USA > New York > The Ninth regiment, New York volunteers (Hawkins' zouaves); being a history of the regiment and veteran association from 1860 to 1900 > Part 30
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danger, and as the flag went down the last time, the gallant Libaire himself sprang forward in the midst of the reign of death and the horrors of hell, grasped the colors firmly in his hands, and with flashing eye and cheerful tone, cried at the top of his voice : 'Come on, boys! Come on!' and never sur- rendered his hold until he had planted this American flag upon the stone wall, the last defensive position the enemy's infantry held, while the remnant of our regiment pressed for- ward and drove the enemy's gunners from their cannon .:
*Since this address was delivered, Captain Libaire had received the Medal of Honor from the Government, in recognition of this act, thirty-five years after.
337
ORATION OF REV. CLARK WRIGHT.
"Concerning this last charge our faithful soldier friend, Captain Curie, writes: 'About four or five o'clock the order to advance was given. All the men then rose to their feet, and soon were on the march "double time" toward the village of Sharpsburgh. The enemy's bat- teries, which, prior to that time had been using only shell, began to pour out grape and can- nister, making sore havoc on our ranks from the time we began to move. There was a lane between two fences, some of which were down, so that some of the men had to climb these; a stone wall was reached and passed three or four hundred yards before the regiment reached its final stand at the wall on the brow of the hill, immediately in front of and in full view of the village of Sharpsburgh, and on the pres- ent site of the monument.'
"At last the victory was ours; the regiment had been given a hard task to perform, but that duty was accomplished, confirming its history of Roanoke, when it made the first bayonet charge of the war, viz .: that it would conquer the enemy's position or die in its tracks.
"Standing by the side of this monument, that dreadful scene that presented itself after the charge comes vividly to mind, from yonder Antietam Creek to the base of this monument the pathway is marked with the wounded, the
538 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
dying and the dead! We think of them as they left New York City, in 1861, bright, buoyant, youthful. hopeful, and we look now over the hills and the valleys and see the same boys - sons, whose mothers loved them as your mother loves you-mutilated, shattered, wounded, dead! I recall a few additional names of those that fell on this field: Turner, Rasiga, Hilderbrand, Bennett, Gunther, Shaffer, Alber, Watson, Beeker, Bessling, Rothers, Blazer, Hassan, McDermot, Smith, Dillman, Conway, Negus, Stites, Hopper, Burd, Flem- ing, the two Johnson brothers, Stephson, Chris- tain, Collins, and Shaw. Some of these are buried on this field. These are but a few of the names of those who fell on the spot occu- pied by this monument or on the slopes toward the Antietam.
" This charge, although driving the enemy from their places, bathing the soil with blood and causing the regiment to loose over 65 per cent. of their number, does not tell the whole story, because it carried distress and agony into scores of homes from whence the members of this regiment had come; for we remember that there were fathers, mothers, wives, and sweet- hearts and little children who were left desol- ate in many New York homes, because of the events transpiring on this field in 1862.
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339
ORATION OF REV. CLARK WRIGHT.
"The Union Army had won a great victory, and the enemy hastily retreated south of the Potomac; but the price paid was too great for the triumphs won, when we consider what was clearly within our grasp. Had the charge led by this regiment been sustained by the troops in our rear, the mass of cannon and the right wing of the rebel army, and necessarily with it the center and left, would have been captured beyond question, for, although the enemy were reinforced by the energetic A. P. Hill, from Harper's Ferry, our forces were sufficient for the situation, had they been thrown forward and concentrated by General Cox, at this par- ticular point. It is only another instance that occurs so frequently in war, where a general has victory within his grasp and by neglect or lack of decision fails to reap the benefit of the same. At 4 P.M., on the afternoon of the 17th, the enemy in and around Sharpsburgh were panic stricken and were flying faster toward the Potomac river than any troops ran at the battle of Bull Run; their guns were deserted, and some of the Ninth New York placed their hands upon the guns the enemy had left in their mad flight; indeed, some of the members of our regiment, forgetful of discipline, were so carried away with certainty of victory that they individually pursued the flying enemy on down
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340 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
through the streets of Sharpsburgh, and were finally recalled, not, however, until some of our number, like comrade Christian and John Byrd, fell, shot through the head, in the principal street of the village-victory was ours !
