USA > New York > Dutchess County > The "Dutchess county regiment" (150th regiment of New York state volunteer infantry) in the Civil War; > Part 12
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It is one thing to talk about home when you have never been away from it under circumstances which not only prevented your return when you wished to do so, but gave you good reason to doubt whether you ever would return, and it is quite another matter to wander thousands of miles away with nothing to console you in the midst of trials and dangers but the memory of that "Dearest spot on earth," and many a poor fellow has learned through sad experience how poor an estimate he once placed on home, and father and mother.
There was a special order issued in our case, allowing us to get out of the service, while other regiments, whose terms expired about the time of ours, were kept in, which we appreciate and will remember with many other favors received from our old colonel, John Henry Ketcham, and if our friends realize a very large amount of pleasure by the return of the 150th they can thank him for it in a large measure. W. R. W.
We were discharged from the United States service June 8, 1865, near Washington, D. C.
Homeward bound, we arrived in New York City June 9th, and came up the Hudson River on the steamer Mary Benton. Shall we ever forget the scene which met our eyes on arriving at the landing in Poughkeepsie, and the mass of people that were waiting to greet us, striving with each other as to who should be the first to extend
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the welcome hand. We were marched to the "Soldiers' Rest," where we broke ranks and scattered.
Those of us whose homes were near were not long in getting to them, and many of those whose homes were in the extreme eastern part of the county, some twenty- five or thirty miles distant, at once continued their "Tramp-Tramp-Tramp "-towards them; and they were all back to Poughkeepsie on the morning of the 12th, for the grand reception.
The following, concerning the manner in which we were received in our home city, the same from which we had marched to the seat of war three years before, is from the Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle of June 13, 1865 :
THE GREAT RECEPTION.
50,000 People in the City.
June 12, 1865, will henceforth be a great day in the annals of the City of Poughkeepsie and of Dutchess County, being that on which the 150th Regiment of New York Volunteers was formally received on its return home from the war which crushed out the great rebellion.
Decidedly the great attraction of the day was the noble 150th Regiment itself, and never before did any organization so completely take up the attention of the masses as did the brave veterans. War- worn in appearance, their faces browned by Southern suns, their steady, measured step, the expression of their countenances, every one of them seeming to exclaim, "I have dared to do all that becomes a man," was a picture never to be witnessed again in the streets of this city.
Every inch of ground over which they moved was consecrated by their tread. Thousands of bouquets were hurled from windows and house-tops at the regiment in every street they passed through, and the enthusiasm along the route as the regiment passed was unequalled. Old men wept tears of joy at the sight. The procession was the largest ever gotten up in this city.
The scenes along the route were amusing, laughable, entertaining, and sometimes thrilling. At the residence of the Mayor the children of the public schools, dressed in holiday attire, were assembled on the wall running from the railroad bridge to the river. The regiment halted while the children sang songs, after which they presented each
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of the noble fellows with a bouquet of flowers. This was a beautiful sight, and many in the ranks shed tears.
All along the line of march little tokens, consisting of flowers, handkerchiefs, ribbons, gloves, rings, etc., were presented to the soldiers as they filed past. At the different seminaries the pupils were grouped in artistic style, and at each of these institutions singing took place, and floral tributes were handed to the regiment. In front of East- man's College the rank and file partook of light refreshments gotten up for the occasion by the Professor, and here also floral gifts were handed out. All along the line of march there were conveniences provided for the thirsty.
The scene on Main Street was one never to be forgotten, and every available place was occupied by the lookers-on. Gayly dressed women crowded the windows, while those of the sterner sex had to satisfy themselves with squatting on the house-tops, in trees, and on awning posts, and every available place was filled. From Water Street to Red Mills there was one vast sea of humanity.
On the sidewalks the jam and crush was indescribable, and many were the groups of young ladies dressed in white and covered with gay ribbons and garlands, who saluted the war-worn heroes as they passed, with songs and waving of handkerchiefs and flags.
A touching scene occurred on Main Street, near Washington Street, where one of the maimed veterans of the regiment was greeted in a most sorrowful manner by a young lady dressed in deep mourning.
"Mary," said the soldier, "where is Mother?"
