The history of Orange County, New York, Part 8

Author: Headley, Russel, b. 1852, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Middletown, N.Y., Van Deusen and Elms
Number of Pages: 1342


USA > New York > Orange County > The history of Orange County, New York > Part 8


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).


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Mounted Rifles : First Regiment, Co. C, 1861.


Cavalry : Second Regiment, Co. B, 1861; 15th, Co. I, 146 men, 1864.


Artillery: Fifteenth Regiment, Co. M, 82 men, 1864; 7th, 70 men, 1864; 7th Inde- pendent Battery, 1861.


Militia : Nineteenth and 71st, 517 men, 1861-62.


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THE CIVIL WAR.


The following are the aggregates by towns of the men furnished and accepted in the county :


APRIL, 1861, TO JULY, 1862.


Towns.


Volunteers.


Militia.


Total.


Blooming Grove


37


. .


37


Chester


31


33


Cornwall


36


. .


36


. Crawford


II


5


16


Deer Park


10.1


. .


104


Goshen


30


30


Greenville


3


. .


3


Hamptonburgh


2


. .


2


Highlands


1


I


Minisink


17


17


Monroe


25


25


Montgomery


100


79


188


Mount Hope


9


9


Newburgh


493


429


922


New Windsor


26


2


28


Southfield


12


..


12


Wallkill


447


447


Warwick


100


100


Wawayanda


12


12


. .


1,505


517


2,022


. .


. .


. .


In addition to the numbers tabulated there were in the 71st Militia four hundred and twenty-nine from Newburgh, seventy-nine from Mount Hope, five from Deer Park, two from Chester and two from Southfield.


The totals tell their own story of patriotic zeal.


Company B, Third Regiment, before referred to as the first to be recruited and ready for muster in the State, was mustered out at the end of its two years' service, but reorganized and was mustered out the second time after the close of the war, or August 28, 1865. It was in many fights. including those of Big Bethel, Fort Wagner, Bermuda Hundred, Petersburg, Fort Gilmer, Chapin's Farm, Fort Fisher and Wilmington. Its first captain, Stephen W. Fullerton, appointed April 20, 1861, died in Newburgh, September 11, 1861, and was succeeded by Ervine A. Jones, first lieutenant, September 25, 1861, who was dismissed August 16, 1862. Alexander Mann, second and then first lieutenant, was promoted to captain, June 10, 1861, and discharged August 31, 1864. Jeremiah D. Mabie, who was promoted from first sergeant to second lieutenant, and then to first


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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.


lieutenant of Co. B, was made captain of Co. F, June 15, 1863, and dis- charged September 18, 1864. James H. Reeve was advanced from fourth sergeant to first sergeant and then to second lieutenant of Co. B, was made captain of Co. 1 October 3, 1864, lost a leg at Fort Fisher, and was discharged June 26, 1865.


The Eighteenth Regiment was recruited in several counties in response to the call of President Lincoln for 75,000 volunteers. It was mustered in for two years May 17, 1861, and mustered out May 28, 1863. Co. D was recruited from Orange County and organized at Middletown,. with John C. McGinnis, captain, George Barry, first lieutenant and Roswell M. Sayre, second lieutenant. The commissions of these officers date back into April. The enlistments were so many that thirty men of the company were separated to form a part of Co. H. The regiment sup- ported a battery in the first battle of Bull Run, but was not brought into action. It was stationed and remained near Alexandria the most of the time until McClellan's Army went to the Peninsula, and took part there in the seven days' fighting. Afterward it did guard duty at various points until it was mustered out.


The following promotions of Orange County men in the 18th Regi- ment are on record, the dates being those of rank, some of which pre- ceded dates of commission :


Thomas S. Lane, 2d Lieut., Nov. 6, 1861; Ist Lieut., Nov. 10, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


W. E. Carmichael, 2d Lieut., May 7, 1861 ; Ist Lieut., Dec. 2, 1861 ; resigned May 16, 1862.


Robert A. Malone, 2d Lieut., Nov. 11, 1861 ; Capt., Sept. 8, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


Roswell M. Sayre, 2d Lieut., April 30, 1861 ; Ist Lieut., Dec. 21, 1862; Capt., June 26, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


John S. King, Ist Lieut., June 26, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


George Barry, Ist Lieut., April 30, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mills, June 27, 1862.


