USA > New York > The first hundred years : records and reminiscences of a century of Company I, Seventh Regiment, N.G.N.Y., 1838-1938 > Part 5
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After a joyful celebration of July 4 over the Union victory, a detachment of Company I with parts of D and B under Captain Clark were ordered to Calvert Street station to assist the wounded hourly expected from Gettysburg. All night long soldiers of the 7th were at work transferring the human wreckage of the battlefield from the cars to the ambulances.
Then at last welcome orders came for the Regiment to proceed at once to Frederick. On July 5 in a severe thunderstorm it boarded the train on the Baltimore and Ohio at Montclare station. After a night and a day on the cars the 7th reached Frederick, reported to General French, and went into camp outside the town in a place afterwards known as "Camp Misery."
Without tents or camp equipment they slept on the wet ground at night and waded about in the mud during the day time. The Ninth Company was detailed as picket guard on the Hagerstown Road. When General French and the 3rd Army Corps left Frederick to pursue the Confederates, Colonel Lefferts assumed command of the city, and the 7th was left behind.
For two days and two nights the Army of the Potomac marched through Frederick and the vicinity and the members of the 7th had ample time and opportunity to witness the imposing pageant.
THE DRAFT RIOTS
The Regiment remained on this duty in frightful weather until the 14th, when terrible news from New York reached Frederick. The city was reported to be in the possession of a mob who were murdering, pillaging, and burning at will. Orders immediately followed for the 7th to entrain for Philadelphia. Early on the 16th the Regiment reached Amboy where they received orders to land at the foot of Canal Street. Preparations were made to fight their way through the city, but, although evidences of the riot were to be seen on every hand, no opposition was encountered as they marched up Broadway to the Armory.
The Ninth Company in this campaign mustered eighty-one men, the second largest company in the Regiment.
Colonel Lefferts was at once given command of the district extending from 7th to 65th Streets as rioting was still going on in parts of the city. The night of the 16th was spent in a large rubber factory in 35th Street near Third Avenue. Although the Second and Third Companies had a smart skirmish with the rioters at Second Avenue and 22nd Street, the Ninth Company is not reported as having been engaged. By the 17th the riot was practically over,
THE RIOTS IN NEW YORK : CONFLICT BETWEEN THE MILITARY AND THE RIOTERS IN FIRST-AVENUE .~
WINES LIQUORS & SEGAKS
D
TITTI
OUTUT TURUN
OLESALE & RETAIL
1110
47
THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
although the whole Regiment was on duty at its Armory until the 25th of July, and again from the 20th of August to the 10th of September.
On the 1st of October the 7th took part in a parade in honor of the visit of the Admiral and officers of the Russian Fleet.
Further active service seemed in prospect in November when an invasion of the northern frontier of New York and Vermont was threatened by secession sympathizers from Canada. The 7th Regiment promptly offered its services but was not called out.
The Company continued to lose members by enlistment in the Volunteer Service and throughout the Regiment generally a need for active recruiting work was felt. While the efficiency of the corps had kept up remarkably, the demands of long neglected business interests demanded personal attention and the attendance at drills therefore fell off. Many of its members had suffered financial ruin owing to prolonged absence. No one can estimate the voluntary sacrifices which had been made for the honor of the Regiment in the defense of the Union.
August 13, an informal meeting was held to discuss the question of presenting Captain Easton with a suitable testimonial of regard. The number present was large, the sentiments expressed enthusiastic and a previously arranged program received unanimous sanction. Lieutenant McBride proposed the following which was seconded by the whole Company and adopted amid much cheering :
Whereas: The members of Company I, 7th Regiment, look back upon its varied career, first as a Troop, then as an Artillery Corps, and lastly, as an Infantry Company, and contrast its successful position in numbers, in appearance, in material, and in all that constitutes the soldier with its former condition, and realize the fact that this has been effected during the past two years, under the guidance, control and management of our present Commandant Charles A. Easton, Therefore be it
Resolved : That to show our appreciation of his work and ability, and our confidence in him as a soldier, and our love and esteem for him as a man and a comrade-that we present to him as a slight token and memorial, a portrait of himself which, in after years, will represent our beloved Captain as in the days of danger and trouble, when together we did what we could for the dear old flag-and as he points it out to friends he can say, "This was the gift of my company; of men who loved me."