" General McClellan states in his report of the battle of Antietam: ''The Union Army captured 13 guns and 39 colors, more than 15,000 stands of small arms, and more than 6,000 prisoners were the trophies which attest the success of our arms.'
" Had the charge on the left been sustained by the troops in our rear that day General Longstreet and General A. P. Hill would have been driven back overwhelmed, and the right wing of the rebel forces captured or destroyed.
"General Hill, in his report of this battle states : My troops were not in a moment too soon ; the enemy had already advanced and broken through Jones' division, captured Mc- Intosh's battery, and were in full tide of suc- cess. With a yell of defiance, Archer charged them, retook McIntosh's guns and drove them back.'
"The inactivity of our troops in different parts of the army seems inexplicable; with the enemy panic-stricken, deserting their guns, a few of our men fighting to the death, without strength to take from the field the guns they
341
ORATION OF REV. CLARK WRIGHT.
captured, with thousands of well armed men standing unemployed; with the enemy, rein- forced by troops from Harper's Ferry, exhausted by the forced march, coming to bolster the defeated army of Lee. It is a mystery to this day unsolved, why the whole of the rebel army was not captured at the battle of Antietam.
" There is but one way whereby the problem can be solved: It is that there is a Divine Providence ever ruling the affairs of men: that peace should not come to our land until the four millions of slaves held in bondage should be set free; that the slave-driver's whip and the slave-master's shackles should no longer polute the air of America, but before peace could come to all the land, every human being, black or white, should be free to enjoy 'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' This is the only solution possible-why the army of General Lee was not captured at the battle of Antictam.
"We must remember that God rules in the armies of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld them, as we see now, that this country could not exist 'one-half slave and the other half free.' Up to the 17th of September, 1862, the war had been waged solely and absolutely for the preservation of the the Union. The question of emancipation of the slaves had been frequently urged upon the
542 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
President, and he was asked to issue a Pro- claimation of Emancipation as a war measure, to assist in weakening the enemy and strength- ening those fighting for the preservation of the Union. None can read the life of Abraham Lincoln and not feel his sympathy and convic- tions were on the side of emancipation, not only as a war measure, but because it was right, and that as God has created all men free, Lin- coln looked upon the perpetuation of slavery as a crime. Yet so complicated was the situation, he feared emancipation would seriously affect the continued loyalty of the border States and loyal men who were slave-holders.
"Such was the condition in the summer of 1862, when a visitor to the White House, who went there to discuss this subject with the President, found Mr. Lincoln pacing the floor of his room. Mr. Lincoln took him by the hand, and said: 'On my knees, I have laid this matter before God. If He wants the slaves emancipated, I will do it. If, after the next great battle that shall be fought by the Army of the Potomac victory comes to us, I will know by that God desires not only the preservation of the Union, but the freedom of the slaves; it is now in God's hands. I shall let the matter rest until after the next great battle.'
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543
ORATION OF REV. CLARK WRIGHT.
"You all know how great and bloody that battle was, fought upon these very grounds, and how rapidly the troops coming from the scene of the martyrdom of John Brown, to rein- force Lee's army here were defeated and driven back, and after fourteen hours' continu- ous battle the enemy disappeared and hastily crossed to the south side of the Potomac River. It was God speaking to Abraham Lincoln- 'The slave shall be free!'
"Like Gideon of old, the test was made, and the answer comes from this bloody field of An- tietam. Lincoln is true to the compact, for as soon as positive news of the victory reached Washington, he at once prepared the Emanci- pation Proclamation, and shortly after issued the same, declaring, in the face of the world, that henceforth and forever slavery was abol- ished throughout the United States.
"We obtain a better understanding of the situation after the lapse of these years, for had Gen. R. E. Lee's army been captured or com- pletely annihilated on this field, it would have resulted in a compromise with the States in rebellion whereby peace would have been declared and slavery continued ; but ‘God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform,' and the supineness of commanders, the inactivity of army corps, the blunder of
544 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
generals, and the escape of Lee, finds answer, as we behold Abraham Lincoln on his knees before his God, asking not only for wisdom to save the Union, but to open the way whereby four millions of slaves may be made free. The revelations of history confirm the statement, permanent peace could not come until the power of the United States to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation should be mani- fested to the world on subsequent battlefields, extending from Antietam to Appomatox.