John C. McGinnis, Capt., April 30, 1861 ; Major, Dec. 2, 1861 ; Lieut. Col., Oct. 14, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


The 36th Regiment was organized in New York, and its Co. B was recruited in Orange County by John Raney of Newburgh, captain of Co. F, 19th Militia, assisted by Timothy Donoghue of the same company. The enlistments were for two years. Between May 13 and June 17, 1861, they enlisted seventy-seven men: The regiment arrived in Washing- ton, July 14, 1861, and remained in camp until March, 1862. It was


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THE CIVIL WAR.


brigaded under General Couch, and attached to General Buell's Division, afterward commanded by General Keyes. It went with General Mc- Clellan's Army to the Peninsula and was in the fights at Seven Pines, Gaines Mills and Malvern Hill. Afterward it saw much active and per- ilous service in Virginia and Maryland. At Fredericksburg it was in General Deven's Brigade, which was the first of the left grand division to cross the Rappahannock, December 11, 1862, and covered the retreat of the army, December 15, Co. B being detailed to collect stragglers under the enemy's fire. May 3. Co. B, at Marye's Heights, captured a battery from a Mississippi brigade, and was the first to raise the colors on the heights. The regiment was a part of Sedgwick's Corps in the attack on Salem Heights. The last active service of the regiment and Co. B was in Hooker's campaign. The officers of the company were :


John A. Raney, Capt., June 15, 1861; Major, Dec. 21, 1861 ; resigned Oct. 15, 1862. Timothy Donoghue, ist Lieut., June 15, 1861 ; Capt., Nov. 12, 1861 ; mustered out with regiment, July 15, 1863.


John M. Lewis, 2d Lieut., June 15, 1864; Ist Lieut., Dec. 2, 1861; mustered out with regiment.


Charles B. Lewis, Ist Sergt., Oct. 1, 1861; 2d Lieut., Nov. 12, 1861 : Ist Lieut., Aug. 20, 1862; mustered out with regiment.


FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.


The 56th Regiment was formed of companies from Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Delaware Counties, Companies A. B, D and E being re- cruited from Orange, as were also the 7th Battery and Co. C of Mounted Rifles, afterward detached. It was a three-years' regiment, but was continued by re-enlistment, and although the companies were all mus- tered in between July 3Ist and December 10th, 1861, the regiment was not mustered out until October 17th, 1865. Its services in the army were varied and creditable throughout, and at times brilliant, and deserved the detailed record of its movements, hardships, perils and achievements in the history by John C. Fisk and William H. D. Blake, members of the regiment, which was published in 1906. It is this well-written history herein epitomized.


The 56th Regiment, first known as the Tenth Legion, was organized in July, 1861, by Charles H. Van Wyck, with headquarters at Newburgh. It consisted of ten companies of infantry, one of sharpshooters, two of artillery and two of cavalry, when it went away, but in Washington


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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.


the four latter companies were detached and placed in the artillery division and cavalry corps. Its camp of rendezvous and instruction until November 6th was on a sandy plateau by the Hudson River, near New Windsor. In Washington it was made a part of the Provisional Brigade, including also the 52nd and 104th Pennsylvania, the IIth Maine and the 100th New York Regiments. The 56th New York was commanded by Colonel Charles H. VanWyck until he was breveted a Brigadier General. Companies A, B and E were recruited in Newburgh by Recruiting Of- ficers Thomas S. Marvel, Charles T. Thayer and William J. Williams, respectively ; Co. C of mounted rifles in Montgomery by Frederick Decker, and Co. D in Warwick by John J. Wheeler.


The instructing officer at the New Windsor camp was Charles A. Van Horne Ellis, of the 7Ist New York Militia, and he proved to be an efficient drill-master in regimental and company movements and the manual of arms, in which officers and men made rapid progress and be- came expert before leaving for the seat of war. When the regiment reached New York General Stuart L. Woodford presented to it a white silk banner in behalf of a patriotic society called "The Sons of Orange and Sullivan," and this was carried through the whole war. On arriv- ing in Washington in November the regiment was sent to Kalorama Heights, near Georgetown, and tented there about two weeks. The weather was severe, and many of the men contracted colds, pneumonia and rheumatism from unaccustomed exposures, which also proved fatal to some of them. Afterward they camped a few weeks by Rock Creek, in the suburbs of Georgetown, and in January, 1862, went into the Carver barracks on Meridian Hill. The brigade, under General Naglee, had then become one of the best-drilled in the army, and President Lincoln and family and General Scott and daughter repeatedly came to Meridian Hill to witness its parade. It was in the grand review of 140,000 men under General McClellan which preceded the movement to the Peninsula, and on March 26th crossed the Long Bridge in Casey's division of four brigades, which marched thence to Alexandria, where on April Ist they started down the Potomac on the steamer "Constitution" for the Peninsula, reached Hampton Roads in the evening of April 2nd, and proceeded to Newport News April 3d. On this last trip the men had their first experience under fire, but the shells which the rebels shot at them from Sewell's Point fell short.


