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 33
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" You have given up at the call of your country the enjoyments of your home, the society of your kindred and friends, the plea- sant intercourse with those of us who have been associated with you in business, and you have laid upon the altar of our beloved Jand the best and noblest gift which the heart of a patriot could give.
" You go from among us to encounter the privations and perils of the field of battle, and to stand up for the cause which we believe to be the cause of God, and truth, and justice; to pre- serve from the hand of the traitor, the noblest form of govern- ment which ever blest the world. But you go not alone-the prayers and benedictions of your loving and beloved parents, who have not withheld the best gift of their eldest son-the blessings of the church with which you are connected, and our best wishes, which we tender you at this time-these associations, which you cannot and would not forget, will strengthen you in the path of duty which you have chosen.
" We shall miss your presence in the places where we have long and pleasantly been associated; but we shall rejoice that we have so good a representative in other scenes, where the battles of our country are to be fought, and where, we trust, the stand- ard of our country shall wave in triumph.
" We are well enough acquainted with you to know that you will do your whole duty manfully and fearlessly.
" The sacrifices you have made-the devotion to your country which we have witnessed-tell us what we may expect, as we shall follow you wherever your lot shall be cast in these times of conflict.
" Here, as in other places, you will be remembered. We will welcome you with joy and cordial affection, when, as we trust,
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CAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS.
von will return again with honor from the field of battle, or if we shall hear the sad tidings that you have fallen in the conflict, rest assured that in our heart of hearts we shall ever cherish the memory of your devotion and loyalty."
During the remarks of Mr. WATERMAN, quietness pervaded the rooms, and upon concluding, Lieut. ROGERS, with apparent feel- ings of deep emotion, replied:
" Mr. WATERMAN, and Gentlemen of the Board of Trade:
" It is utterly impossible for me to express to you the feelings which fill my heart on this occasion. That I should have received from the honorable body which you so worthily represent, such a manifestation of regard and approbation, is an honor which is alike unexpected and undeserved. I have never doubted for a moment, that in obeying the call of our country to sustain her government and defend her flag, I was simply discharging my duty. You have been pleased to allude to sacrifices of a pecu- niary and social character which this step has involved. Had they been tenfold greater, this expression of approbation from so many of our best citizens, men whom my daily intercourse with them has taught me to love and honor, would amply repay me. The feelings to which you, sir, have given such eloquent expression, are more precious to me than gold. In every danger to which I may be exposed, in every duty to which I may be called, next to the blessing of God, the consciousness of the regard of this Board will be a source of strength and courage. It is my prayer, it shall be my endeavor, that wherever I may go, I may prove myself worthy of their confidence and affection. I thank you, sir. I thank the Board of Trade, who have honored themselves and me in selecting you as their organ, for the senti- ments they have expressed, and the substantial deeds of kindness which they have done. I assure you and them of my sincere gratitude, my profound respect, for their integrity, patriotism, and honorable character, as merchants and as citizens, my hope that they may all share in the richest benefactions of Heaven, and that we may be permitted to meet again in happier days, to ex- change congratulations over the peace, unity, and prosperity of our beloved country."
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The Board, thereupon adjourned, when a general mingling took place, and the respective parties were congratulated.
Among the attendants were the Rev. Dr. ROGERS and lady-the parents of Lieut. ROGERS and a large number of their personal friends and relatives. The affair was highly creditable to all.
A few days since, Lieut. ROGERS was the recipient of a sword, belt, sash, epaulettes and revolver, from his warm friend WM. P. IRWIN, Esq., of this city, and his full dress uniform from a portion of the younger members of the Board of Trade-his more inti- mate social associates.
In June, 1861, the Eighteenth was ordered to Washington, and went into camp near that city. Lieut. ROGERS marched with his company to the seat of war, and remained with them for more than thirteen months, with but a single furlough of ten days, in January, 1862, during which he was united in marriage to Miss ANNA VICTORIA DELONG, of Cazenovia, N. Y.