" Dead, Jamie; dead," was the reply.
We could not bear to linger on the spot, for the poor fellow burst into tears and stood uncovered, a picture of utter desolation.
There were hundreds of mottoes displayed along the line. Among them were the following:
" The 150th has never known defeat,
Its battle cry is 'Ever Onward,'
Its watchword 'No Retreat.'"
" Welcome Old Dutchess' honored sons."
"Old Dutchess greets the 145th New York State Volunteers as her adopted sons."
"We are proud of your achievements."
" Well done, brave boys! History will do you justice."
" We greet the living and mourn the dead."
"I'nion." "Peace." "Grant." "Sherman."
At the park in Mansion Square a large stand had been erected, on which was seated Eastman's Band, the speakers, and others. On the arrival of the procession the 150th was drawn up in line in front of the stand, and, after stacking their arms, were formally
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welcomed back to their homes in an eloquent address by Judge Emott. Colonel Smith responded to Judge Emott's address of welcome, and General Ketcham being loudly called for, responded with a touching speech. Captain Woodin also addressed the regiment and citizens in his usual off-hand manner.
After the addresses were over a committee of ladies stepped forward and were presented with the tattered flags of the regiment, which were given to it when it left for the seat of war.
This was a thrilling part of the program. Here were the sacred emblems which had been carried victoriously through the storm of battle for three years, tattered and torn into shreds, but returned with not a single stain of disgrace upon them. Never have they been trailed in the dust by an insolent foe. The same ladies which pre- sented them in 1862 received them to-day.
The presentation scene itself, without the truly affecting remarks which accompanied it, brought tears to the eyes of hundreds, and strong men, as they thought of the loved ones who had fallen amid the crash of shot and shell while protecting those colors, bowed their heads in sorrow for the moment and dropped a tear to the memory of the departed.
At the conclusion some one proposed three cheers for "Something to eat," and they were heartily given, and responded to by actual business. The tables literally groaned with the weight of good things with which they were heaped. There was plenty to eat, and, as a lady humorously expressed it after all had gotten through,-" Dear me sakes,-how much is left!" The day's celebration was ended by a grand Dress Parade of the 150th.
In the foregoing extract from the Eagle the reception of the regiment by its friends and loyal neighbors is well described, and the scenes there depicted are brought vividly to the minds of those who witnessed or took part in them, but what can I say of the parting which inevitably followed the disbanding of the regiment ?
For three long years we had been as brothers on the weary march, the battlefield and camp, sometimes divid- ing our last hardtack, caring for the dead and dying, or sharing a blanket as we lay sleeping on the cold ground. " We drank from the same canteen !"
We were received with loving embraces by father,
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
mother, brother, sister, or wife and children, and listened to the heartfelt thanksgiving of grateful ones for our safe return. But there were other welcomes too, in sad voices, from those whose tearful eyes told us that their dear ones had not returned to receive this welcome, but were left in that vast bivouac of the dead which held so many of our number.
To these bereaved ones the greater deference! We had endured the hardships, it is true, but we had been permitted to safely return: War's most awful tragedies were in the homes, rather than on the battlefields.
With trembling voice the last "Good-bye " is spoken, and we separate and disappear in the walks of civil life.
MONUMENT AT GETTYSBURG.
CHAPTER XVI. THE MONUMENT AND ITS DEDICATION.
By STEPHEN G. COOK.
How the Money was Raised-Description of the Monument-Ceremonies and Addresses at its Dedication-Speakers of the Day-Others Present-Evening Campfire.
In 1887 the Legislature of the State of New York appropriated $1,500 to each of the regiments and bat- teries from that state which were engaged at the battle of Gettysburg, for the purpose of erecting a monument on that historic battlefield.
Many of the members thought this sum insufficient to erect a suitable monument for the Dutchess County Regiment, and especially was this the opinion of Colonel A. B. Smith, who wanted the monument to represent a "Tower of Strength," and largely through his endeavors $3,000 more were added to the state's $1,500. The monument cost $4,400 and the marker near the Trostle House cost $100.
"It is a strong and aggressive tower, with the deeds of its defenders recorded on its outer walls, and is a most fitting memorial for such an historic spot. It ex- presses, in a symbolic way, the cause which this and all other Union regiments were organized to defend on so many hard-fought battlefields."
