USA > New York > Records of the 24th Independent Battery, N. Y. Light Artillery, U. S. V. > Part 6
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He died Sept. 21st, 1864. The number of his grave is 9,495.
102. KEENEY, GEORGE W., Perry .- Enlisted August 29th, 1862. Mustered in, August 30th, 1862, at Buffalo.
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Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and died at Anderson- ville, May 20th, 1864. The number of his grave is 1,250.
He was the second member of the Battery who was- «sacrificed at that unholy altar. His life had been un- usually free from immoderate and exceptional habits ; his mind was pure, and his heart kind.
The circumstances of his death were peculiar. He was taken ill with diarrhoea soon after we had entered the stockade. The surgeon prescribed an opiate, with directions, if he was no better after a reasonable time, to administer a second dose.
The man acting as nurse failed either to understand or to comprehend the surgeon's orders, and while George was still quiet, and under the effects of the opiate, the man gave him an additional quantity. George never woke from his first sleep. His sister, Kate R. Keeney, has dedicated the following lines to his memory :
"In Memoriam." 1
Darling, laid low in that sunny land, In the sleep which knows no waking, From thy soul's high home, canst thou understand How our hearts are almost breaking ?
A year this morn, ere the sun's first beams Bathed in light that Southern prison, Thy spirit, borne from its fever'd dreams, To a holier life had risen.
Thy place of rest we may not see- Oh, God! thy aid not scorning; We leave our darling one with Thee, "Till the Resurrection morning,
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Peace's dewy wings again are cast O'er our tried, our suffering nation; And. those must be forgotten last, Who died for her salvation.
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Spring came again, and the soft winds sighed To the buds, and the springing clover ; When an angel came from "the other side," And beckoned our mother "over."
Ye are gathered home, our loved and lost ;- And I stand without a shiver, And think, as I look where the dear ones crossed, How little way 'tis o'er the "River."
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The birds sing sweet in the homeside trees, And the flowers smile up to their "keepers," But our hearts ache on in hours like these, As we think of our household "sleepers."
Though my bark sails on to "the unknown sea," With dirge-like gales to waft her, Mother and Brother are waiting for me, In the land of the "hereafter." HILLSIDE HOME, May 20th, 1865.
103. KEITH, G. H., Albany .- Enlisted November 16th, 1861. Promoted corporal. He died at Newport Barracks, November 2d, 1862. We find the following account in the correspondence of the " Wyoming Times," dated November 21st, 1862.
" Yesterday (Sunday) morning, a gloom pervaded our camp, occa- sioned by the death of one of the members of our company.
" His name was G. Harrison Keith. He belonged to the older por- tion of the company, having joined with them at Albany. His resi- dence was in Johnstown, Fulton County. He was young and active, held the position of corporal, and was deservedly popular. He died
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rather suddenly. He had been severely sick with billious typhoid fever, but the day previous to his death was said to be improving rapidly. Funeral service was held in the afternoon at the chapel, and his body, followed by the whole company, was carried to Newport and buried with all becoming ceremony. This is the first death that has occurred since our arrival. The slow moving ambulance, the solemn procession winding its way through the narrow, woody road, the pines murmuring a funeral dirge as we passed under their branches, all combined, must have made even the most reckless reflect upon the brevity of life, the certainty of death, and the necessity of a prepara- tion to meet it."
104. KELLOGG, G. W., New York .- Enlisted and mustered in, November 13th, 1861. Promoted corporal by Capt. Lee. Acted as quartermaster for a short time at New Berne. Re-enlisted as a veteran at Plymouth, January 2d, 1864. Mustered out of the Battery at Plymouth, on account of promotion, in April, 1864. Promoted to second lieutenant, Third New York Inde- pendent Battery, January 8th, 1863. Promoted to first lieutenant, October 31st, 1864.
Was in all the battles, under Grant, in Virginia, including the Battle of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and the taking of Richmond.
Is married, and now lives in New Jersey.
105. KETCHUM, RICHMOND A .- Enlisted at Rochester, N. Y., September 30th, 1864, for three years, and joined at Roanoke, November 9th, 1864.
Transferred to Third N. Y. Artillery, May 25th, 1865.
106. KING, SYLVANUS .- Joined for duty from Hamlin, N. Y., October 15th, 1861. Re-enlisted as a veteran at Plymouth, in January, 1864. Was taken prisoner at
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Plymouth, and died at Andersonville, September 14th, 1864, of scorbutis. The number of his grave is 8,738.