His deportment as an officer and a gentleman always won for him the respect of his brother officers, and he was a general favorite in the regiment. In the fall of 1861, he was promoted to a Captaincy. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac, and participated in the varied fortunes of that army. It was a part of the reserve at the first battle of Bull Run, and was engaged in the battles of Williamsburg and West Point. In every field Capt. ROGERS maintained an unblemished reputation for bravery and coolness, was always at his post, and faithful to his duty. His letters home during his entire term of service breathe an exalted spirit of Christian patriotism and heroic devotion to his country's cause. In the bloody and unequal fight at Gaines' Mills, on the 27th of June, 1862, after three hours of desperate fighting, as he was rallying his men for a final stand against the advance of fresh troops, he was pierced with a bullet in the groin, and fell still gallantly cheering his men. His wound was mortal, and he survived but a few mo- ments. It was at the elose of the day; the battle was lost, and his men were obliged to retreat, leaving his body on the bloody field. It was months before his family and friends could learn any particulars as to his death, except the bare fact. But most
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unexpectedly a friend, spending the winter at the island of Nas sau, becarne acquainted with a Colonel of the Confederate army, who was at the island on his way to London, who was at the battle of Gaines' Mills, and gave her the particulars of Capt. ROGERS' death and burial. She communicated these to his father, then residing in New York, who at once addressed a let- ter to this Confederate officer, then at London, requesting him to communicate directly with him. The following is an exact copy of the reply, received nearly a year after the event occur- red which it describes:
LONDON, May 9th, 1863.
Rev. Dr. ROGERS:
Sir-Your letter of February 25th, addressed to me at Nas- sau, has just reached me at this place. I know of no prohibition of duty to prevent my responding to the inquiries you address to me, relating to the death of your son, Capt. THEODORE C. ROGERS, who fell at the battle of Gaines' Mill, on the 27th of June last. And, although your son was engaged, at the time of his death, in that invasion which has brought desolation to our homes and affliction to all our families, I am not unmindful of the legitimate claims of the widow and mother, and my heart does not refuse its sympathy to a fallen foe, whose conduct was brave and heroic. Late in the afternoon of the 27th of June, on the extreme left of our line, in front of the extreme right of the Federal forces, and in the last charge of our lines, I was in command of a portion of Gen. GARLAND'S Brigade. The Fede- ral force had already commenced to retire, and our advance was rapid and impetuous. At a point about one or two hundred yards in our front, a young man, who was recognized to be the Captain of a company, made an effort to rally his command, which was retiring. He had his sword drawn, and could be dis- tinetly seen by us to appeal to his men to make a stand. He partially succeeded, and when his company halted, and faced to our lines, he was in the front some ten or twenty paces, and was thus thrown between the two fires. Our firing was very heavy, and it was plain to us that his fate was inevitable, and in a mo- ment he fell. We were rapidly pursuing, but, as we passed by,
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CAPT. THEODORE S. ROGERS.
I caused this young officer, whose gallantry had attracted my attention, to be borne a few paces, and laid under a small tree, supposing him to be wounded. I learned afterwards, from the two men who carried him, that he died before reaching the spot I had indicated.
Capt. YOUNG, who resides at Henderson, Granville county, N. C., was commanding the regiment in front of which he fell, and he assumed the task of examining the body, to ascertain such articles of value as might be saved from the seizure of the sol- diery. I can not be precise as to all the articles found, as so many like events have occurred since, but I remember a watch was among them, and three letters, one from yourself, one from his mother, and one from his wife. Those letters were read by Gen. GARLAND and myself, with a view to ascertain to whom his valuables might be sent, and all the articles, with the letters, were entrusted to Capt. YOUNG, who charged himself with their transmission to the relatives of the deceased. About daybreak the body of your son was buried, under my supervision, in the same manner in which our own officers were interred. I did not examine the body, which was covered when I saw it, and am therefore not able to inform you of the nature and locality of his wound. Nor do I know whether he ever spoke after receiving it. I have thus endeavored, sir, to respond to your inquiries, and if there be any consolation derived by you from the testimony of those who, by his position, were made his enemies, this testimony to the brave and gallant conduct of your son is readily accorded by, Yours, sir, very respectfully, D. N. McRAE.