" We were disappointed that the fruits of our great victory were not gathered here, but sub- sequent events proved that on Antietam battle- field we builded better than we knew, for the cardinal issues of the war that should give this country a permanent peace, were fixed and set- tled by the battle of Antietam. Here the question of slavery was forever settled, and our faithful army was to go hence to Gettysburg and Petersburgh, and crown the labor and toil of the years of contest by the surrender of Gen- eral Lee to General Grant at Appomatox.
"And now, my comrades, this memorial work commemorating the heroism of our fallen comrades of the Ninth Regiment, New York Volunteers, is completed. Our duty is done. Here this monument will stand and tell to future generations how brave men fought, and
345
ORATION OF REV. CLARK WRIGHT.
how an American citizen, transformed into an American soldier, died, that the Republic might live, and the principles of liberty and union be perpetuated while the land of the free is the home of the brave.
" You, my surviving comrades of our old regiment, come here for the last time-here we bid a final good-bye to all that is mortal of those who found a grave on the field of glory. May their repose be peaceful as the flowers of springtime that bestrew their graves with their fragrance each recurring Decoration Day. We can never forget them, but will remember their fidelity, devotion and heroism ; and may it be ours, when the Supreme Commander of the Universe shall call our names to answer with alacrity and joy, 'Here!' so when the final report is made it will show all present at that grand reunion on the shores of a blessed im- mortality.
" Until then, dear comrades of the Ninth New York Volunteers who found your sepul- chre on this field, farewell-farewell! May the angels of God watch over your sacred dust.
"The night of final separation has come; the arms are stacked, the sword is sheathed ; night is spreading her mantle, but the stars of hope are brightly shining : some in the camp are already sleeping, soon we will join them.
346 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
"Solemnly, mournfully,
Dealing its dole, The curfew bell Is beginning to toll. Cover the embers
And put out the light ;
Toil comes with the morning
And rest with the night.
Dark grow the tents
And quenched is the fire ;
Sound fades in silence,
All footsteps retire;
No voice in the camp,
No challenge, no call.
·Listen, taps are sounding !"
When the applause which followed the clos- ing of the oration had subsided the formality of completing the transfer of the monument and land to the representative of the Secretary of War was proceeded with, Colonel Hawkins introducing the comrade who was to perform that duty in the following words :
" We have with us to-day another of the youngsters who, like. the one previously pre- sented, had made up his mind to become a soldier, and accordingly enlisted in Company C. With gun, canteen, haversack and knap- sack, he went through his term of service, hav- ing well earned the rank of corporal in his company.
"Not satisfied with having ended his honor- able term of service in the Ninth, he became an officer in another regiment and saw the end of the Rebellion as a captain in the 178th New York Volunteers.
"I now take pleasure in presenting that
347
TRANSFERRING THE TITLE.
patriotic gentleman in the person of Captain Charles Curie, who will present the title-deed of our monument to General E. A. Carman, the representative of the United States, appointed to receive it.
Captain Curie, in presenting the deed, said :
" General E. A. Carman, United States Com- missioner in charge of Antietam Battlefield -- The Act of the Legislature of the State of New York appropriating a portion of the money for the erection of this monument made the con- ditions following :
' Upon the securing of the dedication of the ground upon which said monument shall rest to the memorial purpose for which said monu- ment shall be erected, with the rights of free access thereto by the public, subject neverthe- less, to proper rules and regulations for the preservation of said grounds and the monu- ment to be erected thereon, and the committee are directed to prescribe rules and regulations to govern the consideration and determination of the matters relating thereto.'