It has " from base to battlemented cap, a height of twenty-five feet, with a base of ten feet square and a weight of over seventy tons."
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
It was designed by George E. Bissell of Mt. Vernon, N. Y., and the contractors were Van Wyck & Collins of Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
On the 17th of September, 1889, seventy-six members of the old regiment and ninety-three of their friends met around the base of the monument to witness the cere- monies of its dedication.
The address of welcome was delivered by General John H. Ketcham in which he said, " It is with mingled emo- tions of pleasure and sadness that I welcome you to-day, and invite you to join in the ceremonies that have been deemed appropriate for our celebration.
"As your comrade, rather than as your colonel, of twenty-six years ago, I ask you to assist in commemorating the occasion which first brought us to this beautiful spot. In those days, and long before them; before we ever dreamed of war as a possibility in our favored land, we were most of us neighbors and friends; born and reared in one of the finest counties in our great state, on the banks of our noble Hudson. When the summons came to serve our beloved country, we started as one man, animated by a common impulse of devotion to duty; with a common ambition to do our very best to make for our home regiment a record second to that of none in the service. Where all were noble and true soldiers, there was little need of rule, and little thought of rank.
" We cherish tenderly and proudly the memory of each of our devoted band who fell here. History and this enduring granite will tell our children's children of their heroism and valor. But these remnants of our once bright and beautiful colors speak to us loudly, not only of those whom we are met to-day to honor, but of others as
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gallant and great as they, who afterwards perished on many other well-fought fields. We think of them reverently and affectionately and of others who came not here to-day, who have one after another fallen by the way, whose services to our regiment and their country we remember with profoundest gratitude. Nor do we forget the loved ones who stayed at home to work and pray for us; the wives, and mothers, and sisters who labored in camp and hospital unremittingly, many of whom have gone to their reward."
Upon concluding his address General Ketcham called upon the Rev. E. O. Bartlett, D.D., late chaplain of the regiment, to offer his dedicatory prayer in which he said:
"We praise Thy name for Thy great mercy in preserv- ing our lives during these years to enjoy the fruits and honors of a peace won by periling all for country, and that, after the lapse of a quarter of a century, Thou dost permit these veterans, these soldiers of the Union, to come back to these blood-stained hills and fields to dedicate this noble monument to the memory of the brave men who here poured out their blood upon the altar of their country.
" We consecrate this monument to Thee, Thou God of nations, who hast so marvelously guided and blessed us in the past, leading our forefathers, like Israel of old, to a land abounding in riches. We praise, laud and adore Thy holy name, that Thou didst bring forth a man from the people and of the people to be, like Moses and Joshua, a worthy leader of a mighty host. At his call Thou didst put it into the hearts of thousands and hun- dreds of thousands to take their lives in their hands, leaving their homes and the comforts and emoluments of
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
civil life, to go forth to war, that liberty and union might not perish .at the bidding of those who would build an empire upon the corner stone of human bondage.
"We beseech Thee that these granite stones and bronzed letters may tell our children and all coming gen- erations not only of brave and true men who here fought in the defense of their country, but that all these monu- ments may speak of Thee and Thy righteous judgments, that RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION, BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE."
At the conclusion of the prayer the monument was un- veiled by Miss Ethel B. Ketcham, the only daughter of the general.
It was then presented to the "Battlefield Memorial Association," by Colonel Alfred B. Smith, who said:
" It has been erected by the surviving members of the 1 50th Regiment, New York Volunteers, and their friends in Dutchess County, N. Y., as a tribute of respect to the memory of those who gave their lives in heroic defence of our country on this field twenty-six years ago, as also an enduring memorial of the valor of those who escaped the perils of war, and a fitting expression of the patriotism of old Dutchess and the Empire State. It is composed of thirteen massive stones, emblems of national birth, unity and stability.
"Here we stood six hundred strong, shoulder to shoulder, riveted to these rocks by loyal love to the Union and the government of our fathers.
"So the massive stones of this monument, reared one above the other, are significantly appropriate, each hold- ing the other in place, representing a tower of invincible strength. They also fitly typify the unity, love and
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THE MONUMENT AND ITS DEDICATION.
mutual respect which characterized officers and men of this regiment.