THE CIVIL WAR.


At Newport News they went into camp on a large plantation, waited for the rest of the army a few days, and marched with it to Yorktown. Here the men on picket line were almost constantly under fire, and all were kept in a fever of excitement by the roar of cannon and cracks of rifles along the whole line from river to river, day and night.


The first real baptism of fire experienced by the 56th was on April 16th, when a large force of the enemy came out and fell on the left of the division near Lee's Mills. The rebels were repulsed, and the officers commended the men of the regiment for their courage and steadiness under fire. May 5th they had more fighting experience after a swift march of the day before to the front of Fort McGruder in the suburbs of Williamsburgh. Here they took part in a charge on their enemies with fixed bayonets, which caused the latter to flee in confusion leaving many dead and wounded and about 600 prisoners. They remained in line of battle all night, standing in deep mud, and drenched by a driz- zling rain. When, the next afternoon, they were each given three bis- cuits of hardtack it was the first food they had eaten in two days, and ended the first experience of intense gnawing hunger with the most of them. May 9th they followed the retreating rebels over roads deep with mud, exchanging shots with them day after day, sleeping on the ground at night, wading streams waist-deep sometimes, with little to eat, and much of the time only what they could jayhawk. May 19th they drove the enemy across the Chickahominy at a point opposite Richmond, and as all the bridges had been destroyed, waded the next day across the Oozy river without much opposition, and waited for the rest of the corps, which followed in three days, and crossed the river on a bridge which had meanwhile been constructed for them. During the next three days the regiment was kept on the move making reconnoissances and scouting, and scouted to within four miles of the city of Richmond.


May 28th the 56th found itself assigned with Casey's division to a position on the right of the Williamsburgh turnpike, remained on picket till sometime after the attack of the 31st and captured a number of the enemy's skirmishers. Later, when the two lines of battle were formed, it was placed to support Spratt's battery. but the battery's captain re- lieved it and left the division lying on the ground exposed to the plunging fire of the enemy's artillery, which killed the men "at a fearful rate." They then formed in the edge of the woods, and there fought two hours,


100


THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.


and Colonel Van Wyck was wounded in the leg by a piece of shell. The division that day opposed a force of 30,000, and held the line. Three times the enemy charged to within reach of their bayonets, and each time was driven back. The division made one of the most bloody and obstinate fights of the war, and lost nearly half of its men, but. it was believed, saved the army of the Potomac from great disaster.


Then to Malvern Hill. On July I the division, after a tedious march, lay down on the hill near a large house, and there all day witnessed the cannonading of 160 Union guns, expecting every moment to be ordered to assist in the frequent fierce assaults made by the Army of Virginia in three divisions, "only to be torn in pieces and hurled back again to the cover of the woods by the awful storm of shot and shell and volleys of the infantry supports." But the brigade was not moved from its re- served position until late in the afternoon, when it was sent to the southern slope of the hill, and on the 2nd acted as rear guard of the whole retreating army, being in charge of the artillery and wagon trains. The enemy's advance attacked it at Carter's Hill, but was repulsed. The next day breastworks were thrown up, and the army rested. On July 7th the men were cheered by a visit and praise from President Lincoln. It was thought that the army would move forward and capture Rich- mond, but General McClellan received orders to withdraw by way of Aquia Creek and attack Richmond from the Rappahannock. The Chicka - hominy was crossed October 16 in weather so hot that large numbers of the officers and men dropped by the wayside exhausted, and that night when the regiment bivouacked not more than 100 men stacked arms, and hardly an officer except the mounted ones was with them. Key's corps, in- cluding the 56th Regiment, was left at Yorktown to cover the embarka- tion. The Peninsula campaign was ended.


General Naglee's brigade remained in and about Yorktown for some- time, doing picket duty and demolishing earthworks. On December II it went on a raid into Gloucester, Kings and Queens Counties, and brought back horses, mules, cattle, sheep and fowls. The brigade marched all night closely followed by the enemy, the 56th doing excellent service as the rear guard. On December 29th the brigade embarked on steamer for More- head City, N. C., and went from there to Newbern, near which it re- mained two weeks. On January 8, 1863, orders were read informing the men of the 56th that their regiment had been attached to the 18th Corps,


IOI


THE CIVIL WAR.


