NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
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THE HEROES OF ALBANY.
MEMORIAL
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SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES DURING THE LATE
WAR IN DEFENCE OF OUR NATION,
1861-1865,
WITH A VIEW OF WHAT WAS DONE IN THE COUNTY
TO SUSTAIN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT;
AND ALSO BRIEF HISTORIES OF THE
ALBANY REGIMENTS.
By RUFUS W. CLARK, D. D.
ALBANY:
. R. OKAY, PUBLISHER,
NO. 38 STATE STREET.
1§§L
THE OIIK
PUBLt LIBRARY
7047/B
AST"':. LENOX
TILDL., FOUNDATIONS
B 1940 L-
m
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-six,
By S. R. GRAY,
in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, for the Northern
District of New York.
C. Van Benthuysen & Sons,
Printers, Stereotypers and Binders,
407 Broadway, Albany.
TO THE
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
NOBLE PATRIOTS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF ALBANY,
SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN OUR DEFENCE AND FOR THE
AMERICAN REPUBLIC,
THIS VOLUME
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
INSCRIBED.
CONTENTS.
Page.
INTRODUCTION 1]
I.... MAJ. GEN. ORMSBY MACKNIGHT MITCHEL 53
II.... BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE 65
III.... BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT 88
IV.... COL. EDWARD FRISBY 119
V.... COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON 129
VI.... COL. JOHN WILSON.... 141
VII.... COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN 195
VIII.... COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 207
IX.... COL. LEWIS OWEN MORRIS 214
X.... COL. JAMES P. McMAHON 225
XI..'.. COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER 231
XII.... COL. HOWARD CARROLL 236
XIII .... COL. GEORGE W. PRATT 240
XIV.... LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK LYMAN TREMAIN 243
XV.... LIEUT. COL. MICHAEL B. STAFFORD 277
XVI.... MAJ. CHARLES ELISHA PRUYN 280
XVII.... MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON 318
XVIII.... MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED 336
XIX.... MAJ. JAMES HENRY BOGART 343
XX.... MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE 349
xxi.... maj. miles Mcdonald 355
XXII.... MAJ. GEORGE WASHINGTON STACKHOUSE 361
XXIII.... ADJT. RICHARD MARVIN STRONG 362
XXIV.... ADJT. JOHN H. RUSSELL 381
XXV.... CAPT. JOHN DePEYSTER DOUW 384
XXVI.... CAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS 395
XXVII.... CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD 402
XXVIII.... CAPT. WILLIAM JAMES TEMPLE 410
XXIX.... CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER 414
XXX.... CAPT. JAMES KENNEDY 420
XXXI.... CAPT. HARMON N. MERRIMAN 423
XXXII.... CAPT. JOHN A. FEE 427
XXXIII.... CAPT. EDWARD B. CARROLL 433
XXXIV.... CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE 435
XXXV.... CAPT. JOHN ARTHUR MORRIS 440
Vi CONTENTS.
Page.
XXXVI.... CAPT. JOHN McGUIRE 443
XXXVII.... CAPT. NATHANIEL WRIGHT 445
XXXVIII .... CAPT. JOHN SULLIVAN 447
XXXIX.... CAPT. ROBERT BARTLETT EVERETT 450
XL.... CAPT. ROBERT H. BELL 451
XLI.... CAPT. DAVID BURHANS 453
XLII.... LIEUT. CHARLES WESLEY HEALD 454
XLIII .... LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON 457
XLIV.... LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLM AN 464
XLV.... LIEUT. HENRY D. BROWER 499
XLVI.... LIEUT. JAMES L. DEMPSEY 514
XLVII .... LIEUT. JOHN M. DEMPSEY 524
XLVIII.... LIEUT. WILLIAM EMMET ORR 539
XLIX.... LIEUT. JAMES H. MORGAN 542
L.... LIEUT. MICHAEL HENRY BARCKLEY 545
LI ... . LIEUT. CHARLES SWAINE EVANS 549
LII.... LIEUT. CHARLES L. YEARSLEY 554
LIII.... LIEUT. JOHN T. B. GOEWEY 559
LIV.... LIEUT. JOHN B. READ 562
LV . . . . LIEUT. HENRY McCONNELL 564
LVI.... LIEUT. MATTHEW BELL 565
LVII.... LIEUT. LUTHER ACKLEY HILL 567
LVIII .... LIEUT. WILLIAM PAIGE CLARK 570
LIX.... LIEUT. JOHN PETER PHILLIPS 571
LX.... LIEUT. SYLVESTER BARRETT SHEPARD 573
LXI.... LIEUT. PATRICK MAHER 575
LXII.... LIEUT. ROBERT G. NOXON 577
LXIII.... LIEUT. JAMES McALISTER SOUTHWICK 578
LXIV.... LIEUT. EDWARD BAYARD HILL 586
LXV.... ORDERLY SERGT. PETER M. STALKER 589
LXVI.... SERGT. MAJ. IRVING P. JAQUES 591
LXVII.... SERGT. CHARLES H. FREDENRICH 596
LXVIII.... SERGT. WALTER HENRY ANGUS 601
LXIX.... SERGT. JAMES S. GERLING 606
LXX.... SERGT. ALEXANDER DAVIDSON RICE 609
LXXI.... SERGT. GEORGE SANDERS 611
LXXII.... SERGT. JOSEPH COWAN VANDERHOOF 613
LXXIII.... SERGT. ANDREW T. HOTALING 615
LXXIV.... SERGT. WILLIAM HENRY BELL 617
LXXV.... SERGT. PAUL QUAY 618
LXXVI.... SERGT. WILLIAM CROUNSE 620
LXXVII.... SERGT. GUSTAVUS A. PERCY 623
LXXVIII .... CORPL. WILLIAM MURRY 624
LXXIX.... CORPL. GEORGE T. GATES 628
LXXX .... CORPL. CHARLES G. LATHAM 633
LXXXI.... CORPL. ALBERT C. SMITH 639
LXXXII.... CORPL. ROBERT H. CAMERON 641
LXXXIII.... CORPL. JAMES YOUNG 645
LXXXIV.... CORPL. ALONZO E. LEWIS 646
LXXXV.... CORPL. WILLIAM H. MOON 649
CONTENTS. Vll
Page.
LXXXVI ... CORPL. ROBERT B. DARLING 652
LXXXVII .... CORPL. PHILIP VAN DENBURG 656
LXXXVIII.... CORPL. MARTIN SITTERLY 661
LXXXIX.... CORPL. LEWIS W. QUAY 664
XC... CORPL. ISAAC J. ROACH 665
XCI.... CORPL. JOHN E. BAILEY 669
XCII.... CORPL. ERASTUS HAMILTON HOLMES 671
XCIII.... CORPL. ALONZO GROVE LUDDEN 672
XCIV.... JOHN H. CONLEY 678
XCV.... WILLIAM C. CADY 684
XCVI .... ROBERT HENRY KING 688
XCVII.... GEORGE B. WOLCOTT 696
XCVIII.... JUSTIN R. HUNTLEY 698
XCIX.... WILLIAM A. VAN GAASBEEK 707
C... CHARLES MOORE BROWER 715
CI.... ROSWELL B. CORLISS 717
OH.... STEPHEN ROSS WHITE 718
CIII.... JAMES E. GOOLD 719
CIV.... ORANGE DUDLEY 725
CV.... LEVI I. HARVEY .. 727
CVI.... SAMUEL G. LOOMIS 728
CVII.... EDWARD AUGUSTUS HIGHAM 733
CVIII.... ALEXANDER S. SLAWSON 734
CIX.... WHITMAN V. R. MATTOON 735
CX.... THOMAS GOLDWAIT 737
CXI.... JOHN A. LOCKLEY 738
CXII.... HARMON VISSCHER, Jr 739
CXIII.... GEORGE STEVENS 740
CXIV.... ADDISON J. FELLOWS 742
CXV.... SAMUEL W. CHANDLER 743
CXVI.... JESSE D. VAN HAGEN 744
CXVII.... WILLIAM M. BRIGGS 745
CXVIII.... HUGH HAMMILL 746
CXIX.... WILLIAM J. WHYTE 748
CXX.... CHARLES SEDAM HEERMANCE 749
CXXI.... STEPHEN PUTNAM PARKS 751
CXXII.... HENRY SAYRE 752
CXXIII.... ROBERT A. CADWELL 755
CXXIV.... JOSIAH DUNHAM 756
CXXV.... JOHN C. CAVERLY 758
CXXVI.... FERGUS MADDEN 759
CXXVII.... GEORGE W. SCHERMERHORN 760
CXXVIII.... WILLIAM SNELL 763
CXXIX..., EDMUND HOLMES 764
CXXX.... MINOT HENRY PEASE 765
CXXXI .... JOHN VAN BUEREN 766
CXXXII.... SAMUEL W. KELLY 767
CXXXIII.... JOSEPH GLADDING 770
CXXXIV.... JOHN G. PERKINS 771
CXXXV.... AARON P. SPRINGER 773
Vlll
CONTENTS.
Page.
cxxxv1.... gerrit h. van denburg 774
cxxxvii.... abram m. carhart 787
cxxxviii.... james a. scrafford 788
cxxxix.... michael wagner 789
cxl.... george van wie 790
cxli.... william havens 793
cxlii.... addison b. miller 794
cxliii.... joel wilson 796
cxliv.... azor t. hayes 797
cxlv.... john q. a. crounse 798
cxlvi .... alanson f. hoffman 802
cxlvii .... david Mcculloch 806
cxlviii.... stephen mcculloch 808
cxlix.... james wilson 809
cl.... sebastian pearse 810
cli.... joel b. pitts 811
clii.... arthur haswell 812
cliii.... george w. kilbourn 815
cliv.... jacob van allen 816
clv .... charles van allen 817
short notices of other officers and soldiers 821-844
brief histories of the albany regiments 845-866
alphabetical index of the names of the officers and sol-
diers noticed in this volume 867
ILLUSTRATIONS.
FRONTISPIECE. Page.
VIEW OF THE ALBANY BAZAAR 26
POETRAIT OF GEN. ORMSBY M. MITCHEL 53
PORTRAIT OF BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT 88
PORTRAIT OF COL. JOHN WILSON 141
PORTRAIT OF MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN 280
PORTRAIT OF C APT. JOHN D. P. DOUW ... 384
PORTRAIT OF ROBERT H. KING 688
VIEW OF FORT ALBANY 845
INTRODUC TION
The design of this volume, is to commemorate the patriotic
services and noble deeds, of the men who have died on the battle
field for our Nation's honor, perpetuity and prosperity. While
they have done so much for us, the least that we can do for them
is to cherish their memory, record their virtues, and pay to them
the tribute of our gratitude and admiration.
History does not furnish us with an account of any war, which
has called forth a purer patriotism, a holier love of liberty, or
loftier sentiments of duty and devotion to the public good, than
have characterized the heroes who were engaged in our late
struggle for the maintenance of the American nationality. In
preserving this nationality, they were inspired with the belief
that they were toiling to keep alive the best government that
Heaven ever granted to a people; to perpetuate and extend those
social, educational and religious institutions upon which virtue
and happiness are based, and to secure the triumph of humanity
and justice, over systems of oppression that are a reproach and a
peril to any nation. And on the bright roll of martyr-heroes
none stand higher for purity, bravery and patriotism than many
who have gone forth from the city and county of Albany, and
whose precious remains we have followed to the grave with tears
of personal affection, and feelings of the warmest gratitude. While
their cold forms rest with us, their influence and noble deeds
have entered into the most valued parts of American history.
By dying, they have put fresh life into the Republic and added
to the value of our institutions. We have more to love, more to
admire, more to pray for, than we had before their heroism was
added to our national character. A republic for which such
sacrifices have been made, and upon whose altar such noble and
12 INTRODUCTION.
precious lives have been laid, must live; and its free institutions
must, in all future time, hold supremacy over every inch of terri-
tory embraced within the limits of our country. By all that is
sacred in the past, and all that is valuable in the future, every
true American is bound to accept as the guide of his conduct and
the inspiration of his life, the words of the gifted Webster:
"Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever."
In April, 1861, the first guns were fired from the batteries of
treason upon Fort Sumter. The sound of those guns startled
the Nation, and revealed the existence of a deep, wide-spread
and malignant rebellion. After a long period of peace, unity
and uninterrupted prosperity — during which the arts had been
advanced, the resources of the country developed, manufactures
and commerce increased, and the national domain extended, with
a rapidity almost without a parallel in history — there burst upon
us the storm of war, that raged for four years, periling the
Nation, embarrassing our relations with foreign powers, carrying
desolation to tens of thousands of homes, and producing an
amount of personal suffering and domestic anguish that no lan-
guage can depict.
To stay the fury of the tempest and save the ship of state from
being engulfed in the angry waters, all the loyal States vied with
each other in their prompt exertions and their liberal contribu-
tions of men and money. And we cannot enter upon our biogra-
phical sketches of the illustrious dead, without first alluding to
what our State and County have done to sustain the government
and preserve the Republic.
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE STATE.
At the breaking out of the war, his Excellency Edwin D.
Morgan, Governor of the State of New York, used the whole
force of his personal influence and executive authority to secure
large appropriations of money, and to raise men, to promptly
aid the general government in suppressing the rebellion. In
this work he received the cordial co-operation of other earnest
patriots; and especially in the organization and equipment of the
INTRODUCTION. 13
first regiments that were sent from the State, was he aided by
Gen. John Meredith Read, Jr., who at the time was a member
of his staff. The efficiency, perseverance and zeal of Gen. Read,
displayed at that crisis in our national affairs, were of immense
importance in developing and bringing into the field the effective
forces of the State.
As the result of the efforts of Governor Morgan and those who
co-operated with him, and also of his successors in office, this
State sent four hundred and seventy-four thousand men into the
field, during the four years that the war continued. This immense
number took about one-eighth of our entire population, and
formed one-fifth of the whole United States army.* This single
fact, revealed the depth and extent of the spirit of patriotism, in
the Empire State.
In this vast multitude, all professions, avocations and ranks in
life were represented. From our farms and factories; from the
workshop, the store and the counting room; from the pulpit, the
bar and the medical profession; from colleges and theological
seminaries; from fashionable and refined circles, and christian
homes, men rushed forth to defend the Union and liberty, or die
in the struggle.
Col. Lockwood L. Doty, in his third annual report of the
Bureau of Military Record, alludes to this exciting period in the
following concise and forcible language:
The news of the surrender of Fort Sumter reached the State
capita] on Sunday morning the 14th. A meeting took place in
the afternoon at the Executive chamber. There were present,
* When President Lincoln, in April, 1861, called for 75,000 militia for three months'
servioe, the army of the United States had on its rolls 14,000 men. During the ensuing
four years 2,688,523 were enlisted, of which 2,408,103 left the army alive. Of the bal-
ance, 96,089 died in battle or of wounds, while 184,331 died of disease. The number of
white troops enlisted was about 2,500,000. The number of deaths among them was 251,-
122, or one death out of ten. The number of colored troops was 180,000, of whom 29,-
298 died, or about one out of six — being nearly double the rate of deaths among the
white troops; three died on the field of battle and five from disease; out of every nine
deaths among the blacks, one died on the field of battle and eight from disease. The
mortality among the volunteers was nearly fifteen per cent greater than among the regu-
lars. These statistics are taken from official records, but while they give the number of
those who died in the service, they make no mention of the host obliged to leave the
army and who went home to die.
14 INTRODUCTION.
the Governor and other State officers, the Speaker of the Assem-
bly and members of the military and finance committees of the
two houses. A committee, consisting of the Attorney General,
the Adjutant General, the Inspector General, Mr. Blood, of the
Senate, and Mr. Robinson, of the Assembly, were appointed to
draft a bill to be submitted to the Legislature next morning.
As drawn by the committee, the bill invested the Governor with
the power of its execution. It provided for the enrollment of
thirty thousand volunteer militia to serve two years, and appro-
priated three million dollars to meet the expense. The Legis-
lature subsequently connected the State officers with the Gov-
ernor in raising and organizing the troops, and the commission
thus constituted formed what was popularly known as the State
Military Board. The bill, as modified, was passed by the Legis-
lature and signed by the Governor on the 16th of April.
On the 15th had been received the President's proclamation
calling forth the militia of the several States, including three or
four States that subsequently passed the ordinance of secession.
It designated a muster of seventy-five thousand, in order to sup-
press combinations and to cause the laws to be duly executed.
The quota assigned to New York consisted of two Major Gen-
erals, four Brigadiers, and aids to general officers, and seventeen
regiments of seven hundred and eighty each, officers and men,
making an aggregate force of 13,280. These were to be detached
from the militia under the act of Congress of February 28, 1795,
to serve as infantry or riflemen for the period of three months,
unless sooner discharged. The rendezvous of this State were
appointed at New York, Albany and Elmira.
There was no delay. The capital became at once thronged
with anxious persons. Ordinary business was mostly suspended,
and volunteering begun, before the authorities were able to accept
the services of those who thus promptly responded.
Were we permitted, at this place, to transcribe the telegrams
of a single day received by the Governor from all points, while
millions of loyal hearts were trembling for the safety of Wash-
ington, the revelation would compress a thousand pages of
thought and action, that are now historic, in a single sheet. How
startling was the first summons flashing along the wires from the
threatened capital of the Nation; how incessant the fiery mes-
sages thereafter! We may quote a few of these dispatches as
indicative of the excited and impatient state of public feeling at
that time:
"War Department, April 15, 1861. Call made on you by
to-night's mail for seventeen regiments of militia for immediate
service." Simeon Cameron, Secretary of War.
INTRODUCTION. 15
"Washington, April 15. Send no troops here except by
water."
" New York, April 15. Colonel Ellsworth desires to raise a
regiment of Zouaves in New York city. Will you accept them?"
"New York, April 17. Virginia seceded. Harper's Ferry
taken. Washington endangered; ready all night to serve orders."
"New York, April 16. Lose not a moment in issuing your
orders for the additional regiments for Washington. The people
are impatient of delay."
"New York, April 19. Post, third edition, asserts reliable
news, Davis being within one day's march of Washington with
an army. Our city military seem impatient."
" New York, April 19. The whole city is most anxious to
have. the militia of the State armed at once; and instant departure
of twenty thousand troops to Washington."
"Elmira, April 18. The Southern Tier Eifles have unanim-
ously resolved to tender their services to the General Govern-
ment. The Colonel awaits your Excellency's orders."
" New York, April 20. Telegraph states that troops must go
on to-night, or Washington is gone."
"New York, April 20. The bridges are gone, and communi-
cation cut off between Philadelphia and Washington."
" Chicago, April 20. Allow me to suggest the necessity of
concentrating troops immediately on the Pennsylvania state line
nearest Washington."
" New York, April 20. The impression is here that Wash
ington will be taken before Monday. Com. Vanderbilt and Mr.
Aspinwall tender to you all the steamers necessary. Reported
that bridges between Baltimore and Harrisburg are broken down."
"New York, April 20. It is most important that Col. Wil-
son's regiment be ordered off this p. M."
" Washington, April 20. Send the first regiment you get
ready in fast steamer up the Potomac."
Simeon Cameron, Secretary of War.
"New York, April 20. Washington is lost, unless Maryland
is kept open and bridges repaired. Let five thousand troops
march."
16 INTRODUCTION.
Such, in variety, were the multitudinous messages of alarm
and counsel which kept the electric wires in constant action.
They were throbbings of the great heart of the people — sponta-
neous, irrepressible; and on the afternoon of April 20th, 1861,
they became sublimely audible at the immense mass meeting in
Union square, in the city of New York. Then followed the
departure of our gallant National Guard, fourteen regiments in
all; and the volunteer regiments — first seventeen of them, and
then twenty-one — which sprung up in all parts of the State.
Their transit upon the railroads, their inarch through the metro-
polis, the towns and cities, will be recollected as among the most
cheering and impressive pageants of the war. They left their
homes for the field of duty, bearing with them the prayers of
unnumbered hearts.
The voice of a loyal press in our commonwealth was like a
bugle-blast during this period. Its thrilling tones penetrated to
every household, and gave utterance to the popular enthusiasm.
Its representatives threw down the pen and grasped the sword;
they hastened to the van of our armies; they prepared to make
the history which they were afterwards to chronicle.
Worthily interpreting the spirit of their constituency, our
State Legislature prolonged its session and redoubled its labors.
Loyal men of all political opinions rallied around the flag of
their country; and it will be remembered as one of the noblest
manifestations of that period of danger, how enthusiastically the
last hours of Senate and Assembly in 1861 were devoted to the
duties of patriotism.
The Military Board met on the evening of the 16th of April,
the day of the passage of the law. The Governor submitted a
dispatch from the Secretary of War, stating that the President
had made requisition on New York for about thirteen thousand
men, to be mustered into immediate service, and that he would
be gratified to have one or more regiments march to Washington
before the close of that week.
The juncture demanded prompt action, and the board at once
responded, by resolving that seventeen regiments of seven hun-
dred and eighty men each be enrolled and mustered into service
for two years. Provision was also made for the prompt trans-
portation to Washington of such of the militia regiments as were
to serve as minute-men, as well as of the volunteers; and also for
procuring necessary quarters, hospital and medical supplies, and
for incidental objects. There was need of this action; such being
the condition of affairs at Washington that the State was left, in
most part, to supply transportation for its troops. Indeed every-
thing was to be provided by our own authorities in the way of
accommodations for volunteers, sick and well. The Governor's
INTRODUCTION. 17
military staff, fortunately, was composed of men who were fully
competent for the new and weighty duties now imposed upon
them. No time was given them to deliberate, but the work was
pressed at once upon their attention. Soldiers were arriving at
the principal depots — even before authority to receive them
existed — often, indeed, presenting themselves unannounced; and
such was the fervor of the times that many who were obviously
unfit physically and by reason of age, came with the able-bodied
volunteers. Orders were promptly issued for the rendezvous
and organization of men; barracks were provided and hospitals
improvised. The details, as well as the general duties of several
of the staff departments, were instantly and vigorously entered
upon. And there was ample employment for the head and heart
of each. An army of forty thousand men, including the militia,
were to be prepared for the field, and the records of the period
show how ably and efficiently every duty was performed.
Several officers of the regular army were assigned to tempo-
rary duty at Albany about this period, to assist the military
departments by their experience. Of these were Col. Delafield,
since promoted to be Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.; Col. Schriver,
for two or three years Inspector General of the army of the
Potomac; Col. Keyes, subsequently in command of an army
corps; and Maj. Patrick, long Provost Marshal General of the
army of the Potomac.
While officials were thus engaged, the people were alive with
zeal in preparing to answer the call of the Government. They
held public meetings, adopted patriotic addresses, raised money
and enrolled men in all parts of the State. Past political differ-
ences were forgotten; flags were thrown from church steeples,
from public buildings, from school houses and from private resi-
dences. All was animation; a state of peace had been suddenly
transformed into a condition of war.
On the 18th the Governor issued his proclamation for seven-
teen regiments to be enrolled under the act passed by the Legis-
lature.
On the 19th a great meeting of merchants was held in the city
of New York. Resolutions to sustain the Government were
adopted, and on it being announced that several regiments, then
organizing, needed assistance, more than twenty thousand dollars
were raised in ten minutes' time. The Seventh Militia Regi-
ment left that city on the same day for Washington, amid great
enthusiasm.
The next day occurred that memorable meeting in Union
square, where leading citizens, without distinction of party, met
to unite their voices in support of the Government. Their action
gave direction to popular sentiment everywhere. The meeting
2
18 INTRODUCTION.
was an important one in the host sense. Conventions and meet-
ings were held the same day in Schenectady, Hudson, Utiea,
Oswego and Rochester, where men were raised and money sub-
scribed. The people of Poughkeepsie, Troy, Auburn, Syracuse
and Buffalo also met to counsel together on the best mode of*
responding to the country's call; and town and village, great and
small, were likewise engaged, while Albany and Elmira were
changed in a few hours from business centres to military camps.
On the 21st the Sixth, Twelfth and Seventy-first Regiments of
militia left New York, and the Twenty -fifth Regiment left Albany,
for Washington.
On the 22d the city of New York appropriated one million
dollars for fitting out soldiers and supporting the families of
volunteers. A patriotic meeting of the 1 tench and bar of that
city was organized the same day, at which money was subscribed
by the thousand.
The succeeding day witnessed a great meeting in Brooklyn, at
which Robert J. Walker, a former cabinet officer and resident of
the second State to place itself in open rebellion, spoke. The
Thirteenth militia, a Brooklyn regiment, left during the day, and
the Eighth and Sixty-ninth militia of the city of New York
departed at the same time for Washington.
Public manifestations increased. Nationalities vied with each
other in the work of raising regiments and sustaining the Gov-
ernment. On the 25th an enthusiastic meeting of British resi-
dents was held in New York, and two or three days later French
residents held a Union meeting. The Germans met frequently
in large assemblages; and other nationalities were equally active.
Distinctive regiments of Irish, Scotch, German and French were
being raised for the war.
The Common Council of Buffalo made a large appropriation to
equip a local regiment. Troy established a special depot, and
raised money for its support. Other cities were not behind in
the work. Collections were made in churches and at other assem-
blages for furnishing needed supplies for the soldiers and for
supporting their families.
On the 26th of April the Secretary of War wrote as follows
to the Governor. He had previously expressed himself in the
same spirit: "I have to repeat the acknowledgments of this
Department for your very prompt and energetic action in send-
ing forward the troops of your State."'
It was the glory of New York to be then, as since, in advance
of the calls upon her by the Government for men.*
* For an account of the regiments sent to the war from the city of Albany, see Appendix.
INTRODUCTION. 19
The State, too, poured forth its treasures like water. Early
in the war the bankers and men of wealth offered sums to almost
any amount, to aid in sustaining the country and the Government.
The most liberal appropriations were made by the Legislature;
and from the report of the Paymaster General of the State, trans-
mitted to this body January 23d, 1866, it appears that the total
sum disbursed for bounties alone, from July 17, 1862, to January
1, 1866, was $35,088,999.18. In addition to this amount, the
local authorities, says the report, have expended at least $60,-
000,000.
Besides these enormous sums, we are informed that the volun-
tary contributions from individuals, for sanitary and other pur-
poses, amounted on the first of January, 1866, to about $7,000,-
000. The fairs held in the State yielded $2,500,000; making a
total from these sources of $9,500,000.
The statistics for the county of Albany are as follows:
For county bounties $3,100,700 00
For recruiting fees and other expenses connected
with enlistments 225,125 39
Total $3,325,825 39
There was raised by county taxes $611,441 47
Raised by county loans 2,989,522 00
Total $3,630,963 47
These figures show the great sacrifices that the people were
ready to make for the preservation of our Republic.
EARLY EFFORTS IN ALBANY.
In the department of voluntary contributions for the comfort
of our soldiers and their families, and for the sick and wounded
in camps and hospitals, the citizens of Albany manifested the
greatest liberality during the entire period of the war.
Among the earliest efforts were those that we made to provide
for the families of soldiers needing assistance. A committee was
appointed to raise a fund called the "Citizens' Military Relief
20 INTRODUCTION.
Fund," to which our citizens most promptly and liberally con-
tributed. Many esteemed it a privilege to add to the support
and comfort of the families of the noble men who had gone forth
for the defence of our Nation. The finance committee consisted
of the following patriotic gentlemen: Messrs. John Benson, Ben-
jamin Payn, J. W. Harcourt, R. H. Wells, Hiram Perry, M.
W. Bender, Wm. M. Van Antwerp, R. P. Lathrop, A. Van
Allen, Franklin Townsend, C. D. Eathbone, Thos. P. Crook.
The total amount collected and paid over to J. C. Y. Paige,
Esq., City Chamberlain, was $20,479.00. In addition to this,
printing and binding were gratuitously done by Messrs. Weed,
Parsons & Co., and Messrs Munsell & Rowland.
Through this agency inany families were aided, who would
otherwise have been deprived of the necessaries of life.
To the patriotic ladies also, of our city, is the highest praise
due for the promptness with which they responded to the calls
that were made upon them. The first to move were Mrs. Gov-
ernor Morgan, Mrs. J. Tayler Hall, and others with whom they
became associated. After various efforts it was deemed expe-
dient to organize an association for the more efficient accomplish-
ment of the objects that were before the ladies.
THE LADIES' ARMY RELIEF ASSOCIATION.
As early as the first day of November, 1861, the Ladies' Army
Relief Association of Albany was organized, to co-operate with
the United States Sanitary Commission in affording aid to sick
and wounded soldiers. Its first president was Mrs. Edwin D.
Morgan, who entered most heartily into the work of the asso-
ciation. The following ladies constituted the first executive com-
mittee: Mrs. E. D. Morgan, Mrs. Wm. B. Sprague, Mrs. E. P.
Rogers, Mrs. S. T. Seelye, Mrs. Ray Palmer, Mrs. Mark Traf-
ton, Mrs. A. D. Mayo, Mrs. J. McNaughton, Mrs. Charles M.
Jenkins, Mrs. George H. Thacher, Mrs. Eli Perry, Mrs. Thos.
Hun, Mrs. Jacob Lansing, Mrs. Ransom, Mrs. James Hall, Mrs.
Otis Allen, Mrs. George B. Steele, Miss C. Pruyn, Mrs. Wm.
Barnes.
INTRODUCTION. 21
Mrs. "William Barnes was appointed Secretary of the associa-
tion, and the marked efficiency and patriotic zeal with which she
discharged the duties of her office, are too well known to need
any encomiums from my pen. She found also kindred spirits in
the executive committee, and very many of the ladies connected
with the association were indefatigable in their exertions to con-
tribute to its success. The young ladies of our city also co-ope-
rated, and we may judge of their great industry, from the inter-
esting statements of their work published in the annual reports
of the association.
From the neighboring towns valuable aid was also received.
Boxes and barrels of useful articles were sent by the ladies of
the Greenbush Aid Society; by the Coeymans Ladies' Relief
Association; the Soldiers' Friend Society of Coeymans Landing;
the Soldiers' Aid Society of Knox; the Soldiers' Aid Society,
Chatham Four Corners; the Soldiers' Aid Society of Rensselaer -
ville; the Ladies' Benevolent Society of the Baptist Church in
Schenectady; and from the ladies of Westerlo; East Schodack,
Stephentown, Renssalaer county; Gloversville; Medwaj^, Greene
county; Gallupville; Brockett's Bridge, Herkimer county; Sche-
nevus; Middleburgh, Schoharie county; Worcester, Otsego county;
Nassau, Rensselaer county; Kinderhook, Valatie, Fultonham, Cas-
tleton, Fulton Centre, and other towns. These contributions,
the fruits of the industry and liberality of thousands of ladies
throughout this and other counties, shows how warmly the public
heart beat in response to the calls from our suffering soldiers.
In one of the reports of the Albany association we find the fol-
lowing tribute to these co-workers:
"To the ladies of the several societies who, in this and the
adjoining towns, have labored with us, and sent us such ample
evidence of their efficiency and zeal, we - are profoundly grateful.
Without their aid we should have often found ourselves unable
to meet the calls so urgently made upon us, and we thank them
for demonstrating that, although removed from that active stim-
ulus of personal contact and association with the war, which so
often stirs our flagging sympathies in the cities, the fire of patri-
otic zeal burns as brightly and warmly as though their hearts
22 INTRODUCTION.
were daily touched by the sight (now, alas! become so common
to us) of sick and wounded and dying men.
"This report would be incomplete did the committee fail to
recognize the generous donation sent us last December by the
religious community of Shakers at Niskayuna. Prevented by
their religious faith from accepting that stirring call to arms
which roused the whole Nation a little more than a year ago,
their hearts opened at once to that second appeal, which asked
for aid in behalf of those who, answering the one, had left it to
a great christian people to answer the other. Their quaint but
decided protest against "the bloody trade of war" was offset by
such generous supplies of everything that could be used in a
military hospital, that our suffering soldiers could well afford to
forgive their logic while they demonstrated so well in their prac-
tice, that
' One touch of Nature makes the whole earth kin.' "
In the same report we find the following acknowledgments of
services rendered by several gentlemen to the association:
"The committee cannot close this report without an expres-
sion of its obligation to the many friends who have so faithfully
stood by the association since its formation, aiding it as mueh by
their wise counsels, as by their personal superintendence and
attention to its many outside duties. This tribute is especially
due to Hon. George H. Thacher, whose persistent and untiring
devotion to the best interests of the society merits more than
this slight acknowledgment. The uniform kindness and cour-
tesy which has characterized all his relations with us, can never
be forgotten by those who have been associated with him during
the past winter at the city hall.
" To William McElroy, and to the firm of Van Sickler &
Forby, the committee would also speak one word of acknow-
ledgment. The necessary manual labor connected with packing
and marking large boxes has been most kindly assumed by these
gentlemen, and no pressure of private business has ever inter-
fered to prevent their immediate personal attention to this duty,
when their services were required by the committee."
INTRODUCTION. 23
On the first of January, 1862, Mrs. Morgan resigned the pre-
sidency of the association, and the office has since been filled by
Mrs. Horatio Seymour and by Mrs. Reuben E. Fexton. These
ladies, like their predecessor, brought to their position great
executive ability and a warm interest in the welfare of the sol-
diers.
When Mrs. Seymour was chosen president, the following-
ladies were appointed on the executive committee: Mrs. Horatio
Seymour, Mrs. Ray Palmer, Mrs. Rufus W. Clark, Mrs. Chas.
G. Ames, Mrs. James McNaughton, Mrs. Charles M. Jenkins,
Mrs. John Taylor, Mrs. George H. Thacher, Mrs. Jacob Lan-
sing, Mrs. Jas. Hall, Mrs. Eli Perry, Mrs. Ransom, Mrs. Otis
Allen, Mrs. George B. Steele, Mrs. John T. Sprague, Mrs.
Archibald McClure, Mrs. William White, Mrs. John Tayler
Hall, Mrs. Charles B. Redfield, Mrs. S. O. Vanderpoel, Mrs.
Wm. N. Fassett, Mrs. George Shortiss, Mrs. William Barnes,
Miss Catharine Pruyn.
It affords us great pleasure to say that the officers and mem-
bers of the association labored with unabated ardor to the very
close of the war. During the four years ending January 1, 1866,
they received $19,712.30, and expended $17,712.30, leaving a
balance in the treasury of $2,000.
Besides the aid rendered directly through the U. S. Sanitary
Commission, the association performed other services, the follow-
ing account of which has been kindly furnished by the secretary,
Mrs. William Barnes:
" When the advancing tide of war was checked by the sur-
render of Gen. Lee, in April, 1865, its return wave threw back
upon us thousands of disabled soldiers, who were physically
unable to support either their families or themselves. The State,
with provident justice and humanity, assumed the charge of
many of these men, and gathered them into the ' Soldiers' Home ';
but many were only partially disabled, and, with a little assist-
ance, they were competent to help themselves. There were also
many homes made utterly desolate, where fathers, brothers and
sons would return no more; these appealed to the association for
relief. Monthly committees were at once appointed, and ordered
24 INTRODUCTION.
to visit and investigate personally every ease of destitution
brought before the executive committee. These committees
report that they have visited in their respective districts, one
hundred and four families, and distributed among them various
needful articles. The chairman of these committees, Mrs. Eli
Perry, reports that she has expended for this purpose, the sum
of $646.31.
In April, 1865, a committee of citizens was formed, whose
duty it was to feed, temporarily, not only our own returning
regiments, but also those ' in transitu ' through Albany. This
committe appealed to the association for funds to sustain their
enterprise, and its executive committee donated the sum of
$2,000 for that purpose. In February, 1866, on solicitation of
the Army and Navy Claim Agency of this city, they appropri-
ated to it the sum of $700; thus enabling it to pay off its out-
standing debts. This agency, it will be remembered, was estab-
lished in 1863, by the Sanitary Commission, but has always been
sustained by voluntary contributions from our citizens.
Acting under the suggestions and advice of the officers of the
Sanitary Commission, in New York, the association in February
appropriated the sum of $1,000 to the National Freedman's Relief
Commission, and $1,000 to its auxiliary society in Albany, Mrs.
Amos Dean, treasurer.
We have now the sum of $2,000 in our treasury. This money,
and as much beside as may be entrusted to us by our citizens,
will be faithfully and judiciously expended in relieving the neces-
sities of soldiers and soldiers' families; and when the last dollar
has been spent, the labors of the Army Relief Association will
be at an end, and it will pass into history with its enduring record
of the fidelity and patriotism of the Women of Albany."
There were other movements among the ladies in other direc
tions, of which the following is worthy of note.
In the summer of 1862, a lady in Washington city wrote to
Mrs. Samuel Pruyn, asking her to send some stores for the
needy soldiers, and especially for those at the camps Convales-
cent and Parol. Mrs. Pruyn responded by sending two large
boxes, filled with articles contributed by a few personal friends.
INTRODUCTION. 2D
Their reception was acknowledged by a letter, giving some very
interesting incidents in relation to the relief afforded and the
gratitude expressed. The writer also pleaded in the name of
humanity for a larger supply.
Extracts from this letter, and from others subsequently re-
ceived, were published in our daily papers, and found their way
to many sympathizing hearts. Donations of all kinds were sent
in to Mrs. Peuyn, with unprecedented liberality, and in a very
short time boxes and barrels were packed and forwarded, most
of which reached the camps at Washington. The whole number
thus collected was two hundred and eighty-seven, and they con-
tained everything which could contribute to the comfort of those
to whom they were sent. The donors had the satisfaction of
knowing that the articles were judiciously and immediately dis-
tributed, and without expense.
While these efforts were being made, Mr. Benjamin Payn, of
Albany, at the suggestion of Mrs. Pruyn, went to Washington
and visited the camps. He was greatly excited and distressed
by the scenes of misery that he witnessed, and came home to do
all in his power for the relief of the soldiers. He went out into
the country among the farmers, and quickened many to deeds of
mercy. With the aid of Mr. Alexander Greer, he collected
and sent on to Washington about six hundred barrels, containing
every variety of fruit, vegetables and delicacies for the soldiers.
THE GREAT SANITARY FAIR.
But in the midst of these various activities, which were alive
all over our city and county, there rises before us the grand
demonstration of patriotic enthusiasm, that enlisted the hearts
and hands of all classes, namely: The Army Relief Bazaar. This
beautiful building was erected in the Academy park of this city,
for the Great Sanitary Fair of Albany, Troy, and other localities
in our State, which was held during the months of February and
March, 1864. Its officers were, Hon. George H. Thacher, Pre-
sident; Hon. Eli Perry, Vice President; Chauncey P. Williams,
Esq., General Treasurer, and JoiinTayler Hall, Esq., Secretary.
26 INTRODUCTION.
Managers. — The President and Secretary, Chas. II. Strong,
James H. Armsby, M. D., S. Oakley Vanderpoel, M. D., Henry
Q. Hawley, Jacob C. Cuyler, Frank Chamberlain, Charles B.
Eedfield, Henry T. Buell, John H. Van Antwerp, Solomon
Hydeman, Arthur Bott, Thomas Kearney, James McNaughton,
John Tweddle; Mrs. Eli Perry, Mrs. Wm. White, Mrs. Frank-
lin Townsend, Mrs. Charles B. Eedfield, Mrs. Thomas Hun,
Mrs. James Goold.
Managers for Troy.— Mrs. A. D. Shepard, David A. Wells,
Mrs. George M. Tibbits, Mrs. John Flagg.
For the following account of the Bazaar, we are indebted to
the " Albany Express":
" We shall not stop to consider who originated the plan of the
Bazaar in this city. It is sufficient to say that the credit belongs
to the ladies of our Army Belief Association. To the various
committees the credit belongs of maturing the plan, and for the
vast details of the really monster undertaking, and they are enti-
tled to all praise for the success which has thus far attended
every effort.
"The form of the building — a double cross — and the location,
were suggested by Henry Q. Hawley, Esq. ; and for the archi-
tectural beauty of the structure, the public are indebted to
Walter Dickson, Esq. The building committee, consisting of
Henry Q. Hawley, Esq., Wm. N. Fassett, Esq., and Dr. S. O.
Vanderpoel, have devoted their time almost exclusively to the
performance of their very difficult and responsible duties. Their
labors have been most arduous, and they have been most cheer-
fully rendered at the sacrifice of their own comfort and business
— a sacrifice which should and must be fully appreciated, when
we consider the extensive business eng-aoements of these srentle-
men. The decorations of the building, which will be most elabo-
rate, and unequaled in brilliancy, have been arranged under the
exclusive direction of Dr. Vanderpoel, who, at the outset, secured
the valuable services of Rice & Mickel, the well-known artists.
The general superintendence of the work was entrusted to Edmund
Knickerbocker, Esq.; and it is but just to this gentleman to say
that his services have been invaluable, and that the managers feel
g
HH CD
H i— i
■3
3
.*<y7;
INTRODUCTION. 27
under great obligations to him, as also to Mr. Dickson, the archi-
tect. The carpenter work has been performed under the special
direction of John N. Parker and John Clemshire, Esq., two of
our most enterprising citizens.
" And in this connection it is proper to state that for lightness,
strength and economy in the cutting and working of materials,
the building cannot be surpassed. Notwithstanding all this, it
is supplied with an abundance of braces and supports to resist
all pressures and forces, and render it perfectly safe.
"As before stated, the building is in the form of a double
Greek cross, the eastern nave being one hundred and eighty-nine
feet long, the western nave one hundred and sixty feet long, and
the transept two hundred and five feet long; height of eaves from
floor, fourteen feet; height to apex of roofs from floor, twenty-
eight feet; width of naves and transept, sixty feet.
" Immediately on entering the Bazaar, the great national booths,
representing England, Ireland and Scotland, meet the eye. They
are to be respectively in charge of St. George's, St. Andrews,
and Hibernian Provident Societies, heartily supported and aided
by representatives of those countries. The St. Andrews' Society,
by reason of being the oldest organization, is honored with the
middle or most prominent of these three great booths. We
hazard nothing in saying that this will be principal among the
many great features of the Bazaar.
" To the right of the United States booth and adjoining the
Yankee booth, a booth equal in size to those allotted to England,
Ireland and Scotland, has been set apart by the Germans. It is
exceedingly gratifying to know that this portion of our citizens
are laboring with unexampled zeal, and intend to compete with
other nationalities for the palm of superiority. Never before
has there been such united and harmonious action amono- them,
and we have reason to expect the greatest results.
"To the right of the entrance is the 'Curiosity Shop,' a hall
thirty by sixty feet, separated from the general hall by a dwarf
partition. This will, undoubtedly, be one of the greatest fea-
tures of the Bazaar, and by many it is asserted that it will be
the great point of attraction. It will contain much that is curious,
28 INTRODUCTION.
rare and beautiful; relics of great value and age, and, in fact,
will be the receptacle of everything attractive and novel. The
value of the articles to be displayed in the hall will be immense,
and hundreds of them could not be duplicated at any price.
This department is in charge of Robert H. Wells, Esq., who,
assisted by James A. Hurst, Esq., the celebrated taxidermist, is
devoting his whole time to its preparation and arrangement,
"Next comes the Shaker booths, another very attractive fea-
ture, to be filled with the exquisite productions of that class of
our citizens.
" Then comes the great United States booth, thirty by sixty
feet, to be magnificently decorated with flags and other emblems
of our nationality, and fitted up throughout in such a style as
shall make it one of the great points of interest in the Bazaar.
It is to be under the direction and supervision of Mrs. H. Pum-
pelly.
"Adjoining is the Yankee booth, to be supplied with home
productions, with ' plenty more of the same sort left,' It will
be in charge of a lady who will represent the character entrusted
to her with great faithfulness.
" Next we have the Schenectady booth, which will be filled
with many rare and beautiful articles, the handiwork of the ladies
of that city, and other articles contributed by its citizens.
"Then comes the Spanish and Japanese booths, wherein will
be offered for sale articles peculiar to those nationalities.
" The six booths at the north end of the east nave have been
allotted to our sister city, Troy, and will be placed in their espe-
cial charge, They will be attended by ladies and gentlemen
from that city, and stocked with goods contributed by their
fellow citizens. We have already alluded to the earnestness of
our neighbors, and their zealous efforts in behalf of the good
work; and we are warranted in saying tiiat unless our people
work diligently, our Trojan brothers and sisters will eclipse them.
" On the opposite side of the east nave are the Italian, Russian
and Holland booths, and the booth allotted to the people of Sar-
atoga Springs, who are working diligently and intend to make a
splendid display.
INTRODUCTION. 29
" At the north of east nave will be found the Indian wigwam,
This bids fair to be one among the most attractive features of
the Bazaar, and will be attended by ladies in regular aboriginal
costume. The wigwam will be fitted up in a style that shall
strictly resemble the home of the red man, and in every appoint-
ment will be so complete as to furnish a correct idea of life
among the original settlers of the country.
"Here let us say that the ladies in attendance upon the booths
will be dressed in costumes appropriate to the nationality they
represent, which will add to the picturesqueness and novelty of
the scene presented.
"The Gipsey tent, situate at the north end of the west nave,
will be presided over by a Gipsey Queen, wearing the apparel
of one of those singular and remarkable people. She will hold
court during the Bazaar, and, if requested, will attempt to unveil
the future to any anxious inquirer. Of course she will be
favored with numerous visitors.
"At the left of the entrance is the Swiss booth, and adjoining
the managers' room or business office.
" At the head of the west nave is Floral Hall, where, it is
hoped, will be displayed some of the choicest and rarest of
Nature's productions.
" Adjoining it on the west is the French and Perfumery booths,
and at the west end of the transept the great War Trophy booth,
where will be displayed all the flags and relics now deposited in
the Bureau of Military Statistics, as also many other valuable
trophies that have been contributed to the Bazaar. This cannot
fail to be a most valuable and interesting feature of the Bazaar.
" Next we have the Military booth, and adjoining it the Auto-
graphic booth, at which will be offered for sale the autographs
and photographs of all the prominent Generals in the United
States Army, and also of many of the distinguished scientific and
literary men of the past and present."
On Monday evening, February 22, 1864, the fair was inaugu-
rated under the most cheering and brilliant auspices. The great
edifice was densely crowded, and the splendid illumination; the
lofty arches in the decoration of which all the colors of the rain-
30 INTRODUCTION.
bow were blended; the tastefully arranged festoons of evergreen
and flowers; the flags of our Union, of all sizes, which seemed
to fill the air with the spirit of patriotism; the rows of richly
ornamented booths, representing different cities and various
nationalities; and the enthusiasm of the masses of human beings,
swaying to and fro, made the scene one of thrilling interest and
dazzling beauty.
The exercises of the inauguration were opened by the singing
of the following dedicatory Ode, written by Miss Margaret F.
Morgan, of Albany, and set to music by Mr. H. W. A. Beale,
organist of St. Joseph's Church:
All hail to our country, the Land of the West!
The dream of the Nations, the Great and the Blest,
The vision that came on the spice of the breeze,
And haunted the heart of the dark Genoese —
That rose like a temple of gold to his view,
That hung like a star in his distance of bine.
The sun on his journey may linger to glance
On the mosque and the temple, the vine and the dance,
But always returns to the haunt he loves best,
And leaves his last smile with the Land of the West.
O, Sun in thy beauty, untiring like thee,
The heart of the Westland is glowing!
And over the continent, over the sea,
The light of its purpose is throwing.
Behold how its broad and beneficent ray
Each measure and limit is scorning!
Though dark clouds of error still lurk in the way,
They are edged with the light of the morning.
Come, Morning Light!
Come, quickly come,
Break through the night-
Trumpet and drum
Call in their might,
Come, quickly come!
Break, break the tyrant's yoke,
Break through the battle smoke —
Scatter the gloom!
Let treason's wonted ire
See in its force and fire
Naught but its doom.
INTRODUCTION. bi
Break thro' the prison bars, go with a blessing,
Shine on our captives, and bid them good cheer;
Go where the soreness of famine is pressing,
Tell them that bounty and largess are near;
From mountain, vale and mart,
Tell them the Nation's heart
Whispers " Good cheer! "
Though the air is stirred with combat,
Hope with lifted fingers waits —
Hears the bugle call of " Union.' "
Hears the homeward march of States!
From the dim and doubting vision
Rend the veil and show the right,
Thro' the mists of fraud and fable
Lead them onward, Morning Light!
Peace will return with her chaplet of glory —
Home from the battle field weary and worn,
Come the brave squadrons of song and of story,
Bearing their banners up rifted and torn!
What have we done for thee?
What have we won for thee?
Surging with tumult and sorely oppressed —
Given our all to thee!
Given our lives to thee!
Given thee Liberty. Land of the West!
Then hail to our country, the Land of the West!
The marvel of nations, the Great and the blest!
The green of her forests, the blue of her vales,
Her mines and her mountains, her lakes and her sails,
Her cotton and rice fields that stretch far away
In saffron of sunset, or purple of day —
All, all will we cherish with right and with might
Till the sun shall grow dim on his voyage of light!
From blight and from error, from woe and unrest,
May God shield our country, the Land of the West!
The introductory Address, which was very appropriate and
eloquent, was delivered by the Hon. Mr. Thacher. He was fol-
lowed by Governor Seymour, whose address contained several
historical facts of interest. After having been enthusiastically
received by the vast assemblage, the Governor said:
" Upon a day sacred to the memory of our greatest and purest
32 INTRODUCTION.
statesman, upon a spot made famous by historical incidents, we
meet for a purpose which appeals to our liveliest sympathy. It
is fit that the capital of a great State, which furnishes so large a
share of the armies of our country, and which is so numerously
represented amid the sick and wounded of our hospitals, and
among the graves of our battle fields, should be prominent in
efforts to soften the calamities of war. Upon this occasion the
historical events connected with this city and the adjacent towns
are brought back to our memories. Albany is the oldest city in
the thirteen original colonies, and, with the exception of St.
Augustine, in Florida, the oldest town in our Union, for the
earlier settlement of Jamestown, in Virginia, had ceased to exist
as a municipality. Before the Pilgrims landed upon Plymouth
Pock, and before the foundations of our great commercial metro-
polis were laid at the mouth of the Hudson, a trading post was
established at this point, and for years it was the most important
commercial place within the limits of our State.
"It is not to its antiquity and to its long continued identifica-
tion with the interests of our country to which I wish to call
your attention, but to some incidents in its history recalled by
the occasion which draws us together. In 1090, in this month
of February — one hundred and seventy-four years ago — there
came a midnight cry for help from the burning town of Schenec-
tady, and the panting messengers who came along the pathways
leading from Albany to that city, which ran along by the very
spot upon which we stand, and told of the massacre of its inhab-
itants, by Indian savages and their French allies. The alarmed
citizens of this place hurried to the protection of Fort Frederick,
which stood on this ground; and the ancestors of many of those
who I see before me, whose names arc still familiar in your social
circles, in your churches and in your public organizations, met
to devise measures of relief for the sick, the suffering, the
wounded and the dying of a neighboring town, and to adopt
measures for the support of those who should go out to combat
against the savage enemies. Many of their descendants bearing
those ancient and honorable names, meet here to-night for a
kindred purpose.
INTRODUCTION . 33
That >ong lapse of years, and those far removed generations,
at this moment seem freshly linked together by this coincidence
of place and purpose.
" A little later, another event occurred within this city, of still
greater significance, and still more closely connected with this
occasion. The people of the different colonies, living under dis-
tinct governments at the outset, were estranged from each other.
Separated by distances which at that day were overcome with
difficulty, made up of those of different nationalities and conflict-
ing creeds, there was among them but little intercourse, and no
concert of action. Alarmed by a threatened combination of
savage tribes which menaced the safety, if not the existence of
the colonies, they sent delegates to a convention held in this
city. Benjamin Franklin was its presiding officer. This was
the first distinct movement to a union among the colonies,
looking to strength and protection from united counsels and
combined efforts.
" Thus Albany became the birthplace of our Union. In God's
name, then, let it be upheld and cherished here. The first time
that the Stars and Stripes were ever displayed upon our National
banner — the first time that its emblems of State sovereignties and
National unity were ever given to the winds of Heaven — the first
time that that flag was ever displayed which now kiudles the
enthusiasm and patriotism of the American in whatever part
of the world he may see it, and whose folds, in devotion to its
sacred import, a million of men have battled within the last three
years — that flag was first borne into the dangers of the battle
field in the defence of this city. It was also first used to defeat
an effort to divide the United Colonies. For the purpose of
gaining possession of the line of the Hudson river, and the con-
trol of Lake Champlain, the British cabinet devised a combined
movement upon this city. Its fleets were to ascend the Hudson
■ — its savage allies, under St. Leger, were to come down the
valley of the Mohawk, its' disciplined armies, under Burgoyne,
forcing their way along the upper Hudson, were to meet the
co-operating forces at this point, and thus sever the Eastern colo-
nies from the rest of our country. The point to be reached by
3
34 INTRODUCTION.
this great combined movement was the spot upon which we stand.
This most formidable attempt upon our national existence was
defeated upon, the plains of Saratoga, and the three-fold attack
upon Albany was baffled and defeated. It was in that battle of
Saratoga that our National flag was first used. If we regard then
the object for which we are assembled , and the relationship
which that object bears to the union of our country and its glo-
rious flag, we find that the associations which cluster around this
spot are all in fit keeping, and well calculated to excite our
interest and our enthusiasm."
After other remarks, the Governor dedicated the Bazaar in the
following language:
"In pursuance of the invitation of your committee, and as
Chief Magistrate of the State, I do dedicate this edifice to the
great purposes of patriotism and charity, and I offer the fervent
prayer to Almighty God, that it may not only relieve the sick
and wounded, but by its gentle influence may touch the hearts
of those in rebellion; that it may aid in bringing back peace to
our land, restoring our Union, giving new life and vigor to the
government of our fathers, and making us again a great, united,
prosperous and happy people."
This address was followed by a Poem, by Alfred B. Street,
Esq., which was distinguished for great delicacy of thought,
beauty of expression and fervid patriotism. The following is
the poet's allusion to love of country:
Spirit benign, oh, love of native land!
For thee, the sword leaps flashing to the hand;
For thee, long death is one brief smile of joy,
And loftiest thoughts their loftiest powers employ.
What though stern Winter chains the crouching clime,
Warm glows the bosom in thy fire sublime;
Soft luxury's slave that sleeps amid his flowers,
Leaps to the foe and battles through his bowers;
Age for thy sake will cast his crutch aside;
Youth for thy love renounce his new-made bride;
The widow's heart unloose the boy, to dare
War's flaming thunders hurtling through the air;
All round thy heavens thou sweepest fondest glance,
Holy thou boldest all thy earth's expanse,
Daunting the despot, fain to see unfurled
INTRODUCTION. 35
His crimsoned banner o'er a conquered world,
Leaving glad Peace to plant the harvest gold,
Rear his loud roofs, the sea's wide stores unfold.
Lead civilization in its grand emprise,
And raise man's nature to his native skies.
Thus, through the North the thundering shout arose,
Life to our land, destruction to our foes,
Lift the starred banner — bare the battle brand !
Death to our foes, but life to native land !
Then, as the tempest bursting on the hills,
Turns to wild torrents all the trickling rills,
So as the tumult throbbed o'er hill and plain.
Leaped the live floods, and roaring, swept amain,
Up, with one bound, New England towered on high,
Loud to the heavens New York launched mightiest cry,
The Keystone's bayonet glittered on the air,
Broad to the fight the Buckeye's breast stood bare,
And the whole grand unconquerable West,
Quick to the van, in war's wild frenzy prest,
"While as the strong wind rattles through the trees,
The burst of banners ladened every breeze.
The closing lines of the poem are as follows:
Oh long did our Eagle stand chained to his rock !
But at last with a wing-burst of thunder-like shock —
Red bolts in his talons, red wrath in his glare,
And death in his wild shriek, he sprang to the air;
Ne'er back for a moment that pinion he drew,
But onward, right onward, right onward he flew !
One bolt shone at Shiloh, at Donelson one,
And one made grand Gettysburg flash as the sun;
While the last lightning launched from his terrible quiver
Made Lookout a beacon of glory forever.
Each region wherever he sweeps is his own,
And straightway from out its foul shade it has shone —
Shone out with its freedom of tongue, pen and press,
Those earth-stars that shine for our race but to bless;
And ne'er shall he pause, till, proud downward he swings,
To slake in the Gulf his free triumph-clad wings,
And loud alleluias shout wide as the blast,
That the day of true glory hath risen at last.
And now, in a vision prophetic the eye
Views earth and air glowing in magical dye.
The sunset of time ! earth's millennial light —
See. what is that grand, golden shape on the sight —
Our Nation, with Time in Companionship's link,
And reaching together eternity's brink.
55 b INTRODUCTION.
The Bazaar having been opened, all our citizens entered into
its plans and purposes with the utmost enthusiasm. Every
department was supplied with cheerful laborers, and those who
could not give their personal services, freely contributed money
to aid the enterprise. Col. Frank Chamberlain, Henry T.
Buell, Esq., Charles B. Redfield, Esq., and others, called upon
our wealthy citizens and were universally received with great
cordiality. Every one was ready to subscribe. Many of the
rich snive out of their abundance; and those of limited means
showed their patriotism by a noble generosity.
Mr. Buell states that probably no enterprise ever so fully
enlisted the interest of all classes of the citizens of Albany and
the neighboring towns as this Great Sanitary Fair. Social dis-
tinctions, denominational feelings and party prejudices were
forgotten in the general and intense desire to sustain and comfort
the noble men who had left their homes to light for liberty and
the Union.
Among our German population, Mr. Arthur Botts did admi-
rable service in collecting money.
J. H. Van Antwerp, Esq., was also very active in making col-
lections; and Mr. Cantine Tremrer and Mr. Cuyler, editor of
the Albany Express, devoted much time to receiving money at
the Bazaar.
To Chauncey P. Williams, Esq., treasurer of the Bazaar, and
to John Tayler Hall, Esq., secretary, our whole community
owe a debt of the deepest gratitude. These gentlemen were
untiring in their efforts to make the Bazaar a glorious success.
How fully the highest expectations, in regard to this grand
enterprise, were realized, is well known to all our citizens.
Everything that skill, forethought, a persistent loyalty and pure
benevolence could do, was done to render the whole affair a com-
plete success.
The amount received from all sources into the treasury was
one hundred and eleven thousand, four hundred and ninety-three
dollars and forty-nine cents. The amount expended was twenty-
nine thousand, live hundred and eighty-four dollars and ninety-
INTRODUCTION. 37
nine cents, leaving a balance, which was paid over to the treasury
of the U. S. Sanitary Commission, of eighty-one thousand, nine
hundred and eight dollars and fifty cents.
For pecuniary success in proportion to the population engaged
in this enterprise, for executive ability in carrying out its plans,
and for artistic effect, this fair was surpassed by no other within
the limits of the United States.
THE U. S. CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.
Besides the U. S. Sanitary Commission, the U. S. Christian
Commission received the cordial co-operation of the citizens of
Albany. This commission had its origin in a convention of
Young Men's Christian Associations, held in the city of New
York on the sixteenth of November, 1861. Twelve gentlemen,
from eight different States, were appointed as the first members
of the commission. The object proposed, was to promote the
spiritual and temporal welfare of the officers and men of the
U. S. Army and Navy, in co-operation with chaplains and others.
At the fourth and last anniversary, held in the city of Wash-
ington on the evening of the 11th ultimo, the following summary
of receipts for the four years of its existence was submitted by
George H. Stuart, Esq., President: In 1862, $231,256.29; in
1863, $916,837.65; in 1864, $2,882,347.86; in four months of
1865, $2,234,165.88;— making a total of $6,264,607.67.
Owing to various causes, the Albany branch of the Christian
Commission was not organized until the first of April, 1864. As
its plans of operation became known, a desire was felt to aid in
its work of ministering to the spiritual, as well as temporal inter-
ests of the soldiers. Accordingly, in March, 1864, a public
meeting was held under the direction of the Albany Young Men's
Christian Association, and appeals were made for funds, to which
there was a liberal response. Soon after, a meeting was called
at the rooms of the Board of Trade, and as the result, the Albany
branch of the Christian Commission was formed, with the follow-
ing officers: Thomas W. Olcott, President; John F. Rathbone,
38 INTRODUCTION.
Vice President; Levi Dedrick, Secretary; William McElroy,
Treasurer.
The new organization awakened, at once, a great interest, and
the pastors of our churches, and the members of all denomina-
tions, came forward to aid in giving success to the enterprise.
The labors of the treasurer, Wm. McElroy, Esq., soon became
very onerous, but he performed them with a cheerfulness and
patriotic ardor, worthy of all praise. He achieved from week to
week and month to month a great amount of work, which never
met the public eye, but for which he will receive his reward.
The amount that he received from April 1, 1864, to January 1,
1866, was $23,740.20. With the exception of $584.39, expended
for the benefit of the soldiers in our own hospital and barracks,
these funds were all sent to the central office of the Commission
in Philadelphia.
Besides the contribution of money, a great amount of provi-
sions and delicacies for the soldiers was collected; also hymn
books, knapsack books and other reading matter were transmitted
to the parent society. The good accomplished by these patriotic
and christian efforts, eternity alone can reveal. In the operations
of this association, as well as in that which acted through the
Sanitary Commission, the ladies of Albany took a very efficient
part, and sewing circles were formed in some of our churches,
whose contributions served to greatly increase the comforts of
our suffering soldiers.
At the request of the officers of the Young Men's Christian
Association, a large tent was procured from Philadelphia to be
used at the barracks for religious services. This measure was
attended with great success. The meetings were arranged by
John E. Page, Esq., President of the Young Men's Christian
Association, and the clergymen of the city preached on Sabbath
afternoons; and the young men held prayer meetings once or
twice during the week. Many of the soldiers were greatly bene-
fited by these meetings, and some were led to give their hearts
to Christ. Most interesting letters have been received from offi-
cers and private soldiers, by Mr. Pace, expressing their deep
gratitude to him for the interest that he had manifested in their
INTRODUCTION. 39
spiritual welfare. Religious meetings were also held at the hos-
pital in connection with the services of the chaplain; and since
the establishment of the Plome for Disabled Soldiers, Mr. Page,
S. R. Gray, Esq., and their associates, have been indefatigable in
their efforts to provide for the spiritual wants of the inmates of
that institution.
It should also be stated that with the Albany Young Men's
Christian Association originated the idea of preparing and send-
ing to the soldiers the "little house wives," that is, small bags
filled with needles, thread, pins, &c, which proved of so much
value. Besides being expressions of the home interest felt for
those who were far away, the tens of thousands of tracts and
little books that accompanied them were the means of great use-
fulness.
soldiers' refreshment committee.
This committee was appointed to attend to the wants of regi-
ments returning to and passing through the city; and the follow-
ing report of their services is furnished by Wm. M. Van Antwerp,
Esq. , chairman of the refreshment committee :
Regiments and Number of Men Fed.
Date. Resiment. No. of Men.
June 18—1 18th Eegiment N. Y. S. V 334
« 18— 117th Regiment N. Y. S. V 361
» 19_142d Eegiment N. Y. S. V. 438
" 20— 7th Heavy Artillery 219
' ' 2 1 — Prisoners from Camp Tyler, Texas 8
« 22— 77th Eegiment N. Y. S. V 95
« 25— 106th Eegiment N. Y. S. V 405
" 26— 10th Regiment? Vermont S. V ' 321
" 26— 5th N. Y. Heavy Artillery 120
a 27— 11 5th Regiment N. Y. S. V 267
' ' 28— 3d N. Y. Light Artillery . 335
" 28— 7th Ohio Cavalry 59
" 28— 10th N. Y. Heavy Artillery 973
u 28— 5th N. Y. Heavy Artillery 329
" 28 — 11th Vermont Artillery 6
" 28— 121st Regiment N. Y. S. V 328
« 29— 106th Regiment N. Y. S. V --- 107
" 29— 6th Vermont S. V 280
« 30— 3d N. Y. Light Artillery, Battery M 201
40 INTRODUCTION.
Date. Regiment. No. of Men.
June 30— 3d N. Y. Light Artillery, Batteries I and C. . . 195
July 1— 144th Regiment N. Y. S. V 890
l_43d Regiment N. Y. S. V. 147
1— 77th Regiment N. Y. S. V 189
2— 3d N. Y. Light Artillery 362
3— 93d Regiment N. Y. S. V. 287
5—3d N. Y. Light Artillery, Battery K 177
« 7— 91st N. Y. S. V 537
8_ 175th Regiment N. Y. S. V.. _. 89
u 13— 18th Battery N. Y. S. V. 111
" 16— 152d Regiment N. Y. S. V. 240
" 19— 2d Vermont Light Artillery ... 227
' ' 19— 12th Massachusetts Light Artillery 125
4 ' 20— 7th N. Y. Independent Battery 117
' ' 2 1— 25th N. Y. Independent Battery 99
" 21— 157th Regiment N. Y. S. V 382
" 21— 128th Regiment N. Y. S. V 461
" 21— 60th Regiment N. Y. S. V 403
< ' 28 — 2d Regiment Hancock's Corps 217
" 24— 94th Regiment N. Y. S. V 257
Aug. 4 — 7th New York Heavy Artillery 233
5— 20th N. Y. Cavalry _. 730
« 25— 110th Regiment K Y. S. y 522
Sept. 1— 3d Regiment N. Y. S. V 460
2— 100th Regiment N. Y. S. V 451
2— 192d Regiment N. Y. S. V. 387
2— 81st Regiment N. Y. S. V 304
2— 98th Regiment N. Y. S. V 181
ci 18— 75th Regiment N. Y. S. V 334
Oct. 3—1 lth New York Cavalry 302
ci 12— 153d Regiment N. Y. S. V 377
Sick men sent from Provost Marshal's office at different
dates .- 36
Nov. 24 — 2d New York Veteran Cavalry 447
Dec. 3 — 4th New York Provisional Cavalry 640
1866, Jan. 20— 193d Regiment N. Y. S. V 607
Total... 16,709
Wm. M. Van Antwerp,
Chairman of Refreshment Committee.
The committee expended in this department over seven thou-
sand six hundred dollars; and their kind deeds were duly appre-
ciated by the noble men who were the recipients of their bounty.
INTRODUCTION. 41
THE MEDICAL, DEPARTMENT.
Iii the medical department, the action of the government was
very prompt and effective in this State as well as in other parts
of our country. His Excellency, Governor Morgan, appointed at
the commencement of the war Dr. S. Oakley Vanderpoel, of
Albany, Surgeon General of the State of New York. Previous
to this time this position had been simply complimentary, but
now it was attended with great responsibilities and arduous
duties. To this office, however, Dr. Vanderpoel brought not
only a high reputation for skill and experience in his profession,
but great personal energy and efficiency. The bureau was organ-
ized in the best manner to secure the welfare of the soldiers and
the honor of the State, and to add to the effective force of the
army. The surgeons and their assistants were selected with great
care, and minute instructions were given to the inspectors of
recruits that only suitable men should be received into the ser-
vice of the government. On the eighth of January, 18 62, Dr.
Yaxderpoel made his first report to the Governor of the State,
which was afterwards transmitted to the Assembly, in which he
gives the details of the duties performed in the various depart-
ments of the medical bureau. His second report was transmitted
to the Legislature January 27th, 1863, in which he makes the
following interesting: statements:
"The past year has been one of memorable interest in the
medical department.
"During that period the effective force of troops from this
State has been doubled, while the medical staff has been nearly
trebled, numbering now five hundred and eighty-four. Within
that period they have been subjected to every vicissitude of cli-
mate, to every privation and fatigue — these, too, in the poisonous
malaria and the deathly miasm arising from tropical heats.
"Even now, bodies of troops from this State are stationed at
every principal post — New Orleans, Pensacola, Key \Yest, Hil-
ton Head, Newbern, Fortress Monroe — while the army of the
Potomac and the defences about Washington and Baltimore have
each large detachments.
42 INTRODUCTION.
"It is unnecessary to enumerate the fearful conflicts in which
they have been engaged, or allude to the scenes of woe and suf-
fering through which their duties peculiarly called them to move.
It is enough to say that wherever carnage was the thickest, the
ministering hand of the surgeon has been near, caring as rapidly
as possible for the wounded."
In the same report the Doctor alludes to a corps of volunteer
surgeons, organized in accordance with hist)wn suggestions. He
says :
" Simultaneously with the measures taken to assume the charge
of the sick and wounded, a movement was initiated to organize a
corps of Volunteer Surgeons, who should hold themselves in readi
ness, whenever a great emergency occurred, to proceed to the
vicinity of the field of battle and render gratuitous service to the
wounded. The necessity calling for such an organization was
obvious.
"Previous to the passage by Congress of the law of July last,
authorizing the appointment of an additional assistant surgeon to
each regiment, the medical staff was totally inadequate to fulfill
even the demands of ordinary service, from the necessary details
made for transportation, hospital service, and those who for any
cause were unfit for duty. This inadequacy would be painfully
and heart-rendingly felt by the whole people should a large
engagement occur. Impressed by this idea, and after consulta-
tion with some of the first medical men of the State, I addressed
your Excellency, on the thirtieth of March, the communication
marked 'A' in the appendix.* This was promptly and strongly
endorsed by yourself, and forwarded at once to Mr. Stanton,
Secretary of War. His replies will be found in appendix 'B'
and ' C*
"From these replies, so favorable and commendatory, resulted
the immediate organization of this corps, the names of whom are
marked ' D ' in the appendix.
A glance at the names comprising the list will readily assure
confidence as to the character of the gentlemen composing it. It
* See Report, January, 1863.
INTRODUCTION. 43
is not presumptuous to say that it would be impossible to find
on this side of the Atlantic, nor inded upon the other, an equal
array combining so much talent, skill and acquirements in their
profession.
"I should do injustice to a large number of noble medical men
throughout the State, who, though not formally recognized of
this body, promptly repaired to the peninsula and labored most
assiduously and faithfully. They waited for no official recogni-
tion, but in the true spirit of philanthropy ministered in their
respective fields of labor. It would be gratifying to enumerate
their names, but from their number, and the reason that only a
few made the fact known to me, renders such an effort impossible.
They enj'03^ a richer reward than public plaudits, in the quiet
consciousness of a well performed duty, and the heart-felt thanks
and prayers of the suffering sick and wounded alleviated through
their unostentatious ministrations.
"The recital of the labors of this whole corps of volunteer
surgeons, would form one of the noblest episodes of the many
noble which this war has brought forth; would serve to illus-
trate that heaven-derived mission of the profession, the prompt,
unselfish, intelligent relief of suffering humanity."
In I860 Dr. Vanderpoel was succeeded in the position of Sur-
geon General for the State of New York by Dr. J. V. P. Quack-
enbush, of Albany, who was also a gentlemen of the highest
personal and professional qualifications.
His first annual report was transmitted to the Legislature Feb-
ruary 19th, 1864. During the preceding year Dr. Quackenbush
had appointed two hundred and nineteen surgeons and assistant
surgeons in the places of those who had been promoted, or mus-
tered out or dismissed, or who had resigned. Besides faithfully
attending to his home duties, he visited the battle field and the
hospitals in the vicinity of other cities. Of these visits he gives
the following account, addressed to his Excellency, Horatio
Seymour, Governor and Commander-in-Chief:
"By your direction I proceeded to Washington, and there
received from the War Department ample facilities to visit the
44 INTRODUCTION.
battle field and all the hospitals in the vicinity of Washington,
Baltimore and Philadelphia.
"I visited these hospitals and saw very many of our own sol-
diers, who were much gratified, and expressed their thanks that
you had sent a person from New York to look after them and
bring them a word of good cheer from their own State. This to
me was a pleasant duty, and when I saw their wan and painful
countenances lighted up by the words of one who came from
their own homes, I felt thankful that I could thus, though in a
feeble manner, minister to the happiness of those who had suffered
so much in the service of their country.
"After visiting the hospitals in Baltimore, I proceeded to the
field of the last battle; but how different was the scene which a
few short days had made. Our victorious army had left the
hills which encompassed Gettysburg. The blast of the bugle
no longer was heard. The echo of the loud-mouthed cannon had
died away, and naught but the sorrow and misery of war now
remained. The sick, the wounded, the dying were on every
side; the long aisles of graves stretched along every camp; the
unburied dead lay prone upon the ground, their lifeless, blood-
less, soulless eyes directed to the mid-day sun. The battle was
ended ! A saddening and sorrowful sight was presented on every
side. Each army corps had its separate hospital, and the sur-
geon and his assistants were constantly engaged in the rude shel-
ter camp and at the operating table. All that humanity could
suggest and skill invent and execute was done, but the machinery
of war had been set in motion and the wrecks of mankind lay
scattered around.
" While on the field of the late battle, I saw many surgeons
from our own State, who, by their labor, were honoring the com-
missions you gave them. Some of these have since died from
disease contracted at that time. Others, too, on distant fields
of duty, have sacrificed their lives in the cause of their country,
nobly vindicating the exalted character of the profession they
represented. Perhaps at no period during the war have our sur-
geons been taxed so severely as at Gettysburg. They worked
bravely and nobly, and while I would award all praise to all the
INTRODUCTION. 45
surgeons who were left in charge of the sick at this place, my
natural State pride will not alloAV me to suppress the fact thai
no hospital, in its appearance of cleanliness, general arrangement
or abundance of supplies, surpassed those which were allotted to
and managed by the surgeons from the State of New York.
"In passing from one hospital to another, the same sad effects
of the battle were seen; but while inhumanity showed her bloody
trophies, humanity showed her nobler views, and those twin sis-
ters of charity, the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, were in
every camp, pouring their healing balm into those wounds which
cruel war had so ruthlessly laid open. These charities opened
wide their hands, and the soldiers keenly appreciated the bless-
ings which were there dispensed. New York should thank these
noble institutions, which then and there so deeply benefited the
New York soldier.
" After leaving the field of battle and its vicinity, I visited the
army at Antietam, and at Gen. Meade's headquarters I met Brig.
Gen. Wm. A. Hammond, Surgeon General U. S. A., and person-
ally offered to him the services of the surgeons of this State,
which I felt authorized in doing, as so many had already volun-
teered to go to the aid of the regular surgeons of the army. This
offer was frankly accepted, with the assurance that they should
be among the first called upon."
And a call was made that same month, under date of July
27, 18(33, by Dr. Jos. R. Smith, Surgeon of the U. S. Army,
which was promptly and cheerfully responded to by Dr. Quack-
enbush.
In the Doctor's second annual report, submitted to the Legis-
lature February 28th, 1865, he shows the condition of the medical
staff" of the army from this State, the number of surgeons who
have been appointed since the commencement of the rebellion,
the number who have been appointed the preceding year, with
the number who have died, and the general duties incumbent
upon and discharged by this bureau. He says:
" Since the commencement of the war, there have been two
hundred and forty volunteer regiments from this State in the
national army, and the first duty of this bureau has been to keep
46 INTRODUCTION.
these regiments supplied with their full complement of medical
officers. To each regiment are assigned one surgeon and two
assistant surgeons, and these officers are commissioned by the
Governor upon the recommendations issued from this bureau."
He gives in the report a list of the surgeons and assistant sur-
geons appointed in the New York regiments from April 15, 1861,
to December 31, 1864, with the rank of each, and the regiment
to which he belonged. The whole number commissioned was
twelve hundred and eighty-two.
Of the corps of volunteer surgeons, Dr. Quackenbush thus
speaks:
"This corps was called upon in May last, immediately after
the battles of the Wilderness, and in response to a telegram
received Sunday morning, May 7th, fourteen surgeons started
without delay for the scene of action. Indeed, within eight
hours after the reception of the telegram, some from this city
and Troy left for the army, and they met in New York city a
number of others, with whom they went to Washington, and
having reported to Surgeon General Barnes, were immediately
assigned to duty in Fredericksburg and its vicinity. These
gentlemen, whose names will be found in Schedule F, rendered
very valuable and timely service, and I would now, sir, in your
name, under whose commission they served, thank them for the
aid and attention which they rendered to the sick and wounded
soldiers of the National army, after the bloody battles of the
Wilderness. The general who commands an army and wins his
battle, receives the thanks of Congress, and it is right. The
colonel who gallantly leads his regiment and performs his share
of duty in the general engagements, meets and receives the com-
mendation of his superiors. The lieutenant who seizes the
standard of his company, and urges on his faltering men in the
face of imminent danger, looks for and receives promotion. Thus
each and every officer has his stimulus and meets his reward.
How is it with the volunteer surgeon of the State of New York!
His duty is performed in the hospital or on the field among the
sick and dying. The sound of the clarion or the music of the
drum meets not his ear. The voice of distress calls him to duty,
INTRODUCTION. 47
and the consciousness of having performed that duty -well is his
ambition and his reward. The testimony coming from the sick
and wounded, and the evidence rendered by those competent to
judge, has satisfied this bureau that the volunteer surgeon of
New York has done his duty faithfully, and the proud conscious-
ness of this must be his life-long reward."
Dr. Quackenbush was succeeded by Dr. Sylvester D. Wil-
lard, and Dr. Willard by Dr. James E. Pomfret, who were
both appointed by his Excellency Governor Fenton.
As a proof of the wide extent of the medical department of
our army, I would add, in this connection, the following state-
ments made by Joseph K. Barnes, Surgeon General of the
U. S. Army, to the Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, in
his report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1865. The dis-
bursements for that year for medical and hospital supplies; for
the pay of private physicians, hospital employes, &c, amounted
to nineteen millions, three hundred and twenty-eight thousand,
four hundred and ninety-nine dollars and twenty-three cents.
The whole number of general hospitals established since the
commencement of the war was two hundred and four, with a
capacity of one hundred and thirty-six thousand, eight hundred
and ninety-four beds. From April, 1861, to June, 1865, there
had been appointed five hundred and forty-seven surgeons and
assistant surgeons of volunteers; mustered into service, two thou-
sand one hundred and nine volunteer regimental surgeons, and
three thousand eight hundred and eighty-two volunteer regi-
mental assistant surgeons; employed as acting staff surgeons,
seventy-five; as acting assistant surgeons, five thousand five hun-
dred and thirty-two. The returns of sick and wounded show,
that of white troops, one million, fifty-seven thousand, four hun-
dred and twenty-three cases have been treated in the general
hospitals alone, from 1861 to July 1, 1865, of which the mor-
tality rate was eight per cent.
Gen. Barnes, at the close of his report, bears testimony to the
zeal and efficiency of the officers of the medical department, upon all
occasions. He says: " With hardly an exception, they have been
actuated by the highest motives of national and professional pride,
48 INTRODUCTION.
and the number who have been killed and wounded bears most
honorable testimony to their devotion to duty on the field of battle."
But without dwelling longer upon these general operations of
this department, we would speak of the care extended to the
sick and wounded soldiers in the city of Albany.
In April, 1861, the brick edifice known as the "Industrial
School Building," was occupied by the soldiers: extensive wooden
structures were erected around it, the whole constituting " The
Barracks," which were placed under the command of Gen. John
F. Rathbone. In the erection of the buildings; in the care of
the soldiers, and in the organization of the regiments, eight of
which were equipped and sent to the field in three months, Gen.
Rathbone displayed the greatest energy, and the most ardent
patriotism.
At that time Dr. John Swinburne, then of Albany, was the
surgeon in charge of this post, and his activity and zeal in pro-
moting the welfare of the soldiers, were such as could not be
surpassed. He followed the volunteers to the battle field, and
when they became prisoners, he would not desert them, but gave
himself up to the enemy that he might still minister to their
necessities. Too much praise cannot be awarded to Dr. Swin-
burne for his noble sacrifices for our soldiers and our country,
in the hour of her greatest peril.
In 1862, "The Barracks" were opened as a post hospital, and
in the fall of 1864, they were made a U. S. General Hospital,
and placed under the care of Dr. Mason F. Cogswell. Dr.
Cogswell was removed from this position, and from his wide
sphere of usefulness in our city, by death, and in February, 1865,
Dr. J. II. Armsby was appointed his successor. At that time the
hospital received the name of the "Ira Harris U. S. General
Hospital," after our distinguished U. S. Senator from the State
of New York.
Besides faithfully discharging the duties of physician and sur-
geon, Dr. Armsby did all in his power to promote the comfort
and happiness of the soldiers, by providing them with pleasant
rooms and suitable reading matter, and interesting our citizens
in their personal welfare.
INTRODUCTION. 49
MISCELLANEOUS PATRIOTIC DEEDS.
Under this head it would be impossible, within the limits of
this introductory chapter, even to allude to the many patriotic
deeds performed by our citizens. Besides those that are presented
in the foregoing pages, we can only refer to a few:
Prominent among these was the patriotic generosity of our emi-
nent sculptor, Palmer. In 1861 he gave, for the benefit of the
Soldiers' Fund, one of his best works in marble; and afterwards he
placed in the hands of Dr. Armsby four of his most recent and valu-
able pieces of statuary, for the same purpose. More than $2,500
were realized from this contribution. At the time our great fair
was held, he suspended his works, fitted up his studio for a pic-
ture gallery, and collected from among his friends a large number
of rare and beautiful pictures, which were placed on exhibition
for the benefit of the fair. Most of our city artists contributed
pictures as gifts, and more than $1,200 were realized from the
exhibition. Our photographic artists and picture dealers also
contributed liberally for the benefit of the soldiers.
Many of our ladies, too, were untiring in their efforts to alle-
viate the sufferings of the sick and wounded. They watched
over them, anticipating their wants, and in every way contributing
to their temporal and spiritual welfare.
All classes of our citizens seemed to vie with each other in
efforts to cheer and benefit the soldier, and sustain the govern-
ment in crushing the rebellion. Many who were unable to enter
the battle field themselves voluntarily sent substitutes to repre-
sent their patriotic ardor. Among these we would mention the
case of Isaac "VV. Vosburgh, Esq., who employed and equipped
one soldier for each member of his family during the war. Thus
he furnished seven members of the American army, representing
himself, his wife and five children.
Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer was one of the most liberal of
our citizens in his contributions in aid of the war. We hear from
a citizen of the seventh ward that he contributed enough money
to obtain thirty recruits for that ward; and we also learn from
another quarter that he has contributed $1,000 to the war fund
4
50 INTRODUCTION.
in the town of Watervliet. We presume he gave more in other
directions, for he is constantly giving in large sums for patriotic
and benevolent purposes.
Too much praise cannot be awarded to the editors and pub-
lishers of our daily papers for their readiness at all times to aid
in the great cause, which enlisted the sympathies and efforts of
our citizens. In one of the annual reports of the Albany Army
Relief Association, this aid is gratefully acknowledged.
Equally were they ready to help every other association and
every plan which contemplated the good of the soldier or the
welfare of the nation.
To our railroad, steamboat and express companies the commu-
nity are indebted for innumerable favors that helped to advance
the general cause.
THE BUREAU OF MILITARY RECORD.
The Bureau of Military Record was established by Governor
Morgan in December, 1862, and has been sanctioned and sus-
tained by the Legislature of the State. Its objects are to collect
and preserve the records of the war, embracing an account of the
action of cities, towns and counties in raising volunteers, and
contributing in various ways to the support of the army; of the
organization and services of regiments, with the preservation of
their flags; and the collection of the biographies of officers and
men engaged in the service, and of all printed documents per-
taining to the war.
Already great success has attended the efforts of the bureau,
and no less than live hundred flags have been received from the
regiments that have been raised in our State. Biographies of
many officers and men have also been collected, and the plan is
now being carried out of thoroughly canvassing the entire State,
for obtaining statistical information in regard to all the officers
and soldiers who have been connected with our army.
The Legislature of 1865 instructed the bureau, in addition to
its other duties, to collect and preserve " a record of the part
taken by seamen from this State, in the naval service, since the
INTRODUCTION. 5 1
beginning of the war; " and also to procure "a detailed account
of the treatment of Union soldiers from this State in rebel
prisons, and a record of the deaths in said prisons, and other
pertinent facts connected with such imprisonment." In accord-
ance with this order, measures have been adopted to obtain the
desired information.
In connection with the bureau, there is a valuable museum of
articles of military interest, gathered from battle fields, forts,
besieged cities and other localities.
To preserve these records and materials, as well as others that
may be collected, the Legislature have passed an act, which it is
believed will result in the erection of a tire-proof building, to be
called the Hall of Military Record. The Chief of this bureau is
Col. Lockwood L. Doty, a gentleman eminently fitted for his
position by his courteous maimers, his' extensive military know-
ledge, and his pure patriotism.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Ill the preparation of the following sketches, it has been our
aim to present a clear and truthful narrative of each of the
departed heroes of our city and county, based upon the most
reliable information that could be obtained concerning: them. In
the length of the sketches we have, of course, been governed by
the amount of the materials with which we have been furnished
by surviving relatives and friends. Many officers and soldiers
are briefly noticed (who deserve a more extended tribute),
because of our inability to obtain any more facts in relation to
them than those which are given.
A list of those whose names only, with a few historic dates,
we have been able to obtain, will be found at the close of this
volume.
Besides the articles contributed by the relatives or friends of
the deceased, whose names are given, there are some others pre-
sented, with slight alterations, in the language in which they
were furnished.
In the extracts given from journals and letters, I have taken
52
INTRODUCTION.
the liberty of making slight changes in the language used, where
they would add to the clearness of the thought, or to the gram-
matical structure of the sentence employed by the writer.
The whole volume is now sent forth to meet the demands of
every heart that is inspired with gratitude towards these patriot
martyrs. It is also sent forth that it may perpetuate the memory
of the achievements of these noble men, while the American
Republic, with its just laws and free institutions, shall have an
existence among the nations of the earth.
R. W. C.
Albany, October, 1866.
07u
MAJ : GEN. 0. M. M I r r ' I H E L
I.
MAJ. GEN. ORMSBY MACKNIGHT MITCHEL.
We commence our sketches of the illustrious dead, with a
name distinguished for scientific culture, earnest patriotism,
tender humanity and devoted piety. Rarely do so many intel-
lectual gifts and Christian virtues meet in the same person, as
adorn the character of Gen. Mitchel. His mind moved among:
the stars, and caught their brilliancy. His thoughts partook of
the harmony and grandeur of the worlds and systems that he
explored. His character was pure, his sentiments generous and
lofty, and his love of country was second only to his love of God.
Before the war, his discoveries and contributions to astronomical
science had rendered him eminent as an American scholar. His
popular lectures made him a favorite with all, and inspired buy
hearers with a love for the beauties and sublimities of astronomy,
and with adoration for the Creator and his marvelous works.
The parents of our hero resided, before his birth, in Virginia.
His father was a man of no ordinary intelligence and enterprise,
and had a decided taste for mathematical pursuits. His mother
was a woman of pleasing address, superior mental attainments,
and earnest piety. Mr. Mitchel having lost his property, moved
west, and located in Union county, Kentucky. There he erected
a rude habitation, and on the 28th of August, 1810, his son,
Okmsby Mackxight Mitchel, was born. When the child was
three years of age, his father was called away by death, and the
orphau boy was left to struggle with the obstacles and difficulties
that early beset his path. The family, in their deep affliction,
moved immediately to Ohio, with the hope of adding to their
means of support, and settled in the town of Miama. Oijmsby
was sent to school, and so rapidly did he advance in his studies,
54 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL.
that in some branches he soon surpassed his country teachers.
At the age of twelve years he had mastered the Latin and Greek
languages, acquired the elements of mathematics, and gained
considerable knowledge in other departments. For the want of
means to continue his studies, he entered a store as clerk. But
the dull routine of the duties in a country store did not satisfy
his ardent and aspiring nature. On removing to Lebanon,
Warren county, he formed the purpose to gain admission, if
possible, to the military academy at West Point. Through the
influence of friends he was successful in gaining the appointment.
To one who said to him: We have had many of our boys go to
West Point, but few of them get through;" Okmsby, with calm
self-reliance, replied: " I shall go through, sir."
The journey, at that time, from Ohio to West Point, was
attended with many difficulties, and especially for a lad without
money or friends to aid him. But our young hero pushed his
way through the wilderness, sometimes on foot, sometimes on
horseback, and at last upon the canal boat, that brought him to
Albany on Saturday night. Having previously determined to
live a Christian life, and to obey all God's commands, he rested
on the Sabbath, and was entertained by his relatives. On
Monday he went to West Point, and arrived there with his knap-
sack on his back and twenty-five cents in his pocket. Instead
of property and worldly advantages, he commenced his career,
equipped with personal energy, an honorable ambition, and firm
Christian principles. Possessing these elements of character, he
had the very best armor, for a youth, with which to fight the
battles of life, and win the most valuable prizes.
On the 23d of June, 1825, he was, after a satisfactory exami-
nation, admitted to the military academy, being then not fifteen
years of age. The law required that candidates should be a
year older, but, as a special favor, it was in his case suspended.
At once he devoted himself to study with great diligence, perse-
verance and success. Among his associates in the academy were
several of the generals who have distinguished themselves in the
late war, both in our own and in the rebel service. Among the
latter were Jeiteuson Davis, Robt. E. Lee and Joseph Johnson.
MAJ. GEIST. O. M. MITCIIEL. 55
In 1829, cadet Mitchel graduated with honor, and so hisrh
was the estimate placed upon his talents and character, that he
was very soon appointed assistant professor- of mathematics in
the academy. This position he held two years, and was then
stationed with the army at St. Augustine, in Florida. There life
was too monotonous for his active and ambitious spirit; and
having no prospect of usefulness or distinction before him, he
resigned on 30th of September, 1832.
While connected with the army he married Mrs. Trask, for-
merly Miss Louisa Clark, of Cornwall, on the Hudson river; a
lady of superior intelligence, rare attainments and devoted piety.
He moved with his wife to Cincinnati, where he opened an office
as counselor at law, and practiced until the year 1834. Here
he connected himself with the church, under the care of the Rev.
Dr. Lyman Beeciier, and was identified with the religious inter-
ests of the city.
The Cincinnati college having become established in 1834, Mr.
Mitchel was elected professor of mathematics, philosophy and
astronomy. Here he had a field suited to his taste and genius.
His ardor, in the noble study of the science of the heavenly
bodies, was greatly quickened. He infused his enthusiasm into
the minds of his pupils, by whom he was greatly loved and
admired.
In addition to the duties of his professorship, he filled the
office of chief engineer of the Little Miami railroad, from 1836
to 1837. Thus in time of peace he was learning lessons that,
years afterwards, would enable him, amid the stern realities of
Avar, to render the most valuable services to his country.
In the prosecution of his astronomical studies, Professor
Mitchel felt the need of an observatory, and in 1832 he bent
his energies towards obtaining the means for the erection of a
great astronomical observatory in Cincinnati. He prepared and
delivered a series of lectures upon astronomy, that were received
with the greatest enthusiasm. As his clear intellect moved with
the planets, and searched for the secret laws of nature among
the mysteries of the stars; as his pure soul reflected, as a bur-
nished mirror, the beauties and sublimities of God's wonderful
56 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL.
works; as he labored to weave out of language, garments with
which to clothe his own grand ideas of the distances in space,
and of the magnitude and mission of the far-off worlds; as he
poured forth, in burning eloquence, his almost inspired thoughts
of the attributes and perfections of the Infinite Author of all
material systems, and intelligent beings, — thousands listened
in breathless attention, and with emotions of the highest delight.
Not only did he gain the means for carrying forward his favorite
project, but he gave an impetus, in the popular mind, to the
science of astronomy, that is felt to this day.
In speaking of Professor Mitchel as a man of science, an able
writer says that he ""was an ardent investigator, and an eminently
practical inventor. Fully imbued with the poetry of science,
delighting in the lofty picturesques of astronomic thought;
abounding in the rarest imagery in his public teachings; his
truest sphere was in the mechanism of the means for scientific
observation and labor. To prepare himself as the director of
the observatory, he had studied and mastered the higher astro-
nomical mathematics, and was thoroughly conversant with the
history of the science. To qualify himself as a public teacher,
he had resolved the most difficult problems into such forms, and
such lucid language, as to make them clear to many who had
regarded it impossible to comprehend them. To give himself
facility in observing, he had studied under Professor Aieey, the
astronomer royal of England, at Greenwich; and to understand
the scientific relations of astronomy as they appear in the cos-
mogony of the universe, he had investigated those sister sciences
which, while they are distinct elements of the great subject,
came forward, in harmonious concourse, to cast their tribute at
the feet of Him, who dictated the record of Moses."
Without describing the various steps in the enterprise, which
resulted in the erection of the Cincinnati observatory, now justly
called the Mitchel Observatory, it is sufficient to state, that the
corner stone of the pier that was to sustain the great telescope,
was laid by the Hon. John Quinoy Adams, on the ninth of No-
vember, 1843. The telescope reached safely the city of Cincin-
nati in February, 1845, and in the following March the building
MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL. 57
was in readiness for its reception. In the prosecution of this
great undertaking, Professor Mitchel had exhausted all his pri-
vate means. He had overcome obstacles and difficulties that
would have utterly discouraged ordinary men. He had labored
on, month after month, and year after year, sustained only by
the sleepless energy of his own soul, and by the hope of success
that inspires every truly great mind. But the desire of his heart
was accomplished. He was permitted to gaze upon the triumph
of his genius and enthusiasm, as expressed in the beautiful temple
crowning the lofty hill-top, and consecrated to science, to the
universe, and to God. He had been instrumental in opening
upon this continent, a new pathway to the skies, along which
thought and aspiration might travel to distant worlds and sys-
tems. The hour was one of joy and exultation. But as the pro-
fessor had learned that the brightest sun might be eclipsed, so
he was soon to learn that the bright sun of prosperity might
grow dim, and our most cherished plans be thwarted by an
unseen hand. He had agreed to superintend the observatory
for ten years, without remuneration, and to depend for his sup-
port upon his salary as professor in the college. But in a sad
hour the college was destroyed by fire, and he was left penniless!
The temple enshrining the clear telescopic eye, stood serene
upon the lofty eminence, but the high priest of science could not
enter. His intellect, with its keen vision, was left to him. His
energies hud not been consumed in the conflagration. His know-
ledge of the stars had not been turned into ashes. His trust in
God was not gone. But his means of support were cut off; and
what can he do? Hear him, in his own language: "It was
impossible," he said, " to abandon the observatory. The college
could not be rebuilt, at least for several years, and in this emer-
gency I found it necessary to seek some means of support least
inconsistent with my duties in the observatory. My public lec-
tures at home had been comparatively well received, and after
much hesitation, it was resolved to make an experiment else-
where. For five years I had been pleading the cause of science
among those little acquainted with its technical language. I had
become habituated to the use of such terms as were easily under-
58 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCIIEL.
stood; and probably to this circumstance more than to any other
one thing, am I indebted for any success which may have attended
my public lectures. To the citizens of Boston, Brooklyn, New
York and New Orleans, for the kindness with which they were
pleased to receive my imperfect efforts, I am deeply indebted."
After a most brilliant career through these and other cities,
Professor Mitchel accepted an appointment from the Ohio and
Mississippi railroad company, as confidential agent to attend to
their business in Europe. In 1844 he surveyed this road, and
in 1853 he went to Europe, and again in 1854, to transact busi-
ness for the company. On his return he had charge of the
eastern division of the railroad, and managed its affairs with
great success.
In the summer of 18G0, he was chosen director of the Dudley
Observatory, that adorns our own city. The land for this noble
edifice was generously given by Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer,
and toAvards the building Mrs. Blandina Dudley gave $13,000,
while other individuals increased the amount to $25,000. But
while the professor was maturing his plans, for giving the
greatest possible success to this observatory, the trumpet of war
stirred his patriotic heart, and a sense of duty prompted him to
tender to the Government his military knowledge, and his per-
sonal services, for the defence of the country. It was, indeed,
hard for him to relinquish his scientific pursuits, for which nature
had so eminently endowed his intellect; it was hard for him to
tear himself away from his cherished wife, and the delights of a
fond home; it was hard for him to give up the brilliant future
that was opening before him in the regions of astronomical inves-
tigation and discovery; but in the hour of his country's peril, he
was ready to sacrifice all for her interests. And although the
military career of Gen. Mitchel was short, yet it was long enough
to prove that he was a whole-hearted patriot; a superior disci-
plinarian; a brave soldier, and a noble and successful commander.
For the details of his military life, we are indebted to William
P. Prentice, Esq. of New York city, who has furnished such
facts as came within his own personal knowledge. These we
give mainly in his own language.
MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL. 59
On the ninth of August, 1861, Prof. Mitcitel was appointed
brigadier general of volunteers, and was ordered to report to
General Franklin, on the Potomac. He was, however, almost
immediately relieved, at the request of western men, and sent to
Cincinnati, as commander of the department of the Ohio.
Here everything was in confusion, and destruction seemed
coming down from Kentucky to sweep away the city and its
State. There were no soldiers and no supplies. Quartermasters
and commissaries were deeply in debt, having been plundered
by miserable contractors, and in every quarter there was need
of such a man as now began to lead.
Night and day he was at work, using others' powers as well as
his own, organizing and directing whatever was to be done. He
seemed almost to create artillery. As by magic, there came up
regiments of foot, and marched to the front in Kentucky, seizing
the railroads and mountain passes. Cincinnati, at once, had the
fortifications which have twice since proved her safety. Mr.
Cameron, the Secretary, moved by the change wrought by this
"live man," as he called him, and urged by the General and
those who clearly saw the course of the rebellion, ordered an
expedition to Cumberland Gap, which, it was afterwards proved,
must certainly have been a great success, by dividing the Con-
federacy, saving Eastern Tennessee, and cutting oft' the rebel
supplies from the west.
But the delays, opposing counsel, and final countermand which
this and other movements met, led the General to urge the con-
solidation of the departments in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and
Tennessee, in which he offered to take a subordinate place.
The new department, called that of the Ohio, was created, and
Gen. Buel made its commander. Gen. Mitchel was second in
rank.
On the thirteenth of December, 1861, Gen. Mitchel took
command of the third division, army of the Ohio, and led it
through Elizabethtown to Bacon creek, where he lay for six
weeks, drilling and exercising his men, until he had certainly the
finest division in the western army.
He planned and urged the attack on Bowling Green, and leav-
60 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL.
ing Bacon creek February 11th, 1862, though held hack at Green
river, he captured it on the fourteenth, while Buel's main army
was on the march to Donelson. This fell, and Nashville surren-
dered to Gen. Mitchel February 23d.
To him also belongs the credit of the march upon and surprise
of Huntsville, one of the most important movements of the war.
For very soon Decatur and Bridgeport, with their bridges across
the Tennessee; Tuscumbia, through which water communication
with our army at Pittsburg Landing was opened, and a flank
attack on the rebel line of retreat offered; Rogersville on the
Elk river, and Winchester in the mountains, were ours.
Had these been held by the united western forces as they
should have been, and as Gen. Mitchel desired, the consequences
would have been far different from what they were to our cause
in Tennessee.
The defence and government of the General's district of Middle
Tennessee and Northern Alabama, continued from April 11th to
July 6th, when he was ordered to Washington, with a view to
his employment in Virginia,
The plan of an inroad upon Georgia, and a campaign in that
State and Eastern Tennessee, in 1862, met with the approval of
the Government, and was tiled in the Secretary of War's office.
It will be found to have been of similar and equal promise to
that of Gen. Sherman.
But the conflicting counsels at Washington were in the way
of all work in the summer of 1862. In August, the Mississippi
river expedition was ordered for Gen. Mitchel, and he was about
to embark with some thirty thousand troops for a campaign
which would have been short, and decisive of great results, if
we can trust the evidence now before us; but Gen. Halleck was
called to the chief command, and every new project was for the
time abandoned.
It was a strange thing to see such a man as Gen. Mitchel idle,
and, as a forlorn hope it seemed, he was in September sent to
the department of the south. Matters there were in a bad state.
Military misrule had produced a general discontent. The sol-
diers were a prey to the climate; and the listlcssness of camp
MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL. 61
life, while the freedmen corrupted by their idleness, gave little
promise of improvement or work.
The General landed at Port Royal September 16th. He began
at once the reorganization of the tenth army corps, and very
soon began to make for it a history, with new energy and hope-
Four expeditions met with such success that the campaign
against Charleston and Savannah was about to open. With rein-
forcements of twenty thousand men, sustained in its inception
with great confidence by the government, and entered upon with
enthusiasm by our troops, the first stroke, that against Pocotaligo,
succeeded well. Three expeditions, organized jointly by the
army and navy, were at once to follow, led by the Commodore
and the General, for the purpose of cutting oft* Wilmington,
Charleston, Savannah and Mobile from mutual support. Charles-
ton and Savannah would then have been attacked from the land
side, positions on the coast gradually occupied, and expeditions
sent into the interior. But while in the midst of these plans and
others that contemplated the protection and elevation of the
colored people, our hero was prostrated by sickness. On Sun-
day, the twenty-sixth of October, 1862, he was attacked by the
yellow fever in Beaufort, S. C, and on the thirtieth of the same
month he expired.
His death, so sudden and unexpected, produced the greatest
consternation and sorrow among all classes, white and black.
Just as difficulties that had embarrassed efficient action in the
past had been settled, and the brightest prospects were opened
before our forces, the beloved leader was snatched away.
Gen. Mitchel's civil policy was not inferior to that of his
military government. His schemes and efforts for the benefit
of the negroes were eminently practical and successful; and as a
leader, he was looked up to by them with great enthusiasm and
hope. They gave him their best assistance, and soberly entered
upon their great task. They built for him his first model village,
and took part in that social system of which he made the family
and the church the centres. Soon peaceful industry would have
overcome the ruin shown on every side, against which, up to this
time, almost nothing had been done. The grandeur and prac-
62 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL.
tiqal wisdom of his plans will be recognized in his correspondence,
invited by the President, the Secretary of the Treasury and some
of his New York friends, which will hereafter, it is hoped, be
published.
It is to be observed in reviewing his course, that while he
used gloriously every opportunity, he was always found capable
of greater things. The rays of his genius were seen struggling
through every cloud, and breaking out into the light of noon-
day. His powers of organization, and energetic, successful gov-
ernment, displayed in the departments of the Ohio and of the
south, mark him as of high administrative ability. The plan of
the Cumberland Gap expedition; the captures of Bowling Green,
Nashville and Huntsville; the plan of the campaign on the line
of the Memphis and Charleston railroad, were all his; and also
the plan of the Chattanooga and Georgia campaign, which would
have saved the country untold misery. To him also belongs
the credit of initiating such a campaign against Charleston as
afterwards proved a success. These alone distinguish him as a
great commander.
As a leader he was unsurpassed; he seemed of electrical pre-
sence; he always led; he marched like the thundercloud, and
struck like the lightning. It was his lot never to have had to
retreat, although not neglectful of its possibility. Observing
every precaution and watching the details of every movement,
few could be so sure as he. If the burning of Decatur and
Bridgeport bridges should be called an exception, this unneces-
sary action, it is to be remembered, was by command of Generals
Buel and Halleck, and against Gen. Mitchel's own counsel.
He was just and merciful in the use of power, although he
sought strenuously to maintain perfect discipline. The devotion
of his soldiers to him is well known; and Union feeling fol-
lowed him in the southwest, as was seen before and after the
outbreak at Athens, in which the eighth brigade, then detached,
was implicated. His cotton bridges, his improvised steamboats
and gunboats, his plan of defence for railroads, his system of
scouts among the negroes, his feats in railroad building, his extra-
ordinary marches, show his invincibility by obstacles. His
MAJ. GEX. O. M. MITCHEL. 63
passages of the rivers at Mumfordsville and Bowling Green were
indeed grand, and show his masterly power. Think of twelve
hundred feet of heavy bridging being created in ten days; three
hundred feet in twenty-four hours; a flatboat made a steam gun-
boat, for the shoals of the Tennessee river, in three or four days;
pontoons put on the Elk river in eight days; a river steamer
made a gunboat at Charleston, and almost impregnable by the
use of chains, as afterwards the Kearsage, in thirty-six hours !
Such things seem dreams rather than realities.
It is proper to add that the Georgia railway expedition, so-
called, owed neither its inception nor organization to Gen.
Mitchel, he having been simply furnished with men from the
third division by the special orders of Gen. Buel.
Fortunately, all the records of his military history have been
carefully preserved. Among them the original dispatches and
orders by him received are to be seen; and the copies of his
orders and correspondence. For every doubtful act he sought
and had the concurrence of the government, and he was cordially
sustained by the friends of the Xation and of truth.
Geu. Mitchel was an earnest Christian soldier, and was ever
ready to engage in every good work. In the southwest, daily
prayers were offered up with each regiment, except when circum-
stances rendered it impossible. Public services were also estab-
lished on the Sabbath, and at his meals the divine blessing was
invoked.
He had a soul that could hear the cries of humanity, and
respond by toil and sacrifices for the helpless and unfortunate.
For the education and happiness of the freedmen committed to
his charge, he did what he could; and at the last great day many
of the recipients of his benevolence will be ready to rise up and
pronounce him blessed. At the moment the breath left his body
science lost a rare ornament; the army mourned for a skillful
and brave soldier; humanity wept for an earnest defender and
advocate, and the church lost a true Christian and humble follower
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The writings which he has left we would earnestly recommend
to the lovers of science, and to all who would enlarge their
64 MAJ. GEN. O. M. MITCHEL.
views of the grandeurs and splendors of the universe. Among
them are his "Planetary and Stellar Worlds; " his "Treatise on
Algebra;" his "Popular Astronomy," and "The Astronomy of
the Bible," which has been published since his death. In read-
ing the latter beautiful and eloquent work, we cannot but think
of the spirit of our departed Christian hero as now moving amid
those splendid regions, gathering fresh stores of knowledge from
the vast fields that are open, and rejoicing in the love of that
God, whom he delighted to serve with his genius and his heart
while he was a resident of this earth.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. G5
II.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
Passing along, we come to another countenance radiant with
christian hope and beaming with victory. The eyes reveal the
inward intelligence; the lips whisper the peace of the soul.
Upon the brow is stamped " heroism." In the hand is a com-
mission addressed to "Brig. Gen. James C. Rice," a name which
history will embalm and posterity applaud.
Six years ago this hero enlisted under the captain of our salva-
tion, and professed his faith before angels and men, in the Madi-
son Square Presbyterian Church, in the city of New York. Less
than two years ago he took to his heart one who is now a widow.
She looked and prayed for the brightness of serene skies, and
received the thunderbolt that has shattered her spirit.
Although this christian soldier did not first enter the service
of his country from Albany, yet his numerous family connections
here, together with his being early and prominently identified
with the Fourty-fourth N. Y., better known as the Ellsworth
regiment, which was organized and sent to the field from this
city, gives Albany the right to claim him, and to place his name
upon the list with her own noble sons.
Gen. Rice was a native of the State of Massachusetts. He was
born in the town of Worthington, Hampshire county, in the year
1828. The records of his ancestors trace them to Hertfordshire
county, England. They were among the early settlers of New
England, having immigrated to this country about the year 1636.
The paternal and maternal grandfathers of Gen. Rice were
active participants in the Revolutionary war, and both served at
several different times during 1 that lono- conflict, and endured
many and great hardships. The father of Gen. Rice was a com-
5
$() BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
missioned officer, and served several months during the last war
with Great Britain. He is said to have been a man of true mar-
tial spirit, and a thorough and a brave officer. The mother, who
is now living at the advanced age of eighty-four years, has been
a woman of great energy of character. Her long life of devoted
purity and strong Christian faith, has deeply impressed itself
upon all who have been subject to her influence; and it was from
this source that the son drew his religious inspiration.
Gen. Rice graduated at Yale College, in the class of 1853,
with distinction. Upon leaving college, he took charge of a
seminary at Natchez, Miss., giving such spare moments as he had
at command to the study of the law, having already decided to
make this his profession. He returned to the north the following
year and entered the office of Theodore Sedgwick, Esq., in Nev*
York city. Not long after he was admitted to practice in the
courts of this State. He was here devoting himself to his pro
fession, which was already becoming lucrative, when the firs<
call was made for volunteers to defend the flag of the Union
Immediately upon the tiring upon Fort Sumter, his ardent anC
patriotic nature was fully aroused to the magnitude of the offence
against the government, as also to the urgent necessity of grea'
determination and promptness on the part of the people to sus
tain and preserve their institutions. He believed that this could
best be done by a general uprising of the north, hoping thereby
to convince the insurgents, before blood should be spilled, of tin
futility of the attempt to subvert the government. He immedi
ately offered himself as a private in one of the New York city regi
ments, but so rapidly were the ranks then filling up, that the
regiment was already found to have a surplus of men, and he was
transferred to the Thirty-ninth N. Y. S. V., known as the Garibaldi
Guards. He received a commission as first lieutenant, and was
appointed adjutant of this, then, splendid regiment, upon which
large sums of money had been lavishly bestowed by the citizens
of the metropolis. The regiment was early in the field, but from
lack of discipline, did not meet the expectations of its friends.
Insubordination soon began to manifest itself among the men,
and on one occasion Lieut. Rice took such a determined and
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 67
courageous stand, as to successfully quell a formidable mutiny.
For his gallant conduct on this occasion he was immediately pro-
moted to a captaincy. With this regiment Captain Rice was
engaged in the hist battle of Bull's Run. Soon after the return
of his regiment to the defences about Washington, he became
convinced that he could not, in this organization, be as useful to
the cause, as he desired to be. He therefore made application to
Gov. Morgan for a position in some of the new regiments then
being raised, High testimony from his superior officers to his
fidelity and bravery, secured for him the appointment of lieuten-
ant colonel of the gallant Fourty-fourth, whose already full ranks
were waiting to be officered. On receiving this appointment,
Lieut. Col. Rice was the recipient of a beautiful sword, belt, &c,
from the ladies and gentlemen of Albany. The following account
of the presentation is taken from the Albany Evening Journal
of October 19th, 1861:
" A large company of ladies and gentlemen met at the house
of A. McClure last evening, on the occasion of the presentation
of sword, &c, to Lieut. Col. Rice, of the Ellsworth regiment.
Among those present were Gov. Morgan, Hon. Erastus Corn-
ing, John G. Saxe, Esq., and other distinguished citizens. The
Presentation Address was made by Mrs. William Barnes, who
spoke with great feeling and in a vein of patriotic fervor, which
stirred the hearts of all who listened. It will be long before the
recipient will forget her eloquent words and impressive counsels.
Lieut. Col. Rice responded in an address marked at once by
earnestness and scholarly finish. He pledged those present that
the sword, of which he was the recipient, should return to its
scabbard, when the war was ended, untarnished; and that no
friend should have cause to blush over his record. He was
deeply affected, and spoke with the pathos of earnest feeling.
"The sword is beautifully finished, and bears the following
inscription: 'Lieut. Col. Rice, Forty-fourth Regiment N. Y. S.
V. Presented by his Albany Friends.' Among the articles pre-
sented, in addition, were a pair of revolvers, belt and sash, &c."
After the appropriate and eloquent Presentation Speech by
Mrs. Wm. Barnes, Col. Rice made the following reply:
68 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
" {Respected Madam: Be pleased to accept for yourself, and for
those whom you have so eloquently represented here this eve-
ing, my grateful thanks, for these precious testimonials of your
and of their regard.
"Aside from the intrinsic value of these martial gifts, so rich
and beautiful in themselves, the thought that they are the gener-
ous offerings of friends whose esteem long years of absence from
their midst has not dimmed; the thought that the fair and patri-
otic channel of their conveyance is, at this moment, recalling to
the mind of each one present the distinguished source from
which you spring; the thought that they are presented here,
surrounded by my kindred and family friends; and, above all,
the thought that they are so soon to be used for the defence of
a beloved country, in whose preservation each of our homes and
firesides, our families, and all the kindliest relations and bless
ings of life are so intimately allied, will ever enhance to me the
value of your gifts — adding, whether upon the tented or battle
field, joy to duty — tenderly touching to their finest issues th6
sacred love and devotion I bear to my country, and causing me
more fully than ever before, to realize:
; How home-felt pleasure prompts the patriot's sigh,
And makes him wish to live, yet dare to die.'
" The manner, Madam, in which these martial gifts have been
presented to me — coming as they do from the hands of one of
the gentler sex, and surrounded as I am by so numerous an
assemblage of fair women and brave men — naturally calls to my
mind those chivalric days of England's earliest kings, when
around the Round Table of the good and gallant Arthur, valorous
knights modestly told their loves, and feats of arms; when the
fair Countess of Brittany and Montford stooped to bind the sash
and sword around the waists of the bold Sir Tristam, and the
generous Knight, Sir Lancelot; when the fair Lady Isabella, and
the beautiful Eloisa, beside prancing steeds, gracefully knelt and
fixed the spurs to their gallant knights; when the brave Templar
of Ivanhoe won his fair Rowena by his faithful arms; when love
was the croAvning grace — the grandeur of the soldier's toils and
BEIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 69
bravery in woman's eyes the dearest quality of the manly mind.
In accepting this sword, on this occasion, from your fair hands,
I would not entirely forget the noble examples of those chivalric
times; but I will remember their many virtues, their mercy
towards the helpless, and their kindness towards the oppressed.
Be assured, Madam, that this sword, now entrusted to me by
you, shall never be tarnished with one ignoble or ungenerous
action; that as it now comes from your hands, bright and un-
sullied, so shall it be sheathed, when this Avar shall have ceased and
peace shall have been restored throughout the land. When the
skillful armorers of Saragossa presented their new made swords
to the brave knights of old, they first plunged them, hot from
the forge, into the river Stalo, and thus tempered, baptized them
with a sacred name, and dedicated them to some noble cause.
This night I receive this sword, tempered by your eloquent and
burning words, and forever dedicate it to the freedom and pre-
servation of my country. Inspired by your commands, I receive
this sword, and with the Trojan hero, as the Greeks threatened
his beloved Troy, contidently exclaim:
* * * 'Si Pergama dextra
Defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fui&sent.'
" If the Union can be defended by any right hand, even by
«his, it shall be defended.
"In the sentiments which you have so eloquently and feel-
ingly expressed in regard to this war, I fully concur. I have
long and contidently believed that God, looking down from His
Eternal Throne of Justice upon the American people, from the
formation of our Government, and despairing, after a long and
faithful trial, that justice and right would ever be done to the
down-trodden slave, either by the North or the South, at last
has taken their emancipation upon Himself. I believe that it is
God's divine purpose, having used the wrath of the South to
commence this war, to cause that wrath to praise Him by the
freedom of every slave. And I also contidently believe that this
war, under his Providence, will be made just severe enough to
effect this object; and that it will be ended by God only when
70 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
we, as individuals, both North and South, shall see and realize
this Divine object. Be assured, Madam, that in this war
' There is a Divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough hew them as we will.'
Bearing no unkind or ungenerous spirit towards the South, but
at the same time determined to defend my country to the last,
on this Divinity, in conducting this war to a happy and glorious
peace, I alone rely.
"With feelings thus inspired, I receive these military arms
and equipments from your hands. But be assured that in doing
so, I accept them relying not boastingly or confidently upon my
own strength. I receive them, feeling deeply the responsibility
of the sacred trust imposed upon me by your kindness, and trust-
ing for their unsullied keeping entirely to that Being who never
forsakes the brave and the faithful, who in the day of battle and
of trial, put their trust in Him alone. I accept them as a Chris-
tian, feeling that they are to be used in a most holy cause— a
cause that God will bless, and in His own wise time and way
bring to a happy and glorious issue. I accept them as a patriot,
proudly remembering the blessings and the glory of our coun-
try's past, and anxiously trusting that the same glory and bless-
ings, so abundantly shared by us, may be transmitted to our
children. I accept them as a soldier, willing to leave all, sacri-
fice all (save a Saviour's love), willing to offer up my life, if need
be, for my country; for in the loss of our country all is lost, and
whoever of us shall be so unhappy as to survive his country, can
but feel that he has already lived too long."
The subsequent history of this regiment, and the glorious
record made by it, are well known. Young Rice was shortly
promoted to its command, and led it through all the hard fighting
of the seven days' battles before Richmond, in the campaign of
1862. It was here that the soldiers learned, in their hardships
and sufferings, that they had in their Colonel, a friend whose
heart was ever open to their needs, and that their comfort was
ever his first solicitude. The noble men of this splendid regi-
ment, who have escaped the dangers of the battle field, uniformly
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 71
bear grateful testimony to the constant kindness and sympathy
of Col. Rice. At the battle of Gettysburg he had charge of a
brigade, and here, in the language of an eye-witness of that day's
terrible conflict, " he again distinguished himself by his gallantry
and skill. He was highly spoken of by Gen. Meade, for his con-
duct on this occasion, and earnestly recommended by him, as
well as by Generals Hooker and Butterfield, for an appoint-
ment of brigadier general of volunteers. The President acqui-
esced in the wishes of these officers, and Col. Rice was presented
with his commission, dating from the day of the battle of Gettys-
burg." Gen. Rice was now assigned to the command of a
brigade, and had a part in all the battles of the "Army of the
Potomac," till the fatal bullet closed his earthly career, at the
close of a desperate day's fight at Spottsylvania, Virginia.
Gen. Rice's last letter, addressed to his aged mother, reveals
the inner thoughts and workings of his soul. He said:
"We are about to commence the campaign, the greatest in
magnitude, strength and importance since the beginning of the
war. God grant that victory may crown our arms; that this
wicked rebellion may be crushed, our Union preserved, and
peace and prosperity again be restored to our beloved country.
My faith and hope and confidence are in God alone, and I know
that you feel the same. I trust that God may again graciously
spare my life, as he has in the past; and yet we cannot fall too
early, if, loving Christ, one dies for his country. My entire
hope is in the cross of my Saviour. In this hope I am always
happy. We pray here in the army, mother, just the same as at
home. The same God who watches over you also guards me.
I always remember you in my prayers, and I know that you
never forget me in yours. All that I am, under God, I owe to
you, mother. Do you recollect this passage in the Bible: ' Thou
shalt keep, therefore, the statutes, that it may be well with thee,
and thy children after thee.' How true this is in respect to your
children, mother. I hope that you will read the Bible and trust
the promises to the last. There is no book like the Bible for
comfort. It is a guide to the steps of the young — a staff to the
aged. Well, my dear mother, good bye. We are going again
72 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
to our duty, to bravely offer up our life for that of our country,
and, through God, we shall do it valiantly. With much love
and many prayers, that whatever may betake us we may meet in
Heaven at last, I am, your affectionate son,
"JAMES."
They will meet again where sorrow and parting are no more.
We regret that after several efforts we have not been able to
obtain a fuller account and more minute details of the career of
this distinguished soldier and eminent Christian; but the follow-
ing papers, from those who knew well the departed hero, afford
a just and clear view of his pure and lofty character, and of the
valuable services that he rendered to our country.
THE LAMENTED GEN. JAMES RICE, AS HE APPEARED LN CAMP A VISIT
WITH HIM TO A PRAYER MEETING! HIS REMARKS AT THE MEETING.
Correspondence of the New York Evening Post.
Near Culpepper, April, 1864.
MY FIRST NIGHT WITH THE ARMY.
Well, after dinner my hosts fulfilled their promise; one of
them guided me several miles to the quarters of the General.
The General is a Massachusetts Yankee, and was a New York
lawyer. He entered the war as a private; became afterwards
lieutenant colonel of the finest regiment our State has ever sent
out; rose to be colonel of it, and was made brigadier general for
a brilliant deed at Gettysburg. He has fought his way up,
having neither family nor political influence, and has the reputa-
tion, with the commanding geueral, of holding tenaciously what
is given him to hold, and going, over all difficulties, to the spot
which he is ordered to take. His men say of him that he never
says "go," but always, "come;" they are sure of hard fighting
under him, but they are certain, too, to see him leading in the
hottest part of it. He will blush when he reads these praises of
him, but as I do not call him by name, and as what I tell is the
simple truth concerning the simplest, purest and bravest soldier
I ever knew, there is no need of his blushes.
I proposed a walk before dark, and we lit our cigars and saun-
tered through the brigade, that I might see how soldiers live in
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 73
their winter quarters. It is not such an uncomfortable life as
many of us at home feared. What we call tents are in fact huts;
a frame-work of logs is built up to the height of four feet, and
tightly sealed with mud; over this is spread a canvass tent as a
roof. A broad, backwoods fireplace extends nearly across one
side of this little house, on which the great logs are heaped to
make a warm and cheerful fire. Some tents have boarded floors,
in others the ground is beaten down hard; all are kept dry by a
ditch surrounding the outside. Within are two "bunks" or
berths, in which two or four men sleep; the walls are decorated
with pictures cut from illustrated papers, with scraps from the
country weeklies, patriotic songs, here and there an army hymn,
and perhaps a photograph. You enter by a door, but there are
no windows, the canvass roof admitting abundant light. This
was the home of our soldiers during the long winter months.
Here they read, slept and discussed; for these men are inex-
haustible disputants, having brought with them from home all
their curious love of political discussion.
"There is the chapel," said the General to me; "the chaplain
is an excellent man — plain, rough, but full of fervor, and with a
.spirit of a Christian soldier. There is a prayer meeting to-night,
and we will go in presently."
The chapel was a long building of logs, somewhat higher than
the ordinary tents, and covered with canvass given by the Chris-
tian Commission. The seats were fence rails, firmly fixed in
crotches driven into the ground. A little ledge, with two
candles, answered the purpose of a pulpit and reading stand.
When we entered, the meeting was about to begin. The house
was full, about one hundred and twenty-five men having gathered
together. I shall not soon forget this remarkable evening. The
chaplain opened the meeting with a hymn, sung to a familiar,
old-fashioned Methodist air, then asked the General to pray, who
did so, fervently and simply. After more singing, such of the
men as chose were called upon to speak or pray, as they wished.
A number rose, one after the other, some speaking a few words,
others offering a prayer. Those who spoke, urged in simple,
direct, earnest words the necessity and happiness of a Christian
74 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. EICE.
life; those who prayed, called upon God, with touching appeals,
to bless their country, the President, their generals and their
families, from whom they had been so long separated. They
spoke and prayed as men feel who have been long upon the sea,
and whose port is yet far off"; as men troubled with the yearn-
ings of a lonely life, yet strong in their sense of duty fulfilled,
and earnest to continue even unto death, if God so willed, in the
cause for which they have so long battled. I am not ashamed
to say that my heart filled, and tears came to my eyes, as I
listened to them and saw what greatness of endurance, what for-
titude and patient self-sacrifice, was found here in the camp.
At the close of the meeting the General spoke: "You know
well," said he, "and I rejoice that you know the importance
and sacredness of the contest in which we are engaged. This is
God's war; we who fight it are God's soldiers; we are God's peo-
ple — the plain people whom he loves and cares for. This is
God's war; everything that is holy and good on earth is at stake
in it; we are fighting for law, for.free government, for the liberty
and equality of all men; we are fighting to maintain all that ever
or can keep this Nation pure and happy and prosperous; not only
our laws and our liberties, and those of our children, but even
the religion of Christ would be corrupted if the enemies of the
Union could triumph. They are autocrats, hating the plain peo-
ple, despising the workingmen, corrupting religion, snatching
at our liberties. We are God's servants, engaged in his work;
and because we are that, because it is His service we do, therefore
we are bound to be honest, to be faithful, upright, enduring,
brave, pure of life, devoted in all things to Him who is our mas-
ter; therefore it belongs to us, before all other men, to serve
God in every act of our lives, to love Him, to follow His com-
mands, to restrain our passions, to be in all things moderate,
virtuous soldiers of God."
"You have been told," he went on, "how the soldiers of the
Union are thought of at the north; how they are cared for, loved,
looked up to. You know how, in your own homes, a soldier of
the Revolution was reverenced, because he fought in the great
battles which first gave us liberty; but your reward will be greater
BRIG. GEX. JAMES C. KICE. 75
and more enduring than theirs. When this war is over, and you
go home, you will be received with shouts, and hosannas, and
tears of joy; you will be honored and cherished as man never
was before 3011 in the world; your children and children's
children, to the latest generation, will make it their proudest
boast that their fathers fought in this great and holy war. You
will found families in the land; the greatest in the land will be
proud to say, ' my ancestors served in the great war; ' and if we
die on the field of battle, as many of us must, do you think we
shall be forgotten? Ah! don't believe it. When the war is
over, be sure every smallest incident of its history will be traced,
every name will be recorded, every brave deed will be searched
out, and for a century to come your trials, your sufferings, your
constancy and bravery will be the chosen theme of the most
finished scholars, and the greatest writers our country produces.
No act of ours will escape the vigilance of that multitude of busy
writers who will, in every State and every town, search out our
names and the story of our services, to make them known to the
Nation, which will call us fathers of a redeemed country, the
soldiers of a greater revolution. Ah! it is a proud thing to fight
in this war; our reward will be great. Let us live such lives
that God will love us, and that our countrymen may be proud of
us. Let us keep up, here in the camp, the thoughts and habits
of the dear homes we have left so far away, that our old mothers,
when we come back to them, shall not find us in anything changed
except for the better."
Do men fail to think thus? The General, whose words I have
written here, has fought in twenty battles. He is but a little
past thirty, but his black hair is already grizzled, and the lines in
his grim face tell of exposure and the excitement of battle. " Do
they see it as you do, General," I asked, as we walked homeward,
"do they believe with you?" Believe," said he, "they know;
they have discussed these questions many hundred times about
their camp fires; it is their life, their hearts are full of it. Do
you think they are men who give their ease, their prospects, their
lives for it; don't understand it? My dear sir, they know more
than all the north put together."
76 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
I believe they do. These soldiers, in their long isolation from
the busy world of home, have pondered and settled certain ques-
tions for themselves; they have disentangled themselves from
the sophistries in which adroit politicians at home used to catch
men as in nets. They call right, right; wrong, wrong, and duty,
duty. The men of this army are curiously self-contained, self:
contident. They no longer toss up their hats for a passing gen-
eral — a disgusting fashion which was encouraged in the army at
first, because it was thought that Americans fight as Frenchmen,
and must be moved by personal motives, and by appeals to the
meaner passions. "The soldier, if he does his duty, is as good
as his officer," they say; "the soldiers have achieved more than
their officers in this army; we gain battle by hard fighting.''
They believe in the power of the army of the Potomac, and think
it the finest army now in the world. " It is easy," they say, " to go
on from victory to victory; easy to be confident when you always
beat the enemy." But we have been defeated time and again,
and after every defeat we have fought again as stubbornly, as
bravely as ever. That's the hardest trial. But of what the army
says, or such small part of it as one by chance and effort can
get knowledge of, I must write another time. C. N.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
By Chaplain Twichell, Second Regiment Excelsior Brigade.
One of the most pleasant passages of my army experience, and
one that I think will stay as freshly as any in my recollection,
should my life go on to old age, is my last visit to Gen. Rice, at
his head quarters near Culpepper Court House, a few days before
we crossed the Rapi'dan and entered upon the late campaign,
from the scenes of which he was fated so soon to disappear. I
cannot say that he and I were friends, as our acquaintance had
been recently formed; but I had often felt of late, that if his
regard should keep pace with mine for a season, we Avere des-
tined to become such; for it was not possible for one who knew
him, to refrain his love. His soldiers, who sat down in the
trenches before Spottsylvania, and sobbed when word passed
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 77
ilong the line, "The General is dead!" can tell how that was,
for they knew him, as he knew them.
The afternoon before the visit I speak of, I had ridden over
to Culpepper — several miles from our camp — to pass the night
with a friend; and just at sunset, having half an hour to spare, I
called on the General. Had I no more than that short interview
to recall concerning him, it was still enough to make me a
mourner when he fell. He had lately written, to send to Mr.
Whittier, that beautiful, sad story of the hospital, since pub-
lished in the " Independent," and taking the manuscript from
his portfolio, he read it aloud to me. His voice, subdued to the
pathos of the subject, and the narrative itself, blended harmo-
niously with the soft shadows of the waning spring day that
gathered around the reader's form as he stood in a western
window for light, all together blend harmoniously with my
present thoughts of the scene, now that, like the sergeant whose
last hours he comforted, the General himself has halted and
bivouacked forever.
When I rose to go, but not till the proposed half hour had
twice expired, he asked me with true soldierly heartiness to stay
till morning, and replied to my plea of a previous engagement:
" Well, then, come out to-morrow and spend the forenoon; I shall
be at liberty after nine o'clock, and we can talk over everything."
I am very thankful now that there was nothing to forbid my
acceptance of the invitation.
When the orderly admitted me, at the time appointed, the
General was giving audience to three private soldiers of his com-
mand, who had come for counsel in some matter. It was de-
lightful to witness the spirit that presided at the interview. The
grace with which his kindness met their confidence, shoAved that
kindness and confidence were the law and custom of the place;
yet no one could have failed to perceive that the proprieties of
rank were not in the least article violated. That he was their
commander, appeared as plain as that he was not their tyrant.
When finally he dismissed them, satisfaction and gratitude shone
in all their faces, and I comprehended why it was that once (as
I heard himself tell), during the " Seven Days," in the summer
78 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
of 18G2, when he was Colonel, the remnant of his wasted regi-
ment, ordered as a forlorn hope to save a battle well-nigh lost,
followed him steadily up, struggling through the refluent tide
of their own broken line, until it dashed, bayonet to bayonet,
against that of the enemy, sweeping down fifty to one, and
stopped it at the fearful cost of nearly half that started. The
smile of encouragement by which he lighted the hearts of his
men, and more than that, the frequent prayers he offered, kneel-
ing in their midst, boded ill to the foe against which he led them.
Thus was my forenoon with Gen. Rice introduced. Before it
ended, I heard him say many things that I wish might be told
in his own noble words — it would honor his memory so much
more than any representation of mine. But the long intervening
agony of this campaign, whose battles have almost jostled each
other — the echoes of one scarcely dying out before the thunder
of the next begun — makes that quiet April day seem a great way
back, and I cannot recall it as I would. His words, as he uttered
them, are for the most part gone from me, but their substance
and maimer, and the impression they made on me, are as yes-
terday. His country was the one engrossing theme with him.
He did not much discuss parties, or campaigns. Though he
gave his opinions freely of both, neither political aspects nor
alone the military situation appeared uppermost in his thought;
but rather the true goal of our legislation and our arms — the
advancement of Liberty. That it was the duty and privilege of
the Nation to be free, was a truth that, on this day at least, pos-
sessed him utterly. He betrayed little interest in other things.
We walked out, looked at the horses, talked somewhat of men
and books, remembered our common alma mater, touched on a
variety of topics, and occasionally a staff officer came with busi-
ness; but whatever the diversion, the General each time soon
returned to the cause, for which, soul and body, he was in arms;
and listening, I felt the charm that dwells in consecration.
I wish again that I could repeat all the strong words his loy-
alty chose; but these I do remember: As we strolled through
an orchard that adjoined his quarters, he stopped me by the
shoulder, and. turning so that Ave faced each other, said, with a
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 79
great weight of earnestness on every syllable, and his eye burn-
ing: " Why, I have thought this over so much, and have lain
awake so many nights in anxiety for the country, and have grown
to love her so — ." He did not conclude the sentence; but the
intensity of his expression, and especially of the last clause,
though it was tenderly spoken, was such, that to have added,
" that I offer her my life," would have weakened the sense. After
a silence, he continued: "If we should fail in this war, and I
survive it, my course is determined. I shall never leave off
lighting for liberty — if not in this country, in some other — if not
with my sword, with my pen — to the end of my life." And so
the General went on, as long as I remained his guest, breathing-
out his passionate devotion to the truth, for which, in a few days,
he was to spill the blood of his brave heart; and knowing how
many times his knighthood had been proven in the fires of
conflict, he seemed to me, while speaking, as grand as a man
could be.
Of the Christian piety, that was Gen. Rice's eminent trait,
though it was manifest in his whole conversation, I have not
spoken distinctively, because I had yet something to relate that
would set it clearly forth. My desire to tell this, moved me,
more than anything else, to write a sketch of the visit.
As the day advanced to noon, and we returned from our walk
to his room, we fell to talking of what would follow if our cause
should be lost. The strain grew more and more sombre, till it
drooped into silence — a silence which the General broke by
saying, as one proposing the solution of a difficulty: " Suppose
we pray." He rose, and taking the Bible from the shelf, opened
it and read the fourth chapter of 2d Corinthians— " Therefore,
seeing we have this ministry," etc., — after a manner that showed
how deeply he felt that a ministry had been committed to him.
At the eighth verse he paused to look up and smile; when the
reading was ended, we kneeled down. He drew very near the
Throne, revealing how closely a Christian soldier may walk with
God. It is not often that any single passage of a life can be
taken as a specimen of the whole, and especially the ordinary,
every-day expression of a great and useful career is not up to the
80 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
level of a grand significance; but I think that this prayer of Gen.
Rice, written over his tomb, might stand as a just monument and
record, to tell the true history of what he was. It was the last
of earth between the General and me. As we rose from our
knees, he remarked, in a cheerful tone: "It looks brighter,
does n't it?" and I, feeling that the visit was complete, soon took
my leave.
I saw him once more. He lay in a tent — dead. A wounded
soldier, with his face buried in his hands, sat beside the body.
I lifted the hat that covered the features. They were calm as
the slumber of peace. I remembered how he once said to a
friend of mine, who told it to me: " Give my life for my country!
I have given it many a time." The sacrifice was often carried to
the altar; at last the flame had touched it, and it was consumed.
The sound of cannon at the front, when the battle yet raged, was
borne back on the trembling air, but his sword reposed quietly
beside the still hand, that two hours before had grasped it in
God's name. It was pleasant then, as it has been through the
six weeks of fiery toil and tempest, that have since worn wearily
by, to think that the General was at rest.
THE FUNERAL SERVICES AT NEW YORK.
We give the account of these services from the "Wisconsin
Puritan," because of the additional facts of interest that the article
contains relative to our departed hero.
" Honors to the Heroic Head.' 1 ' 1
Under the above title, we find in the "New York Evangelist'
of May 19th, an account of the funeral services of the late Briga-
dier General James C. Rice, who fell mortally wounded while
leading his troops, on Tuesday, May 10th, in the late series of
battles in Virginia. We copy the account in full, for two rea-
sons: First; we of Milwaukie and Wisconsin have a kind of
inheritance in this departed hero, by virtue of his brother, John
Rice, Esq., in this city, to whom was written his last letter, just
on the eve of the campaign in which he nobly laid down his life.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE. 81
(Secondly; in Gen. Rice were beautifully and grandly united the
Christian, the patriot and the hero.
In civil life there are some who combine the characteristics of
a Christian and a patriot. In military life there are less such.
Few in either class add to the other two qualities, so excellent
in themselves, the undaunted valor and intrepidity of a hero. Let
his name be held up now and in all history, for emulation. Look
at a few last things concerning Gen. Rice. He closed his last
letter thus:
"I enter upon this campaign cheerful and happy, fori love
my country more than my life, and my entire hope, whether
living or dying, is in Christ, my Saviour and Redeemer. Again,
good-bye, my dear brother; and if we meet not again on earth,
may we meet in Heaven. Your affectionate brother,
"JAMES."
His last words were: " Turn me over and let me die with my
face to the enemy; " and the dispatch from the battle field,
announcing his last breath, was: "He fell at the head of his
column, where he was to be found in every fight." He was in
twenty battles. How marvellous did he escape in all the preced-
ing. God spared him, not only to serve his country through her
greatest peril, but to give him time and occasion to leave a name
and influence for posterity. The treasure will be governed with
fond affection and great respect. We have seen the whole of his
last letter referred to. The writer seems to us to have had a
premonition that it was his last campaign. We should judge that
he had just closed a letter to his beloved wife. He then turns to
his brother and touchingly speaks of his companion, and makes
a brother's statements and requests (which may not be spread
before the public eye), as though he stood in the very face of
death', and much expected to fall beneath his dart. Ah! it is
trying to the soul to go into the deadly conflict thus; and that,
not for himself, nor for his family, but for his country — self and
family and all laid on the public altar. God bless the men who
do it. The account of his funeral, with some biographical notice,
is as follows :
" One of the most imposing services we ever witnessed took
6
82 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
place last Sunday afternoon at the church of Rev. Dr. Adams, on
Madison square. The occasion was the funeral of Brig. Gen.
James C. Rice, who fell in the battle of Tuesday. He was an
officer of high reputation in the army, and not one was more truly
beloved by those whom he commanded, or more deeply mourned.
In this city he w r as well known, having resided here many years.
He was a member of Madison Square Church, and here, before
the altar where he had professed his faith in Christ, and where
he had been joined in marriage, was now laid his manly form,
silent in death. The deep interest and general sorrow drew
together an immense audience. Long before the hour, the church
was tilled to overflowing. At half-past three the remains encof-
fined, draped in the national flag and decorated with wreaths,
bearing on it the hat and sword of the deceased, was borne in,
escorted by several distinguished officers, among whom were
Gen. Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter, Maj. Gen. Dix and
Brig. Gen. Hays. During its passage up the broad aisle, an
appropriate requiem was performed by the organ and choir.
"When this solemn strain had died away, Rev. Dr. Prentiss
began the service by reading the Scriptures; and never did those
blessed words of consolation: ' I am the resurrection and the
life;' 'Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first
fruits of them that slept; ' and 'Oh! death, where is thy sting?
Oh! grave, where is thy victory?' sound more appropriate than
over the bier of one struck down in the power of his manhood,
yet dying in a holy cause, full of Christian faith and hope.
" Dr. Adams then rose to pay the last tribute to his departed
friend and brother. Looking down from the pulpit upon the
coffin which contained all that remained of the noble dead, it
was some moments before he could speak. He then began in
words that we shall long remember:
" ' The scene before us needs no interpreter. It is solemn and
sublime beyond all speech. Solemn and sublime, because we
bend over the bier of a true, brave, Christian soldier, who died
in the discharge of his duty, at head of his column, full of faith
in his Redeemer and the cause of country. Six years since, in
this very church, he who now lies here confessed Christ, and
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. EICE. 83
partook of the communion. Eighteen months since he stood
before this altar and was married, going forth with only a sky
of blue and gold; upon that identical spot he lies now, on his
way to an honored grave. The circumstances of this occasion in
themselves are eloquent. Self-sacrifice is eloquent; devotion to
the cause of God and our country is eloquent; death is eloquent.
Who would not rather be in that coffin, covered with the emblem
of our nationality, a true patriot and a Christian, than be walking
alive a supporter of this wicked rebellion against the best gov
eminent the world ever saw; or than be dragging out a low,
sordid, sensual and selfish existence.' ?'
" Dr. Adams then proceeded to give a sketch of the life of the
deceased, a few points of which we give, as well as we can, from
memory: He was a native of New England, being born at Worth-
ington, Mass., where his mother still lives, at the age of eighty-
four years. When he came to this city to enter on the profession
of law, his mind was somewhat disposed to skepticism, but meet-
ing with wise religious counsel and instruction, he soon embraced
the truth, and entered with all the manly earnestness of his nature
upon the duties of a Christian life. Asking at once for something
to do, he was set to work in the mission school, in which he was
a diligent laborer, so long as he remained in this city. At the
first breaking out of the war he entered the army, impelled by a
sense of duty. He did not wait for a commission, but enlisted
as a private, and made his way up without any patronage or
family influence, solely by the force of his own talents, his cour-
age and prompt devotion to duty. It was at once seen that he
was no ordinary man, and his promotion was rapid. It was his
fortune to be in all the campaigns of the army of the Potomac.
He fought in twenty battles, and was always foremost, seeking
the post of danger, and inspiring his men by his own heroic
example. But not only was he thus brave, he was always also a
Christian soldier. He did not forget, amid the excitements and
dangers of a military life, that he was a soldier under another
Captain. His courage was inspired and animated by religion.
The fear of God cast out all other fear. He was always active
for the welfare of his men, visiting them in their tents, dissuading
84 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. RICE.
theni from the vices of the camp, and bidding them, amid the
perils of war, remember their homes, their families and their
God. As a testimony to his example, Dr. Adams read from a
letter to the ' Evening Post/ written but two or three weeks
since by one of the editors, who, on a visit to the army, saw and
admired this noble Christian soldier, the Havelock of our army.
Owing to such a consistent life, he had great influence over his
men. They became known, like the Ironsides of Cromwell, as a
God-fearing regiment. They were ready to follow where he led
the way. In the late battles, out of eighteen hundred men whom
he commanded, he lost eight hundred before he met his own end.
" At last death, for which, like Havelock, it had been the study
of his life to be ' always prepared/ found him on the field. It
w T as on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 10, his men drawn up in
line, and while resting on their arms the mail arrived, bringing
him a letter from his wife. He read it, and scarcely had he
finished it before the order came to 'advance.' He placed him-
self at the head of his column and led his men to the charge; and
thus, ' foremost lighting, fell/ As he was borne from the field
he was met by Gen. Meade, who, seeing him, dismounted, came
and spoke to him tenderly, as one whom he loved, lamenting his
wound and hoping it might not prove serious. But the brave
soldier, who felt the life blood rapidly flowing from his wound,
and knew that his hour had come, answered calmly that he had
tried to do his duty, and was ready to die for his country. The
reply of his commander deserves to be remembered: 'Would
that all had done it as faithfully, and were as well prepared/
The wound was mortal. A Minnie rifle ball had penetrated the
thigh, and though the leg was at once amputated, the flow of
blood was too great. He lived but two hours. As he grew
unconscious, his young aid knelt by his side, and putting his lips
to his ear, whispered his last prayer; and so he died.
"This simple narrative, given by his pastor with so many de-
tails, and with extracts from his letters showing his character,
was listened to by this vast audience with the deepest interest.
Many times the recital melted all to tears. The service con-
tinued for two hours, and at the close they lingered still longer.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. EICE. 85
to avail themselves of the privilege given them, of looking for
the last time upon the face of the heroic dead.
" So has fallen one of the manliest, the bravest, and the best,
who have risen up to defend our country in this hour of peril.
" Shall we say that he died too soon? Too soon, indeed, for
us; but for him, not a day nor an hour. He fell in the prime
of manhood — only thirty-four years old; but he died in a right-
eous cause, with a pure conscience, at peace with God; leaving
an example which will be to others a model and an inspiration.
Long will the grateful hearts of his soldiers, of his comrades in
arms, and of Christian brothers, as well as his own kindred,
cherish his memory."
FUNERAL SERVICES AT ALBANY.
The Death of Gen. Rice — Order from Gov. Seymour.
General Head Quarters, State of New York, )
Albany, May 14, 1864. \
General Order, No. — . I announce with pain, the loss of
General James C. Rice.
Young, brave, ardent, enthusiastic, he engaged in the support
of the flag of his country, and in the suppression of the rebellion
against the constitutional authorities, as a duty demanding the
devotion of body and soul, and the willing sacrifice of life.
Ever faithful to his trust, he was the gallant leader of his
command, and, in the midst of a brilliant career, he fell upon the
battle field, leaving to his companions in arms, to his friends
and his country, a character of unsullied Christian patriotism.
As a mark of respect for his memory, the National Flag will be
displayed at half-mast on the Capitol, and upon all the arsenals
of the State, on Monday, the 16th instant.
HORATIO SEYMOUR,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
J. I. Johnson, A. A. A. G.
Military Funeral of Gen. Rice.
The military funeral of Gen. Rice took place at half past four
p. m., May 16, after the services at the house. The body was
86 BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. EICE.
borne to the capitol, preceded by the bearers, James Martin,
Wm. Cassidy, Wjl Ividd, Wm. Barnes, Paul Cushman, E. C.
Bachelder, George B. Steele, Chas. Crafts, Isaac Edwards,
Samuel Williams, Robert H. Waterman and Chas. H. Strong,
where it remained until it was borne to the receiving vault. The
military bearers were, Generals Rathbone and Danforth, Cols.
Ainsworth and Chamberlain, Lieut. Colonel Friedlander, and
Major McKown.
The military pageant was imposing. It consisted of the
Twenty-fifth Regiment, under command of Col. Church; Gov.
Seymour and stall', in uniform; members of the common council;
prominent citizens, and personal friends of the deceased. The
procession moved up Washington avenue, and thence to the re-
ceiving vault, where a volley was fired over the grave, and an
impressive address was delivered, closing with the following
beautiful lines, written and pronounced by Rev. Dr. Palmer:
Rest, soldier — rest! thy weary task is done;
Thy God — thy country — thou hast served them well;
Thine is true glory — glory bravely won;
On lips of men unborn thy name shall dwell.
. Rest, Patriot-Christian! Thou hast early died,
But days are measured best by noble deeds;
Brief though thy course, thy name thou hast allied
To those of whom the World, admiring, reads.
Rest, manly form! Eternal love shall keep
Thy still repose, till breaks the final dawn;
Our Martyr stays not here — He knew no sleep!
On Death's dark shadow burst a cloudless morn.
Live! live on Fame's bright scroll, heroic friend!
Thy memory, now, we to her record give —
To earth thy dust: Our thoughts to Heaven ascend,
Where, with the immortals, thou dost ever live!
The following beautiful tribute is from J. G. Holland, Esq.
TO THE MEMORY OF MY FRIEND, BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES C. RICE.
Moaning upon the bloody plain,
The young and gallant soldier lay;
And from his failing heart and brain
The life was ebbing swift away
BRIG. GEN. JAMES C. EICE. 87
The restlessness of death was there —
The weariness that longed for rest —
The beaded brow, the matted hair,
The hurried pulse, the heaving breast.
" Turn me,'" he said, ' that I may die
Face to the foe!" and ready hands
And loyal hearts were waiting by,
To execute his last commands.
Facing the enemy, he died —
A hero in his latest breath;
And now, with mingled love and pride.
I weep, and boast his glorious death.
No braver words than these, my friend,
Have ever sealed a soldier's tongue;
No nobler words hath history penned ;
No finer words hath poet sung.
The oak that breaks beneath the blast,
Or falls before the woodman's strokes,
Spreads by its fall the ripened mast
That holds in germ a thousand oaks.
And in the words thy death hath strewn
More than thy fallen life survives;
For o'er the Nation they are sown —
Seeds for a thousand noble lives.
88 BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
III.
BREVET BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.*
Colonel Lewis Benedict, the subject of this sketch, son of
Lewis Benedict and Susan Stafford, his wife, was born in
Albany, New York, September 2d, 1817.
His early studies were prosecuted at Aurora, Cayuga county,
N. Y.; but his preparation for college was made mainly at the
Albany academy. In 1834, he entered the sophomore class at
Williams college, and was graduated in 1837. Thence he went
into the office of the late John C. Spencer, at Canandaigua, and
read law. In January, 1841, in Albany, he was licensed as
attorney at law, and subsequently was admitted as counselor in
the State and Federal courts. In 1845, he was appointed city
attorney; and was reappointed for a second term. In 1847, he
was appointed Judge Advocate General on the stall* of Governor
John Young. In 1848, he was elected surrogate of the city and
county of Albany, for a term of four years, by a majority of
seventeen hundred votes — his entire vote greatly exceeding the
party strength. In 1849, he received the appointment of Judge
Advocate General from Governor Hamilton Fish. In the fall
of the year 1860, the Union men of his district nominated him
for member of assembly, and elected him by a majority of nearly
four hundred votes. He was the only Union candidate elected
from the county at that time. This was the last public position
of a civil character held by him.
Both the beginning and end of his life develop the same char-
acteristics. As a boy, he was noted for zeal and diligence in
study, and not less for enterprise in play. The records of the
* For gallant conduct at Port Hudson, the Government conferred the rank of Brevet
Brigadier General on Colonel Benedict.
'
<^^&s^^
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 89
Albany Academy attest his successes in competitive examinations,
and it is well remembered by many who shared in them, how,
after sweeping the prizes for good scholarship, he would resort
to the play ground, and exhibit equal superiority in those games
and contests which arc alike the peril and delight of robust and
ambitious boyhood.
His collegiate career resembled his academic. It was success-
ful to whatever degree he chose to make it. A classmate, now
President of a College, describing him, says: "It is doing
injustice to none of his classmates to say that, in nu'nd as in
person, he had no superior among them all. His rank as a
scholar was high; and he could have made it higher. His mind
was quick and clear, and he learned with great facility. His
critical power was unusual, and no one could detect the weak
points of an argument, or the incorrect use of terms, sooner than
he." He graduated with distinction, and three years after was
chosen to deliver the Master's oration.
While a student of law, he maintained sufficient ardor of pur-
suit to enable him to acquire a knowledge of the elements of that
science; but his taste for general literature was decided enough
to save him from being engrossed by studies purely professional.
His habits of critical investigation, of collation and analy-
sis, are indicated by marginal annotations and references con-
tained in his books. Indices rerum, diaries and memoranda of
various sorts remain, that show his reading to have been varied,
extensive, and always careful. They disclose an acquaintance
with authors and topics, and also preferences and prejudices in
respect to both, that indicate clearly the knowledge he most
prized, and in which he was farthest advanced. They exhibit a
degree of acquirement, of intellectual power, and mental habi-
tudes of such tendencies, as might have justified him in adopting
literature as a profession. It is, perhaps, well to say, that not
the slightest expression of fondness for the one chosen for him,
is recorded in any form, anywhere; and later in life he did not
scruple to say that it never was his choice.
On his admission to the bar, Maecus T. Reynolds, then at the
zenith of his professional fame and intellectual vigor, received
90 BVT. BEIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
him as his law partner, and elevated him at once to a position in
the practice of law, not attained so often, perhaps, as fairly
earned. Other connections and associations concurred to make
his entrance upon his professional career one of the most pro-
mising that could fall to the lot of a young practitioner.
The City Attorneyship, which he held two terms, appears to
have been the first political appointment he received. From
that time he was actively and earnestly a political partizan. The
tersest record of his political labors would be the history of
every party struggle, State or National, that occurred between
his entrance on political life and his joining the army. He was
always a leader. He was often delegate to conventions, State
and county; chairman of committees, local and general; a prolific
author of addresses and resolutions, and a frequent speaker at
political assemblages.
In this department of effort he was not without occasional suc-
cess, although the general fortune of his party in his own district
may be said to have been adverse. Even when defeated, he com-
monly had the compensation, if it may be called by that name,
of appearing by the election returns to have received more than
the vote of the party that nominated him — especially was this
so, when he was elected Surrogate.
He was acute in his perceptions of the qualities of men, and
accurate in his estimates of character. It is impressive to read,
now, the memorials that exist of his early distrust of some who
are infamous to-day, on account of the treachery and apostacy he
dreaded and predicted.
It can hardly be necessary to say that the principles and
objects for which he contended through life, were essentially
the same as those in defence of which he died. Descended, as
he was, from Puritans, who planted Liberty on this continent;
from Patriots, who subsequently achieved American Independ-
ence ; and the son of one of the most active and persistent of the
founders of a party to preserve both, when both were threatened,
his life was the natural result of his instincts; and his death
attests his faith in his convictions, and the unselfishness of his
patriotism.
BVT. BPJG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 91
He was early convinced that the slaveholders meant war, and
prepared his mind for that issue. He also regarded all attempts
to conciliate them as very much worse than futile, and addressed
himself to persuading others not to rely upon efforts in that
direction. At the beginning of December, 1860, writing to a
friend connected with the Government, he said: "The feeling
here is, that one concession would but pave the way for another,
until, without saving the Union, public sentiment would be de-
moralized." This he believed with the earnestness of a convic-
tion, and on all occasions spoke and acted in the faith of it. As
the rebellion became systematized and aggressive, the spirit of
resistance rose within him: he toiled hard to arouse his fellow
citizens to a sense of the necessity there was to provide for the
public defence by suitable military preparations. The then
Adjutant General of the State, John M. Read, Jr., bears testi-
mony to the cordiality and energy with which Mr. Benedict
seconded the efforts of the State administration to induce the
Legislature to put the State on a war footing, early in January,
1861 — that was, at the beginning of the session.
He not only believed that war could not be escaped, but he
estimated the dimensions of the struggle in a manner not common
at that time; and, although he hailed with joy the call of the
President for volunteers, he did not conceal his disappointment
at the meagreness of the number invoked by the proclamation.
Writing a few days after the issuing of that paper, he said: " The
sentiment of the North is not satisfied by the present call for
troops. The Government would be justified in demanding three
hundred thousaud, and the men would respond with delight. It
is time that we should exorcise from our breasts those gentle
spirits, brotherly love and fraternal regard, and substitute impla-
cable determination and stern justice in their place. * * *
We have been wronged, insulted and betrayed by false brethren;
the fla«; of our Union disgraced, and our true brethren slain."
This was addressed to a member of the administration.
Upon this call, Governor Morgan, by a special message, re-
quested the necessary action of the Legislature; which responded
by "An Act to authorize the embodying and equipment of a vol-
92 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
unteer militia, and to provide for the public defence," passed
April 16, 1861. This Act authorized the enlistment of thirty
thousand men, and appropriated three millions of dollars for the
purposes of the Act. To the perfecting and carrying out of these
measures he devoted all his energies. Loyal men abounded in
the House, and many, as ardent as himself, labored as zealously
to the same end; still a minority was there also, whose hostility
to warlike preparations was active and skillful enough to tax
severely the strength and resources of the friends of the measure.
In debate a member interrupted him thus: "I wish to ask the
gentleman a question — if I imbrue my hands in my brother's
blood, do I thereby promote the cause of liberty?" Mr. B.: "I
will answer that question. Yes, Sir! I do promote the cause of
liberty by slaying my brother, if, with traitorous and parricidal
hand, he dare to tear down the flag of our common country."
The attack upon Fort Sumter had excited him sufficiently, but
the slaughter of Union troops by the traitors of Baltimore, and
the cutting off the communication with the National Capital,
greatly increased his indignation. He chanced, too, at this con-
juncture, to visit the State whose blood, the first shed in the
cause of the Union, was even then flowing; whose hills and val-
leys cannot be traversed by any lover of freedom, nor her people
communed with, without being conscious of an access of fervor
toward liberty, and of detestation toward everything opposing it.
To a friend connected with the Government, he wrote, April 25th:
" I am in New England for a short visit, and have imbibed the
spirit of determined patriotism, which is breathing over every
city, town and hamlet within the borders of Massachusetts.
"There is much apprehension growing out of contradictory
reports as to the movements of troops, the strength of Washing-
ton and the fate of the Capitol. * * *
' ' Order Wool to widen the streets of Baltimore with cannon,
so that our road to the capital will be free. Trust no Southern
man who is a Unionist politician. They have played a game
with our Peace Conference, and have lulled the North to rest,
while the South perfected its traitorous designs.
"If the troops in Washington are beaten, the Administration
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 93
had better resign; because you can have a million of men by
calling for them. There is power here to crush out treason; do
not peck it to pieces."
While in the Legislature, it was signified to him that the
Colonelcy of one of the early regiments would probably fall to
him, if the power to appoint were left with the Executive,
although he preferred and suggested another mode. Under no
circumstances would he have accepted such a commission at that
time. In his own judgment, he was not sufficiently advanced in
military science or art, to qualify him to be a safe trustee of the
lives of a thousand men. So strongly was he impressed with
this idea that, even when a Lieutenant Colonel in the service, he
declined promotion actually tendered, on this ground.
The New York Fire Department having made some progress
toward recruiting the Second Fire Zouaves, in July, conferred
upon him the Lieutenant Colonelcy of the proposed regiment.
Subsequently; William R, Brewster, late Major of the Twenty-
eighth N. Y. S. M., was chosen Colonel. The regiment was or-
dered to Washington, where it arrived July 24th, but it was not
until the close of August that it joined its brigade, then at Good
Hope, Maryland, forming part of Hooker's division. It assisted
in building three forts, named, respectively, Carroll, Stanton and
Greble, to command the approaches to Washington from the
south. This regiment, at this time known as Fourth Excelsior,
Second brigade, Hooker's division, was afterwards designated by
the State of New York, as the Seventy-third Regiment New York
Volunteer Infantry.
The winter was spent mainly in performing picket duty. It
was found necessary to change the locality of the camp frequently.
The roads were not only rendered impassable by frequent rains,
but it was difficult to find firm ground enough on which to drill
the soldiers. During these seasons of discomfort, a deep attach-
ment was growing between the regiment and its Lieutenant
Colonel, and was often manifested by significant tokens of
respect and gratitude. At one time he writes: " Our regiment
never looked as well as it did to-day, on inspection. I love it.
Its wild boys are full of ardor and activity, and are growing
94 BVT. B11IG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
out of their careless w&ysi The prospect of active service has
brightened them up, and they are becoming ambitious to look
well. Contact and contrast with other troops will stimulate
them to excel, and they can if they try."
His knowledge of the most potential means to influence men —
the result of his almost intuitive perceptions, and long continued
use of such appliances on a more peaceful theatre, served him
efficiently in his new sphere of action. With an undoubting con-
viction that the best interests of the public service were identical
with those of the regiment, he indulged the humane impulse of
his nature while he executed the suggestions of his best judg-
ment, and strengthened while he made more acceptable his
naked military right to command, by investing it with appeals
and claims to obedience that were neither legal nor technical,
but stronger than either. He earned their regard and confidence,
by kind and considerate treatment, and was rewarded by an alac-
rity and cheerfulness of obedience, which is always yielded to
power when it is exercised without caprice or inhumanity. His
first campaign was against the hearts of his own men; and the
completeness of his conquest was demonstrated by the incidents
of every day, while he held his place in the regiment; and never
more touchingly than on the last, when some of his " wild boys"
preferred to share the horrors of a rebel prison, rather than de-
sert him in his helplessness on the field of Williamsburg.
Early in April, the Seventy-third proceeded with its brigade
to take part in such operations of the siege of Yorktown as were
committed to the charge of Heintzelman's corps, to which it
was attached; such operations comprising a principal share of
the entire labor of investment. Though greatly fatigued and
worn by severe picket and trench duty, the Seventy-third was
vivacious enough to be the first to plant its colors on the ram-
parts of Yorktown, on the morning of Sunday, May 4th, the
enemy having evacuated the place during the previous night.
The surrender of this fortified place, without a struggle, was
not expected; and, deeply impressed by the grave contingencies
inevitable to the issue he anticipated, he wrote his mother: "I
am pained to learn that so much apprehension for my safety is
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 95
mingled with the gratification you feel at my being in a position
to do service to my country. I know it is impossible for a
mother to forget her son; but I would, if I could, inspire you
with the pride I feel in devoting my life to the cause of freedom
and the Union. Thus far, though I have endeavored to do, as far
as my frail nature would permit, my duty to man, I know I have
not forgotten myself as I should in many instances have done;
but in the struggle soon to be inaugurated here, the opportunity
will be given me to furnish unmistakable evidence that I am
animated by the noblest sentiments — that I can resign life that I
love, that my country may again enjoy the blessings of peace and
the development of its beneficent principles of government.
Politically acting, I have sought its weal; personally, my life
belongs to it in its woe; so I view the result of the battle with
complacency. If I survive, as I hope I will, no fortune in future
life can destroy my consciousness of having periled life for right;
and if I fall, through all the grief you and our dear ones will
feel, will breathe the consolation that I was a soldier fighting in
a just cause. Let that feeling, dear mother, console you, as it
reconciles me to this war."
The retreating enemy made a stand at Williamsburg, within
the second line of works above Yorktown. The bastioned fort
Magruder, and thirteen other formidable earthworks, could only
be approached through an abatis of felled trees five hundred feet
in breadth. Behind them, as was then supposed, two-thirds of
the whole rebel army confronted the Union forces. At noon, on
Tuesday, May 4, Hooker's division started in pursuit. The
second brigade marched about eight miles, and bivouacked in
the woods. It rained hard during the night, and by daylight the
roads had become nearly impassable, the men drenched, weary,
hungry and cold. At six A. M.j Monday, 5th, the rain still fall-
ing in torrents, the pursuit was resumed, and about 7 a a. m. the
first and third brigades encountered the enemy. The second
brigade (Excelsior) was posted in reserve, and the first and third
brigades having been forced back by overwhelming numbers,
after some hours of hard fighting, it was ordered into action.
This is not the place or occasion to assume to decide the mani-
96 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
fold controversies to which the origin and conduct of the battle
of Williamsburg gave rise; but of facts which appear clear
through the smoke and dust of the contention, it may not be im-
proper to record one or two. Hooker's division was left without
support from early morning until nearly nightfall, to contend
with a vastly more numerous force, protected by formidable de-
fences, while General Sumner was aware of the situation, and his
corps of thirty thousand men was lying supinely within hearing
of the thunder of the unequal contest; the main body of the
army of the Potomac being all the while within four hours'
march of the same point, and the commanding general, McClel-
lan, not arriving on the field until near the close of the battle.
Hooker lost one in six — a loss proportionate to that of the allied
armies at the Alma, the bloodiest battle in modern European
history. The Excelsior brigade went into action with about two
thousand four hundred men, and lost seven hundred and seventy-
three, about one-half of the entire loss sustained by Hooker's
division.
Hooker's left was the point that the rebel general in command,
Joseph E. Johnston, especially desired to turn, and through-
out the day it was vehemently and persistently assailed. It was
also the point that Hooker, aware of its importance, determined
should not be turned; hence the desperateness of the fighting.
The Seventy-third and the Seventy-fourth New York, the last
remaining regiments of the reserve, were moved up to rein-
force the left. It was in the execution of this purpose that
Lieut. Col. Benedict was taken prisoner. Col. Brewster, of
his regiment, wrote: "From the position in which I last saw
him, which was upon the extreme left of the regiment, when we
were driven back some time before the right and centre gave
way, I think he must have been taken prisoner at that time. He
was at the head of the line, encouraging the men, driving up,
with pistol in hand, those who seemed inclined to hang back,
and acting in the bravest manner." A correspondent of the " New
York Tribune," writing from the field, said: "I have just re-
turned from the spot where Lieut. Col. Benedict was taken. It
is in the densest heart of the abatis, and close in front of the rifle
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 97
pits. The bark of the trunks and branches of the trees is cheq-
uered white with musket balls and grape. The idea prevailing
in his regiment is, that he got to the front; that a charge drove
his men back, and he was captured for his exchangeable value
instead of being killed." His own account, written from Libbv
prison, was: "My horse was wounded early in the fight, though
I rode him some time afterward. After I dismounted, we made
our way into the felled timber, and, when our line was broken,
I was taken prisoner."
A principal cause of his capture became known afterwards.
While in Maryland, his horse had fallen with him, seriously
injuring his foot and ankle. He was unable to walk without
support when he went into action at Williamsburg, and the
general judgment of his men was, that he was unfit to take the
hazards of the battle field. So long as his horse served his pur-
poses of locomotion, he did pretty well, but the moment he dis-
mounted he was at great disadvantage. The abatis of felled
timber through which he was aided to clamber, in order to reach
the open field beyond, which was studded with rifle pits, was'
more than four hundred feet in breadth, and when he and his
men were overwhelmed by the enemy, it presented an insur-
mountable barrier to his retreat. There is reason to believe
thaf some who were captured with him might have escaped, as
others did, but that they were unwilling to abandon the idol of
their camp, when he was too lame to move without assistance.
Such certainly was his own idea; for a few days later, while in
prison in Richmond, he contrived to get into the hands of those
men who were released on parol, a slip of paper containing these
words: " Good bye and good luck to the Seventy-third Xew York
prisoners! It pleases me more to have you free, than it would to
be released myself; for I know that if it had not been for my
helplessness, you would not be here. If you see any of our regi-
ment, remember me to them. Good bye, and God bless you!"
