USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The heroes of Albany. A memorial of the patriot-martyrs of the city and county of Albany, who sacrificed their lives during the late war in defense of our nation 1861-1865 > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
On the 31st of May, the Eighteenth Army Corps reinforced the Army of the Potomac, and were engaged in the battle of Coal Harbor on the 1st, 2d and 3d of June. When the regiment was drawn up in line of battle, the first day of this engagement, Major PRUYN made an address to his men, which was said by some of the officers who listened to him, to be one of the most stirring speeches ever uttered; expressing the loftiest patriotism, and the purest, deepest religious sentiments.
In a letter written to his mother the day before, while on the transport, he said : "I have given up all speculations upon our movements and prospects. I begin to see clearly that we are in God's hands, and we must accomplish his purposes. Where we are going, and what is before us, I know not, but I am happy
308
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
and contented. I have committed myself fully to the God of battles and I know he will do just what is right for me." Again, "We are all in the keeping of the great Creator, and when IIe sees fit this "cruel war" will end, and peace be restored to our land. I pray God that the time may soon come. It is my desire and purpose, if my life is spared, to remain in the army till the close of the war. But three years is a long time, and I do fervently pray that this year may bring peace."
During the first day's engagement at Coal Harbor, his horse was wounded and disabled; and on the second day, he received a wound in the foot; a ball passing directly through it. At the time this occurred the regiment was prepared to make a fearful charge. Ile went to the rear, had his wound hastily dressed, sprang upon his horse, rode as far back as possible, and then walked the rest of the way to the regiment. As he passed head- quarters, Gen. SMITH, who commanded the corps, saw him limp- ing, and supposing he had just been wounded, sent an orderly to assist him to the ambulance. Major PRUYN thanked him, but told him he was on his way back to his men; he could not leave at that crisis. The orderly left, but in a moment returned with a glass of brandy, saying, " Major Gen. SMITH sent this to you, and says you are a brave officer."
While he was at the rear, the General commanding seeing the hopelessness of the charge, had countermanded the order, but this was not known to Major PRUYN till he reached the regiment. Surely the history of the war does not furnish an instance of more deliberate and determined abnegation of self! Who can with- hold his warmest admiration !
By night his wound became so painful that he was obliged to yield and go to the field hospital. He was now urged very strongly to resign. His heart difficulty was greatly aggravated, and being disabled by a wound, it was argued that he had no right to remain any longer in the army. But no argument could convince him, neither could he be induced to remain in the hos- pital but a few days. Unable to be on duty, and yet determined to be near the regiment, he went back, and for a few days longer staid in the chaplain's tent. Of this period the chaplain writes:
309
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
" We tented together for a short time, and I am glad I had this opportunity to converse so freely with him as I did. For some- time there was a visible change in him-more thoughtful, more ready to converse on religious subjects. He often spoke of you, and your prayers for him; of the Sabbath school, and his early impressions there. I frequently found him reading his Bible, and he read very attentively the little book, 'The Victory Now,' which you sent him. One night, after we had prayed together, he remarked, that he had never lain down to sleep since he came into the army without prayer."
While in the hospital he wrote: "I write you from this hos- pital to-day, but I expect to leave it to-morrow. The doctor says it will be several weeks before my foot is well, and I cannot think of staying away from the regiment so long. I am needed there, and must go back."
He returned to the regiment on the 8th, and after staying with the chaplain two days, he resumed the command. On the 11th he wrote the following letter, the last he ever penned:
IN THE RIFLE PITS, June 11, 1864.
My dear Mother-I received a few lines from you this A. M. *
* I joined the regiment yesterday. My foot is not well, but I cannot stay back. It seems wrong for me to do so, especially as the doctors tell me it will be four or five weeks before it is entirely healed; but it is only a flesh wound, and if it was on my face or hand, would heal in a short time; but a wound in the foot, no matter how slight, always takes a long time to heal, as the circulation in that part of the body is so slow.
My general health is tolerable. Of course, I don't feel as well as if I was at home, and could get my sleep and meals regularly, and where I would not have the care and responsibilities which the commanding officer of a regiment always has, especially a young man like me, entrusted with the lives of more than two hundred men. But I do not mean to complain, but rather thank God that he has kept me alive, and from being severely wounded, as so many have been in this terrible struggle.