Although the 7th Regiment did no more active service during the Civil War, in 1864 it was continually called upon for parades in honor of various military organizations passing through the city and its principal contribution to the Union cause during the year was its active work in the Great Metropolitan Sanitary Fair in April. There was of course no Red Cross to care for the sick and wounded at this time, but the United States Sanitary Commission took its place in the relief of suffering in every camp and hospital from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi Valley. The operations of the Commission were made possible largely by the contributions of the people. Fairs were held in every
48
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF COMPANY I
city and town to raise money at a time when the credit of the government was on a none too solid basis.
The 7th Regiment contributed $8,500 to the Metropolitan Fair and the Ninth Company's share was $743.
On the 20th of May the regiment escorted the body of Major General James S. Wadsworth through the city. General Wadsworth, one of the most distinguished soldiers of the State of New York, fell at the head of his division in the Battle of the Wilderness.
In June the 7th lost its famous Civil War Colonel, Marshall Lefferts, by resignation, and on the 21st of June, Captain Emmons Clark, of the Second Company, was elected to take his place.
During the summer of 1864 the 7th Regiment was on duty at its Armory at the time when the draft for more men to fill up the ranks of the northern armies had again to be resorted to. It was a monotonous tour of duty but the presence of state troops at various centers prevented any repetition of the disorders of the year before.
In Washington Square, on October 24, the 7th held its annual inspection and review and Company I mustered seventy-two men of the total one thousand and forty-two.
On Washington's Birthday, 1865, Colonel Clark ordered the regiment to parade "to celebrate the glorious success of General Sherman and his gallant army; the restoration of our national flag to Fort Sumter; and the capture of Charleston, the cradle of the rebellion."
Again in March another parade, one of the largest demonstrations of the kind the city had seen for many years, was held in honor of more Union victories and the approach of peace.
DEATH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN
The day after Appomattox, preparations were made for a grand celebration on the 19th of April, the anniversary of the departure of the 7th for Washington in 1861. Then in the midst of the general rejoicing on the 14th of April, came the staggering news of the assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington.
"The countless emblems in honor of the victories of the Union armies were quickly transformed into insignia of mourning." Not only were all the public buildings and most of the business houses draped in black, but nearly every private dwelling, even those in the humblest parts of the city, bore some device expressive of the universal sorrow.
At eleven o'clock on the morning of April 24, the remains of the murdered President were received by the 7th Regiment at the foot of Desbrosses Street and escorted to the City Hall. There in the Governor's room the body lay in state until the 25th, guarded by the three companies detailed for this purpose, while all day and all night a great throng passed reverently before the bier.
49
THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
On the 25th, still escorted by the 7th and an immense procession of military and civic organizations, the body of President Lincoln was transported on a funeral car to the depot of the Hudson River Railroad Company in 30th Street.
*
For the rest of the year the Regiment was continuously called out to parade in honor of returning regiments as they passed through New York. At the time of General Grant's first visit to this city after the close of the war, he was serenaded at the Astor House by the 7th Regiment.
ON THE TRAIL OF LINCOLN'S ASSASSIN BRIGADIER-GENERAL JAMES R. O'BEIRNE
In the search for the assassin of President Lincoln after the tragedy in Ford's Theater, April 14, 1865, a Ninth Company man played a prominent part.
James Rowan O'Beirne was a member of the National Guard Troop and one who helped drag the brass howitzers on the march to Washington in 1861.
After the 7th Regiment was mustered out he re-enlisted in the service of the United States and by 1865 had been promoted to Major and appointed Provost Marshal of the District of Columbia.
He afterward rose to the grade of Brigadier-General in the regular army.
Among the many mysteries surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln is the selection of the body guard, John F. Parker, by Mrs. Lincoln, herself, as early as April 3, 1865. This man whose duty it was to stand at the entrance of the theater box and permit no one to enter it could have prevented Booth from gaining admittance-but the body guard was absent from his post at the critical moment.
It was to Major O'Beirne that Mrs. Lincoln wrote asking that Parker be excused from the draft and detailed for duty at the White House.
Parker's record as a member of the Metropolitan Police Force of the Capital was none too good and by no means entitled him to such a responsible position. Who recommended him? It was never proved that he was guilty of anything but negligence, but this negligence was the cause of the President's death. Why Parker was not shot at dawn is another part of the mystery. He was not even reprimanded nor dismissed and not even immediately relieved of his White House appointment.