From Williamsburg he was hurried to Richmond as rapidly
as his condition would allow. On his way thither, he was fortu-
nate enough to be in the custody of humane and placable foes,
who, in consideration of his inability to walk, suffered him to
7
98 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
ride on horseback. The condition of affairs within the enemy's
lines inspired him with something stronger than hope — that he
would be recaptured by Union troops before he could be trans-
ported to Richmond. On every side evidences abounded that
the enemy felt himself utterly defeated, and was concerned about
nothing so much as providing for his own retreat. His reason-
able expectation was not, however, realized; and on the ninth,
he found himself, with many other Union officers, in the Rebel
Capital, shut up in a filthy pork-packing establishment, since
recognized and cursed as the Libby prison. Here he was first
insulted and plundered.
A natural consequence of the physical exertions compelled by
the exigencies of the battle and the capture, was, that the injured
foot and ankle became immoderately swollen, and the seat of
excruciating pain. It was always a pleasant recollection to him,
and it still abides with his friends, that iu this condition he re-
ceived much kindness and attention from his fellow prisoners,
some of whom were well known to him, who seemed to forget
their own misery in assiduous attempts to alleviate his.
Under an expectation that the Union forces would take pos-
session of the city, which the army of treason felt constrained to
abandon, the rebel authorities, on the fifteenth of May, hurried
the Union prisoners from this den to Salisbury, North Carolina.
They were transported on uncovered platform cars, rudely fitted
with rough board benches. Thus they were exposed at every
point on the route, where there was rabble enough to deride and
insult them. The place to which they were now transported,
was found to be a much more healthful locality, and the prison
buildings vastly more commodious than those of Richmond. A
most welcome appurtenance to these structures was an enclosure
of some ten or twelve acres, in which, under rather stringent
regulations, the prisoners were allowed to take air and exercise.
Another grateful improvement upon the regime at Richmond
was, that their rebel custodians exhibited some decency of de-
meanor, and although the fare was both meagre and scanty, sup-
plies could be obtained from without by the payment of exor-
bitant prices.
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 99
Under date of June 28, 1862, writing from this prison, he
said: "I have nothing agreeable to communicate, except that I
continue in good health. Our hopes are raised on the slightest
rumor or remotest incident, that we shall be soon paroled or
exchanged; but we are constantly disappointed. This produces
various effects upon those confined here. * * * I belong to
another class, who, adopting the philosophy of Pope, take com-
fort in the belief that ' whatever is, is right,' I have the utmost
reliance on our Government. Its capacity and energy have been
exhibited in prosecuting the most remarkable campaign the
world has ever seen, for valuable results, and in extent of country
passed over by our armies. I value myself too little, to suppose
that nothing has been done because I am left here a prisoner. I
imagine the world may be moving and doing a very respectable
stroke of business, though I am taking no part in it. I am far
happier in such a thought than I should be in nourishing the con-
ceits of an exaggerated self-importance."
The bitterest element in the cup of his captivity touched his
lips, when it was nearly drained and was about to pass from him.
Just before his exchange he learned that a heart, that had been
grievously wrung by his imprisonment, was not to be soothed
by his release. More than a month before the sorrowful intelli-
gence penetrated his prison, his father, whom he revered as well
as loved, had died.
Under a cartel, he left Salisbury en route for the Union lines.
Arriving opposite to Richmond, the prisoners were turned out
on Belle Isle, and left to pass the night on the bare ground with-
out shelter of any sort. This exposure of debilitated men to the
damps and chills of the night, entailed consequences not imme-
diately apparent. Thence they were taken to the Libby prison,
well remembered by most of them for its filthiness and discom-
fort, which they found in a far more loathsome and pestilential
condition than when they left it. The sick and wounded of our
army, whose low condition precluded them from the present
benefits of exchange, lay there, with nothing between their tor-
tured and languishing bodies and the reeking floor, without
blankets or sheets, and some without even a shirt to cover tbern,
7047711
100 BVT. BEIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
with no nourishment but the coarse prison rations, wretched in
quality and wholly insufficient in quantity. This sorrowful sight
so affected the exchanged officers, that they contributed money,
and divested themselves of blankets, overcoats, and indeed of all
their surplus clothing, for the relief of their suffering countrymen.
Under the impression that, in care of Federal authorities, shel-
terless nights in transitu from Richmond to Washington needed
not to be provided against, he had devoted his last overcoat to
the service of the sick and naked of Libby prison. He found him-
self, however, on a damp, misty night, on the open deck of the
U. S. transport, on the James river, with insufficient clothing,
afraid to lie down, and too weak to stand up. What wonder, then,
that he sunk down where he stood, and arose wet and shivering,
to lie down again at no distant day, with that form of fever that
filled more hospitals and graves from the army of the Potomac,
than all the other casualties of the war combined.
On the 20th of August he reached Washington. The effect
upon his mind, of his southern experience and observation,
is quite apparent in some statements extracted from him by
reporters, and published at the time. " Col. Benedict is eager
and in this he says he expresses the desire of all who came
with him from Rebeldom, to get to work again. He will com-
mand a regiment, if he can get one; if not, he will resume his
old position. He says, and others too, that are with him, say,
that the harshest measures towards the rebels are the best. He
spurns conciliation, and cries, ' War to the knife.' He believes in
emancipation as a means of crushing the rebellion. The slaves,
he says, are all our friends, and show their friendship toward
Union prisoners in all safe ways. * * * The confiscation and
emancipation act is, in Col. Benedict's judgment, the most ter-
rible weapon the North has yet drawn. The rebels wince at it
as it stands on the statute book, only executed in part as it is."
After reporting at the War Department, he received leave of
absence for thirty days, in order to visit his home. On Saturday
evening, August 23d, he reached Albany. In anticipation of his
coming, his townsmen had arranged to receive him in a manner
strikingly expressive of their approbation of his conduct, and sym-
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 101
pathy with his sufferings, as well as their satisfaction at Ms return.
The orator chosen for the occasion, his cherished friend, Hon.
Lyman Tremain, with words of welcome on his lips, was in wait-
ing with a numerous array of friends; but when he emerged from
the car, trembling and tottering, unable to stand without sup-
port, his appearance shocked the beholders, and put a sudden
period to all the schemes for a formal reception. His long sub-
jection to the influence of impure air, and bad as well as insuffi-
cient food, had unquestionably predisposed him to disease; but
the exposure at Belle Isle and on the Government transport on
the James, had put a match to the train that now reached the
magazine. He was burning with fever, and was at once carried
home. It required skillful treatment and assiduous nursing to
enable him to execute his fixed purpose, to return to the service
at the earliest practicable moment.
During this confinement, Gov. Morgan, in the kindest manner,
tendered him the Colonelcy of the One Hundred and Sixty-
second N. Y. V. Infantry, then in process of being recruited.
His resignation of the Lieut. Colonelcy of the Seventy-third New
York, was accepted, to qualify him to receive this promotion;
and his exchange was announced, officially, September 30, 1862.
On the 9th of September, though still quite infirm, he had
proceeded to New York, to supervise the concerns of the new
regiment. This was the third, raised under the patronage of the
Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police. By the latter part
of October, his regiment had attained proportions to entitle it to
take the field; and for that purpose, on the 24th of that month,
it was ordered to Washington. After spending some time in
various camps in the vicinity of the city, he was directed to em-
bark it at Alexandria, Virginia, for Fortress Monroe, the rendez-
vous of the forces assembled for what is commonly called the
Banks Expedition.
To a brother he wrote: " I shall merit a good fate, if earnest
endeavors will secure it; at any rate, I will always be consoled
by knowing that warm hearts will exult in my honorable efforts,
and mourn if I fall doing my duty. While I believe I am en-
gaged in a sacred war for moral, political and religious right,
102 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
and am certain it will be prosecuted to the bitter end— to the
subjugation of secession — I will be confident and fearless; but if
the time come when compromise is tolerated, expect me home.
I will never support a war which is to end in any event except
the establishment, in its entirety, of the authority of the Govern-
ment. My life, and that includes all, is at the service of the
Union, but not one hair of my head will be given voluntarily for
any modification of it."
He sailed from Hampton Eoads, December 3d, under sealed
orders, not to be opened before approaching the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi; and opening his orders at Ship Island, he learned his
destination to be New Orleans, where he arrived December 15,
1862. On reporting at head quarters, he w x as ordered to disem-
bark his men at Camp Parapet, some eight miles above, and
assume command of the post, which was garrisoned by several
regiments and batteries.
About the 10th of January, 1863, he was ordered with his
regiment to Donaldsonville, some sixty miles above New Orleans,
to hold that place, while Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, who had been
lying at Thibodeaux, marched on Brashear city and other points
on Bayou Teche; it being apprehended that the enemy, taking
advantage of Weitzel's absence in that quarter, might gain his
rear, thus endangering him and our possession of the Mississippi
river. Col. Benedict remained at Donaldsonville until the 25th,
when Weitzel, having accomplished his purposes, the necessity
to strengthen the regular garrison ceased, and he returned with
his command to the Parapet.
His command at this post was his first service as an acting
Brigadier. The anomalous condition of affairs in the surround-
ing district, and the entire absence of civil or social authority,
imposed on military commanders much besides professional duty.
In so disturbed a state of society, military vigilance could not be
relaxed, if the public enemy were not immediately at hand —
elements that needed watchful care were always present. Every
day brought with it occasion for the exercise of sound judgment,
moderation and presence of mind; for there was neither code to
prescribe, nor precedent to follow. He was fortrnate enough,
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 103
in this difficult position, to satisfy his superiors, by his diligence
in military matters, and by his discretion in such affairs as were
rather civil and administrative in character.
Having suffered acutely for many weeks from an ailment, to
be relieved only by a difficult surgical operation, on the 6th of
March he obtained leave of absence to go north, to receive proper
surgical treatment.
He arrived in New York March 16th, and at once underwent
the needed operation, convalescing so rapidly that he reembarked
April 23d, and joined his regiment May 11th at Alexandria, La.
He had barely landed, however, and was receiving the congratu-
lations of his friends, when he was knocked down by a frightened
horse and his leg so injured that he was obliged to return to the
boat, and remain in it while it made a trip to Brashear city and
back.
His march to Alexandria was said to be a ruse on the part of
Gen. Banks to induce the rebels to believe Shreveport was his
objective point. On the 17th, the army retraced its steps to
Cheneyville, and thence made a forced march to Semmesport, on
the Atchafalaya, about ten miles from the Red river. At this
point Col. Benedict came up with the army and took command
of the brigade. The troops moved up the Atchafalaya to its
source and the junction of the Red and Mississippi rivers, thence
down the latter to Morganzia, where the army crossed the river
to Bayou Sara, ten miles above Port Hudson.
At Morganzia, May 23d, he was detached with the One hun-
dred and tenth N. Y., two companies of cavalry, and a section
of the Sixth Mass. artillery, to occupy and hold an important
position, directly opposite Port Hudson, called indifferently
Hermitage or Fausse Point. Just here there is a bend in the
river, and a swampy flat projects far into the stream, making the
point. An insignificant hamlet, named Hermitage, is seen on
the banks of the Fausse river, from which the point obtains its
name. From its relative position, Port Hudson invested, this
locality would have been invaluable to the beleaguered garrison,
furnishing a convenient avenue for retreat, if that were expedient,
or for strengthening itself by communication with friends on the
104 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
opposite side of the river, beside offering a very eligible location
for batteries. To prevent such or any use of it by the rebels was
the duty he was sent to perform. A signal station was discov-
ered in the neighborhood, and captured with seven men of the
signal corps of the enemy. By means of the cavalry, he swept
the country in his rear and kept it free from small hostile par-
ties, at the same time collecting information for use at headquar-
ters. His position was frequently shelled out without serious
results, though some very narrow escapes were experienced.
Under orders he yielded this command to Gen. Sage, of the One
hundred and tenth N. Y., and proceeded to join his regiment
before Port Hudson, arriving in his camp June loth, in the
evening. He was immediately put in command of the One hun-
dred and seventy-fifth N. Y., Col. Bryan, the Twenty-eighth
Maine and Forty-eighth Mass., which, together with his own regi-
ment, One hundred and sixty-second N. Y., under Lieut. Col.
Blanchard, constituted the Second brigade of the Second divi-
sion of the Nineteenth corps, under command of Gen. Dwight.
At twelve o'clock that night orders were issued for an attack at
day-break by the entire line of investment. At one a. m. Col.
Benedict moved his brigade still farther to the left, opposite
the lower sally-port of the enemy. On information received from
a deserter, that there was a straight and plain road to this sally-
port, and that the enemy's works were then quite practicable,
Gen. Dwight ordered the left to assault at that point. By some
miscarriage, orders failed to reach the Twenty-eighth Maine, and
the brigade went into action with three regiments, numbering
only five hundred and eighty-two men.
The attack was commenced by the First brigade, under Col.
Clark, of the Sixth Mich., which in a few moments was thrown
into disorder. Gen. Dwight then ordered Col. Benedict to
advance his brigade to the assistance of Col. Clark, and to make
the attack "in column of companies." On reaching the open
ground, which rose gently towards the enemy's works, upon
which the column entered from a wood, under cover of which it
had formed, it was met by a terrific fire of shot and shell; and a
little farther on it came under a cross-fire of artillery that was
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 105
almost insupportable. Still, he urged the column on, passing
Clark's brigade, to the verge opposite to the sally-port, only,
however, to find himself confronted by a ravine between him and
the enemy's works, made impassable by felled timber, and ex-
posed to a withering fire of all arms. He halted the column and
ordered the men to seek cover — retreat threatening annihilation,
while further advance was absolutely impracticable. Coolly sur-
veying the hostile works from the brink of the ravine, he retraced
the perilous road, for being without an aid for the purpose, he
was compelled to report in person the critical situation of his com-
mand to Gen. D wight, who, recognizing the necessity, ordered
the brigade to lie where it was until the shades of night might
cover its withdrawal. After reporting he rejoined his men,
having gone and returned through a tornado of shot and shell
untouched.
The sufferings of that day will never be forgotten in this life
by any who shared or witnessed them. From morning until
night the men lay under a burning sun, exhausted by fatigue,
maddened by thirst, and many agonized by wounds. The slightest
manifestation of life made the exhibitor a target for a volley from
the sharpshooters of the enemy, who crowded the works that
crowned the field. The assault failed elsewhere throughout the
lines, as it did here, and as might be expected from the manner
of the fighting. The casualties were numerous and severe. It
was in this advance that the brave Col. Bryan, of the One hundred
and seventy-fifth N. Y., fell. The One hundred and sixty-second
N. Y., his own regiment, which led the brigade, lost, in killed,
wounded and missing, fifty-one out of one hundred and seventy-
three in action. Major James H. Bogart was among the killed.
At seven p. m. the brigade was withdrawn. The calm bravery
displayed by Col. Benedict on this occasion attracted much
notice, and excited the admiration of all who beheld it; and par-
tial as may be the pen that records this memorial of it, it is
exceeded in strength of eulogy by many less interested com-
mentators. An officer's letter to a friend says: " When about
three hundred yards from the works I was struck. The pain
was so intense I could not go on. I turned to my second lieu-
106 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
tenant as he came up to me and said: ' Never mind me, Jack, for
God's sake, jump to the colors!' I do not recollect anything
more until I heard Col. Benedict say, ' Up men, and forward.' I
looked and saw the regiments lying flat to escape the fire, and
Col. Benedict standing there, the shot striking on every side
about him, and he never flinching. It was grand to see him. I
wish I was of iron nerve as he." Adjutant Meech, of the Twenty-
sixth Conn., writing to his friends, says: "I saw Col. Benedict
standing just in front of me, when I was wounded, on the edge
of the ravine, looking intently at the rebel works, while the bul-
lets and shells were flying about pretty thick. lie walked to the
rear as composedly as if out for a stroll."
The following day, June 15th, Gen. Banks called for a thou-
sand volunteers to form a column to storm the enemy's works.
Officers who might lead the column were assured of promotion;
and all, both officers and privates, were promised medals of com-
memoration, and that their names should "be placed in general
orders on the roll of honor." High on this roll would have
appeared the name of Col. Lewis Benedict. Col., now Gen.,
Birge, of Mass., volunteered, and by virtue of seniority was
assigned to command the First battalion of the stormers. Col.
Benedict volunteered to lead the Second battalion, and his offer
was accepted. The fall of Vicksburg, however, constrained the
rebel Gen. Gardner to surrender Port Hudson, and so the for-
lorn hope lost the opportunity to illustrate its bravery and patri-
otism.
Springfield Landing, some four miles below Port Hudson, was
the base of supplies for the investing army. The safety of these
stores, upon which that of the army depended, became imperiled by
the aggressions of Logan's cavalry, and some small successes, in the
way of plundering and burning, and it was apprehended that they
might invite serious attacks by larger bodies of the enemy. The
Second brigade having become reduced by casualties and details
to a single battalion, Col. Benedict was relieved of that command
and ordered to the protection of this important depot soon after
the battle of the 14th of June. He had just completed a parapet
for that object when the surrender of Port Hudson took place.
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 107
He was in attendance on the ceremonies of that surrender, and
thus described some objects of peculiar interest to him, which
the occasion gave him opportunity to observe: " We entered the
works by the road over which we advanced to assault them on
the 14th of June; and, as I rode along, I congratulated my-
self that our progress then had been checked, although the storm
of grape and bullets cost my brigade the lives of more than a
hundred of its best men, a Colonel, a Major and several other
valuable officers. A glance at the ground showed that our
assault must have been unsuccessful. The natural difficulties of
the position were very great, and they had been augmented by
the rebels, with all they possessed of means or skill."
Soon after this, Col. Benedict was detailed to serve on a suc-
cession of Courts Martial convened in New Orleans. His profes-
sional acquirements and training made him a desirable member
of tribunals of this character.
About the middle of August, while at New Orleans, Gen.
Banks reorganized the army of the department. The One hun-
dred and sixty-second N. Y., One hundred and tenth N. Y., One
hundred and sixty-fifth N. Y. and Fourteenth Maine were consti-
tuted the First brigade, Third division of the Nineteenth army
corps, and Col. Benedict was assigned to command it.
He reached his command at Baton Rouge September 1st, and
on the 4th sailed in the R. C. Winthrop from New Orleans for
the place of rendezvous for the vessels of an expedition, which
was off Berwick Bay. The land forces consisted of the Nineteenth
Corps, and the transports were conveyed by a naval force, con-
sisting of four light draft gunboats, the Clifton, Arizona, Granite
City and Sachem, the whole under command of Maj. Gen. W. B.
Franklin. It turned out that the object of the expedition was
to capture and occupy Sabine City, at the mouth of the river
of that name. The entire fleet was directed to make Sabine
Pass by midnight of the 7th, in order that the attack might
be made early on the morning of the 8th. This was not ac-
complished, however, for, owing to the absence of the block-
ading vessel, which was relied on to indicate the point, the fleet
ran by in the night, and thus necessitated a change of both the
108 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
time and manner of the attack, which finally took place on the
evening of the 8th. The Pass proved to be sufficiently forti-
fied, and was defended with audacity enough to defy such demon-
strations as were made on behalf of the expedition; so that, after
sacrificing two of the gunboats, the Clifton and Sachem, the most
serviceable of all, in view of the shallowness of the waters, the
fleet returned to New Orleans, to the infinite disgust of the sol-
diers who expected to fight, and equally to the sorrow and disap-
pointment of a multitude of refugees, who sorely needed an
opposite result. It was said that this bootless expedition was
not favored by the most experienced officers in the department,
who preferred Brownsville as a base of operations.
Col. Benedict shared in the general regret, caused by such
barrenness of creditable results from an enterprise which had
inspired high hopes, founded largely on the tried bravery of the
Nineteenth Corps. The reaction, however, created in all, both
officers and men, a burning desire to supplant the remembrances
of the Sabine Pass failure by other emotions, excited by some
important success. It was, therefore, with great satisfaction that,
after spending four or five days in camp, at Algiers, he received
orders to march his brigade to Brashear city, in order to partici-
pate in some operations in Western Louisiana. These operations
were designed to favor another portion of the army, sent to
occupy Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, by compelling the rebels
to withdraw troops from Texas, to oppose the advance of this
one. After an unimportant skirmish near Carrion Crow Bayou,
the Nineteenth Corps moved to Vermillionville.
Here it was reported to Maj. Gen. Franklin that the enemy
was concentrating forces at or near Carrion Crow Bayou, and for
the purpose of determining their numbers and position, he
directed Gen. A. L. Lee to make a reconnoissance with all his
available cavalry. The cavalry division, comprising two bri-
gades of eight hundred each, started from Vermillionville for
the Bayou in question, distant twelve miles, due north, at 6.30
a. m., November 11th, and soon commenced driving back the
pickets of the enemy to their reserve of six hundred. A run-
ning fight then ensued for some six or eight miles, ending in
BVT. BEIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 109
Gen. Lee's charging them vigorously, and driving them back in
confusion to a dense wood. Nimm's Light Battery of Flying
Artillery was quickly brought up, and after it had shelled the
woods, Gen. Lee advanced his whole force, in line of battle
through the woods, and found the enemy drawn up in like order
on the opposite side of a prairie, about two miles broad, num-
bering, as nearly as could be estimated, some seven thousand.
Seeing that he was outnumbered four to one, and having accom-
plished the object of his reconnoissance, Gen. Lee ordered a
retreat.
The enemy, detecting his intention, sent a large f®rce to make
a demonstration on his left flank, upon which he dispatched the
First (Col. Lucas) brigade to protect the left, while the General
in person remained with the main column in the road.
Col. Benedict had been ordered to advance his brigade about
a mile beyond Vermillion Bayou, and hold himself in readiness
to support Gen. Lee. After being in position an hour, he
received a request from the General that he would advance up
the road. About four miles up he was met by a message, that
Gen. Lee was retreating before a superior enemy, and directing
him to take a position where his force would be masked, in order
to give Gen. Lee an opportunity to turn and make a dash at the
enemy's cavalry. Col. Benedict selected for this purpose the
east side of a prairie, about twelve hundred rods wide, posting
the men in the ditches — Nimm's battery in the rear of the left
flank, and Trull's in the rear of the right, a position in which
his eight hundred and odd could withstand five thousand. Gen.
Lee retired behind the position to tempt the enemy into the
open prairie; but he was too cautious, and opened with his artil-
lery. This was replied to with vigor, and for an hour the fire
was active, the rebels suffering severely. Then failing in an
attempt to out-flank, they sought the cover of the fences and
retired. Col. Benedict's brigade was so well protected that it
had but one killed and four wounded.
November 15th the army left Vermillionville, encamping for
the night near Spanish lake, and the next day marched to New
Iberia, where it remained in quarters until the close of the year.
110 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
Col. B.'s brigade held the post of honor on the march, acting *s
rear guard to the army.
Though not attacked on the way, it w T as closely followed by
the enemy, and had not become settled in quarters when it was
announced that Camp Pratt, its very place of encampment the
night before, was occupied by the enemy. A detachment was at
once sent out, which surprised in their beds, and captured more
than one hundred and twenty rebels.
January 2d, 1864, he arrived at Franklin, La., where the army
w r as concentrated. Here was organized what is known and gene-
rally deplored as the Red River Expedition. Col. Benedict w r as
assigned to the command of the Third brigade of the First divi-
sion of the Nineteenth army corps. Maj. Gen. Franklin com-
manded the corps, Brig. Gen. Emory the division.
March 15th the division moved to enter upon the Red River
campaign, traversing the rich flats of Lower Louisiana, and skir-
mishing slightly on the way; on the 25th it reached Alexandria, a
distance of one hundred and sixty miles. On the 27th the march
was continued to Natchitoches, where the army encamped on the
31st, and awaited the arrival of the provision transports. Gen.
Banks and Com. Porter, with his fleet, were at Grand Ecore, four
miles above. A reconnoissance having ascertained the strength
and position of the enemy at and beyond Pleasant Hill, with
sufficient accuracy, as w r as thought, the entire army marched from
Natchitoches on the morning of April 6th. After an exhausting
march through rain and mud, Col. Benedict's brigade arrived at
Pleasant Hill on the evening of the 7th, and bivouacked, th<
wagons not having come up. At eight o'clock the next morning,
the 8th, it resumed its march, and in the afternoon encamped
with the rest of the division at Carroll's Mill, about eleven miles
northwest of Pleasant Hill. Hence it was summoned to Sabine
Cross Roads, to cover the retreat of the cavalry and the Thir-
teenth corps, which had been routed, and to check the advance
of the enemy. The brigade was scarcely in position when it
received the fire of the enemy, who, encouraged by previous suc-
cesses, came on, as if already the field w T as won. They were
received, however, by such a fire as put further advance out of
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. Ill
the question, although they continued the attack with great
bravery and perseverance, at a great cost of life. The mainte-
nance of his position by Emory was indispensable to the safety of
the army, of which emergency the enemy appeared to be as con-
scious as himself. Hence their desperate determination to turn
his left, held by Col. Benedict's brigade. One vigorous effort
that was made towards night, was so bloodily repulsed, that the
rebels not only recoiled but tied, leaving their dead and wounded
where they fell. In this repulse the One Hundred and Sixty-
second New York and the One Hundred and Seventy-third New
York were mainly instrumental, and it closed the fighting at this
point. Col. Benedict was much commended for the effective
manner in which he handled his brigade.
"From Pleasant Grove, where this action occurred, to Plea-
sant Hill," says Gen. Banks in his official report, " was fifteen
miles. It was certain that the enemy, who was within reach of
reinforcements, would renew the attack in the mornino;, and it
was wholly uncertain whether the command of Gen. Smith could
reach the position we held, in season for a second engagement.
For this reason the army, towards morning, fell back to Pleasant
Hill, Gen. Emory covering the rear, burying the dead, bringing
off the wounded and all the material of the army.
" It arrived there at 8.30 on the mornino- of the 9th, effectinof
a junction with the forces of Gen. Smith and the colored brigade
under Col. Dickey, which had reached that point the evening
previous. Early on the 9th the troops were prepared for action,
the movements of the enemy indicating that he was on our rear.
A line of battle was formed in the following order: First brigade,
Nineteenth corps, from the right resting on a ravine; Second
brigade in the centre, and Third brigade on the left. The centre
was strengthened by a brigade of Gen. Smith's forces, whose
main force was held in reserve. The enemy moved towards our
right flank. The Second brigade withdrew from the centre to
the support of the First brigade. The brigade in support of the
centre moved up into position, and another of Gen. Smith's
brigades was posted to the extreme left position on the hill, in
echelon, to the rear of the left main line. Light skirmishing
112 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
occurred during the afternoon. Between four and five o'clock it
increased in vigor, and about live p. m., when it appeared to have
nearly ceased, the enemy drove in our skirmishers and attacked
in force, his first onset beino- against the left. He advanced in
two oblique lines extending well over towards the right of the
Third brigade, Nineteenth corps. Alter a determined resistance,
this part of the line gave way and went slowly back to the re-
serves. The First and Second brigades were soon enveloped in
front, right and rear. By skillful movements of Gen. Emory,
the flank of the two brigades, now bearing the brunt of the bat-
tle, was covered. The enemy pursued the brigades, passing the
left and centre, until he approached the reserves under Gen.
Smith, when he was met by a charge led by Gen. Mower, and
checked. The whole of the reserves were now ordered up, and
in turn we drove the enemy, continuing the pursuit until night
compelled us to halt."
A New Englandman, an officer in one of the New York regi-
ments, thus describes the battle: "The enemy, finding a strong
force on our right and centre, massed a heavy body of troops on
our left, where our division (First) lay, and about five p. m. drove
in our skirmishers. We immediately lay down, and waited foi
them to come out of the woods. Just as they arrived at the edge
of them, they halted and gave a most hideous yell — such as
Texans and border ruffians alone can give — thinking that we
would immediately fire and show our position. But in this the}
were much mistaken; for we lay still, under cover of the bushes
in the valley. At that moment our artillery should have com-
menced jiving, but it did not. Finding we did not fire, they
rushed out of the woods to the brow of the hill, and poured
tremendous volleys upon us, at the same time rushing down the
hill. Our brigade poured several into them, but found them
coming in such overwhelming force that we were obliged to fall
back. The second line seeing us coming back in such confusion,
began to break, but the officers succeeded in preserving the line
until a few volleys were fired, when it and part of the third line
broke. The artillery then commenced, firing, and we vallied, and
immediately formed a new line. By this time most of the rebels
BVT. BRIG. GEX. LEWIS BENEDICT. 113
were out of the woods, aud rushing upon us pell-mell. Now it
was our time to have something to say about it. * * * Our
massed column pressed on and drove the frightened rebels two
miles through the woods. In the mean time they opened on our
right, and found more than they expected there. They charged
upon a battery and took it, but to their sorrow; for our infantry
opened upon them in such a terrific cross-fire, that they fell like
grass before the scythe, and what was left fell back. It was now
so dark that it was impossible to distinguish one side from the
other, and the fighting ceased. * * * If they had fired a
little lower while we were lying in the valley, they would have
hilled or wounded one-half of our brigade." Another officer, a
Captain, in connection with this latter statement of opinion, says:
'•While lying down, as we were ordered to do, whole volleys
from the rebel ranks, which came upon us five lines deep, yell-
ing furiously, passed over us, as their aim was too high, and we
could hear the bullets strike on the knoll in our rear."
Maj. Gen. Franklin writes: " Col. Benedict came to my head
quarters, about 12 m. on the 9th, to obtain permission from Gen.
Emory and myself, to change the position of his line, indicating
another which, in his opinion, was stronger and safer. We
agreed to the change, and it was made." Some merits of the
new position are developed by the preceding extracts; but a
further obvious advantage may be stated. The whole of the
woods in front, and the slope to the ditch at the bottom, were
left free and clear to be shelled by the artillery without the
slightest peril to the brigade lying among the bushes along the
ditch, which, indeed, might have added its own fire to that of
the artillery. The silence of this arm, at so critical a moment,
appears remarkable, and it is not easy to resist the belief that a
main advantage expected from the change of position was not
realized.
The theatre of this battle may be described as a large open
field that had once been cultivated, but was then overgrown with
weeds and bushes — many of the latter were the red rose of
Louisiana. The moderately elevated centre of the field, from
which the name Pleasant Hill was derived, is merely a long
114 BVT. BEIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
mound or ridge, scarcely entitled to be called a hill, that from
its crown descends gently to the ditch of which mention has been
made. Beyond the ditch an easy acclivity rises to a belt of
timber, which encloses it semicircularly on the side towards
Shreveport, and out of which the attacking forces came. The
ditch and its fringe of shrubbery, while it afforded some cover,
presented little obstruction to the passage of troops. The front
of the position occupied by Col. Benedict's brigade, extended
alono- this ditch. It was on the Pleasant Hill side of this shallow
valley that the final and decisive fighting took place. On his
way up, this locality had attracted the Colonel's attention, and he
expressed a belief that there the rebels would be fought; and
when some dissent was expressed, it was afterwards remem-
bered that he argued the probability almost with vehemence.
Whether this impression was merely the result of his military
perception of the fitness of the place, or one of those shadows
said to be cast before coming events, it is not now worth while to
consider; but certain it was, he was doomed to illustrate in his
own body, either the soundness of his judgment or the correct-
ness of his apprehension.
In the conflict on the slope, and perhaps in the melee of that
critical moment, when the reinforced enemy caused our line to
hesitate and even recoil, and the fortune of the day seemed
doubtful; when by almost superhuman efforts on the part of the
oflicers, the men were rallied to that frantic charge which gave
victory to the Union arms and saved its army, its navy and its
jurisdiction of the southwest, Col. Benedict fell.
It was only by the prompt activity of one of his oflicers that
his body, pierced by five balls, was rescued from the field. Capt.
Samuel Cowdrey, of the One Hundred and Sixty-second, aided
by one man, conveyed it to a building, for the time appropriated
to the uses of a hospital, and delivered it to the Surgeon in
charge. Lieut. Van Wyck, of the deceased Colonel's staff, was
detailed to deliver it to the family of Col. Benedict, which ser-
vice he performed with equal tenderness and fidelity.
In anticipation of its arrival, the Common Council of Albany
had appointed a committee of its members to receive the remains
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 115
in New York, convey them to the city and order the arrange-
ments for their interment. In the discharge of this duty, it
returned with the body on April 30th, and in deference to the
wishes of his family, laid it in sorrow in his desolate home, rather
than iu state at the Capitol, as had been designed.
Its presence in that house, dead, where his advent, living, had
been so long hoped and prayed for, raised still higher the flood-
gates of anguish, opened by the intelligence of his death.
On Monday, May 2d, 1864, his shattered body, followed by
sad hearts and weeping eyes, was removed from the dwelling of
his mother to the house of the Lord; whence, after appropriate
religious services and an eloquent commemorative address, with
becoming civic and military honors, and many impromptu mani-
festations of private regard and public respect, it was borne on
its last earthly pilgrimage to the Albany Cemetery. There, he
was laid forever to rest, within the shadow of his father's monu-
ment; around him, " his martial cloak," covered with the dust of
battle, rent by bullets and stiffened by his blood.
The foregoing Sketch is mainly extracted from a Memorial,
prepared for the use of the family of Col. Benedict, to which
access has been kindly permitted.
The following Letters have been received from distinguished
Generals of our Army who knew Col. Benedict, and can speak
of him from personal knowledge:
Washington, October 14, 1864.
My Dear Colonel: * * * I knew Col. Benedict well,
and was near his brigade when he fell. He died bravely and
nobly in a battle which was terrific in its progress, and where
our success saved the army, the fleet, and gave us the continued
possession of the Mississippi and New Orleans. Had we failed
at Pleasant Hill, we could not have maintained our power with
the loss of the army and fleet of gunboats.
Col. Benedict did not die in vain; and the close of his career
was as glorious as its progress had been upright and honorable.
We were, at once, upon making acquaintance with each other
116 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
on a confidential footing, and I was often surprised and delighted
with the general intelligence and knowledge of men which he
always exhibited. I read, at the time of his death, the discourses
pronounced at his funeral, and by the bar of which he was a
member. They did no more than justice to the many virtues
which distinguished him. Very truly yours,
N. P. BANKS,
Major General Commanding.
To Col. N. N. Lee Dudley.
Portland, Me., July 25, 18G4.
My Dear Sir: * * * I was quite intimate with your
brother, Col. Lewis Benedict, of the One Hundred and Sixty-
second New York Regiment. He was under my command from
August, 1863, until the time of his death. I, like every one else
who knew him, was exceedingly attracted by his social qualities,
and I enjoyed his society extremely. I saw a great deal of him
during the winter of 1863-64, while I commanded at Franklin,
La. At this time he commanded a brigade in Brig. Gen. Emory's
Division of the Nineteenth Corps.
He retained command of this brigade on the march from Frank-
lin to Alexandria and Natchitoches, and commanded it in the
battle of Sabine Cross Roads, April 8, 1864, and of Pleasant Hill,
April 9, 1864. In the last named battle he was killed.
I know little of his conduct in the battle of the 8th of April.
I do know, however, that his brigade, which held the left of the
line, was severely attacked by the enemy; that it behaved ex-
ceedingly well, entirely repulsing the attack, and that it held the
ground until nightfall, when the battle ended. My position on
that day prevented me from knowing any more than what I have
told above.
On the 9th of April, at Pleasant Hill, his brigade formed the
left of Gen. Emory's line. He came to my headquarters about
twelve o'clock M. to obtain permission from Gen. Emory and
myself to change the position of his line, indicating another,
which, in his opinion, was stronger and safer. We agreed to the
change, and he then left, and the change was made. In this new
BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT. 117
position his brigade was attacked by the enemy, and after a gal-
lant fight was driven back. It was, however, rallied very soon,
returned to the fight, drove the enemy in turn, and did a great
deal toward saving the day.
It is my impression that your brother was killed while his
brigade was advancing, after he had succeeded in rallying it;
but I am not certain of this, nor is it material now. What is
certain is, that he handled his brigade well; that he fought it as
well as it was possible to fight it, and that he died performing
his duty like a noble soldier.
There was one universal expression of sorrow among all his
comrades when it became certain that he was killed. He had
endeared himself to all of them.
I am sorry that I am able to give you no more reminiscences
of him. I have told you all that I now recollect, but events
crowded on so fast just at the time your brother was killed, that
I have doubtless forgotten much that I would otherwise have
remembered. * * *
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
W. B. FRANKLIN,
Major General U. S. Volunteers.
Henry M. Benedict, Esq., Albany, N. Y.
Head Quarters Nineteenth Army Corps, )
Camp Russell, Va., November 29, 1864. )
Henry M. Benedict, Esq.:
Dear Sir — We are still in the field, and I do not know that this
compaign, unsurpassed for its activity, is yet ended. This has
been, and is still, my excuse for not doing what has been nearest
my heart — writing some account of your brother, Col. Benedict,
who fell under my command. I have not had, nor have I now,
the opportunity to refer to the statistics of his military history.
Under these circumstances, you must forgive me for being brief.
Col. Benedict was honorably engaged in the siege of Port
Hudson, where he exhibited his most distinguished military
characteristic, personal courage. His first field service under me
118 BVT. BRIG. GEN. LEWIS BENEDICT.
was during the Red River Campaign, where, on account of his
well known gallantry and high character as an officer, I selected
him to command a brigade. Of his noble and patriotic death, I
cannot speak in terms of too great admiration, although I am
now too much engaged to give a detailed account of the circum-
stances under which it occurred.
He commanded the Third Brigade, First Division, Nineteenth
Army Corps, during the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, where we
were brought into action after the Thirteenth Corps and the Cav-
alry had been routed; and he there aided in checking and driving
back an overwhelming force of the enemy, flushed with temporary
success. The next day, at Pleasant Hill, still in command of the
same brigade of my division, he fell at the head of his men, bear-
ing the brunt of that bloody battle.
I am, my dear sir, very truly yours,
W. H. EMORY, Brig. Gen.
Dover Mines, Goochland County, Va.,
March 15, 1866.
Henry M. Benedict, Esq. :
Dear Sir — * * * It gives me sincere pleasure to have an
opportunity to express the high appreciation which I have of the
character and services of your late lamented brother, whom it
was my good fortune to meet often during our service in the
Department of the Gulf.
He joined, to high order of capacity and fine soldierly qualities,
a warm heart and most genial manner, so that while he inspired
confidence in his ability to command, he also gained the warm
affection of those with whom he was associated.
His presence in the command always gave me both confidence
and pleasure; and his death was to me the most saddening per-
sonal event of the campaign in which he fell. In this feeling, I
believe all in the Army of the Gulf participated.
With great respect, I am, dear sir,
Your most obedient servant,
CHARLES P. STONE,
Formerly Brig. Gen. and Chief of Staff, DepH of the Gulf.
COL. EDWARD FRISBY. 110
IV.
COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
Edward Frisby was born in Trenton, Oneida county, N. Y., on
the third day of August, A. D. 1809, and was the son of Edward
Frisby and Nabby Blackman. When about two years of age,
his father removed to Whitestown, where he died when Edward
was about thirteen or fourteen years old. He was the second
son, and the seventh of ten children, of whom but one survives
him, viz: Hon. D. H. Frisby, of Illinois. Notwithstanding his
youth, he was so unwilling to see his mother burdened by the
cares of so large a family, that he determined to do something
for himself, and commenced working his own way in the world
in the Oneida cotton factory. During the whole time of his resi-
dence at home, he was noted for his kindness and attention to
his mother. At the age of seventeen, he came to Albany, and
on the first of February, in the year 1827, was bound apprentice
to John Mayell, hatter, by his brother Eleazer B. Frisby, who,
being fifteen years his senior, took more the place of a father
than a brother. He served as apprentice until he was twenty
years of age, after which he continued in the service of Mr.
Mayell as a journeyman until he was twenty-two, when he com-
menced business for himself. When in his twenty-fourth year,
on the fifth of November, 1832, he was married to Mary Augusta
Stevens, of Amherst, N. H.
His parents were Presbyterians, but after coming to Albany
he usually attended the Baptist church. He experienced reli-
gion in a protracted meeting, held in the First Baptist church in
Albany, with which he united, then under the pastoral charge
of the Rev. Mr. Hodge. His wife was already a member of that
church.
120 COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
Col. Frisby was the father of six children, two girls and four
boys, of whom but two are living, the two youngest (boys). The
first four died in infancy. He was kind and devoted as a hus-
band and father, as well as a son and brother.
When quite young, he evinced a great taste for a military life,
and at the age of eighteen was chosen corporal in a State militia
company. This pest he filled until he was about twenty-two
years of age, when, on the second of September, 1831, he re-
ceived his commission as ensign in the Eighty-ninth Regiment
of Infantry. In August, 1833, he was elected captain; in March,
1835, major; in September, 1839, lieutenant colonel; and in
August, 1841, colonel; which position he held for about three
months, when he received his commission as colonel of the
Twenty-fifth Regiment under the new organization. On the
19th of May, 1856, he received his commission as brigadier gen-
eral of the Eleventh brigade, Third division N. Y. S. M. This
position he held until the fall of 1860, when he resigned, and
for the first time in thirty-three years, was out of office. He was
then in his fifty-first year. Although he was now in no way con-
nected with the military of the State, still officers of every rank
were constantly applying to him for the advice and instruction
which he was so well qualified to give.
He now intended to give his whole attention to his family and
to his private business. But he was not long permitted to re-
main in the quietude of domestic enjoyment. His country called,
and found him ready to obey. In the spring of 1861, at the first
appearance of trouble, he manifested a great interest in every-
thing connected with our country's welfare, and repeatedly ex-
pressed a desire to enter the service and do something to avert
the evils which threatened us as a nation.
When the old Twenty-fifth Regiment, of which he was so long
a member, began to talk of leaving for the field of action, their
Colonel, M. K. Bryan, desired Gen. Frisby to accompany them,
both to give advice to himself and officers, and to encourage the
men who placed such explicit confidence in him.
On the 22d of April (a day that will never be forgotten in
COL. EDWARD FRISBY. 121
Albany), they left home and friends, to go forth to battle for
freedom.
Besides the children to whom we have referred, Col. Frisby
Lad an adopted son, the child of his wife's sister, who died when
the boy was an infant. This little one the Colonel, in the gene-
rosity of his nature, took and brought up as his own. He was
older than his own sons, and took charge of his business while
he was in the army.
While they were detained in New York, waiting for the neces-
sary preparations to be made for their departure to Washington,
Gen. Frisby wrote home to his wife, as follows:
" I have been very busy since our arrival here. Our men are
in good spirits, and the best feeling prevails. I want to express
my thanks to you, for your heroic conduct upon my departure
from home; that you did not say one word to discourage me, but
arranged everything in your power for my comfort, when I know
your heart was full of trouble.''
He remained with the Twent}-fifth until their arrival in Wash-
ington, and then hastened home to recruit a regiment of volun-
teers, to aid in the defence of the Union. This regiment, the
Thirtieth N. Y. S. Volunteers, was mustered into the service.
He was commissioned its Colonel. On the 27th of June, 1861,
they left for the seat of war.
The following is an extract from a letter written by him to his
sons, dated at Camp Union, Brightwood, July 7, 1861:
"You are now of an age, when you will establish a character
and habits which will grow through your whole life. I know
you are well disposed, but many, who are equally well disposed,
often yield to temptations, and soon find that they have no power
to resist evil. I hope you will listen to the counsel of your
mother in all things; be constant in your attendance at church
and Sabbath school, and ' Remember your Creator in the days
of your youth.' I have felt, and still feel, a great anxiety about
you, knowing, as I do, how necessary it is for boys to have the
advice and care of a father. But the call of my country has
come, and it is my duty to respond, and leave you in the hands
of Him who tempers the wind to the shorn lambs, believing He
122 COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
will watch over, and guide you safely, through every trial and
temptation, if you will look to Him. I have been very well since
I left home, but the care upon my mind has been very fatiguing.
We are situated very pleasantly, and are doing as well as could
be expected under all circumstances. We are to have religious
service at ten o'clock this morning, in a grove adjoining our camp,
which will be conducted by our chaplain, Kev. N. G. Axtell."
It is needless to follow our hero through all the changes of the
army of the Potomac; through the long and weary marches, or
in the dull monotony of camp life. In a letter to his wife he
says:
"It is hard for you to be left alone, but you must consider
that the cause in which we are engaged requires sacrifices, and
you are doing your duty as much as the soldier who is fighting
upon the field of battle. If I can see this war honorably brought
to a close, I shall not regret any sacrifice that I have made. I
may not live to enjoy it, but I know that my boys will not love
their country the less because their father fought for it."
In another letter, speaking of his officers, he says: " I am well
satisfied with them, as well as with the men. My regiment is
doing well, indeed, better than I could have expected. If we
can have a little time to drill, I believe that we can do our coun-
try good service."
Again he writes: "My dear wife, keep up good courage, our
God is a God of war as of peace. Let us trust in Him. He is
mighty in battle, and the right will conquer."
Col. Frisby enjoyed excellent health until July, 1862, when
his health began to tail and he desired to see his wife. He wrote
to her, desiring her to come to him immediately (he was then at
Falmouth, Va., opposite Fredericksburg), saying nothing, how-
ever, of his ill state of health. She went with all haste to him,
and on arriving found him lying very low with fever. By the
tenderest care he was restored so far as to be able to travel.
While lying on his sick bed, the army were ordered to march,
and never did a father feel worse at parting with his children
than did Col. Frisby at parting with his officers and men. He
COL. EDWARD FEISBY. 123
would lie upon his bed, the tears streaming down his cheeks, and
exclaim: " Oh, my poor boys ! My poor boys ! "
He procured a leave of absence, and in company with his wife
turned his face homeward. The sail up the Potomac seemed to
revive him, and on arriving in Washington he felt so much better
that he determined to return at once to his regiment, then stationed
at Culpepper, where he expected they would remain in camp
long enough for him to fully regain his strength. So he bade
his wife and son (who was with her) adieu, little thinking that it
was for the last time. He returned to camp, and instead of
remaining there for several weeks as the regiment had antici-
pated, they were ordered into action at once. They fought all
the way from there to Bull Run, where, on the third day after
entering battle, he fell. The day he fell his leave of absence had
not expired.
A young man, a member of his regiment, who went from Troy,
and who was for some time in the Colonel's tent as orderly,
writes to Mrs. Frisby as follows:
"A few hours before the battle I conversed with the Colonel.
He seemed a little melancholy. He spoke, however, of the posi-
tion of our troops, of the admirable position of the batteries, and
expressed entire confidence in the ability of our commander.
When we made that fatal charge, his duty called him from that
part of the field, and I did not see him again. When I inquired
for the Colonel, I was informed that he had fallen while leading
us on.
"He was like a father to me, ever gentle and kind. I deeply
feel his loss, but why should I complain, when others have equal
cause, and are silent. Through this life, I shall act as I know he
would desire me to. God be with you and bless you, my kind
friend. With many prayers for you and yours, in your sorrow, I
subscribe myself your friend. Respectfully,
'ALBERT MOTT."
The following account of the death of this gallant officer
appeared in the " Albany Express," August 30, 1862: '
" Col. E. Frisby, of the Thirtieth regiment, was killed in action
near Centreville, Va. He was at the head of his regiment on the
124 COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
memorable Saturday when the second battle of Bull Run was
fought, urging his men forward, they having received an order
to charge at double quick. While thus discharging his duty, a
ball struck him on the lower jaw, passing through his face. He
did not fall from his horse, but grasped the reins firmly. Maj.
Chrysler, noticing that his colonel had been wounded, hurried
to his side and said to him: ' Colonel, you are hit.' Col. F., the
blood streaming from his shattered jaw, immediately responded:
' Major, to your post ! ' and, brandishing his sword, started his
horse up. Scarcely had he uttered the words of command, when
he was struck on the top of the head with another ball, which
passed through and came out on the opposite side, killing him
instantly. He dropped from his horse, and the remnant of his
regiment, which had been in the hottest of the fight, was forced
to fall back, leaving the remains of their heroic commander on
the field of buttle. Four days after, his body was interred by the
surgeon of the Twenty-second New York State volunteers. When
the common council committee reached Washington, Monday
morning last, they learned that the body had been interred on
the battle field, and that a regiment had been sent out to bury
our dead. No intelligence was received from the regiment
during Monday, and Col. Harcourt then resolved to go to the
battle field. He procured the necessary passes for himself and
Maj. Chrysler, and early Tuesday morning left the city in a
carriage. They proceeded as far as Bailey's Cross Roads, where
they met the regiment returning with the body of Col. Frisby.
The body of Col. F. was found in the precise spot where the sur-
geon of the Twenty-second stated he buried it, with a board at
the head marked Col. Frisby. On arriving in Washington, the
committee at once made arrangements for embalming the body,
a process which required some considerable time. They left
Washington Wednesday afternoon at five o'clock, and came direct
to New York without stopping, arriving there yesterday mor-
ning, too late for the early train. The remains were removed to
the Huds'on River railroad depot, when the committee was in-
formed that the body could not be sent forward without pcrmis-
COL. EDWARD FRISBY. 125
sion from the city inspector. Col. Harcourt, after considerable
effort, succeeded in procuring the document, and left New York."
The funeral of Col. Frlsby took place September 11. The
military escort took the cars at North Ferry street for the ceme-
tery. During the movement of the funeral cortege all places of
business were closed, the flags were flying at half mast, the bells
were tolled and minute guns fired, the streets meanwhile being
densely crowded with spectators.
A nobler hero, a purer patriot, has not fallen during the war
than Col. Edward Frisby.
The following touching letters were received by the bereaved
widow:
Washington, D. C, September 4, 1862.
Mrs. E. Frisby — I have hesitated and delayed writing to you
in hopes the first rumors that reached us, in relation to the fate
of our beloved Colonel, might be confirmed.
But, alas ! my heart aches, my eyes become blinded, and my
head is dizzv, when thinking of that awful field of carnage and
death. O, God ! that I could blot from my memory the scenes
of that most unfortunate encounter. I cannot give you a detailed
account of that battle, or of the part taken by any one. I can
only say your husband, our beloved colonel, fought in the thickest
of the fight, and died at his post of duty.
We have made every exertion to obtain his body, but have
been unsuccessful, but feel in hopes that Dr. Chapin, who was
taken a prisoner, will mark the spot where he is buried. I have
collected his effects and will send them by express to-morrow.
Anything I can do will be cheerfully done. I have lost a very
dear friend in your loss of a husband. I am in hopes of seeing
you before long, when I can relate more particularly the inci-
dents of that awful day. Bear up under this affliction. God is
good, and doeth all things well. Your friend,
WILLIAM M. SEARING.
Troy, Sept. 14, 1862.
My Dear Mrs. Frisby: It was with feelings of inexpressible
sorrow, while absent from home, that I heard of the death of
126 COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
your generous-hearted and gallant husband (my old friend and
Colonel), Edward Frisby, by the hands of the enemies of his
country. He died a martyr to law and order, a lover of the con-
stitution and government under which he was born, reared and
educated, and a brave and conscientious defender of that flag
which so long had been the pride and admiration of his country-
men, and the emblem of hope and happiness of the oppressed in
all parts of the world, as it was, and is, a terror to tyrants and
despots. He died as all true patriots love to die — with his har-
ness on, in the full, conscientious discharge of his duty to the
government under which he was reared.
A bereaved country, a widowed wife, orphan children, sympa-
thetic and condoling friends, mourn his loss; but their loss (con-
soling is the fact) is his gain. May you, his disconsolate widow,
and his orphaned children, find consolation in the fact; and may
He, who holds nations in the hollow of his hand, and without
whose notice not a sparrow falls to the ground, aid you in finding
that consolation.
I have said that Col. Frisby was my friend during all my asso-
ciation with him. I have found him to be such, and therefore I
mourn his loss as a friend. Of course, I cannot mourn that loss
as you do. But there is one thing that I can do. I can bear
truthful and uncontradictory testimony to his moral worth as a
man; to his honesty and usefulness as a citizen; to his devotion
as a patriot, and his steadfastness as a friend. May the bright
example, which he has so disinterestedly bequeathed to his pos-
terity, never be forgotten by any of them.
Believe me, Madam, to be most sincerely your friend and well
wisher. CHAS. E. BRINTNALL.
Keedysville, Md., Sept. 28th, 1862.
Dear Madam: Pardon me for addressing you by letter, which
I presume to do, because of my former intimate relations with
your deceased husband, and because I deeply sympathize with
you in your affliction.
None knew Col. Frisby, outside his family, as 1 knew him. Our
military connection commenced when I was so young, and lasted
COL. EDWARD FRISBY. 127
so long, that I had come to look to him, as a son toward a father.
I knew his inmost thoughts, so far as military matters were con-
cerned, and could almost read in his face the thoughts passing
through his mind. Amid the excitement of the battle field, and
the tediousness of long marches, I have not fully appreciated that
he is gone — that I shall never see him more; but during the
past week, partially confined to my chamber by a wound, the
fad has appeared to me in all its force, and I realize that I have
lost a dear friend who loved me, and that the service has sus-
tained an almost irreparable loss, in the sphere in which he moved.
How forcibly comes upon my mind our parting on the second
of April last, at Alexandria! Then I knew how painful to him,
and how painful to me, it was, to be separated in our official rela-
tions. Clasped in each other's arms, the big tears rolling down
his cheeks, he said, among other things: "We may never meet
again!" How true it proved, but how little did I then think it
was our last meeting on earth.
Dear Madam: Let me assure you, in your bereavement you
have the deep sympathy of the officers and men of the regiment,
and of the division to which he was attached, and in which he
served so faithfully and efficiently. Indeed, the remnant of the
Thirtieth mourn his loss as children mourning the loss of a father.
While we thus lament his loss, it is a source of comfort to me to
know that all acknowledged his worth, and showed their appre-
ciation of his merit. To the city of Albany, to the militia of the
State, the loss is great; for he and a few others, by their noble,
yet at the time unappreciated, labors, made the militia of the
city and State what it now is, and gave to the Nation a powerful
force to check the onward march of the rebellion.
Col. Frisby's name will rank high among the heroes of this war.
The God whom he worshiped will give comfort to your be-
reaved heart. He will not see the widow or children of the
soldier and patriot suffer. Let me commend you to Him; and
with my most earnest sympathy, I subscribe myself,
Your obedient servant,
R, C, BEXTLEY.
I write with some difficulty, having one arm still in a sling.
128 COL. EDWARD FRISBY.
Fort Covington, Sept. 5th 18G2.
My Dear Mrs. Frisby: With the greatest solicitude, I have
watched for, and scanned the lists of the killed and wounded, in
the late terrible encounters. I saw in one of the papers that
your husband was wounded, and in another, that he was killed;
and was unable to ascertain which report was correct, until this
morning, when my attention was directed to a paragraph in one
of the New York papers, describing the manner of his death, and
stating the fact that his body had been recovered.
My heart is filled with inexpressible grief; it is to me as if it
were my father thus stricken down.
To you I need not praise him; and I but repeat what, often,
while he was living, I expressed to others; that he was one of
the bravest and best otficers in our service.
As one of his military family, I had an opportunity for becom-
ing thoroughly acquainted with him; and I loved and revered
him.
He had a high sense of the responsibility of his position, and
strove scrupulously and religiously to act up to those responsi-
bilities.
His intercourse with his otficers and men, exhibited those qual-
ities which adorn the character of the true gentleman.
He was not only anxious that the men of his regiment should
be well disciplined as soldiers, but was solicitous for their moral
well-being.
Always did I receive his hearty co-operation in every plan for
the moral and religious improvement of the regiment; and if all
the colonels in the army had the same sense of responsibility to
God, the love of morals would be far brighter, and I believe we
should be far more successful in ending this cruel war.
You have lost a husband; I a friend, and the country a true,
brave and noble soldier. We are sad; we mourn. God only
can comfort. May he bless you and comfort you, is the prayer
of Your friend,
N. G. AXTELL.
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 120
V.
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
Colonel William Ayeault Jackson was born in the city of
Schenectady, N. Y., on the 29th day of March, 1832. His father,
Isaac W. Jackson, was then Professor of Mathematics in Union
College, of which he was a graduate, a position he has held unin-
terruptedly to the present time.
William was the eldest of the family. He fitted for college
at home, under the instruction of his father, and entered, at the
early age of fifteen, the Freshman class of Union, at the com-
mencement of the academic year in 1847.
During his collegiate career, he displayed marked and brilliant
talents in various departments, and by the exhibition of the frank
and generous qualities, which were characteristic of him, made
among the under-graduates of his time many and warm friends.
He then, more particularly, won distinction as a forcible and
extempore speaker and skillful debater. In these accomplish-
ments he was acknowledged to be without a rival among his
college cotemporaries, and they were, at a later period, exercised
with effect on the wider field of political discussion.
He graduated with honor in the summer of 1851, and during
the succeeding year remained at home, devoting his attention to
the study of general literature, and giving some of his time to
the study of the law, that being the profession which he had
chosen. Previous, however, to his regular entry upon his legal
studies, and during the year 1852, he spent some months with
an uncle, Mr. I. C. Chesbrough, a civil engineer, and at that time
engaged upon the survey of the Albany and Susquehanna rail-
road. In December, 1852, he removed to the city of Albany,
with some of the most prominent and influential families in
9
loO COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
which he was nearly connected, and entered the office of Marcus
T. Reynolds, Esq. He also, about the same time, attended a
course of lectures at the Albany Law School. He was admitted
to the liar on the 10th of April, 1853, and immediately com-
menced the practice of his profession in Albany, which was his
residence until his death.
Soon after the commencement of his legal career, he formed a
partnership with his cousin, Frederick Townsend, Esq., an
accomplished gentleman, since so favorably known as Adjutant
General of the State during the whole of Gov. King's and a part
of Gov. Morgan's administration, who, as colonel of the Third
regiment of New York volunteers, distinguished himself by his
brilliant gallantry at the battle of Big Bethel, and is now a major
in the United States infantry. They were associated during the
whole of Col. Jackson's connection with the law. For a short
period, during the year 1857, Alfred Conkling, formerly United
States District Judge of the Northern District of New York, was
professionally connected with them, under the firm name of
Conkling, Townsend & Jackson. On the 1st of May, 1858,
their business association with Judge Conkling having previ
ously terminated, they took as a partner Richard M. Strong
Esq., and the firm name was changed to Townsend, Jackson &
Strong. This partnership continued until the stirring national
events of the spring of 1861 turned the thoughts of all from the
peaceful pursuits to arms, when Col. Jackson, who had been at
the commencement of that year appointed and now held the office
of Inspector General of the State, relinquished the profession to
which he had been bred, and eno-ao-ed in the defence of the gov-
eminent, in the great struggle inaugurated by the attack upon
and fall of Fort Sumter.
Before proceeding to the mention of Col. Jackson's brief but
honorable military career, we pause to say a few words of the
character and talents which he displayed during the time of his
practice at the bar. Possessed of a singularly handsome person,
with frank and genial manners, having a bold and energetic
character, and a quick, penetrating intellect, being an agreeable
speaker and a vigorous writer, he fast made friends and admirers,
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 131
and soon acquired a prominent and influential position at the
Capital of the State. Well grounded in the principles of the
law, and prompt in the despatch of business, he obtained a very
considerable professional practice. Always taking a deep interest
in politics, State and national, and mingling freely and on inti-
mate terms, during almost the whole of this period, with the most
distinguished political leaders, he soon became appreciated as a
man of ability, and a brilliant and effective speaker. His political
views being in accordance with those of the Republican party,
he early took that side, and in the campaigns of 1856, 1858 and
I860 rendered valuable services, with his pen and on the stump,
to that organization. In 1858, he made quite an extended tour,
and addressed numerous large assemblies in the western part
of the State.
When, therefore, in the spring of 1861 he embraced with
characteristic ardor the career of arms, he had acquired a high
position in his profession and in society, and was making himself
felt and his influence appreciable to a degree, unusual in one so
young.
No reasons, then, for so complete a change in the plan and
pursuits of his life existed, other than a generous patriotism, and
an honorable ambition to win the praise of honest men by his
sacrifices for and services to his country.
Successful in raising a regiment whose superior in material
was not to be found in the State, he originally intended to take
the position of Lieutenant Colonel, devolving its command upon
an army officer of experience. His plans failed in that respect,
and after much hesitation and doubt from a consciousness of his
inexperience, he was finally prevailed upon to accept the Colo-
nelcy. On the 18th of June, 1861, he received his commission
as Colonel of this, the Eighteenth Regiment of New York Volun-
teers, with the rank from May 13th, 1861. From the breaking-
out of the war, in April, to the time he received his commission,
he had been arduously engaged as Inspector General of the State
in aiding the Governor in the organization of its forces, and hence
by close application had acquired military knowledge which was
of value to him in his new position.
132 COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
From the day, however, that he took command of the Eigh-
teenth, he was constant and unwearied in his devotion to and
care for his men. Not unwilling to learn, nor unwisely self-con-
fident, as were some of the new officers of volunteers at that
period, by the industrious application of his quick, vigorous mind
to the acquisition of a knowledge of the details of his duty, he
very soon mastered them.
His regiment left Albany in June, and proceeding directly to
Washington, encamped near the city. Here began his first trial
of camp life. The officers under his command were, with but
very few exceptions, without experience or practical military
knowledge; and the men, like almost all the volunteers at that
time, owing to the busy brief period that had elapsed since their
enlistment, were a mere unformed mass, without drill or disci-
pline, rather than a regiment of soldiers.
To change all this was the determination of the Colonel. He
resolved to make it a regiment in truth, and one which should
be inferior to none in the field. With this object in view, he
was devoted, constant and unwearied, sparing neither body noi
mind, but straining every faculty from the time he arrived at
Washington until the disastrous battle of Manassas, and indeed
until his death, in his efforts to perfect himself as an officer, and
to bring to a high state of discipline the men under his command.
In how short a time he, with the earnest and praiseworthy co-
operation of his officers, succeeded in doing this, and how well
he did succeed, was soon to be shown.
On the 12th of July, in accordance with the general plan of a
forward movement into Virginia, his regiment was ordered across
the Potomac and encamped near Alexandria. About the same
time it was brigaded with the Sixteenth, Thirty-first and Thirty-
second New York Volunteers, forming, together, the Second Bri-
gade, under the command of Col. Davies, of the Sixteenth Eegi-
ment.
On the 16th of July commenced the memorable advance of the
army of the Potomac. Col. Jackson's regiment moved from
Alexandria in the afternoon of that day, and, together with the
other regiments, forming the Second Brigade, took part in the
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 133
battle, or rather prolonged skirmish, of the 18th of July. In
this, his conduct was gallant and meritorious, and his men
behaved with the steadiness of veterans. In the battle of Manas-
sas, on the 21st of July, which resulted so disastrously to our
arms, the Second Brigade were upon the left and constituted the
reserve, not taking part in the main battle, but lighting princi-
pally by the right and centre.
Without attempting any general description of the events of
that terrible and humiliating day, it is sufficient to say that the
Eighteenth Regiment, the whole Second Brigade, and indeed the
(vhole Division, of which it formed a part, behaved with marked
gallantry and steadiness. The Second Brigade, covering Capts.
Gheen and Hunt's batteries during the early part of the day,
md with them effectually defeating a formidable attempt of the
enemy's right to flank the left of our line, when later our troops
tied in such panic and confusion from the field, was ordered to
Centreville to protect the retreat. As to what followed, and the
conduct of Col. Jackson at this crisis, appears in an extract from
che report of Capt. Geeen, in command of a battery:
"I chose a position," he says, " on the crest of a hill, which,
from its shape, gave command of the ground to our left, and also
of the road alono- which our division was retiring. From this
position I could perfectly sweep with my fire one hundred and
eighty degrees front, right and left, down a gentle slope. Four
regiments were placed as my support, and the force at this point
could have stopped double its number.
"At this point an unauthorized person gave orders to retreat;
I refused the order, but all my supporting regiments bat one {Col.
Jackson's Eighteenth N. Y. V.), moved off to the rear. Col.
Jackson most gallantly offered his regiment as a support, saying
' that it should remain by me as long as there slioidd be any fight-
ing to be done there. 1 The above mentioned person again made
his appearance at this time, and again ordered me to retreat, and
ordered Col. Jackson to form column of division on my right and
retreat with me, as all was lost. The order was of course disre-
garded, and in about two minutes the head of a column of the
134 COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
enemy's cavalry came up at a run, opening out of the woods ii
beautiful order. I was prepared for it, and the column had not
o-one more than a hundred yards out of the woods before shells
were burst at their head, and directly in their midst. They broke
in everydirection, and no more cavalry came out of the woods."
The Eighteenth, in compliance with orders from the command-
ino- General, retreated, covering Green's battery; and halted for
a short time at Fairfax. Col. Jackson, ascertaining that the Gen-
eral, despairing of bringing the defeated army to a halt, had
himself gone to Washington, it again resumed the retreat, and at
midday on the 22d took possession of its old camp at Alexandria.
This retreat was effected in perfect good order throughout; and
on the way back the Colonel was enabled to afford aid to his fel-
low townsman, Lieut, Hill, of the United States artillery, in
bringing off two of the guns of his battery.
All the officers who were present, bear testimony to the gal-
lantry of Col. Jackson, and the admirable behavior of his regi-
ment, throughout that memorable advance towards, and retreat
from Manassas.
During the whole time he was almost constantly mounted, and
he bore up with astonishing endurance under the most exhausting
fatigue. He says himself, in a letter written to a friend on the
23d of July: " From half past two Sunday morning until Monday
at midday, we neither slept nor rested. I was in my saddle
nearly all the time."
After this battle the regiment, not sharing in the general
demoralization of the troops, remained near Alexandria, shifting
its camp occasionally, taking its turn at guard and picket duty,
and for a time engaged in building Fort Ward, one of the numer-
ous fortifications erected to protect Washington.
When Gen. McClellan, taking command, commenced the
reorganization of the Army of the Potomac, the Eighteenth Regi-
ment was placed in Gen. Newton's Brigade, and Gen. FeankllVs
Division.
The devotion and enthusiasm of Col. Jackson, in raising to the
highest standard the discipline and morale of his men, did not
Hag. Until attacked by his last illness, he was hardly ever
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 135
absent from the camp, and it was an extremely rare thing for him
to sleep out of it; and he took eagerly upon his shoulders, the
thousand constant cares and labors, consequent upon a scrupu-
lously conscientious discharge of his duties. In a word, his
whole time and energies were employed. In all this, and indeed
during the whole of his connection with the regiment, it is but
justice to record, that his efforts Avere much aided, and the char-
acter of the regiment for discipline and efficiency raised, by the
steady support and uniformly gallant conduct of his Lieut. Col.
(now Colonel) Young, a townsman, and the officer who succeeded
him in command.
These wearing anxieties of his responsible position, and the
maccustomed privations and exposures of life in the field, in an
mhealthy climate, were unfortunately laying in the constitution
of Jackson the foundations of fatal disease. His health, which
had been, through life, up to this period, almost perfect, now
showed signs of giving way; and during a hurried visit home in
August, his friends were alarmed at the inroads made by fatigue
tncl anxiety upon it. Although, for some time after his return
to the regiment, he seemed better, he was, towards the end of
October, seized with an illness, which, assuming the form of
bilious remittent fever, proved fatal. Prostrated for some days
in his tent, his brother officers were unable to induce him to
"give up" and seek relief from his official duties, and it was not
until his illness assumed a most serious form, that he consented
to apply to be removed to Washington. This was done on the
30th of October, and Dr. Stone, one of the most eminent physi-
cians of the city, was then immediately called to his bedside, but
it was too late. For a few days, no critical symptoms appeared,
and his condition was not considered as imminently dangerous
until the 7th of November. Hemorrhao-e of the bowels, and
afterwards of the brain, then set in, destroying all hope. On
Monday, the 11th of November, a little before six o'clock in the
evening, his spirit passed away. His last words were these,
uttered just before the power of articulation departed, in a strong,
deliberate voice, but evidently with great effort: "I do believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ; I trust in him."
136 COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
The remains of Col. Jackson were taken home for interment.
They were escorted to the cars at Washington by his regiment,
every member of which expressed a desire to testify his respect
for his beloved Colonel. At Albany, they were received by the
military of the city, and lay in state.
He was buried at Schenectady on the 14th of November, 1861.
Borne , to his last resting place by the friends of his youth
whom he loved so well, amid the scenes of his boyhood he sleeps,
requiemed by the sighing pines which wave over his grave.
Beautiful and joyous was his youth; bold and vigorous his
manhood; his death honorable, nay, glorious; for, although he
fell not by the sword nor amid the maddening whirl and din of
battle, yet by his self-consuming labors for his country's weal,
were sown the seeds of that fell disease w T hich was his destroyer.
The high estimation in which Col. Jackson was held, appears
from the numerous letters of consolation received by his father
from distinguished gentlemen in various parts of the country, and
from the complimentary resolutions passed by the bar of the city
of Albany, the Governor of the State and his staff, the Eighteenth
Regiment, and the Albany Zouave Cadets. Also, at the meeting
of the Albany bar, most eloquent eulogies were pronounced
upon our departed hero by the Hon. Clark B. Cochrane, S. O.
Shepard, Esq., his honor, Recorder Austin, Hon. John V. L.
Pruyn, and J. M. Kimball, Esq. Our limits will only allow us
to give the tribute of the Hon. Mr. Cochrane, Avhich, in common
with the others, presents, in just and beautiful language, the
worth and the achievements of our lamented patriot martyr.
He spoke as follows:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Bar:
The news of the event which has called together the bar of
Albany on the present occasion, has fallen with mournful weight
upon the hearts of millions of our countrymen. The removal by
death of William A. Jackson, from the newly chosen field of his
activities, in the midst of his growing usefulness and rising fame,
and in view of what he was and what he promised to become,
produced, as it was calculated to produce, a profound sensation
in the public mind. The deep and universal solicitude, the ex-
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 137
pressions of private hopes and public anxiety with reference to
the chances of his recovery, from the time his dangerous illness
became known, until the announcement of its fatal termination,
the imposing demonstrations of respect tendered to his memory
and services, and the multiplied evidences of sincere and general
sorrow which have followed that announcement, admonish us
that our professional brother, whose loss we mourn and whose
recollection we cherish, was no ordinary personage. It rarely hap-
pens, even in our own glorious country, ivhere all legal and adven-
titious hindrances are removed from before the march of merit,
vhere the race is usually to the swift, and the battle to the strong,
that one comes to occupy, at so early an age, so large a measure
in the public eye, or possess so firm a hold of the popular heart.
Though yet in the early dawn and dew of manhood, Col. Jack-
son has inscribed his name upon the imperishable records of his
country, and left his footprints deeply traced on the sands of
time. A nation, for whose life and whose honor he drew his
sword, witnessed, with emotions of sorrow, his passage from the
theatre of life; and the great, the gifted and the brave, followed
his bier and mingled as mourners in his funeral train. Thus, let
a grateful people ever hallow the memory of the brave defenders
of the land and flag of our fathers. Our departed friend lias left
a blameless life, a bright and brave example for the imitation of
all, especially for our youth. At a period when success, with
jroung men of brightest promise, is yet the subject of conjecture,
he had accomplished ends and achieved a position which exempt
life from the possibilities of failure, and enabled him to say, as
he turned his youthful eyes for the last time to the light of
Heaven, I have not " lived in vain nor spent my strength for
naught."
A gentleman by instinct and education, possessed of a fine
person and fascinating manners, a large heart and a true and
genial nature, endowed with a rare intellect, enriched by varied
and manly cultivation, he became the idol of every circle in
which he mingled, a cherished companion among his associates,
the trusted depositary of the most sacred treasures of a well
chosen friendship, the pride of his family and kindred, and a
138 COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
favorite with the public. As a public speaker, Col. Jackson was
eloquent and forcible, and to rare conversational powers he added
the pen of a ready and elegant writer. As a member of this bar,
at which he had secured no indifferent reputation, we remember
him as a brother without reproach. His warm hand, his beaming
and manly face, will greet us no more. We shall miss him at the
bar, in the halls of justice, from our social gatherings, in the
public and private walks of life; but in the innermost shrines of
our hearts, and so long as life lasts, we will cherish his memory,
fragrant with every manly virtue, and free from every suspicion
of dishonor. We will think of him for his noble qualities of
head and heart, for the example he has left behind him, for the
expectations he had realized, and the hopes he had inspired.
In all the relations of private life, and in all the varied and
responsible positions with which he was trusted, he preserved
to the last "the whiteness of his soul, and men weep for him."
It is, after all, as a patriot and soldier, and not as a lawyer, we
meet to do him honor. True, the ranks of our profession have
been invaded, and another link has been stricken from the bright
fraternal chain which binds us together; a choice spirit has dropt
from our circle, and passed forever away, and we confess our
loss; but it is our country, and not our class, that is smitten by
this bereavement. Brave of heart and strong of hand, loving his
country and revering her insulted flag, he was among the first to
respond to the call of the Nation, in the hour of her sudden and
greatest peril. Though uneducated to the profession of arms,
he brought to the duties of his high command, unwearied indus-
try and all the acknowledged vigor of his mind, and at the time
of his death had already become an accomplished and efficient
officer; enjoyed the confidence of the Government and of his
superiors in command; was rapidly rising in the opinions of the
army, and had secured to the fullest extent the respect and love
of his gallant regiment, which, under his discipline, had become,
by common consent, one of the best and most efficient in the
service.
Tried upon the field of battle, and found wanting in none of
the stern requisites of a soldier, he had before him the promise
COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON. 139
of a brilliant and glorious future. In the inscrutable providence
of God, the hand of death has overtaken him, and he is removed
from the tumult of arms and the scenes of earth. But he has
fallen in the career of duty and the path of fame, with his bow
bent, his feet to the field, and his armor on. To the patriot, the
memory of such is sweet.
We give, also, the Proceedings at the Executive Chamber:
By direction of his Excellency, Gov. Morgax, the members of
his staff, present in Albany, met in the Executive Chamber, on
the evening of November 12th, to take such action as might be
deemed appropriate in regard to the death of Col. William A.
Jacksox, commanding the Eighteenth Regiment of New York
State Volunteers, and formerly Inspector General of this State,
who expired at Washington on the evening of the 11th instant.
The following members of his staff were present: Adjutant
General Hillhouse, Inspector General Patrick, Commissary
General Welch, Surgeon General Vaxderpoel, Quartermaster
General Van Vechtex, Aide-de-Camp Ardex, and Military Sec-
retary Lixsley.
On assuming the chair, his Excellency expressed, with great
feeling, his deep sense of the sad occasion which had induced
him to convene the members of his military family, and sug-
gested that such action should be had as the melancholy event
called for. He added, that the death of Col. Jacksox came upon
us with peculiar force. That he had been an esteemed member of
his staff, and was a much-loved citizen of Albany at the time he
assumed the command of the regiment, and that it was eminently
proper that this especial notice should be taken of his death, by
himself and the members of his staff who were now present.
Whereupon, Com. Gen. Welch, with the permission of his
Excellency, submitted the following resolutions:
Resolved, That we have heard, with emotions of profound
sorrow, of tne death of a former associate, Col. William A. Jack-
sox, commanding the Eighteenth Regiment of New York Volun-
teers, who was among the first to sacrifice honorable public posi-
tion, professional honors and emoluments, and cherished personal
140 COL. WILLIAM A. JACKSON.
associations, in defence of the flag of the country and the integ-
rity of the Union.
Resolved, That in the death of this young soldier, who was
endeared to us by those sterling characteristics of manhood,
which he possessed in so eminent a degree, we are overwhelmed
with grief, not only because an estimable friend and associate
has been taken from us, but because the country, now passing
the severest ordeal of its existence, has lost one of its able and
zealous champions.
Resolved, That the loss of Col. Jackson, so deeply felt here,
in the city of his former residence, and so much to be deplored
everywhere, calls for some public manifestation of the wide-
spread sorrow which his early death has evoked.
Resolved, That his Excellency, the Governor, be respectfully
requested to forward to the immediate relatives of the deceased,
a copy of these resolutions, with an expression of our deep and
unaffected sympathy with them in this, their great bereavement.
These resolutions were unanimously adopted.
general order.
Head Quarters, Fifth Brigade, )
November 15, 1861. \
General Order, No. 13. The General commanding the Bri-
gade, on his return, has heard with lively sorrow of the decease
of Col. William A. Jackson, commanding the Eighteenth Regi-
ment New York Volunteers.
Deprived, by circumstances over which he had no control, of
the melancholy privilege of witnessing his last moments, or of
being present at the funeral obsequies, the General commanding
wishes at least to testify his profound sense of the loss to the
service, experienced by the decease of this accomplished soldier
and gentleman.
The high state of discipline and efficiency attained by the
Eighteenth Regiment, is a testimony to the zeal and intelligence
of the deceased, more honorable and complete than the most
elaborate eulogium. ' By order of Brig. Gen. Newton.
JAS. E. MONTGOMERY, Asst. Adj. Gen.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 141
VI.
COL. JOHN WILSON.
Colonel John Wilson, of the Forty-third Regiment Infantry,
JS T . Y. V., son of James and Ann Wilson, was born in Albany, N.
Y., December 29th, 1838. His father was a native of Scotland,
a man of sterling integrity and great benevolence, a useful citizen
and sincere Christian. His mother was an American of Scottish
descent. His maternal great grand-father served in the army of
the Revolution, upholding bravely the cause of his adopted coun-
try. He was a man of great physical strength, and power of
endurance. He suffered much on board a prison ship near Brook-
lyn. His son, a boy of seventeen years, also served and was
wounded in the Revolutionary war.
John Wilson received liis education at the Albany Academy,
which institution he entered at a very early age. He immediately
commenced the study of the Latin language, in which his father
was very desirous of having him proficient, as it was necessary
to a scientific knowledge of the business, for which he designed
to educate him. He studied the French lano-uao-e a number of
years, and went farther than the course prescribed by the
Academy. His father dying when he was sixteen, he suspended
his studies and sneeeeded to his business of florist and nursery-
man. In this he continued till he entered the army, giving up
then a lucrative and prosperous business to devote himself to
his country.
From his infancy he attended the Sabbath school established
by his father, then the only Sabbath school in the section of the
city where he resided. He was actively engaged in it till he
entered the army, and was always interested in its success. He
united with the Baptist Church in 1858, under the ministration
142 COL. JOHN WILSON.
of Rev. Dr. Hague. He maintained always a firm religious cha-
racter, was charitable in judgment, and liberal in giving, espe-
cially in private. Generosity was, from childhood, his distin-
guishing characteristic. While he was in the army, he devoted
one-tenth part of his income to charitable and religious purposes.
He entered the army as a Captain, having raised a company
for the second requisition of troops in the summer of 1861. In
about one week from the time he had resolved to give himself
to his country, his company was raised. They marched to the
barracks, on Saturday, August 3d, the first soldiers to occupy
the barracks after the troops of the first requisition had gone to
the field.
The following extracts from Col. Wilson's letters will give a
view of his movements after he left Albany:
New York, September 18, 1801.
Dear Mother and Sisters — I arrived safely in New York on
Tuesday, at two o'clock. It rained very hard when we came in,
but ceased about an hour afterward, when the regiment arrived.
As soon as I stepped from the cars I proceeded to the Astor
House, and soon after met the Colonel, who entrusted the dis-
embarkation of our men to me. We landed safely, and fortu.
nately it ceased raining, but it commenced soon after we had
obtained our quarters in the Park barracks.
The officers are mostly quartered at the Astor and Lovejoy'a
Hotel. I am very well at present, and trust this finds you all
well. I cannot find out when the regiment will leave, as nobody
seems to know anything about it.
I will write as soon as I learn anything definite. Our men are
all well, but do not like the confinement in such barracks as
those in the Park. Your son and brother,
JOHN.
Camp Casey, Meridian Hill, near Washington, D. C, \
Head Quarters of N. Y. Forty-third Regt., I
September 22, 1861. J
Dear Mother and Sisters — I have just obtained an opportunity
to write to you this afternoon. I am officer of the day, and as I
COL. JOHN WILSON. 143
am all alone in my tent just now, I feel like writing to you, to
tell you how I like camp life.
The last letter I wrote you was from the Park barracks, New
York. I said in my letter of Friday last, that we would move
soon, and so it turned out, for with but three hours notice we
were ordered, by telegraph, to Washington direct.
You may imagine what a commotion there was among the
men, when at six o'clock Friday evening they were ordered to
Washington, and to be ready to start by nine o'clock p. m.
Well, we got under way at precisely half past one Saturday mor-
ning, having waited from nine p. m., the evening before, for our
baggage and equipments to be sent to the railroad depot, and
our rations to be prepared for us, which latter, by the way, we
never got, as they were by mistake left in New York.
You may think we were all pretty well tired waiting, but to
add still to our troubles, we had to wait in New Jersey, at the
depot in Jersey city, till four o'clock a. m. before the train could
be got under way.
We arrived safely in Philadelphia at twelve o'clock m., and
were received by the women of the city in grand style. They
prepared a dinner for us free, and a good appetite we had for it,
too, as we had had nothing to eat since the night before, except
what food the men, at the supper table, had placed in their haver-
sacks. As it was, they did very well, and complained but very
little.
We took rail at one o'clock for Baltimore, and all through the
streets of Philadelphia, as we passed in the cars, we were greeted
by thousands of cheers and hurrahs. We reached Baltimore at
eleven o'clock Saturday night, and immediately marched two
miles to the depot of the railroad for Washington, and arrived
in Washington four o'clock Sunday morning. We were all very
tired, and immediately proceeded to have our supper of one slice
of bread and one slice of pork per man, and a cup of coffee, after
which we took a sleep of three hours duration, being called up
for breakfast at seven o'clock.
At eleven o'clock a. m. we received marching orders, and pro-
ceeded to encamp on the grounds we now occupy on Meridian
144 COL. JOHN WILSON.
Hill. There are, in all, about twenty thousand men encamped
near us, and we have nothing but din, and the music of bugle
and fife and drum all day. I am very well, having a fine tent,
ground nice and dry, a good floor to the tent, and plenty of
coats to cover me with. Write soon.