* *
310
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN,
We had one poor fellow killed yesterday, our only casualty during the day. Our regiment has now been in the rifle pits, under constant fire, ever since we came here, ten days. Of course, we are protected by the breastworks. but " familiarity breeds contempt," and the men become so accustomed to it that they get careless, and in this way many lose their lives. Besides, it is impossible for them to stay in the pits all the time, they must leave once in a while.
I thank you, dearest mother, for writing to me so often. Even if it is only a few lines, it cheers me, and makes me feel better when I am thus constantly reminded that the dear ones at home think of me, and it seems to bring me near to you. As I lie on the ground at night and look up at the stars, I think those same stars are looking down on you, and I go to sleep, dreaming of home and mother. Don't think me romantic; the army is the last place for that; and although I do feel anxious that this dreadful war should end, and that I may be spared to return to you, yet I do not get homesick. I do not allow myself to do that. Love to all.
Your affectionate CHARLIE.
Yes, this was the last letter of the dear boy to his dear mother; the last " love to all " from him who indeed loved all, and was ever ready to sacrifice his own interests for the welfare of others. His hour was approaching; he had seen thousands die, and now the moment for him to die is coming. His purity, his love of home, his undying affection for his Christian mother, his ardent patriotism, his sense of honor, his noble and unsur- passed bravery, could not save him. During the whole war, his mother, who is as eminent for her pure and exalted piety as was her son for his exalted patriotism, did all in her power for the benefit of our soldiers, with the hope that God would return to her, her own dear boy. Daily did she pray for his protection. Every moment he was on her heart. Every night she retired anxious what tiding the morning would bring; but she could leave him with God. She knew, by a blissful experience, the " secret place of the Most High," and she could trust her Heav- enly Father.
311
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
It will require but a few words to describe the last scene.
On the 13th of June the regiment re-embarked for Bermuda Hundreds, and were immediately on their arrival ordered to march upon and assault Petersburg. On the 15th of June, 1864, Major PRUYN's regiment was ordered to make a charge on one of the most formidable works before the place. While pre- paring for the advance, the young Major stood erect before his men, his countenance radiant with hope, and his eye flashing with enthusiasm. Surveying the ranks, he uttered, in a clear and ringing voice, the words, "Attention, Battalion!" He was the next instant about to give the order, "Charge;" but, before the word had escaped his lips, a shell struck him on the breast and exploded. He uttered a single exclamation, "Oh," and instantly expired. His body was terribly mangled, and, as his comrades gathered around the lifeless remains, they wept like children.
The sad tidings fell upon the devoted mother like a thunder- bolt, and for a time she seemed crushed. All the past, the days of his childhood, the period of his enlistment, his affectionate and graphic letters, his heroic deeds, came rushing upon her memory and overwhelmed her. But her Heavenly Father has graciously sustained her; and all loyal men and women through- out the land, all who love liberty and hate slavery, will thank her for giving to the American Republic such a son. History will perpetuate his memory, and posterity will applaud the name of CHARLES ELISHA PRUYN.
The precious body was embalmed and brought to his home. On Monday, June 27th, 1864, it was my privilege to participate in his funeral services, and in the presence of a vast concourse of weeping friends, to bear testimony to his ardent piety, his noble patriotism, and his eminent services rendered to his country. His venerable pastor, the Rev. Dr. WYKOFF, offered an appropriate and fervent prayer, and, from his own warm and sympathetic heart, commended the bereaved relatives to Him who alone could give consolation adequate to the hour. The remains were borne to their last resting place in the Albany Rural
312
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN
Cemetery, under the escort of his former companions, the Zouave C'adets.
The numerous letters received after he fell, bear most touch- ing testimony to the grief his death occasioned; and it was a proof of the maturity and excellence of his character, that those who loved and mourned him most, were the oldest and best men, .not only of his own regiment, but of the whole brigade.
One of the officers of the regiment, Capt. R. W. LIVINGSTON, whose opinion, from the dignity and excellence of his own character, was particularly valuable, writes thus: "Though we were so nearly at the extremes, he being almost the youngest and I quite the oldest officer of the regiment, I very early learned to admire his capacity as an officer, and esteem his vir- tues as a man; and, notwithstanding the disparity of our years, was proud of his friendship. I do not attempt to write words of consolation. While I have lost a dear young friend, you have lost a most dearly loved son-a son who deserved all your love, and fully justified your pride. His memory must be tenderly cherished."