"May this monument endure forever as a symbol of that fraternity, inspiring courage, loyalty and true man- hood, which are the life-blood of the republic and its only warrant for existence."
The acceptance of the monument by the chairman of the committee was followed by the oration of the day, delivered by Judge Henry A. Gildersleeve.
His remarks besides being very eloquent were replete with historic allusions to the principles on which the foun- dation of this government was laid, and the liberty and jus- tice on which it rests. He called attention to the fact that " while from other fields may be gathered as appalling records of slaughter by contending armies, Gettysburg was the most decisive in its results, and in history will be the most conspicuous.
" On the escutcheon of nations, written with the blood of heroes, France has her Austerlitz, England her Waterloo, and the United States her Gettysburg.
"It was a victory that insured the prosperity of the Federal Union; made permanent the establishment of Republican Government among the nations of the earth; cast off the fetters of three million bondsmen and abol- ished slavery in America forever."
These ringing words were also heard, and thrilled the hearts of his hearers, "I can forgive the Southern rebel for taking up arms against the Union, grasp him warmly by the hand and call him brother; but a Northern copper- head,-well, God may have mercy on him, but I cannot."
Here is another interesting extract from his oration: "Do you remember our camp on the hill near Monocacy
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
Bridge, from which point we first saw a portion of the great Army of the Potomac of which we read so much ? For the first time we saw them bivouac, and listened to the music from their brigade bands as it pealed forth upon the air on that still and solemn night. What a spectacle for a recruit to look upon! We were amazed at the length of the wagon trains and batteries of artillery as they filed into the valley below us and went into park for the night. Thousands of camp fires lighted up the region around, and we stood spellbound at the sight of the vast enginery of war that was before us. It was in this camp, inspired by this spectacle, we first imbibed the true spirit of war and nerved ourselves for the trying scenes we knew we must encounter, and desperate deeds which were before us."
It has been said that it was on this hill that Julia Ward Howe caught the inspiration for the glorious song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the first line of which reads :
" Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."
Whether this be true or not it was a scene calculated to inspire just such a poem as she wrote. It seems to me that its vividness has not faded a particle from my mind in the forty-five years that have since elapsed, and probably will not until death has terminated all memories.
Judge Gildersleeve closed his oration with these memorable words :
" We dedicate this monument to the memory of Ameri- can soldiers, who with their life's blood wrote a law upon the statute book of the United States, declaring that 'He who bears arms in a war having for its object the dissolu-
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THE MONUMENT AND ITS DEDICATION.
tion of the Union is guilty of treason.' Alas, that the mortal remains of Gridley, Marshall, Welling, Sleight, Sweet, Stone, Odell, Lovelace, Palmeteer, Story, and others of the regiment who were sacrificed upon their country's altar, cannot rest beneath this mass of granite, so well calculated to withstand the ravages of time, and thus have their burial places and their names perpetuated throughout the ages to come. The love of kinsmen and the loyalty of affectionate comrades and friends have done for them, as we have here to-day for those who sleep beneath this monument, all that human hands can do to fittingly mark their graves and keep their memories green. There is no difference in degree; time will place all upon a common level. What are these monuments to which we point with pride? Some day they must crumble into dust. No matter how high and strong we build the fortresses of stone over and around the martyred dead; we might build their granite bases as broad as the pyra- mids and make their shafts touch heaven, yet there would be higher monuments and stronger fortresses built of the hearts of loyal Americans."
The orator of the day was followed by several other speakers, all of whom were interesting and entertaining. Among the speakers were Benson J. Lossing, LL.D., the historian, General H. H. Lockwood, the commander of the Brigade to which we had been attached, Colonel W. B. Maulsby of the Ist Potomac Home Brigade, Cap- tain W. R. Woodin, Captain Obed Wheeler and Captain S. V. R. Cruger.
Mrs. E. O. Bartlett, the wife of the Chaplain, read a spirited poem composed by Wallace Bruce, entitled,
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
"ON GUARD,
THE 150TH REGIMENT AT GETTYSBURG,"
after which the services were concluded by Chaplain E. O. Bartlett who pronounced the benediction, and the monu- ment was dedicated.