The watch spoken of in the above was conveyed to his parents, after the close of the war, by Capt. YOUNG. His naked sword was carried from the field by one of his men, and for- warded to his father. These are all that is left to them, except the precious memory of a noble son, who was to them all that a son could be to his parents, and over whose heroic death as a Christian patriot they "sorrow not, even as those which have no hope."
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CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
XXVII. CAPTAIN EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
THE subject of the following sketch was not a native of the county of Albany, and hence it does not come strictly within the limits prescribed in the design of this volume; yet, as his home was almost on the line separating Albany and Greene counties, and as his father, the Rev. STAATS VAN SANTVOORD, had served as a minister in the former county for upwards of twenty-five years, in connection with the Reformed Dutch Church of Ones- quethaw, and of Jerusalem for ten years of this period, it is thought to be quite proper to embrace his name among the gal- lant men, whose services to the country find here a brief memorial.
EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD, son of the clergyman mentioned above, was born at New Baltimore, March 6, 1836. He enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment N. Y. V. at Troy, September 16, 1862, and was duly mustered in on Staten Island, October 6, 1862. Starting as Sergeant Major, he was promoted, for his gallant bearing and devotion to the cause he had espoused; to the rank of Second Lieutenant, November 29, 1863; to that of First Lieutenant, August 13, 1864; and to that of Captain, March 21, 1865.
His regiment, commanded by Col. BUELL at the time, was at once ordered to Washington, and after being encamped for several weeks near Chain Bridge, was detailed to do provost guard duty in the city. On April 15, 1863, it was ordered to proceed to Norfolk, thence to Suffolk, and on the Edenton road, on the 24th, it first found itself in face of the enemy, and expe- rienced the shock and collision of opposing forces. From this time till April, 1864, when the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment was ordered to proceed from Florida, where it then
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CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
was, to Yorktown, Va., to form part of the Army of the Poto- mac, and share in the grand, final struggle which was to result in the overthrow of the rebel confederacy, this regiment was con- stantly engaged in energetic and most efficient service. It made several expeditions up the Black river; was at White House Landing; at Hanover Junction; off Charleston Harbor, at Folly and Morris Islands-at the latter place acting as a guard to the men working in the trenches, and under a heavy artillery fire from Forts Sumter, Gregg, Johnson and Wagner.
After Gen. SEYMOUR's disaster at Olustree, they were ordered to Florida, where, with other reinforcements, they had a successful encounter with the enemy, driving him back with considerable loss. Thence proceeding to Virginia, the regiment, as already stated, became incorporated with the army under the immediate command of Gen. GRANT, and took part in that great series of conflicts which, in the end, dashed the rebellion to pieces, as with the crash of a thunderbolt.
The regiment to which Capt. VAN SANTVOORD belonged, was engaged in nineteen battles, besides several skirmishes, more or less bloody, during the three years of its service. After joining the Army of the Potomac, its record of actions in which it bore itself with distinguished and uniform gallantry, is as follows: Walthal Junction, May 7, 1864; Chester Station, Drewin's Bluff, Bermuda Hundred, Coal Harbor (where Capt. V. S. received a wound in the knee), Petersburg Heights, where, at the explosion of the mine, his regiment supported the advance; Petersburg, June 30th; Mine Hill, Dutch Gap, Strawberry Plain, New Market Heights, Fort Fisher and Wilmington, N. C.
At the taking of Fort Fisher, Capt. VAN SANTVOORD displayed conspicuous gallantry, for which he received the warm com- mendation of his commanding officer. By the blowing up of the magazine of the Fort, after its capture, Capt. VAN SANTVOORD) and many of his regiment, who were nearest the scene of the frightful disaster, were completely buried in the masses of earth and ruins which were hurled upon them by the terrific energy of the explosion. Some seventy of his regiment, of whom four were officers, lost their lives by this horrible catastrophe.