The hunt for the assassins was handled in what seems to have been a strangely awkward manner, but the confusion incident to such a shocking event may account for some of it. Every avenue of escape was closed by the War Department except the one Booth and Herold took-the one directly south through territory known to be thoroughly "secesh."
It was not until the third day after the murder that the real pursuit started and if Booth had not broken his leg in the theater he would easily have escaped to Virginia.
50
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF COMPANY I
To Provost Marshal O'Beirne among the other military and civilian pursuers the Secretary of War gave permission to use his own discretion in hunting down the assassins.
On April 17, O'Beirne sent out a squad of mounted men under Lieutenant Lovett on the road Booth had taken.
By this time several contingents were in the field and as the reward for capture promised to be great, "avarice, jealousy and ambition" soon overcame patriotism. Each group kept whatever information it gathered for itself and tried to put the competitors on the wrong scent.
In the meantime Major O'Beirne had gone farther south than his squad under Lovett and was scouring the shores of the Potomac. He actually came within an ace of getting his man at this time as he was near Cox's farm and got a report from Cox's "mill servant" that provisions were being cooked at the farm and taken to persons in the swamp. This was true. Booth and Herold were there at the time. But whether due to lack of men enough to investigate all the many reports or not, O'Beirne let this clue slip through his fingers.
But by the 24th the indefatigable Major had picked up another trace, that of two laborers who on the 16th had crossed the Potomac and were on their way to King George's Court House.
This was a false scent. The laborers were what they purported to be and not the criminals. But Major O'Beirne by following the wrong track actually stum- bled on the trail of Booth and if he had held to it for a few hours more would probably have captured him. But his men were scattered and too tired to keep up with him. Unfortunately he crossed back to Port Tobacco and there met Captain Beckwith, Grant's cipher operator, to whom he told his story. O'Beirne was anxious to be off again but Beckwith asked him to wait until he could telegraph Washington. The War Department was soon on the wire and Major O'Beirne's indignation and amazement can easily be imagined when he received orders to discontinue his expedition and remain on the Maryland side of the Potomac !
If he had been less free with his information he would probably have captured Booth-alive.
The War Department after receiving Beckwith's report immediately put Colonel L. C. Baker on the right track and with the well known result. Booth was brought back dead.
In December 1865 O'Beirne made claim for the reward stating that when he had returned to Washington, Secretary of War Stanton received him warmly, congratulated him and said:
"You have done your duty nobly and you have the satisfaction of knowing that if you did not succeed in capturing Booth, it was at all events, certainly the information which you gave that led to it."
These statements about Major O'Beirne are gathered from a book published in 1937 by Otto Eisenschiml, Why Was Lincoln Murdered?, Little Brown & Company.
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THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
AFTER THE WAR
The most notable event of the year 1866 was the reception held in the 7th Regiment at the Academy of Music on the 31st day of January, in honor of its members who had served in the army and navy of the United States during the Civil War. The orator of the occasion was General John A. Dix. In addressing the distinguished assemblage which crowded the hall he said: “I hold in my hand a roll of five hundred and fifty-seven members of your Regi- ment who received commissions in the army, the navy, or the volunteer service. Nine-tenths of the number were serving with the Regiment when the war broke out. Three rose to the rank of major-general, nineteen to the rank of brigadier- general, twenty-nine to the rank of colonel and forty-six to the rank of lieuten- ant-colonel. Many whose names are on this roll of honor are sleeping in soldiers' graves; others are moving about with mutilated limbs and with frames scarred with honorable wounds, the silent but impressive memorials of faithful and heroic service. For years before the war you devoted yourselves with an assiduity and a zeal worthy of all commendation to martial exercises, and I believe I may safely say that there was scarcely a man in your ranks who was not capable of leading other men-of commanding a platoon, a company, a battalion, or a regiment. And the gratifying result is that, under nearly every battle flag which the State of New York unfurled, you had an honored representative."
On this "Roll of Honor" appear the names of forty-nine members of Company I.
During the next few years the life of the Company was that marked by the usual round of duties at drill and parades. In 1867 they began drilling in Upton's Tactics which had superseded Casey's Tactics used during the war.