107. KNOWLDEN, HENRY C., New York .- Enlisted and mustered in, April 12th, 1864, for three years.
Transferred to Third N. Y. Artillery, May 25th, 1865.
108. LAPHAM, LEDRA H., Moscow, N. Y .- Enlisted August 29th, 1862. Mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Was taken prisoner at Plymouth.
It was a great sacrifice for Newton and the Lapham brothers to give up a lucrative business, pleasant homes and flattering prospects to enter the army ; and yet, full of the fire of loyalty, they did it.
Ledra Lapham was not a strong man. A portion of the time, while in garrison, he seemed greatly improved, and, even while at Andersonville, he evinced that won- derful tenacity for life which we are always astonished to see in those whom we have been accustomed to look upon as feeble and delicate. He endured prison expe- rience with but little complaint or fretfulness, while many stronger ones were uselessly querulous and disagreeable.
Newton and he were together in the hospital. It is quite noticeable that they should have been so much together, and finally died within a few days of each other.
: Lapham died August 5th, 1864, of chronic diarrhoea. The number of his grave is 4,871.
109. LAPHAM, HORACE, Moscow, N. Y .- Enlisted August 29th, 1862. Mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Was a brother of Ledra Lapham.
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Against his wishes, he was discharged from the ser- vice for physical inability. He now resides in Genesee, Livingston County, N. Y.
110. LAWLER, E., Hamlin, N. Y .- Joined for duty, October 21st, 1861.
Nothing more is known about him.
111. LEE, ABRAM, Perry .- Joined for duty, October 3d, 1861. He re-enlisted as a veteran, January 1st, 1864, at Plymouth. Was taken prisoner and sent to Andersonville.
He died at Andersonville Hospital of chronic diar- rhoea, June 14th, 1864.
The number of his grave is 1,944.
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112. LENT, ABRAM, Perry .- Enlisted August 29th, 1862. Mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and died at Andersonville Hospital of pneumonia, June 29th, 1864.
The number of his grave is 2,686.
Abe Lent was long and familiarly known to the citi- zens of Perry. Most of us who enlisted at that time knew him well, and we recollect that many suspected that he was up to some of his shrewd tricks, and did not intend really to go with us. When we were placed in rank, in the room of the mustering officer at Buffalo, Abe refused for some time to raise his hand and take the oath. He, however, yielded to the persuasions of his friends, and was sworn. Many attributed his conduct to an unwillingness to go, but we are inclined to think that he stated his true reason, which was, that in his opinion
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Hastings should have been sworn in with the rest, to carry out the understanding among the boys at the time of the enlistment. He did not understand that Hastings was to be mustered in as a commissioned officer at Albany. Familiar with bookkeeping and reports, he made himself quite useful at the battery headquarters at that kind of labor. During the latter part of our stay in Plymouth, however, he took a post at the piece, and worked well. Abe was very fond of spending an even- ing reviewing and rehearsing the acts and sports of the men of Perry who used to be his chums. He was hap- piest when he could tell us his stories of the political and other intrigues and maneuvers that he had been cognizant of, while others were in ignorance and blindness, and he chuckling to himself as he heard their innocent remarks and saw their unsuccessful tactics. Even in prison life, a retrospect of the past was his habitual resort for passing the time pleasantly. When he was sent to the hospital, he was very low, but he recognized his friends. He failed rapidly, and became delirious and insensible.
He died in unconsciousness.
113. LEONARD, FRANCIS, Albany .- Enlisted November 16th, 1861. Was appointed corporal at the time of the organization of Battery "B" of the Rocket Battalion. Re-enlisted January 1st, 1864, and was taken prisoner at Plymouth. Was exchanged and joined for duty again April 27th, 1865. He joined the Company at Coanjock Bridge early in May, 1865, looking fat and healthy, a
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neat, tidy soldier. He was married after he left the ser- vice, and now lives at Albany, New York.
114. LLOYD, H. P .- He writes : "I enlisted at Angelica, New York, August 25th, 1862. Was mustered in at Buf- falo, September 5th, 1862. Was mustered out of the Battery, March 11th, 1864, at New Berne, N. C., to accept promotion in the Twenty-second New York Cavalry. Was not captured, but was in hospital at Annapolis, Md., when some of the men were returned from Andersonville and Florence. Saw Sam and William Nichols-both in a very reduced state-unable to sit up. Conversed with them, and did what I could to relieve them.
