Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 44

Author: White, Truman C
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1014


USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I > Part 44


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1 William H. Glenny was born in the north of Ireland, September 23, 1818. He settled in Buf- falo in 1836 and worked as clerk until 1840, when he opened a small crockery store. His increas- ing business led him to build the block, 27-57 Main street, in 1877, where he built up one of the largest establishments of the kind in the country. He was connected as a director or trustee with several banking institutions.


2 George W. Tifft was for more than forty years closely identified with the business interests of Buffalo. He was born January 31, 1805. His boyhood and young manhood were passed in the eastern part of this State. From 1826 to 1841 he resided in Orleans county, and in the latter year went to Indiana and began buying grain and shipping it east. After a tour of the Northwest Mr. Tifft settled in Buffalo in 1842 and formed a partnership with Dean Richmond in the milling busi- ness. In the next year he formed the firm of George W. Tifft & Co., which opened a branch of the Troy and Michigan Six-day Line transportation business. This he sold out in 1844 and dur- ing the next ten years he was largely interested in the milling business in Buffalo, in which he was very successful. He had by this time accumulated a considerable fortune. In 1854 he was instrumental in organizing the International Bank, of which he was president, and which failed in the crisis of 1857. About 1858 Mr. Tifft became largely interested in Buffalo real estate. In the year 1863 he built seventy-four dwellings, besides the Tifft House and an elevator; the latter he sold and subsequently erected the Tifft elevator at a cost of $700,000. He became owner of the celebrated Tifft farm, adjoining the city, and other valuable real estate. During the last twenty years of his life he gave most of his attention to the management of the Buffalo Engine Works, which carried on business under the style of George W. Tifft, Sons & Co. While a staunch Re- publican, Mr. Tifft never accepted political office; he was essentially a business man and one of the most active and prominent in Western New York. He died June 22, 1882.


3 George Palmer was born in Tiverton, R. I., April 24, 1792, and settled in Buffalo in 1828, form- ing a partnership with Noah H. Gardner in the leather business. Foreseeing the future pro- gressive city, he purchased and improved much valuable real estate. In 1849 he became actively interested in the construction of the State Line Railroad and was chosen president of the com- pany. In 1851 he was elected president of the Marine Bank and held the position until his death.


GEORGE W. TIFFT.


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FROM 1840 TO THE CIVIL WAR.


K. Smith, Rufus C. Palmer, John R. Lee, Lucius H. Pratt, Israel T. Hatch, George C. White, William O. Brown, Philip Byer, F. H. Tows, L. L. Hodges, Henry Martin, Gaius B. Rich, George W. Tifft, Nelson K. Hopkins, trustees; James L. Barton, secretary and treasurer. The building occupied by this bank, corner of Main and Court streets, was erected in 1872.


The Erie County Savings Bank was incorporated April 10, 1854, and began business on September 1, of the same year. It first occupied a small store owned by William C. White, corner of Main and North Division streets. The first officers were William A. Bird,1 president; Gibson T. Williams,2 first vice-president; S. V. R. Watson, second vice-president; Cyrus T. Lee, secretary and treasurer. In June, 1857, the bank was removed to the corner of Main and Erie streets; in 1867 a new building was completed on the corner of Court and Main streets, which was occupied until the splendid edifice on the corner of Niagara, Pearl and Church streets was finished and occupied.


By the year 1850 the rapid growth of the preceding five years and the very promising prospects for the future led to discussion of the sub- ject of increasing the area of the city. There was little opposition to the measure, but it did not assume definite shape until April, 1853, when a new charter was granted under the provisions of which the en- tire town of Black Rock, which had theretofore hemmed in the city on


He became interested in iron manufacture and established a large furnace, which was merged with a similar business projected by Warren & Thompson, to be known as the Union Iron Works. Mr. Palmer took a deep interest in every undertaking that promised to benefit Buffalo. He died September 19, 1864.


1 William A. Bird was born in Salisbury, Conn., March 23, 1796. The family removed to Troy, N. Y., and lived there a number of years and there his father died in 1806. After spending one year in Yale College he was employed in the boundary commission of which his uncle, Gen. Peter B. Porter, was the chief. In 1818 he took up his permanent home at Black Rock and was during the remainder of his life a foremost citizen of that place. With General Porter and Robert Mc- Pherson he built the first flouring mill at Lower Black Rock, and became a large landholder. He was also prominent in early railroad interests and altogether lived a busy and useful life.


