USA > New York > Madison County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York > Part 21
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 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97
A great Union meeting was held in Hamilton April 23, where Hon. John J. Foote presided. Speakers there gave assurance that the county would contribute her share to the support of the government; it was stated also that a company had already been formed at Oneida by Earl Chapin, and another was forming; the Bruce guards were filling up at Canastota, and other companies were forming in Hamilton and Chit- tenango. On the 29th of April the Hamilton company (D) left for Utica to join Colonel William H. Christian's regiment, the 26th; it contained several Morrisville volunteers. On the next day the Bruce Guards left for Syracuse to join the 51st regiment. A company was then in process of enlistment in Peterboro, which left on May 16 for Elmira, being escorted to the railroad by the Morrisville band. Before leaving it was addressed by Gerrit Smith. A fund was there raised of $1,200 for the families of volunteers. The officers of this company were John C. Todd, captain; James R. Barnett, first lieutenant; George C. Brown, second lieutenant.
In the battle of Bull Run Capt. Otis H. Tillinghast was killed; he was a son of John Tillinghast and a graduate of West Point in 1847; other sons of Madison county took part in that unfortunate engage- ment. On the 5th of September, 1861, it was announced that Capt. Daniel P. Mann, of Oneida, had enlisted nearly a full company of cav- alry; Capt. Broady, of Hamilton, had nearly a full company enlisted, and Lieutenant McQueen, of Morrisville, was recruiting for a battery
195
THE CIVIL WAR.
of field artillery. In that year the Volunteers' Aid Society was formed in Morrisville, and other organizations, with the same purposes in view, were formed early in the conflict. On the 17th of October, 1861, Capt. L. M. Wingman opened a recruiting office in Morrisville and on the 19th of December took his company to Utica and joined the 81st regi- ment as Co. E. He was killed at Fair Oaks June 5, 1862.
Captain Mann's company was an independent organization and dur- ing most of its term of service was on duty at the headquarters of the Army of Potomac. The first lieutenant was James E. Jenkins, and the second lieutenant was Frank Vane.
In the early campaigns of 1862 the losses of the Union army were large and on the 2d of July of that year the president called for another 300,000 men to serve three years. In order to systematize recruiting the State was divided into military districts which corresponded with the Senatorial districts, Madison, Chenango, and Cortland counties constituting the 23d District. In each of these districts war commit- tees were appointed to supervise enlistments and other matters con- nected with raising the quota. The committee for this district were as follows: Henry A. Clark, chairman, Bainbridge; B. Gage Berry, Harvey Hubbard, Philander B. Prindle, Norwich; Henry R. Mygatt, Oxford; Gen. Levi Harris, South New Berlin; Dr. William D. Purple, Frederick Juliand, Greene; Henry S. Randall, Horatio Ballard, R. Holland Duell, Cortland village; Gen. Benjamin F. Bruce, Lenox; Gen. Zadock T. Bentley, William F. Bonney, Morrisville; John J. Foote, J. Hunt Smith, Hamilton. On the 7th of July, 1862, Norwich was chosen as the recruiting headquarters for the district, and the com- mittee held its first meeting at the Eagle Hotel in that village on the 17th. The work of enlisting the 114th Regiment was at once begun, and at the first committee meeting Gen. Benjamin F. Bruce was unani- mously nominated for its command. He declined the honor on account of disability and the choice then fell upon Hon. Elisha B. Smith, of Chenango county, who accepted, but with expressed misgivings as to his fitness for the post. The committee then appointed Dr. William D. Purple, Philander E. Prindle, and John J. Foote to report the proper apportionment to each county in the district to fill the regiment; the quota thus fixed for Madison county was 396 men. This apportion- ment was lost sight of in the enlistments and Cortland county supplied only a few recruits to the regiment. At a subsequent meeting of the committee Samuel R. Per Lee, of Norwich, was appointed adjutant of
196
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
the regiment and acted as recruiting officer and quartermaster, and Levi P. Wagner, of Oxford, surgeon.
A great mass meeting in which the whole county was represented was held in Morrisville on the 29th of July, 1862, to "express undi- minished confidence in the justice of our cause," etc. The meeting was organized in the court house park, but a storm drove the people indoors. Among the prominent speakers were Gen. Benjamin F. Bruce and Francis Kernan. Capt. H. B. Morse, of Eaton, Lieut. James E. Wedge and Capt. Charles E. Tucker, of Hamilton, recorded enlistments at the meeting for the 114th Regiment. The sum of $7,406 was subscribed for the families of volunteers, besides $3,200 in Caz- enovia, $4,000 in Lenox, previously subscribed; these subscriptions were to be increased in the county to $25,000. Other meetings were held in the county at this active period in military affairs-in Cazenovia July 28; De Ruyter July 31 ; Eaton August 4; Fenner August 2; George- town August 5; Lebanon August 1; Nelson August 5; Peterboro August 7; Stockbridge August 2; Erieville August 9; Sullivan August 2. This shows the prevailing enthusiasm and energy throughout the county that was concentrated upon the work at that particular time.