At the impromptu and informal campfire, called at "Spring Hotel " by General A. B. Smith after the dedica- tion ceremonies had been performed, several interesting, eloquent and touching speeches were made by
REV. E. L. ALLEN,
REV. W. F. HATFIELD, GENERAL A. B. SMITH, DR. S. G. COOK, ADJUTANT W. H. BARTLETT,
and several others whose names I cannot recall.
Captain Woodin recited a poem entitled, "Those Beautiful Hands," soon after which the campfire was extinguished and the next morning we left for our several homes never as a body to meet again on that battlefield.
ISCIR KEV YOU INFANTRY
DEDICATION OF MONUMENT AT GETTYSBURG.
CHAPTER XVII. REGIMENTAL BAND.
BY CHARLES E. BENTON.
How It Was Created-Its Members-A Unique Character-Its Service in Battle-Regi- ment's Position Marked by One of Its Members-Band Men Wounded -Faithful to a Variety of Duties.
The members of the regimental band were not enlisted as musicians, for the military law at that time gave no place in the regimental organization for a band, but it was made up of men detailed from the different com- panies for that purpose. It was formed while the regi- ment was at Camp Dutchess, but some of the members who were at first detailed for that service were not re- tained in it, but were replaced by others.
Stephen H. Stephenson, of Company B, was the leader at first, but while we were in Baltimore he was returned to his company, and James H. Vassar, of Company A, was made the leader, serving in that capacity to the close of the war. Stephenson was afterward detailed as divi- sion bugler. About the time of leaving Baltimore the following, as I recall, were members of the regimental band:
From Company A, James H. Vassar, Charles E. Ben- ton, Miles K. Lewis, Edwin A. Davis, Charles S. Chichester, and George Ingraham; from Company B, Henry Ritter, John E. Cavanagh, Francis C. Green, Timothy T. Beach, John Smithson, Samuel H. Cable,
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THE DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIMENT.
and Charles B. Hopkins; from Company C, James Smith ; from Company F, Richard L. Knight, Jefferson Cham- plain, and John Simon; from Company H, John Collin; from Company K, Amos T. Lilly.
Hubbard F. Roberts was drum major or "Principal Musician," as he was officially styled, and the drummers of the regiment were enlisted as drummers. John Collin was an English boy, but the others were American born, with the exception of John Simon, usually known as "Simmons," who enlisted with us at Baltimore.
Simon was something of a character in his way, and deserves more than passing mention. He was born in the Province of Normandy, France, of a family of means and social position. While attending a German Univer- sity he became involved in an affair which finally ended in a duel. One day, in one of his rare confidential moods, he opened his clothing and showed me the long sword-scar on his breast, which testified that the duel had been some- thing more than the fiasco that German University duels usually are. Either the duel, or the quarrel which led up to it, resulted in a break with his family, and after a while he entered the French army. He finally came to this country and enlisted as a musician in our regular army, where he served more than twenty years.
This I suppose was from lack of anything better to do, for his education was not complete enough to be worth much as a bread winner, and with the instinct of French aristocracy he heartily despised manual labor. He always seemed to consider his life to be somewhat of a failure, notwithstanding his undoubted natural abilities, and the experience soured a naturally wholesome disposi- tion.
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REGIMENTAL BAND.
On the same day on which Lieutenant Gridley was killed Simon was struck in the knee by a bullet. He was sent back to the hospital at Chattanooga, where he was told that it would be necessary to amputate his leg in order to save his life. But life already seemed to him to have been a failure, and the offer to be passed on into old age, a cripple depending on charity, was rejected with scorn, and as he was permitted to make his choice the operation was not performed, and he died of the wound.
Near Acworth, Georgia, in the summer of '64, another member of the band, Edwin A. Davis, received two painful wounds, but they did not prove fatal.
The band included in its membership many who had played in bands at home, and though at first its music was-just possibly-not of the highest order, yet it was at least as good for music as the regiment's drill was for drill, and as time went on the spirit of organization which pervades everything in military life perfected them both for their respective duties, and our band attained to the reputation of being an excellent military band.
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