2 Gibson T. Williams was born in Charlestown, N. H., January 15, 1813. After obtaining an academic education he began at the age of seventeen years clerking in a store in St. Albans, Vt. At the age of twenty he settled in Buffalo, where he served as clerk. In 1837, in company with Henry C. Atwater, he purchased the business of his employers, Kimberly & Waters, grocers and ship chandlers. He continued in this business as a member of two or three firms until 1850, when he sold out. He subsequently became associated with Henry Roop in building and establishing the Niagara White Lead Company's factory, corner of Delaware and Virginia streets, and with Rufus Howard, built what became the Howard Iron Works. He was called to various positions of trust, among them president of the Young Men's Association, president of the Clinton Bank, vice-president of the Western Insurance Company, etc. He ultimately succeeded to the presi- dency of the Erie County Savings Bank.


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


the landward side, was absorbed and the enlarged city divided into thirteen wards. This change gave the city an extent of about nine miles in length, north and south, and from three to five miles width. The city boundaries have not since been materially changed. Under the new charter the mayor, comptroller, treasurer, attorney, surveyor, street commissioner, superintendent of schools, and overseer of the poor were elected for two years; the mayor ceased to be a member of the Common Council and a presiding officer of that body was thereafter selected from the members. Eli Cook1 was elected mayor in 1854, and assumed the duties of the office with far greater responsibilities than had fallen upon his predecessors.


On December 4, 1857, the last subdivision of Erie county was made in the formation of the town of Elma, which included a tract of about six miles square taken from Lancaster and Aurora. The first town meeting was held March 19, 1858.


The unprecedented prosperity of the country, in which Erie county had shared to a conspicuous degree, as outlined in foregoing pages, was brought to a sudden and disastrous termination in 1857. The tide of prosperity brought its own destruction; business of all kinds, public and private, had been greatly overdone; railroads and other great undertakings had been recklessly projected in all parts of the country ; banks had multiplied and inflated the currency beyond necessity and prudence, and another financial crash ensued. The climax was reached when in the fall of 1857 the New York banks suspended specie pay- ment. The money market in Buffalo had been growing more and more stringent for several months, and it is believed that if the New York banks had postponed suspension a little longer, failures in this city would have been much more numerous than they were. As it was, many business men were forced to the wall and several banks failed, while real estate operations ceased and prices went down to a fraction of what they had been ; general business was paralyzed, and in the lan- guage of one of the oldest bankers of Buffalo, "It seemed as if the whole town was not worth a dollar."


But serious as was this crisis, it wrought far lessinjury in Erie county than the panic of 1836-7, and recovery was much more rapid. The


1 Eli Cook was a native of Montgomery county, N. Y., and settled in Buffalo in 1838. Previous to that date he had practiced law in Utica and had an excellent reputation as a criminal lawyer. Besides the office of mayor, he was elected district attorney of Erie county. His death took place February 25, 1865.


385


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


same causes which, to a great extent, have always rendered Buffalo self-dependent, and to which reference has been made in these pages, -her advantageous situation in a commercial sense; her position as an important railroad center and the terminus of the Erie Canal; her enormous elevator interests; her accessibility as a market for surround- ing towns, and the fact that many of her business men had accumulated large means-all contributed to her ability to pass with comparative safety through such a crisis.


CHAPTER XXIV.


THE WAR PERIOD-1860 to 1870.


The Election of 1860-Bombardment of Fort Sumter-First and Second Calls for Troops-First War Meeting-The 21st Regiment-The 44th Regiment-The 10th Cavalry-The 11th Cavalry-The 12th Cavalry-The 14th Cavalry-The 16th Cav- alry-The 24th Cavalry-Wiedrich's Battery-The 27th Light Battery-The 23d Light Battery-The 2d Mounted Rifles-Committee on the Defense of the Union- The 49th Regiment-The 100th Regiment-The 116th Regiment-Draft and Boun- ties-The 155th Regiment-The 164th Regiment-Bounties-Draft of 1864-Issue of Bonds-Great Central Fair-Rumored Rebel Invasion from Canada-Lincoln's Re-election - The 187th Regiment - Bounties - Draft of 1865 - Summary of En- listments-Close of the War-First Street Railway-Change in Basis of Repre- sentation in Board of Supervisors-The Buffalo Historical Society-The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy-Seeming Prosperity After the War-Railroad Building -- Introduc- tion of Manufacturing Interests - Wholesale Mercantile Trade - Banks - The Grosvenor Library-The Young Men's Christian Association - Burning of the American Hotel-The Fenian Episode-Reorganization of the Buffalo Police De- partment-Buffalo Builders' Exchange-Political.