Enlistments were very rapid and by the first of September the ranks of the 114th were more than filled. Company D, called the Eaton and Lebanon company, was enlisted in those towns and Nelson; G, from Hamilton and Brookfield; K, from Cazenovia, and part of H, from De Ruyter, and were the Madison contribution to the regiment. Among the prominent men of this county who made speeches at the various public meetings held during the month of August were Sidney T. Holmes, Charles L. Kennedy, L. B. Kern, Alexander Cramphin, P. P. Brown and A. N. Sheldon. Among others who contributed gener- ously of their time and efforts during the work may be mentioned B. E. Hoppin and Messrs. Avery and Baker, of Lebanon; Lucius P. Clarke and others, of Morrisville; Hon. S. Rider, A. V. Bentley, R. E. Fair- child, H. C. Miner, Colonel Whitford, J. B. Wells, of De Ruyter; Ellis Coman, George E. Morse, and Walter Morse, of Eaton, and many others whose names cannot now be recalled. During the raising of this regiment there were numerous enlistments from this county in the 17th, 89th, and 161st Regiments of infantry and the 8th, 22d and 10th Cavalry.
The original field, staff and line officers of this regiment were as follows:
197
THE CIVIL WAR.
FIELD OFFICERS.
Colonel-Elisha B. Smith. -
Lieutenant-Colonel-Samuel R. Per Lee.
Major-Henry B. Morse.
STAFF OFFICERS.
Adjutant-James F. Fitts.
Quartermaster-J. Floyd Thompson.
Surgeon-Levi P. Wagner.
Assistant Surgeons-H. G. Beardsley, Harris H. Beecher.
Chaplain-Henry Callahan.
LINE OFFICERS.
Company A-Captain, Oscar H. Curtis; 1st Lieut., Samuel S. Staf- ford; 2d Lieut., James E. Gilbert.
Company B-Captain, Jacob S. Bockee; 1st Lieut., Lauren M. Nichols; 2d Lieut., Edwin O. Gibson.
Company C-Captain, Platt Titus; 1st Lieut., S. A. Brooks; 2d Lieut., William H. Longwell.
Company D-Captain, Willie P. Rexford; 1st Lieut., James E. Wedge; 2d Lieut., Smith H. Case.
Company E-Captain, Ransom Macdonald; 1st Lieut., Nicholas A. Dederer; 2d Lieut., George G. Donnelly.
Company F-Captain, Charles H. Colwell; 1st Lieut., Adrian Foote; 2d Lieut., John F. Buell.
Company G-Captain, Charles E. Tucker; 1st Lieut., Charles W. Underhill; 2d Lieut., Homer W. Searles.
Company H-Captain, Dyer D. Bullock; 1st Lieut., Robert P. York ; 2d Lieut., Edward M. Osborn.
Company I-Captain, Hiram S. Wheeler; 1st Lieut., Nelson W. Schermerhorn; 2d Lieut., E. Porter Pellet.
Company K-Captain, Seneca Lake; 1st Lieut., Daniel C. Knowlton; 2d Lieut., Erastus S. Carpenter.
NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF.
Sergeant-Major, Elijah St. John; Quartermaster-Sergeant, Aug. P. Clark; Commissary-Sergeant, George E. Hawley; Hospital Steward, Ebenezer McClintock.
198
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
FIRST SERGEANTS.
Company A-Austin S. Southworth; Company B-George Ballou; Company C-Norman Lewis; Company D-James S. Stewart; Com- pany E-John G. Reynolds; Company F-William D. Thurber; Com- pany G-Charles F. Sunny; Company H-Orlando J. Aylesworth ; Company I-Dennis Thompson; Company K-Robert N. Eddy.