Yours affectionately,
JOHN.
Head Quarters of Forty-third Regt., N. Y. S. V.,
Meridian Hill, Washington, D. C, Sept. 27, 1861.
My Dear Anna — I received your letter yesterday morning. I
was very glad to hear from you and all at home, as I was afraid
that any letter written to me at New York might not reach me
here.
We are having a fine time here in camp — plenty of tent room,
as I have taken two tents and joined them in one, end to end,
and now we have a sitting room, and a sleeping apartment, with
a curtain between. You should see our arrangements, and I am
sure you would be surprised to find how comfortable we are.
Even now it is raining quite hard, but our tents are covered with
large canvass flies, and no rain can get near us.
We are all well, and are not troubled with any inconveniences
complained of by many in camp, except the nights are very cold,
especially towards morning, and the middle of the days rather
warm. But Ave manage to overcome the former by overcoats and
extra blankets, and the latter we avoid by keeping inside of our
tents.
We hardly ever take off our clothes, except to bathe, as we
must be always ready to spring into our places, even at the dead
of night, fully armed and equipped. I shall soon get used to such
a life, and I like it more and more every day.
I think there will be a grand battle some time next month,
but I am afraid we cannot get ready to be there, but we may
have a chance to be lookers on. *
I resigned all claim to the majorship of the regiment, as I find
the field officers will have to pass an examination here, which I
could not do, as I understand nothing of battalion movements.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 145
I shall have a chance of promotion before long, I think, and then
I shall be Major. I am very well satisfied with my present posi-
tion. Write soon, and remember me to all friends.
Yours affectionately, JOHN WILSOX.
Camp Advance, Va., Sept. 29t/i, Sunday.
Dear Mother — I will write you a few lines, to-night, to let you
know that we are on the sacred soil of Virginia. The enemy are
some six miles from us. We are in the advance camp, and nun-
have a chance to see action before long; but I am not afraid at
all, myself. I keep in mind that verse you wrote in my Testa-
ment — " He will give his angels charge over thee." I keep my
Testament always in my breast pocket, and read it as often as I
can. I thiuk a battle is near, and I also think it will be a deci-
sive one for our cause and freedom. I will write you again very
soon. Give my love to all; Kate, Anna, Eliza and Mary, and
to yourself. In haste. Your affectionate son,
JOHN WILSOX.
Fort Marct, Va., Oct. 30th, 1861.
My Dear Sister — I received your letter of the 25th, this mor-
ning. I am now writing an answer to your inquiries (time, ten
p. m.) I am at present with my company encamped within the
above named fort, about three-fourths of a mile from Chain
bridge, and three and a half miles from our regiment, being de-
tached therefrom for the present, and sent here in command of
the fort. I came here last Saturday morning at six a. m., to
relieve Company A, of the Vermont Fifth, who have been here
some three weeks. I am having a fine time of it now, as the
company have all their tents nicely pitched within the breast-
works of the fort — and mine stands at the head of the street,
and, standing in my tent door, I can at one glance see the whole
interior of the place. When I came, I brought nothing but a
blanket and an overcoat, and the men brought only their over-
coats, thinking we would have to stay but twenty-four hours. But
we have had to sleep on the ground three nights, and that, too,
through two frosty ones. But I am very well, and the men coni-
10
146 COL. JOHN WILSON.
plain but little of any sickness. Our tents came yesterday after-
noon, and before night they were all up and occupied. I have
a detachment of my company stationed as guard at Chain bridge,
under Lieut. Wilkinson, of Company F, and with the fort and
the bridge to care for, I have my hands full.
We have had two or three grand reviews lately, and this has
kept us all busy getting ready for inspection, so that I have had
no time to do anything outside of military affairs. Gen. Han-
cock, the other day, congratulated Col. Vinton on the drill and
discipline of the Forty-third, and, although we have been but one
month " out," he confesses us superior to regiments out over four
months. This is saying a good deal for us.
We had a set of colors presented to us, the other day, by Sim-
eon Draper, of New York. They are very handsome, and ele-
gantly mounted. Last Thursday, four companies of our regi-
ment, or rather parts of four companies, under command of Col.
Vinton, made a reconnoissance as for as Flint Hill, or about two
miles from Fairfax. Our guide said, we were the first Union
troops that had been on Flint Hill, since the battle of Bull Run.
He said, also, that our Colonel was the most ambitious one he
had met with, as we proceeded over half a mile further than he
advised, and would have gone to Fairfax, had not our orders
commanded us to go but to Flint Hill. Had we gone further, our
Colonel would have had to bear the consequences, had any been
killed. As it was, Company A went half a mile beyond, being
thrown out as skirmishers. We drove the enemy's pickets before
us about a mile, they running off at double-quick, after exchanging
a few shots with us. We took eight prisoners, and then returned
to camp, having walked in all about twenty miles. This recon-
noissance has given us quite a name for courage, and we are
already known as the "plucky little Forty-third."
But I must close my letter, with the wish that you will write
soon, and all the others too; and don't mind if I do not write as
often as I would like to, as I am very much engaged with com-
pany affairs. Give my love to Mother, Kate, Anna, Mary and
yourself, of course, and vn mem ber me to all my numerous friends.
Tell II. S. that I am sorry the articles were not sent, as any-
COL. JOHN WILSON. 147
thing from Albany seems one hundred per cent better, than any-
thing bought here. Give her my regards and thanks for her
kind endeavors. I have not received my box yet, and do not
know what has become of it. Suppose it will turn up one of
these days. I wish I had it now. Good night. JOHN.
Mr. Wilson wrote to his mother and sisters very frequently,
giving a minute account of his daily life, and of matters of inte
rest that came under his observation. All his letters breathe
the spirit of an earnest patriotism, and personal devotion to duty.
Most of them possess a private and family interest, while a few
contain matter suitable for publication.
The following letters give an account of the movements of his
regiment near Williamsburg and City Point, Va.
Camp No. 11, in the Field,
Near Williamsburg, Va., May 8, 1862.
My Dear Mother — I wrote a short letter to you j^esterday to
let you know that our regiment was safe, as it was held as a
reserve, together with a few other regiments belonging to Keyes'
Corps, and four or five batteries of regular artillery and two regi-
ments of regular cavalry. We were very near the scene of
action all clay Monday, being separated from it by a strip of
woods so dense as to prevent our seeing anything of the conflict.
The firing all day was very severe, and once in awhile we had
a few shells thrown toward us, but they did no damage. We
have had a complete victory, as the forts of the enemy, eleven in
number, are all ours, and many prisoners, the exact number I do
not know.
I will give you a little account of our movements since Satur-
day morning last: On that day we moved our camp nearer to
the rebel works, and all Saturday night the firing on our imme-
diate right was very heavy, and we expected every moment to
be called to arms to repel the expected attack or sortie of the
enemy. At daybreak, we were called out, and stood under arms
for half an hour, were then dismissed, and breakfasted. At seven
a. m. came an order to be ready to move immediately, to cross the
148 COL. JOHN WILSON.
dam and take possession of the enemy's fort, directly in front of
our division, as the enemy were reported to have evacuated York-
town and the entire line of fortifications, from the York to the
James river. We at once were ready, and drew no extra rations
from our commissary, thinking we would but cross the dam and
occupy the enemy's forts, or move but a short distance in advance
of them, and he assuring us we could draw our rations there as
well as in camp. We found the whole of the enemy's works
deserted, and our only wonder was, as we filed through their
works, that they evacuated them as they did, as they appeared
almost invulnerable. We marched on, after we had passed this
line of forts, very quickly, and found, as we went along, camp
after camp deserted and the tents left, in the haste of the rebels
to escape. At about four p. m., Sunday, we joined Hooker's
Division, which had marched oil" from Yorktown, and were the
advance of Heintzelman's Corps, and found that the First U. S.
Cavalry, and their batteries of artillery, had had an engagement
with the enemy some distance in front, overtaking the rear guard
of the rebels in their retreat. They appeared to have had a
severe time of it, and judging from the wounded carried past in
ambulances, had been pretty well cut up. We expected an
engagement every moment, and at five p. M. were drawn up in
line of battle, on a place called " Whittaker's farm," a field
skirted by woods, containing some two hundred or three hun-
dred acres, and covered with a beautiful crop of wheat, a foot
high. We remained here till six p. m., when a charge through
the woods in front and towards the enemy's forts was ordered,
and with a tremendous shout we started forward. We were
halted, however, by Gen. Hancock, before we cleared the woods,
he not knowing the exact position of the enemy, and being too
good a General to risk our charging on any uncertainty. We
remained all night in the woods, lying on our arms, my company
being deployed in front of our regiment. It was anything but
agreeable, as I had no overcoat, no blanket to lie down on, noth-
ino- but my pants, vest and jacket. The night being chilly, I was
compelled to keep warm by pacing from tree to tree all night,
no fires being allowed, as we did not know how many yards we
COL. JOHN WILSON. 149
were from the enemy. At three A. M., Monday, it commenced to
rain, and before long we were all waked. At five a. m. we fell
back to the commencement of the woods, to build small fires
and warm ourselves. We remained in this position most of the
day, expecting every moment to be ordered forward, although
we had had nothing to eat, and it was raining hard all day; but
the order did not come, as we (the Federals) held our own admi-
rably, and defeated our adversary at every point. Our brigade
lost but four killed and fifteen wounded, as for as I can learn.
Sickles' Brigade, on our left, was badly cut up, and lost many,
killed and wounded. I took a walk yesterday morning all
through the woods and over the field, where the fioditino; was
the heaviest. I saw a great many of the rebels lying in the
woods, dead, (our own men who had fallen having been buried.)
and a sad sight it was, almost all the dead having been shot
through the breast or head. They have all been buried, and the
wounded all well cared for. I took a stroll through Williams-
burg, and found quite a number of white families still living in
the town, and any quantity of negroes, some of them very intel-
ligent. It seems that when their masters retreated, they (the
negroes) took to the woods, and returned as our army advanced*
The town is a pretty country one, and is some three miles or
more from the James river. It contains some very fine churches
and dwellings, and is by far the prettiest place I have seen in the
south. I found from the negroes that it must have had a popu-
lation of eight or ten thousand at one time, being a very old
town, and quite unique in appearance. The streets through
the town are in an awful condition. Wagons sink in to the
hubs, and drawing the heavy wagons, is very heavy work for the
mules and horses. Gen. McClellan had his head-quarters at a
large mansion in the town. I do not know how soon we shall
moA^e from this camp, and am in no anxiety about it, as we are
pleasantly encamped in a wood, on high ground, and near a
splendid cold spring of water. Indeed, it seems like another
country here, from the old camp before Yorktown, as the country
above that city is rolling and elevated, and the air pure and
healthy. One report is, that we shall follow up the enemy, who
150 COL. JOHN WILSON.
are said to have made a stand on the Chickahominy river; another,
that we shall go to Richmond, to be garrisoned there, after it is
taken; and still another, that Norfolk will be our destination. I
think the former the most probably true one; but am no way
concerned about our movements, as long as I keep well and our
men are in as good spirits as at present. It must be very
demoralizing to the rebels to be forced to fall back with defeat
from such strong works as those of Yorktown and Williams-
burg, especially after having employed six thousand negroes
for over six months on each of these lines of forts.
I should not be surprised if the report of Magruder's surren-
der would prove true in a few days, and if this happens, the Old
Dominion may be counted one of the Union. I forgot to tell you
that on our advance from the forts at Yorktown, we dug up
many shells and torpedoes, buried in the roads, and fixed so that
the least pressure upon the fuse would explode them, but they
were discovered too soon to do any damage; and all along our
march we had a squad of picked men precede us to examine the
roads we had to march over. Such an operation on the part of
the enemy is the best proof of their cowardice we could have,
and holds them up in their true light. I saw quite a number of
prisoners yesterday, whom we had taken at the last battle.
They were, with few exceptions, poor specimens of the creature,
man, and had all of them a downcast, sorrowful expression,
which, added to their variety of coarse clothes, gave them the
appearance of a lot of thieves or jail inhabitants. They are well
treated by our men, however, and will, no doubt, be thankful
that they have escaped to such merciful captors.
Your affectionate son, JOHN.
Camp No. 12, in the Field, near West Point, Va., ")
(said to be) 35 miles from richmond, \
May 11, 1862. Sunday afternoon. J
My Dear Sister — Your welcome letter of May 2d was received
by me this morning. I do not know when I may have a chance
to send a letter again, so as the mail closes this evening I send
this, written this afternoon. We have been making severe
COL. JOHN WILSON. 151
marches the last few clays, in hopes of overhauling the enemy; but
to-day, after having been " reveilled " at three and a half a. m., the
hour when we intended to march, and being all ready, by five
a. m., down came an order from Gen. Mac, who has his head-quar-
ters directly in our rear, countermanding the orders to move for-
ward to-day, and advising an observance of the Sabbath as strict
as possible. The men of all the regiments of our brigade and divi-
sion are overjoyed at resting to-day, and McClellan thus wins
the hearts of all the men by his kindness, and also the favor of
Heaven by his observance of its laws. With such a General, vic-
tory must be ours. Smith's Division, and especially Hancock's
Brigade, is a favorite with Gen. Mac, and has been ever since the
battle of Williamsburg, and he sticks close to us on the march.
You should see the army of the Potomac on this peninsula, under
his immediate command, if you would see soldiers] and if you
could only stand a few hours by some roadside, as the troops file
down it on the march, you could have some idea of "the soldier.' 11
We have frequent skirmishes with the enemy nearly every day,
as we are in hot pursuit of him to prevent him from fortifying
further this side of Richmond. Gen. McClellan anticipates
being there on Thursday, I believe, if all goes well. It may be
longer before we reach that devoted city, as the weather is very
warm and marching very fatiguing. Our troops stand it well,
having been pretty well inured to it, but the effect on new recruits
would be very " sensible." Gen. McClellan seems to be " wrapt
up " in his troops, and well may he be proud of them, and of
their victorious march. I have at last got a little contraband,
about twelve or thirteen years old. He is jet black, a good look-
ing little " dark," and answers to the name of " Garter." I will
bring him home, if I can, and he will stay with me. I wish I
had my box, as our fare is hard, very hard, and it is almost im-
possible to get anything but hard crackers, coffee and sugar; and
salt meat, seldom fresh, is served to us; but I do not complain
at all of our fare, as long as I keep well, and our arms are victo-
rious and old rebeldom overcome. I do not know how soon we
shall engage them in conflict again, but I trust Heaven may grant
us the victory in all our contests, and soon peace be restored to
152 COL. JOHN WILSON.
our beloved country. You should see the negroes here. We
meet any quantity of them, and each house on our journey is
decorated with a large white flag, whether the occupants are
white or black. We do not touch anything belonging to the
inhabitants on our march, but, of course, we return no slaves
coming to and with us, as we do not believe in slavery, and do
not intend to pollute the old flag with any more " negro slavery
protection." I have held many conversations with negroes about
their opinion of us and their former masters. I went over to
Williamsburg the other day, and through some of the log cabins
of the once slaves. I asked one very nice looking colored woman
what she thought of our soldiers in comparison with the rebel
troops. She said: " Your men look so very bold — don't hang-
down their heads as our soldiers do. Your troops frighted the
life out of our men; and then the good clothes — oh, my! they
look like soldiers." An old man, in another cabin, said of our
troops tiring, on the day of the battle of Williamsburg: " I notice
that when our men fire, your men don't fall; but when your men
fire, our men come down very fast." They all tell of the ridicu-
lous stories of their masters and "missus;" that the Yankees
would cut off their ears, sell them off north, burn them up, and
what not; but they find it is all lies, and they are in the best of
spirits, and rejoice beyond measure at our successful progress.
We are in the finest country I ever saw, but most too warm for
comfortable marching in the day time. Water is plentiful, and
woods are abundant, so we march a great deal of the time in the
shade. But I must close. My love to all, and many respects to
all my friends. I send your letter and mother's in the same en-
velope, as this is the first chance I have had to Avrite for a long
time. Write soon, and tell all to do so too.
Your affectionate brother, JOHN.
Camp near City Point, Va., )
on James River, July 4th, 1862. )
My Dear Sister Mary — Your letter reached me to-day, at four
p. m., and to-night, the night of the glorious Fourth, I sit down
on the top of my little mess chest, made out of a cracker box,
COL. JOHN WILSON. 153
to write an answer to you. It is now a week or more, since I had
an opportunity of handling a pen, and I have almost forgotten
how to write a letter. I have so much to write, concerning our
movements since last Saturday morning, that I do not know
where to commence. I will therefore begin with June 27th, last
Friday, a week ago to-day; the day before Porter's Division of
the army, in front of Richmond, had pressed the rebels severely
in the centre of our lines, and had gained on them a mile or
more, after severe fighting and considerable loss. All the bands
in our army, in front of Richmond, were playing our national
airs, all the evenino:. I did not sro to bed till one a. m. the next
evening; and the next morning early, 5 a. m., our entire regi-
ment went on picket. I had command of the right half (or wing)
of our picket line, of the Forty-third New York. Our picket
line was in close proximity to that of the rebels; so close, that
each could converse with the other, in one or two different
places. The part of which I had charge, ran through a wood;
the other half, of the Forty-third picket, was posted in a wheat
field, and were in full view of the rebel picket. The day was a
lovely, warm one, and I enjoyed the picket duty very much,
although I had heard that " shoulder straps" were the aim or
mark of the rebel riflemen, they having made an agreement with
our pickets, not to shoot each other, except officers. Our forces
had thrown up, during the night before, quite a fort (six hundred
men working all night upon it) near the picket line of the Second
Brigade, immediately on our left, and at an early hour in the
morning, this fort was the object of an attack by a rebel bat-
tery. One could plainly hear, from where we were lying on
picket, the artillery of the rebels, coining down towards their
picket line. They commenced with a full battery volley, six
pieces discharged at once, throwing shells; I should judge ten
or twelve pounders; and their first volley was answered by one
from our battery in said fort, and by a battery of thirty-two
pounders a short distance in the rear. This exercise was kept
up for about half an hour, when the artillery of the enemy with-
drew. All was quiet till three p. m., when the rebel sharpshoot-
ers endeavored to turn our right wing, of which I had command.
154 COL. JOHN WILSON.
Our support on that wing was immediately thrown forward on
the line, doubling it, and old secesh fell back repulsed. We
lost none, killed or wounded. Quite a large reserve was then
thrown to the rear of the line, and were greatly needed before
night fell. The part of our picket line, running through the
wheat field, was strengthened to six times its former strength.
So matters stood till seven p. m., when all of a sudden, just before
we should have been relieved, a volley along the entire picket
line of the rebels greeted us. Of course, the suddenness of the
thing surprised us somewhat, but our men stood to their posts,
to a man, and fired quick and surely, as you may well suppose.
It was a strange sight in the woods, where I was stationed. I
was on the picket line at the time, talking to one of my men
about being relieved, when, all along the line in front of us (it
seemed not more than ten yards oil'), a bright flashing greeted
my gaze, and bullets whistled close around us. My first excla-
mation was: "Everyman stand on his post, and give them all
you can!" I rushed down the line to the reserve, and hurried
it out on the line, and then the work commenced in good earnest.
In a few minutes we could not see three feet from us, on account
of the smoke. We kept up the firing until the enemy in front
of us were completely silenced, which did not happen till our
men had fired over fifty rounds each, of ammunition, and the
guns were so hot I could not lay my hand on them. I then gave
the order to my part of the line, to cease firing. It was kept up
for some time on our left, as there the rebels had advanced a
brigade or two, while we, on the right, were apparently opposed
by a picket line. Our side had an entire brigade opposed to
theirs, as soon as the firing commenced, in front of the fort, and
the enemy were repulsed with a loss of two hundred and eighty
killed and wounded (from an account furnished by a prisonei
taken two days afterwards); while we lost but twenty-eight,
killed and wounded, out of the Forty-third, and four or five
more in the brigade. There were two in my company — James
F. Hogan and Henry S. Long, both privates; the former wounded
in the stomach, the latter in the hand. Young Hogan died on
Sunday morning, June 29th, in the hospital at Fair Oaks, 01
COL. JOHN WILSON. 155
Savage's Station; I was unable to find out which. On account
of our quick movements, I had only time to see him once on
Saturday morning, at our regimental hospital, where I gave him
a few lemons, which he seemed to like very much. He told me
he could not live; he knew, he said, he would die. I endea-
vored to cheer him up, but in vain. A few minutes after, he
and the rest of the wounded were placed in ambulances, and
taken away to the hospital I have mentioned before. He was a
fine young man, and a good soldier, and I regret, exceedingly,
his loss to the company. But his time had come — and I trust
he was ready. You mention that your heart bled for the
wounded, carried up to the Albany barracks. Could you see
some of the wounded soldiers here, brought from a battle field,
you would sicken at the sight. After the battle of Fair Oaks,
some of the rebel wounded lay two days in the sun, on the field,
and in the woods, before being brought in. Many of their
wounds had commenced to mortify and deca} r . * * * I have
given you an idea of our picket skirmish on Friday night. We
were relieved at nine p. m., by the Vermont Brigade, and right
glad were we, to go home. I will, in my letter to Eliza, tell
about the retreat (or driving back, or retiring) of Porter, the
same day; and will close, with much love to all.
From your brother, JOHN.
Camp in the Field, near City Point, Va., ?
on James River, July 5lh, 1862. £
My Dear Sister Eliza — Your letter of June 23d came to hand
yesterday, while our regiment was lying out in the woods, watch-
ing for an attack from the enemy. It afforded me great pleasure
to read the two letters, from yourself and Mary. I am very
glad to hear of your efforts in behalf of the sick and wounded
soldiers at the Albany barracks. How much gratification it must
afford to them, to know that some one cares for them; and how
delightful to them must seem the fresh fragrance of flowers, and
the flavor of ripe strawberries. It must be a delightful task for
you to carry them such little delicacies; and rest assured, that I
am proud to know that I have sisters who can do such deeds of
156 COL. JOHN WILSON.
kindness to soldiers, voluntarily and without compensation. You
may rest assured, that any such deed of charity you at home do,
is fully appreciated by me; as much, almost, as though I was the
happy recipient myself. Be sure a Heavenly Father will reward
all such good deeds. My advice to all at home is, to do so, as
much as you possibly can, knowing that you have a brother who
is a soldier, and can appreciate such deeds when shown to the
sick and wounded.
I gave Mary quite an account of a picket skirmish, on the
evening of the 27th. Next morning (Saturday, June 28th), we
were called to form line of battle at three a. m., and after await-
ing an attack of the enemy, half an hour, retired to our tents.
At half past five, heavy firing on our left and front called us out
again. We stacked our arms on the color line, and broke ranks,
ready to fall in, to move camp. At 8 a. m. our hospital and bag-
gage train moved off, and proceeded in the direction of James
River. At ten a. m. the order came to fall in, and we moved to
our left, about one-fourth of a mile, and formed line of battle,
composed of our whole division, and laid down on our arms, and
awaited an attack from the enemy. Porter's Division, who were
on our right, had retired the day before, and had recrossed the
Chickahominy, followed by 75,000 or 100,000 rebels. All the
day before, we could hear the heavy cannonading across the
river, and two of our batteries, near our fort, were playing on
the rebels as they crossed, and created great havoc among
them. After we had left camp about an hour, the picket line
of our division was driven into the rifle pits, and we were
held there all day (the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania doing picket
duty that day), and the shells began to fall in our old camps
thick and fast around us. We lay there all day and all night,
waiting for the rebels to come out and charge on our old camps
and follow us up, as they would reasonably expect us to cross
the Chickahominy, as Porter had done, and follow straight to
the rear. We would then have given them an awful enfilade
fire, as we had battery after battery planted, ready to receive
them should they follow us. But they refused to do it, and at
three a. m., Sunday, we moved to the left, towards James river,
COL. JOHN WILSON. 157
and marched some six or seven miles to a place near Savage's
Station, on the railroad to Richmond. About three p. m. we
moved to the station (Savage's), and commenced to destroy the
property there. Vast quantities of hard bread, ammunition,
coffee, sugar, salt, rifles and muskets were smashed, and burned
in great heaps. I felt almost like crying when I saw the rifles
broken across large pieces of railroad iron, and the more so
when I remembered how long we had carried the old muskets,
and would have given almost anything to have had such arms.
At seven P. m., Sunday, the rebels came down, some 10,000
strong, by the railroad, and commenced an attack, which was
repulsed with an enormous loss on their side. They had but
one gun, mounted on a platform car, but it was charged on by
the Irish Brigade, and taken. Their troops were soaked with
" gunpowdered whiskey," and came up right to the mouths of
our cannon, and were mowed down by grape and cannister by
the score. At about nine a. m. they retired, completely repulsed,
and our forces began to march again towards the James.
We marched, I should judge, some seven miles, and halted at
one a. m., Monday, and laid on the side of the road, and fell asleep
as soon as we rested. It rained slightly during the night, and
at seven or eight a. m. we moved back to a wood, and formed
line of battle, and waited for the rebels to come up in pursuit,
which they did about twelve m., and opened with full battery on
one of our batteries. They did not dare to attack us with
infantry, but kept off at artillery range. This was kept up all
the afternoon as long as the daylight lasted, and near evening
some of the brigades of Sumner's Division made a charge on
them, and took some two hundred prosoners. The enemy lost,
last Sunday night, at Savage's Station, some four thousand killed
and wounded — our loss a mere trifle; on Monday they lost about
two thousand — we as many hundred. As soon as it was dark,
Monday night, we moved to concentrate our forces at the divi-
sion head-quarters, and at ten p. m. moved off towards the James
again, and marched some fifteen or twenty miles all night till
broad daylight, about four a. m., and lay down to rest on our arms;
slept till eight a. m., when we of the Forty-third went on picket,
158 COL. JOHN WILSON.
and remained all day by a beautiful mill pond, and at ten p. m.
were called in to join our brigade. We were on the side of the
road, watching the troops pass by. Regiment after regiment,
battery after battery, wagon after wagon, hurried on. I watched
them some two hours, and got so weary looking at them that I
fell asleep, and when I awoke, at four a. m., Wednesday, they
were still passing. So many troops, so many batteries, so many
wagons, I never saw at one time before in my life. We moved
off at six a. m., being the rear guard, and then the rain com-
menced to pour down. Before we had marched six miles (the
extent of our journey), City Point being that distance from us,
and on the James river, the mud was awful — full eighteen inches
deep. We trudged on, and at ten a. m. we encamped in a corn-
field near City Point landing, in mud full two feet deep. The
whole plain, for miles near the landing, was covered with troops,
but such looking ones — mud from their shoes to their knees, and
drenched with rain. We encamped here all night, and, at eight
a. m. next morning, moved back two miles from the river, and
encamped in an oat field, where we remained till this morning,
when we moved forward to a wood, in which place we are now
encamped. The marching from City Point, on Thursday morning,
those two miles, was the most severe I ever experienced. Mud
almost knee deep, small men having to be pulled out many
times; shoes drawn off, and buried out of sight. We got
through it safely, however, and spent our Fourth of July lying
in a place near the woods full of blackberries, in line of battle,
and at seven p. m. returned to camp. But I must close. I will
give mother an account of some of the incidents by the way, in
answer to her letter I received to-day. Much love to all.
From your brother, JOHN.
All the flowers I send to you and Mary to-day, are from the
picket line, in front of Richmond, five miles from the city.
Camp neae Beekley Landing,
James Rivee, Va., July 7, 1862.
Dear Kate — Your welcome letter reached me, together with
Anna's, yesterday morning. As I have informed Eliza and
COL. JOHN WILSON. 159
Mary, in my last letters to them, we have just undergone the
most severe duty and fatiguing marches the army of the Potomac
has yet experienced. We had a week of it, and during the most
of it we were either on the march or on the "qui vive" for the
enemy. Of course, we obtained but little sleep, and that but an
hour or two at a time. I stood it well, never falling out from
my company, but doing all in my power to encourage the men
to do their duty and keep up with the marching columns. I
think the excitement did more than anything else to keep me up
to my duty, for now, when we have arrived at a "stand still" I
do not feel so well as I did on the march, but am by no means
sick. I am doing my regular camp and picket duty. I am sorry
to hear of mother's sickness, and hope that by this time she
may have entirely recovered from her indisposition. We are
having very fine weather for the month of July, the days being
very warm and the sun powerful, but the nights cool and accom-
panied by a heavy dew. Moonlight nights are prevalent now,
and it is a magnificent sight to stand on an eminence, near a new
fort just built by our troops, and look on the camps, as still as
death (at twelve o'clock at night), except when the tread of a
neighboring sentinel on his beat, or the whippowill on some oak
or pine tree, breaks the silence. Only think of over fifty thou-
sand men lying encamped in a vast plain, to be seen, at a few
glances, in different directions. I do not know how far the rebels
are from us; we see or hear nothing of them at present.
We have been moving our camp every day since we reached
the James river, and are now about two miles from it. We may
have to stay here some time, and we may move on to Richmond,
up the James, under cover of our gunboats, and clear the place
out. I am ready for anything, move or rest, it makes no differ-
ence. Our troops of the army of the Potomac have implicit con-
fidence in McClellan, and all seem satisfied that his movement
to the left, has been the salvation of his army. Many rumors
concerning him are current here, but I presume they are all
unfounded, some to the effect that McClellan and Stanton will
both be superseded — Halleck to be placed in command of the
army, Scott to be made Secretary of War, &c, &c. They had
COL. JOHN WILSON.
better reinforce McClellan sufficiently, and then let him try it
again. He is by no means beaten, but has made a movement to
the left and towards the James, in order to save his army, the
only course he could pursue; besides, we have whipped the
enemy at every battle, and killed and wounded two of them for
one of us. I am glad to hear of the comfortable quarters pro-
vided for the sick and wounded at Albany. It must be pleasant
at the Albany Barracks Hospital for the soldiers taken there. *
I am right glad mother " does as she does,"
sending the soldiers delicacies, and I can somewhat appreciate
the feeling such gifts must inspire in the bosoms of the recipients
of them. It is gratifying to us here in active service to know
that our comrades are so well cared for in their time of trouble,
ani I can assure you that it is a great incentive to us to renewed
exertions in the field. Those who remember the sick and
wounded soldier, and administer consolation and comfort to him
in his distress, must feel that they are doing their duty and serv-
ing their country full as much as those who face the foe in the
grim battle, amid screeching shells and whistling bullets; and so
surely as the God of Nations exists, so surely must a blessing
from Him be the reward of their labors of love. I was much
shocked to hear of Melville Marble's death, but all must die,
and an early death saves one from much toil and anguish. Was
he prepared? If so, all is well. I sympathize deeply with his
family, but many family circles mourn the loss of some who have
fallen within one short week; and some, the only one that that
circle contained. Who can tell the mourning that the contest
which has continued since the 27th of June has occasioned.
Forty-five thousand reported to have been killed and wounded;
fifteen thousand of that number accredited to the Federals.
I might tell you of awful sights I have witnessed; of human forms
mangled in every conceivable manner; of straggling soldiers shot
dead by the dragoons in our forced march, because they would
not join their regiments; of the marches by day, and the inarches
by night; of the destruction of arms and equipments for which
we could not provide transportation, although our train of army
wagons was over twenty miles long; but you would sicken at the
COL. JOHN WILSON. 161
recital of them, and they being now over and gone, the memory
and recital of them would do no good. Our regiment, although
under hot tire, has been very fortunate, having lost but forty-one
in killed, wounded and missing. I myself have escaped any
injury whatever, and trust I may come safely through all the
contests yet to be endured. My trust is on high, and faithfulness
to my duty is my firm intention, leaving consequences with
Him who "notes even a sparrow's fall." I send my love to all.
Good bye. From your brother, JOHN.
From the following letters we gather the events of interest
that occurred during August and September, 1862.
Camp near Hampton, Va., August 21, 1862.
Dear Mary — I received your letter of the 13th, an hour or
two ago, for which I am much obliged. I write to you this
evening more to let you all at home know that I am well and
alive, and that our Army of the Potomac has arrived safely
here, without any attack by the enemy. I will give you a little
account of the movements of our division from the commence-
ment of our movement.
We started the 16th of this month, Saturday afternoon, at four
o'clock. We brought up the rear of the whole army, the Sixth
Maine and Ayres' Battery being the last infantry and artillery
to leave the encampment. We marched that night as far as
Charles City Court-House. I can not tell how many miles it is
from Harrison's Landing or Berkely to the Court-House. You
might take a map and examine our course from Harrison's Land-
ing to the camp here. We encamped at ten that evening, and the
next morning at six Ave moved off, and encamped at three p. m.,
Sunday, after crossing the Chickahominy river, near its intersec-
tion with the James, on a very fine pontoon bridge, which had
been put together in nine hours, and was as firm and solid as a
floor. We encamped on the banks of the Chickahominy, and
started at six and a half a. m., Monday. We marched to Wil-
liamsburg, and through it, encamping at two p. m. three miles
from it. At six and a half a. m., Tuesday, we started again, and
11
162 COL. JOHN WILSON.
marched past Yorktown, and encamped two miles below it, on
the York river, at one p. m. Started at five and a half a. m.,
Wednesday, and marched to Great Bethel, and encamped at
eleven and a half a. m. near the battle ground of Bethel.
Started at four and a half a. m., Thursday (to-day), and reached
this camp at nine and a half a. m. We expect to be encamped
here a clay or two, and then proceed by transport to — I don't
know where. During our entire journey from Harrison's Land-
ing to this place we have had splendid weather, the sun being
rather too powerful sometimes, and the dust on some roads being
almost stifling. We got along very well, however, and have
arrived here safe and sound. * * * * I received Kate's
letter, and will answer it as soon as I get a chance. I do not
know when this letter will go off, but I hope either to-night or
to-morrow morning. My love to all.
From your brother, JOHN.
On board Steamship "Arago," )
August 23, 1862. $
Dear Mother — I write to you a few lines to-day, though I do
not know when the mail goes out, to let you know something
of our whereabouts and destination. We embarked yesterday,
at one and a half p. m., on board this steamer, (belonging to the
Havre line,) at Fortress Monroe, having started from camp at
Hampton at ten and a half a. m. Immediately on our reach-
ing the Fortress, after a- fine march, there being no dust, as a
gentle rain, of two hours' duration, had completely laid it, we
were taken on board of a small steamer and conveyed to the
"Arago," lying at anchor in the Roads. The Fifth Wisconsin
and the Forty-third New York were both taken on board the
same vessel, and by dark we had all our stores and baggage
with us, they having been all brought out to this vessel by
small steamers. We lay at anchor till this morning, and at day-
light proceeded on our voyage. We are now, three p. m., going
up the Potomac, our destination being, as the Captain of the
vessel informed me, "Aquia Creek." I do not know yet whether
we shall go into camp there, or be sent on to reinforce Pope's
COL. JOHN WILSON. 163
army at once on our disembarkation. I am very well indeed,
and enjoy this trip very much, as the accommodations are rery
£ ne * # # * j am g ^jj j n command of the regiment (Lieut.
Col. Baker not having joined the regiment yet, and Col. Vin-
ton being absent on a sick leave), and have a good deal of
anxiety and care on my mind at this time of marching and trans-
porting troops. I will write again as soon as we get encamped,
and let you know where we are. My love to all at home.
Your loving son, JOHN.
Camp California, near Alexandria, Va.
August 29, 1862.
Dear Eliza — Your letter reached me yesterday, and was
perused with much pleasure. We are encamped, pro tern., near
Alexandria, on the road, or rather in a line field situated on the
road, leading to Fairfax. We encamped here on Sunday night
last, or rather Monday morning. All our Army of the Potomac
except Keyes' Corps, which was left to garrison and guard
Yorktown, have arrived here, and lie encamped between here
and Fairfax. Rumor says Gen. Pope has fallen back and is in
full retreat before the rebels, but I can not vouch for the truth
of it. The rebels made a raid on Tuesday or Wednesday of this
week, on our forces guarding the railroad near Manassas, and
stragglers and runaways from the army there, say that our forces
were terribly cut up, and beaten badly. The Eleventh New York
Battery, (the Havelock's, Capt. Von Putkammer,) are reported
to have been badly handled by the enemy, and to have lost
almost all, if not every one of their guns, and many belonging
to the battery are reported missing, either killed or prisoners.
Very unfortunate affair for so promising a company of soldiers.
It may be untrue, or a greatly exaggerated
report of the affair, but I fear it may be too true. One regi-
ment of cavalry, the Twelfth Pennsylvania, broke, and then run,
many of them never halting till they were arrested by our
pickets on the road near our camp. I saw and conversed with
many of these latter, and a more frightened and distracted set of
men I never saw. No two of them told the same story, but all
164 COL. JOHN WILSON.
of them agreed our forces were badly cut up. We asked one of
them: " Where are your wounded, if your regiment was so
badly cut up?" He replied: "Our officers commanded us to
retreat," and it seems they ivere retreating, and would have
retreated to Alexandria, if they had not been stopped by our
guards. Somebody is to blame for the disgraceful affair, and
Gen. McClellan will cause the matter to be sifted to the bot-
tom, as the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry were all taken by our
guards to his head-quarters. We received orders last evening
to hold ourselves in readiness to march at a moment's notice.
We may move to-day. I do not know where we go to. I will
write home as soon as we become settled in our camp again, in
case we move to-day or to-morrow. * * * *
From your brother, JOHN.
Camp near Fort Worth, Va., Sept. 3d, 1862.
Dear Mary — Our regiment and division are encamped once
more. This time we are encamped on a tine, level plateau, on
top of a hill, adjoining Fort Worth, about two and a half miles
from Alexandria. I have not written home for some time, and
for good reasons: First, I had no paper with me, no ink, no pen;
second, no mail has been sent off from our division since Thurs-
day last. I send a letter to Eliza, to-day, written last Thursday
evenino-. I have carried it in my pocket since that time, and it
has been almost to " Bull Run" since then. Our division moved
last Friday morning, at six o'clock, and marched some five or six
miles that day, formed line of battle, and encamped behind our
stacks of arms. Started on Saturday morning, at a quarter past
eight o'clock. We marched very rapidly that day, having no
baggage along to impede us; our only baggage being one blanket
to a man, and an overcoat, if any had one. Passed through
Fairfax at twelve M.; through Centreville, and to within half
a mile of Bull Run. The battle had been raging fiercely to
our left, on the other side of Bull Run, but by the time we got
to within that distance of it, night came on, and we were ordered
back, to occupy the fortifications at Centreville. We arrived at
half past ten p. m., having been on the march from a quarter to
COL. JOHN WILSON. 165
eight till that time. We were ordered into a large rifle pit, and
were ready for an attack from the enemy, at any moment. Our
troops were very tired indeed, and the disappointment of the
men, in marching back to Centreville, some six miles, caused
more fatigue than marching twelve miles forward would have
done. I laid down at one end of the fortification, in my overcoat,
and, sharing my blanket with another officer, went to sleep at
once — and was wakened up at four a. m., by the rain running
down my neck. It rained very hard all Sunday morning, and
we lay in the rifle pit, in mud and rain, waiting to see if old
"Reb." would attack us. But no attack. We were moved out
at twelve, to another position, and lay encamped there all night.
We remained here all Monday, till half past nine p. m., when we
moved toward Fairfax, and encamped at half past one a. m., Tues-
day, having marched four hours through the darkness and mud;
the latter rendered very deep by a tremendously heavy thunder
shower in the afternoon. We encamped near Fairfax, the men
lying down by their arms, and their clothes being covered with
mud up to their knees, and their feet muddy and wet, they slept
till 8 a. m. It was a very cold morning, and I shivered when I
got off from the wet ground, in spite of the sun's bright rays.
We moved from Fairfax at half past two p. m., Tuesday, having
been in the line of battle in the woods, all day, expecting an
attack from the enemy's cavalry. We then marched towards
Alexandria, and reached our old camp, California, at ten p. m.,
having marched some fifteen miles from two and a half to ten
p. m. This we call pretty smart marching. Our men were pretty
well tired out, and had had nothing to eat all day, except some
green corn which they got in the corn fields as they came
along. Our rations awaited us in camp, and I got my supper at
half past eleven, and then went to bed, or to my blanket, rather,
but not to sleep a great deal; for just as I was in a good sleep,
some orderly from "head-quarters" came to my tent, and woke
me up, with some order. We moved to this present camp at seven
a. m., and are now once more at rest; for how long a time I
know not. It may be till Stonewall Jackson endeavors to take
Washington.
166 COL. JOIIN WILSON.
I send you a little blue flower I got from one of the forts at Ceri-
trevillc. Flowers are rather scarce " in these parts," but I will try
and send you some more. I could send you some splendid
bunches of the trumpet flower, but they are too large. That
was a beautiful little flower you sent me; it is preserved finely.
Much obliged for it. Don't forget the plums when the box is
sent. How I would like some of those Imperials or McLaugh-
lins or Green Gages to eat fresh. I have seen no plums here,
but the Damson and the Horse plums. But I must close my
letter. * * * My love to all, and regards to all my friends.
I am still in command of the Forty-third.
Your brother, JOHN.
Camp near Sharrsburg, Md., Sept. 20, 1862.
Dear Anna — I take the first opportunity I have had of answer-
ing your letter of September 4th, which I received on the 7th
instant, during our bivouaek at Rockville, Md. We have been
on the march continually since the evening of the 6th, and I have
had no chance cither to write home, or to get any material to do
so. All my baggage (a small valise) is in the wagons, and I
could not get pen, ink or paper for love or money, and there
was no opportunity of sending a letter when written. We have
been on the march now tw r o weeks this evening, and all the bed
or covering I have had during this time has been my overcoat
and rubber coat, which I carry strapped on the back of my sad-
dle. The weather has been very favorable to our movements (a
rain once in a while incommoding us but very little), and I have
suffered but little inconvenience from sleeping on the ground. I
do not know when this letter will go to the post-office, as we
send out no regular mail yet. I write to you now, having bor-
rowed this one-half sheet of foolscap, to dispel any fears you
might have for my safety. We have had a very severe, if not
the most severe battle of the war. It has continued five or six
days, and the dead and wounded, on either side, are counted by
thousands. The loss of the rebels on the last day of the battle
Wednesday, was fearful in the extreme; and the battle field on
Friday morning, after the rebels had left and no damage could
COL. JOHN WILSON. 167
be clone by their sharpshooters, to persons going out on it, pre-
sented an awful appearance, the dead being in some places near
fences, and clumps of trees and rocks, piled up in heaps. The
smell arising from the field, or rather fields, was almost stifling,
many of the dead lying unlmried three or four days under a hot
sun. This has been the first time I have had a good opportunity
of visiting a battle field in every part, and of examining all the
different positions held and taken during the engagement.
The battle field of this last action comprised a large extent of
ground, our line of battle running a distance of four or five miles,
and along its entire length the dead and wounded were gathered.
If I had time now, and the paper, I would give you a detailed
account of the movements of our division and corps, since Satur-
day evening the 6th instant, (on which evening Ave marched from
Alexandria to our camp near Tenallytown,) and of our march to
this time, where we are encamped within one-quarter of a mile of
the Potomac, on the Maryland side of the river. We have driven
the rebels out of Maryland completely, compelling them to leave
their dead and wounded on the soil of this State uncared for by
them. Their rear guard crossed the river yesterday, and last
evening, at five o'clock, we reached our present camp.
I am very well, having never enjoyed better health than at pre-
sent, although I do not feel as clean and comfortable as I would
with a good change of clothing. We may folio w up the rebel army
in Virginia, or lie still for a while. We are prepared for either,
although a little rest for a few days would be very acceptable.
My love to all at home. Your brother, JOHN.
Camp No. 47, in the Field, Near Sharpsburg, Md.,
Septevnher 20, 1862.
Dear Eliza — I received your letter of the 9th instant last
Thursday, while the regiment, of which I have the temporary
command, was lying on the field of our last battle, in support of
the First N. Y. Artillery. It seemed strange to receive and
peruse a letter from home amid such scenes of carnage and
death. Just think of reading a letter, written in peaceful Albany,
where all is quiet and undisturbed, here on the battle field the
168 COL. JOHN WILSON.
day after an action of the most severe nature, and with here and
there a dead man lying before you, and your whole regiment
lying on the ground in line of battle, bayonets fixed and pieces
loaded, and fingers on the trigger, ready to draw at a moment's
notice; eyes steadily fixed to the front, and eager to discern any
advance of the enemy; and on either flank of the regiment a bat-
tery of six pieces, and their accompaniments — caissons, limbers and
ammunition wagons; men standing ready at the loaded cannon,
ready to throw a shower of iron balls or screeching shells at
the enemy on his first appearance in force, and you may have
some idea of the scene of last Thursday morning. I would give
you a lengthy account of all our movements since we left, two
weeks ago to-night, and marched through Washington to Mary-
land, and from there to the battle field, but I must reserve that
for some future letter, and content myself with a few lines. I
wrote a letter to Anna this afternoon, and sent it off this eve-
ning. While I am writing these words, our mail has come in,
and a letter from Mary for me. I am glad mother is getting
better, and trust and pray her health ma}- be completely restored.
* * * * I still ride Lieutenant Colonel's gray horse. He
has not yet returned to his regiment, but will shortly return, as
he has over four hundred men for the regiment, and has orders
from the War Department to return when he has five hundred
recruits. I have been in command of the Forty-third since the
3d of August, and have quite an experience as a commanding offi-
cer. Gen. Hancock has been temporarily detailed to command
Gen. Richardson's Division, he having been wounded, and unable
to command. Col. Cobb, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteers, assumes
command of the brigade pro tern. We have completely driven
the rebels from " my Maryland," and we are under orders to
move at two a. m. to-morrow, so I must close and retire to my
blanket. My love to all at home, and my regards to all my
friends. I send you a letter from the battle field in lieu of a
flower, which I have not been able to find, for you. JOHN.
The following letters will be read with interest, as illustrating
Col. Wilson's confidence in the final triumph of our arms; his
COL. JOHN WILSON. 169
personal bravery on the field; his benevolence and his lofty
patriotism in resisting the temptations to resign and return to
tne peace and comforts of his happy home:
Camp near Belle Plain, December 9, 1862.
Dear Kate — I have just received 3-0111- letter of the 1st and
Eliza's of the 2d instant. As we are under orders to move at a
moment's notice to-morrow, I will write you a few lines to-day,
as I may not have an opportunity to do so again for some days;
for in case of a move we cannot depend upon the mails being
regular. We spent Thanksgiving in camp, without a turkey, as
we were unable to procure any; but we had a Thanksgiving pre-
sent in the shape of a chaplain for the Forty-third, the Rev. Mr.
Osborn, lately of West Troy, who gives promise of being a useful
and energetic chaplain. I sincerely trust he may do much good
to the regiment. We moved from our camp, near Aquia, on
Thursday last, and encamped near Brooks' Station, on the rail-
road from Aquia creek to Fredericksburg. It snowed hard all
day Friday while we lay there, the snow melting fast, and at
night when it ceased, there were but two or three inches of it
on the ground. It froze a little that night, and on Saturday we
moved to our present camp, the road being very muddy, the day
cheerless and cold. Our wagons could not reach us that night,
so we bivouacked, without blankets, by a good fire. The night
was very cold, the ground freezing very hard, and on Sunday, at
twelve m., our wagon train reached us with tents and food. The
weather since has been very cold, the ground remaining frozen
solid, and the roads firm, and though rough, in good condition
for teaming. Winter campaigning, if this be a sample, is not
very pleasant or comfortable work; but if we can overcome
the rebellion by a vigorous campaign this winter, I for one am
willing to undergo any hardship consequent thereto; but I have
not much faith in a campaign iu the winter, as it has seldom or
ever proved successful. If we once get into winter quarters, I
will try to get a furlough, but I begin to fear my being able to
procure one by Christmas.
The President's Message meets my hearty approbation; the
170 COL. JOHN WILSON.
proposed "compensated emancipation" especially. I trust it
will meet with the earnest support of every lover of our Union
and of humanity. Should it be adopted, the war, I think, would
be materially shortened, and final peace be hastened. I think
the doom of slavery approaches, and the end of the war will be
the end of its reign.
I cannot but believe that this Republic will pass through its
present trials unscathed; and although darkness spreads over it,
and every thing looks dreary, yet the sun of freedom and peace
will soon arise, and the day of prosperity appear brighter in
contrast with the late obscurity. God only knows the suffering
and hardships of the soldier, and how welcome would be the
tidings that peace was once more restored. Till that good news
goes forth, let each stand firm, and the right must be the might.
My love to all at home. Write soon to
Your loving brother, JOIENT.
Camp near Rappahannock, Dec. ldt/i, 18G2.
Dear Eliza — I have at last an opportunity of answering your
letter of Dec. 2d. Our tents came last evening, and I am once
more permitted to handle a pen, and to write home. I embraced
the first opportunity to write a note in pencil, to Mother, to re-
move any fears or rumors which might have existed as regards
my own personal safety. I have myself, as well as all the offi-
cers of the Forty-third, escaped unscathed. The regiment had
eleven men wounded, of which but two will prove very serious;
one causing the amputation of the leg, above the knee; the other
I cannot tell about, as the man was removed to the Corps hos-
pital, and I have heard nothing since from him. He was shot
by a bullet, which entered the back of the neck just below the
skull; he was carried off from the field insensible. You will, no
doubt, learn all the particulars of the engagement from the news-
papers much more fully than I could give them to you.
We crossed the river, Friday morning, and lay in line of battle
till Saturday morning, when the engagement commenced in right
earnest. We laid in different parts of the field till Monday eve-
ning, when the whole army was safely moved back across the
COL. JOHN WILSON. 171
river, without the loss of a man. Night before last was a very
cold one, and as we had no tents, we suffered some from the
cold. We have been without our tents just one week, having
only our blankets and overcoats to cover us. But the weather
proved uncommonly favorable, and we have all become rather
tough; so we do not complain at all of anything we have to
suffer; our only murmurings and complaints being against the
misfortune which seems to attend our arms.
The carnage attending this last battle was perfectly awful.
Hancock's Division went into the tight with five thousand men;
came out eighteen hundred strong, losing, in killed and wounded,
three thousand two hundred men, thirty-two officers killed, and one
hundred and fifty officers wounded. I have this account from an
aid of the General, who had his horse shot from under him.
Our division not being actually engaged with the infantry of the
enemy, suffered very slightly. We had to endure a very hot fire
from the batteries of the enemy, however, and not a man flinched
from his post. The discipline of the army, at least as far as I
know of it, is all that could be expected; our recrossing the river
in the time and maimer we did, could only be done by well dis-
ciplined troops.
I do not know what will be done by the army next, but think
it must go into winter quarters — for a short time at least. Col.
Baker is still absent from the regiment, and I have been in com-
mand of it for five weeks to-day. I sometimes think he intends
to give me command altogether of the Forty-third, as he has not
written a single letter to any officer since he returned the last
time. If he does not come back to the regiment soon, I shall
give up all hopes of getting a furlough, as the time for it will be
in a few days, or not at all this winter. I could not think of
asking for one, if I was in command of the regiment — as it would
demand my whole attention.
You ask about my horse. He is a large fellow, six years old,
iron gray, and can travel very fast. He was the best looking
horse I could get from the corral; and although very lean when
I got him, he promised to make a fine horse. He is improving
some at present, although he has had a pretty hard time of it
172 COL. JOHN WILSON.
standing out these cold nights. The army, in a winter campaign,
is a very hard place for horses, and many die of exposure and
lack of feed and attention. * * *
Our new Chaplain, Rev. Mr. Osboen, hag proved himself quite
a hero — accompanying the regiment on the field, and going
through the shelling quite courageously. He proved of great
assistance in the Corps hospital, acting as recorder of all the
wounded brought into one of the departments of it, and he has
been detailed to go to Washington in charge of a number (ninety)
of wounded, thus saving the services of one or more surgeons.
He left on Thursday afternoon with his charge, and has not yet
returned. He is a worker, and one of the few men I think pecu-
liarly adapted to the service. I have great expectations of the
good he will do in his labors in the army, and think him just the
man we have been looking and waiting for, for so long a time.
Give my regards to all my friends, and wish
them all for me, as I wish all at home, " A Merry Christmas and
a Happy New Year."
Your loving brother, JOHN.
Canp near Belle Plain, Va., Dec. 20, 1862.
Dear Anna — To-day is Saturday, and a terribly cold blowing
one; it froze very hard last evening, and was a severe night on
horses and men. I have not been able to get a stove for my tent
yet, and it is as cold as charity in it, in spite of a huge fire in
front of it. I am now sitting in the Adjutant's tent writing to
you. He managed to get a little stove, and his tent is the only
comfortable one in camp. We moved to this camp yesterday;
it was a fine short march of some four miles length. We are
encamped very near our former camp near Belle Plain. We
have a fine camp ground, a very good supply of oak wood stand-
ing near camp, and awaiting the soldier's axe. I am still in com-
mand of the regiment — Col. Baker being absent either at Albany
or New York. I do not know when he will return, but expect
him every day.
The whole Army of the Potomac, under General Burnside,
has fallen back from the Rappahannock, and lies encamped in
COL. JOHN WILSON. 173
the vicinity of Belle Plain. Our future course of action is as
yet uncertain. We shall probably lie here for three or four
weeks, and then I should not be surprised if it would be " on to
Richmond" again via James river. I think everything will
depend on the movements of the enemy, and the course pursued
by Congress this and the next month. Yet I hardly think we
shall lie idle longer than one month. If Col. Baker were pre-
sent with the regiment, I should at once forward an application
for leave of absence; but until his return I do not feel at liberty
to do it, even were I certain that it would be granted. I begin
to fear the possibility of my getting a leave this winter, as I do
not hear of any being granted at present.
I am glad that the citizens of Albany are alive to their duty
in assisting sick and wounded soldiers. The last battle will fear-
fully swell the list, and too great efforts cannot be put forth for
their assistance. If I could only get my pay, I would send
mother my mite to use for charitable purposes; but, you know,
we have received no pay from the United States since July, and
very soon there will be six months' pay due us. I suppose sixty
or seventy dollars could be expended very easily in charity if I
should send it home, which I will do as soon as I am paid.
We had twelve men wounded in the Forty-third on the 13th
and 14th inst. We were under a very hot fire of shot and shell
on both of those days, and it is a miracle that one-half of the
regiment were not wounded. This brigade is the most fortunate
one, I think, in the whole army, as we have never met with severe
loss, although our positions have always been among the most
exposed. I can only account for it in the superior generalship
displayed by its commander. Our division (Smith's old one), at
present under command of General Howe, has the name of being-
one of the best fighting divisions in the Army of the Potomac.
At the last battle our picket line, composed of two Vermont
regiments, the Second and Fourth, held in check and fought for
over half an hour the combined picket and line of battle of the
cnenry opposed to us. They fought like lions, and many of them
fell dead and wounded. They are no more than a sample of the
regiments composing the division.
174 COL. JOHN WILSON.
But I must finish my letter by wishing you all at home, and
all my friends, a " Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," as
I hope this will reach you in time for the first of these holidays.
My love to all at home. How much I desire to be with you on
Christmas or New Year; but here is my place.
Your ever loving* brother. JOHN.
Camp near Belle Plain, Va., Dec. 23, 1862.
Dear Kate — I write you a few lines to-day, more especially
to let you know that I am well, than to give you any news.
Nothing of importance has transpired for the past few days; the
army, as far as I can ascertain, remaining " i 'n statu quo." The
weather has again moderated, and to-day is as balmy as May. I
think a storm is not far off, as it rained for a few minutes last
night. The roads are again quite soft, as the frost is coming out,
which had entered the ground some two or three inches. The
transportation of army supplies by wagons is not, however, much
hindered as yet by the mud, but in case of a heavy rain it would
be very heavy work.
Rumors are current that the Army of the Potomac will not
be allowed to go into any permanent winter quarters, but that
in the course of a few days this part of it, in the vicinity
of Fredericksburg, will be moved by transports to the James
river, and thence to the vicinity of Harrison's Landing or Peters-
burg, via the Appomattox. I should not be surprised in the
least if these rumors should prove true, and that New Year's day
would find me on the James, or in the vicinity of the devoted city
of Richmond.
Rumors are also current that the entire Cabinet, except Stan-
ton and Halleck, have resigned. This I hardly credit, as I
think Secretary Seward would hardly desert the President now,
in the time of his need. I think the upshot of the whole affiiir
will be that " Little Mac" will be called to take command of the
entire army of the United States, which I do not doubt he would
do if it were offered to him, as I think he would do anything in
his power to conquer the rebellion, and win for our arms the
long looked for success and victory.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 175
Although things look gloomy and dispiriting enough just now,
jet I think that He who presides over the destinies of nations,
has not yet forgotten us as a Nation, and although through much
tribulation, we shall yet enter into a state of perfect peace (as
far as peace on earth can be); and that in due time some one
will be raised up who will lead us on to victory, and right and
justice assert its authority over oppression and wickedness.
Although the night still grows blacker and blacker, and not a
C 1 o o
star, even, seems to illuminate our political horizon, yet I am
led to hope that the watchman may soon have to say, " the morn-
ing dawneth."
In all our depressions, in all our reverses, when our enemies
seem to triumph over us, and destiny seems to frown upon us,
then we have one refuge to which we can always flee; to Him
who is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.
I myself, although it seems like hoping against hope, can still
say with the old Roman: " Never despair of the Republic." I
cannot believe that such a great country as this, such a govern-
ment, such a Nation, will be permitted to be torn asunder and
totally disabled; to be wrecked, and thrown to the winds; to be
made the object of mockery of the whole world. I still think
that our continued troubles and afflictions are all ordered by the
hand of God, and if we will but acknowledge His hand, and bow
before His sovereign will, all will be well; and out of the great
darkness He will command the light to shine ten-fold brighter
than in the days gone by.
For my part, I can only pray that I may do my duty, and that
each of those in authority may do theirs; and that the hand of
the Almighty may guide and direct our government, that all
things may be done to the honor and glory of God, and that we,
as a people, may be brought to say: "Not unto us, not unto us,
but to Thy name be the praise and glory."
Then, I think, we shall be victorious, and then we shall see peace
and prosperity once more smiling upon us as of old, and we be
that happy people whose God is the Lord. That this time may
soon come, should be the prayer of all those whose country's
cause is dear to their hearts; and for this hope alone, I remain
176 COL. JOHN WILSON.
still in the army of the Union, endeavoring to do all in my power
to attain the grand object, viz: to crush the rebellion. I con-
fess I did feel somewhat inclined to offer my resignation when I
fully understood the condition of affairs after the late battle at
Fredericksburg, but upon thinking the matter over, I concluded
that at this time, above all others, did it become me to remain at
my post, especially as the Colonel of the regiment is, and has
been, absent from the regiment upwards of a month, and the
command has devolved upon me, which duty I have endeavored
to perform to the best of my ability. I trust I have done right
in remaining, and that when the war is over, I may look back
and say with satisfaction, that "I have done my duty." Happy
New Year to all at home, and much love to mother and all my
sisters. From your loving brother,
JOHN.
Camp near Belle Plain, Va., )
Dec. 2Uh, 1862. \
Dear Mother — I was exceedingly happy to receive a letter
from you day before yesterday. * * *
I do not know but what 3^011 are about right, in relation to my
resigning my position in the army, and coming home. I have
thought the matter over and over again, and am still considering
in my mind, whether I could, or not, honorably resign, and come
home; but the more I ponder over it, the more I am convinced
that my duty demands my remaining where I am. "Where is
your patriotism, of which you felt so proud?" seems a voice
within me to ask. " Where is your firmness, your devotedness
to the Republic, and its welfare; your love of justice and of free-
dom?" "Where your veneration for that old Flag, which, in
days gone by, floated from every mast-head and from every
house-top, from Maine to California?" "What excuse can you
give for deserting the standard under which you have willingly
enrolled yourself, now in the time of its greatest need?" " Of
what benefit to your country have you been, if, after having but
just learned to be of use to her, in a military point of view, you
throw all your knowledge to the winds by a hasty resignation?"
COL. JOHN WILSON. 177
"Have you become so demoralized, that you fear to longer en-
dure the privations and hardships incident to an active campaign,
and rather desire to return to your home, to the more agreeable
duties of civil life, while those, as little able to endure the bur-
dens of the war as you, remain, and earn for themselves a name
which shall endure as long as the Nation exists?" " Do you sup-
pose you have done your duty, your whole duty, and that you
could satisfy your conscience, that not a regret or shadow of
remorse would cross it, should you be compelled in future days
to carefully review your course of action?" " What answer
would you make to inquiries — ' Why did you resign? what made
you leave the army?' " etc.
These, and other questions of similar import, continually arise,
to none of which I can make a satisfactory reply; and till I can
do so, I shall consider it my duty to remain in the army, not
simply to idly remain, but to do my duty to my utmost ability;
to rise as high as I can, honorably and fairly; to return home
from the war, if God wills, with a conscience assuring me of
having done my duty, and having given all my power and
strength to the support of my country in her hour of need, and
having remained true and steadfast to the end. Rest assured,
then, I have no intention of resigning, although you well know
how much I desire to see you and my sisters again, to spend a
few days at home — a place I cannot but hold most dear — and
much more so, as I am daily convinced of the uncertainty of life,
and the uncertainty of my beholding you all together again on
earth. But I hope a way may be opened for me to get home for
a few days, and that before long. I will embrace the first oppor-
tunity to do so; and till then, ever believe me,
Your loving and affectionate son, JOHN.
Did our limits allow, we would gladly publish more of the
letters of this gallant Christian soldier. But these must suffice
to give a view of his military career, and of his qualities as an
officer and a man.
Possessing such rare talents, and distinguishing himself equally
in the camp and on the battle field, he rapidly rose in rank, and
12
178 COL. JOHN WILSON.
we doubt not but that he would have filled with honor the high-
est position in the United States Army.
On the 17th of July, 18 62, he was commissioned as Major, and
as Lieutenant Colonel, September 24th, 1862; which rank he
held till February 1st, 1864, when he received his commission
as Colonel. He was in command of the regiment in 1862, from
August 3d, till October 22d, commanding at the battle Antietam,
September 17th. He was the only field officer present with the
regiment, From November 4th till December 25th, he was in
command, and was at the first battle of Fredericksburg. In 1863
he was in command of the regiment from June 17th till August
10th, leading it at the battle of Gettysburg, which was fought
July 2d and 3d, 1863.
He possessed a constitution naturally very strong and health
ful, yet he suffered from sickness during the encampment in the
swamps before Richmond. Without proper nourishment, and
unable to eat the only procurable food, he became so weak thai
he was not able to march with the regiment when the army with
drew from that position. For several days he found conveyance
with the wagon train. He suffered also from an attack of cam}?
fever in July, 1862, but remained all the time with the regiment
Col. Wilson yielded to none of the temptations of camp life
but whatever he saw of evil seemed to be only a warning to him
to shun it. He refrained ever from innocent indulgences, that his
example to others might be the purer. An officer who was asso
dated with him from the beginning of his early career, said ol
him, that " he was the most perfect man he ever saw." His com-
manding personal appearance; his firmness; his love of the pro-
fession of arms; his accurate knowledge and strict observance
personally of all duties connected with a soldier's life; his pure,
unselfish patriotism, and above all, his faith in God, eminently
fitted him for the position of commander.
He was always hopeful and confident of the success of the
army, and believed in the vigorous prosecution of the war. He
had no personal fear in conflict, firmly believing that his life was
in God's hands, and that under his protection he was as safe on
the battle field as he would be at home.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 179
He was entirely devoted to the interests of the men under his
charge, both as captain of a company and after his promotion to
the field. He was always interested for the religious character
of his associates in the army, an instance of which is seen in a
letter to his mother, written January 16th, 1864, desiring her to
present to a brother officer, whom he feared was careless about
religion, a Bible similar to one she had sent him. Of course, the
gentleman was entirely unaware of his Colonel's agency in the
matter, and received the book when he was in Albany, with evi-
dent pleasure and promises to read it. This officer fell in the
battle of the Wilderness.
He won, in large measure, the friendship and esteem of those
with whom he was associated. A letter written soon after his
death, by a brother Colonel, speaks of him as many felt: " I can-
not close this without adding something in memory of the brave
dead, my associate in the camp and on the field of battle, and
personal friend, Col. John Wilson. In his death, our beloved
country lost one of its firmest supporters and purest patriots; the
service an accomplished soldier, and a refined and Christian gen-
tleman. What the loss is to his family, the anguish of a mother's
heart, and the deep grief of affectionate sisters, can alone tell.
He was beloved by all who knew him personally, and honored
and respected by all with whom he met. In his death, I lost a
pure-minded and high-souled friend. No fitting eulogium can
be paid to the dead who die in the defence of their country.
Their deeds are more lasting than words, and no nobler epitaph
can be written than ' killed in battle, May 6, 1864.'"
Single-hearted himself, he never attributed unworthy motives
to others, and strove always to do his duty without sparing him-
self.
The chaplain of the regiment says of him in a recent letter:
" I think I never knew a man who so completely and truly made
duty his watchword, and never one who had so thorough a con-
viction, in all circumstances, that the place of duty was the place
of safety; and out of this conviction, I think, in great part grew
his remarkable coolness in danger. He believed that God
directed and ordered the events of life and death, and that we
180 COL. JOHN WILSON.
could not, by any action of our own, change them. The result
of this was a character which, in inhesitancy and directness, was
perfectly Cromwell ian.''
Maj. Gen. W. S. Hancock testifies to his character as a soldier
in the following words:
" Col. John Wilson, of the Forty-third New York Volunteers,
was well known to me, and served under my command, in the
Army of the Potomac, for a period of more than a year.
" As his commander, I w T as early attracted by his many good
qualities, as a faithful and able officer, and had frequent oppor-
tunities to notice his character and conduct. In paying this slight
tribute to one who attested his devotion to his country by the
sacrifice of his life, I desire to express in the strongest terms my
appreciation of the many admirable and brilliant qualities he
displayed while under my command. His amiable and chival-
rous character, added to his gentle bearing, made him friends
wherever he was known; and when he fell at the 'Wilderness,'
while leading his command against the enemy, he was only
exhibiting his accustomed example of daring courage and rare
devotion to duty. He was mourned by myself, and by every
officer and soldier with whom he had been associated."
The following; are the circumstances attending the death of Col.
John Wilson, as given by his personal servant :
" On the morning of May 6, 1864 (Friday), Col. Wilson was
slightly wounded in the calf of the leg during a hasty skirmish.
He paid no attention to the wound, which had no serious effect,
as he was in excellent health and spirits, up to the hour of his
receiving the wound which resulted in his death.
" This occurred on the same day between the hours of five
and six p. m., when the enemy made a most determined and
fierce attack on the right of the Sixth Corps. The division on
the right of Neil's Brigade gave way, and the Second Division
bore for a long time the brunt of the battle.
"At the first attack, and while rushing to the front to place
his regiment in the most favorable position, Col. Wilson was
wounded, and the rebels charged completely over him — for
awhile gaining ground. The Second Division rallying, drove
COL. JOHN "WILSON. 181
the enemy from the position, recovering the person of their
beloved commander.
" It was found that the right knee was shattered by a rifle ball,
and he was immediately carried some three miles to the rear to
the Fifth Corps hospital — the enemy having in his temporary
march cut oft* communication with the Sixth Corps field hospi-
tal. At ten a. m. the following day the surgeons decided that
amputation might perhaps save the Colonel's life, and the limb
was amputated. As he was carried from the operating table and
laid beside Lieut. Col. Fryer, the latter said : ' I am sorry,
Colonel.' The heroic answer was : ' Major, it is all for the
old flag.'
"About an hour after the operation, the Colonel was seized
with a violent pain in the left side, which continued to increase
in violence until about twenty minutes after three. This violent
pain seemed to be the direct cause of his death, which took place
at about half past three. His last words were addressed to his
faithful attendant, Moon, and were these : ' I can't stand it.'
" That evening the whole army train, with the wounded, was
to go to Rappahannock Station, but the enemy being reported at
the fords of the Rapidan the destination was changed, and for
some time it was uncertain where they were to go.
" Sergeant Saveeney of Company A, attached to the ammuni-
tion and supply trains of the Artillery Brigade, Sixth Corps, did
his best to bring off the body of Colonel Wilson. For some
time he was enabled to carry the body, which had been carefully
wrapped in blankets, but at about ten o'clock the medical direc-
tor ordered the body to be buried, which was done.
"The grave was marked with a simple head-board, and in
order to identify the spot a rifle was buried in the same grave."
Extract of a letter written to Mrs. Wilson by William Moon :
" As soon as I found out that the Colonel was wounded, I went
to the hospital where he was. I saw him on a table under the
influence of chloroform. After his limb was amputated, he
revived; I went to him, and he said he wanted me to stay with
him. After that they removed him to the tent where Major
Fryer was. We made a bed beside him for the Colonel. He
182 COL. JOHN WILSON.
seemed to feel pretty well until about half past two, when he
was taken with a pain in his left side. I went to the surgeon
and told him, and he gave me a mustard plaster to put on his
side. That did not ease the pain, and I went and told the sur-
geon and he came himself to see him, and he gave him a pill,
but nothing could ease that pain. Just before he died he took
my hand in his, and said : ' Moon, I can't stand it.' Those were
the last words he said; he died very easy. I think if any man
went to heaven he did."
When the gentleman who went to bring home the remains
arrived at the scene of the conflict the ground was in possession
of the enemy, as our forces, with the wounded, had withdrawn
to Fredericksburg. He was well acquainted with the country
about there, and procured a flag of truce from Gen. Meade that
he might bring off Col. Wilson's body. The rebels refused to
acknowledge a flag of truce from any other officer than Gen.
Grant. It was procured, and he was enabled to find the grave
and bring away the body in safety.
The remains reached Albany on Wednesday, May 25th. The
funeral took place on the following Sunday, May 29th.
To appreciate the services of this distinguished officer, we
need only trace the history of the Forty-third Regiment that
was fired with his zeal and animated by his patriotic enthusiasm.
The regiment left Albany for Washington, Sept. 16th, 1861.
It was mustered into the United States service Sept 22d, 1861,
and was, by orders of the War Department, attached to the brig-
ade commanded by Brig. Gen. W. S. Hancock, Smith's Division.
It took part in all the movements of the Army of the Potomac,
from Centreville, via Alexandria, to Fortress Monroe and the
Peninsula, arriving in front of the rebel works, at Lee's Mills,
April 5th, 1862. April 16th it supported the batteries of the
division in their spirited attack on the rebel works, losing one
man wounded. April 28th it covered a working party beyond
the picket line; skirmished with the enemy for an hour and a
half, losing- one man killed, one officer and eleven men wounded.
On the withdrawal of the army from the front of Richmond, the
Forty-third held the extreme right of the line of the Chicka-
COL. JOHN WILSON. 183
hominy, thrice repulsing the famous Eighth Georgia Regiment,
and holding the ground until after dark, contributing greatly to
the successful withdrawal of Porter across the river. It lost,
in the action, forty-three men killed and wounded. Throughout
the famous seven days' battles, and in the subsequent campaign
of Pope before Washington, and McClellan in Maryland, the
regiment was present at every engagement from Golden Farm to
Antietam. While at Harrison's Landing the old companies were
consolidated into five, and five full companies were recruited and
officered in Albany, N. Y., to fill the regiment to the required
standard. These companies were mustered into the U. S. service
Sept. 14th, 1862, and joined the old regiment in Maryland.
After the battle of Fredericksburg, where the regiment lost
twelve men killed and wounded, it was deemed advisable to or-
ganize a Light Division for the most arduous duties. The Forty-
third was one of the five regiments selected from the army to consti-
tute the infantry force. At the battle of Fredericksburg, the Light
Division carried the pontoons one mile and a quarter by hand
md at night, completely surprising the enemy. When the first
issaulting column on the morning of May 3d, had been repulsed
in its attack upon Marye's Heights, the task of carrying this
redoubtable position was entrusted to the Light Division. The
colors of the Forty-third were the first planted upon their part
of the works. The regiment captured in the charge two guns and
seventy-five prisoners, pursuing the retreating enemy to Salem
Heights, and the following night, together with the Sixth Maine
regiment, repulsing a brigade of the enemy who attempted to
cut off the retreat to Bank's Ford; losing in both actions, two
hundred men and eleven officers. In the second Maryland cam-
paign, the brigade to which the Forty-third was attached, marched
thirty-two miles in twenty-four hours. July 2d, 1863, it reached
Gettysburg to take part in that battle; drove back the enemy's
skirmishers on the extreme right and established a line, which
was held until the close of the eno-asjement, losing one officer
and two privates killed. In the subsequent movements to the
Rapidan, the regiment bore its share of the dangers and hard-
ships. On the occasion of the brilliant affair at Rappahannock,
184 COL. JOHN WILSON.
resulting in the capture of four guns, two brigades of infantry
and eight battle flags, the Forty-third drove the enemy's skir-
mishers on the extreme right, procuring a position for artillery,
and preventing the escape of any part of the force up the river,
thus contributing to the completeness of the victory. The loss
in the action was four men killed and six wounded.
After the Chancellorsville campaign the Light Division was
discontinued and the regiment was assigned to the Third Brigade,
Second Division, Sixth Corps, in which it subsequently served.
Col. Wilson, during his whole connection with the regiment,
was never absent from it at the time of an engagement, and
passed through the following battles: Lee's Mills, April 29th,
1862; Warwick Creek, April 30th, 1862; Siege of Yorktown,
1862; Golden's Farm, June 27th, 1862; Seven days' battles,
1862; Antietam, Sept. 17th, 1862; Fredericksburg, Dec. 12th,
13th, 14th, 1862; Marye's Heights, May 3d, 1863; Salem Church,
May 3d, 4th, 1863; Bank's Ford, May 4th, 1863; Fredericks-
burg, June 5th, 1863; Gettysburg, July 2d, 3d, 1863; Rappa-
hannock Station, Nov. 7th, 1863; Locust Grove, Nov. 27th, 1863;
Mine Run, Nov. 29th, 1863; Wilderness, May 5th and 6th, 1864.
He was in the service of the United States from August 3d,
1861, till the time of his death, May 7th, 1864.
Each of these names and dates is radiant with the valor, the
pure patriotism and the iron energy of our departed hero. Could
we give the minute details of the part he bore in these succes-
sive bloody scenes — could we depict his thousand acts of bravery,
of self-sacrifice, and of devotion to his country's cause, the his-
tory would present one of the most brilliant records of the war.
Of this remarkable regiment and its gallant officers, the Albany
Knickerbocker thus speaks, under date of May 17th, 1864.
FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT THEIR GALLANTRY HOW COL. WILSON
AND MAJOR WALLACE WERE KILLED.
" Few regiments engaged in the recent desperate conflicts at
the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House suffered more
severely, or accomplished more brilliant achievements than the
gallant old Forty-third. Its previous record was a proud one,
COL. JOHN WILSON. 185
but its late daring demonstrations climax anything heretofore
undertaken by the noble boys. Capt. Wm. Thompson, of Com-
pany H, is now in the city suffering from a severe wound in the
foot, which he sustained the first day while in charge of a picket
line. From him we learn some of the actions of the regiment
during the tight, and also how his gallant Colonel and Major met
their deaths.
" The Forty-third Regiment was in Neil's Brigade, which was
deployed to the front as skirmishers on the first day, supported
by Seymour's Brigade. On that occasion the regiment lost only
four men. On the second day the regiment was formed in line
of battle for a charge on the enemy, who were undertaking to
execute a flank movement on the Forty-third. Col. Wilson see-
ing this, gave the order : ' Charge front to rear on eighth com-
pany;' and the order was no sooner uttered than he received the
fatal wound. He was carried from the field by a couple of his
men, when amputation was resorted to, and he died from the
effects. His only words were : ' I care not for myself, but my
poor mother.'
"About an hour subsequent to Col. Wilson being shot, Major
Wallace, who was in charge of his old company, was killed.
This company lost all but one man, Thomas Kelly, of Canal
street, in killed, wounded, or missing. The command now
devolved upon Lieut. Col. Fryer, who led the regiment in the
charge. They carried everything before them until they reached
the rifle pits of the enemy, into which they charged in a terrific
manner. Christopher Hackett, the color-bearer, was seen to
plant the colors on the enemy's works, but neither he nor the
colors were seen afterwards, and both are supposed to be cap-
tured. He was a brother of Miss Hackett, the celebrated sinerer.
Two rebel colors were captured by the Forty-third; one of these
was in the hands of Capt. Burhans, who was carrying it off,
when he himself was captured and taken off a prisoner.
"It was while superintending all these noble deeds that Lieut.
Col. Fryer received his mortal wounds, and from which he has
since died. The regiment lost all its field officers — killed. All
the line officers who entered the fight were either killed, wounded,
186 COL. JOHN WILSON.
or missing, save Capt. Visscher and Lieut. Held. The regiment
went in with about four hundred men, and came out with eighty-
six. This is a record that few regiments can show, and one of
which our citizens and country should feel proud."
The bereaved family of the departed Christian soldier were
consoled by several touching letters from friends, and testimonials
to the worth of Col. Wilson. The following is from Prof. Mur-
ray, of Rutger's College, formerly Principal of the Albany
Academy :
Mrs. Wilson:
My Dear Madam — You ask me to write down my recollections
of your son, John Wilson, late Colonel of the Forty-third regi-
ment of New York Volunteers. The task you ask me to perform
would be a delightful one, were it not that it recalls the memory
of his sad fate, and the irreparable loss which you and all of us
have sustained. Recollection travels backward, in the reverse
order from the march of events, and gathers up first the scenes
which last transpired. And now while I sit here, trying to col-
lect together the broken fragments which my memory retains of
his life and character, the first picture which presents itself is
one which I saw in April, 1864.
I was making a brief visit to my friend, Gen. Patrick, in the
Army of the Potomac, which then lay in its winter quarters on
the south side of the Rappahannock river. It was just prior to
the opening of the campaign toward Richmond, which resulted
a few weeks later in those terrible battles of the Wilderness, in
which so many gallant men, and Col. Wilson among the num-
ber, lost their lives. I remember that upon the one day of sun-
shine, out of the rainy ones I spent in camp, I rode out with
Gen. Patrick on a brief tour of observation. A young officer
from the west, whose name had scarcely been heard in the Army
of the Potomac, had just come to assume command of the cavalry
corps. My friend called to pay his respects, and we saw for the
first time Gen. Sheridan, whose name has since been heard in
every civilized land.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 187
We visited the head-quarters of the Sixth Corps, then under
the command of that prince of corps commanders, Gen. Sedg-
wick, whom the soldiers fondly called "Uncle John." As we
rode away from Gen. Sedgavick's head-quarters, I remember turn-
ing to Gen. Patrick and saying: " General, I have been looking all
day for fortifications, where are they?" " There they are," said
he, pointing to an opposite eminence, on which a regiment was
going through its evolutions. " Where," I repeated. "There,
those fellows in blue, they are our fortifications." As we rode
past this regiment, its commander galloped up to us. It was
Col. Wilson, and this regiment was the Forty-third New York.
He took me into his tent, and we enjoyed a delightful chat on
our common friends, and on matters of common interest in Albany.
The Albany Bazaar had just closed its triumphant career, and
I remember with what delight he showed me the photographs,
illustrative of its scenes, which you had sent him. And as he
talked there of the dangers through which he had passed in the
war with his regiment, and spoke so bravely and hopefully of
the coming campaign, which they all knew would be a desperate
one, I thought then, and I think now, that I never had seen a
more noble, gallant looking officer. And when a few weeks later
I heard of his death, it was one of the saddest of the many tales
of sorrow which came to my ears at that terrible time.
My recollections of Col. Wilson, at the Albany Academy, are
of the most pleasing description. I remember him as a bright
little lad, when I first came to the Academy. I believe he had
already been a student there several years before that time.
Indeed, I suppose his education was begun as well as finished at
this institution. His classical training was chiefly conducted
under Prof. Miller, and was, as you may be well assured, ex-
tensive and thorough.
Among a class of young men, whose classical reading extended
to the Greek tragedies, and included selections from all the prin-
cipal Greek and Latin authors which are read in college, he was
selected as entitled to the Van Rensselaer classical medal; and
what was very unusual, he was in the same year the recipient
of the Caldwell medal for superior proficiency in mathematics.
188 COL. JOHN WILSON.
As a student, he was a universal favorite with teachers and
pupils. He had a manly independence about him which com-
manded respect. He was diligent and persistent in his duties as
a student, not easily discouraged, not easily elated, indeed, but
working on with a steady purpose and a persevering temper.
There were among his compeers young men more brilliant in
particular branches, and who acquired with less labor; but there
were few who, in a happy balance of faculties, and in careful
habits of application, were in the race of scholarship more likely
to succeed. He had a natural shrinking from prominence and
publicity, and hence I think his more public duties of declama-
tion and speaking at exhibitions, were always distasteful to him.
There were as his cotemporaries in the Academy an unusual
number of young men whose character and attainments were
notable. I could name many, a little older than himself, and
many of about his own age, who have already attained in busi-
ness and professional life, positions of great usefulness and
promise. There seemed to be a tone of manliness and earnest-
ness pervading these 3'oung men, even during their academic
career, which enabled one to prophecy their future integrity and
success.
And yet it is sad for me, when I look at this brilliant array of
young men, who were cotemporaries of Col. Wilson in the
Academy, to see how many have already been cut off. John H.