In the year 1860 the country passed through the most important presidential campaign since the formation of the Union. There were four national tickets in the field, headed respectively by Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge, John Bell, and Stephen A. Douglas. Of the 303 electoral votes, Lincoln received 180; Breckinridge, 72; Bell, 39; Douglas, 12. Breckinridge and Bell received very few votes in Erie county, and although Lincoln received a majority it was not a large one. Elbridge G. Spaulding was re-elected to Congress, and the


49


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


other successful candidates from this county are named in the civil list in later pages of this volume.


There was great rejoicing in the triumphant Republican party throughout the Northern States, but with it was mingled a swelling volume of dissatisfaction and rage which rolled up from the South and finally culminated in open rebellion and secession of the States. These demonstrations were looked upon at the North for some months as idle boasts and intimidating threats of the slave-holding people and, while suppressed excitement was apparent in every community, few yet believed that the misguided Southerners would resort to open warfare.


The Buffalo morning newspapers of April 15, 1861, were burdened with tidings of the bombardment of Fort Sumter on the 12th and 13th. Many are now living in Erie county who passed through the exciting scenes of the days that immediately followed. Business of all kinds, public and private, was largely neglected for the discussion of the por- tentous event. War was the sole topic of conversation; but even yet it was thought by most men of intelligence and judgment that the moment the strong arm of the government was uplifted against the offenders they would abandon their treasonable outbreak and submit to national authority. Many months elapsed, blood was shed in the border States, and millions of treasure were expended before even the highest government officials realized that a long and desolating war had begun.


On the 15th of April, the day of the evacuation of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 militia for three months' service. This call was in itself sufficient evidence of the general belief in Washington that the war would prove to be only a summer-long conflict. The quota of New York State under this call was 13,280, and it was more than filled. On the 3d of May another call for troops was issued, under which and acts approved July 22 and 25, 500,000 men were required. No sooner was the first call for troops made public than Erie county, and particularly Buffalo city, was in a fever of martial enthusiasm. Flags leaped from a thousand windows and the stirring music of fife and drum was abroad in the streets. A meeting was called at the old court house for the evening of the 15th to organize what was then termed a body of minute men for immediate service. At an early hour a crowd assembled, and Eli Cook was chosen chairman of the meeting. He made an impassioned speech, before the close of which such a crowd had gathered that an


387


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


adjournment was made to Kremlin Hall, where the gathering soon overflowed into the street in front of the American Hotel. After a number of fiery speeches had there been made it was announced that a roll was waiting for signatures in the court house, whereupon hundreds hurried away in that direction, and 102 names were signed to the roll that evening. Similar scenes were enacted on succeeding days and on the 18th Gen. Gustavus A. Scroggs called a meeting of those who had volunteered, at which the first company from Erie county was organ- ized; its officers were William H. Drew, captain; R. P. Gardner, first lieutenant; E. R. P. Shurley, second lieutenant.


In the mean time the militia regiments prepared for whatever service might be demanded. Col. Chauncey Abbott, replying to an inquiry from the governor of the State, stated that he had 250 men ready for duty, and recruiting offices for the 74th and 65th Regiments were opened in the city.


A company calling themselves the Union Continentals was organized within a few days after the call for troops, for local duty; it was com- posed of about one hundred elderly men of the city, adopted the old Continental uniform, and elected Millard Fillmore captain. Relief societies were promptly formed, in which patriotic women were most active, and within a short time subscriptions for the relief of families of volunteers were made to the amount of $30,000, to which sum $50,- 000 was added by the Common Council. While volunteering during the early months was almost wholly done in the city, war excitement and enthusiasm rapidly extended into the outer towns and young men began to hurry to the recruiting offices. By the 3d of May three com- panies, in addition to the one above mentioned, were raised and the four prepared to leave for Elmira. Then ensued one of those memo- rable scenes, so frequently witnessed during the next four years in every large community. The Union Continentals turned out as escort to the departing soldiers, who assembled in Niagara Square and were greeted by an immense assemblage. They were presented with a flag by Miss Julia Paddock, in behalf of Central School, and then, amid cheers of encouragement, marched to the station and left for their destination. The six other companies needed to constitute a regiment were quickly enlisted, and on the 11th of May they also departed for Elmira, where the ten were organized into the 21st Regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry-the first regiment raised in the county for that war. Its field and staff officers were as follows: Colonel, William F. Rogers;


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


lieutenant-colonel, Adrian R. Root; major, William H. Drew; adju- tant, C. W. Sternberg; surgeon, H. P. Clinton; assistant-surgeon, J. A. Peters; chaplain, John E. Robie.