No attempt will be here made to follow in detail the history of this organization through its several campaigns. The history of any regi- ment that served through three years in the field would fill a moderate sized volume and constitutes a part of the general history of the war, which must be sought in other works. On the 3d of September the 114th, which had previously been mustered by companies into the State service, was formally mustered into the United States service, and on the 6th departed for the seat of war, going by canal to Binghamton and thence by railroad. A great meeting was held in Norwich on the occa- sion of the regiment's departure, at which Colonel Smith was presented with a fully equipped war horse. The regiment arrived in Baltimore where it remained in camp two months and was armed. On the 2d of November it received orders to be ready for leaving at a day's notice. On the 6th it sailed down Chesapeake Bay to Fortress Monroe, whence, after a month's stay, it left to join Bank's expedition to the Gulf of Mexico. The regiment performed an honorable part in the operations in the South, participating in the battle of Bisland in April, 1863, in which its loss was nine men wounded, one fatally. On the 1st of June the regiment joined the forces before Port Hudson and on the 14th took part in the assault on that work, in which Colonel Smith fell mortally wounded. The regiment then remained in the entrenchments until the surrender of the place on the 9th of July. After sharing in the fruit- less Texas expedition in October the regiment went into camp at New Iberia. There Charles Turner of Company C was shot for desertion. Also General Weitzel at that time left the brigade to join the Army of the Potomac. At the end of the year the records of the regiment showed that there had been killed in battle 2 officers and 12 men; died of wounds and disease, 3 officers and 150 men; discharged, 15 officers and 100 men; transferred, 1 officer and 32 men. The regiment was then under command of Lient. - Col. Henry B. Morse. In the reorgan- ization of the army, which took place in the spring of 1864, the 114th was made a part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Corps. In March the regiment left camp on the famous Red River campaign and suffered
+
199
THE CIVIL WAR.
considerably in the battle at Sabine Cross Roads. The regiment en- tered that engagement with 18 commissioned officers and 371 men; its casualties were 3 officers killed and 7 men wounded, and on the follow- ing day it had 3 killed and 5 wounded.
In July, 1864, the regiment embarked to join the Army of the Poto- mac in front of Petersburg. Now followed a long series of marches and counter-marches in the Shenandoah valley, ending with the battle of Opequan on the 19th of September, in which the 114th won great distinction for bravery by holding its position three hours under a hot fire. Again in the battle in which Sheridan won undying fame and the last engagement in which the 114th participated, it performed the most gallant service. The regiment lost 128 in killed, wounded and prisoners, about half of the number engaged. Among the killed in the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864, was Capt. David C. Knowlton.
Without further memorable service the regiment participated in the grand review at Washington after the close of the war and was mus- tered out on the 8th of June, 1865. Returning to Elmira they were discharged on the 17th and returned home to receive the joyful public reception to which they were entitled.
The 157th was recruited under the call of July, 1862, and left Ham- ilton, where it had made its headquarters, on September 25 of that year. The principal regimental officers were Philip P. Brown, colonel; James C. Carmichael, major; William T. Manchester, adjutant; Perrin H. McGraw, quartermaster; Henry C. Hendrick, surgeon. Companies A and B were mostly from Hamilton and Oneida; Co. F was from Hamilton, Lebanon, Georgetown, Smithfield and the other towns of the south part of the county; Co. G was from Lenox; Co. I was from Hamilton, Smithfield, Sullivan and a few from other towns. The other companies were mainly from Cortland county. The line officers of the Madison county companies were as follows:
Co. A-J. Hunt Smith, captain; George R. Seaton, 1st lieutenant; Julius D. Palmer, 2d lieutenant.
Co. B-Thomas J. Randall, captain; Osbert E. Messinger, 1st lieu- tenant; Justin C. Ware, 2d lieutenant.
Co. F-J. Riley Stone, captain; William A. Stone, 1st lieutenant ; Samuel J. Wickwire, 2d lieutenant.
Co. G-Abraham Tuttle, captain; Frank Harrison, 2d lieutenant.
Co. I-William Bellinger, captain; Thurlow W. Priest, 1st lieuten- ant; Willing H. Snyder, 2d lieutenant.
200
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
The 157th left its headquarters in Hamilton on September 25, 1862, and proceeded to Peterboro, where a great demonstration was made, a dinner served, speeches made, etc. Thousands of people were in at- tendance from all parts of the county to bid good-bye to their fathers, sons and brothers. On arriving at Washington, Camp Chase on Arling- ton Heights was occupied a few weeks, from which a march was made to Fairfax Court House. The regiment was placed in the 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 11th Corps, and a few weeks later started for New Balti- more, Md., passing through Thoroughfare Gap. It remained at New Baltimore until McClellan was relieved of his command. From there the regiment went to Centerville and thence to Fredericksburg, reach- ing there during the second day's fight, but taking no part therein. After about a month in camp near Acquia Creek, the regiment started to perform its share in the unsuccessful mud campaign of Burnside, and wintered near Falmouth,
The year 1863 gave the 157th a trying ordeal, particularly in the great battles of Chancellorsville and of Gettysburg. In the latter the regiment lost within an hour 306 men in killed, wounded and missing, among whom were many of the sons of Madison county. After that event the regiment was sent South and had its headquarters at Hilton Head, S. C .; took part in the siege and capture of Fort Wagner, and passed that winter on Morris Island.