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CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
Among those reported killed, the " Albany Evening Journal " included the name of Capt. VAN SANTVOORD, and for several days his family mourned him as among the victims, whom, having escaped the fire of battle, a more dreadful fire was permitted to slay. Shortly afterward, his friends were gladdened by letters from him, apprising them of his safety. Among these, is one to a female friend, giving an account of the horrors of the explosion, as well as of the capture of the Fort, some extracts from which will be found to possess more than ordinary interest:
FORT FISHER, FEDERAL POINT, Jan. 20, 1864.
Dear A .- You are no doubt anxiously looking for a letter, as you have by this time the accounts of the battle and victory at this place. I would have written a day or two ago, but I was so badly off from injuries received here, that I was scarcely able to scrawl a few lines to mother to assure her of my safety.
We made the charge about eleven o'clock of the 15th, and even after we had taken a portion of the fort, the fight was kept up inside till about six P. M., when the whole was surrendered. Never during the war do I think there was displayed such stern determination, and stubborn fighting on the part of our troops.
The ground we fought over was contested and yielded inch by inch, and the fort itself is, I think, one of the largest and strong- est in America. The sea and land forces together extended nearly a mile, and at short intervals stood a bomb-proof that no shot or shell could knock down. The fort mounted between sixty and seventy guns of heaviest calibre, and contained also a great many light artillery pieces, great quantities of ammunition, and small arms. The prisoners captured amounted, as near as I could learn, to about twenty-five hundred, officers and men, among whom was Major General WHITING.
It is decidedly one of the most brilliant victories of the war, and no doubt one of the severest blows to the rebellion. The worn-out victors lay down to rest inside the fort, rejoicing over their hard-earned success. But great God! what a scene occurred the next morning at seven o'clock! I was sitting with the regi- ment and talking to one of our officers, when the ground trem-
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CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
bled under me as from the shock of an earthquake. This was followed by a most fearful explosion. I looked up and saw be- fore me a huge column of earth, and the next moment found myself buried alive. I have faced death, dear A., in a great many forms, but never have I experienced before, or can I ever forget the horrors of that moment. The first thought that occurred was " have I escaped death in the battle yesterday to die in this horrid manner?" I attempted to dig the earth with my hands, but could accomplish nothing. I resigned myself to die, when the thought struck me that I might not be buried so deep, but that I could work my hand through to the surface. I tried and succeeded. I instantly dug a hole with that hand to my mouth, and oh what a thrill of joy I experienced, when I inhaled the draught of fresh air that rushed in. I eried out for help which was near at hand, and I was soon taken out with no bones broken, but my left arm badly injured, and my body much, though not seriously, bruised.
The officer to whom I was talking at the time of the explosion, had his arm broken. Our Colonel (now Gen. ALDEN), was blown a great distance, and injured so badly that the surgeons think it impossible for him to recover. Four of our officers were killed outright, and five others badly injured. Between sixty and seventy of our men were blown up, nearly all of whom were killed. They have been digging out the dead, and I don't think have found them all yet.
The sight the next day was horrible, to see the mangled remains of so many of our brave boys, who had fought so gal- lantly and survived the battle.
In the first part of the charge, we lost our brigade commander, Col. BELL, who was killed while leading his brigade. His term of service had expired the day previous; and he was urged not to go into the fight, but he did go and was killed. We all feel his loss most deeply, for he, as well as our Colonel, was beloved by all. Ever sincerely yours, EUGENE.
In a letter written to his mother, from before Petersburg, after one of the bloody struggles which marked the expiring agonies of the rebellion, he writes thus:
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CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
" Knowing your anxiety to hear from me, now that we are in front of the enemy, I snatch space to write you a few lines, as there will be an opportunity to send them this evening. O, my dear mother, the scenes of blood and carnage I have passed through the last week, are fearful to look back upon. Last Saturday we were ordered out to attack the enemy, who were in large force on the Richmond and Petersburg railroad. After a fight of four hours we drove them away from the road, burnt the bridge, and tore up several miles of the track. Our loss in killed and wounded amounted to six hundred. Sunday and Monday we were permitted to rest. On Tuesday we were again ordered out on the Richmond turnpike, ten miles from the city. We were met by a large force of the enemy, and the battle com- menced. I was placed on the extreme advance with my com- pany, to support a battery, and was instructed to hold the posi- tion as long as possible. The rebels marched up in solid column to within about sixty yards, when they opened fire upon us. At the first volley I was hit by a glancing shot and struck to the ground; but my wound was slight, and I staggered to my feet again, and cheered the boys on. I shall never forget the pitiful looks of my poor brave men, as they fell killed and wounded on all sides of me.