The unnecessary and wholly impracticable task of giving a detailed account of the experiences of each military organization that went to the war from this county will not be attempted for this work. For such details the reader must be referred to the many excellent histories of the war as a whole which are found in all libraries. For these pages it must suffice to present such facts connected with the great conflict as possess paramount local interest.


The 21st Regiment left Elmira for Washington on the 18th of June and was stationed near Washington during the fall and winter. In the ensuing summer and fall it participated in the second battle of Bull Run, in which it suffered heavy losses; the battles of South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg. During the latter part of its two years' term it was acting as provost guard, and was sent home at the last of April, 1863. A grand reception was tendered the regiment in Buffalo. Many of the rank and file of this organization re-enlisted and served through the war.


While the 21st Regiment was being enlisted, and very soon after the fall of Sumter, Theodore B. Hamilton, of Buffalo, raised a company of infantry, which was at first known as the Richmond Guards, in honor of Dean Richmond. The company proceeded to Elmira under Captain Hamilton ; First Lieutenant Alexis E. Eustaphieve, and Second Lieuten- ant Ira V. Germain. It became a part of the 33d New York Infantry, organized May 21, 1861, for two years of service. The career of that regiment was an honorable one.


During the summer of 1861, also, what was known as the Ellsworth Regiment was raised in various parts of the State and mustered into the service between August 30 and October 15, under the number 44. Company A of this regiment was enlisted in Erie county and went out with Edward P. Chapin, captain; George M. Love, first lieutenant; Benjamin K. Kimberly, second lieutenant. The regiment formed a part of the Army of the Potomac during the war and participated in all of the principal engagements. It was mustered out October 11, 1864. Captain Chapin was promoted to major in January, 1862, and in August following resigned to accept the colonelcy of the 116th New York Regi- ment, as noticed farther on.


While these infantry organizations were hastening to the front, steps


389


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


were taken for the organization of the 10th Cavalry, known also as the Porter Guard. Maj. John C. Lemmon raised the regiment and went out as its colonel. Four companies of this regiment were almost wholly from Erie county ; the first under Capt. Albert H. Jarvis and Lieuts. Henry Field and John C. Hart; the second under Capt. John Ordner and Lieuts. Barney L. Luther and John Werick; the fourth under Capt. Norris Morey and Lieuts. Layton T. Baldwin and William A. Snyder; the fifth under Capt. Wilkinson W. Paige and First Lieut, William H. Whitney. The'regiment was mustered into service between Septem- ber 27 and December 23, 1861, and was consolidated June 17, 1865, with the 24th Cavalry, forming the 1st Provisional Cavalry, and was soon afterward mustered out. The list of engagements in which the regiment participated includes Leesburg, Brandy Station, Middleburg, Gettysburg, Shepherdstown, Stoneman's Raid, Sulphur Springs, Todd's Tavern, Trevillian Station, St. Mary's Church, Hatcher's Run, Charles City, Reams Station, Vaughn Road, and Boydton Road. Captains Ordner and Paige, from Erie county, were killed in action.


Company M of the 11th New York Cavalry was raised in Buffalo; its first officers were John Norris, captain; first lieutenant, Ira W. Allen; second lieutenant, James S. Bennett. The regiment was mustered into service in the winter of 1861-62, and was on duty principally in Louisiana. Samuel H. Wilkeson was appointed lieutenant-colonel. and later received a colonel's commission. Captain Norris resigned in February, 1863, and Lieutenant Bennett in January, 1865.


Two companies of the 12th Cavalry were raised in Erie county ; they were lettered K and M, the former under command at the time of mus- ter of Second Lieut. Andrew T. Pierson; the latter of First Lieut. William H. Ashford, with Edward M. Ketchum second lieutenant. The regiment was mustered in detachments between November 10, 1862, and September 25, 1863. Its service was principally in North Carolina. The regiment was mustered out July 9, 1865.


The 14th Cavalry was mustered into service between November, 1862, and July, 1863, and contained one company from this county, commanded by Capt. Albert W. Metcalf. In August, 1863, the regi- ment was consolidated with the 18th New York Cavalry, and was inus- tered out in that condition in May, 1866. Captain Metcalf was dis- charged in May, 1863, but again commissioned in June, 1864. Dyer D. Lum, who was mustered as first sergeant of the Erie county com- pany, was commissioned adjutant in February, 1864, and as captain in October.