During the year 1864 the regiment was mainly in the South near Charleston and at Fort Pulaski, participating in the arduous campaigns of that year in the region and in several minor sharp engagements. In December a forced march was made to head off General Hardie from Charleston, which failed by a narrow margin and the regiment entered the city from the rear. The regiment remained near Georgetown, S. C., until spring, when several short campaigns were made in that region for the destruction of railroads, cotton gins and cotton. The end of the war was at hand and by a strange coincidence the news of John- ston's surrender, Lee's surrender, and the assassination of the President reached the regiment simultaneously. The 157th was mustered out at Charleston, July 10, 1865, proceeded to New York, thence to Albany and was paid off in Syracuse.
In the battle of Gettysburg Lieut .- Col. George Arrowsmith was killed. He was a brave and efficient officer and the only field officer killed in the regiment. The regiment was heavily recruited during its service, its rolls containing about 1,600 names.
201
THE CIVIL WAR.
There were two companies raised in this county in 1862 to serve nine months. Capt. Albert S. Norton raised his company mainly in and around Morrisville, and Capt. Almon C. Messinger another at Hamil- ยท ton, both of which joined the 176th regiment. Of Captain Norton's company, the 1st lieutenant was J. Douglass Fry ; 2d lieutenant, T. Foster Petrie. Both companies left about the 1st of December, 1862, and proceeded directly to Louisiana, remaining in that vicinity until the expiration of their term of service, and taking part in the capture of Brashear City. - The regiment was mustered out in November, 1863, in New York.
The quota of this State under the call of July, 1862, for 300,000 troops was 58, 705, and there were furnished 78,904. Under the call of a month later for a like numher, with a draft to follow on September 3 wherever the quota was not full, the draft was averted by prompt en- listments and the credit of the surplus of the former call. The last mentioned call was for nine month's service. Under a call of 1863 a draft began in New York and New England in the second week in July, causing the memorable riots in New York city. For Madison county the draft began at Oswego on the 5th of August. The following sta- tistics show the enrollment and the number drafted in the several towns of the county :
Enrolled.
Drafted.
Brookfield
413
121
Cazenovia
305
88
De Ruyter
200
54
Eaton
359
102
Fenner
121
31
Georgetown
128
38
Hamilton
386
113
Lebanon
148
38
Lenox
733
212
Madison
56
Nelson
165
44
Smithfield
130
24
Stockbridge
181
48
Sullivan
678
199
On the 25th of August the drafted men were ordered to Oswego for examination. Under this call credits were allowed for every man who paid a commutation fee of $300. The result, as might have been fore-
202
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
seen, was the receipt by the government of a large cash revenue, and almost no soldiers at all. Out of the whole call for 300,000 less than 75,000 went into the ranks. As a local example only one man out of eighty-two went from the town of Cazenovia.
The first important action of the Board of Supervisors in connection with military affairs was the holding of a special meeting on August 16, 1862, which was called to consider the necessity of negotiating a loan for the purpose of facilitating enlistments. A committee was there appointed to submit a plan of work, consisting of John W. Lippitt, Calvin Whitford, Nathan Brownell, jr., Harris C. Miner and E. C. Philpot. This committee recommended the appointment of another committee consisting of Sidney T. Holmes, D. B. West, W. E. Fiske, James Barnett and Daniel Stewart, with Silas Loomis of the board, and L. B. Kern, clerk of the board, to "raise on the credit of the county of Madison the sum of $80,000 upon county orders on interest payable eight months from date," etc. This was known as the "war loan of 1862." The board gave a pledge that the amount should be raised by taxation in the following year. Town committees were appointed also, to aid in the disbursement of the money.
At the annual meeting of 1862 it was resolved to make no distinction in the payment of bounties to nine-months' men and three-year men.
A special meeting of the Board of Supervisors was held on the 22d of February, 1863, at which a committee of three was appointed con- sisting of N. Brownell, jr., Alexander McGregor and D. W. C. Stevens, to settle the accounts of the town and county war committees. The committee reported the amount of orders issued up to August 18, 1862, as $50, 750; to this was added in November, $3,800, and in December, $2,250. All of this was properly apportioned among the towns.