"This Committee, authorized by the unani- mous vote of the Hawkins' Zouaves Associa- tion, decided that; inasmuch as the Government of the United States had made provision for the laying out of the battlefield of Antietam, and had already done so much for the preser- vation of the history of that battle by laying out
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848 NINTII REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
roads and placing monuments and markers on the entire field, showing the positions of the contending forces, and also marking the places where the general officers fell, and providing for a care taker, that the monument would be best protected and preserved if placed in its custody and care, and the Committee having received intimation that the United States was willing to accept it for the purpose stated, I have been instructed and have now the pleasure to hand to you, and, through you to the United States of America, the deed for this monument and the land upon which it stands, with a right of way to it, for perpetual custody and care.
"May it stand on fair Maryland's historic field a reminder to all the sister States that only within the family fold their true happiness lies, and no wrongs to be redressed, imaginary or real, can every justify bloodshed such as was witnessed on this battlefield, and that it is in unity and peace alone they are to abide forevermore."
In accepting the monument on behalf of the United States, Gen. Ezra A. Carman, of the Antietam Battlefield Commission, who acted by authority and in behalf of the Secretary of War, said :
"Survivors of the Hawkins' Zouaves :- By direction of the Secretary of War, I accept for
349
GENERAL CARMAN'S REMARKS.
the United States this imposing monum erected by the State of New York to perpetu- ate and accentuate the history of one of her most heroic regiments, and especially to com- memorate its unfaltering devotion to duty on this field.
"It gives me great pleasure to do this, for I recognize that of all the heroic organizations whose devotion to duty and country was tried on this unparalleled field of blood, none ex- ceeded yours in bravery exhibited, sacrifices made, and results achieved.
"The 17th day of September, 1862, will long be remembered in the annals of American history. The bitter and bloody contest in the morning on the right, near Dunkard Church, brought no decisive result. Later in the day you crossed the Antietam by one of the lower fords, advanced over these hills a mile, under a most unerring and murderous fire of artil- icry, marking your path by scores of dead and wounded, reached this high ground, and in the face of a sheet of musketry dashed at and overthrew the right of Lee's army - Kemper's Virginia, and Drayton's South Carolina Brig- des -- the flower of the Southern Confederacy.
"Through no fault of yours the fruits of your bravery were not gathered. and the van- lage ground so dearly paid for by the blood
850 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
of your comrades was relinquished, but you can never relinquish the claim of duty well ' done, nor will history question it.
" One of the most eloquent tributes paid to human valor was that of Sir Charles Napier, to an English officer, who fell while assaulting the enemy's work at Badajos, Spain, in 1812. He says: 'But Ridge fell, and no man died that night with more glory, yet many died, and there was much glory.'
"What is here most beautifully and touch- ingly said of one man can be said of your comrades-none died with more glory, where many fell, and there was much glory.
"In yonder beautiful cemetery, in ground hallowed by their silent forms, your comrades, who carried the crown of glory are taking their long rest. The Government whose liber- ties they did so much to preserve and integrity to perpetuate, watches their eternal sleep with tender care. As it cares for them, so will it care for this imposing shaft dedicated to their memory and to their and your valor.
"So long as granite shall last, history will not fail to write nor tradition to repeat the story of the Hawkins' Zouaves on the field of the Antietam."
Colonel Hawkins then said :
" Among the brave and faithful of the regi-
531
"ANTIETAM."
ment no one was ever more respected than Sergeant Samuel L. Malcolm, who honestly earned his stripes in Company C. I now call upon him to give us, in his own impassioned way, the well known poem entitled 'Antietam !'"
Sergeant Malcolm recites the following ex- tract from the poem :
" To rest as those who bivouac still At Marathon and Bunker Hill. No more the pulse that beat so true Will quicken at the loved tattoo; Still hands unseen will hither bring The earliest flowers of the spring; For every clod we tread to-day Is moulded from some hero's clay. And looking downward from the skies, Perchance the melancholy eyes Of Lincoln wear a tender glow As on this scene he gazes now. O death! where is thy sting ? O grave ! Where is thy victory o'er the brave ? Not with dim sight and tottering frame They sought the dust from whence they came.
With eye whose flash seemed of the storm, And war embodied in each form,
They marched at glory's clarion call To graves as to a banquet hall.
Through such heroic souls as those The Lord of Hosts his God-head shows; O'er them no mournful requiem floats, But bugles peal their loudest notes; As to the heaven of fame they march Beneath the flag-its rainbow arch; With an eternal furlough blest.