Rev. Dr. VAN SANTVOORD wrote thus to his mother:
" I met one of your sons several times in Washington, but am not positive whether it was CHARLES or not; but this matters little, as I learn from various sources the character of your de- ceased boy for truth, honor, and all manly qualities, and the deservedly high estimate in which he was held by all who knew him, and that the path which he loved and strove to walk in, was that which the Master pointed out and His own blessed footsteps trod. To lose a son of whom this may be said, is a loss only in name. To one fitted for heaven it is gain to die, and it were hardly wise or well for us to mourn the entrance of our loved ones, on the possession and full enjoyment of the heavenly treasure."
Nor were these the sentiments only of such as had known him in manhood, and after the development of his character. One of his earliest companions speaks thus of him :
" My Dear Mrs. PRUYN-The valuable gift which you have so kindly sent me moves me more than I can tell. CHARLIE'S sword
313
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
I feel unworthy of; and yet to no one out of your own family could you have confided it to whom it would be more precious. I shall cherish it as a memorial of one of the warmest friends of my youth; of one with whom I have passed many happy hours, and of one whose early death crowns a career so honorable, so noble, and so patriotic, that I feel proud in having been for many years his associate.
It seems but a few days since CHARLIE exchanged the oar of our pastime for the sword of the soldier; and the same earnest- ness and faithfulness that characterized the enthusiastic boy, hon- ored and distinguished the career of the well-loved man.
As I look at the sword, I shall ever think of the bravery and patriotism of my former companion; and with the remembrance shall be linked appreciation of the regard that thinks me not unworthy to be the recipient of so precious a boon.
Deeply sensible of your consideration, I remain, truly and gratefully yours, JOHN E. MCELROY.
The excellent officer who succeeded him in the regiment writes :
" I feel honored to occupy his position, and it is my highest ambition to emulate his noble, Christian patriotism. Oh, that he could have been spared to see the termination of this fearful struggle! No heart would have rejoiced more truly, for none served their country more unselfishly than he did."
Another writes :
" Major PRUYN's life cannot be measured by length of days, for there are few among us, hoary with age, who have such a record of duty and patriotism. The score of years and the early death completes his life better than a century of mere existence. To have been a noble boy, a dutiful, exemplary son, a Christian man, and a zealous patriot, throws a halo of glory around the sad, untimely death."
Soon after his death, the following tribute to his memory was received :
314
MAI. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
HEADQUARTERS, 118TH N. Y. S. V. IN THE TRENCHES, BEFORE PETERSBURG, VA., July 20th, 1864. - Mrs. MARY PRUYN, Albany, N. Y .:
Madam-Enclosed I send you extract from General Orders No. 80, Headquarters Department Virginia and North Carolina, just received at these headquarters.
It will assure you that the name of your lamented son is still identified with the struggle, towards the success of which he contributed his young life. The nobly fallen have not been forgotten-their memory has been most fittingly honored.
Along our outer lines their names have been set-gems of encouragement to ourselves-signs of warning to the foe.
It shall be our effort to emulate the brightness of their exam- ple-their devotion-that their sacrifices may prove to have been in behalf of a cause as gloriously successful, as it is gloriously righteous.
I am, Madam, most respectfully, J. L. CUNNINGHAM, Captain Commanding 118th N. Y. V.
[Official.]
HEAD QUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE FIELD, VA., July 15th, 1864.
GENERAL ORDERS NO. 80. In honor of the memory of some of the gallant dead of this army, who have fallen in this cam- paign, the redoubts and batteries on the lines will hereafter be known as follows, viz :-
Battery No. 6 is named Battery Pruyn, after Major CHARLES E. PRUYN, One hundred and Eighteenth New York Volunteers.
By command of Major General B. F. BUTLER.
(Signed)
R. S. DAVIS. Major and Assistant Adjutant General.
Referring to this, an officer writes: "Yesterday I visited the battery which bears his name. It is one of the finest and most complete batteries on this whole line. It is the centre and salient
315
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
battery, and in a very important position. At the point occupied by this, ours and the enemy's lines are the closest together. A very neat board marked " Battery Pruyn" has been placed over the entrance to the work. I am glad I was able to visit this place, but you may believe I had many sad thoughts and memo- ries, caused by the visit. CHARLIE was more to me then, than I thought him in life."