"John Russell and Carnahan were there also. Some others were there, but I was not able to see them person- ally. I was promoted to sergeant, October 10th, 1862, and was promoted to first sergeant in December, 1862, or January, 1863. On the 12th of March, 1864, I was commissioned first lieutenant of the Twenty-second New York Cavalry, by Governor Seymour. On the 13th of July, 1864, I was commissioned captain by the same. " On the 24th of January, 1865, I was commissioned as major in the same regiment, by Governor Fenton.
"On the 13th of March, I was brevetted by the Presi- dent for 'gallant and meritorious conduct ' and was recommended for brevets three other times by the Corps Commanders.
" I was detailed as a member of a Military Court of In- quiry, and as a member of two different Courts Martial, at Winchester, Va. in the winter of 1864 and 1865. In February, 1865, I was appointed aid-de-camp on the
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staff of Major-General William Wells, and served in his staff until active hostilities ceased. In April, 1865, I was appointed by the Secretary of War, as Commissary of Musters for the Cavalry Corps of the army of the Shenandoah, and I served in this capacity on the staff of Gen. Lorbert and Gen. Reno, until Aug. 1st, 1865, when I rejoined my regiment and was mustered out of service at Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 8th, 1865.
" I was engaged in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac, under Grant, until Aug. 1864, when our divi- sion of the Cavalry Corps was sent to the Shenandoah Valley, under Sheridan.
"On the 21st August, 1864, at Smithfield, Va., I re- ceived a severe gun-shot wound through the body and right lung, and narrowly escaped capture."
Lloyd is one of the active members and corresponding secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association of Cincinnati.
He has built up a lucrative and successful law practice.
Married June 16th, 1869, to Miss Hattie G. Raymond, daughter of John H. Raymond, L.L.D., President of Vassar College.
Present address, Cincinnati, O.
115. LOOMIS, HIRAM, Mt. Morris, N. Y .- Enlisted at Perry on the 29th of August, 1862, was mustered in at Buffalo on the 30th. Taken prisoner at Plymouth, April 20th, 1864.
Was at the Andersonville, Florence and Charleston prisons. He says : " After I had been in Andersonville about five months it was thought that Sherman was about
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to invade the portion of the State in which the prison was located, so they removed us to Charleston and from thence to Florence.
"When I went to Andersonville, I was sick and could scarcely keep my place in the ranks, but with Wirz at my back with a revolver pointed at me, I felt called upon to put forth every possible effort.
" Was at Florence three months.
" Was exchanged at Charleston, Dec. 10th, 1864. Was afterwards detailed as orderly in the Navy Yard. Mus- tered out June 28th, 1865.
" Was married to Miss Annie W. Sweetman of Mt. Morris, N. Y., October 25th, 1865."
Has been, since he left the army, quite successful in the cabinet business, at Pioneer, Williams Co., Ohio.
116. MOCLAIR, JERRY .- Mustered in at Buffalo, Sep- tember 30th, 1862. Was promoted to corporal. Interested himself in the recruiting of negroes, and we believe received a lieutenant's commission in a colored regiment. We never received a reply to our communication to him. Have heard that after the close of the war he was interested with Lieutenant Camp, in business in North Carolina. Gave that up, returned to Moscow, and was married. Settled for a short time in Moscow, and has now returned to the south again.
117. MCCRARY, ORRIN S., Mount Morris .- Enlisted September 9th, 1.362.
Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and, as we are in- formed by Ferguson, died at Florence, S. C., in the Fall of 1864.
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Of the three Mccrary brothers who started out with us in the Fall of 1862, Charles only remains.
Orrin was a sprightly, affable fellow, ready to do and to say anything to please. As a prisoner, he had little to complain of, and cheerfully looked forward to deliver- ance. But the lingering, sickening delay overpowered him, and he too fell, with the thousands of others that could no longer endure their prison tortures.
118. MCCRARY, WM. A., Mount Morris .- Enlisted August 29th, 1862. Mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Promoted corporal, November 4th, 1862.
While at New Berne, he was attacked with chronic diarrhea, and never fully recovered. He died of that disease, August 14th, 1863.
His body was embalmed and brought North for inter- ment. He was in so little active duty with us, that he had no opportunity for displaying his qualities as a sol- dier. His death was regretted and felt by all the mem- bers of the Battery.
119. MCCRARY, CHARLES, Mount Morris-the third of the three brothers .- Enlisted August 28th, 1862, and was mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Was discharged on account of physical inability. Present address, Wellsville, N. Y.