The next call for troops was made on the 17th of October, 1863; this with the call of February 1, 1864, was for an aggregate of 500,000 men, including those raised by the draft of 1863 just noticed. The quota of New York under these calls was 81,993, and about 60,000 were fur- nished. A draft was ordered for January 5, 1864, to fill all lacking quotas on the call of October 17 preceding. The quota for this district was 1,527. Active operations at once began in Madison county to secure the necessary number of volunteers and avert the threatened draft. Lucius P. Clark was appointed recruiting agent for this Assem- bly district and opened an office in Morrisville. The Board of Super- visors held frequent special meetings and voted the necessary money
203
THE CIVIL WAR.
for the large bounties then prevailing throughout the State and made arrangements for raising it by the issue of county bonds. Under the call of October 17 the following statement shows the enrollment and quota of the towns in this county :
Brookfield
Enrolled. 282
Drafted.
58
Cazenovia
220
43
De Ruyter
146
29
Eaton
258
51
Fenner
90
18
Georgetown
112
22
Hamilton
274
54
Lenox
522
103
Madison
152
30
Nelson
121
24
Smithfield
94
19
Stockbridge
128
25
Sullivan
479
95
A special meeting of the supervisors was held December 9, 1863, at which it was resolved that the board offer $300 bounty to each volun- teer under the last preceding call for 300,000 men. This resolution was unanimously adopted. A committee was appointed to formulate a plan for raising the money. This committee reported in favor of issuing county orders to be delivered to a committee of three in each town, such committees to be appointed by the board. The faith of the county was pledged to the payment of the orders.
This draft was once postponed, but by energetic and generous work the quota of Madison county was filled. Under the succeeding call of February 1, 1864, the draft for unfilled quotas was ordered for March 10. This was also averted in Madison county and the quota was filled directly in connection with the next former call, with which this one was associated.
The men of Madison county who were enlisted during the filling of these several quotas went into various organizations and several full companies were formed.
At a special meeting of the supervisors held February 4, 1864, it was resolved that the board authorize the continuance of the bounty of $300 to every volunteer credited on the quota then due, and a commit- tee of five was appointed to submit plans for raising the necessary
204
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
money. Action similar to that under similar preceding circumstances was then taken. Another meeting was held February 24 at which it was resolved that a tax of $10,000 be levied for the payment of county orders. The bounty of $300 was further continued.
At a special meeting of the board July 25, 1864, it was moved that a committee of five be appointed for the purpose "of devising some way to secure volunteers in the county of Madison under the recent call for 500,000 volunteers." The committee was appointed and upon its re- port it was resolved that the county will pay $300 for one year men ; $400 for two year men, and $500 for three year men. County orders were to be issued for the necessary funds, payable on or before April 1, 1866, at seven per cent. interest. If the quotas were all filled with- out a draft, the cost of obtaining the volunteers was to be made a county charge. If not, then each town was to be charged with the amount received and a tax for the amount levied and collected in each of such towns. It was also resolved that two agents be chosen to go to other localities to secure recruits, Georgia being the field that was selected. Recruiting agents were appointed also in each town.
At the annual meeting for 1864 the committee on war loans reported the whole number of bonds issued as 1,916, amounting to $643, 700. There had been paid to volunteers and substitutes $589,250. In that year there was to be raised by the county $350,000.
A special meeting of the board was held June 2, 1865, at which the supervisors in the various towns were given authority to settle with the paymaster-general of the State for the excess of years of service per- formed under the call of July 18, 1864, and receive reimbursement therefor.
On the 14th of March, 1864, a call was issued for 200, 000 troops, with a draft for unfilled quotas on April 15. By this time, and even under the two previous calls, war prospects were anything but cheering. It was rapidly becoming more and more difficult to secure volunteers. The northern element that sympathized with the South was numerous and clamoring for ending the conflict in other ways than on the battle- field. As one means of inspiring enthusiasm and strengthening the Republican party, the Loyal League was organized throughout the North; it was a semi-secret, semi-military body and became an impor- tant factor in politics and military affairs. The general conservative element as well as the minority in the North who were outspoken against the war, were now appalled at the enormous debt that was be-
205
THE CIVIL WAR.
ing created for bounty purposes in every county, while the departure to Southern battlefields of so many of the best men of every hamlet, village and city had become most dispiriting. Union meetings were held in the large villages of Madison county, as elsewhere, where patri- otic speeches and appeals were made by eloquent men and money for bounties was generously provided.
On the 24th of April, 1864, a statement was made public showing the condition of Madison county under the various preceding calls. By that it appeared that Brookfield, Hamilton, Lebanon, Georgetown, De Ruyter, Eaton, Stockbridge, Smithfield, and Fenner together had an excess of seventy six volunteers, while Cazenovia, Nelson, Madison, Sullivan, and Lenox were lacking a total of forty. A little later this was supplemented by another statement which showed that with proper credits made the quota of the county was filled.
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.