But these testimonials received, are too numerous to be further alluded to. Seldom has a young man died of whom less of evil could be spoken, or who was more affectionately remembered by a larger circle of sorrowing friends. With a mind stored with use- ful knowledge, with principles pure and unyielding; with a power for influence, aud a capacity for command rarely seen in one so young; and, above all, with a heart fired with the truest patriot- ism, he was eminently fitted for the times, and seemed destined to fill a higher position than he was permitted to attain.
But his young life has been freely given, with the many pre- cious sacrifices this fearful war has demanded.
At a regular meeting of the Washington Lodge, No. 85, F. and A. M., held at Masonie Hall, September 24th, 1864, it was unanimously
Resolved, That the tidings of the untimely death of our lamented brother, CHARLES E. PRUYN. Major One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment New York Volunteers, while in the dis- charge of his sacred duty, have caused feelings of the deepest sorrow. We mourn that a patriot so brave, so true to his country and just to his God; a soldier so valiant, a son and brother so devoted, so faithful and so beloved, should thus early be called from a sphere of hope and usefulness.
Resolved, That in his death, a link in the chain of our brother- hood is broken, and his memory will ever be revered by his afflicted brethren and associates, as a devoted, ardent and faithful brother, and warm friend and supporter of our institution.
Resolved, That we tender to the afflicted family of our deceased brother, our heartfelt sympathy, and assure them of our high appreciation of his noble qualities; and, while we bow in humble submission to the chastening rod, we remember that it is an act
316
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
of that mysterious yet all-wise Providence which "doeth all things well," and, though removed from his earthly labor, our brother is called to higher service and angelie duties in that " house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
W. E. MILBANKS, Secretary.
Mr. PRUYN inherited from his father a decided military taste, and he was glad to join the Albany Zouave Cadets, soon after their organization, as an amusement, never imagining that the knowledge thus acquired would ever be brought into requisition for any higher or more important purpose.
He enjoyed his connections with this company, and was ever ready to made any sacrifice to promote its interests.
The following resolutions, passed by the company after his death, express their estimation of him:
ARMORY ALBANY ZOUAVE CADETS, Co. "A," TENTH REGIMENT, N. G. N. Y.
At a special meeting of this company, held at their rooms on Friday evening, June 24th, the following preamble and resolu- tions were unanimously adopted:
The tidings from the battle field before Petersburg, Va., brings to us the painful intelligence of the death of our former associate, CHARLES E. PRUYN, Major of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment N. Y. S. V., who fell while bravely discharging his duty in the service of his country; therefore it is
Resolved, That in the sacrifice of this noble young life, our Nation has lost a brave man and a devoted patriot, and this com- pany, of which he was an honored member, a friend and comrade who was endeared to us by many ties of affection.
Resolved, That, though we have been called to grieve over his untimely end, we still have the consolation of knowing his death was the Christian's, his sacrifice the hero's, and that he yielded up his life in the holy cause of defending the rights of his country.
Resolved, That we tender to the officers of his regiment our heartfelt sympathies for the loss they have sustained by the death of their gallant officer.
317
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
Resolved, That, though we feel the insufficiency of human sympathy, we offer to the family of our departed comrade our sincere condolence in their dark hour of trial.
Resolved, That desiring to pay a fitting tribute of respect to the memory of our departed friend, we will attend his funeral obsequies in such a manner as may be acceptable to the bereaved family.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, properly engrossed, he tendered to the family of the deceased; that a copy be for- warded to the officers of his regiment, and that they also be pub- lished in the daily papers of this city.
L. U. LENOX, Captain.
W. N. S. SANDERS, Secretary.
Other testimonials were received, equally earnest and flatter- ing, with those already given, which our limits will not allow us to insert.
But higher than all human praise, is the approbation of that God whom our hero so faithfully served, and the love and wel- come of the Saviour, in whom he placed his trust, and his hope of immortal glory.