We held the position until the Major came and ordered us to fall back, which we did, and were soon met by the Seventh Connecticut, who were coming upon the double quick. Being thus reinforced, we turned upon them again and drove them away from the guns they were in the act of taking off the field. I had out of my whole company, when the affair was over, only fifteen men left. Some have since come up, but the greater por- tion of my brave boys fell. I can scarcely keep back the tears as I think of it. Men whom I had drilled and been associated with so long, who loved and respected me, are now among 'the slain. My clothes were pierced with bullets and almost torn from my back; but all the injury I sustained was a slight scratch.
Dear mother, I feel thankful indeed to that Providence who watches over us all, for my miraculous escape. I have not slept
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for the last three nights, and I am now on picket duty and obliged to be constantly on the alert to guard against an attack from the front.
Yours ever, EUGENE.
Such was the character of the service that, with his regiment, he was called to perform during the fearful months that ended so triumphantly for the national arms. In the toils, exposures and perils of that memorable campaign, he performed his part constantly and cheerfully, as a good and faithful soldier should, and was cheered by the frequent and hearty encomiums which his zeal and bravery won from those under whom he served. The following testimonial from General ALDEN, who was in com- mand of his regiment, will serve to exhibit the estimate in which his character and services were held:
" I was, perhaps, as intimately acquainted with Captain EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD as with any of the officers of my late command, and the news of his accidental death. after safely passing through the terrible three years' ordeal of fire and blood in his country's service, occasioned no deeper sadness in the heart of any one than in my own, except, perhaps, among his own kindred. The Captain first entered the army with the One Hundred and Sixty- ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, September, 1862, with the rank of Sergeant-Major, and the facility with which he com- prehended and discharged the duties of that office, gained the confidence and respect of his commanding officers; and his uniform courtesy and kindness won for him the respect and love of all the officers and men of the regiment."
As a merited reward for the ability and fidelity with which he discharged his various military duties, the Captain was speedily promoted through all the intermediate grades to the rank which he was finally mustered out of the service. As an Acting Regi- mental Adjutant, as Company Commander, Captain VAN SANT- VOORD served with distinguished gallantry in many hard-fought battles, in which he uniformly exhibited the sterling qualities of a brave and conscientious soldier.
Among the most prominent of Captain VAN SANTVOORD'S char-
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acteristics as an officer, were extraordinary coolness and bravery in emergencies, and great perseverance and letermination when surrounded with difficulties and dangers-characteristics which eminently fitted him for a successful military officer. While under the most destructive fire of the enemy, he never lost his self-command; and in the exercise of command over his com- pany, he was stern, emphatic, and unimpassioned. As a tactician and disciplinarian, Captain VAN SANTVOORD was rarely surpassed, ready and prompt in the execution of all the commands of his commanding officers, sympathizing and vigilant in providing for the comfort of his men, and courteous and gentlemanly in all his intercourse with officers and men, his memory will long be cherished, and by none more than his late commander.
ALONZO ALDEN, Brevet Brig. General, Lute Colonel 169th N. Y. Vols.
The manners of Captain VAN SANTVOORD were frank and manly, his disposition kind and genial, his heart warm and sympathetic. These qualities made many attached friends in the army not only, but in the circle of the home community where he was longest and most intimately known. He was as generous as he was brave, and as ready to render acts of kindness to those needing them, as to face the enemy on a perilous field. Affectionate and dutiful as a son, his memory will remain green in parental hearts which his early loss has lacerated. Though not a member of the church, his training had been a Christian one, and its influ- ence was felt and shown amid all the exciting scenes and turbu- lent transitions of his soldier life. In his communications to his friends, he acknowledges with deep gratitude that overruling Providence to which individuals as well as armies must owe safety and snecess, and which had mercifully preserved him amid imminent perils and fearfully frequent deaths.
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