Meads, memorable to all who knew him for the loveliness of his
person and character; Orlando Meads, Jr., his 1) rot her; Heber
Smith, who perished in the war; Richard M. Strong, another
costly sacrifice; Edward D. Wait, James H. Bogart, William
H. Pohlman, Alexander B. McDoual, all were his contempo-
raries, and all are dead. All of them had the brightest prospects
in life; they had friends who loved them; they had careers of
usefulness opening up before them; and yet all, in their early
manhood, have been cut off. To those who, like Col. Wilson,
gave their lives for their country, we all owe a lasting debt of
gratitude; and it cannot but be a consolatory reflection, even in
this great sorrow, and under the sense of your irreparable loss,
COL. JOHN WILSON. 189
that his life was sacrificed in his country's cause, and that all
posterity will bless his memory.
With the kindest regards,
I am your obedient servant,
DAVID MURRAY.
Rutgers College, New Brunswick, N. J., March 3, 1865.
The following letter is from the warm heart of a loving friend:
New Orleans, June 24, 1861.
My Dear Mrs. Wilson — I think that I have never felt the utter
inadequacy of words to express emotions as I have felt them since
the sad news reached me of your terrible bereavement — of your
almost second widowhood — in the loss of your noble son.
Terribly crushing, I know, the blow must have been on your-
self and your dear daughters, who had every opportunity to
know his excellence and appreciate his value, and could rejoice
that he was your own son and brother; for I have not myself
been yet able, to control my emotions, when alluding to him whom
I had learned to love so much. From his early youth I had
watched with delight the gradual, but sure development of all
those qualities of mind and physical elements which made him
so nearly a perfect man. For more than two years past John
Wilson had been, to my mind, the type of manly beauty in its
full development, while his mind and soul were of the character
to intensify the admiration and deepen the regard which obser-
vation of him in previous years had caused me to feel for him.
It has been to many, I doubt not, as it was to myself at times,
cause for surprise that John should have felt it to be his duty to
leave the dear ones at home to do battle for his country and the
maintenance of the Right; but those who knew him best do best
know that it was probably the very strength of the temptation
to remain at home, and the strong reasons that could be urged in
its behalf, that caused him the more determinedly to resist it,
, from a conviction that all had a duty to discharge in this terrible
struggle, and he became —
" More brave for this, that he had much to love."
190 COL. JOHN WILSON.
He, more nearly than any man whom I have ever known so
well, was described in these lines of Wordsworth :
'• Whom neither shape of danger could dismay,
Nor thought of tender happiness betray;
Who, not content that former worth stood fast,
Looked forward, persevering to the last;
From well to better, daily self surpassed,
Found comfort battling in a righteous cause,
And, while the mortal mist is gathering, draws
His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause."
No purer life, no braver soul, no more manly form, no more
constant heart has been offered up since the commencement of
this struggle than him whose loss we mourn.
" He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow,"
is the touching description given by the evangelist in the case
of the young man of Nam, when his body was met by the Sav-
iour; and how often have these words rung in my ears even
while your son was living, as I trembled in apprehension of the
result, and realized how much of the happiness of the circle at
home depended on the preservation of his life. Trembled, too,
because I knew he was not the man to save himself from any
exposure, for he had deliberately chosen his position, and from
it, no consideration of personal danger could for a moment swerve
him.
"I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me," said the
Psalmist when mourning the loss of a beloved child, and this
thought will be your consolation in this your hour of deep afflic-
tion. In the beautiful words of Bishop Heber:
" Wake not, O mother! sounds of lamentation!
Weep not, O widow! weep not hopelessly!
Strong is His arm, the Bringer of Salvation,
Strong is the word bf God to succor thee."
May God enable you constantly to repose in the confident faith
that " He doeth all things well." For His own wise purpose He
has used the young life of your beloved son, so that it has been
of more value, than the combined lives of thousands, who have
sluggishly plodded out their three score and ten.
COL. JOHN WILSON. 191
" Men live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
"We should count time by heart throbst He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best,
And he whose heart beats quickest lives the longest.
Lite is but a means unto an end; that end,
Beginning, mean and end to all things — God.
Judged by this, the only true test, your son was not cut off
with his labor unperformed, but with every duty discharged* and
his life-Avork done.
What a precious consolation you must experience as you now
reflect that your dear son had early given himself to Jesus, and
that, during the remaining years of your pilgrimage, you can
look forward, in the full assurance of faith, to the time that you
shall join the company of the redeemed ones and receive the
welcome of husband and children gone before — part of your
inestimable "treasures in Heaven."
" And when the Lord shall summon us
Whom thou hast left behind,
May we, untainted by the world,
As sure a welcome find.
" May each, like thee, depart in peace.
To be a glorious guest
Where the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest."
That such may be the happy lot of each and all of us, through
the mercy and merits of Christ, I earnestly hope and pray; and
that God may vouchsafe to you and your dear ones the consola-
tions of His Holy Spirit, leading you in the green pastures, and
by the still waters of his grace, and enabling you, though you
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, to fear no evil,
but to find Him with you, and his rod and staff to comfort and
support you; that you may find him a very present help in every
time of need, is the earnest prayer of
Most sincerely your friend,
WM. RICHAEDSOX.
Mrs. Ann Wilson, Albany, N. Y.
192 COL. JOHN WILSON.
The following is a most valuable testimonial to the Colonel's
Christian character :
South Dedham, Mass., May 22, 1864.
My dear Mrs. Wilson — I have learned through the papers of
your sad bereavement, and though I know that no earthly hand
can bring relief from so overwhelming a sorrow, vet I thought
that a little comfort might be found for you in the words of sym-
pathy, and of testimony to the Christian character of your dear
son, which I could speak.
Sometimes there is fear in the minds of Christian friends at
home, lest their friends may not maintain their religious charac-
ter amidst the temptations of army life; and when they are taken
away from us, the one source of consolation is in the assurance
that they were ready for the great change which has passed
upon them. But I can testify, as no one else perhaps is able to
do, that John Wilson maintained in the, army a worthy Christian
character, that he did not yield to its temptations, but that he
was as good a soldier of Jesus Christ as he was of his country,
and this is saying a great deal for one who was looked up to as
the " best lield officer in the brigade."
I have not yet learned the particulars of his death, but in rela-
tion to this subject I do not need to ask them, for I know how
he lived) I know his faith in God; I know his tender conscience;
I know his noble heart, and everybody in the circle of his army
acquaintance knew his spotless life.
I am not mentioning these things for the sake of praising
him — that will not be lacking from other lips and hands — but
that you, who are so deeply afflicted in his loss, may, with the
greater confidence, apply to him the w r ords of inspiration: " Say
ye to the righteous it shall be well with him."
I have, since his death, thought of a hundred incidents and
habits connected with my intercourse w r ith him, while Chaplain
of the regiment, and of one with peculiar pleasure: Whenever
w r e were on the march or in line of battle on Sunday, wdien no
religious services were practicable, he used always to say to me
at some time when we halted, "Come, Chaplain, read to the Major
and me a chapter or two in the bible," aud those little Sunday
COL. JOHN WILSON. 193
bible readings are among the most pleasant memories of our
intercourse.
He always stood by my side when we had preaching, and his
voice was always heard in the song of praise to God at our
meetings. No one who knew him there will doubt that he
honored his Christian profession, and had a great influence for
good with the men of the regiment.
We think and talk a great deal of you all, and very much
desire to see you. It is the sweetest thought we have in such
sorrow, that the parting is not to be long, and that we shall all
soon be together at God's right hand.
Your friend, C. OSBORN.
Let me add the folloAving merited tribute from the Common
Council of the city of Albany:
Albany, May 17, 1864.
At a regular meeting of the Common Council, held at their
rooms this day, His Honor the Mayor announced to the board
the death of Col. John Wilson, as follows:
Gentlemen of the Common Council:
The sad events of this war have taken from our midst another
brave, devoted and gallant soldier, whom we were wont to meet
in fraternal relations. It has pleased God, in his mysterious
providence, to remove by death our much esteemed fellow citi-
zen, Col. John Wilson, of the Forty-third Regiment New York
State Volunteers, who died from the effects of wounds received
while gallantly charging the enemy's works at the recent battle
of the Wilderness, in Virginia, thus adding another name to the
already long list of Albany's noble sons who have laid their lives
a voluntary sacrifice upon the altar of our country; therefore,
Resolved, That we recognize in Col. Wilson a young man of
the rarest excellence of character, whose gentlemanly deport-
ment, unassuming maimers and social virtues endeared him to all
who shared his acquaintance, and who, although surrounded by
all the endearments of a most pleasant home, hesitated not, when
his country called, to sacrifice every personal interest, sever
13
11)4 COL. JOHN WILSON.
every endearing tie, and exchange the comforts of a happy home
for the hardships of the tented field.
Resolved, That his was no ordinary sacrifice. That those who
knew his circumstances and relations in life best, can not but
appreciate the pure, unselfish, devoted patriotism that prompted
him to enter upon a career where, personally, he had everything
to lose and nothing to gain.
Resolved, That in his death our country has lost one of her
most earnest, faithful defenders, our city one of its brightest
ornaments, and his family a most dutiful son and loving brother.
Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the bereaved
family in their severe affliction, and while we share with them
the sorrow, we may also share the abiding consolation that the
loss to us of one so noble, pure and virtuous, can not be other
than his eternal gain.
Resolved, That to his remains and memory are eminently due
the highest respect that a city can pay to her most valiant sons.
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to make all
necessary arrangements for the funeral of the lamented Colonel
Wilson, on the day to be appointed after the arrival of his
remains, and that the members of the Common Council will
attend his funeral in a body, and wear the usual badge of
mourning.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be signed by the
Mayor and Clerk, and sent to the family of the deceased.
The above preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted,
and Messrs. Amsdell, Johnson, Tkacey, Judson and Bancroft
appointed the committee.
MARTIN DELAHANTY,
Clerk of Common Council.
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN. 195
VII.
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN
This able and distinguished officer was born in the comity of
Cork, Ireland, in the year 1820. He was the son of David Bryan
and Mary Kirk Bryan, who emigrated to this country in the
year 1827, and settled in Albany, N. Y., where the family has
since resided.
The father of Col. Bryan died many years since, noted for his
integrity and industry, but left only a good name to his children.
His mother was the daughter of Capt. John Kirk, who owned
and commanded a merchant vessel, and like most of his family,
followed the sea. She still resides at Albany with her daughter-
in-law, the widow of Col. Bryan, a most worthy and enterprising
woman, who, upon the death of her husband, was left with four
children.
Col. Bryan spent his boyhood in Albany, where he received a
limited education in the schools of the city. He, however, greatly
improved himself in after years by devoting his leisure hours to
the cultivation of his mind. He entered into the employ of his
cousin, Col. John McCardel, of Albany, as a clerk, at the age
of fifteen, and remained most of the time with him in that capa-
city till 1853, when he, through the assistance of his late em-
ployer, commenced business for himself. He became the pro-
prietor of a restaurant and hotel in Albany, in which business lie
continued till his entrance into the service of the government in
1861.
From his youth, he was always a member of some military
organization. About the year 1850, he was chosen Captain of
the Albany Worth Guards, which company he commanded for
several years. By his skill and perseverance, he brought them
106 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
to a high state of discipline, when he was promoted to the office
of Major of the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York Militia.
Shortly after he was chosen to till the office of Lientenant Colo-
nel, and finally Colonel of this famous regiment, which, under
his command, became the most efficient and best disciplined regi-
ment of the State, outside of New York city.
When Fort Sumter was fired upon in April, 1861, he was at
the head of this organization; and on the 21st of April, 1861, at
eleven o'clock, p. m., the order reached him in his place of busi-
ness, from Gov. Morgan, to at once proceed with his regiment
to Washington, D. C. He summoned his officers to his quarters
at midnight and issued his orders, and at eight o'clock a. m., the
next morning, the regiment was in line, ready to take the Hud-
son River railroad cars to New York.
This memorable morning of the 22d of April, found many of
the members of the regiment in the workshop. When the order
reached them they rushed to the armory, put on their uniforms,
and took their places in the ranks. A majority of them were
laborers and mechanics; they were also husbands and fathers,
with those as dear to them as life, and dependent upon them foi
support. Their wives and children only had time to bid them
"good bye" at the armory of the regiment; many of them not
having had time to go from their workshops to their homes,
before the regiment was to move.
About one o'clock the Twenty-fifth Regiment, under command
of Col. Bryan, left the armory and were escorted to the Hudsoi
River ferry boat by the entire fire department of the city, undei
command of Chief Engineer McQuade, and Company B, Capt.
Ainsworth. The march through Eagle, State street and Broad-
way was a complete ovation. The streets were densely packed
with human beings, and the houses and house-tops were lined
with our citizens. Cheer after cheer rent the air, and at times
the wildest excitement pervaded the dense assemblage. From
the windows the ladies waved their handkerchiefs, while from the
tops of houses guns and pistols were fired, amid the vociferous
cheers of the spectators. The regiment, on their march to the
cars, halted in front of Stanwix Hall, on Broadway, for the pur-
COL. MICHAEL K. BEY AN. 197
pose of receiving their flag from Mrs. Mayor Thacher. The
street was densely crowded, and after quietness had been re-
stored, Mayor Thacher came forward and spoke as follows:
" Col. Bryan, Officers and Soldiers of the 25th Regiment:
" Mrs. Thacher requests me to convey her compliments to the
regiment, and to say to you, that she presents you this banner
as a token of her appreciation of your high character as soldiers,
and as an incitement to noble and heroic deeds. She bids you
bear it to the war, to watch it in the hour of battle as the emblem
of all that is dear to us as citizens and patriots. Never let it
go down, as long as a single man in the regiment shall survive.
Should a kind Providence spare you to return, we shall expect
you to bring it with you. Bring it though it may be riddled with
balls, but let it never come back to us polluted by the touch of
a traitor's hand.
"Remember, soldiers, that the dear ones you lea ye at home —
your wives, your children, your sisters, your brothers and friends
are to share in your glory or disgrace. They weep at your
departure. They will pray for you while absent; but should
you turn your back upon that flag or allow it to trail in the dust
through cowardice, they will spurn you forever.
"Farewell, then, noble patriots, farewell. God bless you.
Should any of you fall in battle, we will revere your memory
and testify our gratitude by caring for and comforting the dear
ones who, above all, will mourn your loss. Again we say, fare-
well."
Upon Mrs. Thacher delivering the flag over into the hands of
the standard-bearer, the band struck up the "Star-Spangled Ban-
ner/' amid the vociferous cheers of the vast multitude. Colonel
Bryan, in behalf of the regiment, accepted the flag aud made
the following reply :
11 Mr. Mayor — When, on the 22d of February last, the regi-
ment paraded in their new uniforms, with which the men had
equipped themselves at their own expense, and which now ena-
bles them to promptly respond to their country's call, they may
have expected to receive some such mark of esteem and regard
from their friends. But little did they think that it would occur
198 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
on such an occasion as this. The regiment was early in volun-
teering, but is called away with unexpected suddenness, and
many are unprepared except at heart. It was only last night
that the order for the departure of the regiment to-day was given,
and it was received too late to make it generally known until
this morning; and many left their workshops in their working
clothes to respond.
"A number are without uniforms, but all have good muskets
and stout hearts, and they will do whatever may become men in
their country's service. In their behalf, I accept this beautiful
flag, promising that wherever they go it shall go, whether on the
battlefield or elsewhere; carried forward and upheld by the strong-
arms of men, who will feel that in preserving it untarnished by
dishonor they will be doing good service in the most sacred
cause.
"For the sake of their own reputation — for the sake of the
esteem of their fellow-citizens — for the love of those nearest and
dearest to them, and in the performance of that duty which every
loyal citizen owes to the most glorious country in the world, the
regiment will, to the utmost of their ability, and with all their
hearts, protect these colors from insult and tarnish.
"And now permit me, your honor, to observe that the men under
my command have been called away from their homes very sud-
denly. Many of them have families that are dependent on their
daily labor for the comforts and necessaries of life. Thus sud-
denly ordered away, they have been unable to make such provi-
sion for them as the love of husband, father, brother, or son dic-
tate. They are compelled to appeal to their fellow-citizens,
those who will remain at home, to see to it that they are not per-
mitted to want. It is not weakness to say that it is hard to part
with our wives and our dear little ones; but an imperative duty
calls, and much, indeed all, of sadness on our part will vanish,
under the assurance that, although absent, those we love most
dearly will have kind and generous-hearted friends ever ready
to cheer and aid them.
" With this assurance, your honor, the Twenty-fifth will march
at the tap of the drum, wherever duty calls, in the service of
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN. 199
their country, with light hearts and a determination to win vic-
tory for themselves, peace for their country, and honor for the
city of their homes.
" We venture our lives in this cause, and ask in return that you
who have fortunes, will risk those fortunes in sustaining us and
ours."
Immediately after the presentation of the flag, the regiment
resumed their line of march, and as they flanked into Maiden
Lane the wildest excitement ensued. Cheer after cheer rever-
berated through the street, and the soldiers left the city amid
the booming of artillery. They proceeded, by railroad, to New
York; thence by water to Annapolis, Md.; and thence to Wash-
ington by land. They arrived on the 27th day of April, 1861,
the fifth militia regiment that reached the National Capital, after
the breaking out of the rebellion.
Col. Bryan at cnce reported to General Scott, who assigned
his regiment to duty. He was received with much favor and
respect by President Lincoln, who visited every company in this
command, and shook hands with every officer and private in the
regiment. On the 23d of May, Col. Bryan was ordered to cross
the Potomac into Virginia. At midnight he led his command
across the long bridge at Washington, and marched to Arlington
Heights. His regiment first took possession of the spot where
Fort Albany now stands, on the morning of the 21th of May,
1861. There they built that structure, and named it for their
own home.
Col. Bryan's command that morning captured a portion of the
rebel pickets, the first prisoners taken in eastern Virginia after
the breaking out of the war. Col. Bryan remained with his com-
mand at Fort Albany till the expiration of the term of three
months, when, on the first of August, he returned to Albany and
was mustered out of service with his regiment. During this
short term of service he repeatedly received the highest com-
mendations from his superior officers.
Again, in 1862, he was ordered, on the last of June, to pro-
ceed at once to Virginia with the Twenty-fifth Regiment New
York Militia. lie was stationed with his command during this
200 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
three months' term of service, at Suffolk, Va., where he was
assigned to the performance of outpost and picket duty in that
Department. On the 1st of September, 1862, he left Suffolk,
Va., with his command, and also with the Thirteenth New York
Militia, who were on the way to New York city, he having been
designated as commanding officer of the two regiments till they
should reach New York.
At Norfolk he embarked with his command (the Twenty-fifth
and Thirteenth New York Militia) on board the steamship Baltic,
and started for New York. When the ship had proceeded about
one hundred and fifty miles, she struck a shoal about four o'clock,
p. m., and was stranded last on the ground. She had fifteen
hundred men on board, and was fifty-six miles from land, with
night almost upon them. The position was one of great peril.
All the efforts of the Captain of the ship and his crew to get
the vessel off proved unavailing. When it was about dark,
Captain Comstock, the commander of the vessel, announced to
the Colonel that they were in great danger, and without hope of
extricating the ship that night, and that the only course left was
to try to get word to some other vessels to come and assist them
and take off the men. The alarm gun was fired, and the signal
of distress given, when, finally, a schooner came in sight, and
took off as many men as she could carry, which was about five
hundred.
The vessel and the rest of the command remained all night,
without being able to obtain any further assistance. Everything
was thrown overboard to lighten the vessel, and the pumps were
worked all night, as the water was coming in fast. The next
day, about noon, another vessel came in sight, and about eight
hundred more of the troops were taken off the " Baltic." The
Colonel and about fifty of his own men, with the Captain of the
ship and crew, were all that were left on the ship. Night was
coming on, and no more could be taken off' by the second vessel
that came to the rescue of the "Baltic." Col. Bryan, though
urged to leave the ship, said: "No; I will not leave as long as
one of my men is left on this ship!"
The reader can imagine the great difficulty of disembarking
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAX. 201
from one ship to another, without the least accident, so many
men, unaccustomed to the ocean, and thus suddenly thrown into
the greatest excitement and peril. During; all this time the
Colonel was the commanding officer on board of all the troops,
about fourteen hundred, and by his coolness and judgment he
succeeded in maintaining the most perfect order and discipline
among the men. All seemed to repose in him with entire confi-
dence. After the ship had been lightened of all its freight and
passengers, except the Captain, crew and about fifty of the
troops, she was finally got oft' the shoal. The Captain of the
ship gave to Col. Bryan the following letter of thanks, after the
rescue of his ship and the men from the threatening danger:
Steamship "Baltic," Sept. 2, 18G2.
Sir — I can not allow you to leave my ship without expressing
co you my warmest thanks for the able and efficient services ren-
dered by yourself, your officers and men, during the perilous
condition of the ship the last twenty-four hours. The ready,
quiet and prompt action with which my every wish was obeyed,
and their coolness in the hour of danger, bespeaks the high state
of discipline your regiments have attained.
With respect, I am your obedient servant,
JOS. J. COMSTOCK.
To Col. Bryax, of the 25th JV. Y. M, Commanding, &c.
In response to the above, Col. Bryax issued the following
order:
Head Quarters ox board the Steamship "Baltic," /
September' 3, 18 G 2. \
General Orders No. 4. The commandant, in General Orders,
desires to express to the officers and men of the Thirteenth and
Twenty-fifth Regiments New York Militia, his sincere and earnest
thanks, for the noble manner in which they conducted themselves
throughout the perilous hours while this splendid ship was cast,
away and disabled on Winter Quarter Shoals. Such conduct is
worthy of all praise.
202 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
The commandant also desires to express what he knows to be
the feeling of every one of his command, the most earnest thanks
to Capt. Jos. J. Comstock for the cool, able, and judicious man-
agement of his ship, that, under the mercy of an overruling
Providence, saved his vessel and all the souls committed to his
charge.
The commandant, trusting that all who were separated by this
disaster may safely come back again, with a grateful heart takes
leave of all outside of his immediate command, and will ever
hold them in remembrance as officers and men worthy of his
esteem, and the highest regard of their fellow-citizens.
By command of Col. M. K. Bryan.
J. M. KIMBALL, Adjutant.
In recording in this connection the name of Adjutant J. M.
Kimball, we cannot suppress our strong desire to pay to him a
passing tribute of our high esteem and warm gratitude for the
services that he rendered in connection with this regiment, and
during the perilous scenes through which it passed. We thank
God that his life has been spared, and that he has returned to us
to enjoy the blessing of that peace to which he, during the war,
so patriotically and nobly contributed.
Gladly would we see a volume prepared and published to com-
memorate the lives and achievements of the living heroes whom
a merciful God has spared to us; and in whose memories the
details of their camp life, their battles and victories, are now
fresh, and could be easily recorded.
To these men we owe a debt of gratitude as great as to those
who have fallen — for they risked all for their country; and,
equally with the departed, manifested the greatest bravery and
the most enthusiastic devotion to the cause which they had
espoused.
On Col. Bryan's discharge from service and return to Albany;
he at once proceeded to raise the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth
Regiment New York Volunteers, of which he was made Colonel.
In the early part of the winter of 1862 he was ordered to
Louisiana, where he was engaged in several battles with the
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN. 203
enemy on his march up through the State to Port Hudson. He
was ordered to take part in an attack on Port Hudson, La., on
the 14th of June, 1863, on which day, while leading his regiment
to the assault, he was wounded in the leg. He continued on his
march, after binding a handkerchief around the wound, till he
was struck with a grape-shot, which mortally wounded him, and
he died on the held at the head of his command.
Thus lived and died Col. Michael K. Bryan. In private life,
he was a good father and husband, and an affectionate and duti-
ful son. He was a member of the Catholic Church, and died in
its faith. The Republic will not soon forget the fidelity of him
and her other adopted children, who have shed their blood for
the maintenance of her honor and unity.
At the time of the death of this noble patriot, there appeared
in one of our papers a notice of him, from which we make the
following extracts:
"Our citizens were startled on Saturday at the announcement
that Col. M. K. Bryan, Maj. James H. Bogart and Capt. Henry
Hulburt, of tbis city, had fallen martyrs to the cause of the
Union before Port Hudson, in the second attack on that strong-
hold on the 14th inst. Col. M. K. Bryan, in command of the
One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Regiment N. Y. S. V., at the
time of his death, was about forty years of age.
"Col. B. was one of the most accomplished military men we
ever had in Albany. For twenty years past he devoted himself
to the service with an energy and will, that won for him the
respect and confidence of his fellow citizens. He held the posi-
tion of private for several years, and went through all the non-
commissioned offices, until he was elected to the command of
the Worth Guards, which position he held with honor to himself
and his command, until he was promoted to the Lieutenant Col-
onelcy of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, the lamented Col. Frisby
being then in command. When Col. Frisby was appointed
Brigadier General of militia, Col. B. was promoted to the Colo-
nelcy of the regiment, and remained in command until his appoint-
ment to the Colonelcy of the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth
Regiment.
204 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
" When the rebellion first broke out, and Washington was
threatened, in response to the call of the General Government
for immediate aid, Col. Bryan, with a patriotic ardor which all
will remember, called his officers together, and the services of
the Twenty-fifth were promptly tendered to Gov. Morgan, who
gladly accepted them. Col. B. and his men had not time even
to arrange their business matters before orders were received for
their departure. But they did not hesitate. They abandoned
business, families, friends, and all, and hastened to the defence
of the Capital. Arriving in Washington, they were hurried
across the river to Arlington Heights, being one of the first regi-
ments to march over the long bridge. They were directed to
take position on the heights, which, at that time, was threatened
by the rebels, and immediately commenced the erection of the
fortification now known as Fort Albany, one of the most for-
midable and best constructed earthworks in the vicinity of Wash-
ington. The regiment remained on the heights until the expira-
tion of its term of service, and then returned home, not having
been enjxa^ed in battle, but rendering; most valuable services to
the country during its three months absence.
' i When Washington was a second time threatened, and Banks
overpowered by superior numbers in the valley, another call was
made for the militia of the State. The Twenty-fifth Regiment
was in a disordered condition at the time, without uniforms, and
with thinned ranks. Col. B. resolved in his own mind, after
consultation with some of his officers, to again enter the field.
He devoted his whole time and energies to filling up the ranks
and placing the regiment on a war footing, and his indomitable
perseverance was crowned with success, for in a few days after
orders were received, he left town at the head of nearly six hun-
dred men, and proceeded to Fortress Monroe, and from thence
to Suffolk, Va., where the regiment remained for three months,
and for the services rendered by it, received the highest com-
mendations of the General commanding.
"After returning home, Col. Bryan devoted himself to the
reorganization of the regiment, and was engaged in this work,
when Col. Corcoran announced his purpose to raise a brigade,
COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN. 205
having received the consent of the War Department to do so.
Col. Bryan, deeming it his duty to again enter the service,
having received a request from Gen. Corcoran to take command
of a regiment, promptly accepted the proposition, and again gave
himself up wholly to the patriotic work. Those who knew the
man best, and how unceasingly he labored to fill up his com-
mand, will bear willing testimony to his zeal and energy in be-
half of the great cause of the Union. After his regiment was
fully organized, he received orders to report to Fortress Monroe,
and from thence went to New Orleans, having been detached
from the brigade. Of the services performed by him in com-
mand of his regiment, during the Louisiana campaign, it is not
necessary we should speak in detail. It is sufficient to say, that
he was always at his post, performing his duty to the satisfac-
tion of his superior officers, and enjoying the entire confidence
of his subordinates. The manner of his death is stated in the
following letter, written by Surgeon O'Leary, of the One Hun-
dred and Seventy-fifth Regiment, to Reverend Father Wadhams,
of this city :
" ' New Orleans, June 18, 1863.
" 'Reverend Sir — -It becomes my painful duty to inform you
of the death of Col. M. K. Bryan. He was killed in the engao-e-
ment before Port Hudson, on Sunday morning, 14th instant. He
received two shots; the first supposed to be a round shot, graz-
ing the skin and fracturing both bones of the lower left leg; the
second, a grape shell, mangling the flesh and bones of the right
leg, below the knee. As near as I can learn, he lived about an
hour after receiving his wounds. He seemed to feel conscious
of his approaching end, and died like one going to sleep. I
have just arrived in this city with his remains, and shall send
them home at the earliest opportunity. Connected as I have
been, for the last two years, with the military career of the
departed, it was a crushing blow to see him laid in the cold
embrace of death. A nobler man never lived. A braver sol-
dier never wielded a sword. A truer Christian never knelt be-
fore his Maker. He has left this earth of discord and strife, for
the bright home of the saints and angels. Let us hope that his
206 COL. MICHAEL K. BRYAN.
reward will be great in Heaven. * * * May God have
mercy on his poor family, and support them in this their dark
hour of trial.
" 'Believe me, dear Father, to be
" ' Your very humble servant,
<"C. B. O'Leary,
" < Surgeon 175th Regt. JV. Y. S. VJ
" Not one of those who were present at the residence of the
gallant soldier, on the occasion of the presentation to him of his
military outfit, on the eve of his departure for the seat of war,
for a moment entertained the thought, that he would so soon sur-
render his life in battling for his adopted country, and its honor.
They bade adieu to him with the full knowledge that wherever
he might be assigned to duty he would distinguish himself. His
devotion to the Union, and his willingness to fight for it, had been
clearly demonstrated by the sacrifices he made when on two for-
mer occasions, he abandoned his family and his business and hur-
ried to the scene of danger, to meet the foes of our distracted
country and of liberty. If ever there was a pure patriot that
man was Col. M. K. Bryan. He was actuated by no mercenary
or sordid motives, and his works speak louder than any words
we can utter. Like his lamented friend and associate, his tutor,
Frisby, he felt that the country demanded his services, and he
cheerfully gave them to aid in crushing out the accursed rebellion.
Like the gallant Frisby, he will be mourned by every Albanian,
and the unbidden tears, as they trickled clown the cheek of youth
and the furrows of age, when the sad news was announced Satur-
day, were silent but expressive messengers of the deep sorrow
that it occasioned. He died as a hero. His last breath was the
faint utterance of the departing spirit for his country. His mem-
ory will be cherished with reverence by all who honor the brave
and fearless soldier, living or dead, and his name shall be inscribed
on that immortal tablet which bears the record of patriotic devo-
tion to country."
COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER. 207
VIII.
COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER.
Henry Van Eensselaer, the fourth son of the Hon. Stephen
Van Eensselaer, by his second wife, Cornelia Paterson, the
daughter of Chief Justice Paterson, of New Jersey, was born
at the Manor House, Albany, May 14th, 1810.
His father and his ancestors, back toKiLLiAN Van Rensselaer,
who came to this country as early as 1642, bore the title of
Patroon. This title is derived from the Latin patronus, and in
the time of the Roman republic was used to denote a patrician,
who enjoyed certain civil rights and privileges, and had a num-
ber of people under his protection. With the growth of the
empire, the jurisdiction of a Patroon in some instances extended,
so as to embrace whole cities and provinces. In Holland the
title designated the proprietor of a large estate in lands, occupied
and cultivated by tenants, and having connected with it many of
the privileges of the ancient feudal system.
For over two centuries this title has been transmitted down to
the present day, through the proprietor and representative of
the Van Rensselaer estate; and I may add that of our public
citizens none have surpassed those who have borne this title, m
their zeal to establish upon this continent constitutional liberty,
and maintain the authority of the Federal Government supreme
over all manorial privileges, and State sovereignties.
Among those who fought zealously for the adoption of the
Federal Constitution in this State, was the Hon. Stephen Van
Rensselaer, who was afterwards, in 1795, associated with the
Hon. John Jay in the government of the State of New York.
Notwithstanding the strong personal interest in his native State,
that his ancestral associations would naturally excite, still he had
208 COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER.
the sagacity to see that there could be hut one great nation upon
this continent. He also had the patriotism to feel that in an
hour of solicitude and trial like that, all personal aspirations
should be laid upon the altar of the national life and prosperity.
The influences of Henry's home were such as to awaken in the
youthful mind an admiration for those patriotic and private vir-
tues which adorn human character, and which found so perfect
an illustration in the lives of his parents.
When only seven years of age, he left home with his elder
brother to attend Mr. McCullough's boarding school, at Morris-
town, JS T . J., and went afterwards with the same brother to Dr.
Benjamin Allen's Academy, at Hyde Park. A few years later,
it being then decided that he should enter the Academy at West
Point, he was sent to begin his military education with Capt.
Partridge, at Middletown. The pupils at this school, besides
being instructed in the ordinary military exercises, were taught
to prepare for the possible fatigues of a campaign by long pedes-
trian tours in different directions through the country, sometimes
marching as much as thirty or forty miles a day. After leaving
this school, Mr. Van Rensselaer held, for a short time, the
honorary position of Aid to Gov. Clinton, and at the age of
seventeen entered the Military Academy at West Point. Here
he first evinced a marked trait of character, which influenced him
in after life— a strong, ever-present sense of duty, which would
not permit the neglect of an obligation once assumed, and which
enabled him to form and hold resolutely to the purpose of com-
plying, in all respects, as far as possible, with what was required
of him. His love of order, diligence of application, and fidelity
to the most minute, as well as the more important details of duty,
enabled him to pass through the four years discipline of the
Academy without a single demerit.
Mr. Van Rensselaer did not remain long in the army, but
having married in 1833 Miss Elizabeth R. King, daughter of
the Hon. John A. King, of Jamaica, L. I., he moved to Ogdens-
burgh to assume the charge of his father's estates in St. Lawrence
county; and in 1839, on the death of his father, became himself
the proprietor. For some years he devoted himself exclusively
COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER. 209
to the pursuits of agriculture, and to the discharge of the
numerous duties pertaining to his position. He was always ready
to assist, often to his own injury, in any enterprise that promised
to promote the good of the community. Generous, almost to a
fault, his hand was open alike to the calls of public and private
charity. His poor neighbor found in him a sincere and willing-
friend, and the settlers upon his lands w r ere treated with a uniform
liberality and consideration, which won their respect and affection.
Mr. Van Rensselaer was, from the period of his marriage, a
communicant in the Protestant Episcopal Church, and devotedly
attached to its interests. He allowed nothing to interfere with
what was not only a duty, but his highest pleasure, the service
of God; and no inclemency of weather ever prevented his punc-
tual attendance in the sanctuary. Simple and unostentatious in
manner, with a natural reserve, which shrank from disclosing the
communings of his inner life, he commanded universal respect as
a pure Christian gentleman; one whose constant endeavor was
" to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God."
In 1841, Mr. Van Rensselaer was elected a member of the
House of Representatives from his district, being the only Whig
member ever elected by the same constituency. He served
through three sessions of the Twenty-seventh Congress with his
accustomed punctuality and diligence. But political life had
few attractions for hinij and he gladly returned to his happy
home and ordinary occupations.
In the fall of 1855, he removed with his family to New York,
intending in the future to pass the winter there and the summer
at his home on the St. Lawrence. But soon after his departure,
his house at Woodford, on which he had lavished all the im-
provements that a refined taste could suggest, and where he
delighted to dispense an elegant and liberal hospitality, was
destroyed by fire, and New York became his permanent resi-
dence. There he led for some years a quiet and retired life, yet
always taking a deep interest in the political questions of the
day, and watching, with the sorrow of one devoted to his coun-
try, the growth of prejudice and treason, which culminated in
the great rebellion.
14
210 COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER.
But when. the fall of Fort Sumter fired the patriotism of the
north, true to his early training as a soldier, and to his instincts
as a patriot, he at once wrote to Gen. Scott, then in command
of our forces in Washington, to ask for an opportunity as a sol-
dier, educated by the nation, to take some part in the impending
struggle. He received, in reply, a telegram saying, "We shall
he glad to be aided by your presence;" and hastily completing
the arrangements for his departure, he left New York on the
26th of April, 1861.
On reaching Washington, Gen. Scott received him imme-
diately into his military family; and, with the rank of Colonel,
made him chief of his stall'. Of this position he faithfully and
intelligently performed the duties, until the relinquishment by
Gen. Scott, under the pressure of physical infirmities, of his
high command. He was, during these months, the constant c >m-
panion of the Lieutenant General, who recognized his m< ral
worth, and appreciated the affectionate respect and consideration
which he ahvays received from him. Col. Van Rensselaer vas
an enthusiastic admirer of the old commander's personal chs cac-
ter and military achievements, as maybe seen from the follow ing
toast, which he proposed on the occasion of a dinner given by
the staff officers to Gen. Scott on his birth day: "The heru of
1812, and the conqueror of Mexico: Whilst Niagara's thunder
hymn is raised to heaven, his fame will not want a voice; and
while Mexico's snow-covered Popocatapetl props the sky, his
glory needs no monument."
It was the General's special request, when he resigned his
position, that the gentlemen of his staff, who had rendered him
and their country efficient service, should receive subsequent
appointments suitable to their merits. And he was assured by
the President that his desire should be gratified, and that,
"except the unavoidable privation of his society, which they
had so long enjoyed, the provision made for them would be such,
as to render their situation as agreeable as it had been before."
Col. Van Eensselaer accompanied Gen. Scott to New York,
and received from him, as he was on the point of sailing for
COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER. 211
Europe, October 9th, 1861, an autograph note of farewell, as
follows:
"Adieu, my clear Colonel Van Rensselaer. No General has
ever had greater cause to be proud of his staff than I have had
in you and my other dear friends — Cols. Townsend, Hamilton,
Cullum and Wright — all dear friends.
"WINFIELD SCOTT."
Upon the advice of Gen. Scott, Col. Van Rensselaer applied
for the position of Inspector General in the regular army, and
received his commission to that position, dating August 5th,
1861.
He was immediately ordered to make an inspection tour of the
Avest, having his head-quarters at Cincinnati, and he visited,
during the ensuing winter, most of the military posts of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.
In the spring of 1862, he received orders to report to Gen.
McDowell, then in command of the Army of the Rappahannock,
who was expected to take a prominent part, in cooperation with
General McClellan, in the movement upon Richmond. They
occupied Manassas and Fredericksburg, and were in daily antici-
pation of a farther advance, hoping, if possible, to reach Rich-
mond before the Army of the Potomac. But after remaining
inactive for some months, they were ordered back for the pro-
tection of Washington.
In August, 1862, Col. Van Rensselaer was again ordered to
Cincinnati, and the following summer, in addition to his other
duties, was appointed president of a board for the examination
of officers for colored regiments, a position which he filled at
the time of his death. His courteous, genial manners, and
kindly heart, won for him the confidence and esteem of all who
were connected with him, and during his residence in Cincinnati,
he formed many friendships which were an unfailing source of
pleasure to him in his leisure hours, and an unspeakable conso-
lation and solace during his last illness.
Owing to an attack of sickness, which rendered him unable to
discharge his duties, and which was probably the first symptom
of the insidious disease which several months later caused his
212 COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER.
death, he obtained a leave of absence, dating December 21st,
1863, and hastened home to spend Christmas with his family, it
being the first time since the beginning of the war that they had
been together at that season. After several happy weeks, which
seemed to restore him to his usual vigorous health, he returned
to Cincinnati. But the separation from his family, the discom-
fort and loneliness of hotel life were peculiarly trying to his
mind, already harassed by many cares, and the close confinement
of his office exhausted his energies, until he had no strength left
to struggle with the slow fever, which was gaining a fearful hold
upon him. Yet, while contending against the double suffering
of feverish days and sleepless nights, he could not be prevailed
upon to neglect his official calls, which at that time were pecu-
liarly urgent, or to apply for another furlough. And morning
after morning found him seated at his desk, striving faithfully to
fix his mind, then weakened by disease, for the business before
him, until he was told by the attending surgeon that perfect rest
and quiet were essential to his recovery.
On March 16th his wife received a telegram, advising her to
come on, and although not apprehending any imminent danger,
she hurried there at once. Her presence seemed the gratification
of his only earthly desire, and, after listening to the many
details of home news, with loving inquiries after all those near-
est to his heart, he sank into a stupor, in which, with a few
intervals of consciousness, he remained while life lasted.
In his last delirious moments his mind still ran upon the pub-
lic interests which had so engrossed it — the state of the war, the
condition of the troops, and his own unfinished work, with which
were mingled words of advice and affection to the children, who
could not be with him. There was also a precious, golden
thread of higher thoughts, which showed where the mind
instinctively turned for comfort, in the approach of death.
The clergyman whose church he attended in Cincinnati, and
who was with him during his illness, gave a very touching account
of some of his last interviews with him, and spoke of him with
the utmost respect and affection, and as one whom he believed
to be a sincere and humble follower of Christ.
COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER. 213
During his lonely hours of suffering, the consciousness of a
Saviour's love was to his fainting soul as the " shadow of a great
rock in a weary land," and the gloom of death was brightened
by the presence of Him who has said, "I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee."
Col. Van Rensselaer died on the evening of Wednesday,
March 23d, 18 64, at the Burnet House, Cincinnati. He was
buried in the churchyard of Grace Church, Jamaica, L. I., oil
the following Sunday, Easterday, in the peaceful twilight, with
only his children and nearest relatives around his grave.
He sleeps in the Easter hope, that "they who have been bap-
tized into the death of Christ and buried with him, may at last
through the grave and gate of death, pass to their joyful resur-
rection."
This is a simple record of the life of a Christian soldier. We
cannot tell of battles fought, of deeds of heroism to command
silent admiration; but he did what he could. In his country's
first need, he was willing to go forth wherever he should be sent,
to give counsel or to aid in the camp or the field; and he unhesi-
tatingly sacrificed all the comfort and happiness of domestic
life to the simple instinct of duty, the duty every loyal man owes
to his country. Surely such a sacrifice, ending in that of life
itself, entitles the departed to the gratitude of a nation and the
admiration of posterity.
214 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
IX.
COL. LEWIS OWEN MORRIS.
Col. Morris was born in Albany, N. Y., August 14, 1824.
Having descended from one of our oldest and most respectable
families, he inherited not only the gentle qualities of his ances-
tors, but also the spirit of heroic self-sacrilice and noble patriot-
ism for which, in the early history of our country, they were dis-
tinguished.
The lirst member of this family, Lewis Morris, came to this
country in the year 1672. He was a native of Monmouthshire,
in Wales, and commanded a troop of horse in the Parliament
against Charles I. Emigrating to the West Indies, he purchased
a beautiful estate at the Barbadoes, and became a member of the
Council. In the year 1654 an expedition was fitted out against
the Spanish Possessions in these islands, and Cromwell sent to
him a commission of Colonel. But when the British fleet arrived
the year following, Mr. Morris prized his services so highly
that he demanded a present of one hundred thousand weight of
sugar to pay his debts before he would accompany the fleet.
Accepting finally the commission, he was present at the reduc-
tion of Jamaica.
He came to New York in 1672, and settled at Broncksland,
Westchester county; and soon after his arrival he obtained a
patent for his plantation. From 1683 to 1686 he w T as a member
of Gov. Dougan's Council, and ended his days in 1691, at his
plantation "over against Harlem," since known as the "manor
of Morrisania."
Lewis Morris, the great grandfather of the subject of this
sketch, was one of the noble men who signed the Declaration of
American Independence, and who pledged their lives, their for-
tunes, and their sacred honor in defence of their country.
COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS. 215
His grandfather, Capt. Staats Morris, eldest son of Lewis
Morris, served with distinguished valor under Gen. Wayne
towards the close of the Revolutionary War. A short time pre-
vious to this he had been united in marriage to a daughter of
Gov. Van Braam, of Holland, Governer General of the Dutch
Possessions in India. This gentleman came to New York during
the Revolution, and making this country his temporary residence,
he became the personal friend and associate of the Morrises and
other distinguished men of the Revolution.
The father of Col. Morris was Major Lewis Nelson Morris,
a graduate of our Military Academy at West Point. It is
recorded of him, that he was "a splendid man, a true soldier, an
ardent patriot, and an elegant gentleman." He took an active
part in the Black Hawk and Florida Wars, and for his gallantry
was highly commended in official reports. He married a grand-
daughter of Dr. Elias Willard, Surgeon in the Army of the
Revolution, whose wife was the daughter of Col. John Living-
ston. John was the brother of Col. James Livingston, who
commanded on the Hudson river below West Point at the time
of Arnold's treason, and by whose vigilance and skill, Andre
was captured.
On the 21st of June, 1846, while in command of the Third
Regiment United States Infantry, and leading his men to the
assault at Monterey, Mexico, Major Morris fell — having been
shot through the heart by a bullet from the enemy. For bravery
in the actions at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma he received
the brevet of Major. So highly was he esteemed in Albany that
the citizens ordered for him an elegant sword. But he did not
live to receive it, and it was presented to his son in his stead.
His remains were sent for, and buried with imposing military
honors. A suitable monument was erected to his memory, by
the citizens of Albany, in their Rural Cemetery.
Col. Lewis Owen Morris, the subject of this sketch, spent
his early boyhood with his parents at Rock Island, on the Mis-
sissippi, where the "noise of hostile arms" reached his ears,
during the Black Hawk war. He returned to Albany to enter
upon his studies at the Academy. Ever intent upon following
216 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
the profession of his father, he devoted much time to those
branches of study, which would best fit him to enter the military
school at West Point.
In 1846, up or hearing the sad tidings of his father's death at
Monterey, he determined to apply for a commission, without
delay, and join the army in the field. Through the efficient aid
of Hon. John C. Spencer and Gov. Marcy, Secretary of War,
both personal friends of his lamented father, he received, in the
spring of 1847, a commission of Second Lieutenant in the First
Artillery. With this regiment, he served until 1854. After
remaining just long enough on Governor's Island, New York
Harbor, to get his men in readiness, although then a mere lad,
he was ordered to carry a detachment of troops, by sea, to Mexico.
After being a few days out, the transport was wrecked on the
Florida coast. The coolness and ability manifested by our young
officer, on this trying occasion, were truly remarkable. On the
night of the wreck, while the crew and others were running to
and fro in consternation and uttering cries of distress, he passed
the hours of anticipated death on deck, with his men mustered,
and going through the regular drill in order to keep them calm
and in discipline, prepared to avail themselves of any help that
Providence might see fit to send them. Daylight brought the
needed relief, and in as regular order as when embarking, the
men were transferred from the shattered vessel to the boats, and
every one was safely landed in Abaco, one of the Bahama Islands.
Thence they were carried to Charleston to await transportation
to their destined port. This delay prevented Lieut. Morris from
reaching his regiment until they had arrived at Vera Cruz, on
their way out of Mexico. But, while there, he was placed in
charge of the Mexican prisoners at the castle of San Juan D'Ulloa.
Here his duties were arduous and trying, and he suffered from a
severe attack of yellow fever. During his convalescence, his
devotion, to both officers and men, who were sick and dying of
that terrible scourge, was remarked by all, and long remembered
by many. On his return to the United States, at the close of
the Mexican war, a brevet was tendered him by the Secretary
of War. But with that keen sense of honor, which was so pecu-
COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS. 217
liarly characteristic of him, he declined the honor, saying: "I
have not won it on the field, and I cannot wear it."
From that time he was almost constantly in active service,
either hunting the Indians through the everglades of Florida, or
on the Texan frontier.
At the beginning of the rebellion, in 18(31, Col. Morris was
in Texas, in command of Fort Brown. At that crisis the officers
and soldiers were rapidly yielding to the pressure around them,
and joining the Southern Confederacy. But to the everlasting
honor of the Colonel, we rejoice to say that he stood firm for
the United States. He was resolved to perish rather than yield
one iota to the infamous foes of his country; and out of all the
United States forces then in Texas his company ivas the only one
that refused to surrender themselves, or to turn over the property
of the Government to the rebels.
Col. Morris was afterwards ordered to North Carolina, where
he took an active part at Roanoke and Newbern, under Gen.
Burnside, and afterwards he was with the forces of Maj. Gen.
R. G. Foster. Being held in high estimation by those in autho-
rity, he was designated to direct operations against Fort Macon,
N. C, which he captured and afterwards commanded. It was a
place of great strength, and its reduction considered justly one
the most brilliant achievements of the war.
Gen. Foster, in a letter to the Secretary of War, writes: "I
can bear testimony to the services of Capt. Morris, First Artil-
lery, who was, at the time of the siege of Fort Macon, in com-
mand of the Thirty-pound Parrot Siege Battery. This battery
being manned by his company, made such effective shooting on
the first day of the siege, as to disable the defence of the fort to
such a degree as to oblige its commander to surrender, without
waiting for the bombardment of the second day. I earnestly
hope that some token of appreciation of Capt. M.'s services may
be given to his name."
Coming north in the summer of 1862, he was tendered the
Colonelcy of the One Hundred and Thirteenth N. Y. Regiment,
which he accepted. In the short space of four weeks the regiment
was organized, equipped and on its way to the seat of war. This
218 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
regiment was the first from this State to arrive in Washington at
a moment, when the city was menaced by a rebel foe. Col. M.
was highly commended for his promptness by the War Depart-
ment. As an expression of their appreciation of the valuable
service he rendered the country by the timely arrival of his regi-
ment, it was converted into a regiment of heavy artillery (Seventh
New York Heavy Artillery), and stationed at Fort Reno, on the
defences north of Washington. Shortly after, other regiments
were added to Col. M.'s command, forming a brigade.
He remained at Fort Reno some months. Strong in will, yet
gentle and winning in his manners, he secured at once the respect
and love of those under his command. He was most assiduous
in the discipline of his men and unwearied in his efforts to make
them good soldiers. Fort Reno, the head-quarters of Col. M.,
was always the post to which those were directed who came to
witness the skill, discipline and efficiency of the Army of Wash-
ington. Hearing that the officers of his brigade were preparing
an application for his promotion, he modestly requested that it
should not be done, being always unwilling to receive any honor
of that kind, not won on the field.
Frequent raids by the rebel cavalry, and alarms of the approach
of Lee's army in force, gave him the opportunity to test his men.
He felt confident of them, and although so strict a disciplinarian,
he was idolized by them. He longed to lead them to the " front,"
and made frequent applications for orders, which at length arrived
on May 10th, 1864. Two days after, Col. M. joined the Army of
the Potomac at Spottsylvania. In that and the subsequent engage-
ments he participated, winning for himself the commendation of
all. Gen. Meade, in general orders, called the men of the
Seventh "veterans." Col. Morris was always so cool in the
hour of danger, and self-possessed when the storm of battle raged
the fiercest, that his example inspired the courageous, encouraged
the timid, and rebuked the cowardly.
One of the officers of his staff, writing to his family, saj-s: "I
wish to relate an incident which will illustrate our beloved Colo-
nel's noble heroism and devotion to duty. We were charging a
rebel redoubt, and as the line advanced, the Colonel at their head,
COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS. 219
the men fell very fast. Col. M. noticing that as one fell, two or
three of his comrades would fall out to assist the wounded man to
the rear, he turned to the ranks, sternly forbidding the practice,
saying: '• Should I fall, let no one stop to assist me. Press
forward ! drive the enemy from their position, then take time to
care for me.' "
It was Col. Morris and his men of the Seventh who, at the
battle of Cold Harbor, June 3d, won the key of the rebel posi-
tion, captured several pieces of artillery, and took several hun-
dred prisoners. Major General Hancock, commanding Second
Army Corps, to which Col. Morris' Brigade was attached, thus
writes of him after the action at Cold Harbor :
"I knew Col. Morris well, have known him for many years,
and served with him in Florida and was much attached to him,
which gives me a better opportunity of judging of his merits
than I would otherwise have had. He was brave, faithful in the
discharge of his duty, and at the action at Cold Harbor he won
renown. He had entered the enemy's works under a heavy fire,
and captured several pieces of the enemy's artillery and many
prisoners. The day previous, upon the wounding of Col. Burke,
commanding a brigade in Gen. Barlow's Division, Col. Morris
assumed command, which he held at the time of his death."
Col. Morris' military ability was highly valued by all, and his
advice was frequently sought equally by his superiors in rank
and his subordinates. Gen. Barlow thus writes of bim in a pri-
vate letter :
"It gives me pleasure to speak of Colonel M. as a most gal-
lant and meritorious officer, discharging his duty with fidelity
and success. In the action at Cold Harbor he behaved with dis-
tinguished bravery. With the Seventh Artillery he entered the
enemy's works, captured several pieces of artillery and several
hundred prisoners, and was himself training some of the enemy's
guns upon their own men, when we were compelled to evacuate
the place.
"On June 3d, I had requested him to go with me to the
advanced works for the purpose of fixing upon the ground for
some new trenches. &c. While thus engaged, he fell at my
220 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
side mortally wounded by a ball from one of the enemy's sharp-
shooters."
The death of this noble patriot east a deep gloom over the
whole army. It was related by one present, that when the sad
news reached the men of his own regiment many of them threw
themselves upon the ground and wept like children. And that
band of brave men, who the day before were ready to do and
dare anything when led by their heroic commander, were, in a
moment, cast down and entirely unnerved. One thus explains
the feeling that prevailed :
" Our whole brigade was like a lifeless body, from which the
soul had just departed."
Thus passed away from earth Lewis Owen Morris, the worthy
son of a worthy and noble ancestry. As a soldier, he was the
bravest of the brave. As a patriot, his love'bf his country was as
pure as the light — no spot ever dimmed its lustre. As a friend,
his warm and generous heart attached to him every one with
whom he-had any intercourse. As a husband and father, he was
all tenderness and affection. lie leaves a stricken widow and
two dear children to mourn his absence from the family circle.
Were it proper to intrude upon the privacy of domestic relations,
we might till pages with a record of his kind deeds. But there
is one heart that fully knows his value; and knows, too, how
much earthly happiness, and how many fond hopes were extin-
guished, when his manly form fell upon the bloody field to rise
no more.
Of the last hours and Christian hopes of our departed hero,
we have an account in the following kind and consoling letter
addressed to Mrs. Morris by the Rev. Dr. Brown, pastor of the
Presbyterian church at Georgetown, D. C, the church which Col.
Morris attended while at Washington.
Georgetown, D. C, June 8, 1864.
Mrs. Catharine W. Morris:
My dear Friend — It was my privilege, during the eighteen
months past, to be intimately acquainted with Col. Lewis O.
Morris. The result was, that I learned to love him as a brother,
COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS. 221
and I think he loved me. The fact that I was a minister of the
Gospel was no barrier to the freedom of his visits to me, both
in my family and at my study. On my ministry, on the Sab-
bath, morning and evening and during the week, he was a con-
stant attendant. On the subject of personal religion we conversed
freely in private. I think I can say, then, with some confidence,
that I knew him. And from his own lips I have had the declara-
tion, months since, and with deep emotion: " There is nothing I
wish so much as to be a Christian." So matters stood when I
went down to the Army of the Potomac, nearly four weeks since,
as a member of the Christian Commission. Two days after, Col.
Morris and his command were ordered to the front. I saw him
at Spottsylvania Court House when he joined the army; and as,
by the singularly kind providence of God, we were thrown into
the same corps, division and brigade, I either saw him or had
news of him every day, until the last.
From the first he was in the front of the continuous fighting
going on, and won for himself and his men the commendation of
all. Gen. Meade called them "veterans" in general orders.
They were said to "fight like tigers." I do not like the expres-
sion, but so soldiers speak. It was Col. Morris and his men of
the Seventh, who, at the battle of Cold Harbor, on Friday morn-
ing, June 3d, won the key of the rebel position, captured several
pieces of artillery, and took four hundred prisoners. But, not
being supported, they were compelled to abandon all but the
prisoners. I know this to be so, for I was at the time close at
hand, and heard the story from many of the actors and witnesses.
This was Friday.
Saturday morning, early, Gen. Barloav called on Col. Morris
to make with him an examination of the position; he was then
commanding the brigade. Our breastworks and the enemy's were
but fifty yards apart. No one dared show himself on either
side. The sharpshooters fired quickly at sight of a cap or a hand.
The two started, Gen. Barlow leading, hiding behind the breast-
works, and dodging from rifle pit to rifle pit. In passing from
one pit to another, Col. Morris for a moment was exposed, and
received his wound. The ball struck him in the left shoulder,
222 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
ranging downward across the body, touching the spine m its
progress, and entering the right lung. I t J link' (hut do not know)
that he fell insensible. Dr. Pomfret and I soon heard of his
wound, and ordered him brought to where we were — we could
not go to him. He was brought in about ten o'clock, insensible,
moaning and uttering incoherent sentences. Stimulants were
administered, and the surgeons in attendance examined his wound.
In about an hour consciousness came to him. He knew us both.
But his system did not rally. His body, below the wound, was
paralyzed. He had no pain, but suffered much from nervous
distress and difficulty in breathing. He began praying for mercy.
I pointed him to Jesus Christ, and said, " Colonel, put your trust
in Him." "I do, I do," he replied, "He is my only hope and
trust." " Do you trust in him as your Saviour?" I asked. " Yes,
I do." I wished to be sure that this was so, and, though I was
weeping so I could scarcely speak, and his arm was on my neck,
I reminded him of former conversations on the subject, and of
what I had then said to him about saving faith in Jesus Christ,
and asked him if he understood. He answered: "I understand.
Jesus Christ is my only hope and trust. I do trust in him. I am
going home to eternal rest with my Saviour." Such declarations
as these were repeated again and again, mingled with messages
of love to the dear ones who were absent, and requests to meet
him in heaven. He was fully conscious of his condition, and
ready, even anxious, to depart. At one o'clock his spirit de-
parted, and, as I can not doubt, passed into the glory of the
saints in light. When we undressed him we found his Testament
in his pocket, and showing marks of use.
I hope that what I have written may, my dear friend, give
you some satisfaction. I feel his loss deeply. He was as a
brother to me. I loved him, and I think he loved me. I need
not assure you then of my sympathy in your second great sor-
row. But your hope is in the same Saviour in whom he trusted.
May that Saviour mercifully, graciously and most abundantly
sustain you. With profound respect and esteem, my dear friend,
Yours truly, FREDERICK BROWN.
COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS. 223
The "Albany Evening Journal " gives the following tribute to
the character of our departed hero, and also the account of his
funeral:
"Col. Morris was no ordinary man. His mind, naturally
vigorous, was strengthened by hard study, and enriched by libe-
ral culture. Strong in will, yet winning in maimers, he at once
commanded the respect and affection of those under his command.
Although a strict disciplinarian, he was idolized by his men.
Cool in the hour of danger, self-possessed when the storm of
battle raged fiercest, he inspired by his example, encouraged the
timid and rebuked the cowardly. He was a stranger to fear, and
died gloriously in the field and in the face of the rebel foe. He
was an ardent patriot, loved the old flag more than he did life,
and went into the war for its defence with his whole heart. In
the bright roll of martyr-heroes which history will exhibit to the
admiration of coming ages, few names will shine out with a
serener splendor than that of Col. Lewis O. Morris.
"June 11. Funeral of Col. Morris. The remains of this
gallant young officer were conveyed from the residence of his
brother-in-law, Dr. Vanderpoel, to the North Dutch church,
where the funeral exercises took place. They were conducted
by the pastor, the Rev. Rufus W. Clark, and were solemn and
impressive. Among those in attendance at the church were a
few members of the Seventh Artillery, who were wounded in
the recent campaign in Virginia, and who can now walk by the
aid of crutches. At the conclusion of the services in the church,
the remains were brought out and received with military honors
by the Twenty-fifth Regiment, under command of Col. Church.
The remains of Col. Morris were then conveyed to the cemetery.
The funeral escort consisted of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, pre-
ceded by Schreiber's band. Then followed the funereal car,
drawn by six gray horses, plumed. The coffin was covered bj
the flag for which he lost his life, and adorned with white roses.
The bearers were Generals Rathbone and Vanderpoel, and
Colonels Baker, Ainsworth, Young and Harcourt, flanked by
a detachment of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, and followed by the
horse of the deceased, led by his groom. The mourners were
224 COL. LEWIS O. MORRIS.
followed by officers artel soldiers of the army, who came hither
to pay the last tribute of respect to the brave and lamented dead.
The committee of arrangements and the mayor and common
council followed in carriages. The streets through which the
funeral cortege passed were crowded with spectators, and grief
was depicted in almost every countenance."
COL. JAMES P. McMAHON. 225
X.
COLONEL JAMES P. McMAHON.
Patrick: McMahon, a native of Pallas Green, county Limerick,
Ireland, with his wife and their three boys, John E. McMahon,
Martin T. McMahon and James P. McMahon, the subject of
this sketch, emigrated to America in 1839. They first settled
in Pennsylvania. There, the father being an intelligent and able
man, obtained employment, as an engineer, on the public works
of that State.
About the year 1852, he, being engaged as a contractor, in the
construction of the New York and Erie Railroad, removed to the
State of New York, settling in Cattaraugus county, where he
afterwards became extensively engaged in the lumber business.
He gave to his three sons a good education, and all of them
graduating at St. John's College, Fordham, near New York city.
Each of this noble trio has proved himself worthy of the great
paternal care and attention bestowed on their education. John
E. McMahon was, at the age of twenty-one, Private Secretary of
Gov. Seymour, in 1854. At the breaking out of the war, he was
in the successful practice of the law in Buffalo, New York, where
in the fall of 1862, he engaged in raising troops for the Corco-
ran Legion, which was to be commanded by Gen. Michael Cor-
coran. He was, on the 8th of November, 1862, commissioned
Colonel of the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment New
York Volunteers, and served in Virginia till his death, by disease
contracted in the service, in the winter of 1863. He was a young
man "of brilliant talents and attainments.
The youngest brother, Martin T. McMahon, having served as
Private Secretary to Postmaster General Campbell from 1853 to
1857, studied the profession of the law, and, about the year I860,
15
226 COL. J.AMES T. McMAIION.
went to San Francisco, California, where he was engaged in the
practice of his profession in copartnership with Ex-Governor
John B. Weller. When the call to arms came for men to
defend the Union, in 18(31, he raised a company of volunteers
and joined the Army of the 'Potomac, in the fall of (hat year,
with the rank of Captain. He was soon appointed on the staff
of General McClellan, and there remained till that General' was
relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac, when
he was assigned to the position of Chief of Staff on General
Sedgwick's staff, where he continued to serve till that gallant
soldier's death, in May, 1864. He continued in the service till
he was mustered out, after the close of the war, as Brevet Major
General. After this period of four years service, he returned to
the practice of his profession in New York city, where he is now
Corporation Attorney, an office of great responsibility and
importance, to which he was appointed for his worth, and the
courage and patriotism that he and his family had displayed
during the war. He is now only thirty-one years of age.
The other brother, Col. James P. McMahon, was born in the
county of Wexford, Ireland, in the year 1836, and came with his
parents, as already stated, to America in 1839. After graduating
at St. John's College in 1852, he was engaged in assisting his
father in the lumber business till 1856, when he removed to
Albany and commenced the study of the law in the office of his
uncle, Matthew McMahon, Esq., then a prominent member of
the bar in Albany. He was admitted to practice in 1860. He
remained with his uncle till the breaking out of the rebellion in
1861, when he prepared to enter the contest for the Union.
When in the summer of 1861, Gen. T. F. Meaghar commenced
to raise the Irish Brigade, he at once went to New York city,
raised a company, and joined the Sixty-ninth Regiment N. Y.
Volunteers (known as the First Regiment of Meaghar's Brigade),
with the rank of Captain.
After this regiment reached the front, Capt. McMahon soon
evinced great capacity and quick perception into military affairs,
and was selected by Gen. Meaghar as his aid, in which position
he acted for several months.
COL. JAMES P. McMAHON. 227
In the battle of Fail- Oaks, on the 1st of June, 1862, he received
the thanks of his Brigadier General, and of his Division Com-
mander, Maj. Gen. Richardson, for his cool bravery and tact in
bringing a portion of the brigade through a heavy fire, and
securing for it a position of importance. As a recognition of his
services in this battle, in which he killed and captured more of
the enemy than his command, the brave Richardson called him
at the close of the day to take a place on his staff with the rank
of Major. There he remained, accompanying the General through
the Peninsula campaign, and being with him at the 1 tattle of
Antietam, in which Gen. Richardson fell mortally wounded.
Gen. Richardson was fondly attached to his } r oung aid; and after
he was wounded, the few days that he lingered, he insisted upon
his remaining by his side till he died.
Shortly after the death of Gen. Richardson, he was appointed
Lieutenant Colonel of the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Regiment
New York Volunteers, which was raised at Buffalo by his brother,
John E. McMahon, for the Corcoran Legion. On the 20th of
March, 1863, Col. John E. McMahon, his brother, who was
Colonel of the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment New
York Volunteers, and attached to the Corcoran Legion, dying,
James was at once appointed to the Colonelcy vacated by his
brother's death. In April of this year (1863), he led the expe-
dition on the Edenton road, near Suffolk, where he surprised and
routed a much larger force than his own, comprising the Seven-
teenth Regiment Virginia Infantry. He captured their garrison
and equipments, and many prisoners, with a small loss to his
own command.
About a week afterwards his regiment was in a second engage-
ment on the Edenton road, repulsing the enemy and capturing a
ine of their works, his command being the only one engaged
•ut of about ten thousand troops. For several days in May
as engaged in active skirmishing on the Blaekwater. He
. (he defence of Suffolk, Va., during the siege by the. enemy
under Gen. Loxgstreet. On the evacuation of it by our army,
Col. McMahox's command was the last to leave, forming the r< ar
guard of the army.
228 COL. JAMES T. McMAHON.
The Legion was ordered thence to Portsmouth, where they
remained till ordered to Centreville. For some four months,
they were engaged in following and lighting Moseby's band, who
were met by Col. McMahon's Regiment at Snicker's Gap, and,
after a hard fight, dispersed and many of them taken prisoners.
In May, 1864, the Legion was ordered to join the Second
Army Corps in the Army of the Potomac, and marched with
Gen. Grant through the bloody battles of the Wilderness and
Spottsylvania, in which last-named battle Col. McMahon lost one
hundred and twenty-five men of his regiment. He continued to
lead his small but heroic band till the battle of Cold Harbor,
where the gallant young Colonel, while charging the enemy's
works at the head of his command, fell on the ramparts of the
enemy covered Avith many mortal wounds. At the time he had
the colors in his own hands.
Col. McMahon was devotedly loved by his men and officers.
The Surgeon of his regiment, Dr. Regan, of Brooklyn, when the
word reached him that the Colonel had fallen, wept, and said he
wished it had been himself instead of Col. McMahon. On the
day of the fell of this officer, it was impossible to bring off his
body or reach the spot where he fell; but a few days after men
from both armies visited the battlefield under a flag of truce,
when a rebel officer informed Adjutant Beattie of the One Hun-
dred and Sixty-fourth, where the body of his Colonel was buried.
The rebel officer said : "We hated like the mischief to kill him,
for he was a brave fellow. He was without immediate succor
within near range of our guns, apparently wounded in the thigh.
We repeatedly asked him to surrender, but he shook defiantly
his sword and shouted ' Never !' He also shouted to his men to
come on. We, therefore, had to fire on him and drive your fel-
lows back."
This rebel officer also told Adjutant Beattie (since Colonel of
the same regiment), that he had ordered him to be buried in a
marked spot, where his friends might obtain his body. He
pointed it out to the Adjutant, who removed the thin earth over
it, and identified his lamented friend and Colonel, and brought
COL. JAMES P. McMAHON. 229
away with him some strips of his under-clothing as the only
memento of his friend that he could obtain.
This hero's body is mingled with the sods of Virginia on the
field where he fell, and no mark now designates his grave from
the others that fill those bloody fields. His deeds simply told
are his eulogy. He and his two brothers, assisted by their father
and their uncle, Matthew McMahon, Esq., of New York, raised
for the Army of the Union, and took to the field, nearly two
thousand of their countrymen. Alas ! how few returned ! Not
one-fifth of them all !
After his death, Gen. Meagher, in writing to a New York
paper of some of the officers who fell at this battle, says :
" Next came the news that McMahon, planting his colors with
his own hands on the enemy's Avorks — planting them there with
a boldness worthy of the grand and soldierly name that he bore,
and whom perhaps the recollection of the Malakoff and its Irish
conqueror may have inspired, was stricken down by the bullets
he so splendidly defied. Who of the old brigade — the favorite
brigade of Sumner and Richardson — can forget the dashing,
handsome, and indefatigable soldier, with his strictly defined
features often illuminated with enthusiasm; sometimes express-
ing the scorn and hauohtiness of a true-blooded Celt; with a
heart for hospitality; with a soul for glory; and hatred and sar-
casm for what was mean, and a quick look and blow for what was
treacherous ? Who can forget his fine bearing, erect and grace-
ful; the decisive character of his intellect; his high sense of
honor; his physical activity— all those healthy and superior gifts
which made him a soldier at the start, and qualified him, even in
the first hours of boyhood, to be a fit exponent of his martial
race and kindred ? Who can forget all this, whenever that grand
picture of McMahon planting the colors of his regiment in the
face of the fire storm, and foot to foot with the desperate foe, is
spoken of in the camp by the survivors of the Irish Brigade of
the Army of the Potomac ?"
A few words more will close the story of this brave man and
patriot soldier. His pure Christian character deserves a remark.
Amid all the temptations of camp life, he never for a day forgot
230 COL. JAMES P. McMAHON.
to bend his knee to the God of battles. He was a sincere and
devoted member of the church of his fathers.
His father, who was most ardently devoted to his children, a,t
ime of Col. John E. McMahon's death, was laboring under
a severe indisposition, and the sad and early death of his first-
born and noble boy, it is thought, hastened his death, which soon
succeeded that of John.
There are now left of this family Major General Martin
McMahon and three younger sisters — their mother having died
many years ago. Few families can furnish a prouder and more
honorable record of services to their country, than that to which
the subject of this sketch belongs. Honor to the memory of the
gallant and patriotic brothers who died for their country, and
respect to him who, though living, served his country no less
faithfully, but was more fortunate in surviving to behold the
restoration of peace and the Union, for which they all periled
life and everything that they held dear on earth.
OOL. JAMES D. VISSCHER. 231
XL
COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER.
Coloxel Visscher was the son of John V. S. and Eleanor
Visscher, and was born in Albany, March 26th, 1829.
In childhood he was remarkable for his good conduct and
kindness of heart. He was hopefully converted at the first
union prayer meetings held in the North Pearl Street Baptist
Church, and united with that church under Dr. Hague. At the
time of his enlistment he was in the employ of Messrs. Weed,
Parsons & Co., and was highly esteemed by all who knew him.
He felt it to be the duty of every young American citizen to
give their service to their country, and he was among the first
who responded to the call for volunteers after the fall of Fort
Sumter. In April, 1861, he left home with the Burgesses Corps,
of which he was a member, to join the Twenty-fifth Regiment
New York State Militia, then at Arlington Heights, Va., and was
with them in crossing the Long bridge into Virginia. He
returned with the regiment after three months service, and
remained at home for one year very reluctantly. All that
deterred him from re-enlisting was the thought of leaving his
aged mother alone. He felt it would be breaking up his home
forever, as he was the only child remaining with her, one brother
being already in the field with the Forty-fourth New York State
Volunteers.
At last he decided that it was his duty to take an active part
in the struggle for the right, and the rest he would leave to God.
He knew in whom he trusted. He enlisted in a company to lie
attached to the Forty-third Regiment New York Volunteers.
then in the field, and took command of company G., Sept 4th,
1862.
232 COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER.
He was in all the engagements with the regiment until the time
of his death. After the battles of the Wilderness he was pro-
moted to the Colonelcy of the regiment, May 12th, 1864. He
was loved and respected by his officers and men for his soldierly
conduct and Christian virtues.
He was killed by a bullet from a sharpshooter in the attack on
Fort Stevens, Washington, July 12th, 1864. He breathed but
a few moments. " My poor mother, God help her," were his
last words. He never went into an engagement without com-
mitting himself to his Heavenly Father. His body was embalmed
and sent home, and was buried with military honors from the
church of which he was a member. His remains now rest with
his kindred in the Albany Rural Cemetery.
The following is an extract from the last letter that he wrote
to his mother:
Near Petersburg, July 1, 1864.
Having a few spare moments from duty, I take the opportu-
nity of writing. I thank God that he has preserved John and
myself amid all the dangers through which we have passed. I
trust all the future to Him, and hope, my dear mother, you will
pray for us, that God will spare us to return. But if it is His
will that either of us should be taken, may we all meet in
heaven. With love, your affectionate son, J. D. V.
The following remarks were made at the funeral of Col. James
D. Visscher, by the Rev. C. D. M. BRiDGMAisr:
" Of those whose names have given to the Forty-third Regiment
an historic interest — whose deeds have illumined its progress,
is that of James D. Visscher, so recently promoted to its colo-
nelcy, so suddenly released from its honorable duties, for the
glory which they wear and the rest which they inherit who go
upward from the midst of tribulation, having washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. At the com-
mencement of our civil strife he gladly went to the field of duty
with the military organization with which he was earliest con-
nected — the Twenty-fifth Regiment — and received his equal share
of the honors awarded it. On its return, after a brief term of
COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER. 233
service, he decided to enlist a company of his own, and threw
himself promptly, laboriously, into the work. No argument, no
appeal, could uproot his deep conviction or break the force of
his high resolve. He seemed, as he bent inward, to have heard
a call in his own soul to which it behooved him to give most
earnest heed. He saw everything dear and valuable in life and
society on these shores at stake; and though loving those who,
in a great measure, were dependent on him, with a rare devo-
tion, the spirit that was abroad in the air entered into and pos-
sessed his soul. A higher breath than kindred and blood can
impart, from God and the time, blew through his breast till it
made the music there of the trumpet-stop. So was he stirred
from within to mix in this conflict of the land and age. So did
he assume his martial aspect, and the voice we had so often heard
in our Sabbath praises sunk to a deeper tone and mingled into
the grander diapason of a nation's righteous wrath.
' ' Unlike so many who have gone away from the restraints of
home and from daily converse with those who were their defence
against wickedness and shame, he bore himself commendably,
and, amongst the temptations which gather so thickly in the
camp, illustrated, to a high degree, the strength which flows from
a Christian's faith.
" It was my privilege, a little more than a year ago, to visit
his regiment in Virginia; and, while there, I witnessed a scene
that will always live in my remembrance. It was on a warm and
cheerful Sabbath morning, when, the usual inspection being over,
martial music sounded through the little valley along which the
regiment was encamped, summoning us, by its solemn strains, to
the usual religious services. As we gathered to the slope on
which such services were usually observed, we saw two persons
in that company whom we never more will meet on earth — our
brethren Wilson and Visscher. The hymns were borne upward
chiefly on their voices; and when I addressed the regiment and
gazed into those two hearkening faces, it was with gratitude to
God that their lives were not in contradiction with their pastor's
words. Again, in the hospital, they stood with me in the eve-
ning of that day, leading our praises in that quiet hour, and lend-
234 COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER.
ing to us, as to their Chaplain they had always clone, the voice
of their authority. I gratefully recall those scenes to-day; for
they serve to illustrate what companions have affirmed of both,
that they maintained a Christian bearing during their absence
from us, and help to confirm our faith that death to them was
only translation to the sceneries and blessedness of the heavenly
estate.
" In the recent battle in front of Washington — almost in sigki
of the plumed statue of Freedom, whose elevation to her lofty
height, while the nation battles for the idea, is grandly signifi-
cant — our brother fell, bravely baring his bosom to the foe, and
interposing it as the living shield of our nation's capital. And
so they both have passed away. Lovely and pleasant in their
lives, in their death they were not long divided. Each has made
his name honorable and illustrious; and whilst the State blazons
their achievements on her historic annals, we will think of them
as not dead, but translated to that higher realm, where earthly
honors are lost to thought in the immortal dignity of being kings
and priests to God, who serve and reign forever and ever.
" So are we contributing, men and brethren, in these frequent
gifts of youth, so strong and brave, to that great sacrifice which
is to re-unite these separate fragments of our nation, and pur-
chase for us a better than our former peace. So are we hallow-
ing, in these graves of sons and brethren, the places along which
the roots of the great tree of human freedom shall run, and take
up a flavor and a richness to be unfolded in its blossoms and fruit
through coming ages.
"We can appreciate the anguish which to-day heaves and
swells in the souls of the bereaved, as they think of him whose
mortal tabernacle lies still and cold, emptied of all that gave it
comeliness and made it dear. They think of his tenderness as
r a brother, of his rare fidelity as a son. They think, perhaps, of
that final appeal into which his spirit seems to have been
breathed for her, whose pangs at his dying have been heavier
than his own. But is there not a full, sufficient comfort in the
fact that his life wag devoted to such high uses? Is there not an
adequate consolation in the Gospel which declares our Christian
COL. JAMES D. VISSCHER. 235
dead as never lost, but only taken up into the glories of the
heavenly world, whence they reach out inviting arms to us who
longer wait below? Is there not such a grandeur about our cause
as compels them, even in their deep grief, to confess that he never
could have fallen in a more glorious service, or won immortality
by a more honorable fate? May these abundant comforts which
God has given with this affliction be realized in all their fullness
by the survivors. May this bereavement be so sanctified as that
out of this death life shall spring, and in the beauty of spirits
chastened and purified by loss, the beauty of the Lord our God
shall be upon us."
236 COL. HOWARD CARROLL.
III.
COL. HOWARD CARROLL.
The foil owing: tribute to this distinguished officer is taken from
one of our city papers, and was written soon after Col. Carroll's
death:
"We are now again called upon to mourn the loss of one whose
death will leave a blank in society that will not easily be filled,
and will bring sorrow to many hearts. To the list of the Albany
dead — of those who have fallen the most gloriously, in the heat
of battle, in the hour of victory, with their faces to the enemy —
we have now to add that of Howard Carroll, Colonel of the
One Hundred and Fifth Regiment of our State Volunteers.
" Hoavard Carroll, when he entered the army, had been a
resident of this city about seven years, and, during that time, his
manly qualities and his enviable accomplishments had endeared
him in no ordinary degree to all who were fortunate enough to
have been ranked among his friends. He was a native of Ireland,
having been born in Dublin, and was a graduate of Dublin Uni-
versity. He was thirty-five years of age at the time of his death.
His family connections in Europe were of a distinguished charac-
ter; his mother, after whose family name he was christened,
being a relative of the Earl of Effingham, and his father's family
occupying a high social position in Dublin. But to the fortuitous
circumstances of birth he, of course, owed nothing here. His
position in society was won by his personal merit, and he needed
no extraneous aid. He was a man of large mind, of genius and
of originality, an elegant and accomplished gentleman, and in
personal appearance, as well as by reason of his education and
acquirements, he would have graced any society.
"By profession, Col. Careoll was a civil engineer. He had
COL. HOWARD CARROLL. 237
graduated at Colleges of Law and Medicine, as well as of Engi-
neering, in Europe, but selected the latter profession as that
which he designed to permanently follow. For the past six
years he had been engaged on the Central railroad, and his ability
as a practical engineer rendered him a valuable assistant to that
corporation. He materially aided in designing the wrought iron
bridges now in use on that road, and all those built under his
superintendence bear evidence to his efficiency and skill as an
engineer. He is spoken of as having been one of the most accom-
plished civil engineers in this country. Col. Hentz, the Chief
Engineer of the government of Prussia, where the railroads and
canals are under the control of the Government, visited this
country some time since to obtain information respecting our
public works, and becoming acquainted with Capt. Carroll, paid
a high tribute to his accomplishments, and bestowed a special
mark of consideration upon him, by forwarding him drawings of
all the public works built by the Government of Prussia.
" When the rebellion broke out, Colonel Carroll was oifered
the position of Brigade Quartermaster in Meagher's Brigade,
and finding his services would be valuable in perfecting the
organization of the brigade, he acted temporarily in that capacity,
but resigned after it had become a success, desiring some more
active and prominent position in the field, but always expressing
his determination to enlist in the service of his adopted country.
Subsequently, he was tendered the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the
One Hundred and Fifth (Rochester) Regiment, a position he at
once accepted.
"After the regiment had been a short time in the service, its
Colonel, Col. Fuller, resigned, and used his best efforts to secure
the promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel Carroll to the Colonelcy,
expressing the opinion to the Governor and Adjutant General
that Howard Carroll was one of the most accomplished officers,
as well as one of the coolest and bravest soldiers in the volunteer
service of the State.
" Col. Carroll was at once invested with the command of the
regiment, and his subsequent career fully justified the judgment
of his former commanding officer. His regiment became famous
238 COL. HOWARD CARROLL.
for its discipline and for its admirable conduct in the field.
Their beloved commander led them in the battle of Cedar Moun-
tain, and in all the fights in which McDoavell's Corps, to which
they were attached, took part in front of Washington during the
four or five days of Pope's retreat. The regiment was distin-
guished for its gallant conduct in all these engagements, and
although cut down from its full complement to some four hundred
men, was ordered up to the support of Banks, and behaved so
well as to attract the attention of the glorious Hooker, who knew
when a commanding officer was a fighting man of the true metal.
" When McClellan was invested with supreme command, he
at once recognized Col. Carroll's services by transferring his
shattered regiment to Hooker's division, and placing him with
the advance of the army in Maryland. The One Hundred and
Fifth was in all the desperate fights that marked the onward
march of our victorious General, after the tide of invasion had
been checked, and the triumphant enemy beaten back into Vir-
ginia, up to the battle of Antietam. During that blood}' and
hard-fought struggle, Col. Carroll was ordered to make a charge,
with four other regiments, up the side of one of those steep
ascents, upon the summit of which the enemy had taken up hh
position. The order was promptly obeyed. Putting himself at
the head of his little band of heroes, the gallant Colonel led
them once more, but alas ! for the last time, to victory. The
post was won. The enemy, in confusion, was driven from hit
position. But even while the shouts of triumph went forth, Col
Carroll was shot from his horse. A Minnie ball passed through
the calf of his left leg, entirely disabling him, and inflicting a
very painful, but, as was supposed, not dangerous wound.