318
MAI. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
XVII. MAJOR GEORGE S. DAWSON.
GEORGE SEWARD DAWSON was born in Rochester, N. Y., Nov. 7, 1838. After having acquired a thorough business education, he entered the printing office of Weed, Parsons & Co. (of which firm his father is a member) as an apprentice, and, having served out his time, was engaged in the office at the outbreak of the rebellion. For a few months preceding the fall of Sumter, he was a member of Company B, Tenth Regiment National Guards, and from the happening of that event, he became fixed in his purpose to take part in the contest. He offered himself as a volunteer in the first regiments raised in Albany, N. Y., but owing to the loss of vision in one of his eyes, caused by an acci- dent in his early boyhood, he could not pass examination. Grieved that he was thus precluded from taking his place as a private in the ranks, he resolved, with the cordial acquiescence of his parents, to solicit a commission, as the only mode of car- rying out his patriotic purpose. A commission of First Lieuten- ant was readily secured for him in the Second Regiment of New York Volunteer Artillery.
On the 6th of November, 1861, he joined his command, which was rendezvoused on Staten Island, and the next day moved with it to Washington, marching directly to Fort Ward, in the immediate vicinity of Fairfax Seminary, south of the Potomac. His own company was detailed for Fort Ellsworth, and subsequently, at different times, for two years, garrisored Forts Worth, Reno, Ward and Cochrane.
In February, 1862, the Captain of his company (F) having resigned. the Lieutenant was promoted to the vacancy, which position he held until he received the wound which resulted in his death.
319
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
The first active field service assigned the regiment was in 1863, during the famous but unfortunate campaign of General POPE. It was ordered to proceed to Manassas, and vicinity, to aid in protecting the trains running to that point. It was a weary march for a regiment which had been strictly confined to garrison duty for nearly two years, and which had had no experience in the rougher work of war. But the order was received with cheers, and the regiment went to its assigned duty with alacrity, anxious to escape the monotony of garrison life, and to share in the dangers and glory of the field. Before, however, it had reached its point of ultimate destination, and while marching cheerily forward, without the slightest suspicion that the enemy was in the neighborhood in force, it was startled by a heavy discharge of artillery in front and on either flank, as if it had been purposely permitted to enter a cul-de-sac before being warned of its danger. It was the regiment's first experience of the iron realities of war, and although the shot and shell came thick and fast, there was, at first, neither panic nor alarm. No enemy was visible, and there was no evidence of his proximity, except what was furnished by these iron missiles. It soon became apparent, however, that they were nearly sur- rounded by a largely superior force-at least ten to one, as was afterwards ascertained. But for the impression that the regi- ment was merely the skirmish line of a large force in the rear, it would have been captured, as it might have been easily. This impression, however, saved it from so sad a fate; and the officer in command, Col. WAGGONER, though illy qualified to take care of his men in such an emergency, had the sagacity to see that his only safety was in retreat-which he was enabled to effect for a time, in good order. But when the retreat began, and the enemy discovered that they had been approached by a single regi- ment, without support-which they were slow to believe, as it indicated a want of foresight wholly incomprehensible-they sallied out of their earth works, with cavalry and artillery, determined to punish the "impudent Yankees," who had, in such insignificant numbers, bearded them in their stronghold.
For a while they were held in check by the timely arrival of
320
MAJJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
a section of the Eleventh (Havelock) Battery, which had been surprised and routed, a few hours previously, by a superior force. The two guns thus brought away in the retreat were pressed into service, and were used effectively against the advancing enemy. But it was soon found impracticable to make a stand, and the retreat finally became a rout.
Capt. DAWSON's company was given the post of honor, the rear, in the retreat, and was for a time held well in hand; but the rapid approach of a large force of cavalry rendered it apparent that resistance would be useless, and soon every man was on the look out for himself. Unfortunately the Captain had been, a few days previously, lamed by a severe kick from a horse, and suffered greatly from this injury during the entire march. It soon became evident to him that, however anxious he might be to escape, a rapid retreat was impossible. Thus crippled, he was soon left far in the rear, accompanied by a few of his faithful men, who refused to leave him. With the rebel cavalry in full sight, and only kept back by their pursuit of stragglers in the woods, the Captain, unable to drag himself farther, sat down by the road- side with no other expectation than immediate capture. To be taken prisoner is anything but a pleasant prospect at any time, but at this particular juncture it was scarcely less to be dreaded than death, for an order had just been issued, by the rebels, threatening all captured officers serving under POPE, with "chains and dungeons," in retaliation for that General's order to " live upon the enemy."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.