In July 1868 the entire Regiment accepted the invitation of the citizens of Norwich, Conn., and for the first time in eight years left New York for a pleasure trip. It was memorable for its excellent weather and the enthusiasm and generous hospitality of the hosts.
THE COMPANY VISITS CAPTAIN EASTON, 1868
A special meeting October 6 was called for the purpose of acting upon the contemplated resignation of Captain Easton. General regret was expressed and it was resolved that for the present at least, the Company could ill afford to lose the Commandant's services. The Company therefore decided to call upon the Captain at his residence at Staten Island on the following evening, in full uniform, accompanied by the band, to tender him a serenade and urge a recon- sideration of his decision.
The Fourth and Seventh Companies, having expressed a desire to join in the proposed mission of love, were joyfully welcomed and at 9 o'clock the entire party, about a hundred and fifty strong, left by boat from the Battery. The trip down the bay was made the pretext for a grand jollification. The battalion, arriving at Stapleton, took up the march to the Captain's residence-two miles from the ferry-where it was formed in a semicircle and the band played several
52
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF COMPANY I
selections; after which Private Thomas M. Wheeler, on behalf of the Company, presented Captain Easton with a set of resolutions requesting him to remain with the Company. In reply he acceded to the request amid the cheers of the entire company assembled. An impromptu collation was served and, amid much enthusiasm, the battalion departed for the boat. The refreshments which had been provided were thoroughly enjoyed after the tiresome march up the hill and down again. The Armory was reached at about half-past two a.m.
1869
On the 19th of April, 1869, the eighth anniversary of the Regiment's departure for the war was celebrated by a floral display in the Armory. The New York Sun said: "The various offices and Company rooms were for the time being transformed into conservatories, the display of flowers being the finest ever seen- in the city. Among the Companies which competed for the palm in decorating their rooms were the First, Third and Ninth."
In July the Regiment made another visit, this time to the cities of Albany, Troy and Saratoga Springs. It embarked on the steamer City of Hartford and for three days indulged in a whirl of military and social gayety long remembered by every member.
CAPTAIN ARTHUR TAKES COMMAND
During the summer it was ascertained that Captain Easton had definitely determined to resign. Having yielded to the persistent solicitation of the men, he had worked conscientiously for the advancement of the Company in numbers and discipline; but the Company was composed mainly of men whose enthu- siasm had brought them into the ranks during the stirring times of the war. The piping times of peace had taken away the incentive to remain and it had become evident that a new and younger element must be brought in. Unwilling to under- take the labor of reorganization, the Captain forwarded his resignation. During the eight years of his administration as Commandant, the Company had enjoyed a long period of prosperity and popularity. The ranks had been nearly full until within two years of his retirement and many of the men recruited during his administration became valued members of the veteran corps. A special election was held September 29 to fill vacancies. Colonel Clark presided; First Lieu- tenant E. G. Arthur received all but one vote and was elected Captain. Second Lieutenant James H. Lounsberry was promoted First Lieutenant; First Ser- geant Milton B. Sweet, Second Lieutenant; Sergeant Alex. A. Kevan, First Sergeant.
The Company at this time desired to express its appreciation of the services of Captain Easton and a committee was named to present a suitable testimonial.
In December the Testimonial Committee reported the following letter of presentation :
53
THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
Charles A. Easton, Esq., Dear Sir :---
As active and retired members of the Ninth Company, Seventh Regiment, National Guard, we desire to express in some suitable manner our appreciation of your long continued services in behalf of our Company, and our respect for you as a soldier and friend. With this object we ask your acceptance of the accompanying watch and chain, in the hope that it may serve for many years to remind you often of our pleasant association in the past. Assuring you of our most hearty and sincere wishes for your future health and prosperity, we are, dear Sir,
Faithfully yours, (Signed by all the members of the Company)
MEMBERS OF THE NINTH COMPANY WHO RECEIVED COMMISSIONS DURING THE CIVIL WAR
Brigadier-General
E. Emmons Graves
Nathaniel P. Lane
Napoleon B. Mclaughlin James R. O'Beirne
Lieutenant
Albert R. Barrett
L. W. Brainard
Barry Davies (Davis)
George T. Davis, Jr. or Geo. T. M.