2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, with General Naglee as division commander, and Colonel Davis of the 104th Pa, as the brigade commander. General Naglee, on taking leave, issued an order naming the important events in the history of the brigade in which it acted a conspicuous part, and which should be inscribed upon the regimental banners. The 56th was included in all of them.


General Naglee also characterized the work and behavior of the brigade in each of the events.


In connection with the preparations to attack Charleston the brigade went to St. Helena Island and waited there until about April Ist. Thence to woods near the shore of Edisto Harbor, where monitors and gun- boats lay at anchor, and covered its landing by shelling the woods. After landing it followed the retreating enemy, and some of the men were wounded. While in camp here it was several times attacked in night forays and some of its picket men captured. Here the 56th was temporarily brigaded with that of General Howell in General Terry's di- vision, under General Gilmore of the Tenth Corps. On July 16th, this division, 4,000 strong, was attacked by a superior force of Georgia troops, but with the aid of the gunboats they were driven off with a loss of 200 prisoners. Soon afterward the division went to Folly Island, and here. while the bombardment of Forts Wagner and Gregg was in progress, the men were engaged in arduous duties and got but little rest. August 16 they sailed to Beaufort, S. C., and went into camp, with the regiment sadly reduced in numbers and many sick. They remained there till Sep- tember 3, 1864, with the exception of an expedition to John's Island in July.


In February, 1864, the regiment veteranized, the most of the men re- enlisting, and was mustered in as a veteran regiment February 29. In March it went north on a furlough and returned May 18, commanded by Colonel Tyler. During its stay at Beaufort about 400 new men had been re- cruited for it by officers sent north. The regiment went from Beaufort to John's Island, near Charleston, July Ist, and here became a part of J. P. Hatch's division. On July 4th it had the most trying march of the year on account of the extreme heat and the soft sand. Many of the men were sunstruck, and some of them died. The march was continued the next morning to within seven miles of Charleston, when, hearing that rebel cavalry were in their rear, they were ordered back. The next


102


THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.


day they started again for the front, and had to do some fighting. July 9th they were attacked by the rebels in force in a dense fog. A surprise was intended, but the rebels were met with volleys of grape and canister, and were twice repulsed. On July 10th, the regiment went back to Beau- fort, and the St. John's expedition passed into history. It was regarded as the most exciting and perilous scouting expedition the regiment was ever engaged in, but its object was accomplished. It remained at Beau- fort until September 3, when it moved over to Morris Island and assisted in the siege of Charleston. Here the men could see every shot from their batteries that struck Fort Sumter, and the firing was kept up night and day. The heat was extreme, the whole island was covered with shifting sand, which filled eyes, ears and hair, the heavy fogs at night were like a drenching rain, and all the while they were under the fire of the rebel forts and batteries, shells from which burst over their heads; but they had the compensation of seeing their own shells burst in the city of Charleston.


Many of the men became afflicted with scurvy, and the effective force of the regiment was reduced to 600 men, one-half of whom were detailed each day and night for field duty. Otherwise their duties were severe, and in October the nights became very cold, and, being without fuel, caused them much suffering. They remained there until November 27, when they were taken to Boyd's Point, and the next morning were marched by General Potter toward Honey Hill, where they were surprised by a con- cealed rebel battery, and there was a bloody fight in which the 56th lost fifty men in killed and wounded, and the division 746, and they were obliged to fall back. On December 3d the brigade, after a lively skirmish, returned to its old camp, and three days later went up Broad River to Deveaux Neck, near which it had many of its men killed and wounded in a severe fight. The next day it was attacked by a large force, and there was a bloody fight in which each man fired sixty rounds and the rebels were repulsed, but resisted stubbornly and retired slowly. In this battle the 56th encountered the 5th Georgia Regiment, drove it from its position, captured its colors, and lost twenty-four men in killed and wounded,


The camp was thirty-six miles north of Savannah and seventy from Charleston. December 23d the news came that General Sherman had occupied Savannah. On the 29th Colonel Tyler was put in comman !