"The Colonel was immediately carried from the field by his
men, to whom his devotion and bravery had much endeared him,
but, in the confusion of the day, and amidst the crowds of
wounded, he could obtain no proper care. His wound was
hastily and but partially dressed, and he was placed in an ambu-
lance and hurried off on a journey of over one hundred miles to
Washington, without any proper care and attendance by the way.
This journey no doubt caused his death. When he reached the
COL. HOWARD CARROLL. 239
Capital, his leg was in a dreadful stale of inflammation, and his
constitution was broken down by fever and exhaustion. He was
in too low a condition to render amputation possible, with any
prospect of recovery. He was placed in the hospital, and
received every attention, when attention came to late; although
even there, as we are assured, there is sad lack of proper surgi-
cal skill. The fatal blunder was in sending severely wounded
men so far, when Baltimore was only one-quarter of the distance,
or when they might have been rested and attended to him at
Frederick.
" Poor Carroll protested against his removal in an ambulance
over miserable roads, in such a condition, but he was helpless to
prevent the sacrifice of life, which his own judgment told him
must follow the ill-advised course.
"Upon learning that Col. Carroll was among the wounded, a
warm personal friend of the deceased, of this city, went on to
Washington to ascertain his condition. He found him in a very
low state, but left him, on Friday of last week, more easy, and, as
he believed, in a fair way of recovery. On Monday evening,
however, Col. Carroll died, having been gradually sinking since
Saturday evening.
" While the wail of bereaved hearts is going up from tens of
thousands of desolated homes; from the widow, who mourns in
her loneliness; from the mother, who weeps for her son; from
the orphan, who pines for a father's caress; from the sister, who
can never again know the blessing of a brother's love; a single
life may seem but of small moment, and the lamentations of
personal friendship may almost take the semblance of selfishness
amidst the general woe. But the officer to whose memory we
have paid but a feeble tribute, possessed so many qualities to
endear him to his friends — as an agreeable companion, an accom-
plished gentleman, and a true hearted man — that we may well
single him out among the many gallant dead, as one whose loss
will be very deeply felt, and whose memory will long be kept
green in many friendly hearts."
240 COL. GEORGE W. PRATT.
XIII.
COL. GEORGE W. PRATT.
We sincerely regret that all the information that we have been
able to obtain of this distinguished scholar and soldier, is con-
tained in the following notices of the deceased, taken from oui
daily newspapers :
"In the month of September, 18G2, Col. George W. Pratt
of the Twentieth New York State Militia, died in this city,
whither he had been brought from the battle held. His death
resulted from paralysis, caused by the explosion of a shell near
his person in the action of August 29th, while he was gallantly
leading his regiment. No wound was inflicted, but his whole
system was paralyzed, and he was insensible most of the time
after he was stricken down. He died at the residence of his
mother-in-law, Mrs. Benjamin Tibbitts, corner of Hawk and Lan-
caster streets. He was a young man of great promise. He had
served as State Senator with ability and integrity. He was a
merchant of enterprise and wealth. He was of cultivated under-
standing and engaging manners. He had a knowledge of many
different lano-naires, and was a member of the leading scientific
societies in this country and in Europe, and had received the
degree of LL. D. from a leading German University. His library,
in the department of Eastern literature, was the best in the coun-
try. He had the Bible in thirty-two languages. His military
ambition and his patriotism called him to the field on the out-
break of the civil war, and he hastened to the support of the
Government at the head of the Twentieth Regiment, of which he
was Colonel. He was only called to a three months service, but
he enlisted for the war, and had served with distinction through
the long campaign, when he received his fatal woitnd on the dis-
COL. GEOEGE W. PRATT. 241
astrous field of Manassas. He was beloved and confided in by
his soldiers; and the army will miss him, for he was one of the
class most needed — a high-toned, conscientious and gallant sol-
dier. He was but thirty-two years of age."
FUNERAL OF COL. G. W. PRATT.
" The day was pleasant, and an immense concourse of people
were in the streets to witness the imposing pageant. Flags
were hung at half mast; guns were fired during the day, and the
bells were tolled during the funeral march. The remains were
buried from St. Peter's Church, where impressive services took
place, under direction of Rt. Rev. Bishops Alonzo and Horatio
Potter. The procession moved from the church in the follow-
ing order:
Detachment of Police.
Military Escort.
Band.
Tenth Regiment N. Y. S. N. G., including the Albany Burgesses
Corps, Col. Ainsworth commanding.
HEARSE,
Flanked by Pall Bearers and the Masonic Lodge of Kingston.
Horse of deceased, led by private servant.
Col. Wright and Staff.
Brig. Gen. Sampson and Staff.
Historical Society of Kingston.
Mayor and Common Council of Albany.
Masonic Order.
Friends of the deceased residing in Kingston and Catskill.
Family and friends of deceased, in carriages.
Citizens.
" The whole was under the command of Col. Bryan, assisted
by Lieut. Col. Chamberlain and Quartermaster Rathbone, of the
Tenth Regiment. The line was formed on the south side of
State street, right resting on Chapel street, at half past one
o'clock. The procession moved down State street to Broadway,
16
242 COL. GEORGE W. PRATT.
up Broadway to Ferry, where a halt was made to allow the mili-
tary and other associations to take the cars for the cemetery.
The steamer Manhattan arrived yesterday morning from Rondout
with some six hundred citizens of that place, Kingston and
vicinity. Among them were the Masonic lodges of those places,
which, with the lodges of this city, constituted one of the most
imposing features of the procession. The pageant was a fitting
demonstration of respect to the memory of a young and gallant
officer, and citizen of intellectual and moral worth."
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 243
XIV.
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK LYMAN TREMAIN.
From his Father. Hon. Lyman Tremain.
By the death of Frederick L. Tremain, my first born child
has been removed from my family, in the morning of his life, and
his name added to the honored roll of patriot martyrs who have
fallen in the recent struggle for national existence.
When one so brave and patriotic, so good and generous, and,
I may add, so talented and distinguished as the subject of this
memoir, gives his young life to his country, the promptings of
justice and patriotism alone, would require that some record of
his example and his services should be preserved.
The voluntary testimonials to his virtues, and to the estima-
tion in which he was held by his brother officers in the army,
and by others, who knew him intimately, have been so numerous
and emphatic, and the expressions of public sympathy and sor-
row so extraordinary and general, as to justify a more enduring
memorial than can be supplied by written letters, or the news-
papers of the day.
Nor, as I believe, can this labor of love devolve on any one
more fitly than on me. No earthly vanity, no vain desire to
obtain earthly fame for my gallant boy, exerts any influence up-
on my action. How vain and empty are earthly fame and worldly
honors to him whose remains are deposited in the tomb! How
hollow and unsatisfactory are these to one crushed and pros-
trate under a blow so severe and bewildering, as that I have
received!
Were it not for other duties and obligations, often would I
have been disposed to use the mourning lamentation of David
for his dead son:
244 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMALN.
" my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I
had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son."
But Absalom lost his life while he was engaged in a treason-
able conspiracy against the government and authority of his
Royal father, while my son offered his, in obedience to the call
of his country, and in the performance of the highest duty that
could rest upon him as a dutiful, loyal, obedient and faithful son
and citizen.
While so much of my happiness, my hopes and my heart lie
buried with my brave boy, it may afford me some solace — it is
the very least tribute I can offer to his memory — to perform the
melancholy office of doing justice to his career.
It may serve to remind my descendants of the household
monument which can be seen in my family, so long as that family
shall exist.
It may serve to teach them the wickedness and sin of treason
against a beneficent government! It may tend to strengthen
their love for a country, the preservation of which has demanded
so costly a sacrifice! It may stimulate them to take a higher
view of their duty to their country and their God! The bright
example of this young patriot may nerve their arm, and
strengthen their heart, to offer any and all necessary sacrifices,
even the sacrifice of life itself, higher than which can no man
give, for the preservation of our country, our union, and our free
institutions!
Frederick Lyman Tremaln was the eldest child of Lyman
and Helen Cornwall Tremaln, and was born at Durham, Greene
county, N. Y., on the 13th of June, 1843. He died at City Point
Hospital, Virginia, on the 8th of February, 1865, from a gunshot
wound received in battle, near Hatcher's Run, on the 6th of Feb-
ruary, being twenty-one years, seven months and twenty-four
days old at the time of his death.
Of his ancestry, all that I propose to state in this connection
is that he descended, both on his father's and mother's side, from
revolutionary stock. His paternal great-grandfather, Nathaniel
Tremaln, was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, who died,
highly esteemed and respected, at Pittsfield, Berkshire county,
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 245
Mass. His maternal great-grandfather, Captain Dan. Cornwall,
was also a soldier of the Revolution, and a worthy citizen, who
died at Cornwallsville, Greene county, N. Y.
In his boyish career, there is little to record, which is worthy
of special notice. While he was by no means precocious, he
was a remarkably bright, intelligent and active boy. His nature
was so genial and generous that he was always a favorite, not
only with his youthful comrades, but with all who were brought
in contact with him.
He had a remarkable facility in the acquisition of knowledge,
and, apparently without effort, mastered whatever lessons were
required of him, in and out of school. In all boyish sports and
athletic exercises, he was an acknowledged leader. He displayed
then, and through his subsequent life, an unusual degree of me-
chanical ingenuity.
There was one trait in his character which was developed at a
very early period, and which became, afterwards, prominent and
extraordinary. This was his wonderful courage, coolness and
self-reliance. Many instances to illustrate this characteristic
might be related, commencing as early as when he was three
years old, but I refrain from giving them a place here, fearful
that their publication might be ascribed to an overweening
parental fondness. Quick in forming his conclusions, prompt in
action, fertile in resources, obstacles and difficulties served only
to stimulate him in the execution of his purposes, and rare, very
rare, was the instance, so rare, indeed, that no case can be now
recalled, in which he failed to accomplish, successfully, whatever
he undertook.
His religious education was carefully attended to, and, at an
early age, he received the holy rite of baptism, in the Protestant
Episcopal Church, at Oak Hill, under the ministration of the
Rev. L. A. Barrows. The following extract is from a letter
received from this faithful minister and good man, written at
Norfolk, St. Lawrence county, his present residence:
" We feel to deeply sympathize with you under the dark cloud
which this sudden and unexpected bereavement has thrown over
you. Since such is the melancholy fact, that a dear child, a
246 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
brilliant youth, in the defence of his country, has been called
from your paternal embrace, let faith lift the veil, and view in a
world of bliss, future scenes more glorious than could have been
won here on battle fields. Frederick is gone. I placed the
form of the cross upon his forehead, and, as in life, so in death,
let us believe that he triumphed over the spiritual enemy, and is
now rejoicing in the kingdom of God."
Here let me add that, after his death, there was found in his
camp tent, carefully preserved, a copy of the Holy Bible, given
to him by his dear mother, with a mark placed at chapters
five and six of Matthew, which contain that sublime and com-
prehensive epitome of man's whole duty, Christ's sermon on
the mount.
In November, 1853, he removed, with his father's family, from
Durham to the city of Albany, where he continued to reside until
his death. Here several years were passed in faithful and dili-
gent study, preparatory to his college education. The schools
he attended in the city were the Albany Boys' Academy, and
afterwards the Classical Institute, in Eagle street, of which Prof.
Charles H. Anthony was Principal. Under the instruction of
this excellent and faithful teacher he spent between two and three
years of his life. Between Mr. Anthony and his young pupil,
relations of friendship were contracted which continued in full
force to the end. The photograph of this teacher of his boy-
hood was found, after his death, among the valued memorials in
his army trunk.
In 1858, Frederick entered the classical school for boys,
under the charge of Mr. James Sedgwick, at Great Barrington,
Mass. In this beautiful New England village he remained, pur-
suing his studies and attracting the affectionate regard of teach
ers and schoolmates, for one year.
In the spring of 1859, he became a pupil in the celebrated
school for boys, under the charge of the Rev. Thomas C Reed,
D. D., at Walnut Hill, Geneva. He continued in Dr. Reed's
school until the summer of 1860, when several of his school
companions were examined for admission into Hobart College,
Geneva, and Frederick, who had formed very strong attach-
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMALNT. 247
ments with them, also applied and passed his examination, and
having been found qualified, was admitted into the Freshman
Class and entered that college at the commencement of the col-
lege year in September, 1860.
The two years, or nearly two years of his college life were
marked by no unusual incidents. Many warm friendships were
formed, and his genial and unselfish character, as well as his
excellent natural abilities, were duly appreciated.
By the firing upon Fort Sumter his patriotism was aroused,
and he experienced an ardent desire to become a volunteer in the
Army of the Union. About this time the people of Geneva were
engaged in organizing an engineer corps, under the command of
Mr. Charles B. Stuart, formerly State Engineer and Surveyor.
Frederick desired to enlist, and applied to his father for his
permission; but, there being at that time no difficulty in procur-
ing volunteers, and his college career having commenced only
the fall before, the paternal consent was then withheld — not
finally, but for the present.
In December, 1861, the annual sophomore exercises in public
speaking took place, and Frederick was selected as one of the
thirteen speakers of his class to participate in them. In a letter
inviting his parents to attend, he writes : "I think you will not
hear any bad speaking; but, on the contrary, will hear much
good speaking on the occasion." The exhibition took place at
Linden Hall, in the presence of a large and intelligent audience,
and he acquitted himself quite creditably. In the " Geneva
Gazette" his performance was specially mentioned in compli-
mentary and flattering terms.
During; the summer of 1862, after the President's call for more
men appeared, Frederick, who had never for a moment relin-
quished his desire to enter the army, again urged his father to
yield his consent. The author was thus brought face to face
with the stern reality of war, and he was called upon to deter-
mine the question whether the application of this loved son
should be granted or denied. He had, from the commencement
of the great conflict, labored, to the extent of his ability, to con-
vince his countrymen that it was their duty to sustain the Gov-
248 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
ernmcut and overthrow the rebellion. He had exerted what-
ever influence he possessed, by public addresses and in various
other modes, to induce men to take the field against the enemies
of the country. The conviction that it was the solemn duty of
every American citizen to sustain the authority and preserve the
life of the nation at any and all sacrifices, was as full and com-
plete as the human mind was capable of entertaining. This con-
viction formed a part of his very being, and he believed that, in
this great crisis of the nation's peril, his duty to his beloved
country was second only to his duty to his God.
Adherence to this conviction had already caused the sundering
of ties and associations cherished through life, and thereby pro-
duced an amount of mental suttering capable of being endured
only by the consciousness of duty performed. More than one
year's terrible experience in the sanguinary struggle, had revealed
the dangerous character of the conspiracy formed to overthrow
the Union and our Republican institutions, and to strengthen the
belief, that without universal self-denial and united action among
the friends of the Republic, all would be lost, and once gone,
could never be regained.
Should he now refuse to make the sacrifice required, by per-
mitting that son to aid in the defence of his imperiled country,
a sacrifice which he had been asking others to make? Should he
withhold from the service of that country one who possessed the
ability and the desire to make himself useful in the contest?
Should he be subjected to the reproach of having urged others to
send their sons, brothers and relatives to the war, and yet shrink
from the application of the stern test of sincerity and patriotism
in the case of his own son?
Should he compel that son to feel and, perhaps, to admit, in
future times, that he was withheld from going forth to fight
against his country's enemies by his own father, and that father
one who had professed to be in favor of prosecuting the war
with all the power and resources of the nation?
After careful deliberation, aided by the best lights which his
imperfect human reason afforded, he resolved that his consent
should no longer be withheld, and it was granted.
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 249
And now, with the bright hopes and brilliant promises that
clustered around that gallant youth forever extinguished — now,
with soul and spirit crushed by the traitorous bullet which took
his young life — now, with the prop on which I had fondly hoped
to lean, in my declining years, shivered to atoms, the question
comes home to me: Did I right in yielding that consent? and
down, down from the inmost recesses of my soul, the still small
voice of conscience whispers an affirmative response.
The consent of his mother followed, and Frederick imme-
diately began his arrangements for the new field of duty, with
great earnestness and energy. He had already become a mem-
ber of Company A, of the Zouave Cadets, a uniformed company
in the Tenth Regiment of Militia, and had been eno-aged in
acquiring the drill and the necessary military science. This
company has become highly distinguished during the war. It
can point, on its muster rolls, to many names among the noblest,
most gifted and patriotic of the young men of Albany. It has
already sent more than ninety of its members to the field, each
one of whom has earned and obtained a commission, many of
high rank, and all of respectable position.
Having obtained from Hobart College, an honorable dismissal,
his attention was immediately devoted to the new regiment of
infantry, known as the One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment
of New York Volunteers, which was then in the process of being
organized in the city of Albany.
For the purpose of organizing this regiment, His Excellency,
Governor Morgan, had designated a war committee, embracing
some of the most patriotic and influential citizens of Albany, and
the committee held daily sessions at the Mayor's room in the
City Hall. It was resolved to make this regiment one of the
best that had been sent forth from the State. The Governor had
entrusted to the committee the duty of recommending suitable
persons to obtain authorization papers, to recruit volunteers with
reference to having commissions, as lieutenants and captains,
issued to those who were able to recruit the requisite number of
men.
Frederick promptly applied to the committee, and was the
250 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMATN.
first person who received from the Adjutant General, on the
recommendation of the committee, authority to obtain recruits
for the new regiment. He erected his tent in front of Capitol
Park, in State street, issued his posters, associated with him
young Orr and young McEwen, (the former of whom has since
lost his life in the army, and the latter is now Judge Advocate
of the First Division, Second Army Corps, having been for some
time a prisoner at Libby Prison, Richmond) and proceeded, with
vigor and energy, to obtain volunteers. Indeed, the real man-
hood of his character was displayed from the moment he felt
the responsibilities of his position, and continued to manifest
itself, more and more clearly, in every subsequent stage of his
career.
The late Adjutant General, John T. Sprague, then a Major in
the United States Army, was on duty for the Government at
Albany, as an auditing and disbursing officer. The war com-
mittee unanimously designated him as the Colonel of the new
regiment, and he accepted the position. The Government at
Washington, however, soon after this, declined to relieve him
from duty in the regular army, and hence he was only enabled
to act as Colonel for a very few days. During that time, how-
ever, discovering the necessity of an Adjutant for the regiment,
and being acquainted with Frederick, Col. Sprague kindly ten-
dered him the position of Adjutant. It was accepted, and his
selection approved by Gov. Morgan.
In the time that intervened, prior to the period when the regi-
ment left Albany, which was about thirty days, the whole duty of
organizing it, and getting it into proper working order, devolved
upon the new Adjutant.
To the faithful discharge of these duties, Frederick devoted
himself, days and nights, dividing his time between the head-
quarters in Broadway and the barracks. How readily he mas-
tered those duties, and how well he performed them, may be
inferred from the frequent compliments bestowed upon him by
the committee, who were superintending his movements, and
who were surprised and gratified by the qualities he exhibited.
If any apprehensions had been entertained, by reason of the
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 251
Adjutant's youth, it is believed they were entirely and speedily
dispelled.
Lewis O. Morris, the Colonel, who was seleeted to command
the new regiment, was a valuable and accomplished officer. He
had been fifteen years in the army, and bore an enviable reputa-
tion as an artillery officer.
About the 19th of August, 18G2, the One Hundred and Thir-
teenth Regiment, with ten hundred and sixty bayonets, left the
city of Albany, under orders to report at Washington. It was
one of the first regiments placed in the held, under the Presi-
dent's call, and received a beautiful stand of colors, as well as
the Springfield muskets, which had been promised to each of the
first four regiments. A finer regiment, or one carrying with it
so many good wishes and so much interest, on the part of Alba-
nians, never left our city.
When the regiment reached Washington, the officer in charge
of its defences, knowing the skill of Col. Morris as an artillery
officer, procured the assignment of the regiment to duty upon
the defences of the city, where it was, not long afterwards, con-
verted into the Seventh New York Artillery.
The ensuing fifteen months were passed by Frederick, with
his regiment, near Fort Reno, about five miles from Washington.
He applied himself diligently to the acquisition of the knowledge
required in the artillery service. Part of the time he was en-
gaged in teaching a school of officers in military tactics. He
devoted himself faithfully to the performance of his official
duties. Twice I had the pleasure of visiting him there, and
could not fail to discover that he was a universal favorite with
the officers and men.
He became thoroughly familiar with his new profession. About
the time of leaving the regiment, he happened one day to be
engaged with a brother officer in discussing the subject of being
examined, as to qualifications, before a military board in session
at Washington, when Frederick volunteered to be examined.
His duties called him frequently to Washington, and soon after-
Avards he presented himself before the board, and was subjected
to a thorough examination, the result of which was that he passed
252 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAES".
the examination successfully, and was tendered, in a few days, a
Lieutenant Colonel's commission in a colored regiment, but
meantime he had received another appointment, which he pre-
ferred.
At one time he had a severe attack of typhoid fever, produced
by the miasma of the Potomac, to which he was exposed in the
discharge of his official duties, and under the advice of his sur-
geon, he obtained a short leave of absence and visited his home,
but soon returned to his duties with renewed zeal and energy.
In writing to me that he had deemed it best for his health to
make a short visit home, his surgeon says:
" The Adjutant was quite unwilling to listen to the suggestion,
but deeming it best, I insisted, imperatively, and shall apply for
a furlough to-morrow.
"Regretting the necessity which separates him, even tempora-
rily, from the staff, on his own account, I should do myself
injustice, as well as injustice to my brother officers, if I omitted
to state that we shall wait anxiously to hear of his convalescence,
and to welcome him again to the regiment."
Frederick was a universal favorite among the common sol-
diers. He always treated them with kindness and justice. Quick
to discover real merit in a private, and mingling much with the
men, his opinions concerning promotions had great influence
with Colonel Morris, and many a deserving soldier has been
indebted for his promotion from the ranks, to the aid and recom-
mendation of the Adjutant.
He began, after more than a year had elapsed, and still no
orders to move came, to desire more active service. The con-
version of his regiment into an artillery regiment, thus placing
it in a higher branch of service, had been gratifying to him, but
he had not anticipated so long a continuance of garrison duty,
and, having reason to believe that the regiment might remain
doing that duty for a long time, and perhaps until the end of the
war, his active spirit began to chafe under the monotony of his
present life. Animated by an honorable ambition, he could not
enjoy a life of inglorious ease.
He wrote several letters to the author, expressing these feel-
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMATN. 253
ings, and desiring his aid in obtaining a position where he might
Have an opportunity to acquire distinction, and strike a blow at
the enemies of his country.
Influenced by these appeals, the author applied for, and, in
November, obtained, for Frederick, Presidential appointment
as Assistant Adjutant General, with the rank of Captain; an
appointment which was subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
I was present when this appointment was handed to him by that
devoted patriot and able cabinet officer, Edwin M. Stanton. He
observed, as he gave it, "I trust I shall hereafter have the plea-
sure of conferring on you higher honors;" to which Frederick
modestly replied, "I hope my future conduct will give you no
reason to regret the confidence reposed in me."
Frederick had learned of the reputation already acquired by
that brave and rising 3*oung General, Henry E. Davies, Jr., of
the cavalry service, and he asked for and obtained an order to
report to him for duty. His departure from the old Seventh
Regiment was the occasion for many regrets, with officers and
men, and with himself. The officers assembled to bid him an
affectionate farewell, and the regimental band serenaded him on
the eve of his departure. This noble regiment took the field
the following spring with more than one thousand seven hundred
and sixty bayonets, and of these brave men how few, either offi-
cers or men, are now surviving!
On the 12th of November, soon after his departure, Colonel
Morris issued an order appointing his successor, which was duly
made public, and contained the following handsome allusion to
the late Adjutant:
"The Colonel commanding, while he rejoices at the promotion
of Captain Tremaln, regrets that it will send him to a new field
of duty, and sever his connection with this regiment.
"He will bear with him the best wishes of the officers of the
regiment for his future welfare and success."
Pursuant to orders, Frederick reported for duty to General
Davies, then commanding the First Brigade in the Third Divi-
sion of the Cavalry Corps. The new field of duty thus opened
to him, was specially suited to his taste and feelings. It was the
254 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
cavalry service, and the excitement, life and dash of that arm of
the service were peculiarly adapted to his ardent and enthusiastic
nature. He became devotedly fond of the cavalry service; the
remainder of his life was spent in it, and he became more and
more interested in and attached to it. An accomplished and
veteran officer, who knew him well, and who had been for
nearly a year in the same division with him, remarked to the
author recently, " Frederick was our beau ideal of a cavalry
officer. Brave, generous and chivalrous, he attracted our admi-
ration. We were all proud of him. He had no enemy in the
corps, and he achieved a reputation for gallantry equal to that of
any officer in the army."
In the month of April commenced those grand movements of
the cavalry which have become already historic. From that
time, down to his death, the active military career of Frederick
may be said to have been accomplished. He was an actor in
those mighty military movements on which depended the fate
of the nation. He was a soldier of the Republic in the great
Army whose tread shook the Continent of America, and whose
heroic deeds have excited the wonder and admiration of the
world.
To the pen of history belongs the noble task of recording the
military operations in which he had the honor to participate
during the ever memorable campaign of 1864. And yet, when
we consider the bloody and obstinate nature of the battles thai
were fought; the glorious and unconquerable resolution which
was displayed in conducting the movements of the Union armies;
the immense loss of human life; the masterly combinations of
those armies; the vast extent of country which constituted the
field of their display; the number of those brilliant raids per-
formed by the cavalry alone, through the heart of an enemy's
country, each one constituting an interesting history of itself;
the toil, the sacrifices, the fatigue, sufferings, and perils to which
the heroic soldiers in those armies were continually subjected,
and to which, with unflinching fortitude and cheerfulness, they
submitted; when we consider, too, the innumerable deeds of
personal bravery, performed both by officers and men; the holy
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAEST. 255
and patriotic purposes by which the great body of those armies
was prompted; the unselfish willingness they manifested to sac-
rifice their lives for the preservation of the honor, the integrity,
and the unity of their country; and, finally, the glorious and suc-
cessful results of all these operations, we may well doubt whether
history will ever contain more than an outline skeleton of them all.
My allusions to these movements must, necessarily, be brief
and imperfect. A few weeks before his death, Frederick, at my
request, declared his resolution to prepare, at his first leisure
moments, a record of the battles in which he had been engaged,
but alas ! that leisure never came !
His reports, as Assistant Adjutant General, giving a history
of these movements, are not yet accessible to the public, and I
have derived no information from them. He participated in no
less than twenty-five battles and skirmishes during a period of
ten months. My knowledge of these is derived from his own
letters, dashed off in the midst of exciting scenes, from his con-
versations, and from information cheerfully furnished by culti-
vated and intelligent army officers, who were associated with him
at different periods of time during the campaign.
On the 22d of April, the Second Cavalry Division, which
included the Second Brigade, to which Frederick was attached,
moved from Warrenton to a place near the Junction — the whole
Division being under the command of Major General David M.
Gregg. Here it remained until the 29th, when it advanced to
Paoli Mills, and on the 2d of May moved over to Richardsville.
On the 4th of May the cavalry crossed the Eapidan in advance
of the infantry, and the whole Army of the Potomac crossed
soon after, in pursuance of General Grant's orders. This was
the beginning of the general movement of the army — the intel-
ligence of which sent a thrill of excitement throughout the
country.
The famous battles of the Wilderness soon followed. These
"commenced on the 5th, and continued for seA r en days. They
were fought without artillery, under great disadvantages, in the
woods, with varied fortunes; and during their continuance were
displayed those wonderful qualities of courage and dogged reso-
256 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
lution for which General Grant has become so distinguished, and
also the bravery and heroism, which have covered with glory the
Army of the Potomac. The loss of life was immense, but the
rebels were driven from the ground, and our army moved on-
ward in its progress towards the walls of Richmond, and towards
the accomplishment of the great object which current events
seem so plainly to indicate must ultimately be accomplished.
On the first day of these battles, the cavalry became engaged
with the enemy's cavalry and infantry in the vicinity of Todd's
Tavern, near Corbin's Bridge.
Severe fighting Avas continued by the cavalry for several days.
This was the first time Frederick was "under fire." His con-
duct on the occasion excited great admiration. He displayed all
the coolness of a veteran. His General, in speaking of his gal-
lantry soon afterwards, remarked, "that he was one of the few
men he had seen who did not seem to know the meaning of fear."
On the first day the cavalry were mounted, and the staff offi-
cers were much exposed. General Davies and Frederick were
in front, when the enemy charged in and broke our skirmish line,
nearly capturing both of them. This cavalry engagement is
known as the battle of Todd's Tavern. It was during the pro-
gress of this battle that Frederick charged upon the enemy, at
the head of a column, breaking through their lines, and cutting
his way back to the main army.
In the evening of May 8th, an order was received commanding
the Cavalry Corps to proceed to Richmond and destroy the com-
munications between Lee's army and that city, and to form a
junction with Butler's army. The movement of the entire Cav-
alry Corps, commanded by General Sheridan, commenced on
the morning of the 9th. In the afternoon of that day the enemy
attacked the cavalry in the rear, and a severe* fight occurred in
which the rebels were repulsed with considerable loss. Tins
occurred at a place called Childsburg. The cavalry only took
with them on this inarch rations for four or five days.
On the 10th, another attack was made by the enemy, followed
up by continued skirmishing and fighting. Our cavalry suc-
ceeded, this day, in recapturing from the enemy about three
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 257
hundred and fifty prisoners, who had been captured on the
second or third day of the fight in the Wilderness. Among them
were two Colonels and Captain Wood, a son of the Honorable
Bradford Wood, of Albany. As may well be supposed, they
were delighted with the change in their condition. They were
on the point, when retaken, of being placed in the railroad cars
at Beaver Dam Station. Some of their guard fled and the rest
were taken prisoners. Our troops, on the same clay, captured a
large quantity of arms, about a million rations, and destroyed
three locomotives besides three trains of cars. The night of the
10th they encamped within twenty miles of Richmond.
In the morning of the 11th, the First Brigade was detached
from the main body and sent to destroy the railroad at Ashland
Station and the bridge over the South Anna River. At Ashland
the contents of a Post Office were seized, and as a school for
young ladies was located here, the captured correspondence
afforded some amusement to the captors.
Frederick accompanied the brigade, and after destroying the
railroad at Ashland, he was sent, with two squadrons of cavalry
(about one hundred men) to destroy the bridge, when he was
cut off from the main body of the brigade, and was supposed,
for some time, to have been taken prisoner. He continued, how-
ever, on another route, destroying the railroad as they proceeded,
until late in the afternoon, when he succeeded in rejoining the
main column below, much to the satisfaction of his comrades,
who had despaired of seeing him and his little force again. The
same clay a severe tight occurred at Old Tavern, with the enemy's
cavalry under the famous Jeb Stewart, who was killed.
That night the corps marched all night, and on the morning
of the 12th reached the Chickahominy river, near Meadow's
Bridge. Here a terrific battle ensued with the whole of the
enemy's cavalry force and infantry, which had been sent out from
Richmond. The enemy greatly outnumbered our forces, and,
during a considerable portion of the time, our troops were sur-
rounded, and fighting was carried on, around four sides of the
square where our troops were placed, but, under the command
of the indomitable Sheridan, they broke through the enemy's
17
258 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
lines, and in the afternoon, General Custer having driven the
enemy from the bridge, onr forces crossed the Chickahoniiny,
leaving no prisoners in the enemy's hands except those who
were wounded.
In this battle the fragment of a spent shell was hurled against
Frederick's person, inflicting a pretty severe injury, although
he treated it lightly in his letter to his mother describing the
raid.
It was during this raid that he was sent in advance to place a
squadron on picket duty, and they came so near the city of Rich-
mond as to see the lights and the steeples, and to hear the bells
of the city. This engagement is known as the battle of Rich-
mond Heights. The enemy did not pursue, and that night the
corps bivouacked at a place beyond Mechanicsville. Ou the
night of the 13th the cavalry remained at Bottom's Bridge, and
on the 14th moved to Haxall's Landing, on the James river,
where our gun boats mistaking the advance guard for the enemy,
at first, fired upon them, but on being signaled the firing ceased
and the tired and worn out troops formed the contemplated
junction with Butler's army.
Thus terminated one of the most extraordinary raids on record.
It will ever retain a place among the most brilliant achievements
of the war. A force of cavalry alone advanced through the
heart of Virginia, to the very gates of Richmond, cutting their
way through all opposing forces, breaking up the enemy's lines
of communication, removing forever all antiquated prejudices
against the cavalry, and establishing the efficiency and usefulness
of that arm of the service.
The successful accomplishment of this expedition seems more
like romance than sober reality. From that hour the rising star
of General Sheridan has been in the ascendant, and a grateful
people will ever cherish, with gratitude and pride, the recollec-
tion of the feats performed by him and his bold raiders of the
Cavalry Corps.
On his arrival at the James river, Frederick wrote a letter to
his mother, in pencil, giving a graphic account of the raid, which
was published, at the time, in the "Evening Journal." In
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 259
.alluding to this publication, afterwards, he wrote with character-
istic modesty:
"I am sorry that any of my letters are published. I do not
write them for publication, and do not wish them published; I
hope that no more will be, for, if they are, I shall stop giving
any accounts at all."
To return to the cavalry: They laid at the James river two or
three days, to recruit the tired horses and men, and then moved
back, to rejoin the main army, crossing the Chickahominy by
night, at Jones' Ford, and returning by way of the Baltimore
Cross Roads and Cold Harbor. Daily skirmishes took place
with the rebel cavalry. They then went to the White House,
where they obtained supplies and rations, after which they
marched back and joined the main army near Hanover Court
House, on the 25th, having successfully accomplished .all that
had been expected.
Immediately afterwards there was a general advance of the
army, and the cavalry moved down to Hanover Town, on the
Pamunkey river. After marching two days and one night they
met the enemy on the 28th, near Haw's Shop, when the most
severe and obstinate cavalry fight of the war occurred. It com-
menced at ten o'clock in the morning, and continued until six in
the afternoon, the fighting on our side being done principally by
Gen. Davies' Brigade, assisted, towards the close of the battle,
by Gen. Custer's Brigade, when the enemy were driven from
the field, leaving their killed and wounded in possession of our
troops.
Although Frederick distinguished himself in this battle, as
appears by a letter from one of the staff officers, yet, in his let-
ter home, he makes no allusion to his own conduct. In a letter
written to his father, on the 30th, he had, for the first time,
evinced some depression of spirits, but in a subsequent one,
dated June 3d, he apologizes for it, and gives a brief description
of the fight. He writes:
"I was feeling badly then, and the reason was that on the 28th
we lost Lieut. Wardell, of our staff. He was my tent mate, and
for a long time we had slept together and were very intimate
200 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
indeed. He was killed instantly while riding at the General's
side. The fight of Hanover Town, on the 28th, is said to have
been the most severe cavalry fight of the war. The fighting was
done principally by our brigade. We were in about eight hours,
and lost twenty-five officers and one hundred and sixty-eight men,
killed and wounded.
"The General was riding a white horse, and went up on to
the skirmish line with two staff officers, two orderlies and one
bugler. One staff officer was killed instantly; the other had his
horse killed, and the bugler was also killed. The General's
horse was shot through the tail, and a bullet broke his scabbard.
It is my duty to be with the General always, unless sent away
specially, and, fortunately for me, I was so sent to another part
of the field, and was looking for the General when this occurred,
and in one minute more would have been in the same place, had
I not met him coming out when he stopped me.
" I send a rebel paper. You will see by it that they supposed
our whole cavalry force was engaged, together with two corps of
infantry, while actually there was only our brigade, assisted for
the last three hours by General Custar's Brigade, but the brunt
of the fighting was done by this brigade. They say they only
had one brigade, but in another part of the paper they admit
having several detachments of other brigades. We know, from
our prisoners, that their whole cavalry force was engaged, to-
gether with some mounted infantry. We found on the field,
after we had driven them from it, one hundred and sixty-six
dead rebels, and forty wounded ones, and as there are usually
eight or ten wounded to one killed, their loss must have been
immense.
" My horse was shot slightly in the neck. Since then we
have had several smaller fights, but I have not time now to men-
tion them."
This battle is known as the battle of Haw's Shop, or Bethesda
Church. Between this time and the Gordonsville raid, hereafter
mentioned, there was considerable severe fighting around Cold
Harbor, at Barker's Mills and on the Chickahominy, in which the
cavalry participated. The whole army moved down finally to
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 2G1
Bottom's Bridge. Before going to Bottom's Bridge, the cavalry
had a severe engagement at Sumner's Upper bridge, and, while
dismounted, held possession of it for some time, and until
relieved by the infantry.
We come now to another of those celebrated cavalry raids
which have given to Gen. Sheridan, and his famous Cavalry
Corps, a national and world-wide reputation.
On the Gth of June the Cavalry Corps left Newcastle, on the
Pamunkey river, and after marching days and nights, with only
four hours in the twenty-four devoted to rest, on the 11th met
the enemy at Trevillian Station, near Gordonsville, when a severe
battle ensued, which continued for two days, the enemy having
the advantage of fighting behind breastworks. We captured
several hundred prisoners, but finding it impossible to break
through their fortifications, our troops retired, and returned by
way of Spottsylvania Court House, a circuitous route, to White
House, where our wagon train was, consisting of about nine hun-
dred wagons loaded with supplies for the army. Gen. Grant
had meanwhile changed his base of supplies from White House
to James river, leaving the wagon train of the Cavalry Corps at
White House.
The rebels, having the inside line, had also been marching
upon White House, hoping to capture this train before the arri-
val of the Cavalry Corps, but in this hope they were doomed to
disappointment, Our troops arrived a little in advance of the
enemy, and on the 21st a sharp fight took place at White House,
in which the First Brigade participated, which resulted in driving
the enemy from the field, and the occupation of the ground by
our victorious troops.
Our trains were forwarded to the army at James river. On
the second day's march, Gen. Gregg having command of the
Second Division, was detached with his division to cover the
right of the column.
About six miles from the main column he met a very heavy
force of the enemy's cavalry and infantry at a place called St.
Mary's Church, when another sanguinary and bard fought battle
262 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAHNT.
took place, attended with severe loss. This occurred on the
24th of June.
The fighting on our side was conducted by a single division
against the enemy's entire corps, our troops and horses being
tired and worn out by the Gordonsville raid, as they had been
allowed no rest whatever.
In this battle Frederick again distinguished himself by his
coolness and bravery, having been charged with important and
perilous duties, and being exposed under such circumstances that
his commanding General afterwards expressed his wonder that
any mounted officer could survive. He was charged with the
order to bring off the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, and remained
in the field until it had left.
During this battle he rode within a very short distance of the
enemy's skirmish line, and by discovering their presence, was
able to prevent Gen. Gregg from mistaking them for our own
troops, and possibly falling into their hands, as the dust by
which all the troops were covered had already deceived him.
During the months of July and August several severe skir-
mishes and battles took place, in which his brigade and he par-
ticipated, viz: At Ream's Station, on the 15th of July; at Malvern
Hill, on the 28th of July; at Lee's Mills, July 31st; at Gravel
Hill, on the 14th, 16th and 17th days of August, and again at
Ream's Station on the 21st, 22d, 23d and 25th days of August.
On one of these occasions, Gen. Davies being absent on sick
leave, and the brigade under the command of Col. Steadman,
Frederick had been ordered to the hospital on account of his
health, and was being carried in an ambulance. Hearing the
firing of the guns, he left the ambulance and came to the nearest
body of troops, which proved to be the Tenth New York Cav-
alry, and here took an active part in the battle, firing with his
own hand, cheering the men, and exposing his person to the
enemy's fire. His conduct excited the enthusiastic admiration
of the men in the regiment, and aided in preparing them to give
him the warm welcome, which he subsequently received from
them, when he became the Lieutenant Colonel of that regiment.
On being spoken to on the subject, he remarked, that in the
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 263
absence of the General he felt that a peculiar responsibility
rested on the members of the staff; that he knew the eyes of the
army were on the Second Brigade, which occupied an advanced
position, and had acquired a fine reputation, and that he regarded
his own honor as identified with that of the brigade.
The battle at Ream's Station, the latter part of August, was a
sanguinary affair, and Frederick was then brought alongside of
his old regiment, the Seventh New York Artillery. I learn from
Capt. O'Brien that Frederick volunteered to deliver an impor-
tant message to the officer commanding a battery, which was done
under a heavy fire.
He never returned to the hospital, but his health was so much
impaired that nothing but his indomitable resolution enabled him
to keep his saddle. In a letter to his father, dated August 31st,
he alludes in terms of warm admiration to the conduct of the old
Seventh at Ream's Station; naming several former comrades
belonging to it who were killed, and others taken prisoners;
mentions that the conduct of his own brigade had received much
credit in Gen. Hancock's official reports; remarks that there had
been considerable fighting for the Weldon railroad, in nearly all
of which he had the honor to participate, and thus alludes to his
own health:
" You can have no idea of the excessive fatigue to which we
have been subjected this month, and especially for an A. A. G.
I do not not want to take a sick leave unless I am actually
obliged to, for it is not considered very honorable to leave the
field upon the plea of sickness, when one is only about half sick.
There are so many shoulder-strapped individuals that are hiding
under the shadow of a surgeon's certificate, that I don't want to
be ranked among that class."
In a letter to his sister, dated September 3d, he says:
" Since writing to father three days ago, we have marched
nearly forty miles, and have- had quite a hard fight — I fortunately
escaped. We lost quite severely, and this morning we returned
and camped in nearly the same place from which I wrote father.
We cannot tell how long we will be allowed to remain quiet;
indeed, since July 25th, we have not been forty-eight hours in
264 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
one place, and as you may easily imagine, we have had but little
time to write, while the wear, tear and fatigue have been terrible.
I have been so tired at times that I would go to sleep on horse-
back. Only last night I was so much worn out that I laid down
under a tree and went sound asleep while it was raining, and I
had not a thing over me. I could not help it.
"I write and tell you this, Nellie, so that you can have some
slight idea of the reasons for my not writing you in answer to
your letters promptly, and not because I am complaining at all.
"When we do get a chance to stop anywhere, I have a great
many written reports to make, and cannot neglect them, and after
they are done, I am so tired that I generally try and go to sleep
for a little while, and letter writing becomes next to an impossi-
bility. I am not very well, but am on duty, and shall remain so
as long as I am able.
"I was very sorry to hear of G.'s sickness, and glad to learn
he was getting better. He should congratulate himself that he
was where he could be taken care of. Here, when one gets sick,
he gets very little care, I assure you. They do the best they can,
of course, but a tent and the ground make but an indifferent sick
room and bed.
" We have had some very hard fighting over this Weldon rail-
road, and you can congratulate yourself that you still have a
brother in the army. I have several times made up my mind
that you would not have long, but I have been so far spared. I
have not written you, Nellie, about anything else than myself,
but I know that I am the one that you want to hear about, and
so shall offer no excuse."
Frederick's duties as Assistant Adjutant General were con-
genial to his tastes and adapted to his capacity, but yet they had
been exceedingly arduous and laborious. He was chief of the
brigade staff. His labors during a march commenced early and
continued late. He thus explains them in a condensed form, in
answer to my inquiry on the subject:
"To attend to all the details of a movement; in battle, to
remain with the General, and if any orders are given, to give
them to the aids for the regimental commanders, or whomsoever
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 265
they may concern; to watch the lines, and whenever, in my opin-
ion, an advantage can be gained, to show it to the General, if he
has not already perceived it; and if the aids are all away on duty,
and an important order is issued, to carry it myself, and see that
it is obeyed; sometimes to push on one flank of the skirmish
line while the General is pushing on another, and in every way
to watch the effect of movements ordered; and, in fact, to be an
assistant to the General (on the field an order from me is the
same as one from him); and after a fight to camp the several
regiments; to see, personally, that a proper picket line is thrown
out; to make official reports of operations, and returns of killed,
wounded and missing, damage done, &c, &c."
Upon receiving the letters of August 31st and September 3d,
the author applied directly to the Secretary of War for a brief
leave of absence, which, having been promptly granted, Fred-
erick made a short but delightful visit to his home in September.
Recovering his health and strength, he rejoined the army in time
to participate in the battle of Davis Farm, on the Vaughn Road,
on the 1st of October.
For an account of his gallant bearing on that occasion, I refer
to the letter from Major Thomas, who served on the same staff.
A description of this brilliant affair was given in the New York
Herald. The first brigade were dismounted, and bravely resisted
an attack by an enemy largely outnumbering them; and then,
with a gallant charge, routed and drove them from the field.
He also participated in the first battle of Hatcher's Run on the
26th of November, and in the movement in the latter part of
November, by which General Gregg and his division advanced
to Stony Creek, destroying the bridge and several pieces of
artillery, capturing prisoners, and successfully accomplishing the
object of the advance.
On the 6th of December, orders were received for the cavalry
to move at three o'clock the next morning with six days' rations.
The movement was made when the weather was very cold, and
on the 9th a severe engagement took place at Bellfield. Major
Sargeant, of the First Massachusetts Cavalry, was shot while
riding by the side of Frederick during the fight — an event which
266 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
produced a serious impression upon bis mind. It is understood
that the movement was eminently successful.
A full account of this affair was given in the Herald, written
by its army correspondent. In the official report of the move-
ment, Frederick had the honor of being mentioned as "having
behaved with the greatest gallantry and zeal, and having contri-
buted greatly to the success of the brigade by valuable service."
The time was now approaching for severing his official connec-
tion as Assistant Adjutant General with General Davies and his
brigade staff — a relation cemented by their common sufferings,
perils, and glories. A vacancy had occurred in the Colonelcy
of the Tenth New York Cavalry by the withdrawal from that
position of Colonel Irvine, the present accomplished and patri-
otic Adjutant General of New York. Lieutenant-Colonel Avery,
being about to be promoted to fill the vacancy, tendered the posi-
tion of Lieutenant-Colonel to Frederick. Colonel Avery had
become well acquainted with Frederick while he was Assistant
Adjutant General. General Irvine informs me that Gen. Gregg
also advised the selection of Frederick, as it would be an acqui-
sition to the regiment.
Having ascertained that all the officers of the regiment were
in favor of his appointment, he resolved to accept the position,
and without delay commissions were issued by his Excellency
Governor Seymour for Colonel Avery and Lieutenant-Colonel
Tremain, but a brief delay in mustering in became necessary, to
enable the regiment to become recruited to the requisite number
for mustering in the new officers.
Frederick, having resigned the office of Assistant Adjutant
General, seized the occasion to pay a holiday visit to his home.
He arrived the evening before New Year's, and passed a few
weeks there in a visit which will be cherished during life by
evety member of the family, among their most treasured recol-
lections.
It was a subject of general remark that he had become much
matured by his experience in the army. While cheerful and
hopeful, he was yet grave and thoughtful, and fully impressed
with the duties and responsibilities of his position.
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 267
He returned to the army full of high hopes and expectations.
Fort Fisher had fallen; Thomas had achieved his great victory
over Hood; Sherman was advancing in triumph, and he confi-
dently believed that the end of the rebellion was at hand.
On his return he met at Washington, in the Invalid Corps, an
old comrade of the Seventh, and true to his nature, which led
him to promote the welfare of others, he wrote a letter of intro-
duction for him, invoking the author's kind offices in his behalf.
This was the last letter I ever received from him directed to me,
and I give it as a fair revelation of the kindness of his character.
" My Dear Father — I have the honor to introduce to you
Lieutenant , formerly of the Seventh New York Artillery,
and now of the Invalid Corps. He was wounded in front of
Petersburg in the famous charge of June 16th, of the Seventh
New York Artillery. The shell that struck him carried away the
left eye, and exposed the brain slightly, so that he can hardly do
night duty. He, therefore, wishes to be ordered on duty some-
where in New York State, where he can still do duty, but, if
possible, to some place where he can sleep at night, as the loss
of sleep gives him terrible pains in the head on account of the
exposure of the brain.
"He is a gallant officer, and has won for himself a Lieutenancy
from the ranks as a private, and deserves all the favors that loyal
men are able to grant him.
" If you in any way can assist him in the accomplishment of his
object, you will only be rendering a gallant soldier what is justly
due him. Your affectionate son,
"F. L. TREMAIN,
"Lieutenant Colonel Tenth JV. Y. Cavalry.
" January 27, 1865."
When he joined the Tenth, and had been mustered in as Lieu-
tenant Colonel, he wrote a letter to his mother expressing his
pleasure at his reception by his new regiment, and his gratifica-
tion in being put in charge of an officer's school for instruction
in military tactics, which letter came to hand on the day he
268 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMATN.
received bis fatal wound. I learn that his home and his pleasant
visit were the theme of his constant conversation among his inti-
mate friends. He was kind and affectionate in his nature, and
was devotedly attached to every member of his father's family.
" Sir," said his tent mate to the author, "I felt well acquainted
with every member of your family, from Fred's description and
frequent conversation."
On the 7th of February, while engaged in court, I received
from Maj. Pease the following telegram: "February 6. — Fred
was seriously wounded to-day. It is thought not dangerously."
The next train carried from Albany, on their way to him, his
mother, Dr. Pomfret (who cheerfully consented to go, although
he was home on leave), and the author. We arrived in Wash-
ington the next evening, and immediately, through the War
Department, opened a telegraphic communication with Gen.
Meade's head-quarters. The first answer was encouraging, but,
alas ! the next brought the fatal intelligence that Lieut. Col. Tre-
main died the same evening (the 8th) at City Point Hospital, that
his remains would be embalmed and forwarded north immedi-
ately.
Here let me draw a veil over what follows. The agony of
spirit, the bewildering effects of such a sudden and unexpected
blow, the crushing out of hopes, the bitterness of disappoint-
ment, the terrible reflection that we should never see him alive,
the extinguishment of light, and the darkness and clouds that
intervened, can be known or appreciated only by those doting
parents, who have passed through a similar furnace of affliction!
The circumstances attending his death may be soon related.
The movement which resulted in the battle of Hatcher's Run was
a general advance of the whole division on the morning of Feb-
rnarv 5th, pursuant to orders. They were on the march all that
day, and early the next morning, while the brigade were pre-
paring for breakfast, the enemy broke in upon them, and a battle
ensued, which continued all day.
About two p. m., while near Dabney's Mills, Frederick was
leading his troops on the extreme left, in the skirmish line, and
was about to make a charge, the cavalry being dismounted, when,
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 269
Gen. Davies having been wounded, Col. Avery was called to
command the brigade, and had sent a mounted officer to notify
Frederick that the command of the regiment had devolved upon
him. While Frederick had turned around partly, and was con-
versing with the messenger, he received the fatal wound from a
Minnie ball in his hip.
He left the field, accompanied by two men, meeting on his
way Col. Avery, who describes him as looking pale, and having
a smile on his face. In the ambulance he was overtaken by his
colored servant, and said to him, cheerfully, that they would
soon visit Albany again. He also, at the same moment, recog-
nized his cousin, Maj. H. E. Tremain, of Gen. Gregg's staff,
while he was riding by with an important order from the Gene-
ral for reinforcements, hailed him, remarking that he was hit,
perhaps seriously, but he thought not dangerously, and then
urged him to go on in the performance of his duty.
He walked into the field hospital, where General Davies met
him, placed him upon a bed in a room by himself, and gave him
some stimulants. The surgeons extracted the ball that evening;,
and pronounced it troublesome only, but not dangerous. He
was visited there by Major Pease, Major Tremain and others,
who, relying on the Surgeon's report, left him without serious
apprehensions. The next day he was sent to City Point Hos-
pital, fifteen or twenty miles, where he arrived, cold and ex-
hausted, attended by his servant.
He was in much pain and not inclined to converse. The fol-
lowing day, the 8th, alarming symptoms appeared. He continued
perfectly conscious, made his arrangements to leave for home,
but was not made aware of the fact that his life was in danger,
and about five o'clock, just as his servant had given him some
water, he died, without a murmur or complaint having escaped
his lips.
A post-mortem examination revealed the fact that the wound
was necessarily mortal from the first. The ball, after performing
its course, had fallen back, and its location had deceived the
surgeons who extracted it, and who supposed it merely a flesh
wound.
270 LIEUT. COL. FREDEKICK L. TREMAIN.
The intelligence of his death spread a deep gloom over his
entire brigade, officers and men. A meeting of the brigade
officers (a rare compliment in the army) was called and attended
by every officer not absent on duty, at which just and excellent
resolutions were adopted.
The remains were accompanied from City Point by Colonel
Avery, Major Tremain and Dr. Clark. His countenance ap-
peared natural and life-like.
A military funeral took place on the 16th of February, with
honors suitable to his rank, under the charge of the Tenth New
York, commanded by Colonel Chamberlain, the Cadet Zouave
Company A acting as an escort. Everything that affectionate
sympathy could do to render honor to his memory, was done by
his countrymen and countrywomen. FloAvers were sent in
bountiful profusion from numerous male and female friends, and
these were, by fair and tasteful hands, beautifully arranged in
the form of crosses, wreaths, a trumpet and crown, while the
coffin was festooned, and covered with them in tropical abun-
dance.
After appropriate religious services had been performed at
the author's residence, the public funeral took place at St. Peter's
Church, the Rev. Wm. Wilson and the Rev. Wm. Tatlock officia-
ting. His Excellency, Gov. Fenton, accompanied by his staff in
full uniform, honored the funeral with his presence. The names
of the military and civil bearers who attended will be recog-
nized as among the noblest youth in Albany. Sweet and solemn
music by the choir filled the church. The citizens of Albany
turned out en masse, filling the spacious church and the streets,
for long distances. A large concourse followed the remains to
the cemetery, where, after the soldiers had fired appropriate vol-
leys over his coffin, it was consigned to the vault.
Thus lived and died my brave boy, around whom, for twenty-
one years, had clustered my cares, my anxieties, my hopes and
my affections!
No longer could we look forward with inexpressible joy to the
termination of this war, as an event which would bring back, in
safety and honor, the soldier we had furnished! The sound of
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 271
carbines and artillery can no more reach him! Henceforth, we
nmst be content to gaze on yonder mute memorials, his belt
and sash, his spurs and sword, and other precious relics, and to
feed on the memory of his virtues, his patriotism, and the noble
record he achieved! He died young; but how many of us who
survive have clone more for our country and for humanity than he!
My work is ended. I believe this little history to be wholly
free from coloring, but if parental fondness has deceived me in
this belief, the offence, I am sure, is pardonable.
And now, may Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, grant
that this great sacrifice, although not " now j'03'ous but grievous
may work out the peaceable fruits of righteousness," — that the
blood of this young martyr may aid in infusing fresh life into
our free institutions; — that this rebellion may be so completely
crushed, that in all future time, no second attempt will be made
by wicked men to destroy our Union by treasonable force; — and
may He hasten the day when our National Unity shall become
established on immutable and eternal foundations.
Omitting numerous letters from private citizens full of kind
and feeling tributes, I select a few written by military officers
whose position, as military men, brought them into close and
intimate relations with the deceased.
War Department, February 10, 1865.
My dear Sir — I am unable to tell how deeply my heart sym-
pathizes with you and Mrs. Tremain in the great calamity that
has fallen upon you in the death of your son. That he has fallen
upon the field of battle, fighting gallantly for his country, and
given his life as a sacrifice for national existence, may hereafter
be some consolation when time has embalmed his memory, and
assuaged the present agony of bereavement. I pray you, my
dear friend, accept the assurance of my commiseration, and I
trust that you will find support and comfort from that Divine
Providence, that has called your gallant son from the field of
battle to a haven of rest. Yours truly,
Hon. L. Tremain. EDWIN M. STANTON.
65. \
272 lieut. col. frederick l. tremain.
Head Quarters 2d Cavalry Division,
Army of Potomac, March 1, 186.
Hon. Lyman Tremain:
My dear Sir — I take the first opportunity of being able to use
my pen, to express to you my sincere sympathy, on the great loss
you have sustained in the death of your gallant son, Lieut. Col.
Tremain.
I know that I can say nothing that will alleviate the suffering
caused by a blow such as that you have sustained, but while you
mourn his loss it will be at least some consolation to know that
he fell fighting for the good cause, and that his name will be ever
remembered among those of the gallant men who have given up
all, even to life itself, for the honor and safety of the country. As
a brave and gallant officer, one who already in his extreme youth
had won high military honors, and had before him a brilliant
career of hope and promise, his early death is deeply and sin-
cerely regretted by all his fellow officers, and by none more than
myself. For a long period he had served upon my staff, and had
always deserved and obtained high praise for his knowledge of
duty, his cheerfulness and untiring assiduit}-, and the conspicuous
gallantry he had displayed upon every battle field. When he
was promoted to a higher position I regretted much that out
intimate personal relations should be disturbed, but I was well
aware of his high deserving, and knew that his promotion was
but a just recognition of his many good qualities.
During the short period he served with his regiment, he had
deserved the highest praise, and I looked upon his future ad-
vancement as secure, and saw that, if his life should be spared,
he had within his reach, the highest honors of the profession
of arms.
This, however, was not to be, and on the 6th of February,
while leading his regiment with gallantry and judgment sur-
passed by none, he fell before the fate that has already cut off so
many of our best and bravest men.
While we mourn his loss, we must remember that his death
was as glorious as his life had been distinguished.
In the vicissitudes of war, should it be my fate to fall, I could
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 273
ask no death more distinguished than his; to Ml at the crowning
point of a success to which his gallantly and good conduct had
greatly assisted, and to know that his farewell from earth and
welcome above would be the same — " Well done, thou good and
faithful servant."
With the most sincere regards, and the assurance of my heart-
felt sympathy in your affliction, believe me,
Very truly yours, H. E. DAVIES, Jr., Brig. Gen.
Headquarters Tenth New York Cavalry,
Before Petersburg, Va., March 11, 18(35.
My dear Sir — Although more than a month has elapsed since
the battle of Hatcher's Run, the last engagement in which your
son, our gallant associate, participated, and in which his young
life was laid upon the altar of his country, we, his comrades, are
but the more frequently reminded of the vacant place in our little
circle. Though his connection with the regiment had been recent,
yet, as Assistant Adjutant General of the brigade, we had met
him in social intercourse, and also marked his conspicuous bravery
on the field. From the highest to the lowest he received an ear-
nest welcome — not as a stranger, but as one who had been iden-
tified with us, of whose name and fame we were proud, and
whose reputation was hereafter to belong more exclusively to us
as a regiment. His honorable and unselfish ambition was partic-
ularly gratified, that his promotion had been effected without det-
riment to the individual interests of any of our officers, and which
was enhanced by his previous refusal of a proffered appointment,
which, if accepted, would have supplanted a competent and de-
serving officer.
He came among us with an earnest intention to contribute the
whole of his ability and energy, towards improving the morale
and effectiveness of the organization with which he had become
identified. At times I could not refrain from smiling, at the very
earliest manner in which he endeavored to impress upon me the
fact of his being young — accustomed to habits of study and appli-
cation; his expressions of desire to share in the responsibility of
18
274 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
command, and that it would be but necessary to merely indicate
any duty, which it were desirable that he should execute.
A few days before the movement a system of evening recita-
tions of the officers in Tactics and the Regulations had been insti-
tuted under his charge. To this he devoted himself in the same
earnest and conscientious manner in which he performed every
task. Among other lessons was that of acquiring a new manual
for the carbine, just introduced into the division. In this, to
the surprise of all, he became remarkably proficient after a few
hours' practice — his previous experience as executive officer of
the brigade having led me to imagine that he would be found
wantino- in the practice necessary to an expert manipulation of
the piece; but to this, as all other duties of his profession, he
had devoted a pains-taking attention.
There was no trait of Lieutenant Colonel Tremain's military
character more prominent than an earnest purpose to contribute
his every effort towards the success of our cause, and which was
evinced on trifling occasions as well as in the crisis of an engage-
ment. On the morning of our first day's inarch, after a sleepless
night, owina - to the bad condition of the roads, wagons and ambu-
lances were continually being mired, thus delaying the column.
Although not under his charge, he labored assiduously in the
mud and water, and when extricated made sport of the plight in
which he found himself, with the consoling remark : "That he
had earned his pay for that day at least."
We were preparing our breakfast on the morning of the 6th,
when the engagement suddenly opened — he immediately prefer-
ring the request to be allowed the post of clanger in command
of the skirmish line. Knowing his thoughts, I requested him
not to unnecessarily expose himself, with the reminder : " That
the Tenth had too often seen him under fire, to require needless
evidence of his bravery, in this, his first battle as their Lieutenant
Colonel." Our regiment, at first held in reserve, was afterward
moved forward upon the line, soon after which, owing to the
wound received by General Davies, I was notified that the com-
mand of the brigade had fallen to myself. I then dispatched a
staff officer to apprise Colonel Tremain of his being in command
LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN. 275
of the regiment, and while receiving the message he was struck
by a Minnie ball, and a moment afterward passed me, supported by
two men. I shall never forget the pale face, but cheery voice which
replied to my anxious inquiry regarding his injury : " That it felt
rather deep, and that the blood was running down into his boots."
I could not then realize, that it was the last time in life, that I
was to look upon the face of one who had become near and dear
to me, and whose irreparable loss was henceforth to be mourned
by an entire regiment.
We should be only too happy to contribute in any way to
assuage your deep grief, but in such affliction words are very,
very empty; and in enumerating the noble, manly characteristics
of the lost one, and while we look forward to the future, we are
but reminded of its brilliant prospect, had he been but spared
for its development. Yours, with sincere sympathy,
M. H. AVERY, Col. Tenth JST. Y. Cavalry.
Hon. Lyman Tremain, 'Albany, N. Y.
LINES ON THE DEATH OF LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN-
BY ALFRED B. STREET.
Song for the young and brave !
A pean for bis bright though brief career !
But a low dirge above his warrior grave,
The sudden closing to his opening year.
Grief twines with glory. While his morn was red
His Alma Mater's bowers all greenly spread
Joy in his heart, fair fortune at his side,
Home with its joys and friends that loved with pride,
He turned from all to stem the battle tide
For his loved land, and for that land he died.
Amid the roaring rain of musketry,
And thunder-shock of volleys, the keen play
Of bayonet-lightning, his slight form we see
Full in the front, and where death's awful way
Was wildest ! Woe that he should perish there
In his fresh strength while sweeping upward road
With his good sword, to where Fame, bright and rare
For one so young, stood holding high in air
The laurel wreath. In strife how fiercely glowed
His heart ! in rest how full of love and mirth !
Blue shone the sky. and flowery smiled the earth,
For toward all human kind his heart in gladness flowed.
276 LIEUT. COL. FREDERICK L. TREMAIN.
The saddle was his throne, and he a king
When the fierce squadron dashed in thundering might
A cataract of swords and shots — a wing
Of rushing Havoc — a quick cleaving flight
Of deadly levin ! Lo, a glorious raid !
And the galloping steeds and the rush and the clang
Of the ride over mountain, through forest and glade
And the keen thrilling peals of the trumpet ! How sprang
The hamlet in terror while on came the burst
Of the troopers and cheering and flame told the worst.
As they swept up the harvest and dashed down the wall
And, laden with spoil, skimmed away one and all
While the night rang with clash and deep thunder of bound
Aud flushed wide with torch -flame, and day heard the sound
From field and from village of wailing and wrath
And the foe sought in vain to block Sheridan's path.
And mid them our eager young hero ! no toil
Too great for his striving ; no battle-turmoil
Too fierce for his daring ; no duty undone
Till the goal of the striving and daring was won.
Oh, long lament for him, the youthful dead !
The bravest of the brave ! most kind and true !
The blossom scarce to perfect life had spread,
The sun had scarcely climbed the morning blue.
And yet so firm he looked at coming death
With eye so dauntless, such untrembling breath
It seemed a mark of scorn. The bullet sped,
And hours rolled onward, while with creeping tread,
The shadowy foe approached ; and when the dart
Was reared to reach his young, warm, generous heart,
With tenderest love of friends upon his lips
He entered, undismayed, life's dread and dark eclipse.
Song for the young and brave !
Long as the land shall live he died to save
Shall honor cast fresh wreaths upon his grave.
Not lost his bright career ; it shines a light
To kindle other hearts with patriot might,
And when strife calls again, a beacon to the fight.
And not alone home's fractured altar shows
A shrouded radiance, a great nation knows
Her darkened orbs, and keeps them in her heart
And when the frowning clouds of War depart
Her grateful love will kindle them anew
And constellate their rays forever in her view
LIEUT. COL. MICHAEL B. STAFFORD. 277
XV.
LIEUT. COL. MICHAEL B. STAFFORD.
Michael B. Stafford was the son of Richard and Alice
Stafford, who emigrated from the county of Wexford, Ireland,
and came to Albany, N. Y., in the year 1822. Here Michael
was born on the 29th clay of December, 1827. His father was a
shoemaker, and has resided in Albany since 1822, where he has
held the office of alderman, and been much respected for his
integrity and worth as a citizen. He gave his son Michael a
good business education, such as his limited means would allow,
and sent him to learn the trade of a mason, at the age of sixteen
years, with Adam Todd, late of Albany.
At the age of twenty-one, Michael left Mr. Todd, having
acquired a thorough knowledge of his chosen trade, and about
the year 1851 went to Corning, N. Y., where he commenced
business on his own account as a builder. He followed that
business till 1860, when he returned to Albany. He erected
many of the best buildings in the village of Corning, and was
regarded as a first class builder. He was prompt and upright in
all his dealings, but had not been successful in amassing any
considerable property, having met with some heavy losses in
business.
In his early manhood at Albany, he was a member of the
Albany Emmet Guards, and took great interest in that organiza-
tion, and was a good soldier. He was also Foreman of one of
the Albany fire companies.
When at Corning, he was chosen Captain of the Emmet Guards
of that place, one of the finest and best drilled militia companies
in the State. After holding that position for several years, he
resigned, and was soon after selected as Major of the Sixtieth
Regiment N. Y. Militia. This position he afterwards resigned.
278 LIEUT. COL. MICHAEL B. STAFFORD.
On tne breaking out of the war he was residing in Albany,
and when the Twenty-fifth Regiment N. Y. Militia (Col. Bryan)
was ordered, on the 21st of April, 1861, to hasten to the defence
of the National Capital, he joined as a private in the ranks to
serve his country, leaving his young wife and four little children.
He served his term of three months with this regiment faith-
fully, and, upon his return to Albany, was soon after appointed
to a Lieutenancy in the Eighty-sixth Regiment N. Y. Volunteers,
which was raised for three years or the war. His regiment was
mostly recruited in Steuben county, where he had formerly
resided.
He passed with his regiment through the Peninsular campaign,
under Gen. McClellan, and fought in most of the important
battles in Virginia during the year 1862. At the battle of Chan-
cellorsville he was Adjutant of the regiment, and was severely
wounded, and compelled to lie in the hospital for several months.
Upon his recovery, he again joined his command, and was at
once promoted to the rank of Major. He was in all the battles
under Grant, from the Rapidan to Petersburg, and was several
times slightly wounded. His regiment belonged to Hancock's
immortal Second Corps. He had his horse shot under him in
the bloody battle of the Wilderness.
On the 29th of November, 1864, while his regiment laid in
front of Petersburg, Va., and the enemy were throwing shells
which fell in his camp, he stepped out of his tent to give some
orders (he then being the Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment,
the commanding officer, the Colonel, having resigned), and was
struck with a piece of shell, which took off his hand, and cut a
fearful and mortal wound in his side. From this wound he died
in his tent, on the first day of December, after the most intense
suffering. Upon being informed by the Surgeon that his wound
was mortal, he called his officers and men around him, and bade
them stand by the flag of their country till victory should, as it
certainly would, crown their efforts. Then he bid them, each
and all, farewell.
The following letter he dictated to his wife and children in his
last moments:
LIEUT. COL. MICHAEL B. STAFFORD. 279
"Dear wife — I put you in the trust of God Almighty, for my
time has come. I have served my country as a man, and am
willing to die.
"Bring up my children in the fear of God, and sacrifice every
one for his country, if necessary. Tell my old father and
mother that I died as their son should die, with his head up and
his face to the enemy.
Yours, Ac., MICHAEL B. STAFFORD.
Then, having received the last consolations of his religion,
according to the rites of the Catholic church, his spirit went to
God, in whose mercy he confidently trusted.
He left to mourn his loss his wife, Eliza Carroll, to whom
he was married in 1854, and five children. The youngest of the
children was but four weeks old at the time of his death.
His patriotic services rendered to his country, and the sacrifice
of all the endearments of a loving family and life itself, are suf-
ficient to transmit his name and reputation to the future, and to
commend his beloved widow and fatherless children to the sym-
pathies of a grateful people.
280 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
XVI.
MAJOR CHARLES ELISHA PRUYN.
Charles Elisha Pruyn was born in the city of Albany, Nov.
11th, 1840. He was the son of Col. Samuel Pruyn, a gentleman
of superior intelligence and worth, and a descendant of one of
the oldest and best Holland families in the city. On his mother's
side, he claimed with just pride, descent from the Puritan family
of Putnam, among whom was Gen. Israel Putnam. From the
ancestors of both his parents he inherited the noblest qualities.
To the firm and persevering characteristics of the Dutch, were
united the energy, quickness and industry of the New England
stock. To all these were added the unyielding integrity, the
pure patriotism, and the high toned religious sentiments peculiar
to both races.
His boyhood was passed amid the quiet and happy scenes of
home, and was in no wise remarkable; though every careful
observer could have detected qualities in the youth, that gave
promise of a noble and useful manhood.
From his earliest childhood he Avas distinguished for strict
regard for truth, and his detestation of everything mean or dis-
honorable. If he discovered such traits in his playmates or
associates, he was disposed at once to discard them.
He was educated at the Albany Academy, and while he had a
quick apprehension and retentive memory, and made fair pro-
gress in all his studies, he excelled in elocution and mathe-
matics. He was very ambitious for a higher and more complete
education, and it was a great sacrifice to him to relinquish his
hopes in this respect, and at the early age of sixteen devote him-
self to business. He entered, at that time, one of the city banks
as clerk, but the disappointment of his expectations in regard to
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 281
his studies did not affect his outward conduct, or make him
indifferent to the duties of his position. He gave himself to
them with conscientious energy and perseverance, and, probably,
not one of those who daily mingled with him, was aware of the
struggle going on, in that young heart, between duty and incli-
nation. Perhaps the discipline was just what he required, for it
was evident that his character, about this period, became greatly
strengthened, and his parents were often gratified by the testi-
monials of his employers' approbation, in regard to his capacity,
fidelity and morality. The knowledge of business he thus
acquired was very useful to him, and he realized and confessed
the advantage of it afterwards.
In the army he was often banker and cashier of the regiment,
and, being prudent and judicious in the use of money himself, he
was very often the creditor of others, especially among the men
who had families at home, and were grateful for the loan of a
small sum of money. The kindness he showed in this respect
was highly appreciated, and won for him the deepest gratitude.
That he did not lose his regard for learning, by his business
engagements, appears in the fact, that of almost the first money
he received after he entered the army, he gave one hundred dol-
lars, towards the endowment of Rutger's College, expressing his
gratification that although he had never enjoyed the privilege
of a college education himself he could assist others.
He united with the Middle Dutch Church of Albany, when he
was fifteen years old, and was, successively, a scholar, teacher
and officer in the Sabbath School.
Though surrounded by many temptations, he so maintained
his Christian character that several gentlemen felt it a privilege
to have their sons associate with him. One gentleman, who had
the best opportunity to know the purity of his character, made
every effort to bring his own son, who was disposed to be very
wild and careless, under his influence, hoping it Avould have a
tendency to check him in his evil course. Charlie's mother,
who greatly feared his contamination, plainly told the gentle-
man her apprehensions. He replied: "You may rest assured
your fears for Charlie are groundless; he will never come down
282 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
to anything vicious; his morals are impregnable, and I feel sure
his course will always be to draw others up to his level."
His purity of mind was remarkable. His young companions
felt the power of this, and his presence was always a check upon
any indulgence of impurity. Probably to this, more than any-
thing else, next to the grace of God, was he indebted for his
preservation from the corruptions of the army. Nothing in his
character is more worthy of imitation by the young men who
read this sketch; nothing will so effectually furnish them for the
temptations of life as to be like him, " pure in heart."
Not long, however, was he permitted to enjoy his pleasant
home and the peaceful pursuits of life. The trumpet of war
sounded through this once happy land; the hand of the parricide
was lifted against the bosom that had fostered it, and every pulse
of his ardent nature beat with the most intense emotion.
When the news of the fall of Sumter Avas received, his face
glowed with shame and indignation. He seemed to feel it a
personal insult, and for many days he was too excited to eat or
sleep. His first impulse was to enlist as a private at once, but
his parents, though fully sympathizing with his patriotic spirit,
were slower to feel that he was called to such a sacrifice. They
counseled deliberation and prudence. They felt that his qualifi-
cations entitled him to a position of greater influence, and they
hoped the terrible storm would soon be over, and then there
would be no demand for his services.
He respected and yielded to the wishes of his parents, but it
was evident he chafed under the restraint. His mother, who
knew the decision depended mainly upon her wishes, and who
was watching him with intense and prayerful anxiety, at last
came to the conclusion that it was her duty to give her consent.
Hearing him restlessly pacing the floor one night, after mid-
night, she went up to his room and said: " Charlie, my dear
son, why are you so excited?" He answered: "Mother, how
can I help it; how can I remain here at home,. and sleep quietly
in my bed, when the country is in such a state? Why, mother,
I don't want to go into the street any more; I am ashamed to
look people in the face; a strong, healthy fellow like me, staying
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 283
at home and enjoying all these comforts when the country is in
danger, and needs my services."
His mother then told him, that God had made her feel that it
was his duty to go, and that his parents had no right to interpose
obstacles in the way. She engaged to obtain his father's consent,
only stipulating that he should first endeavor to procure a com-
mission; but if he failed to do so in a reasonable time, she would
not object to his going as a private.
The change immediately produced by this conversation was
wonderful. He expressed the greatest delight and gratitude, and
at once set himself to work to obtain a commission in some regi-
ment already in the field. He went to Washington with letters
of the highest recommendation to the War Department, and he
received the promise of a speedy appointment. He returned
home and waited with the greatest impatience, and learned then
for the first time, how little reliance could often be placed upon
the promises, or assistance of strangers. He finally decided to
accept an appointment in a regiment then organizing at Pitts-
burgh. He was commissioned as First Lieutenant, Company A,
Ninety-sixth Regiment, N. Y. S. Volunteers, Col. Fairman,
October 17, 1861. The regiment did not go into the field till the
spring of 1862, when it entered upon the Peninsular Campaign,
under Gen. McClellan. But the time was not lost. He was
ambitious to excel in everything he undertook, and spent every
moment not necessarily otherwise occupied, in the study of
military tactics. The same earnestness and enthusiasm which
had always characterized him, now stimulated him to make him-
self thoroughly competent to fill any position. Every book that
could be bought, every device that could be employed — such as
miniature armies, &c, were brought into requisition to perfect
his education. How well he succeeded, his after experience
proved.
That he deeply felt his absence from home and his exposure to
temptations; that his army life was a duty he conscientiously
endured, and not a pleasure ministering to a roving and excitable
temperament, his letters fully proved. Very few young men had
such strong home attachments. Very few enjoyed more intensely
284 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
the comforts, refinements and literary advantages of city life than
he did, and yet in all those scores of letters, not one expression
of regret is found; and when his privations and suffering's were
mentioned, it was always with some modification, and gratitude
for what blessings he had.
He was a very interesting and voluminous correspondent, and
his letters were the delight of the home circle. Always happy,
too, in the reception of letters from home, he seemed anxious to
do all he could to make up for his absence from those who loved
him so well, by giving them the most of the time he could com-
mand. A few of his letters will perhaps be interesting to the
reader. They will, better than any words of ours, reveal his
true character; his intelligence, his affectionate love for his
friends, and warm devotion to his mother.
He participated in the skirmishes of James river April 23,
1862, and of Bottom's Bridge, Va., May 20th, and in the battle
of Williamsburg, May 5th, an account of which he gives in the
following letter :
Four Miles from West Point, May 12, 1862.
Dear Mother — I wrote you a few lines last night, but it was so
dark that I fear I did not write plain enough for you to read. I
will try now to write a more detailed account of our doings. A
week ago Saturday, just as we were getting ready for inspection,
orders came for us to fall in and march. As we were only about
half a mile from the enemy's fortifications, which were concealed
from us by a narrow belt of woods, we supposed we were going
to attack them, and therefore left our knapsacks behind. We
halted just before we cleared the woods, and there heard that
the rebels had retreated, and we were to follow them up. After
leaving the woods, we entered into the enemy's works. We
traveled all day Ions: and at night rested on the ground*
The next morning (Monday), we started again, and traveled
very fast, hearing the sound of cannon all the time. About three
p. m., turning a sharp angle in the road, we found ourselves in a
large field where immense bodies of troops were drawn up in
line of battle; and, advancing, we formed quickly into line.
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 285
Immediately an officer rode up, and told ns to load as fast as
possible, the bomb-shells and shot at the same time whistling
over and around us. I saw one shell burst and kill three men in
the regiment right at the side of us. We were then ordered to
advance on the double-quick, and support a battery of the Eighth
United States Regular Artillery. This was a position of import-
ance, and consequently of honor. I have been told that we were
assigned this position by Gen. Sumner (who commanded, Gen.
McClellan not being present, though he came up soon after),
because we were so cool when forming and advancing into line
of battle. We stood in this position the rest of the day, the shot
and shell flying around us like hail; yet, very singularly, none
of us were hurt. It rained hard all day, and we were wet through
to the skin, cold and shivering. When we advanced, we threw
off everything — such as blankets, haversacks, &c, and we had
nothing at all to cover us, and nothing to eat. Just as it was
growing dark, we heard that our forces had completely defeated
the enemy, though our left had been terribly cut to pieces (we
■were on the right); that Banks had taken Richmond, and that
the rebel army was flying in every direction. Cheer upon cheer
went up on that battle-field from thousands of throats. But now
came the hardest time for us. Tired, wet through, hungry, and
cold, we were forced to lie down, as we were, in the mud, with-
out any covering, and no fires. This was the worst night I ever
passed in my life, and I do fervently hope I shall never be called
to go through another like it.
The next day the sun came out warm and pleasant. As we
did not march until afternoon, Iliad an opportunity to see a part
of the battle-field. What I saw I cannot attempt to describe,
but never, never shall I forget it. I thought, what a horrible
thing is war ! And as I saw men lying dead, torn into all imagin-
able shapes by cannon and grape-shot, I thought of the homes
made desolate, and the hearts that would bleed, and the many
who would remember this day when they were made widows and
orphans, with sorrow as long as they lived. And I thanked
God most fervently that my poor life was spared, and that in
His great goodness He had not permitted me even to be wounded.
286 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
We marched on after the enemy, for the whole army was imme-
diately set in motion to pursue and cut them off; but we only
went about six miles, when we encamped for the night in a most
lovely spot, although it was right among the abandoned forts of
the enemy.
On Wednesday we joined the division, and continued on our
march until we reached Williamsburg; there all but our brigade
stopped, but we continued on. Williamsburg is quite a large
place, and is beautifully situated. Now it is almost entirely
deserted by its inhabitants; half the houses are occupied by our
troops, and over a great many the red flag floats, denoting hos-
pital quarters. The rebels must have had a vast number wounded,
which their hasty flight compelled them to leave behind, so they
are now prisoners of war in our hands. Not only is Williams-
burg full of wounded rebels, but as we pass along the road, at
almost every barn, the hospital flag is hung out.
Our brigade was thrown in advance, after leaving Williams-
burg, and as we were the first Union troops that had passed that
way, it was necessary to be very careful. So our company was
detached and placed in front, to act as an advance guard, to scour
the woods, &c, which gave me a grand chance to see the coun-
try just as the rebels had left it. All along the road were strewn
clothing of every description, camp furniture, guns and ammuni-
tion, and occasionally a gun with the wheel broken, and caisson
dismounted, thus showing that the "chivalrous southerners" had
fled rather precipitously.
Towards night, we halted at a farmhouse by the road. Two
other regiments of infantry (besides our brigade), two batteries
of artillery and a squadron of cavalry soon came up, giving us a
force of between six thousand and seven thousand. We killed
some cattle, built fires (which, however, we had to extinguish at
dark), cooked our food and slept. We remained at this place all
day Thursday. The reason for our not marching on I do not
know, but I think Gen. Keirn did not feel safe in advancing
further into the enemy's country without reinforcements. Indeed,
our position was one which demanded great caution, for we were
far from the main army, and only seven thousand strong, while
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 287
the enemy hud been thirty thousand strong only a few hours before,
and were probably near by. Besides all this, we had no provi-
sions.
Friday, about noon, the remainder of our division came and
joined us, when we started and marched on a few miles. Night
coming on, we all turned into a field of wheat, or rather a wheat
field, and halted for our night's rest.
Here we were joined by the whole grand Army of the Poto-
mac, and also by Gen. McClellan, in propria persona. On Satur-
day a. m., we started. The army commenced moving at four
o'clock a. m., and yet we did not leave till nine o'clock, and we
are about in the centre, so vast is this immense army. On the
top of a high hill, I had a chance, as we halted a few moments,
to look around, and on either side, as far as my eye could reach,
stretched this enormous column of men. It was a magnificent
sight. We traveled all day, and at night stopped about four
miles from West Point, where we now are. Gen. McClellan's
head-quarters are just across the road from our encampment.
Late at night, we got some crackers, dry, tasteless flour and
water, things made, as is stated on the box cover, October, 1861;
and yet Itow good they were, better than the nicest pastry I ever
tasted. Anything is good to starving men.
Sunday it was given out that we would not move, so we rested
ourselves after this hard week's work. We had sugar and coflee
Sunday morning, and by great management on my part, I got a
few, dirty, nasty ginger cakes, such as in Albany I would not
think it possible to touch.
I attended divine service in an adjoining regiment, and it was
to me a rich treat. I rejoiced once more to hear the word of
God read and expounded. We expected to leave here this a.
m., but have, as yet, heard nothing of it.