George E. Dayton
Gardner K. Doughty
Colonel
William L. Bramhall R. Charlton (T.) Mitchell
Lieutenant-Colonel
William B. Coan
Major
Charles Graham Bacon Elijah R. Merriman B. B. Miller Ivan Tailof
George M. Welles
D. W. (A.) White James G. White
Engineer
A. M. Cummings Ellwood B. Mingay
Captain
Surgeon
A. Orimel (Ormond) Shaw
Charles J. C. Ball
Theodore H. Bush
Sergeant
Franklin Ellis
Samuel Giberson (Gibesson )
L. P. Goodridge
J. (T.) Barrett Fordred Drayson (killed) R. M. (N.) Harmstead T. A. McCrosson
Frank M. Kelley
Henry Matthews
Master's-Mate
Nelson Plato
J. Russell Howell
Fenton Rockwell
John Rodgers T. B. Stout John Walker William Wheeler (killed)
Private
James Martin
TOTAL-52
Clinton Eddy David R. Franklin
Russell A. Hills
John P. Manning
G. C. Moore
Theodore Oliver
A. B. Spier
George M. VanBrunt
William H. Wiley Theodore Winthrop (killed)
54
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF COMPANY I
Captain William Chandler Casey, 1873-1886
III THE 1870's
THE WILLIAM CASEY ERA BEGINS
T HE 1870's opened with the Ninth Company one of the smallest in the Regiment in spite of Captain Arthur's determined efforts to build up the personnel and to increase interest and efficiency. Was there some sort of jinx in the fact that as the year 1870 came in there were seventy men in the Company and $71.52 in the treasury? Be that as it may, the outlook was not too encouraging.
"Your committee begs to report that they have adopted as the Coat of Arms for this Company," said the Chairman on January 3, 1870, "the following:
A shield, with the bar dexter, signifying the feats of arms, and the monogram thereon encircled by a strap or garter, with the words, Seventh Regiment, National Guard. S.N.Y .; the end of the strap looped and hanging down, under which a small scroll with the motto 'Toujours Pret.'
GEO. F. MARTIN } WM. G. SMITH Committee" GEO. C. COOPER
GIM
ONA
RE
MISEVENTH
IGUARD
S.N.Y.
TOUJOURS PRET
Company I Coat of Arms
The report was immediately adopted and from that day this fine bit of heraldry has decorated our stationery.
TRIP TO PHILADELPHIA AND CAPE MAY
Five hundred strong the 7th Regiment left New York on the morning of July 14 for Philadelphia. For heat and humidity the Atlantic Coast region was breaking all records.
The parade and review were made in the atmosphere of 100° in the shade. Many men dropped from the ranks, the surgeons were as busy as the proverbial bees, but the majority stuck it out and finally reached the Continental Hotel in a state of complete exhaustion.
Here, what was described in the papers as an "elegant entertainment" awaited the wilted soldiery but a considerable delay occurred before the members of the 7th were in a condition to fill the dining-hall.
56
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS OF COMPANY I
It is amusing to learn also that after this grand dinner the "young men of the 7th" were in no mood to listen to the after-dinner oratory, that even the most eloquent of the Philadelphians could get no hearing at all, and that "the more staid and venerable" citizens of the city were shocked and pained thereby!
At 9 p.m. the Gray Jackets boarded a special train for Cape May. Arriving at 2 a.m. they discovered that the immense crowd had interfered seriously with the accommodations for the Regiment but like good soldiers they accepted the hardships with a shrug and managed to carry on-in more senses than one. After a review by General George G. Meade who made a splendid speech about the 7th, on July 15, the Regiment returned to New York by train on another record-breaking day for heat.
To put the final touches to this outing, as the Regiment swung into Broadway on its way to Tompkins Market Armory, the heavens opened its artillery and a young cloudburst soaked our heroes to the skin.
The Ninth Company had voted in June to go on the party provided the expenses did not exceed $10 per man. It seems quite likely that the boys got their ten dollars' worth.
In December 1870 Lieutenant Dominick in behalf of the recruiting committee presented copy for a proposed pamphlet to be issued by the Company to aid in the recruiting campaign then under way. It set forth plainly the reasons why young men of spirit should join up with the Ninth Company, and its plan and scope was largely borrowed and drawn on by other companies of the Regiment who published similar circulars. Company I put out five hundred copies of this recruiting pamphlet at this time, and some twelve years later the Regiment issued it as a guide-without change of wording-but omitting the "Issued by the Ninth Company" at the bottom of the title page.
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