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


Although a little out of chronological order, the cavalry enlistments from Erie county in two other regiments may be properly noticed here. In the 16th Regiment were four companies from this county, as follows: Co. B, Capt. John Nicholson; First Lieut. William J. Keays. Co. C, Capt. Joseph Schneider; First Lieut. Francis M. Baker; Second Lieut. Julius Winsperger. Co. D, Capt. A. L. Washburn ; First Lieut. G. H. Grosvenor. Co. E, Capt. Charles E. Morse; First Lieut. W. H. Wells. The regiment was mustered into service between June and October, 1863, and served chiefly in North Carolina. It was con- solidated with the 13th New York Cavalry June 23, 1865, becoming the 3d 'Provisional Cavalry, and was mustered out September 21, 1865. Captain Nicholson was promoted to major February 4, 1865; and Lieutenants Baker, Keays and Winsperger were promoted to captains.


Three companies of the 24th Cavalry were principally enlisted in Erie county and mustered in with the regiment in January, 1864. At the time of the muster the officers of the three companies were as fol- lows: Of the first, Leland Doolittle, captain; Willard S. Silliman, first lieutenant. Of the second, Charles B. Coventry, captain; Benjamin F. Street, first lieutenant. Of the third, Morris H. Alberger, captain ; H. J. Tucker, first lieutenant; William W. Cook, second lieutenant. The regiment joined the Army of the Potomac and performed an active part in the great campaign of 1864-65. Captain Alberger was appoint- ed quartermaster with rank of captain in December, 1864, and subse- quently was brevetted lieutenant-colonel. Captain Doolittle was ap- pointed surgeon in February, 1864. First Lieut. Abram Tucker was promoted to captain in December, 1864. The regiment was con- solidated with the 10th Cavalry and made the 1st Provisional Cavalry in June, 1865, and was thus mustered out. 1


1 No adequate history of the operations of our cavalry in the Civil war has yet been written. When this task is accomplished, if it ever is, the fact will be made clear that the men who rode horses did their full share in putting down the Rebellion and are, therefore, entitled upon equal terms with their comrades in other branches of the service to the gratitude and admiration of the nation. From the beginning of the struggle until well along in 1862 the government not only systematically and persistently discouraged the formation of cavalry organizations, but in many cases refused to muster them into the service after they had been raised and offered by the various States. General Scott was in command of all of our forces until November, 1861. A let- ter from him to President Lincoln under date of March 3, 1861, shows that he realized quite clearly the seriousness of the oncoming conflict. He had used mounted troops and had testified to their usefulness. From the breaking out of hostilities our armies were everywhere confronted by Confederate cavalry, from three to five thousand of which were operating in Virginia alone. All of the ablest commanding officers of the Northern armies in the field constantly urged the necessity for mounted troops and asked for them. When that arm of the service was ultimately given its well known strength, the reader of the history of the war is inevitably impressed with


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FROM 1860 TO 1870.


An organization that acquired considerable fame in the history of the war and helped to swell the long roll of enlistments in Erie county in 1861, was known as Wiedrich's Battery, which was organized in Au- gust, 1861, as Battery I, of the 1st New York Artillery ; it served as a sepa- rate battery during the greater part of the war. When organized it was composed of 140 men and the following principal officers: Cap- tain, Michael Wiedrich; first lieutenants, Nicholas Sahm and Diedrich Erdmann; second lieutenants, Christopher Schmidt and Jacob Schenk- elberger. Its membership was wholly of German birth or parent- age and bravely upheld on many fields the reputation of that national- ity for heroism. The battery left Buffalo October 16, 1861, and during the ensuing winter was most of the time in camp. During the re- mainder of its term it was actively engaged, participating in battles at Cross Keys, Freeman's Ford, Second Bull Run (where Lieutenant Schenkelberger and thirteen men were wounded out of about 100), Chan- cellorsville (four killed and fourteen wounded), Gettysburg (three killed and seventeen wounded), Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, siege of At- lanta, and marched northward with Sherman's troops. In February, 1863, Captain Wiedrich was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the 15th Cavalry. Lieutenant Sahm was promoted to captain, but soon died, and Captain Winegar took command. Sixty of the men re-enlisted as veterans. It was mustered out with a most enviable record early in 1865.




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