rust from their guns. No little part of the day was passed in cooking and eating fresh pork and mutton that had been obtained in generous quantities from the ample stores of the men connected with the wagon train, and which had been secured by judicious foraging in the enemy's country on the previous day's march. Song and jest were not wanting or unheard about the several camp-fires. Home and the loved ones were not forgotten, and from many went up the silent prayer to the Giver of all good. asking the blessings of Heaven to rest upon those so loved, upon the cause in which they were engaged, and upon themselves.
On the 3d of October, 1864, the detachment started from Harrisonburg, destined for Winchester, having under escort a large number of white and colored refugees, some on foot and others in all sorts and descriptions of vehicles, also a number of Confederate prisoners and a large drove or herd of captured sheep, horses, and cattle. At night of that day the detachment camped near New Market.
On the 4th of October the march was resumed, and the same night camped near Woodstock. On the 5th of October the march was continued, the detachment camping that night about eight miles from Winchester.
During the week from October 5th to October 12th the detach- ment was engaged in marching to, remaining at, and marching from Martinsburg to Winchester.
On the 12th of October the detachment marched from Win- chester to Newtown and camped for the night, and the next day marched to Front Royal and camped for the night.
It was at or about this time that the detachment was attachedl to and became a part of the First Brigade, Third Division of the Sixth Army Corps.
13
New York State Volunteers.
On the 14th of October, 1864, the brigade left Front Royal, destined, as was supposed, for Petersburg, but, after marching until in the afternoon, the column was countermarched, and later camped at Millwood.
At 3 o'clock A. M. of October 15th, the bugle call of "Fall in!" sounded; whereupon, after the column had been formed, a forced march of sixteen miles was made, through woods, fields, ditches, and over stone walls, to Newtown. Halting at that place for an hour, the column resumed its march to Middletown, and thence through the fields to what was called and known as Cedar Creek camp, where it remained until the day of the battle here- inafter mentioned. While so camped, a detail was made of one hundred men from the detachment for picket duty, and this detail returned to camp on the 16th or 17th of October.
On the 19th of October, 1864, occurred what is known as the battle of Cedar Creek, and closely connected therewith is the famous ride of General Sheridan, so often told in story and sung in song. I shall not attempt at this time to describe that battle. Suffice it to say that the Federal forces were at first driven from their encampment in confusion, through an attack made upon them at an early hour in the day by the Confederate forces, who were in superior numbers ; that later in the day the Federal forces were rallied by General Sheridan, faced about, and making a gal- lant attack upon the Confederates, then flushed with victory, put them to utter ront. Taking everything into consideration, it was one of the most gallant and unique engagements of the war, and the memory of Sheridan's ride from Winchester to Cedar Creek on that memorable 19th of October, 1864, will long remain fresh and green in the annals of the civil war.
This battle of Cedar Creek was the first engagement in which the detachment participated, and wherein it received its baptism of fire. It can truthfully be said that it sustained its part well, and materially aided in the final triumphant repulse and defeat of the Confederates. In justly estimating and awarding to the detachment its fair and well-merited ineed of praise for its conduct
14
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
on that occasion, it must be remembered that at the time of the engagement scarcely a month had elapsed since the members of the detachment had been drawn from the peaceful avocations of home life, and had but little or no acquaintance with military drill, tactics, or discipline.
Lieut. Augustus Phillips, of Company F, the acting Adjutant of the detachment, was severely wounded early in the engage- ment. Two privates (whose names I am unable to obtain) had started to remove him from the field of battle, but they had not proceeded far when he died, and at this time the Confederates being on the advance and the Federals retiring, his body was left on the field of battle. After the battle was concluded the body was recovered, but it had been stripped of everything save a part of the underclothing. I understand that Lieutenant Phillips was buried on the field of battle. It is said that for a day or two preceding his death Lieutenant Phillips seemed to be laboring under a premonition of some disaster personal to himself.
From the best information obtainable, the names of the en- listed men of the detachment killed at the battle of Cedar Creek are: Peter E. Eldred, of Company A; Lester E. Wybourn, of Company B; Joseph Menway and John Sabin, of Company D : and John M. Wing, of Company F. These five persons were buried on the field of battle. After the battle Private William H. Victory, of Company A, was missing; he never returned to the detachment or the regiment, and his fate was never known.