120. MOCRINK, JOHN, Perry .- Enlisted August 28th, 1862. Mustered in at Buffalo, August 30th, 1862. Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and died at Ander- sonville Hospital, of chronic diarrhoea, August 19th, 1864. The number of his grave is 6,203.
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John's tongue wagged ceaselessly. His body might be wearied, his spirits subdued, but his tongue never cared for rest. He was pretty well advanced in years; had had a good deal of experience as a traveler, and his stock of stories was large ; and if they needed a little burn- ishing, he had quite a faculty for inventing additional oc- currences which should keep up the interest of his hearers.
In prison he kept up good spirits ; and if a body was not too dejected, an hour's interview with him was a relief from the more sedate and quiet comrades.
After he reached the hospital, he became greatly alarmed, as he realized that death was approaching. Several nights in succession we were roused at midnight by a message from him that he was dying, yet he lingered along for some time. In the daytime he would seem to be improving, and at night would fail. We managed at last to obtain a Roman Catholic priest, who made him a visit, and the comforting assurances which John received from him seemed to quiet his alarm, and he died, being himself hardly aware that he was breathing his last.
121. MOCRINK, JAMES, Perry .- Enlisted December 22d, 1863. He reached Plymouth just in time to be taken prisoner.
We are unable to trace him any further, but it is sup- posed that he died in prison.
122. McDONALD, ARCHIBALD, New York .- Enlisted November 26th, 1861. Re-enlisted as a veteran, Janu- ary 1st, 1864. At one time acted as orderly sergeant. Was promoted corporal in 1864.
Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and died at Ander-
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sonville Hospital, of typhoid fever, September 15th, 1864. The number of his grave is 8,969.
He was a faithful soldier and a willing worker, a radical thinker and a plain speaker, yet a practical pro- moter of obeyance to orders and strict discipline. To the oldest portion of the Battery he was best known, and was quite popular with them.
123. MCEWEN, GEORGE W., Ticonderoga. - Joined for duty October 2d, 1861. He was in poor health most of the time, and we conclude, as his name cannot be found on the later muster rolls, that he was discharged from some of the hospitals. Re-enlisted, as a veteran volunteer, at Plymouth, January 1st, 1864,. Received veteran furlough and never returned to his company. Had charge of the cook house when we first enlisted the two colored cooks, allowed by law (George and Nelson).
Little Pete coming up to the quarters, one day, sung out to McEwen-" Ho ! Mack, the boys go back on your nigger cooks, ha, ha ; dats too bad, ha, ha." Mack replied, "O, you d-d black imp, what you talking about"-at the same time picking up a stone to throw. Pete replied, " Oh, Mack, oh, Mack, I didn't mean nothing, the're all right. I'd just as leave eat after their cooking as after yours."
124. MCGUIRE, THOMAS, Gainsville, N. Y .- Joined for duty, October 1st, 1861. Re-enlisted, as a veteran, in January, 1864.
Was taken sick while on his veteran furlough, and arrived at Roanoke Island, April 20th, 1864, just after Plymouth was captured. He remained with the remnant of the Battery until it was mustered out in Syracuse. Present address, Gainsville, N. Y.
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125. MCGUIRE, JAMES, Gainsville, N. Y .- A brother of Thomas ; joined for duty, February 24th, 1864. Taken prisoner at Plymouth, April 20th, 1864.
126. MCGUIRE, MICHAEL .- Enlisted March 21st, 1864, at Gainsville, N. Y., for three years ; joined April 20th, 1864; died at hospital, on Roanoke Island, August, 1864, of acute dysentery. Is buried near the hospital (brother of Thomas McGuire).
127. MONINCH, HENRY, MOSCOW .- Enlisted December 19th, 1863.
Was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and is reported by Newcomb to have died at Florence.
He was one of the last recruits before the battle of Plymouth, and we do not know much about his move- ments after he reached Andersonville, as we had little acquaintance with him. .
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128. McVEY, JAMES .- Mustered in about Sept. 30th, 1862.
Mc Vey was one of the young men that volunteered from Hamilton College, at the time George Hastings joined the Battery. He was a restless fellow, and felt the restraint of army discipline severely. On this account he made a poor soldier. He was talented, had a keen sense of honor, and to our thinking, too high an appreciation of caste. After a little time he was put on detailed service, in the General Department, at New Berne. Was promoted to a lieutenant's commission in the Third New York Artillery. Was aid-de-camp on General Peck's Staff. Came with General Peck to
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New York City, and remained on his staff while he had command of that department. He was there mustered out of service. We have been told that he returned to his home, in the interior of New York State, and died there.