I feel badly just now, for the mail has come in, and I have no
letter from home. If you only could know how I miss your let-
ters, and how happy it makes me when I get them, I am sure
you would write very often, and ask the rest to do so too. And
yd I know it is not your fault. There must be some mistake in
the mail, for I am sure you love me too well to neglect me; but
288 MAJ. CHARLES E. RRUYN.
I do so lono- to hear from home: two wliole weeks since I have
heard one word. Love to all, and to you as ever.
Your affectionate CHARLIE.
On the olst of May and the 1st of June, 1862, his regiment
was engaged in the terrific battle of Fair Oaks. In this engage-
ment the regiment suffered severely, losing one-third killed and
wounded. Lieut. Pruyn had been quite ill and was entirely
unfit for duty, but no selfish consideration could keep him from
his post. He conducted himself with such bravery and devotion,
that he was mentioned in the official report of his Colonel, as
" deserving special commendation for his gallantry and soldierly
bearing."
The Ninety-sixth were in the celebrated " Casey's Division,"
which was in the advance, and within sight of Richmond at this
battle. By some strange and ungenerous misapprehension, Gen.
McClellan was led to censure this division in his first dispatch,
charging that it " broke unaccountably and discreditably." How
unjust was this aspersion was abundantly proved, when the sub-
ject was discussed on the floor of Congress. In that discussion,
the Hon. Mr. Van Wyck, of New York, "briefly recounted the
movements of Casey's Division from the 5th of May till the battle
of Fair Oaks; what losses it sustained from toil and exposure;
that it was halted amid the swamps of the Chickahominy, where
without tents, without blankets, without food, and without mur-
muring, they lay down on the banks of that deadly stream. That
Casey's Division had but 5,000 men fit for duty, Avhile the enemy
marched from 30,000 to 40,000 men against him; that Casey's
men held the ground for three hours without being reinforced;
that every rod of the retreat was covered with the rebel dead;
that our gallant men fell where the sleepers are many, with their
backs on the ground, and their feet to the foe; that nearly one-
third of Casey's men were killed or wounded, a larger propor-
tion than any other division had lost in a single battle during the
war; that while the history of centuries is being crowded into
days, hours and moments, he felt that the records of the house
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYH. 289
should do justice to the bravery and devotion of a gallant divi-
sion, that deserved so much of their country , v
Mr. Peuyn's letters written immediately after this battle, agree
very remarkably with these statements.
June 3, 1862.
Dear Mother — Fearing you have heard of the battle of the
31st and 1st, and perhaps have heard that the Second Brigade of
Casey's Division was all cut up, I just write a line to tell you
that although our regiment is pretty well used up, your son is
alive and well; and that though the secesh bullets came round
thick and fast, killing and wounding our men without number,
the nearest I received to a wound, was a piece of lead through
my coat, but which never touched the skin. Thank God for my
safety.
Not only our regiment, but the whole brigade are cut to
pieces. Since the fight, several of our men have been out, and
find that the place occupied by the force opposed to us, is
literally covered with their dead, thus showing that our boys
done good service. I cannot write more now; this is only to
relieve your anxiety. The fight was right on our camp ground,
and we have lost everything. Over 4,000 of our wounded have
been sent otf, and not nearly all are gone yet.
In haste, but affectionately,
CHARLIE.
The following, giving a more detailed account of the battle,
is one of what he called his "journal letters." These letters
were carefully written up from his memorandum book, and from
first to last would furnish a concise, correct and interesting his-
tory of the movements of the portion of the army with which
he was connected.
It is surprising that he could find time for letters like these,
but they furnish one of the many proofs he gave of his desire to
gratify and relieve his friends at home. His mother regarded it
as a religious duty to keep him acquainted with every minutia
of domestic affairs, believing it the surest way to keep alive his
19
290 MA J. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
attachment to home. She was well rewarded by his carefulness
and attention to her wishes, in regard to a knowledge of his daily
movements.
In the Woods, near Bottom's Bridge, Va., )
Tuesday, June 8th, 1862. $
My dear Mother — Beginning at the date of my last journal
letter, Tuesday, May 13th, we left Rosser's Church about seven
o'clock. The day was scorching hot, and we did not reach our
final stopping place until two o'clock the next a. m. Just think,
nineteen hours under, part of the time, a burning sun, with a
heavy knapsack on your back. And yet we only marched twelve
miles. If we only could have started and marched right on, it
would have been far easier; but the trouble was, with such an
immense body of troops the roads became blocked up, and we
could only march a few feet and then stop ten minutes or more;
and so on all day, not stopping long enough for the men to sit
down to rest. It w T as a terrible march. This place is called New
Kent Court House.
Saturday, Ylth. — Had dress parade to-night, and just after it
was over we received orders to march. Started just at dark,
and marched till after midnight, when we stopped at a place
called Cross Roads. Our march was not fatiguing, as it was
night and cool, but a part of the way was through the woods,
and so dark we could not see where to go, and often we got into
mud holes. Laid down and slept this night with the bosom of
mother earth for my resting place, and the star spangled heavens
for my coverlid, and, what's more, slept sound and good. If I
am spared to return, I am afraid I shall have to go out into the
garden to sleep, for I don't think it will be possible to lie in a
bed in the house.
Sunday, 18th. — No work to-day. A splendid day, though very
hot. This evening, for the first time, the regiment had the
word of God read and expounded to them by our Chaplain, who
joined the regiment yesterday. It did my heart good, once more
to join with others in praise to the Almighty for His goodness
and mercy to us.
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 291
I have a new kind of bed, which pleases me very much. I
take my blanket and tie a rope to each end. These ropes I
make fast to two trees, jump in, bring the two sides of the blan-
ket together, get one of the boys to throw a rubber blanket over
this ball of humanity, and I am fixed for the night. Unless,
peradventure, said ropes should break, which verily doth often
happen, in which case the young man, even he called Pruyn,
doth receive sundry bumps and bruises on head and body, which
doth not add to the serenity of his temper.
Monday, l§th. — Although it rained hard this a. m., we started
and marched several miles to a place called Despatch Station, on
the Richmond and York River Railroad. Are now about fifteen
miles from Richmond, the goal of our expectations. Slimg my
hammock, and laid me down to sleep.
Tuesday, 20th. — Was awakened this a. m. early, by hearing
some one say that " Capt. Lot" had arrived with his sutler's
wagon. I tumbled (literally tumbled) out of my hammock, and
started for the wagon. You must know that we men here are
like quadrupeds; we take one good shake on rising and we are
dressed. I have not taken off my clothes to sleep since I came
to the war. I purchased some ginger cakes at two cents a piece,
a can of oysters at a dollar, a few other things in proportion,
and ate a breakfast which I tell you was good. Long before my
breakfast was over, Capt. Lot had sold out, and started off for
another load.
Wednesday, 21st. — Yesterday, about ten o'clock, we were
ordered out for a fight. Started with our cartridge boxes filled
with ammunition, and went at a rapid pace about two and a half
miles, when, coming into an opening in the road, saw two or
three regiments in a field popping away at some invisible enemy
in the woods, and from the fact that bullets would occasionally
and semi-occasionally whistle around our heads, we were led to
conclude that said invisible enemy was popping at us. The
farther to convince us that our conjectures were right, said enemy
let fly a few round shot and shell, which came in close proximity
to the heads of several members of the glorious Ninety-sixth,
and the hum of which has a very disagreeable sound to a man.
292 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
reminding him of what might be the consequence, if he happened
to be in the spot where said shot or shell struck. Well, we staid
there, doing no good, for we were not ordered further, but
having the pleasure of knowing that we were a good mark for
certain little pieces of lead, which the enemy were prone to send
us, with their loving regards.
Finally our regiment was put back in the woods, and Co. A,
with Lieut. Pruyn in command, sent up to guard a house where
lived a hoary headed secessionist, who, it was supposed, would
give information to the enemy of our strength, &c, unless he
was watched. He was not at all glad to see me, but that was
none of my business. I told him to keep cool, and placed a
guard around the house, after which I requested my friend, the
host, to get me some dinner, for which, however, I paid him
liberally, and which pay, notwithstanding his patriotism, he was
very glad to get. This sumptuous meal consisted of coffee made
of corn, parched and ground, without milk; bacon, fried, and
corn cakes, made of corn meal and water without any salt. At
night my friend had to give me supper, and, in the a. m.,
breakfast.
Thursday, 22d. — About noon this day was relieved, and the
regiment marched back, but not to our old camp, for since we
came down here the whole army has moved further down. We
were sent forward to drive in the enemy's scouts and pickets.
Fine weather in the a. m. and very hot, but in the p. m. rained
furiously and hailed. I had pitched my tent in a hollow, and
when the rain came I was flooded out, besides having my tent
blown down. I got rather wet.
Friday 23d. — Orders to march; started and crossed the Chicka-
hominy, which don't amount to anything. From all you hear
about it, one is led to suppose it is quite a large river, but it
turns out to be a little, insignificant stream. We traveled on
this day till night, and then encamped by the roadside, just as
we had marched.
Saturday 2Uh. — Rained hard all day. We heard heavy firing,
and were shortly ordered forward to fight, but again the enemy
had left before we came up, so we stopped and encamped regu-
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 293
larly, but "no rest for the wicked." About eight o'clock at
night the whole regiment was ordered out on picket, and wet,
tired, hungry and cold, we were obliged to go and stand on picket
all night.
Sunday 25t7i. — A lovely day; cleared off in the night. As I
am Acting Adjutant, I staid at head-quarters last night, which is
an old house that has never been finished. About noon we were
relieved, and marched back to camp, where the men had their
rations dealt out to them, which they were sadly in need of, poor
fellows, for they had had very little the day previous. Here we
staid all day and that night, and our poor boys slept well on the
damp ground. It is the greatest wonder in the world to me that
any of us can stand what we do; 'tis true that two-thirds of the
regiment have given out and are sick in the various hospitals, but
the wonder is that any man can endure what we do.
Monday 26th. — Were ordered suddenly this a. m. to fall in and
march without our knapsacks — to "go forward and fight the
enemy.'' The boys started in good spirits, and on we went for
about two miles, when we found that again they had fled. With
sorrowful faces we turned and came back, put on our knapsacks,
and again went forward, till we came to a place called Seven
Pines, where we stopped. We are now so near Richmond that
it is impossible to make a long inarch unless we turn and go
back, which we have not done yet, and / hope never will.
Tuesday 27th. — Remained in this place; heard of Banks' being
m retreat and defeated, which created a profound sensation in
camp. We have made a detail of fifty men from our regiment to
throw up earthworks, dig rifle pits, and cut down trees and form
what is called an abattis.
Wednesday 2Sth. — The regiment was ordered off on picket.
As Col. Fairman is division officer of the day, Lieut. Col. Gray
takes command. I feel miserably sick and wretched; hope I
shall not have to give in.
Thursday 2\)th. — A sad day for our regiment; our Major was
killed. I wrote you about it the day it happened, and in the
"Herald," of 4th of June, you will find an account of it. Save
that paper for me. He is a great loss to us. We all loved him
294 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
for his many excellent qualities, and he was a man of great miL<
tary experience. I feel very badly to-day.
The place where we were was Fair Oaks Station. The name
will be borne in history as the battle of the 31st of Fair Oaks.
We were relieved near night, and marched back to camp — not
our old one, but a new one, which had been laid out while we
were out on picket. And now as this camp was the battle ground,
I will tell you, as well as I can, how we were situated. Since
leaving Yorktown, those divisions which were in the rear have
been in front, consequently we have been in front. That camp
was on the extreme left of our whole line of operations, and was
exceedingly weak, so weak that we often used to talk about it,
and wonder that our division was left so exposed. Our camp
was close to our pickets, so that it might be said the whole divi-
sion was on picket all the time.
The few days we were there, we were literally on guard the
whole time. We sent off from each regiment one hundred men to
throw up earthworks, to protect us on our front, but which were
only partially finished at the time of the battle. We were called
up once or twice at night by alarms. Three times the day before
the battle we were out in line of battle; and every morning up
at three o'clock a. m. and formed in line, so you see how we had
to work.
Friday 30th — Hard at work, so hard that I could not stand it
any longer; worn out; used up; it's useless to try to keep up, but
I must try.
Saturday 3\st — I was busy this a. m. making out the regimental
reports, which must be sent in to the Brigadier General the last
day of the month. I felt miserable but kept up, hoping to get
some rest after that was done. Just after noon, I had stepped
to the Colonel's tent, and was standing talking with him, when I
heard the report of a cannon, followed by the whir of a round
shot, which passed right over our heads and struck the ground
about fifty paces to the rear of the tent. We looked surprised,
and began to talk of ""What an excellent shot it was; " "It was
a beautiful line shot; " "If it had been a little lower," &c, when
the second report of a cannon and a second shot came whirring
MA J. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 295
past, but this time a little nearer. The Brigadier General, whose
tent was a few paces off, was standing near at the time; said he,
"this will never do, if we don't get out of this some of these
boys vrill get hit." He ordered me to form the regiment, (I was
Acting Adjutant) but, before I could do this, the pickets com-
menced tiring. We had had so many alarms the last few days,
that we thought little of it, but still marched out and formed in
line in the road. At our first position in the road, the bullets
came around thick and fast, and one man was killed. From this
position we were ordered across the field. But when we got
part of the way there, Ave saw several little puffs of smoke at a
little distance, and the Colonel, suspecting the enemy was there,
formed us in line. The boys saw some men behind the fence,
but they had a white flag, and the cry immediately was "don't
shoot." But I remembered the treachery of the rascals, and
shouted, "It's them, but they are trying to deceive you, take
good aim and let them have it." If you could have heard the
volley that followed this order of mine you would have heard
something. As soon as our boys opened on them they rose up,
and then we saw what an escape we had had. There were sev-
eral thousand men there, and if we had gone down where we
were ordered, it is not possible that one could have escaped alive.
Oh! how they opened on us. It is a miracle that any of us came
off alive. Our boys dropped like sheep, but still they did not
flinch. They stood right up to it till the regiment which joined
on to ns gave way, then our boys fell back to the rifle pits. Here
we only staid a short time, for we found the enemy had what is
called a "raking fire " on us, which swept down the ditch in such
a manner that one shot would wound or kill several. Here it
was that we lost the most, so we fell back to our former position
and made our last stand. Our men fought nobly, bravely; never
flinched under a murderous fire. I was proud of them. The
man next to me was shot down dead with the colors in his hand.
The Colonel caught them and looked around for some one to
take them. I sprang forward and took and held them till a ser-
geant came and relieved me. The color bearer who was killed,
was one that I had always taken a great interest in, for the reason
296 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
that I had promised his father, in Plattsburgh, that I would
exercise a care over him. He did not belong to my company,
but that made no difference. Poor fellow, he died nobly, but
how I pity his poor father!
Perhaps it was caused by excitement, but I really knew no
fear; and although the bullets flew around me thick as hail, I
thought no more of them than of so many pebble stones. You
may think I want to brag, but it is not so; and this is not my
case only. If a man is going to show fear, he will do it before
the fight. Once in it, and there is no time to think of self.
How long we were here I know not. I Avas busy exhorting the
men to stand up to it, "give it to them," "pop them down,
boys," " take good aim and bring down one of the rascals;" until,
finally, on looking around, I saw that, with the exception of the
Colonel, two or three officers, and about a dozen men, we were
alone.
I looked across the open ground, and thought that my chance
of getting over it safely was out of the question. Actually, at
that moment, I would not have given two cents for my life.
Thus I soliloquized : " Pruyn, my boy, it's impossible for you to
get over there in safety. You haven't one chance in teu thou-
sand; but then you know, my boy, the rebels don't give quarter,
and they will be in here in less than two minutes; so, if you don't
get there, you're done for anyway. So here goes." I started;
I did not rim, mother — I never will do that; but I walked, and
it did seem to me I never should reach the woods.
This ended my part of the fight. Our regiment was all gone
in — broken and scattered. I met all that was left of it that night;
fragments that the Colonel had collected together and marched
about two miles to the rear. I reported myself to the Colonel,
and was highly commended by him. I had spent the time, after
the regiment was broken up till I reported to the Colonel, in
helping wounded men to different hospitals. I met a party carry-
ing Lieutenant Colonel De Forest of the Eighty-first New York,
an Albanian, and showed them where a hospital was. He is
dangerously wounded in the lung.
Sunday, June \st. — The regiment was marched down to the
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 2fl7
woods, l>ack of the second tier of rifle-pits, and there encamped
as well as we could.
Now we fought well in our regiment — losing, in killed,
wounded, and missing, one man out of every four. The rebels
have possession of our camp, so the men have lost everything.
Luckily, my trunk was in the wagon on the other side of the
river, but my knapsack and many other things are gone. I have
been honorably mentioned in the Colonel's report for "bravery
and soldierly bearing on the field," though I don't know for what,
unless picking up the flag and holding it, and certainly that
wasn't much. But now that it is all over, we are told by Gen.
McClellax in his dispatch that " the troops all did nobly, except
( 'asey's Division. Or, in other words, because six thousand men
did not beat back fifty thousand, they are cowards. This makes
us all sick of fighting. To stand in front of such a superior force,
and fight as we know we did, and then be branded as cowards, is
certainly too much to bear. And then to have it go before the
world over McClellax's signature, of course it will be believed,
and we shall be sneered at forever. Why it would have been
far better if we had not been in the fight at all, for then nothing
would have been said about us. Oh, it does seem to me I can't
get over this! If you see me coming home soon, don't be sur-
prised. But enough of it. It makes me so indignant I don't
want to think of it — if I can help it.
Monday, June 2d. — The firing has all ceased, and we are yet
in the same place, but still they bring in the wounded.
Tuesday, 3d. — Made a detail of men to go out and bury
the dead. Several of our boys have been up to our old camp
and report that the rebels have carried oif everything, or
destroyed what they could not remove. They say the stench is so
terrible, from the enormous number of dead unburied there, that
it is almost impossible to remain in the neighborhood.
Wednesday, 4th. — The rain came down in torrents. You folks
north have no idea how it can rain down here. Notwithstanding
the rain, we started to-day, and with sad and deeply mortified
feeling, went back for the first time. In the afternoon, halted
near the Chickahominy, about two miles from Bottom's Bridge.
298 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
Oh ! what a march this was. For some fifty yards we had U
wade through water over four feet deep, and running swiftly.
Some of the little drummer boys were almost drowned. Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, still here.
There is talk of sending us to Fortress Monroe, Norfolk, or some-
where. Our division is so reduced by losses and sickness, that
we are not considered tit for service in the field.
But my job is done. I write all cramped up and am very tired,
and I guess you are too, by this time.
I am as ever, your affectionate son,
CHARLIE.
To those who knew Lieut. Pruyn, it was not surprising that
to be branded as a coward, so unjustly, should be intensely pain-
ful and mortifying; although the above letter docs not indicate
the bitterness of the feeling that really existed in his mind. The
more he reflected upon it the deeper those feelings became, and
weak and depressed as he was, he had not strength to resist
them.
Referring to this in a letter written a day or two after, he says:
"This regiment which left Plattsburgh with nearly nine hundred
men, can now muster for duty only about one hundred and fifty.
And yet we were willing to toil and suffer and die if need be, till
since this battle. Now every one is utterly disheartened. How
much a few words from one in authority can do. Those words
of McClellan's so unjustly delivered — ' The men all done splen-
didly except Casey's Division' — this is what has broken us down.
For whatever others have done, the Ninety-sixth New York fought
as well as men could fight, and only left the field when the enemy
was on three sides of them, and I/ten retired with their faces to
the foe, loading and firing as they walked, for they did not run.
" If the public need proof of what we did, we can give the best
of proof — our list of killed and wounded — one man out of every
four actually on the field — did any other regiment do this ? Our
division hardly six thousand strong, held in check more than
thirty thousand rebels. Did any other division do this ? Oh,
is it not hard after all this to be branded as cowards ?"
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 299
'Tis true Gen. McClellan afterwards modified his report, and
retracted his charges, but too late for its effect upon this brave
young heart. The injustice had done its work, and he resigned
on the 17th of June and returned to his home, bringing with him
garments perforated by the bullets — which, however, through the
care of a kind Providence, were not allowed to touch him. It
is only justice to his memory thus to explain the cause of his
resignation, for by those who did not understand him, it was inex-
plicable.
But aside from these reasons, there were others which would
have fully justified the step. His father's death had occurred
the spring previous, and his mother had a great burden of care
and responsibility, from which his presence might relieve her to a
great extent. He felt deeply his responsibility in regard to her,
and often debated what was duty. He had been willing, if his
mother desired, it, to resign before this; but finding her willing
to sacrifice every personal consideration to her country's good,
he decided that the claims of his country were paramount.
When Col. F airman transmitted to him his discharge, he took
occasion to write the following letter :
Camp Ninety-sixth Regiment N. Y. S. Volunteers,
Before Ricmiond, June 17, 1862.
Lieutenant Charles E. Pruyn :
Dear Sir — I herewith transmit your honorable discharge from
the service of the United States, and in so doing would express
my unfeigned regret at the loss of your companionship and ser-
vice as a man and officer. I cheerfully give my attestation to
your courage and devotion as a soldier of the Union, to which I
was witness in the terrific battle of Fair Oaks, before Richmond,
May 31st. And I shall ever remember you with peculiar inte-
rest as a soldier, who stood by my side while one out of four was
killed or wounded, and one out of three of our regiment was
lost in battle. With cordial wishes for your future success,
I am truly yours, &c.,
JAMES FAIRMAN,
Col 96th Reg't JV. T. S. Vols.
300 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
Mr. Pruyn very soon, however, felt that he had made a mis-
take in resigning. Before he reached his home he saw clearly
that the injustice of a man did not affect the merits of the cause,
or the claims of his country upon his services, and he determined
to return to the army. But the seeds of disease, contracted amid
those fearful swamps, developed themselves immediately upon
his arrival home, and a serious illness followed. Yet, even while
prostrate with sickness, the old feeling came back that it " was
a shame and disgrace for a young man like him to be at home in
comfort while the country was imperiled, and he longed for
returning health that he might go back to duty."
One little circumstance will show Iioav real this feeling was.
On the Fourth of July the procession passed his house, and he
being then quite sick, went to the front door to look at it. In a
few moments he came in, saying " that he could not stand there,
and that it made him indignant to see that it was possible to get
up so large a company of men in the city of Albany. No won-
der the South can beat us, when the men of the North would
rather stay at home and parade the streets."
While yet too ill to leave the house, he was offered the posi-
tion of Adjutant of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment
New York State Volunteers, then organizing at Plattsburgh.
He at first declined, but being urged very strongly, he at length
decided to accept it, and went for the second time to that place.
He received his commission as Adjutant of the regiment July
16, 1862. His services in the organization of the regiment were
acknowledged to be invaluable — avs, with the exception of one
person, he was the only officer who had any practical knowledge
of military tactics and discipline. His qualifications as a disci-
plinarian were found to be so desirable, that when the regiment
left Plattsburgh he was very strongly urged to remain as Adju-
tant of the post, and promised the position of Major of a new
regiment to be immediately organized there. Colonel Richards
strenuously opposed this, declaring it impossible to spare him.
Adjutant Pruyn saw clearly the advantages of the offer, but feel-
ing a just pride in the regiment which had grown into shape and
order under his discipline, and having a strong attachment to
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 301
many of his associate officers, he declined the proposition, and
went with the One Hundred and Eighteenth to the seat of war.
It is asserted by some of the officers who have had a good
opportunity to know, that the set of regimental papers, prepared
by him at this time, are the most complete and beautiful set now
on file in the Adjutant General's office.
The regiment remained in and around Washington, doing; gar-
rison duty, till the spring of 18(33. At this time he was again
highly complimented upon his regimental reports, and was
assured, by the inspecting officer, that "he had the most exact,
well kept and handsome books he had found in his whole tour
of inspection." These little circumstances show that it was
characteristic of him to do everything in the best possible man-
ner. Exact and thorough in all he undertook, he established a
character for S3 r stcm and reliability among all who had any deal-
ings with him, rarely sustained by one so young.
Adjutant Pruyn was A. A. A. General, on Col. Wordrop's
staff, commanding brigade from June 20th to July 13th, and was
Post Adjutant at Gloucester Point, from July 14th to August
28th, 1863, when he received his commission as Major of the
regiment, upon the nearly unanimous vote of the line officers,
many of them with great magnanimity and from a true sense of
justice, waiving their own claims in his favor.
In the latter part of October, 1863, a detachment of the regi-
ment was sent out on several dangerous reconnoitering expedi-
tions, under command of Major Pruyn. These expeditions were
accomplished with great credit and success, and the appreciation
of his character and services, by those under his command, may
be known by the following letter.
The value of this compliment was greatly enhanced by the fact,
that it was so arranged as to celebrate his twenty-third birth day.
Line Officers' Quarters, 118th Regt. N. Y. S. V., ?
Portsmouth, Va., Nov. 11, 1863. )
Major Charles E. Pruyn, Commanding Detachment USth Regi-
ment N. Y. V., Intrenched Camp, Norfolk, Va :
Major — The line officers of your late command in Portsmouth,
302 MAJ. CHAHLES E. PEUYN.
Va., highly appreciating your many good and noble qualities,
both as an officer and a gentleman, have decided to honor you
with a supper, and the pleasure of your company is respectfully
solicited, to attend the same, at the American Hotel, Portsmouth,
this evening.
We are, Major, yours, with the highest esteem,
M. V. B. STETSON.
J. W. ANGELL.
JOHN BRYDON.
From this time until May 4th, 1864, the regiment was en
camped at Yorktown and the neighborhood. During this inter-
val, they participated in several skirmishes, and attempted several
movements which failed in their accomplishment. His health
was by this time seriously impaired, and symptoms of heart
disease were developed, which made it dangerous for him to
continue in scenes of excitement. But no persuasion or advice
could induce him to resign.
On the 4th of May, the regiment embarked, being in the Eigh
teenth Army Corps, for the James River, under Gen. Butler
One of his "journal letters" gives a diary of this period till tli6
battle of Drury's Bluff, or Proctor's Creek, May 16th, 1864.
In this battle, the Colonel being absent, and the Lieut. Col.
wounded in the early part of the engagement, the command
devolved on Major Peuyn. How well he discharged his duty
may be judged from the fact, that his regiment was the last to
leave the field, and earned there a character for endurance and
bravery, that placed them in the foremost ranks of the heroic
defenders of our nation. In a letter written by Major General
Devens to Governor Fenton, when the regiment was discharged
at the close of the war, he speaks in the following terms of com-
mendation: "Participating in various affairs previously, at the
battle of Drury's Bluff, May 16th, 1864, this regiment dis-
tinguished itself for its great valor and pertinacity, and now the
reputation it has since enjoyed, is that of being one of the most
resolute regiments in the service. Out of about three hundred
and fifty men engaged, it lost in this conflict in casualties, one
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 303
hundred and ninety-eight men and thirteen officers; and it is a
most noteworthy fact, that having taken two hundred prisoners
from the enemy, the regiment had considerably more prisoners at
the close of the action, than it had men Jit for duty."
The night after this battle he wrote the following hasty letter
to his mother, and, a few days afterwards, a long "journal letter,"
from which we will make a short extract, giving his description
of the battle. The difference between these letters, and the for-
mer ones written when he first entered upon active service, is
very marked. Three long years of experience and of suffering,
had subdued the buoyant playfulness of his disposition, and the
Holy Spirit had deepened his religious feelings, and taught him
to look upon the solemn circumstances in which he was placed,
in the light of eternity.
Near Bermuda Hundreds, May 16th, 1864.
My dear Mother — Thank God I am safe. Never before have
I so felt the kind protection of my Heavenly Father, and with
His assistance I will serve Him more faithfully than I have ever
done before. I am worn out, used up, sick, sick at heart, but I
trust a few days rest will restore me. We have been for eight
days fighting all the time, (bushwhacking) and had worked our
way up to within nine miles of Richmond, so that from the top
of a high pine we could see the place. We carried their outer
line of defences; but this morning they came upon us in over-
whelming numbers, and, after several hours murderous fiohtino;
on both sides, they drove us back.
But our gallant regiment did nobly, and stood their ground
till the last regiment had left the field. Indeed, they stood their
ground till they were nearly all shot down. Oh, my heart aches
so to-night! Some of my best friends are killed. Those I had
learned to love so w T ell are gone. Oh! when will this cruel,
wicked war end. We have lost heavily, I fear, but know nothing
except the thousand rumors that are floating around. But, still,
there is something for which Ave may congratulate ourselves.
This action has called away a large force, which would otherwise
have been with Lee, so Gen. Grant reaps the benefit.
304 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
I was not hurt in the least. It was your 'prayers my dearest
mother, that saved me. Oh, I know it; I feel it. I trust I shall
live hereafter as a true Christian. Never before have I felt as I
do to-night. I am not excited as I write this, though all worn
out. Your good long letter just received; will study it. Yes,
I will try. Ever, CHARLIE.
The following is an extract from his journal letter:
" May lUh. — The enemy continued to shell us all this a. m.
The Colonel pleaded sickness, and went into camp. Colonel
Nichols, who really is sick, came out and took command. I
was entirely used up, and was just going to report sick, when I
was detailed to take charge of the skirmishers of the brigade.
This being a post of danger, and of course of honor, I pocketed
my bad feelings and went out. I had several men killed and
wounded during the twenty-four hours. I was highly compli-
mented by Gen. Burnham, because I kept my line in good order,
and did not allow my men to fire unless they saw some one to
fire at, The trouble is with men generally, they keep popping
away when there is nothing to be seen, thereby wasting their
ammunition, alarming our folks unnecessarily, and revealing our
position to the enemy.
" To be in command of the skirmishers is very fatiguing; run-
ning around without a moment's rest, constantly under fire and
great excitement, without a chance to eat or sleep.
" Saturday night I went out with some of our men and brought
in a poor fellow of the Ninety-eighth N. Y., who had been killed
on Friday, but lay in such an exposed position that it was im-
possible to get at him in the day time. We buried him right by
our picket lines: a soldier's grave, with nothing to mark his rest-
ing place but a blaze on the tree near his head.
" My tour of duty was not off" till Sunday afternoon, and when
I came in I was so entirely used up that I fell asleep the moment
I dropped on the ground, and slept through the heavy firing
which was kept up all night.
"Monday, Ai m., May 16th. — Just at daylight there was a very
heavy fog — so dense you could not see six feet from you. Col.
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 305
Nichols woke me, saying there was heavy firing on the right. I
grumbled a little at waking so early, saying it was only a false
alarm; but I soon found out my mistake. In a few moments
Wistar's Brigade began to fire, followed by the Eighth Connec-
ticut, and by the time we were up and ready for action, we saw
a heavy rebel line within six feet of us, charging down upon us
with tremendous fury. They had crept up under cover of the
fog, hoping to surprise us, but were in this disappointed. Our
boys gave them a tremendous volley, and, as they were so near,
and our men took good aim before they fired, the slaughter was
terrible. I could see whole lines of them fall at once. They
immediately broke in great confusion and ran; but about ninety
of them ran the wrong way (purposely), and came into our lines,
and gave themselves up as prisoners. Lieut. Campbell, and a
company of our regiment, were on picket when the fight began.
The rebels passed him in the fog without noticing him. Shortly
afterwards the Assistant Adjutant General on General Johnson's
(rebel) staff rode up, and taking him for one of his own men,
asked where Gen. Johnson's skirmish line was. Lieut. Campbell
told him to get off of that horse, and he would show him the
Yankee lines. The gentleman resisted, when Campbell pulled
out his pistol. He then said, " no matter, he would get off," and
Campbell, steering clear, in the fog, of the rebels, brought him
and his company all safe into our lines. I could tell of a dozen
such adventures, but have not time.
"Heckman's Brigade was broken, and Wistar's followed,
leaving the flank of the Eighth Connecticut exposed. They
stood it for a while, when they broke and fell back. Then we
had to take it. Imagine them all gone, and the rebels in their
place, protected by our own rifle pits, and all firing into the One
Hundred and Eighteenth, besides those out in front of us, and
you can have some idea of our condition at the time. But our
brave boys did not flinch in the least. They stood there loading
and firing with the utmost coolness, until finally orders were
given for us to change our front, and take up another position.
Even this left us open to a terrible fire, and many men fell here.
Just before we changed, Nichols was slightly wounded, and went
20
306 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
to the rear, leaving me in command. After a while we received
orders to fall back on a line with the other regiments of our
brigade. Here we staid till every other regiment had left the
ground, and then we fell slowly back about a quarter of a mile.
Here we halted, and this time the rebels did not follow us. They
had been severely punished, and been taught to have some
respect for the One Hundred and Eighteenth New York. We
formed in line and remained here till late in the afternoon, and
the enemy shelled us, but did not do us much harm. Thus ended
the battle of Druiy's Bluff, in which fell, of Union forces, nearly
five thousand men, all newspaper reports to the contrary not-
withstanding. Our regiment lost one hundred and ninety-six
men and thirteen officers — a little more than half of all the men
engaged!"
The modesty with which he here alludes to his own position
at this time, and the utter absence of all attempt to magnify the
important part he took in this engagement, is certainly very
noticeable. Of the regiment — his " brave boys " — he was proud,
and could speak in terms of unbounded approbation; but of self,
not a word. His courage and patriotism were proved, not pro-
fessed. And certainly they were most conspicuous in this instance,
when it is remembered that he was, at this time, in a very suffer-
ing and precarious state of health.
The second day after this battle he was compelled to yield.
The excitement of the battle, the responsibility of commanding,
which he deeply felt, and the severe and exhausting labors,
brought on a violent attack of heart disease, and he was taken to
the hospital for the first time since he had entered the army.
His great danger was apparent to every one, and the surgeons at
once told him "it was his duty to resign, and that he could not
possibly endure the excitement and fatigue of the army." He
would not for a moment indulge the thought of resignation, and
insisted upon returning to the regiment after only eight days' rest.
About this time there was evidently a great change in his reli-
gious feelings. His letters indicated a depth of spiritual feelino-,
and a desire for entire consecration to the will and service of God
such as he had not manifested before. The Holy Spirit made the
MA.T. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 307
death of his associates and his own precarious state, the means
of impressing upon his mind the uncertainty of life, and he was
brought to a very sweet and earnest submission of himself and
all his interests to the will of God.
"While in the hospital he wrote several letters, from which we
make a few extracts :
" For the first time I am in hospital, but don't be alarmed. I
am not very sick. The trouble is, just as soon as the long marches
and fatigue attending them comes on, and the excitement of bat-
tle, then my old complaint comes back. All I need is rest and
quiet, and it goes off again. I sometimes wish I could get
detailed for a few months, and I think I could be entirely cured.
But I hate to express such a thought even to you, for it is not
right to wish to be away at such a time as this; nor would I do
it, were it not that I know I am driving nails in my own coffin
by staying in this constant excitement. I will not resign — that
I have made up my mind to; but I have often, as I have been
lving here, thought if I could be detailed to take charge of the
Albany barracks, what a windfall it would be. But, then, I have
put away, the thought as unworthy. A soldier in the field has
no right to be looking out for ' soft places? I am going back to
camp to-morrow any way, for I can't stay here in a crowded hos-
pital with wounded and dying men around. It is enough to
make a well person sick."
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 He
sees tit 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. He 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:
MAJ. CHAELES E. PRUYN. 309
"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 (krys, he resumed the command. On the 11th
he wrote the following letter, the last he ever penned:
In the Eifle Pits, June 11, 1864.
My dear Mother — I received a few lines from 3-011 this a. m.
* # # # j 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 clay. 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.
MA.J. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 311
It will require but a few words to describe the last sceue.
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 Pruyx'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, aud 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. TTykoff, 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
Cadets.
i
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
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYK". 313
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 Ms 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 Pruyx'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 MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN.
Headquarters, 118th N. Y. S. V. ^
In the Trenches, Before Petersburg, Ya., \
July 20th, 1864. J
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 } r our 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-
pie — 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 JV. Y. V.
[Official]
Head Quarters Department of Virginia ")
and North Carolina, in the Field, Va., }>
July loth, 1864. j
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
MAJ. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 315
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 till 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 Masonic Hall, September 24th, 1864, it was
unanimously
Resolved, That the tidings of the untimely death of our
lamented brother, Charles E. Pruyx, 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 mfcurn 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, Avhile 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 angelic 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.
MA.T. CHARLES E. PRUYN. 317
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,
be 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 MAJ. 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.
iUA.T. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 319
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 MAJ. 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."
But there was no alternative. He could not, to save his life,
proceed farther, and ordering his men to leave him and seek
their own safety, he prepared to surrender whenever his pur-
suers should so order. But at this crisis unexpected succor
reached him. Hospital Steward Heald, of the Eleventh Bat-
tery, rode up at full speed on a horse which he had cut from
one of the caissons left upon the field in the rout of that bat-
tery, and discovering the Captain, whom he knew, and whose
helplessness was made known to him in a word, he magnani-
mously leaped from his horse, forced the Captain into the saddle,
in spite of his protest against availing himself of this mode of
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 321
escape at the expense of the safety of his generous friend. The
only response was: "You certainly Avill be taken if you remain.
You are crippled and cannot escape. I am in full strength, and
know every foot of these woods for miles. Don't fear for me, I
can elude the rebels." Without another word, the generous fel-
low disappeared, and successfully eluded the enemy. Finding
himself thus providentially saved from the dreaded fate which
he supposed awaited him, the Captain made all haste to escape,
and was soon within the lines drawn up at Centrevillc, in suffi-
cient force to keep back the enemy. The Captain and his friends
at home had frequent opportunities afterwards to evince their
gratitude for this generous act.
In this escapade only two or three of the regiment were killed,
and forty or fifty taken prisoners. The incompetency exhibited
by the Colonel on this occasion and subsequently, led to his dis-
missal from the service.
The regiment rendezvoused at its old quarters, and continued to
garrison the forts south of the Potomac, until Gen. Grant entered
upon his final and triumphant campaign in the spring of 1864.
It then numbered over eighteen hundred men, and the order to
march was received with rejoicing, any change being preferred
to the monotony to which it had been so long subjected. Most
of the officers and men had entered the service from motives of
pure patriotism, having, with few exceptions, enlisted before the
offer of the large tempting bounties which were subsequently
paid; and they longed to share in the glory which they believed
awaited those who should distinguish themselves in the deadly
strife, which they knew was inevitable. But, alas! how few of all
these eighteen hundred strong men live to-day to wear the laurels
which they coveted. Company F numbered one hundred and
forty-seven men when it left Fort Cochrane, on the morning of
the 15th of May, and every man responded to his name at the
first roll call in the " Wilderness." But in less than thirty days,
and before their captain received his fatal wound at Petersburg,
it had more than once gone into battle with less than fifty, and
on one occasion only twenty-five were able, either because of
21
322 MAJ. GEOEGE S. DAWSON.
death, wounds or excessive fatigue, to follow their leader into
"the imminent deadly breach."
The Captain's first real experience of a close and sanguinary
encounter, was in the Wilderness, when the artillery brigade was
led against the enemy. It was in the night. The rebels were
approaching in unknown force from an unknown quarter. Some
of the commanding officers were as unused to the work as those
who cheerfully followed them, and in this night attack there was
more confusion than execution. It was no matter of surprise,
therefore, in the rapid marching and counter-marching to find
the enemy, that friends were often mistaken for foes, and that
our own regiments sometimes fired into each other, thus, in many
instances, creating a panic and inextricable confusion. The
Second found itself in this dilemma, being tired into from the rear,
by the Seventh Artillery while pressing the enemy in front.
While no stampede was produced by this untoward event, sev-
eral of the Second were killed, and there followed a great deal
of confusion and innumerable confiicting commands.
When the enemy was repulsed, and something like order was
restored, Captain Dawson found himself with the colors of the
regiment and eighteen men, waiting orders. Communicating
with Col. Whistlee, then in command of the regiment, the reply
was: " Hold your position until I rally the regiment around the
flag." Although, in this first test battle, the Captain evinced n(
more courage than the mass of the officers and men of the regi
ment, the coolness and thoughtfulness which he exhibiteo
attracted to him the especial attention of his Colonel, who highly
complimented him, and who ever afterwards leaned upon him
with the most implicit confidence, as one who could be depended
upon in the most trying emergency. This confidence was not
misplaced, and Col. Whistlee afterwards remarked: "He never
failed me. I could always trust him. He was ever ready, on
every alarm, as if waiting for it; and at every call to arms, at
whatever hour, his was always the first company in line, himself
at the head of it."
The reader will remember the thrilling records of the exploits
of "the Artillery Brigade" in the battles of "the Wilderness, ■'
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 323
while under the command of Gen. Tyler. It was, on all occa-
sions, given the post of danger, and took a conspicuous part in
all the terrible combats which will ever render " the Wilderness"
memorable in the annals of the war. Wherever that brigade
fought, the Second Regiment did its duty, and no company of
that regiment received higher praise than company F.
When the Artillery Brigade was broken up, as it was at
Spottsylvania, to give greater efficiency to the several corps, the
Second Regiment was placed in the famous Second Corps, Gen.
Hancock; in the First Division, Gen. Barlow; and in the First
Brigade, Gen. Miles — names associated with all that is chivalric,
heroic and daring in that ever memorable, bloody and triumphant
campaign.
It is not the purpose of this sketch to follow its subject
through all the minutia of his marehings and fightings and suffer-
ings in the Wilderness, at Spottsylvania, the North Anna, the
Tolopottomy, and so on to Coal Harbor and Petersburg. It is
sufficient that he did his duty in all emergencies, and upon all
occasions. When his father went to visit him at Coal Harbor,
after the fearful battle, he met the Adjutant of the regiment in
the regimental tent hospital, in the rear of the army, and on
inquiring for George, the Adjutant replied: " He is well, and
when you hear what the Colonel will tell you of his bearing in
battle, you will be proud of him." It was, indeed, pleasant to
his father to hear his son thus spoken of by a fellow-officer; but
it was inexpressibly gratifying to see his men manifesting the ten-
derest affection for him, and to hear them speak of him as their
"brave Captain." They seemed unable to say enough in praise
of him. " He always goes with us," said they, " and we are never
hungry so long as he has a crust in his own haversack, or a six-
pence to divide with us."
The Colonel, on the same occasion, said : "George, as a sol-
dier and gentleman, is all you could desire him to be. In battle
he is calm, deliberate, and brave as a lion. I can depend upon
him, and he has already earned his promotion." On another
occasion the Colonel said : "The sound of the first cannon, and
his first encounter with the enemy, seemed to change his Avhole
324 MAJ. GEORGE 8. DAWSON.
character, and to transform him at once from youth to manhood.
I sometimes," said the Colonel, " when in garrison, had occasion
to hold him in check. The monotony of garrison life seemed
unbearable to him, and the duties assigned him there, while sel-
dom neglected, were evidently not what he coveted. He was
constantly longing for some more active service; and since that
active service has come, he has proven his fitness for it. He rose
with the occasion, and there is nothing within the range of his
duty in which I cannot implicitly trust him." This, coming from
an old soldier, a graduate of West Point, who had grown up in
the army, as his father and grandfather had done before him, was
certainly high praise. The promotion which his Colonel said he
had " earned" was conferred upon him, but the commission (of
Major) did not reach him until after he was disabled at Peters-
burg. The promotion was asked for by the Colonel as a reward
for his gallantry in the field, and its reception was a source of
satisfaction and pleasure to him in his subsequent weeks and
months of suffering.
The retreat of the rebel army from Coal Harbor, enabled Gen
Grant to move at once across the James River, and against
Petersburgh. The Second Corps was in the advance in this move
ment, and was hurried forward to open the campaign in this ne"v\
field, where, after many months of fighting, the war was to
be brought to a successful termination. It was expected that
the Second Corps would have been up in time to take part in
the first movement upon Petersburg ; but the guide, either un-
wittingly or intentionally, took the wrong road, and kept back
the corps until after the attack had been made and abandoned.
It is painful to reflect upon the consequences of this mistake. If
the proper effort had been made, it is believed that the attack
would have been successful, even with the force employed. But
with the Second Corps in addition, there is no doubt that Peters-
burg would then have fallen. For Gen. Wise afterwards boasted
that the city was defended by raw troops, composed mostly of
clerks, mechanics, and other civilians of the place and vicinity,
who could not have withstood a determined and persistent attack.
And this boast was apparently confirmed by the fact that Kuntz's
MA J. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 325
cavalry penetrated the town, and it was believed that he could
have held it if he had been properly supported by a single divi-
sion.
This failure gave the rebels time to reinforce from Richmond,
and when, on the 16th, the Second Corps moved against the
enemy, it was met by a formidable force, and encountered earth-
works which prevented a rapid advance.
On the afternoon of the Kith, the First Brigade of the Second
Corps was ordered to advance upon a series of earthworks which
had proved exceedingly annoying through the day. The Second
Artillery was given a conspicuous position in this attack, and was
moving briskly to the charge when, on reaching the crest of a
hill within close range, it encountered a shower of shot and shell
ivhich compelled a halt. The havoc had been severe in the
/anks of the regiment, and the men were lying down to escape
the death-hail, when Capt. Dawson was directed by the Colonel
to assist in concentrating a company (not his own) which had
become "mixed up."
He was engaged in this work, not legitimately belonging to
him, but necessary for the protection of the flank of the line,
when he received his wound. He was within a few feet of the
Colonel, who heard the peculiar thud which indicated the lodge-
ment of a Minnie ball, and seeing the Captain waver, said: "Cap-
tain, are you hit?" The reply was: "Yes, sir, I believe I am;"
and, before falling, he walked a few paces to a stump, which he
took hold of and slowly let himself down behind it, as a shelter.
Instantly, a number of his men, forgetful of their own safety in
their anxiety and affection for him, rose from their reclining-
position and offered to bear him from the field. But. aware of
the almost certain death which would result to them if they
should be permitted to do what they desired, thanking them for
their kindness, he declined their offer and ordered them back to
their places in the ranks, where they would be partially sheltered
from the fire of the enemy, which was so hot and impetuous
that it was impossible for the stretcher-bearers to render any
assistance to the wounded. Such relief as could be extemporized
was extended to them by those in their immediate proximity,
32(3 31 A J. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
but surgical aid could not be hoped for until after dark. A hasty-
examination showed that a Minnie ball had penetrated the Cap-
tain's leg just above the left knee, glancing downwards, proving
that the shot had been fired by a sharpshooter from the elevated
position of the earth-work which the regiment was facing. But
it was deemed a mere flesh wound, and the only remark it elicited
from the Captain was made to a wounded officer near him: " This
books me for a thirty days' furlough."
It was soon ascertained that other Albanians had suffered.
Near him lay the lamented Adjutant McDonald, of the Sixty-
first, mortally wounded, and Acting Lieutenant Maiiar, also of
the Sixty-first, with his leg shattered. The Adjutant lived but
a few days. The Lieutenant suffered amputation, and for a time
seemed getting along finely; but his constitution was too greatly
shattered, and he died at home in October.
It was late in the night — six hours after he had received his
wound — before Captain Dawson could be removed. Those were
terrible hours; not so much from the pain experienced, as because
of the anxiety endured. The shot and shell were flying incessantly
over the heads of the wounded, most of whom had been carried
or had crawled over the brow of the hill. The insatiable thirst,
which is the universal accompaniment of battle wounds, caused
incessant appeals for water. But, as the scene was described,
there were no murmurings nor outcries. On the contrary, there
was more of mirth than of grief manifested — each seemingly
anxious to cheer the others in their common sufferings. The
master anxiety during these trying hours was the fear that our
troops might be overpowered, and the wounded thereby fall into
the hands of the rebels. But while our brave fellows did not,
during that night, accomplish their purpose, they held their
ground, and under cover of the darkness, the wounded were
borne to the field hospitals of their several regiments. The sur-
geons of his regiment did what they could to ascertain the nature
and extent of the Captain's wound, and to guard against future
mischief. They decided, as did also the surgeons of the brigade
and division, that the hurt, though severe, would not compel
amputation. In twenty-four hours after receiving his wound, he
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 327
was forwarded to the Second Corps hospital at City Point, with
strength enough to hold in his lap the head of a poor fellow who
had lost a leg. But whether because of the ride in an ambulance
for twelve miles over a rough road, or because the wound was
really worse than had been supposed, or because of an error in
judgment of the Corps surgeons, in twenty-four hours after he
reached the Corps hospital, it was decided, on consultation, that
the knee was so much injured that amputation was necessary.
The announcement was made to the Captain, and his only reply
was : "I am ready for whatever operation you may deem neces-
sary." Amputation of the left leg immediately followed — the
saddest reflection being that, although within twelve miles of his
>wn regiment, no friend or acquaintance was with him to comfort
aim in this hour of sorrow and suffering. Those, however, who
witnessed his bearing before, during, and after the operation,
said that no one ever evinced greater fortitude or passed through
the ordeal more cheerfully or unflinchingly. Only Divine aid
could have so greatly sustained him during this first great sorrow
nf his life, and through the months of anguish which followed,
before he passed away to his final rest.
Within a few hours after the operation, he was placed on board
the hospital steamer to be conveyed, with hundreds of others of
the wounded, to Washington. Although the trip was made in
the usual time, when he reached Armory Square Hospital gan-
grene had set in, and the most unfavorable indications were
developed. His parents reached the hospital a few hours after
he did, and they were surprised at his apparent strength and
cheerfulness. Anxious to have the opinion of the best surgeons
in Washington, a council was held, and the decision reached
that the case was " almost hopeless." Fortunately he fell into
good hands, and although gangrene persistently returned at
intervals, at the end of four months his parents were permitted
to bear him home, with the assurance that "there was not a sur-
geon in the State so unskillful as to prevent a favorable result."
And so, for several weeks, it seemed. He grew strong, was fre-
quently able to ride out, and looked forward with confidence and
hope to the time when he could take his place again with his
328 MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
regiment, on horseback, and be " in at the death of the rebel-
lion." But it was not so to be. As was ascertained on a post
mortem examination, but not dreamed of before, the bone of the
amputated limb was so diseased, even at the time of highest
hope, that recovery was impossible; and, in spite of the best
professional skill and the most unwearied care, the young soldier
died on the 6th of December, aged twenty-six years — five months
and twenty clays after receiving the wound.
Although his friends are reluctant to lift the curtain which
encircled the death bed of their son and brother, his last hours
bore such beautiful fruit that, for the good of others, they con-
sent that some of the pleasant incidents which preceded his death
may be given.
During his entire illness he had been thoughtful; and one of
his first remarks, after his friends met him at Washington, was:
" Oh! this is hard to bear; but, Heavenly Father, thy will be
done." And when, after his removal to private rooms in Wash-
ington, where the family could be together, he was never willing
to go to sleep in the evening, until after family worship, often
asking if it were not time for the service. When he was form-
ally told that he could not probably live over twenty-four hours,
he received the announcement with perfect composure. He
spoke to his friends cheerfully, and informed his father, minutely,
as to the condition of his company papers. "You will find
them all arranged perfectly," said he, " with but a single receipt
wanting, of clothing issued on the eve of battle at Coal Harbor;
and in regard to that, you will find full memoranda." Death
seemed to have for him no terrors whatever. The secret of this
calmness was revealed when his father said to him, " George,
can you now trust the Saviour?" His reply was: " Can I trust
the Saviour! Oh! yes, with my whole heart and soul."
During his last night, and eighteen hours after he had been
informed that he could not recover, he said to a friend who was
sitting with him: "This has been the happiest day of my life,
and you may say this to all my friends." And this was said by
one whose whole life had been full of sunshine, and to whom
the future of life was full of unclouded hope. The remark was
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 329
a gratifying" assurance that he " knew in whom he had believed,'!
and that he deemed death but a messenger sent to open to him
the portals of a brighter and happier home.
His last hours were so full of serenity and peace that the
tears shed around his bedside were rather tears of joy than of
sorrow, and the prayers offered rather the expressions of
thanksgiving than of grief. While, at his request, the beauti-
ful hymn,
" Nearer, my God, to thee,"
was being suns his countenance beamed with the enthusiasm of
holy worship; and when he became unable to repeat audibly
the words of the hymn, his lips moved in unison with the mea-
sure of the music. A few moments before his voice failed him,
he whispered: " O, sing to me of Heaven;" and that touching
hymn, which he had years before printed for the Sabbath school
with which he was connected, was sung, and he was enabled to
join in its singing to the close.
Requesting all but his parents to leave the room for a moment,
he again referred minutely to his company papers, yet unadjusted,
but which he had carefully arranged, and giving a few parting
directions, he seemed to have nothing more to say, and com-
menced singing, in a clear voice:
" Nearer, my God, to thee."
He sang through the words:
'' E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,"
when his voice failed him, and soon after, whispering the single
word, " higher!" he sank to rest, as if in a quiet slumber.
However much his parents and friends might regret that one
so loved should be so early called away from them, there could
be no real grief in the hallowed presence of such a death bed.
It will be forever a blessed memory. His patriotism and bravery
are a precious legacy. The uncomplaining patience which he
exhibited during his months of suffering, can never be forgotten.
The fact that he gave his young life to perpetuate the Union
330 MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
and to secure freedom to the enslaved, will ever be a proud boast
with those who bear his name. But his trusting faith and his
happy death will constitute the brightest and pleasantest recol-
lection of his brief life.
When the intelligence of his death reached his regiment, deep
grief filled every heart, and this grief found but feeble expression
in the following resolutions, adopted on the field of battle, near
the spot where he had received his fatal wound:
Head Quarters Second New York Artillery.
At a meeting of the officers and privates of Company F, Second
New York Artillery, held at camp near Petersburg, Va., on the
evening of December 9th, 1864, the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted :
Whereas, It would indeed be difficult to imagine anything cal-
culated to diffuse or cast a deeper gloom amongst us, than the
intelligence of the death of our late company commander, Maj.
George S. Dawson, long our associate in arms. In his skill and
integrity, our confidence was implicit. Ever ready to alleviate
our sufferings and contribute to our comfort, he nobly stood as
the champion of our rights and the defender of our honor. On
many a avcII contested field (ever in the van), he has shared our
dangers and participated in our glory. In him Ave have lost an
able and efficient officer, whose military skill and courage has
won our confidence and admiration. Our loss is irreparable,
inasmuch as. by long association, he became blended in our wel-
fare. The noble and refined bearing which he at all times prac-
ticed towards us, made us feel toward and look to him as a com-
panion, rather than as a superior: Whereas, it has pleased the
Almighty Ruler of the Universe to take from us our late com-
mander, George S. Dawson, it is unanimously
Resolved, That his memory shall live within us. It will be
nourished Irv the recollection of his virtues, and his valor shall
ever be held as a pattern worthy of imitation.
Resolved. That Ave fully concur in the sentiment of our Colo-
nel, that the Second New York Artillery has, by the death of
George S. Dawson, lost one of its best and bravest officers.
MAJ; GEORGE S. DAAVSON. 331
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be duly forwarded
to family of deceased.
(Signed) Lieut. James Chichester and others,
Members of Company F.
RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE 2d X. Y. VOL. ARTILLERY.
Head Quarters 2d N. Y. Artillery,
Before Petersburg, Jan. 14, 1865.
Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God, in His Providence, to
call from this scene of war and strife to a far better and more
peaceful land, our beloved companion, Major George S. Dawson,
we cannot refrain from pouring out our sympathy with his afflicted
family and country.
In him the country lost a pure patriot and a brave soldier, the
regiment and his company a noble officer and a true friend. The
loss to his family we cannot estimate. We can only, while real-
izing, next to themselves, his loss, offer to them our heartiest
sympathy and regard, and promise them that through the short
remainder of our own lives, we will ever cherish, as a precious
relic, the memory of our well beloved and departed brother.
GEO. HOGG, Major, ComWg.
Hugh Fitzsimmons, Lieut.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE TYPOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.
At a meeting of Albany Typographical Union No. 4, held on
Wednesday evening, December 7th, the following preamble and
resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, Our Almighty Father, who ordereth all things ac-
cording to the counsels of his own will, hath been pleased, in
his inscrutable Providence, to take unto himself our fellow
craftsman, George S. Dawson, Major of Second Artillery, New
York State Volunteers, who had endeared himself unto us by
his social virtues and manly qualities, and who had won our
admiration by his talents and heroic bravery on the field, where,
while gallantly leading his men in a charge upon the enemy
332 MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON.
before Petersburg, on the 16th of June last, he received the
wound which, despite long and patient watch and care, resulted
in his death, on the 6th of December instant; therefore,
Resolved, That we hereby express the deep sorrow his decease
has occasioned in our hearts, and convey to his family our sym-
pathy with them in their bereavement.
Resolved, That in token of our appreciation of our loss, the
Charter of this Union be draped in mourning for thirty days, and
that we attend his funeral in a body.
GEO. W. QUACKENBUSH, President.
G. Baker, Secretary.
RESOLUTIONS OF COMPANY B, 10TH REGT.
At a special meeting of Washington Continental Company B,
held at their Armory, Wednesday evening, December 7th, the
following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, In the inscrutable providence of God, this company
has again been called upon to mourn the loss of one of its mem-
bers, Major George S. Dawson, Second New York Artillery, in
the death of whom the ties that bound us together have now
been severed: a sincere friend, an active soldier and a true
patriot — one who has laid his life down on his country's altar,
has, we trust, ere this been the recipient of an everlasting
crown of never-fading glory in the mansions of the skies; there-
fore,
Resolved, That we tender to the family and relatives of the
deceased our sincere condolence and heartfelt sympathy in this
their hour of affliction.
Resolved, That this dispensation of Divine Providence will
remind us that we, too, must die, and of the certain decay of all
earthly greatness, and that " in the midst of life we are in death."
Resolved, That we are most impressed with the fact that
" death loves a shining mark," as is fully exemplified in the
instance at hand. It has taken away from us one of the best
members of our organization, one whose association with us
developed those qualities which are the attributes of an honest,
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 333
upright and generous man, one whose memory will linger with
us until we, too, are summoned to pass through the " dark valley
of the shadow of death."
Resolved, That the members of this company attend the fune-
ral of our deceased comrade, in uniform.
Resolved, That the foregoing preamble and resolutions be
signed by the President and Secretary, and a copy transmitted
to the family of the deceased, and published in the "Morning
Express" and "Evening Journal."
W. G. THORBUEN, President.
J. A. Fassett, Secretary.
The following beautiful tribute is from the pen of Alfred B.
Street, Esq;:
GEORGE SEWARD DAWSON,
MAJOR SECOND NEW YORK ARTILLERY, DIED FROM WOUNDS RECEIVED BEFORE
PETERSBURG. JUNE 16, 1865.
One more true hero perished ! once again
We mourn our vernal flowers ! oh, fatal strife !
Our hest and bravest crowd the battle-plain !
Carnage holds carnival ! the sword bears reign !
Peace droops in tears ! but not, but not in vain
Tbe woe ! upon it hangs our nation's life !
For this the living ramparts rise, for this
The floods of living fire that wrathful dart
From the volcano of the nation's heart !
And those who act their stern but holy part,
Feel it is bliss to strive, to perish, bliss.
And he we mourn was one of those; he sprang
When in his ear the land's loud war cry rang;
Sprang from the joys of home, the opening flowers,
The gladdening songs that make the hovering hours
So heavenly to the young; with one brave bound
He finds the battle's front; a fiery flood
Pours on his scanty band; the waves whirl round
Our youthful Brave, — a maelstrom, seething blood, —
But firm he stands; he breasts the dashing fire
Until the surges pile so fierce their ire
They hurl him back, but facing still the flow
With brow unquailing and unfailing blow.
Thy field, Manassas, saw no brave deeds done
Brighter than his ! and there his first green wreath he won !
334 MAJ. GEORGE S. DAAVSON.
And thou, 0, red and trophed Wilderness !
Didst see him in thy midnight depths the same
In valiant strength; again fierce numbers press,
A legion, a vast legion breathing flame.
And he with not a score; Old Glory streams,
"With scarce a guard; to it he, burning, leaps,
His heart its guard; once more its splendor gleams,
Poised on that heart; the living torrent sweeps
Upon the grand Old Banner, but he rears
Its radiance still; in vain that torrent heaps
Its fury, still its starry blazon cheers
The few brave souls around him; from his post
His leader, <: Stand, until my rallied host
Shall come !" and stand he did, and strike with heart and hand.
All through the crimsoned Wilderness he went,
With strength untiring and with soul unbent.
All through, all through, the same young Brave, the same !
Through the fierce hurricane of blood and flame !
But thou, Petersburg ! oh, scene of dread,
Oh. scene of dread and woe, thou saw'st him fall !
Death rode triumphant on the fated ball;
Its fiery finger searched his life ! outspread
The healing-portals, healing not for him !
Oh ! many were the hours, long, dreary, dim,
He saw; and at his home, his shrouded home !
Hope now would smile, then painful doubt would roam
Around his lingering, suffering couch, while there
He lay with cheerful, meek, and patient air.
Resigned to all. Death slowly came at last, —
'• It is my Saviour's will !" he said; then murmured, Sing
'•' Nearer, my God, to Thee;" and as he passed
"Higher !" he said, and high, " higher" flew his heavenward wing.
Such was our youthful Brave ! and such as he
Boasts our fair land; no marvel she is free !
Free as the lightning round the mountain's peak !
Free as the air that fans Old Ocean's cheek !
And with a grateful, full, though bleeding heart,
She crowns with wreaths her every hero's brow !
Death, conquering death, how blunted droops his dart
To such, oh, gallant friend, oh, youthful Brave, as thou !
HIS BURIAL.
The following is taken from an Albany paper of the clay on
which the last remains of the young soldier were conveyed to
the tomb:
MAJ. GEORGE S. DAWSON. 335
Burial of Major George S. Dawson. — The last sad tribute
of respect and love was paid, this afternoon, to this gallant
young soldier and officer. Under a military escort, consisting
of a detachment of the Tenth Regiment N. G. S. N. Y., and
another from the Veteran Corps, the battalion under the com-
mand of Major Stiles, his remains were taken to their last rest-
ing place.
The scene was solemn and imposing. As the cortege passed
along the crowded streets, the notes of the shrill fife and the
muffled rolling drum, sadly and solemnly announced to the casual
observer that another brave spirit had been yielded up upon the
altar of his country.
The coffin was enshrouded with the flag he so much loved, and
for which he perished. The pall bearers were officers of rank in
the Veteran Corps and the National Guard.
Besides the military, the funeral was largely attended by per-
sonal friends; and the members of the Printers' Union, wno knew
him well, united in paying the last tribute to the memory of a
beloved companion and true friend.
BREVET (iN MEMOBIAM) OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.
State of New York. Executive Chamber,
Albany, October 24, 1865.
Dear Sir — I am directed by his Excellency, Gov. Fenton, to
forward to you a brevet commission — In Memoriam — for your
departed son, George S. Dawson, as Brevet Lieutenant Colonel
New York State Volunteers, for gallant and meritorious conduct
before Petersburg, Va.
The Governor has learned of the good conduct of your son,
and takes pleasure in thus recognizing the valuable services he
rendered the country in the severe trial to which it was exposed.
Very respectfully,
M. J. FARRELL, Col. & A. D. C.
George Dawson, Esq., Albany, JV. Y.
336 MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED.
XVIII.
MAJOR EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED.
Edward A. Springsteed, son of D. Springsteed, M. D., was
born in the city of Albany on the 31st day of January, 1840.
He was commissioned as First Lieutenant in the Forty-third
Regiment New York Volunteers, on the 17th day of August,
1861, under command of Col. Francis E. Vinton. He was in
the Army of the Potomac, First Brigade, First Division, Gen.
W. S. Smith, Sixth Army Corps, under Gen. Franklin. He
participated in several skirmishes, and in the battle of Lee's
Mills and Williamsburg; and in the seven days' fight, at Golder
Farm, Savage's Station, White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill.
When the troops arrived at Harrison's Landing, it was found
that his regiment had been reduced to less than half its number.
He, with other officers of the regiment, were mustered out as
supernumerary, and he received an honorable discharge.
Soon after his arrival home, he volunteered his services again,
and was commissioned Captain in the One Hundred and Thir
teenth (Albany county) Regiment, under the command of Col
Lewis O. Morris. The regiment was mustered into the servicr
of the United States Aug. 19th, 1862. Col. Morris, who had s<
soon noticed Capt. Springsteed's military qualifications, recom
mended him and he was promoted to the position of Major.
The regiment left for the seat of war on the 19th, and arrived
at Washington, District of Columbia, on the 23d of August, and
was ordered to garrison the forts in the vicinity. Major Sprestg
steed was assigned to the command at Fort Kearney. On Dec
12th, 1862, the One Hundred and Thirteenth was, by an orde
of the Secretary of War, changed from infantry to heavy artil-
lery. Major Springsteed was then placed in command at Fort
MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED. 337
De Russy, which command he held for several months, when he
was again returned to Fort Kearney and appointed Brigade
Inspector. This position he held until the departure of the
regiment for the Army of the Potomac, May 16th, 1864. He
was then placed in command of the Second Battalion of the
regiment. This command he held in the battles of Lauren's
Hill, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Coal Harbor, Milford Station,
and until the charge of the First Division, Second Army Corps,
under Major General W. S. Hancock, on the defences of Peters-
burg, made June 16th, 1864. At that time, he was wounded
and only escaped capture by his courage and coolness.
Major Springsteed gives an account of the battle and of his
wound, in the following interesting letter to his father:
Near Petersburg, Va., June 17, 1864.
Dear Father — I suppose that before you get this letter, you will
have heard that I am wounded, and of course you will be very
anxious to know how badly. I got a very painful, although slight
wound in the small of the back. The bullet came from the right
side of me, and struck my belt, cutting my pistol off' and going
into the flesh slightly. The ring on my belt almost stopped the
ball, or else it would have struck the spine, in which case I
should probably not have been writing this letter now. I am at
the hospital and I think I shall be all right again in a few days ;
in a week at the farthest. About all I require at present, is rest
and quiet. I was with my battalion for about an hour after I
was struck.
I suppose you would like to know something of our move-
ments for the last few days. We left Gaines' Hill on the night
of the same da}^ on which I wrote you last, and after marching
all night, crossed the Chickahominy the next morning, and about
six o'clock at night reached the James River at a point below
Harrison's Landing. We laid there all the next day, and crossed
the river at night. At one o'clock the next day, we marched
again, and reached here on the next morning, that is, yesterday.
We formed into line and advanced towards the enemy's works,
under the fire of two batteries. No harm was done, however.
22
338 MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED.
We took up a position about one thousand five hundred yards
from the works, and remained there until six o'clock, when we
were ordered to advance and take the enemy's works. We
advanced under a terrible fire from the batteries. When we got
near the works, part of the line gave way, and our regiment and
one or two others, were left alone. We advanced to within fifty
yards of the work, when we were obliged to stop. We halted
in a ditch which sheltered us from the enemy's fire. Soon after
we got into the ditch, I was standing up looking at the enemy's
works, when I was struck. I supposed at first that it was from one
of our own men in the rear trying to fire over us, but I soon found
out that the enemy had got around our right flank, and were
firing at us from the rear. The enemy ordered us to surrender,
but we held out for nearly an hour; Avhen seeing that it was
impossible to get away, I did not see anything else to do. I was
the senior officer then, but did not want to give up. The enemy
asrain ordered us to surrender, and told the men to throw down
their arms and come in and they would not fire on them. I
ordered the men to stay where they were, but some of them
threw down their arms and went in, and the rest soon followed.
I stayed there until nearly all the men were gone; when I thought
it better to risk the enemy's bullets than a prison. So I made a
dash through a space which the rebel line did not cover, and
succeeded in getting away under a heavy fire. I am very thank-
ful that I did get away, and that I am wounded no more. Col.
Beaver, the brigade commander, was wounded, and the next
commander killed. Col. Hastings is now in command of what
there is left of the brigade. One hundred and fifty men and
about ten officers, are all of the regiment that can be got together
this morning. Maj. Murphy is in command. Major Pruyn is
missing, and I think is either killed or wounded. It was a terrible
day for our regiment. We lost very heavily in crossing the
field, but the men behaved splendidly. I have no doubt but that
w T e should have taken the works if it had not been for stopping
where we did, in consequence of some of the lines giving away.
I hope you will get this letter soon, so as to relieve your mind
in regard to my wound. Your affectionate son, EDWARD.
MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED. ' 339
He, with others, was taken to the army hospital at Washing-
ton. Not having been home for a long time, he obtained a fur-
lough for thirty days. A few days after his arrival home, he
learned that Lieutant Colonel Hastings had resigned. Although
he had not recovered from his wound, he took leave of his friends
to join his regiment, two days before his furlough expired.
When he arrived at Washington, the National Capital was
threatened by the rebels, and he was detained by Gen. Augur,
and placed in command of a brigade to defend the city. As soon
as the danger had passed, he asked to be relieved of his brigade
command that he might return to his regiment. His request was
granted, not, however, until he was made the recipient of a com-
plimentary order, for the manner in which he had conducted his
command.
After having left Washington, Major Springsteed wrote home
the folio wins; letter:
Camp near Spottsylvanta, May 20, 1864.
We left Washington Sunday, and arrived at Belle Plain the
•same day. The next morning I started with a part of the regi-
ment for the army: arrived the next day. The rest of the regi-
ment came up that evening. The next morning we expected a
battle, but it ended in a skirmish, in which we took no prisoners.
A few shells fell near us, doing no damage.
We are in the Second Corps (Hancock's), and Tyler's Divi-
sion. Col. Morris commanded the brigade.
The regiment is divided into two battalions, of which I com-
mand one, and Lieut. Col. Hastings the other.
We were ordered out this afternoon, expecting to inarch about
dark for some point at a considerable distance, but a little after
tour o'clock we were double-quicked to the right of the turnpike,
where the enemy had attacked our line. We advanced through
a piece of thick woods, and soon met the enemy. They made a
hasty retreat before our advance, and we drove them nearly
half a mile. Then they turned on us, and we had a sharp fight,
in which I lost Capt, Morris and McCulloch killed, and Cnpt.
Bell wounded in the leg, which has since been amputated. I
340 MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED.
also lost a number of men. In Col. Hastings battalion, Lieut.
Krank was wounded in the head. The loss of men and officers
in my battalion was the greatest. Total loss, four officers and
forty-three men killed and wounded. As soon as this brush was
over, we fell back a quarter of a mile, to the crest of another
hill, and formed line again, our brigade having the right, and
Col. Tannat's the left of our division line. My battalion was in
a very strong position.
We had scarcely got in position before Col. Tannat's brigade
was attacked, and had a severe fight at very close range.
Although my left joined his right, the rebels did not attack us,
except to drive in our skirmishers. We were relieved on this
line about half past ten, and went farther to the right, remaining
until daylight. The First Maine lost fourteen officers, and four
hundred and sixty-one men.
Maj. Springsteed, while in command of his regiment, bravely
and nobly leading his men at the battle of Ream's Station, on the
25th of August, 1864, received a wound from which he died a
few minutes after. He had been promoted first to Lieutenant,
and a few days after to Colonel, but neither of these commissions
ever reached him. He therefore never knew that his services
had been thus rewarded.
The following letters relate to these commissions:
Head Quarters 7th N. Y. V. Artillery, Camp /
near Petersburg, Va., Aug. 1st, 1864. \
To his Excellency Horatio Seymour,
Governor of the State of New York:
Sir — The Colonelcy and Lieutenant Colonelcy of this regiment
have become vacant. I have the honor to apply to you for the
position of Colonel. Being the senior officer of the regiment, I
naturally feel very desirous for the promotion. Believing that
the appointment would give general satisfaction to the officers
and men of the regiment, I respectfully urge that my request
be granted. Your ob't serv't, E. A. SPRINGSTEED,
Major 1th JV. Y. V. Art., Comdg.
MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRLNGSTEED. 341
If the Colonel is taken from the regiment, I think Major
Springsteed should be the selection, being the senior since the
discharge of Colonel Hastings, and the recommendations by Col.
Beaver and Gen. Miles, his brigade and division commanders,
being such as are entitled to great weight.
Respectfully,
W. S. HANCOCK,
August 1st, 1864. Maj. Gen. Comdg. Second Corps.
Adjutant General's Office, )
Albany, May 10th, 1866. j
I do hereby certify that the preceding is a true copy of the
original on file in this office.
J.-B. STONEHOUSE, A. A. General
Hospital First DrvrsioN Second Corps, )
1st August, 1864. ]
Major Springsteed having been under my command for some
time, and particularly at the first assault upon Petersburg, I take
pleasure in testifying to his gallantry, coolness and capacity as a
commander.
He was wounded at Petersburg. I believe his appointment
will be a benefit to the service and to his regiment.
JAMES A. BEAVER, Col. U8th P. V.
Head Quarters First Division,
August 1st, 1864.
Respectfully forwarded. I endorse the recommendation of
Colonel Beaver.
NELSON A. MILES, Brig. Gen. Comdg.
Head Quarters Dept. of Washington, 2 2d Army )
Corps, Washington, D. C, Aug. Uh, 1864. \
This is to certify that I have known Major E. A. Springsteed
of the Seventh New York Artillery, about eighteen months,
during which time he was under my command in the defences
of Washington. He proved himself a good officer, one of the
very best in the command. Always faithful in the performance
342 MAJ. EDWARD A. SPRINGSTEED.
of his duty, sober, industrious and always attentive. I do not
hesitate to recommend him for promotion to the Colonelcy of
his regiment.
J. A. HASKINS, Lt. Col.,
A. D. C, Chief of Artillery, late Comdg. Div.
Adjutant General's Office, 1
Albany, May 10th, 1866. J
I do hereby certify that the preceding is a true copy of the
original on file in this office.
J. B. STONEHUSE, A. A. General.
MAJ. JAMES H. BOGART. 343
XIX.
MAJOR JAMES HENRY BOGART.
James Henry Bogart was born in the city of Albany on the
24th day of March, 1839. He was the son of John Henry
Bogart, who now resides in the city of New York. His ances-
tors were prominent citizens of Albany for more than two cen-
turies, and during this long period they had been identified with
the social circles and general interests of the city. In the peril-
ous days of the American Revolution, they discharged their duty
to their country with patriotic ardor and with signal success.
James inherited the virtues of his ancestors, and commenced
life with a high standard of moral integrity, and of intellectual
attainment before him. He was a dutiful son, a diligent scholar,
and a faithful friend. He was educated at the Albany Academy,
an institution that can boast of many men of high worth and
eminent distinction among its graduates. On entering upon man-
hood, he engaged in the business of engineering in company with
his brother, now a valuable officer in the service of the United
States Government, at Fortress Monroe. He devoted himself
with energy to his business, and accepted with cheerfulness the
cares and toils of life.
As years advanced, his high integrity and appreciated charac-
ter called him to a trust more responsible, and he was placed in
charge of one of the desks at the Assorting House; at that time
an office in Albany involving each day the management of vast
sums of money.
In his leisure hours he sought recreation in drilling with a
company of young associates, little dreaming then of the approach-
ing stern realities of war. Just at that time the discipline and
344 MAJ. JAMES II. EOGART.
achievements of the Zouaves excited great enthusiasm among:
the young men of Albany, and a company was organized. Of
that joyous band who sought at first only manly exercise, but
who nobly responded to their country's call, the sepulchre of
battle has received a fearful proportion.
Mr. Bogart, besides being a youth of great promise and ardent
patriotism, was a follower of the Saviour of the world. Attached
to the services of the Episcopal church, he became a member as
well as an attendant, and throughout life retained his fellowship
with that church. Those who knew him intimately, reflect now
with great satisfaction upon the fact, that the even tenor of his
life flowed on with his Christian principles, and that the church
recognized him as one of those who gave a living testimony to
the truth as it is in Jesus.
But when the cry of war was heard, the heart of Mr. Bogart
responded to the call. He believed in the life of a soldier, and
as he had shared in the pageant, he accepted the reality.
So highly were his character and qualifications appreciated,
that he was at once commissioned as Adjutant in Col. Vinton's
Regiment. Several of our prominent citizens presented him
with a beautiful sword and other tokens of their warm, personal
friendship. The following correspondence passed between these
friends and Major Bogart :
To Major James H. Bogart :
In this time of our country's sorest need, we feel an especial
pride and joy in those of our own citizens, who have been swift
to fly to her defence and to lay their noblest offerings upon her
altar. We cannot forget those who, having cheerfully borne the
exposure of the camp and the perils of the battle-field, are ready
still, with unfaltering courage, to go where other trials and other
sacrifice await them.
And in presenting to you this sw r ord, and other tokens of our
personal friendship, as w 7 ell as appreciation of past services, w r e
would express our earnest hope that, under the guidance of the
God of Battles, the future may be still more glorious than the
MAJ. JAMES H. BOGART. 345
past; and that whether by an active life or in an honorable death,
the name of Jas. H. Bogart may be like that of the heroes of
old, " without fear and without reproach."
GIDEON HAWLEY,
J. H. TEN EYCK,
PETER GANSEVOORT,
MARIA PUMPELLY,
C. M. SANDERS,
MATILDA F. VAN RENSSELAER,
SARAH LANSING,
A. CRAWFORD,
F. TUCKER.
Albany, October 8, 18 62.
Hon. Gideon Hawley and others :
Hon. and Respected Sir — Accept my grateful acknowledg-
ments for the honor bestowed in presenting me with those beau-
tiful emblems of your esteem and confidence, and may they ever
be consecrated to the cause of Freedom, Justice, and Humanity.
With earnest devotion, may this glittering weapon be wielded
in defence of our glorious Union, and may the time soon arrive
when the nation shall know war no more.
Through you, permit me to return thanks to other kind friends
for this high personal favor.
With sentiments of deep respect,
Sincerely yours,
JAMES H. BOGART,
Major M Metropolitan Guard, 162cZ JV. Y. V.
New York, October 11, 1862.
After having faithfully served his country in connection with
this regiment, and passed through the hardships of the Virginia
campaign, he resigned his position as Adjutant. Soon, however, *
he was again in the service as Major in Col. Benedict's regiment,
a body of men whose valor and achievements reflected great
honor upon the sons of Albany.
The regiment was ordered to Louisiana, a State that had been
346 MAJ. JAMES H. BOGART.
singularly fatal to his immediate kindred, as one relative after
another had gone there, and met the last summons.
In the fierce siege of Port Hudson, Mr. Bogart was one of
those on whom fell the heat of that terrible series of battles.
The enemy, in their powerful entrenchments, sustained by the
hope that Vicksburg could not be conquered, made this siege a
work of destruction. Their fire swept the plain, and the record
of each day's progress was written in the sad sacrifice of human
life.
On Sunday, the 14th of June, 1863, a day when at least pious
and God-fearing soldiers are most reluctant to fight, except in
self-defence, Maj. Bogart was ordered to advance against the
enemy. He marched across the plain, where showers of shot
were falling, and was struck by a shell, which tore away his sword
hilt, and carried it through his left hip. He felt that the assault
was well nigh desperate, and all his feelings revolted against a
Sabbath day attack upon that stronghold. But obedience and
courage arc the duties of a soldier, and in no breast did they
burn with a purer flame than in that which was now heaving with
its last breath. Far from a Christian home, and dear relatives
and friends, at eleven o'clock on that Sabbath, dies Maj. James
Bogart, of Albany, in the twenty-fourth year of his age.
When sixteen years of age, he united with the church of
Christ, and ever lived faithful to his Christian vows. As a boy,
James was pure minded, truthful, affectionate and obedient. He
loved his home, loved his parents and devoted relatives. But
he also loved his country; and at the first tidings of rebellion,
the spirit of patriotism awoke in his breast, and he consecrated
himself to the protection and welfare of his country. His remains
lie in the Albany Rural Cemetery, by the side of other heroes,
waiting the last trumpet's peal, when to all believers in Jesus,
this corruptible will put on incorrujotion, and this mortal be
clothed with immortality.
The following account of his funeral appeared in the "Albany
Journal," under date of March 22d, 1864.
"The funeral of Major James H. Bogart, of the One Hundred
and Sixty-second Regiment, took place from St. Peter's Church
MAJ. JAMES H. BOG ART. 347
this afternoon. The services at the church were conducted by
the Rectors, Rev. Messrs. Wilson and Tatlock.
"The funeral escort consisted of a detachment of volunteers
from the Barracks, under command of Major Van Slyck, pre-
ceded by Schreiber's band.
"The bearers were all officers in the service, Messrs. Watson,
Raymond, Green, Gross, Lennox, Russell, Thomas and
Gregory.
"The cortege passed down State street to Broadway, about
four o'clock, on its way to the cemetery."
The following notices of the deceased appeared in the papers:
"His friends have till this morning rather hoped than dared
to believe that there might, in the confused rumors of war, be
some doubt of his death. But the confirmation, as the first
tidings, comes from a source too sure and careful for error.
There is no eulogy born of the grave, even of a battle grave, to
be uttered of this young soldier, which would not have been
spoken of him while in the flush of life. It is not through the
curtain of the shroud that the truth of virtue is clearest seen.
His life was that of a pure and true hearted man. When the
first breath of war reached us, his heart gave its impulses to his
country, and believing in the right and chivalry of the struggle,
he was one of those who went to arms with a thought that under-
stood the hour and had the heart to meet it. His kindred saw
in his nature that which was true, earnest, sanguine. They gave
him up to his country's service with the consciousness that the
camp and the battle field work their dread results most deeply,
into genial and generous hearts as his was.
"He won our love by that which, in a young heart, always
attaches men for its rarity — the devotion to home, the attachment
to parents, the determination for independence, and that which
rises from the memories of the grave, like the Angel of the
Resurrection — the clothing of a young heart in the bosses and
with the promises of the Gospel.