103


-


THE CIVIL WAR.


of three regiments, including the 56th, and they advanced to ascertain the strength of the enemy. They encountered his picket line which resisted but fell back, and killed and wounded seventeen of Tyler's men. The camp was undisturbed until January 7th, when a rifled gun began shelling them and kept it up for a week, night and day. This was not restful, but the camp was so sandy that not more than half the percussion shells burst, and not a man was injured by them. January 15th it was discovered that the rebels had left, and our men pushed on and took possession of Fort Coo- sawhatchie. Here the rations were greatly improved by foraging expedi- tions. On the 17th they were visited by Generals Sherman and Howard. On the 29th the 56th remained at the fort while the rest of the brigade left to relieve General Sherman's forces at Poctaligo. The 56th did not join it until February 16, and afterward the brigade made a slow march to Ashley River, across which lay Charleston, arriving there February 28. The city had been evacuated after the cotton warehouses, quartermasters' stores, bridges, vessels, etc., had been burnt by order of General Hardie. March Ist the division started to pursue him, and if possible prevent him from joining General Johnston's army. It marched several days without finding any rebels, then was ordered to return and was back in Charleston on the 9th. This expedition, composed of General Pot- ter's entire division, had marched ninety miles. It went on March IIth to the village of Mt. Pleasant, near Charleston. and re- mained there until April 2nd, when it went to Georgetown, Major Eliphas Smith being in command of companies A. B. C. D and E of the 56th. A and B remained in Georgetown as a part of the garrison, C was sent as guard of a transport up the Santee River, and B and D were attached to the 157th regiment, and went with it on the "Kingsville expedition." Kingsville was about 135 miles from Georgetown, and the rebels had run in there from points on Sherman's march as many as 25 locomotives and 200 cars, with large quantities of stores and ammuni- tion. After a troublesome march, with some hard fighting, the expedi- con reached Kingsville April 10. On the 9th companies B and D of the 56th had gallantly charged a rebel battery, in the face of a fusilade, and captured it, but with a loss in killed and wounded of fifteen men.


The next day news was received of the fall of Petersburgh and the surrender of General Lee's army. In General Potter's order announcing it he returned "special thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Carmichael of the


104


THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.


157th New York and detachment of the 56th New York for the skilful and gallant manner in which they carried the enemy's battery and drove him in confusion from the field."


The locomotives and cars at Kingsville were destroyed, and the expe- dition marched back happy to their old camp at Mt. Pleasant. The fightings and severe hardships were ended at last.


April 14 the men witnessed the raising of the Union flag at Fort Sum- ter on the 4th anniversary of its surrender. Soon the regiment was united again at Summerville, and remained near there until the men were paid up. It started homeward October 6th, and was disbanded and mus- tered out on Hart's Island, New York Harbor, November 10th, but a num- ber of the men whose terms had expired had been discharged on July 5th.


During its last campaign in South Carolina the distances the regiment had traversed were about as follows: Beaufort to Morris Island, seventy miles ; to Coosawatchie by way of Honey Hill and Deveaux Neck, ninety miles ; to Charleston, seventy miles ; to Santee River and return, eighty miles ; Kingsville raid, 390 miles ; to Newberry by way of Orangeburg and Columbia, 166 miles ; to Chester, forty-five miles ; to Charleston by way of Winsboro, Columbia and Florence, 205 miles-all during the regiment's last year of service.


The regiment arrived in New York City October 20, 1865, was quar- tered in the Battery barracks until November 9, was paid up and dis- charged November 10.


From first to last there were 2,176 men and boys enlisted and assigned to the 56th regiment.


The incomplete record shows the names of forty-one killed in battle, twenty-three died of wounds ; 216 died of disease; 170 wounded and re- covered; 415 discharged for disability and wounds; sixty-seven trans- ferred to other commands ; five captured and paroled.


Following is a list of the engagements in which the regiment took part :


ENGAGEMENTS OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH.


I. Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 15 to May 4, 1862. ,


2. Lee's Mills, Va., April 28, 1862.


3. Williamsburgh, Va., May 5, 1862.


4. Bottoms and Turkey Island Bridge, Va., May 23, 1862.


5. Savage Station, Va., May 25, 1862.


5. Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. .-


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THE CIVIL WAR.


7. Seven Days' Battle, June 25 to July 2, 1862.


8. Railroad and Bottoms Bridge, Va., June 28 and 29, 1862.


9. White Oak Swamp Bridge, Va., June 30, 1862.


10. Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, 1862.


II. Carter's Hill, Va., July 2, 1862.


12. Woods' Cross Roads, Va., Dec. 14, 1862.


13. Seabrook Island, S. C., June 18, 1863.


14. Grimball's Landing, S. C., July 16, 1863.


15. 16. Siege of Fort Wagner, S. C., July 18, 1863.


Siege of Charleston, S. C., August and September, 1863.


17. Johns Island, S. C., July I to 10, 1864.


18. Honey Hill, S. C., Nov. 30, 1864.


19. Coosawhatchie, S. C., Dec. 3, 1864.


20. Boyd's Point, S. C., Dec. 5, 1864.


21. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 6, 1864.


22. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 7, 1864.


23. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 9. 1864.




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