To indicate the burial-place of Peter E. Eldred, a marker or headboard was made from a part of a hardtack box and placed at the head of the grave, and his name, company, regiment, and when and where killed was carved thereon by Mr. Amos Youmans.
The following named enlisted men of Company A were wounded, viz .: Andrew W. Fish, Richard Baker, Andrus L. Gil- bert, Dwight Parkhurst, Henry Hale, George Bailey, William Visgar, Franklin Collins, Tucker Woodson, John P. Coe, Aaron Stoughtenger.
15
New York State Volunteers.
Andrew W. Fish and Dwight Parkhurst were sent to a hos- pital, where they died within about a month after the battle. After the battle Private Parkhurst was found lying on the field of battle, badly wounded through the hips; he had been nearly stripped of all his clothing by the Confederates. Men of other regiments found Mr. Parkhurst, who communicated the fact to the men of the detachment. The men who found Mr. Parkhurst had cared for him as best they could -had built a fire near him and had covered him with dry hides that had been left on the ground by the army butchers. The men of the detachment learn- ing of Mr. Parkhurst's condition and whereabouts, Private Amos Youmans and three others proceeded to the place indicated, and, by means of a stretcher improvised from two pieces of fence-rail and a tent cloth, carried Mr. Parkhurst to a camp-fire of the de- tachment, and the next morning he was carried in an ambulance to the hospital.
Henry Hale was taken to a hospital, where he remained until sufficiently recovered to be sent to his home in Volney or Scriba, where he died shortly after his arrival.
I am unable further to follow the ultimate fortunes of the other wounded men of Company A above named.
The following named enlisted men of Company B were wounded, viz .: James Allen, William Blackwood, John P. Ken- nedy, William J. Moore, Lewis Parmentier, George W. Reed, Matthias Strawback, Charles A. Wilks, Charles Woolson, Thomas M. Wood, Sergeant Daniel D. Hartigan, Sergeant Edwin Snyder, Corporal William P. Stevens, Corporal James Pearson.
The following named enlisted men of Company D were wounded, viz. : Charles D. Feriss, Joseph Flanagan, William Hewitt, Whitmore Percival, Dunham C. Shapley, Frederick Younglove, Sergeant Alfred Moran, Sergeant George G. Barber. Private John Sabin, of Company D, who was killed as heretofore stated, was shot while in close proximity to Sergeant M. V. Wadleigh.
16
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
The following named enlisted men of Company F wer: wounded, viz. : Willis E. Brunott, John W. Budds, Job Babcock. James Lowden, David Marshall.
Private James Allen, of Company B, was removed from the field of battle to the field hospital, where he died from his wound. in a day or two after the battle. I am unable to state further a. to the wounded men of Companies B, D, and F, above named.
To recapitulate, at the battle of Cedar Creek the detachment lost one officer and five enlisted men killed, thirty-eight enlisted men wounded, and one missing; making a total of forty-five killed, wounded, and missing.
After the battle had terminated, the detachment returned to the encampment from which it had been so unceremoniously driven in the early morning, and where it remained encamped until the 9th day of November, 1864. On that date it broke camp and marched to Camp Russell, near Winchester, where it remained, doing camp, guard, and picket duty, until the 3d day of December, 1864, when it marched to Stephens Depot, a dis- tance of about four miles from Winchester, and there embarked in cars for Washington, D. C., and reached its destination on the 4th of December, 1864.
While the detachment was at Camp Russell, Major Ferguson was taken sick and was obliged to absent himself from the detach- ment, and did not return to duty until after the detachment had reached and joined the regiment at Harrison's Landing.
At Camp Russell a detail was made of from sixty to one hun- dred and fifty men under Captain Town, Lieutenant Warn, and another Lieutenant ; the duty of the detail was that of guarding a wagon train destined for Martinsburg.
In the afternoon of the 4th of December the detachment boarded the steamer Charlotte Vanderbilt, en route for City Point, Va., which place it reached about or soon after noon of the 5th of December, 1864, and at once disembarked. Not long before reaching City Point the detachment passed Post Harrison's Landing, situated on the James River, at which place at that
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