Sweet, sweet shall be the patriot's rest, As worn with toil whose fruits sublime Are budding on the bough of time. And while above these sainted brave One stripe of that old flag will wave, This consecrated spot will be A sacred Mecca of the free."
532 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The reading of the poem closed the dedica- ting ceremonies as arranged by the committee.
Just as the comrades and their friends were beginning to disperse Colonel Hawkins again claimed their attention for, as he said, a few moments, while General Carman, who was already leaving the field, was intercepted and brought back to the foot of the monument by Major Horner with the remark: "One moment, General. We have a little private matter we wish to settle with you."
General Carman submitted with a good grace, but was very much astonished at the procedure. Colonel Hawkins then addressed the assemblage as follows :
"The bringing to a successful conclusion the labor of erecting this monument was not accomplished without the usual accompanying vexatious incidents. And your committee had not proceeded very far with their under- taking before they discovered that 'outside assistance would have to be called to their aid.
" What was needed most was a man on the spot-some one intelligent and efficient to assist in locating the site, which was the most important point we had to consider, and, besides, our dealings with the people here-the natives-were so varied, covered
353
LOVING-CUP TO GENERAL CARMAN.
such a multitude of details, that they called for most careful attention. The laying of a sufficiently solid foundation had to be looked after, as well as the moving and setting of the ponderous parts of the superstructure.
"The man of all others for our purpose happened to be just where he was most needed, anxious and willing to serve. And without his kindly and interested assistance we might not have been here to-day to witness the completion of our work.
"WVe found this efficient assistant in the per- son of Gen. E. A. Carman, the United States Antietam Battlefield Commissioner, employed by the Government to make a new battle-day map and to mark the most notable points of interest upon this historic field.
"Acknowledging the value of his services, appreciating our obligations to him, and de- siring, in an insufficient way, to express our sentiments of gratitude, your committee pro- cured a memento which we are about to present to him as a token of our cordial good will and esteem, and I now ask him to step forward, so as to be seen by all, and to accept from our hands this loving- cup, which carries with it our good wishes for his health and happiness as well as all the gratitude we have to give."
BB4 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
General Carman, although very much sur- prised, and, as was natural under the circum- stances, somewhat embarrassed, accepted the cup in a few well-chosen words, assuring the committee of his appreciation of the gift, which, although given for acts which he con- sidered labors of love, and which he was only too happy to have been able to per- form, still, that he would always prize the gift in remembrance of a pleasant duty and as a memento of the brief but cordial asso- ciation with the committee, and in pleasant remembrance of his meeting with the sur- vivors of a gallant regiment that had done so much to make Antietam's field historic.
The company, separating into groups, en- joyed an interesting drive over the battle-field, visiting the National Cemetery, Burnside's Bridge, and many other points of interest, including the farmhouses where several of those present, who were wounded in the bat- tle, had been cared for, and after spending several hours in this manner were reassem- bled at the train and proceeded to Hagers- town for dinner. The return journey was re- sumed in the evening, and after a leisurely and enjoyable trip, all arrived safely at their destination without a single unpleasant inci- dent to mar the success of either the journey or the ceremonies.
CHAPTER XVII.
AFTER MUSTER-OUT - DESIRE OF THE MEN OF THE REGIMENT TO RETAIN THE . FLAGS - MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE CARED FOR - REASONS WHY THEY SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE - CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR - NAMES OF SURVIVORS WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE CERE- MONY -- RECEPTION OF THE DELEGATION BY GOV- ERNOR ROOSEVELT - LIEUTENANT GRAHAM'S RE- MARKS - GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT'S REPLY - MAJOR DEBEVOISE'S SKETCH OF SERVICE - TAPS - THE END.
A FTER the regiment had been mustered out of service all the government pro- perty of which it, as an organization, was pos- sessed, or for which any of the individual members were responsible, was either turned over to the custody of the various government officers, whose duty it was to take charge of it, or was properly accounted for to such officers, except the regimental colors. These, in re- sponse to the almost unanimous wish and de- sire of both officers and men, were retained as the property of the regiment and placed in the care of Colonel Hawkins.
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