129. MAREAN, CHARLES A., Moscow .- Enlisted Au- gust 28th, 1862.
Mustered in at Buffalo, April 30th, 1862.
He was quick and impulsive in his enlistment.
As he was quite young and inexperienced, he could hardly realize his undertaking ; yet, in actual experience he proved himself steady and capable. He was taken prisoner at Plymouth, and we are informed by Fergu- son, died at Florence, S. C.
130. MARRIN, PATRICK, Perry .- Enlisted November 21st, 1861. Re-enlisted as a veteran, January 1st, 1864. Was taken prisoner at Plymouth. Marrin was very severely wounded at the battle of Plymouth, being struck with five Minie bullets, while at his post in charge of the caisson teams. One passed through his hat, just grazing the skin ; two bullets, not five minutes apart, passed through the fleshy part of his legs, above the knee ; another lodged in his ankle, and remains there yet, causing him a great deal of suffering at times. He showed no cowardice, nor flinching, but remained at his post as long as he was able. After he was wounded, he started for the hospital, using two pieces of palings as crutches, and on his way was met by some rebels who stopped him, set him down, pulled off his boots, took his hat, and then set him up and let him go on minus hat and boots, which were too good to lose.
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He remained at Plymouth some time, with others of the wounded, and was finally sent to Andersonville.
His wounded leg troubled him considerably, and he was sent to the hospital. He there made himself so use- ful that he remained as an attendant until he was ex- changed.
He was paroled in November, 1864, at Savannah. Joined after exchange, at Coanjock, in May, and was transferred to Third New York Artillery.
Present address, Perry, N. Y.
131. MARRIN, CONNOR, Perry .- Enlisted November 21st, 1861.
Was discharged from the hospital on account of physi- cal inability. The following has been copied from a newspaper (name and date not stated) " Connor Marrin, a resident of Perry, and a member of Lee's battery, at New Berne, N. C., returned home on Monday evening. He has dropsy on the liver, and has received his dis- charge in consequence."
We have heard that he was with his brother in Cali- fornia.
132. MARTIN, HECTOR C., Warsaw .- Enlisted, October 12th, 1861.
Was mustered in as bugler, and held that position for some time. It did not suit his taste, however, and others, whose musical genius better fitted them for the position, were appointed in his place. He was promoted quartermaster sergeant, November 4th, 1862.
There is no evidence in the muster rolls that he re- enlisted as a veteran. 7
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If our memory serves us rightly, he had determined to serve out his three years, and then return to his family. He was taken prisoner at Plymouth, N. C., and died at Andersonville Hospital, August 7th, 1864.
The number of his grave is 5,086.
133. MEADE, GEORGE F. H., Moscow .- He was mus- tered in some time in 1864. .
We cannot find his name in any of the muster rolls in our possession.
William Carnahan writes that Meade was shot in the battle at Plymouth, and that he saw him after he was dead. We believe that he was attached to Williams de- tachment, and the current report in the story of the battle of Plymouth, as told by the men of that detachment, was, that Meade was shot dead instantly. The ball passing either through his head or his heart.
134. MERRILL, J. W., Perry .- Enlisted August 30th, 1862.
Mustered in at Buffalo, on the same day.
Was appointed sergeant, November 4th, 1862.
Was reduced February 18th, 1864, to private, by his own request, in order to enable him to accept a detail in the quartermaster's department, at Plymouth. At the battle of Plymouth, by request of Captain Cady, he re- sumed the command of his old detachment, which was stationed at the extreme right of the line of works. While in the army was correspondent for " The Wyoming Times " and ".The Western New Yorker, " over the signature of " J. W. M."
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Was discharged from the service, by special order of the Secretary of War, No. 157, on the 20th of April, 1864, in order to allow him to accept a commission as second lieutenant in the Second New York Artillery. (See vol. 2, New York State Adjutant's Report, 1868.) At the same date, and before the discharge and com- mission had reached him, he was taken prisoner at Ply- mouth. During his imprisonment he remained a month in the stockade. Was sent from there to the hospital. By the kind attention received from Dr. A. W. Barrows, of Amherst, Mass., a fellow prisoner, he sufficiently re- covered to do duty in the hospital, in caring for the sick. Was a short time in Millen prison. Was paroled for exchange at Savannah, November 20th, 1864. He reached the Federal steamer with little clothing, penniless and hungry. Remained in General Mulford's office, on the flag ship, "New York," of the exchange fleet, a month. Was mustered out of service, August, 1865, in New York City.
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