" Grief has but a limited vocabulary. The words are few and
broken in which the heart tells its lamentation. Solitude and
sorrow blend their shadows. He shall have the never-forgotten
348 MAJ. JAMES H. BOGART.
memory of an unfeigned love, and that will not obtrude itselt:
but he has in this city, amidst his associates, in the assemblage
of the young, in the association of his church, those who know
that the holocaust which these days are offering, includes no
worthier name than of him who thus died in his duty.
Sentinel."
"Killed in the attack upon Port Hudson, June 14, James H.
Bogart, of Albany, Major of the One Hundred and Sixty-second
Regiment New York State Volunteers, in the twenty-fourth year
of his age.
" The spirit of a gallant soldier, and, nobler name, of a Chris-
tian man, passed away when this young officer fell. Death came
to him in an assault which he felt to be well nigh desperate;
another offering to the demon of war made on the day sacred to
the Prince of Peace. Has it ever occurred to those responsible
for this bloody light that the time chosen for it might have some-
thing to do with its ill-success? From the age of sixteen Major
Bogart was a communicant of the Church, and was faithful to
his Christian vows. There are consolations, thus, for those who
mourn his departure. They can, with good reason, believe that
the natural body sown in his far-off lonely grave, will be raised a
spiritual body, in the awakening of the dead in Christ."
MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE. 349
XX.
MAJOR WILLIAM WALLACE.
Major Wallace was the son of Christopher Wallace and
Catharine Dinnen, and born in the city of Albany January 8th,
1835. His parents were natives of Ireland, and have been
respected citizens of Albany for the last forty years. The sub-
ject of this sketch received his education in a district school in
this city, where he made great proficiency in his studies. He
was a bright, active, mannerly boy, obedient and respectful to
parents and teachers, and grew up to manhood having the same
traits prominent in his character. At an early age he entered
the job printing office of Messrs. Weed, Parsons & Co., in this
city, where he served successively as apprentice, journeyman and
foreman of that extensive establishment; and with the exception
of a few months, continued his connection with that firm up to
the day he resigned, for the purpose of raising a company of vol-
unteers for the Army of the Union. In doing this, he was
actuated wholly by patriotism, and a sense of the duty that he
owed his country, in preserving her institutions.
Perhaps the only act of disobedience he committed toAvards
his parents in his Avhole life, was in giving up his situation, and
leaving his wife and only child, to assume the hardships and risk
of a military life in a time of war, which, as they apprehended,
lost to them a son, to his wife, a loving, kind, dutiful husband,
and left his only child (a promising boy), an orphan.
He commenced and was not long in raising a company of volun-
teers in Albany; and, being very popular among firemen, prin-
ters, and indeed every class of young men in the city, he was
not long in raising the number required to entitle him to the
commission of Captain, which he obtained in September, 1862.
350 MA J. WILLIAM WALLACE.
His company was known as Company F, and, at the time of his
leaving Albany for the seat of war, consisted of eighty-four men,
only five or six of whom were left to return to Albany and relate
their experience of the war. Four other Albanians, namely,
Visscher, Newman, Mitchell and Burhans started at the time
he did to raise each a company of volunteers, but Wallace raised
his in the quickest time, and by that means became the senior of
those captains in the regiment.
After joining the Army of the Potomac, his first engagement
with the enemy was at Fredericksburg, in December, 1862, and
the second at the same place in May, 1863. Here he was taken
prisoner, and marched to Richmond, where he was confined a
prisoner of war, in Libby prison, for more than six weeks, and
until an exchange of prisoners was effected by the commanders
of the two armies. On the march to Richmond, and while con-
fined in the Libby prison, he suffered great hardship and priva-
tion. After rejoining his regiment, he soon after engaged in the
battle of Gettysburg, July, 1863. Shortly after this, he was
ordered to Elmira, N. Y., upon recruiting service, in which he
proved quite successful. After serving at Elmira for several
months, he was ordered to join his regiment, which he did at
Brandy Station, Va., where he remained during the winter, and
until the opening of the spring campaign, with Gen. Grant in
command of the Army of the Potomac.
Early in the month of April, 1864, he received the commission
of Major from Gov. Seymour, to take rank from the 1st February
before.
It will be recollected that on the memorable 4th May, 1864,
the Army of the Potomac, under Gen. Grant, crossed the Rapi-
dan. As soon as it was fairly across the river, and before Gen.
Grant had time to put his army in fighting position, he was
opposed by Gen. Lee, and a heavy column under Longstreet.
A desperate and bloody fight was the consequence, thousands of
lives being lost, and thousands of prisoners taken on both sides.
On the night between the 5th and 6th of May, Maj. Wallace
was in charge of a line of pickets, extending between the two
MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE. 351
armies, and by some mistake or blunder, a New Jersey regiment,
supposing them the enemy, opened a heavy fire upon the line.
Maj. W., in his endeavors to correct the fatal mistake (fatal to
others), and save himself and his command from total destruc-
tion, had a most providential and narrow escape. Several of his
men were shot down by their friends, and the full extent of loss
by this blunder has never been ascertained.
On the day following, the battle of the " Wilderness" raged
in its fall fury, and thousands of the Union army lay dead and
dying on the ensanguined field. On the afternoon of 6th May,
while in front of his command, and leading them on to death or
glory, poor Major W. met his fate. He was killed by a gun shot
wound in the head, and is not known to have uttered a word
afterwards. The senior field officers of the regiment, Col. Wil-
son and Lieut, Col. Fryer, also Albanians, had previously been
carried from the field mortally wounded. The Forty-third Regi-
ment was distinguished for the gallantry of its officers and men,
and had been frequently selected for posts of extra hazard and
danger, by which means it became decimated, whilst other regi-
ments escaped the peril. Not long previous to Colonel Wilson
being carried from the field, he, Lieut. Col. Fryer and Major
Wallace were noticed lunching together under the shadow of
a tree, This was the last repast either of the brave men ever
partook of, in this world.
Major W., as has already been said, was, from his childhood,
moral and sedate. Reticent in manner, he was, nevertheless,
witty, genial and agreeable in company. He had read a great
deal, and was Avell informed on most ordinary subjects. His
taste for reading, combined with his occupation of printer, gave
him facilities for improvement not possessed by other young
mechanics. He was brought up in the Catholic religion, and
was a zealous, sincere Catholic Christian throughout his whole
life; giving proof of the sincerity of his faith, by a strict
observance of the doctrine and discipline of that church, down
to the clay of his death. The Catholic Chaplain of General
Meagher's Brigade frequently was the guest of Major W. in
camp. Owing to the location, and the circumstances attendant
352 MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE.
upon the great battle of the " Wilderness" (the rebels retaining
for a long time, the possession of the field within their lines),
it was impossible for his friends to recover the body of the
deceased at that time. It has since been ascertained that his
remains, with those of other brave Union men, and rebels, were
buried, promiscuously, on the field, leaving no mark or trace
by which his grave could be discovered, or his person iden-
tified.
Major Wallace was a prominent leading member of the
Typographical Society of Albany, and, at one time, President.
He was also a delegate from that body to a National Convention
of Printers, composed of delegates from a large number of the
States of the Union. He was, besides, an active, energetic mem-
ber of the fire department of the city for several years, having
served in Hook & Ladder No. 2, and was Secretary and Foreman
of that association at different periods.
The following resolutions were unanimously adopted by differ-
ent bodies, expressive of the high esteem in which our hero was
held by his fellow citizens:
ALBANY COMMON COUNCIL.
Monday Evening, May 30th, 1864.
Alderman Johnson, from the committee heretofore appointed
on the subject, oft'ered the following resolutions, which were
unanimously adopted :
Resolved, That the Common Council on behalf of the citizens
of Albany, deem it their duty to place upon record a memorial
of their grief and respect for the gallant and patriotic Major
William Wallace, who fell fighting for his country in the battle
of the " Wilderness," on the 6th May inst.
Born in our city, on the outbreak of the war he raised a com-
pany for the Forty-third Regiment N. Y. S. V., being then twenty-
seven years of age, and was among the first to march to the field.
He encountered not only the dangers of battle but endured the
horrors and privations of the Libby prison. He had just attained
the rank of Major when he gave his life to his country, on the
dark and bloody ground of the "Wilderness."
MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE. 353
Resolved, That in the estimation of this Common Council, the
youthful hero, whose public life presents so noble a record, and
whose personal career was virtuous and honorable, deserves the
highest honors which a grateful people can offer to its patriot
dead. His body is buried on the distant battle field, but his
memory is cherished in the hearts of our people.
Resolved, That these resolutions be entered upon the minutes
of the Common Council, and printed, and that copies be sent to
the family of the deceased, and to his surviving comrades in his
regiment.
JAMES I. JOHNSON,
LEGRAXD BANCROFT,
JOHN KENNEDY, Jr.,
Committee.
ALBANY TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION.
At the first regular meeting (June 2) of Albany Typographical
Union, held since the sad intelligence was received of the death
of Major Wallace, the following resolutions were unanimously
adopted :
Whereas, We have learned with deep sorrow of the death of
our former President, Major William Wallace, who was killed
whilst in the performance of his duty, during the recent brilliant
movements of the Army of the Potomac : therefore
Resolved, That the lamented deceased was endeared to us by
the purity and gentleness of his character, respected for his
unobtrusive talents, and admired for his unselfish patriotism.
Resolved, That by his death our country has lost an ardent
defender — our city a public spirited and honorable citizen, and
our society an energetic and useful member.
Resolved, That we sincerely sympathize with the widow and
relatives of our deceased friend in their great affliction — trusting
that the nobleness of his death in defence of his country may, in a
measure, alleviate their sorrow.
Resolved, That the Charter of this Union be draped in mourn-
ing for the usual period: and that these resolutions be trans-
23
354 MAJ. WILLIAM WALLACE.
mitted to the family of deceased, and duly spread upon the
minutes. GEORGE W. QUACKENBUSH,
President.
James O'Sullivan, Recording Secretory.
HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY, NO. 2.
At a special meeting of "Red Jacket" Company, Hook and
Ladder No. 2, held at their house on the 19th day of May, 1864,
the following resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Resolved, That we have heard, with deep regret, of the death
of Major William Wallace, former Foreman, and Honorary
member of this company, who was killed while marching with
his regiment on to victory, in the late battles in Virginia.
Resolved, That in the death of Major Wallace, this company
has lost a warm and kind friend; his wife a loving and dutiful
husband; his son a loving father; his parents a faithful son; the
country a true and faithful servant.
Resolved, That our former intercourse with him, as an officer
and member, is full of pleasant recollections; and that while we
cherish his memory and mourn his fate, our sorrows are mingled
with pride, that he laid down his life in defence of our beloved
country.
Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with his family, parents
and relatives of the deceased, and trust that to the condolence of
earthly friends, there may be added the Heavenly consolations
of Him " who giveth and taketh away," for his wise, though
inscrutable purposes.
Resolved, That the foregoing resolutions be engrossed, and
presented to the widow of the deceased; and that this house be
draped in mourning for the space of thirty days.
(Signed.) M. A. SHEHAN, Foreman.
N. A. FINNEGAN, Secretary.
MAJ. MILES MCDONALD. 355
XII.
MAJOR MILES McDONALD.
This officer was born in the city of Albany, on the first clay
of March, 1840. He was the son of James and Mary McDon-
ald, who came to this city from Ireland. His father died when
he was a child. From his boyhood till his entry into the service
in 1861, he was employed in the telegraph office, at a small
salary, with which he assisted his widowed mother to support
the younger children.
He joined Company K, Sixty-third Regiment New York Vol-
unteers, as a private, in September, 1861, and proceeded at once
with his regiment to Virginia. He followed its fortunes through
the Peninsula campaign, under Gen. McClellan, and also fought
at Antietam. He was promoted first to Corporal, then to First
Sergeant, and, after Antietam, to a Second Lieutenancy, for valor
in that great battle. He fought at Fredericksburg, and was
wounded on the 17th of December, 1862, in that action. He
remained with the Army of the Potomac after being promoted
to First Lieutenant and Adjutant, and was a second time
wounded at Spottsylvania. On the 17th of June, 1864, he died
from wounds received the day before, in charging the enemy's
works in front of Petersburg.
On the 11th of June, 1864, he was commissioned Major of his
regiment; but his commission had not reached him at the time
of his death.
The following account of Major McDonald appeared in the
Albany " Morning Express," on Tuesday, June 21st, 1864:
DEATH OF ADJUTANT MILES McDONALD.
We have become so accustomed to hear of the death of friends
in the army, that it would almost seem that the frequent receipt
35G maj. miles Mcdonald.
of such painful intelligence would, to a certain extent, blunt our
sensibilities, and fail to excite those emotions of sympathy and
sorrow that, in the ordinary course of life, follow the decease
of those we have known and loved. And yet, whenever the
swift electric messenger communicates to us that another brave
fellow has sacrificed his life upon the altar of his country, how
painfully sad are the reflections that arise. Death loses none of
its terrors to those who are far away from the field of desolation
and carnage, even though day after day we receive intelligence
of the inevitable results of desperate and bloody conflicts. The
loss of a relative or friend, whenever it may occur, must always
cast a cloud over the brightest vision, bringing in its train woe
and mourning.
Miles McDonald is dead! So the telegraph announced to us
at an early hour Monday morning. And he died while battling
with the enemies of his country and liberty. Yes, he, too, has
fallen a victim to the accursed rebellion that has swept away so
many of the best and bravest of our people. While engaged
with the enemy in the battle before Petersburg, Thursday last,
he fell mortally wounded, and subsequently his bright spirit
sped its way to that Great Ruler from whence it came. He was
a noble fellow, and as pure a patriot as ever offered up his life in
defence of the liberties of the people. When the Sixty-third
Regiment was organized, full of the enthusiasm and ardor that
distinguished his devotion to his country, he enlisted as a pri-
vate, and marched to the battle field.
It was in October, 180 1, he enrolled his name as a member
of Capt. Branagan's company, and when he left us the best
wishes and earnest prayers of hosts of friends, that he might be
preserved from the perils and dangers of a soldier's life, went
with him. There was no truer man in the ranks of that gallant
regiment. His many noble traits of character soon made him a
universal favorite, and for his gallantry and heroic bravery at the
battle of Antietam, he was promoted to a second Lieutenancy.
His promotion excited the most profound satisfaction among his
comrades, who had learned to love him as a brother. At the
first battle of Fredericksburg he was wounded, and soon after
maj. miles Mcdonald. 357
was promoted to a first Lieutenancy, as a reward for meritorious
conduct. Subsequently, he was assigned to the Adjutancy of the
regiment; and it was while acting in this capacity, before Peters-
burg, he was killed. He was but twenty-four years of age, and
yet he was a most skillful and accomplished officer; and, had his
life been spared, would probably have very soon been appointed
Major of the regiment. When a boy, he entered the service of
the New York, Albany and Buffalo Telegraph Company as a
messenger, and retained that position for several years, winning
for himself the good opinion of the officers of the company, and
of the patrons of the line with whom he was brought in contact.
After surrendering this situation, he went to New York and
accepted a clerkship, which he held until a short time previous
to his enlistment in the Sixty-third Regiment. Although he
never enjoyed the advantage of a high school education, he was
possessed of tine natural talents, and his letters to us show him
to have been gifted with more than ordinary ability. His last
epistle to us was published by us on the 2d inst., and will be
remembered by all our readers, as one of the most interesting
communications that ever appeared in our columns.
How peculiarly painful is the following paragraph, clipped
from that last letter:
"If then the brave are mourned so deeply by their comrades
in battle, who can paint the feelings of anguish and woe expe-
rienced by their families and friends at home, when the dread
news appear in the public print, with the short but fatal word,
'killed,' placed after the name of a husband, father, son or
brother. No more will the light tread of the departed cross the
threshold, watching with bounding heart the delight of the fire-
side group, eager to welcome the returning soldier. In place
of joyous meetings, we find nothing but lonely graves, in some
sunny spot of this once beautiful State, where it is affecting to
mark with what simple kindness the surviving soldier buries his
fallen comrade, selecting with nice care a favorite spot, as if to
allure the first bright light of the rising sun, to kiss the grassy
mounds, before its pure rays should rest upon any other object.
There is something beautiful in a soldier's grave. From its sim-
858 maj. miles Mcdonald.
plicity alone, it is more beautiful. The rustic head board, hastily
penciled, speaks more of patriotism and love of country than all
the monuments of cold marble, chiseled into most majestic form,
by the skillful hands of the artist."
Those were the sentiments of Miles McDonald, the true-
hearted soldier and noble patriot. He now tills a soldier's grave,
and may "the bright light of a rising .sun ever kiss the grassy
mound before its pure rays rest upon any other object," is the
heartfelt wish of one who knew him from childhood, and has
watched, with pride and pleasure, his advancement in life.
It was but yesterday morning his mother received a letter
from him, and while a brother was perusing its welcome pages,
the anxious mother, carefully scrutinizing the columns of the
"Express," discovered that short but fatal word, "killed," in
connection with the name of her dearly beloved child. The
agony of that discovery no tongue can tell. Let us draw a veil
over the sorrow-stricken home of the dead hero, and pray God
that the heart-broken mother, and those now bowed down with
grief, may receive that consolation which he who afflicts can
alone afford.
LINES ON THE DEATH OF MILES McDONALD, ADJUTANT SIXTY-THIRD
REGIMENT N. Y. S. VOLUNTEERS.
BY DR. LAWRENCE, SURGEON OF THE REGIMENT.
Adjutant McDonald, says Dr. Reynolds, was with the Army
of the Potomac in every battle from Yorktown, under General
Geo. B. McClellan, to Petersburg, under Gen. U. S. Grant.
He was wounded twice previous to his death wound — at Freder-
icksburg, December 13, 1862, and at Spottsylvania, May, 1864.
He died eight hours after he was wounded, and his last words
were, when told by the surgeon that he could not survive : "I
am satisfied; God's will be done !"
Toll the bell sadly, the young and the beautiful
Now lies a pale corpse in the scenes he held dear;
Toll the bell sadly, the brave and the dutiful,
Win's victim, before us, is stretched on the bier.
maj. miles Mcdonald. 359
The face that we looked on with pride and with pleasure,
From the eyes that admired it, full soon will be gone,
And that form, late the shrine of the world's best treasure,
A bold loyal spirit is lifeless and wan.
Toll the bell sadly, and toll the bell loudly !
The waitings to drown of the friends of the brave —
Who pictured his pathway to glory so proudly,
But who weep that fame's pathway led him to the grave.
Friends of his youth, and his manhood, round standing,
On him through your tears come now look your last,
On that mouth, once so smiling, that brow so commanding,
Ah! that eye by the signet of death is sealed fast.
Sad are your hearts — sad the sisters, the brothers,
The fond ones he lived for, he doa^ed upon;
But what is their grief to the grief of his mother,
Who weeps o'er the corpse of her young gallant son ?
Weep, he was worthy your pride and your mourning,
Weep, though your tears are as painful as vain;
Weep, for no more from war's perils returning,
Will he rush to your arms and embrace you again.
McDonald, when life-blood in torrents was flowing,
Was first in the charge of our loud-cheering band;
On our lines, when their shells the foemen were throwing
Impulsively brave, and unconsciously grand!
Yet was he gentle, and kind as a maiden,
Full of frolic and mirth, generous-hearted and free.
And many a heart that with trouble was laden,
Grew bright in his sunshine, and glad in his glee.
There hang the green flags he gaily marched under,
There is the cap — there his belt and his sash,
And there is the sword which when bellowed war's thunder,
In the hand that's now lifeless, would quiver and flash!
Yes, scatter sweet flowers where valor reposes,
They are trophies becoming the brave soldier's bier;
And freshen your lilies and brighten your roses
With love's liquid gem, with affection's sad tear.
Wed, he was worthy our praise and our sorrow,
His country's remembrance and friendship's sad sigh,
Only from this, some relief can we borrow,
The spirit survives though the body must die.
He has stamped on our bosom love's unfaded token,
And time will but make his remembrance more dear,
Whenever we meet his loved name shall be spoken,
When alone, we shall think of his worth with a tear.
160 maj. miles Mcdonald.
Yes, when marble shall crumble and carved work be rotten.
That repels passers-by from the haughty man's clay,
Good Miles McDonald shall not be forgotten,
His name and his virtues shall not pass away.
This country, when crushed shall be this sad rebellion,
His name shall enroll 'mid her bravest and best,
And his soul in the bosom of God shall be dwelling,
Where sorrow is soothed and the weary have rest.
Toll the bell sadly, the crowd is now moving
That bears to his last home the corpse of the brave
Then let the pen of the poet, and the living,
Inscribe these true lines on the patriot's grave ;
" Here lies McDonald, a soldier true hearted
As ever for freedom the battle-field trod;
Here lies a Christian, who calmly departed
And unmurmuring gave his young spirit to God!"
In Camp, near Petersburg, Va., July 9, 1864.
MAJ. GEORGE W. STACKHOUSE. 361
XXII.
MAJOR GEORGE WASHINGTON STACKHOUSE.
George W. Stackhouse was the son of John B. Stackhouse,
and, in the spring of 1861, enlisted as Second Lieutenant in
Company A, Twenty-fifth New York Regiment. He was after-
wards made Captain, and in March, 1863, for his gallantry and
efficiency, was promoted to the position of Major, in the Ninety-
first Regiment New York Volunteers. He was with General
Banks, and fought with great bravery in the battles at Irish
Bend, Gonzales' Plantation, and in the three general battles at
Port Hudson. On the 27th of May, 1863, he was shot in both
thighs, and lingered until June 19th, 1863, when he died. He
leaves fond parents, and a wife and four little children to mourn
his loss.
Major Stackhouse was a faithful and earnest patriot, and an
honest man. His soldiers placed the greatest confidence in him,
and entrusted him with their money to send home. He sent
tens of thousands of dollars to his father, who kindly dis-
tributed the same to the families of the soldiers. When the
war closed, the veterans who returned presented to the father,
Mr. John B. Stackhouse, a valuable and beautiful wateh, as a
token of their gratitute for his faithful services.
Major Stackhouse had two brothers in the army, James and
William. They were in the battles with him at Port Hudson,
and, on June 19th, 1863, James was badly wounded in the head,
but recovered from his wound.
I regret that I have been unable to obtain fuller information in
regard to this patriotic family, for they certainly deserve a more
extended sketch than this. But in the name of our city, our
State and our Nation, we tender to the survivors our heartfelt
thanks, for their noble contributions to our country's honor and
prosperity.
362 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
XXIII.
ADJUTANT RICHARD MARVIN STRONG.
From Abraham Lansing. Esq.
Richard Marvin Strong was the second son of Anthony M.
and Sarah M. Strong. He was born in the city of Albany, June
10th, 1835, and died in the military service of the United States,
at Bonnet Carre, La., May 12th, 1863.
He received the elements of his education at the Albany Acad-
emy, which he entered at an early age, while it was yet under
the supervision of the late Dr. T. Romeyn Beck, and remaining
there during the succeeding administration of Dr. Willaim H.
Campbell, and for a short time under Prof. G. H. Cook.
When, in 1851, Dr. Campbell resigned his charge in Albany,
Richard had made most valuable progress in his academic
course, and was nearly fitted for college. Few connected with
the Academy at that time will fail to remember the class of
young men, Avell advanced in study — the senior class of the
school — which the Doctor had gathered under his especial care,
and particularly instructed in the classics and belles lettres.
Undoubtedly the instruction thus received by those young men,
who daily went before their principal with unfeigned alacrity,
and with the esteem and affection of children towards a father,
exerted an important influence upon their moral, as well as their
intellectual characters. Certain it is that there is not an instance
in which the subsequent life of any member of the class has put
to the blush its moral training. Its majority are still reaping
the earthly benefit of its admirable discipline, and delight to
recall its pleasant associations. As a member of that class,
Richard's standing was second to none. The impressions he
then received, and the habits then formed, partially furnish the
explanation of his remarkably pure and upright life, and of the
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 3G3
accuracy, industry and thoroughness which distinguished him in
all his relations.
In 1851, he received from the Academy for his proficiency in
mathematics, the Caldavell gold medal, and at the same time
his friend and companion, Charles Boyd, received the Van
Rensselaer classical medal. These rewards of scholarship were
presented by the principal (Dr. Campbell) at the anniversary
exhibition, with evident pride and satisfaction. "These young
gentlemen," said he, as they stood before him on the stage, " have
never given me a moment's uneasiness throughout all their
academic course." They both entered the junior class, at the
college of New Jersey, at Princeton, in 1852, and as they had
graduated from the preparatory school with the highest honors,
so they took at once the rank of the first scholars in their class.
They became members of the same literary society, were room-
mates together, and in 1854 graduated together; the one pro-
nouncing the valedictory, the other the mathematical oration,
the first and third honors of a large and intelligent class.
As a student Mr. Strong endeared himself to his class-mates
by his companionable and social qualities, as well as Avon their
admiration by his ability as a scholar. Prof. Stephen Alex-
ander, of Princeton College, says of him, in a recent letter:
"He greatly distinguished himself by his attainments in
scholarship while a member of this institution. The college
records exhibit his final standing (at his graduation) to have been
third in his large class, and within the veriest fraction of the
second position. Those avIio kneAV his previous history as an
academy bo}^, will not be surprised to learn that the honorary
oration assigned to him was the mathematical. Of his unexcep-
tionable conduct and his kind and genial manners, I have still a
lively recollection."
During his senior vacation he was invited by Prof. Alexander,
avIio was acting in connection with a large committee of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, to accom-
pany him to Ogdensburgh as an assistant in an observation of the
annular eclipse of the sun in May, 1854, and accompanied him
364 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
together with Mr. William J. Gibson, to assist in those important
observations. Prof. Alexander, in his report, says:
"I was assisted in my observations by two of my former
pupils in the college of New Jersey, Messrs. William J. Gibson
and Richard M. Strong, both of Albany, New York. Their
presence with me, was not only a matter of sincere personal
gratification, but was important also, as we were together enabled
to note some phenomena which might otherwise have escaped
me, and they by their aid contributed not a little to the accurate
observation of those which I might have noted if alone."
A single incident of the college life of Adjutant Strong, will
serve to illustrate the force and fearlessness of his character, even
at that early age. He had been one of the founders of the
Kappa Alpha, a secret society in the college, and besides having
a strong attachment for the society itself, and for its individual
members — an attachment which lasted throughout his life — he
had been an applicant to existing chapters in other colleges for
authority to establish a branch at Princeton, and he felt in a
measure responsible for its success and prosperity. The faculty
had concluded to suppress the secret societies, and, among others,
Richard Strong was summoned before the President to sign a
pledge not to attend the meetings of any such society, and to
dissolve his connection therewith, so long as he remained a mem-
ber of the institution. He replied substantially to the demand,
that his obligations to his society were contracted when there
was nothing in the college rules preventing him from assuming
them, and that the standing and reputation of its members were
ample proof of its harmlessness. He begged the President not
to insist upon that which he should be obliged to refuse, and
declared that greatly as he deprecated the consequences, he
should prefer rather to suffer them, than commit himself to such
a pledge. A further interview was appointed with him at an
unspecified future time, and the fact that he was not afterwards
called upon to sever his connection with the society, or to sign
the pledge proposed, shows the appreciation in which the worthy
President of the college held the character of the young man
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 365
who preferred rather to suffer detriment to himself, than prove
false to a trust confided to his care.
Though he had few superiors as a classical scholar, Mr.
Strong Avas naturally inclined to the study of mathematics, and
the natural sciences, and his early preferences were towards
those pursuits as a profession. At one time he had determined
to become a civil engineer, but though his constitution could not
be called feeble, he was led to abandon this choice from a belief
that he was not sufficiently robust, to endure the hardships and
exposures sometimes attendant upon that mode of life. His next
choice was the law, and soon after leaving college he entered
the office of Reynolds, Cochrane & Reynolds in Albany, and
became at the same time a student of the law department of the
Albany University. He brought to the study a mind naturally
excellent, improved by careful training. He pursued his studies
with diligence, and the results were satisfactory to himself and
his instructors, giving promise of usefulness and distinction in
after life. His studies were interrupted for several months
which he passed in visiting Europe, traveling in Great Britain
and on the continent, and resumed again on his return. In 1856
he was admitted to the bar. His connection through relatives
with important mercantile interests in Albany, threw him at
once into practice, and his zeal and ability soon gained for him
an extensive business.
About a year after his admission to the bar, he formed a part-
nership with Frederick Townsend, now Major of the Eighteenth
United States Infantry, and William A. Jackson, afterwards
Colonel of the Eighteenth Regiment New York Volunteers, now
deceased, and upon the dissolution of the firm by the withdrawal
of those gentlemen to positions in the service of the Government,
he became associated with Mr. George L. Stedman, with whom
he was connected in business at the time of his decease. The
firm of Stedman & Strong having succeeded to the extensive
business of the firm of Shepard & Bancroft, Mr Strong was
enjoying the emoluments of a handsome practice when he gave
his services to his country. His ability as a lawyer was marked
and decided. He was accurate in his conclusions, and rapid in
?>(5() ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
reaching them. He analyzed facts with thoroughness, and ar-
ranged them with method. His counsel was clear and reliable.
It was always the deliberate conviction of his judgment after
careful investigation of the facts, and was often sought and fol-
lowed in preference to that of others of longer standing in the
profession. He presented an argument to the court with a terse-
ness, completeness, and ingenuity which always commanded at-
tention. With the members of the Albany bar he was a general
favorite, as he was among all who knew him. Fond of social
enjoyments, cultivated and interesting in conversation, he was
welcome everywhere, and often gave himself to the social gather-
ings of the city. As a companion and friend, he was true and
unselfish. He was cordial with all, and where his affections were
enlisted, he was warm and enthusiastic. In countenance he was
genial and joyous, but there was an earnestness in his expression
as in his manner, which was the index of his character.
Mr. Strong's professional career was varied by attention to
other interests of a more public character. He possessed an
activity of mind, and a readiness of pereeption and execution,
which enabled him to attend faithfully and successfully to numer-
ous diverse matters without neglecting his professional duties.
His industry was remarkable. He wasted no time, and it was
surprising to see one so young, so zealous, and so constantly
employed. In the truest sense of the term, he was public-
spirited — not from ostentation, but from love of well doing and
natural energy of disposition. He was connected with many
important enterprises in his native city, and the assurance that
he was actively engaged in any project was almost a guaranty
of its success.
Not long after the commencement of his professional life, he
became a member of the First Presbyterian church of Albany,
Rev. Dr. John N. Campbell's. He was a faithful, earnest, and
exemplary Christian, ever mindful of the obligations of his reli-
gious profession, and living the life of one whose actions were
prompted and guided by the purest faith. When the project
of erecting a new Presbyterian church on State street, in Albany,
was canvassed among the members of his denomination, he en-
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 367
tered warmly into it and became a leading spirit in its accom-
plishment. In November, 1859, he became one of a committee
of fifteen appointed from the different Presbyterian churches of
the city to carry forward the enterprise, and afterwards was
secretary of the committee.
Under his legal counsel and conduct the church was incor-
porated, the land was purchased, the edifice erected and the
pulpit supplied. In each step he not only performed his part as
a lawyer but as an enthusiastic lover of the work, and with a
refined taste and excellent judgment gave valuable advice in the
manner and economy of construction, and rendered efficient
services in the accumulation and management of the funds.
He was made a trustee of the church and remained one until the
time of his death. He entered the Sunday school, taking charge
of an important class of advanced scholars, composed of two
classes which he had previously instructed, e^ery Sunday, and
which showed its confidence in its instructor by volunteering
unanimously in his regiment, and going with him to the war.
The committee to whose management this church enterprise was
given, threw the legal responsibility of the proceedings entirely
upon his shoulders. With characteristic energy he entered into
the law of the subject and in a few weeks had at his command
not only the statute law applicable, but its sources and history.
It was afterwards suggested to him that a volume on the subject
would have both a historic and practical interest, and he was
urged to undertake its compilation, and is supposed to have had
it in contemplation.
The rebellion of 1861 made hurried calls upon the time and
services of the efficient young men of the North. The Albany
Barracks were placed under the command of Brigadier General
John F. Bathbone. Mr. Strong was then his aid-de-camp, and
took an important part in organizing the regiments formed there.
These barracks were the rendezvous of thousands of volunteer
recruits, who came without discipline, without organization and
utterly unaccustomed to the rigor and restraints of camp life.
There were frequently at one time from four to five thousand,
and the position of aid was no sinecure, Mr. Strong was not
368 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
unequal to the task; he had had military experience as a member
of the Albany Burgesses Corps and the Albany Zouave Cadets,
and in those model organizations had become proficient in the
drill of the company; he soon acquired the experience of a
general officer. When Gen. Rathbone was relieved of his com-
mand at the barracks, Mr. Strong received the appointment on
his stall* of Judge Advocate of the Ninth Brigade New York
National Guards. His duties at the barracks ceased with the
departure of the troops for the field, and, the General Govern-
ment having, as it was supposed, sufficient for its purposes, he
returned to the practice of his profession impressed, however, as
he stated, with a sense of obligation to the country, and a deter-
mination to give his services, should the occasion seem to make
a demand upon them. On the organization of the One Hundred
and Seventy-seventh Regiment New York Volunteers, formerly
the Tenth Regiment National Guard of the State, he accepted
the laborious position of Adjutant, and turned his attention, with
his accustomed energy, to placing it on a war footing. On the
eve of departure, he addressed the regiment, publicly congratu-
lating the officers and men upon their unwearied and at length
successful efforts, to organize for the war.
They left Albany in December, 1862, with the "Banks' expe-
dition," landed at New Orleans, and were thence sent to Bonnet
Carre, La., an important post on the Mississippi river, being one
of the main defences of New r Orleans. Large numbers of the
unacclimated men of the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh were
soon prostrated with diseases peculiar to the country and to camp
life; and Adjutant Strong, besides being the acknowledged
friend of the individual members of the regiment, became an
unwearied attendant upon the wants of the sick. His assistance
was freely bestowed on all sides, regardless of danger from infec-
tion, and the strain upon his strength. With a rare skill and a
joyous and genial manner peculiar to himself, he watched with
and assisted in the care of the sick, and administered to the dying
the consolations of that religion he had himself experienced.
His labors in this respect, while attending punctiliously to the
duties of his position, rendered him liable, through loss of
AD.TT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 369
strength, to take the fever, to which he has fallen a victim. In
a letter from Bonnet Carre, written on the day after his death,
full of tenderness and affection, addressed to the father of Adjt.
Strong, Dr. O. H. Young, assistant surgeon of the regiment,
says: "The tenderness of his heart and his unresting desire for
usefulness, prompted him to visit the hospital often, in the hope
of adding to the welfare of the sick soldier, and many will
remember the kind solicitude which made him their constant
visitor, and the cheerful words which infused new hope into
their drooping spirits. Indeed, the frequency with which Rich-
ard made these visits, had more than once attracted our atten-
tion, and creating some solicitude for his health, had made it
incumbent on us, as medical officers, to advise him not to spend
too much time among the sick and dying. ***** Q n
Sunday, April 26, he and I sat together on a bench in front of
my tent listening to divine service. ***** Directly
after these exercises he complained of headache, and asked me
for professional advice, which was given, on condition that he
immediately abandon all official duties which rendered exposure
to the sun's heat necessary."
This headache, spoken of by Dr. Young, was the approach of
the fever, which soon assumed a typhoid form, and terminated
his life. In speaking of his last sickness, Dr. Young informed
his .parents that it was not attended with physical pain. During
his last moments his physical prostration was too great to permit
his articulating, but his response to the question, whether he
desired to be remembered to his father and family at home, was
audible and intelligent. He answered, said Dr. Young, distinctly
"yes," and a few moments after, with his brother's name upon
his lips, expired. His remains were encased in a metallic coffin,
and deposited in Greenwood Cemetery at New Orleans, to await
their conveyance to Albany.
Thus has another valuable life surrendered itself a voluntary
offering to the institutions of our country, freely given in the morn-
ing of usefulness, with bright promises for the future unfulfilled.
The misgivings as to his physical endurance, which in earlier
years had swerved him from the pursuits of the studies which he
24
370 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
loved, had no power to influence his action when he felt his ser-
vices were valuable to the country, but he freely gave himself to
the risks of the field of battle, and the exposures of camp life,
and in doing so, none who knew him will say he was otherwise
actuated than by a sense of duty, and a desire to be of service U
his country, in whose institutions he had an unshaken faith. T(
that faith he has borne testimony with the seal of his life — a life
full of the brightest promise, and endeared to him by the ten-
derest family affections, and throughout which, with all the
opportunities and successes which attended him, there is not one
moment over which his friends would desire to draw a veil. The
memory of his chaste and noble nature, like the lingering rays
of the setting sun, remains to soften the gloom his death has
caused, and is the assurance of a triumphant future. Sweetly he
sleeps the sleep of death among those,
" Qui fuerunt, sed nunc ad astra."
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ALBANY BAR.
At a meeting of the Albany Bar, convened in the Mayor's
Court Room, in the City Hall of Albany, to take action regard
ing the death of Adjutant Richard M. Strong, on motion ot
Mr. C. M. Jenkins, Mr. J. I. Werner was called to the Chair.
On motion of Mr. J. B. Sturtevant, Mr. William Lansing wa>>
appointed Secretary.
On motion, the Chair appointed the following committee on
resolutions: Messrs. William A. Young, John C. McClure
Hamilton Harris, J. Howard King and George Wolford.
Hon. John H. Reynolds then addressed the meeting as
follows:
One by one, and in rapid succession, those who for a time
travel with us on the highway of life, drop down and are seen
no more. At short intervals of time, some, that we have known
and who have in some sort been our associates, disappear, and
we know them no longer. At a little greater interval, those
with whom we have been more intimate, fall by the way side,
and then we pause a moment and perhaps shed a few tears, and
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 371
pass on, intent only upon reaching the end of our own travels,
and a season of repose which never comes. We find but little
time to linger beside those who falter, and less to stand around
the graves of the fallen. As we move onward, at intervals
which seem to grow less and less in duration, we are compelled
to pause, from time to time, for the reason that our most intimate
associates can no longer keep us company, but leave us to con-
tinue our progress as best we may. It is then that we tarry a
little longer, and feel it a duty to give some expression to our
regret and regard. We have met to-day to perform this duty,
in respect to one of our professional brethren, who, under cir-
cumstances of painful interest, has, in the very morning of life,
left us forever. It is not long since that, under like circum-
stances, we were assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to
the memory of another of our brethren, who in obedience to
the call of his country, left home and friends, and wore out his
life, in defence of the flag, which an army of traitors seek to
trample in the dust. And now, after a little while, we meet
again, -to pay a like tribute of regard to one of gentle nature
and of high promise, who more recently gave up the pursuits
of an honorable profession, and severed the tenderest ties that
bind our common humanity, to brave all the privations and
dangers that attend the patriotic citizen and soldier, who takes
up arms in defence of the insulted flag of his country. It is
fitting that this mournful event should not pass unnoticed by
those who were bound to him in the ties of professional brother-
hood, who knew him intimately, and loved him well in life,
and whose early death falls with crushing weight upon so many
hearts.
At the early age of twenty-eight, Richard M. Strong died,
far away from home and kindred. We knew but little of his
days of sickness and suffering, or of the last hours of his life,
save that an unrelenting disease, in an ungenial clime, wasted
him away; and in his last moments his thoughts were turned to
loved ones at home, and his lips faintly murmured a brother's
name; and with this last effort of affection, his spirit passed to
"God who gave it."
372 AD.TT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
The story of his life is brief and simple. It is not marked by
uncommon incidents, which will attract the attention of the great
world. He did not live long enough to achieve the high honors
of the profession to which his life was to have been devoted, and
which his talents, his industry, his manly and modest deportment,
his spotless character, his love of truth and justice, entitled those
who knew him best to predict for his career. So much of pro-
fessional life as he was permitted to pursue, gave assurance that
all which would have followed could not have
" Unbeseemed the promise of his spring."
He began the study of the law in an office with which I was
connected; and I shall always remember him with affection as a
devoted, industrious, intelligent and faithful student; full of hope,
and earnest in the pursuit of all that learning which marks the
progress of a true lawyer, and gives dignity to a noble profes-
sion. He brought to that pursuit a mind capable of reaching a
high rank among men, who never fail to appreciate learning, to
reverence intellect, and to love and cherish all the higher quali
ties which adorn human nature. His early training, where hi?
superiority had always been acknowledged, fitted him to com
mence his professional career under circumstances more favorable
to success than is common to most who enter upon a pursuit
where real merit is seldom unrewarded, and where few eve?
attain a permanent position without severe labor and solid acquire
ments. His practice at the bar, although not of long duration oi
extensive in its character, illustrated the qualities of mind and
heart which commanded the respect and regard of all his brethren,
and which step by step, would have led him to high honors.
In early life he was frail and delicate, and he was nurtured
with tenderest affection. At school he was patient, and diligent;
and not only won the regard of his associates, but attained a
position of acknowledged merit; and when his schoolboy and col-
lege days were over, he left behind him the marks of a superior
mind, and the remembrance of an exemplary character. To this,
all his early friends bear willing testimony. He sought our
profession as best adapted to his tastes and talents, and entered
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 373
upon it with all the enthusiasm of youth, and with all the hope
and confidence which youth and conscious talents inspire. Sur-
rounded by every comfort which wealth and affection can give,
stimulated by every motive of honorable ambition, he saw the
future bright before him, and, with just reliance upon himself,
looked forward to a useful and an honorable career in the pro-
fession of his choice. But an imperiled country called him to
other duties. He was among the first, when the sound of con-
flict reached us, to lay down the profession of the law, and
assume the profession of arms; and he has followed it with
fidelity to the same end to which we are all hastening. With
ihe brave men Avho have gone to the field of strife he sought
langer as a duty; and, if opportunity had presented, he would
aave proved himself as brave in battle as he was patient and sub-
missive when disease wasted his life away. He was a Christian
gentleman and a Christian soldier. He followed with unfalter-
ing trust, the path of duty to his God, to his country, to his
kindred and his friends. Pie leaves no enemy behind him. All
who knew him loved him; for his nature was gentle and genial.
He was firm in honest purposes, quick to discern and defend the
right, and incapable of wrong. When such men die early or
late in life, there is a melancholy pleasure in bearing testimony
to what they were ; and to do so is a sacred duty to the living
and the dead.
The circumstances under which our deceased brother closed
his brief but honorable career, are peculiarly painful and impres-
sive, although death now meets us in so many startling forms
that we scarcely notice it until it comes very near. The stories
of blood and battle, of suffering and death, are daily brought to
our view, and yet scarcely arrest our attention. We look with
interest to scenes of conflict and carnage, where brave men
struggle and die amid the roar of cannon and the shouts of vic-
tory, but scarcely remember the unhappy patriots who, in a
distant clime, struggle with relentless disease, and who, upon
beds of suffering, turn once more to their early homes and kin-
dred in all the agony of loneliness and desolation. They are far
beyond all those consolations which attend the dying when sur-
374 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
rounded by the endearments of home. Death is always a mer-
ciless visitor; but to one suffering amid strangers, in a strange
land, becomes robed in his most ghastly form — terrible to the
victim, and agonizing to those who are nearest and dearest to him.
We cannot turn aside the veil that hides the grief of the afflicted
household in which our lamented brother grew up to manhood.
The father's, the mother's, the brother's and the sister's agony is
all their own. We may sympathize but cannot alleviate. We
may speak a word of kindness, and drop a tear of sympathy,
but we only add our sorrow to theirs. God grant that this
household, and the many others that have, in these unhappy days,
suffered a like bereavement, may find consolation from the only
source that can give lasting comfort to the afflicted.
And let us who here grieve over the early dead, be ever mind-
ful of the admonitions which these mournful occasions give us.
Death meets us in all forms, in all conditions of age and station,
and on all occasions.
" Leaves have their time to fall,
And flowers to wither in the north wind's breath,
And stars to set; but all —
Thou hast all seasons for thine own, oh Death! "
This tribute of the Hon. Mr. Reynolds was followed by other
addresses, also most appropriate and eloquent, from the Hon.
Lyman Tremain, Mr. Rufus W. Peckham Jr., Hon. Deodatus
Wright, Gen. John Meredith Read Jr., and Mr. Orlando
Meads.
William A. Young, Esq., offered the following resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted :
Another member of the Albany County Bar has died in the
military service of the country. Richard Marvin Strong, a
gentleman of much professional ability, of amiable manners and
strict integrity, beloved by his companions in arms, and by all
who were associated with him in the pursuits of civil life, in the
flower of his age, has gone from among us forever. His worth
as a citizen and a lawyer, his valor and patriotism, have conse-
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 375
crated his name and his memory in the hearts of his brothers of
the bar. In view of this mournful dispensation.
Resolved, That while contemplating with admiration and pride
the example furnished by the deceased, of conscientious devotion
to the Union and the supremacy of the laws, we deeply lament
the too early death of one whose cultivated mind and pure char-
acter gave promise of so much usefulness and distinction. His
intercourse with his brethren of the bar was marked, at all times,
by kindness and courtesy. Among his fellow-citizens, his daily
life was eminent for that uprightness and manly bearing which
are the outward manifestations of a heart imbued with the prin-
ciples of justice and right. His literary attainments and scholar-
like tastes were the graceful and fitting ornaments of his virtues.
Knowing the magnitude of the sacrifices at which he entered
upon the career of arms, we venerate the heroism and constancy
of one who was capable, when his country demanded his services,
of exchanging the delights of a home, where he had ever been
an object of the tenderest affection, the charms of study and the
rewards of professional industry, for the hardships, the perils,
diid the sufferings of the camp and the field.
Resolved, That we tender to the parents and friends of the
leceased our heartfelt sympathies in the affliction which this mel-
ancholy event has brought upon them; and that we invoke in
their behalf the consolations which enabled our departed brother
to meet death with Christian fortitude and resignation.
Resolved, That these resolutions be published in the news-
papers of the city, and that a copy, signed by the officers of this
meeting, be presented to the family of the deceased.
In an eloquent sermon commemorative of Adjt. Strong, the
Rev. A. S. Twombly, his pastor, spoke as follows:
"In the prime of manhood, God has taken him away. With
many earthly hopes yet unfulfilled — a thousand manly aspira-
tions all unmet — just as the promise of his early culture ripens
towards its fruit — before life gives its best rewards — he dies !
But who will say that life in him, in any sense, was incomplete ?
Who will say that death has broken from the stem a life whose
summer time has not vet come ? This church, which owes much
376* ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
of its strength and its success to him whose name alone is left to
it, may seem all incomplete without him. We, his associates and
friends, among whom he appeared pre-eminent for genial good-
ness, strength of judgment, and simplicity of character, may be
obliged to leave unfinished his share in the work which we
together had assumed. The Sabbath school — his pride and
care — that class which he took with him to the war, may never
find a substitute for the place he occupied. And in the private
circle of his dearest friends, the years he would have filled with
happiness for them, may seem all incomplete and vacant; even
as to all whose lives and interests his peculiar qualities seemed
to supply that which he only could supply, his career may seem
but the fragment of an earthly course. And why God called this
useful servant home so soon, why all this ripening power for
good should be so soon dissolved in death, we cannot tell; but
this one thing we know, in him, when God's eye searched, it
found the full condition of a finished mortal life.
"The earthly dates that limit his career between the times of
birth and death, are not God's boundaries; and the meanness of
our human computations, God makes manifest, in giving a far
grander finish than that of years or circumstances to his life.
"For although on all life's ordinary relationships, his memory
sheds a fragrant beauty, yet our thoughts invest him with far
richer usefulness, and his name will have far greater eloquence
for good, because religion lent her lustre to the fair graces which
adorned his life. That his life was rich in things that win the
hearts of friends, and touch the finer springs of feeling, none
who witness the universal lamentation at his death can doubt.
"The touching reminiscences preserved of him at home; the
lonesome feeling there without him, together with the last word
on his dying lips (his brother's name), tell well enough of him
as son and brother. While for that trying relationship, existing
so seldom in perfection between a young church member and his
careless friends, let those to whom his presence was an admoni-
tion, and at the same time a delight, bear witness. Let the
power of his life and death on them attest his genial, unobtru-
sive, but consistent character as a friend.
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 377
" So, too, the record of his business life, for thoroughness, fair-
ness and ability, may challenge scrutiny. This, the resolutions
published by his associates of the bar full well attest. And let
our own church records show the value of his professional advice.
Let this goodly edifice, in which to-night we worship, speak, not
only from the accuracy of all its financial formulae, of his legal
skill, but also from its chaste adornments, of his care and taste;
thus proving that while apt and able in professional acquire-
ments, he was likewise talented and tasteful in all other branches
of a liberal culture.
"But above all signs like these, who to his record as a Chris-
tian would wish to add more signs of full-orbed life ? who most
anxious for assurance, could desire more signs of faith, humility
and sacrifice by which the Christian's earthly state is made com-
plete ? Not that all possible signs appear in him ; but that
enough appear, to show that by God's grace the germ of true
Christianity was in his soul, who that has heard him pray, who
that has watched his manly, Christian life ; who that has heard
of his pure motives in responding to his country's call, can for a
moment doubt ? Are not the«e outward indications of complete-
ness, clustered over and about his memory like flowers that tell
of a prolific soil ? And were all other indications wanting,
would not the last great witness of his life; would not the count-
ing of his life a willing offering, be sufficient testimony to the
full completion of this trial-epoch of his soul ?
" His fellow soldiers send back loving messages of his devotion
to the sick and suffering in that dreary hospital beneath the
southern palm, thus telling us where the seeds of his own fatal
malady were soavii. They tell us how he sympathized with
others in their sorrow; how in camp he talked and prayed with
men (some of them from his old Sabbath class), when to indite a
prayer or sing a psalm, cost something more than time or talent.*
* A touching incident occurred to-day, in connection with this class. A pupil who had
volunteered for two years in another regiment, being at home on a short furlough,
entered the school and asked the superintendent for his former teacher, not knowing
that the class had all enlisted, and that their teacher was no more. What could more
forcibly illustrate our beloved brother's influence and power as a faithful teacher in the
Sabbath School?
378 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
They tell us that the " Cross at any time in his deportment could
be seen;" so that we needed not to hear the tidings of his death,
to know assuredly that life was not accounted dear to him, if that
he might complete his course with joy. If therefore in addition
to the Christian impulse by which he was hurried to the field;
if anything above that sense of Christian duty, for which he gave
our land his life, were wanting to attest the fullness and com-
pleteness of his earthly course, these last days with the sick and
the disabled — his last words, all of which were breathed, not for
himself but for another, would announce with unmistakable
authority how truly he had counted all things loss, that he might
win the crown.
" When we think of him, let not our eyes be dim with tears — -
but let our hearts rejoice that God has made him able, thus to
finish his career with joy. Let his memory seem to us like some
perfected crystal formed from the agitated cooling of the ore;
each side reflects its own peculiar lustre, while together all the
rays perfect a starlike form, whose gleams conceal all imperfec-
tions; and within whose heart a crystal germ of purity waits
but the master hand to be made fit for coronets of kings.
"But yesterday our friend was like ourselves, imperfect, frail
and liable to temptation; upon his life the finishing touch had
not yet come. To-day, by Jesus's handling, he is shining in
perfection in the diadem of God ! His mortal life was gladly
given for this end; then why should we begrudge it! Everything
was laid for this at Jesus's feet ; and why should we be sorry for
the sacrifice ! A joyous home, great hopes, strong friendships,
happy ties, — all counted loss, so that he might end his course
with joy ! These are the signs of its completion, what can we
ask for more !
" Not merely do the tears of all true patriots fall upon his
tomb; not only does a star-lit and perfected manhood shine from
heaven upon us to inspire with hope; but as a spirit, leaving in
its flight sure signs of its redemption, his memory sheds a glad
assurance down. With Paul, his strength on earth through
Christ, was in the words : ' I count not life dear unto me, so that
I finish my career with joy,' and with the Apostle he has proved
ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG. 379
those words sincere; therefore to-day, with all the ransomed
hosts above, he finds ecstatic pleasure in that song of songs :
'The Lamb was slain.'
" My fellow-Christians of this church, he for whose loss these
tears of mingled grief and joy are falling, was, as you know, one
of the first enrolled among our members. He is among: the first
to leave this membership for the Church Triumphant in the skies.
He who greeted me so cordially one year ago when first I came
to live among you as 3 r our pastor, will extend to me and you no
further proofs of his affection; he can ofler now no further acts
of love; but may he not still live about us, radiant upon us from
that upper sphere? May not his death be like a cheerful light
apon our way, revealing to us what the Christian has to suffer
•uid to dare, and showing us the glorious crown he hopes to
wear ? May not this early gift of life to God nerve us as worth-
ily to finish our career ? Assisted by him, to look beyond him
to a greater sufferer, may we not in holy emulation also strive to
leave behind us equal proof, that Jesus will present our souls
upon His bleeding heart before the throne ? Then shall the
name of him who has departed become a sacred memory within
our souls; our loved and honored dead will touch us from the
past, and fill us with an ever-present and inspiring joy! He was
ours once in full companionship; he may be ours forevermore in
that far higher intimacy which death and a divine communion
can establish between kindred souls. Although his worthiness
makes our immediate loss the heavier, yet for this very reason is
his gain and ours the greater. He has finished his career with
joy — we in that completion may find all we need; may find the
very impulse that wo lacked for giving up our life in true sur-
render unto God. Draw near, then, ye that mourn and be ye
comforted. We have no cause for grief; and surely he whose
requiem we chant needs not our tears!
" In that resplendent lustre of perfected souls, the spirits of
the just made perfect seem to listen as I speak! I seem to speak
of one among them, as if he heard me still! His voice comes
gently, like an echo from the skies, entreating us to set our lives
380 ADJT. RICHARD M. STRONG.
in readiness to come. He tells us of the rest above; he chants
the glory of his now perfected life.
"Thus would he hush our murmurs, quiet all our fears, and
draw us sweetly to the love of Him whose life was freely given,
that whosoever loseth life for His sake on the earth may find it
unto everlasting joy.' 7
The following hymn (a favorite with Adjt. Strong, among the
songs of the Sabbath School), was sung by request on the eve-
ning of the delivery of this discourse :
Come sing to me of heaven
When I'm about to die;
Sing songs of holy ecstasy
To waft my soul on high.
When cold and sluggish drops
Roll off' my marble brow,
Break forth in songs of joyful ness,
Let heaven begin below.
When the last moments come,
Oh, watch my dying face
To catch the bright seraphic glow
Which in each feature plays.
Then to my raptured ear
Let one sweet song be given;
Let music charm me last on earth
And greet me first in heaven.
Then close my sightless eyes,
And lay me down to rest,
And clasp my cold and icy hands
Upon my lifeless breast.
When round my senseless clay
Assemble those I love —
Then sing of heaven, delightful heaven,
My glorious home above
ADJT. JOHN H. RUSSELL. 381
XXIV,
ADJUTANT JOHN H. RUSSELL.
From Rev. A. A. Farr, late Chaplain of Eighteenth N. Y. Regiment.
Adjutant John H. Russell was the son of Mr. William and
Mrs. Catharine A. Russell, and was born in the city of Albany,
on the 21st day of July, 1836. His name is remembered by
hundreds here, who lamented his early death while they honored
him for his love for his country, and his devotion to her cause,
in the. time of her great peril. On the breaking out of the
rebellion, in 1861, he was one of the first to offer his services to
the government, and was ready to leave home and friends, if he
could do something towards rolling- back the dark cloud that
hung over the land, and threatened us with the loss of all our
cherished institutions.
When the Eighteenth Regiment of N. Y. State Volunteers
was organized, on the 14th day of May, 1861, he was unani-
mously elected the Adjutant of the regiment; and on the 17th
of the same month, was mustered into the service of the United
States. By applying himself to the work, he soon became an
accomplished officer. He was, in many respects, a model Adju-
tant. Being a good scholar and a very fine penman, and withal
very particular that every thing should be just right, he suc-
ceeded in securing the commendation of officers high in com-
mand.
Adjutant Russell was rather retiring in his maimers, and had
but few intimate friends; yet, such was his general conduct, that
he commanded the respect of all.
He had never made a public profession of religion, yet he was
a firm believer in the doctrines of Christianity. He used often
382 ADJT. JOHN H. RUSSELL.
to speak of his mother as a woman of deep piety, and he believes
she was at rest in a better world.
In the month of April, 1862, we were ordered to the Penin-
sula to join Gen. McClellan. Soon after we arrived there, Mr.
Russell began to feel the effects of that climate, in impairing his
health. And for some weeks before his leaving the field, he was
much of the time really unfit for duty. Yet he was unwilling to
give up and be called a sick man, and, under these unfavorable cir-
cumstances, he continued to do his duty. As I was, at that time,
occupying the same tent with him, I know how much he suffered.
The battle of Gaines' Mills was fought on the 27th day of
June, 1862. Our regiment, with others, was formed in line of
battle about twelve o'clock, noon, and soon after we were ordereo
to cross the Chickahominy, with the expectation of going intG
the fight, which had already commenced. We crossed the river,
according to orders, and were soon in sight of the contending
forces. At about five p. m. we were ordered into the battle, al
double quick. Adjutant Russell was at his post, and without
flinching did his duty. But he was not permitted to remain long
with his comrades. He was wounded in the ankle by a Minnie
ball, yet it was probably a spent shot, as it did not break the
ankle. He was ordered to the rear, when the surgeon extracted
the ball, and thought the wound was so slight that he would
soon be at his post again. That night, about twelve o'clock, the
regiment was ordered back to our camp, and, as we were return
ing, we overtook Mr. Russell, as he was being carried back tc
his tent. He was very cheerful, and thought he would soon bt
in active service asjain. I took care of him for the rest of the
night, and he was very comfortable. The next morning, as we
were expecting another battle, the Adjutant, with other wounded
and sick men, were sent to Savage's Station, where they might be
more secure, and receive proper attention. On Sabbath mor-
ning, June 29, we commenced our retrogade movement, and when
we arrived at Savage's Station all the sick and wounded that
could be moved were put into ambulances and sent over to the
James river. Mr. Russell was of course one of the number
After putting him into the ambulance with Capt. Montgomery,
ADJT. JOHN H. RUSSELL. 383
of Gen. Newton's staff, I saw no more of him until the next
Tuesday. Then I found him at Carter's Landing - , on the James
river; and this proved to be our last meeting. At this time he
was in good spirits, though very much fatigued, having remained
in the ambulance for two days, and the most of that time they
had been on the move. From this place he was taken to Harri-
son's Landing, where he was put on board one of the transports
and sent to the north. He thought if he could get home, where
proper attention could be secured, he would soon be well again.
But, when he arrived at Philadelphia, he was so much exhausted
that he could go no further. He was taken to the house of Capt.
Montgomery, his fellow sufferer, where everything was done for
him that human kindness could suggest. But his system had
become so much debilitated by disease that he did not rally, but
continued to fail, till the 28th clay of July, 1862, he passed
away from earth — just one month and one day from the time
that he received his wound. Thus lived and died John H. Rus-
sell, Adjutant Eighteenth N. Y. Vols.
384 CAPT. JOHN D. r. DOUW.
XXV.
CAPTAIN JOHN DePEYSTER DOUW.
John DePeyster Douw was born in Albany, on the 10th of
March, 1837, and was the son of Volckert P. and Helen L.
Douw. Reared amid the influences of refinement, intelligence
and Christian culture, he early developed traits that endeared
him to all with whom he was associated. He early manifested
a frank and generous spirit, and was a respectful and dutiful son,
a kind brother, and a warm hearted friend.
In entering the army, he was actuated by the purest and loftiest
feelings of patriotism, and his course was perfectly in accordance
with the wishes of his parents, who desired the family to be rep-
resented in the recent eventful period of our National history.
His military career, the valor with which he fought for his
country, and the hope that ever inspired his soul, may be learnt
from the following statements, furnished to his father by a dis-
tinguished officer, who knew and loved the departed hero:
Capt. Douw joined the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regi-
ment N. Y. S. Volunteers when that regiment first entered the
service, the 23d of August, 1862, at Camp Schuyler, Herkimer
county, N. Y., as first Lieutenant of Company "I." He served
in that capacity until shortly after the battle of Antietam, when
his soldierly bearing and attention to duty attracted the notice
of Maj. Gen. Slocum, commanding First Division, Sixth Army
Corps. The General at once placed Lieut. Douw on his staff as
ordnance officer, which arduous and responsible position he filled
with credit, until shortly after the first Fredericksburg battle,
when he left his staff appointment to accept the Captaincy of
Company "K" in his own regiment, a promotion justly earned.
He took command of his company, and led it in the terrible battle
CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW. 385
of Salem Chapel, May 3d, 1863. All who are conversant with
the history of that engagement, know of the fearful loss of life
in the One Hundred and Twenty-first — the total loss being two
hundred and seventy men out of four hundred who entered the
tight, a greater loss than any other regiment has ever experi-
enced in one battle. Capt. Douw particularly distinguished him-
self at this time. He passed through the fiery ordeal unhurt.
He commanded his company during the memorable Maryland
campaign, that culminated in the glorious victory of Gettysburg.
He participated in all the various skirmishes after that battle until
the rebels were driven across the Potomac.
Again at Rappahannock Station Nov. 7th, 1863, he led his
company. The One Hundred and Twenty-first, about three hun-
dred strong, captured twelve hundred prisoners and four stands of
colors. Captain Douw received great praise from his command-
ing officer for his gallantry. This, with the exception of the
short campaign known as the Mine Run Expedition, closed the
operations of this portion of the army for 1863.
The winter of 1863 and 1864 was passed by the Captain in
fitting himself and company for the prominent part they were
destined to play in the great campaign of 1864. He was in every
battle of this campaign; the fierce struggle in the Wilderness,
and the desperate charges at Spottsylvania Court House. In the
last engagement he was one of that band of heroes who made
the famous charge of May 10th. The charging party consisted
of twelve regiments, three front and four deep. The One Hun-
dred and Twenty-first was in the first line and on the right, the
post of honor and danger. Their advance was irresistible.
Three lines of works were carried, fifteen hundred prisoners were
captured, the enemy's centre was broken and the victory almost
won. But the supports did not do their duty and the column,
surrounded, was forced to retire. The slaughter was awful.
Captain Douw came out of the fight uninjured, and in command
of his regiment; the field officers being both wounded and one a
prisoner. He commanded the regiment gallantly at Coal Harbor,
and during the early battles in front of Petersburg. At this
25
386 CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW.
time Major Galpin, having recovered from his wounds, resumed
his command.
The rebels again made a raid into Maryland and even the
Capital was in danger. The Sixth Corps was orderded to Wash-
ington to repel the invasion. The enemy retreated and then
ensued long and weary marches. Captain Douw, always cheer-
ful, was the life of his regiment.
The sun rose clear and bright on the 19th of September.
This was the first of the many glorious days of victory, that
cleared away the cloud of defeat that so long had darkened
"Freedom's Banner" in the valley of Virginia, and that placed
the "crown of victory" on the stars and stripes.
The battle of Fisher's Hill quickly followed, and during both
of these battles, the Captain was always in the front rank,
encouraging and animating his men by his example. Strange
that one so regardless of personal danger, should have so long
passed unharmed. But his time was yet to come. The eventful
19th of October dawned, the last and most complete, the crown-
ing glory of the campaign. But what a sacrifice it cost. Alas,
how many of those who immortalized themselves that day, did
it at the expense of their lives.
Captain Douw was struck about nine o'clock, a. m., by a bullet
in the right leg. The bone was shattered, and he laid on the
field until late in the afternoon, when, the troops returning, he
was taken to a temporary hospital at Ncav Town, whence he was
removed to Winchester, where his limb was amputated. He
lingered until six o'clock, p. m., October 26th, when he quietly
slept the sleep that knows no waking.
Thus passed away one of the noblest spirits this war has de-
stroyed. In battle, brave even to rashness; on the march, cheer-
ful; gentle, manly and social, kind and considerate to all — quali-
ties that made all who kneAv him love him. His memory will
be cherished by his companions in arms as long as they live.
The Major of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment
thus speaks of his habit of daily reading the Scriptures:
" I have known Captain Douav since the regiment was first
organized at Camp Schuyler, as I was the First Sergeant in the
capt. john d. p. douw. 387
company of which he was the First Lieutenant. During our term
last winter in quarters at Brandy Station Ave were together a great
deal, and became quite intimate. When the campaign opened in
the spring, we entered into a ' mess ' by ourselves, slept under
the same blankets, and endured the same hardships until Sep-
tember 20th, when I was detailed at headquarters of the division.
We each carried a pocket testament, and it Mas our custom every
day after the campaign opened, to each read a chapter alternately
on arriving in camp, if not by the wayside while resting from
our march. We had shared each other's comforts, and more
than once had expressed a hope that we might outlive this
devouring war, and see tranquility reinstated, and meet each
other in quiet life, to relate and discuss the past events in our
military history."
The same officer gives the following account of Captain Douw
after he was wounded:
"We were repulsed immediately after he was wounded, and
thereby he fell into the enemy's hands. He was in their hands
about eight hours, and while with them was treated both kindly
and unkindly. He had in his pocket about one hundred and sixty
dollars. Before the enemy came to pillage him, he cut the seam
in his vest and placed nearly all of his money inside. But the
rebels were not content with the few dollars they found, and
made a more minute search, and succeeded in finding the whole
of it.
" About four p. m. the enemy was driven back, and he was
immediately carried to a house near by, which was occupied as
General Wheaton's headquarters. I was at that time serving
upon the staff* of General Wheatox, and while at the house I
know he received every attention. He was somewhat depressed
in consequence of exhaustion. He told me he thought he should
get well, and asked me to write to his father and uncle, which I
did at once. It was on the 19th that he was carried to the house,
and on the morning of the 20th he was removed to New Town,
and thence to Winchester. I assisted in placing him comfortably
in the ambulance, and after bidding him ' good-bye ' he was driven
away, and I did not see him again.
6b O CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW.
" Dr. Benedict was with him at the time he died, and says a few
moments before he expired he asked him ' if he were not dying.'
Benedict told him ' he was.' He then asked him to say the
Lord's Prayer, which he did, and the Captain repeated it until
he breathed his last. After he could not articulate aloud, he
repeated it in a faint whisper until he passed from this life."
The following particulars of the wound and death of Capt.
Douw have been kindly furnished by the surgeon who attended
him:
I saw and conversed with Capt. Douw on the morning of the
attack, October 19th, and we hoped at the time our regiment
would not be ordered out. He wished, if it were, to give me his
valuables for safe keeping. They were ordered in line almost
immediately after, and I was ordered to the Division hospital in
New Town.
Capt. Douw was wounded early in the action, eight o'clock
a. m., and remained on the field some eight hours, during which
time the enemy held the ground, and robbed him of his money,
&c. Judging from the nature of the wound, he must have been
resting in a sitting posture, on his left knee and right foot. The
ball entered the right knee joint, traversing and shattering the
femur or thigh bone nearly the whole length, and, after death,
was extracted from the groin.
He was completely chilled when found by our men. The limb
was temporarily dressed, and he was brought to our hospital
about five o'clock p. m.
He was cold and almost pulseless on his arrival, and it was
evident to the most casual observer that his system had received
a shock which must prove fatal. I examined the limb sufficiently
to learn that an operation was his only chance for life, and our
whole attention was given to stimulating the system, and bring-
ing on reaction sufficient to amputate. But we did not succeed
till he was removed to Winchester, fifteen miles. I put the limb
in a box, and placed him in an ambulance on a feather bed, and
he suffered no inconvenience from moving. I felt it to be my
duty to tell him his true condition, and did so, as gently as pos-
sible, advising him to have his father telegraphed for. He
CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW. 389
replied that he was confident he should recover, but would send
for an uncle in Philadelphia if he grew worse.
This was the morning of the 21st. I never saw him after,
but have conversed with the surgeons into whose hands he fell,
and can assure his friends he received every attention possible,
and everything was done that could be done under the circum-
stances. He rallied on the 22d sufficiently to undergo the ope-
ration, and bore up under it well.
So much time had elapsed that the limb was much swollen,
and it was not till after the operation that the course of the
ball, and the full extent of the injury, was known.
The tremendous shock to the system had been noticed and
commented upon by all; but when the injury was fully known,
his great depression was accounted for, and not, as before, attri-
buted to his exposure on the field.
He was cheerful and confident after the operation, — was at
times delirious, — was anxious to have his vote prepared and for-
warded, although he had already sent his vote about the 17th
or 18th.
I came to this regiment from the One Hundred and Twenty-
second, July 1st, 1863, a stranger; but soon made the acquaint-
ance of Captain Douw, as many in Syracuse were our mutual
friends.
He was respected and esteemed by officers and men, and his
friends have the sympathy of the whole regiment.
I found him a noble-hearted, true man, and wish no better
evidence of his goodness of heart, than the love and affection he
had for his family. How repeatedly has he shown me photo-
graphs of his parents, brothers and sisters, and would speak of
each in a manner, which in some measure enables me to imagine
how great is their loss.
LETTER FROM THE COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
Cherry Valley, June lhth, 1866.
My Dear Mrs. Douav — Lieutenant Douw, a few days after his
regiment had taken the field in September 1862, was selected
390 CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW.
by General Slocum, as division ordnance officer, a position of
great responsibility. He was called upon to take the entire
charge of the arms and ammunition of the division, and to issue
and receipt for the same; in fact the efficiency of the division in
this most important particular depended almost entirely upon
his energy and activity. He tilled this post to the satisfaction
of the commanding officer of the division and all concerned; con-
ducting his trains with great skill and prudence from Bakersville
to Fredericksburg, Va., through the engagements which followed;
and on the unfortunate " mud-march." That he should have
accomplished this in the manner he did, is conclusive proof how
earnest and sincere he was in the discharge of his duties. In the
spring of 1863, just before the campaign opened, the proposition
was made to Lieut. Douw by Col. Upton, at that time command-
ing the One Hundred and Twenty-first N. Y. Vols., that if he
would return to his company he should be promoted to Captain.
The Colonel also expressed his great desire to have Lieut. Douw
with the command during the campaign.
The position held by Lieut. Douw on Gen. Slocum's staff, was
in many respects to be preferred to that offered by Col. Upton.
It brought him into intimate relations with the general officers
of the division; it gave him privileges of which an infantry
officer knew well the value; it ensured him daily comforts. Head-
quarter wagons are the first up; headquarter tents the first
pitched; headquarters monopolizes the best camping ground;
headquarters guards the deepest well and the coolest spring —
and headquarters is best supplied by the commissary. The pro-
position therefore, to come back to his regiment and serve in his
company, was one which very few officers would have accepted.
Indeed, I know of but one case, where an officer having a staff
appointment, returned of his own accord to serve with the com-
pany. That is the case of Lieut. Douw. Many times have I felt
the need of officers on staff duty, and offered them promotion,
and endeavored to excite their ambition by showing that on the
staff there was little hope of advancement, but all in vain. "I
cannot give up the social position — the comforts, the privileges
I enjoy on the staff, for the sake of commanding a compairy — to
CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW. 391
march in the mud and dust, with but a soldier's fare and a
shelter tent to sleep under." Lieut. Douw gave up all these
advantages and voluntarily returned to his regiment, thinking it
his duty to be with the men, whom he had originally received a
commission to command, and to share with them their dangers
and privations.
Capt. Douw's relations with his company were of the most
pleasant character. Although a good disciplinarian, he was a
favorite with his men — a favoritism not gained by that familiarity
which was the misfortune of many volunteer officers, but obtained,
by his strong love of justice, his anxiety that his men should not
be imposed upon, and his correct ideas of duty. Capt. Douw,
under the most discouraging circumstances, was always cheerful.
He bore the privations and fatigues of the most trying campaign
with a light-heartedness rarely seen in the service, and was proof
against its demoralizing influences. A strong attachment to his
home, of which he was ever fond of speaking, appeared to be a
shield which, constantly reminding him of all he held most dear,
at the same time turned away all temptations to dissipation. The
influence of the home circle was ever upon him, and distance and
danger only served to strengthen it.
From the battle of Salem Chapel, May 3d, 1863, in which
action his company suffered more than any in the regiment, until
the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19th, 1864, where he received
his mortal wound, Capt. Douw was constantly with his command
in every battle, skirmish or reconnoissance in which it was engaged.
In conclusion, I would add that I never knew an officer who,
during his whole service, more conscientiously performed his
duties. He was a good officer and a brave man.
I am, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EGBERT OLCOTT,
Late Colonel One Hundred and Twenty-first New York.
Extract from a letter from Sergeant Stevens to Mrs. Douw:
" I never had any talk, on religious subjects, with your son, but
I always considered him a most exemplary young man. I thought
o02 CAPT. JOHN D. T. DOUW.
nothing strange of his not talking with me on serious matters at
the time I was with the regiment, for I was not then a professor.
When we had preaching in our camp, the Captain always attended.
I had a very good opportunity, while I was with my company,
to become acquainted with him.
"Your son commanded the company to which I had the honor
to belong. I held the position of First Sergeant in the company
until I was compelled, from wounds received in the battle of the
Wilderness, to leave for the hospital. I helped him to prepare
all of the company pay rolls, and clothing rolls; in fact, I assisted
him about all the company writing.
"In his death, the company sustained a great loss. We
regarded him with something more than the respect which is
due from a soldier to a superior; we looked up to him as an elder
brother; one who took an interest in his men, very zealous of
their rights, and prompt to have all wrongs redressed. He was
exceedingly affable to his men. willing to listen to and advise the
most illiterate or degraded of them.
"Upon the march, as well as in camp, he seemed to have the
interest of his men at heart. If there chanced to be one who
was slightly unwell, or who began to manifest signs of great
weariness, the Captain would shoulder his musket, give him some
words of cheer, and assist him in every way in his power. I
have been an object of his tender compassion on several occasions.
While the army was on the march from Warrenton to the Rapi-
dan river, I, from some unknown cause, had a very painful swell-
ing on my ankle; I could not wear my boots, and was compelled
to march in this condition. The Captain took my musket at once,
and carried it until we halted for the night.
"Until noon of the following day, I marched in the same
manner, when we halted for a short time to prepare dinner. By
this time my ankle was swollen fearfully and pained me terribly.
"The sight of this aroused the indignation (a thing which we
seldom saw) of the Captain, towards the doctors, for not allow-
ing me to ride in an ambulance. He arose from his dinner
exclaiming, ' I will not have my men march in that condition,'
CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW. 393
went to the Doctor and told him so, and that afternoon I rode.
I seldom saw him on the march without a musket on his shoulder.
"After I was wounded the tirst time, at the battle of Salem
Church, our held hospital was on the Potomac creek, near where
the army was encamped, and the Captain came frequently to see
" his wounded boys," and talk with and- cheer us. He visited
each tent to inquire after and ascertain the condition of all of the
men. Thus it was he became the much loved Captain Douw.
He was always willing to share the hardship of his men, always
cheerful and always at his post.
" Your affliction is indeed great, but you have the heartfelt
sympathies of the surviving members of company K. Long wall
they cherish the memory of your son and their Captain."
His remains w r ere brought home, and, on the 3d clay of No-
vember, buried in the Albany Cemetery.
The following lines were written in memory of Capt. John
DeP. Douw, One Hundred and Tw T enty-first Segment N. Y. S. V.,
died October 26, 1864:
i
A sad and melancholy year,
The year just past !
Hope feebly struggling on — and darksome fear,
Too oft, at last,
Cringing beneath the tempest, through whose rifts,
No sunlight flickers, while the black mass drifts,
Whirling along the battle glare,
Onward, to worse despair !
ii.
A dismal and a bitter year,
The year just gone !
The sepulchres of those we hold most dear
Lie thick; and thorn
The hearts that swelled to hear of brave deeds done,
Of ramparts carried, and of standards won,
By those of whom, the next hushed breath
Of rumor, told the death.
in.
We cannot laugh as gaily now,
As once we did ;
When, with the New Year garlands on our brow
No low voice chid
394 CAPT. JOHN D. P. DOUW.
Our merriment, or bade us hold our peace,
And think of some who evermore would cease
From joining in the carol gay
With which we hailed the day.
IV.
For now we see a vacant place
Beside the board ; —
And there we sadly miss a much loved face.
While memory, stored
With thoughts of other days, when, with us here,
He shared our sorrow and he shared our cheer,
Forbids that we should hope relief
From present bitter grief.
v.
But let us not too much rebel,
Though he is dead.
'Twas for his country's honor that he fell.
And though his head
Rests low beside the sword he so well drew
His spirit, now in Heaven, waits to view
That lasting peace on earth begin,
He nobly helped to win.
New Year's Day. 1865.
CATT. THEODORE C. ROGERS. 395
XXVI.
CAPTAIN THEODORE C. ROGERS.
Theodore Caldwell Rogers was born at Fairfield, Conn.,
December 3d, 1839. He was the oldest child of Rev. Ebenezer
P. and Elizabeth Rogers. He was educated principally at the
High School in Philadelphia, and at the Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute at Troy, where he fitted himself for the profession of a
civil engineer. He was a youth of ardent and generous feelings,
of brilliant mind, refined sensibilities and cultivated and winning
manners. In person he w T as tall, well formed and athletic, ex-
celling in all manly exercises, of more than ordinary vigor, and
a fine specimen of physical symmetry and strength. His mind
was well cultivated; he wrote in an easy and graceful style, was
a good speaker, and in all those qualities of person, mind and
character which give great promise of excellence and usefulness,
was unusually gifted.
After leaving the institution at Troy, he was engaged for some
time in civil engineering, with much success. He afterwards
received overtures from a prominent commercial house in
Albany, where his parents then resided, to become connected
with them, which he accepted, and the breaking out of the rebel-
lion found him just admitted to a partnership, with bright pros-
pects of mercantile success.
But the call of President Lincoln for volunteers to defend the
insulted flag of his country, awoke in the breast of young Rogers
a desire and determination to offer his services to his country in
her hour of peril. It was not the mere love of adventure, or
the passion for military glory which prompted his resolution.
He looked at the whole subject as a Christian as well as a patriot,
and having asked direction from God as to his course, he came
to the deliberate conviction that it was his duty to volunteer his
396 CART. THEODORE C. ROGERS.
services to the Government in the struggle for national life and
unity which was impending. He gave up at once his business
engagements, relinquished all his prospects of fortune, and
engaged at once in earnest efforts to enlist men for the service.
He received, in May, 18G1, from Gov. Morgan, a commission as
First Lieutenant in the Eighteenth Regiment New York Volun-
teers, then under the command of the late lamented Col. Wil-
li am A. Jackson, and entered at once upon the duties of his
station.
The course of Mr. Rogers, in thus promptly offering himself
upon the altar of his country, called out the warmest approba-
tion of his friends. Kindly offers of aid were tendered him on
all sides. The ladies of his father's congregation sent him a
handsome sum towards the expenses of his outfit. A number
of the most prominent and respected merchants of Albany, mem-
bers of the Board of Trade, gave him a public reception, and
presented him with a purse containing five hundred dollars in
gold. The following account of the proceedings appeared in the
Albany daily papers of that date.
PRESENTATION TO LIEUT. THEODORE C. ROGERS.
There was an unusually large attendance at the Rooms of the
Board of Trade this morning, and among the attendance a large
number of ladies — relatives and friends of Lieut. Rogers, who
had been attracted thither to witness the presentation of a purse,
containing gold coin to the amount of five hundred dollars to
that gentleman, from his friends and members of the Board of
Trade.
Just at the close of the business hour, the President of the
Board, James N. Ring, Esq., called the meeting to order, and
after stating the object introduced Jeremiah Waterman Esq., to
Lieut. Theodore C. Rogers, when the former addressed the lat-
ter as follows :
"Lieut. Rogers — I have been requested, on the part of your
friends, members of the Board of Trade, to present you with a
purse of gold as an expression of their regard to you personally,
and of their appreciation of the devotion and loyalty which have
CAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS: 397
prompted you to offer yourself as a soldier in these times of our
country's peril.
"For the sake of the land which we love, you have cheerfully
sacrificed a position of great promise, which you filled with so
much credit to yourself, and in which you have gathered around
you the respect and attachment of those who have known you
the best.
" 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
hind 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 avc 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,
398 CAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS.
you will return again with honor from the field of battle, or if
we shall hear the sad tidings that you ftve 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 till 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 daj^s, to ex-
change congratulations over the peace, unity, and prosperity of
our beloved country."
OAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS. 399
The Board, thereupon adjourned, when a general mingling
took place, and the respective parties were congratulated.
Among the attendants were the Rev. Dr. Sogers 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 held 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 close 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
400 CAPT. THEODORE C. ROGERS.
unexpectedly a friend, spending the winter at the island of Nas
sau, became 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-
tinctly 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,
CAPT. THEODORE S. ROGERS. 401
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 maimer 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."
26
402 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, 183G. 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
CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD. 403
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 Folh r
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, Greo;«\ 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, Dre win'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
energ} r of the explosion. Some seventy of his regiment, of whom
four were officers, lost their lives by this horrible catastrophe.
404 CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD.
Among those reported killed, the "Albany Evening Journal"
included the name of Capt. Van Santvoord, and for several clays
his family mourned him as among the victims, whom, having
escaped the tire 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-
CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD. 405
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 cried 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 live others badly injured. Between sixty and
seventy of our men were blown up, nearly all of whom were
killed. The} r 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:
406 CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOOED.
"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
light 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, w T ho 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
CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD. 407
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, 18 62, 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 Ins 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-
408 CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOOED.
actcristics as an officer, were extraordinary coolness and bravery
in emergencies, and great perseverance ind 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 Santvooed 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,
Late Colonel W9th JV. Y. Vols.
The manners of Captain Van Santvooed 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 success, and which had mercifully preserved him amid
imminent perils and fearfully frequent deaths.
While encamped at Folly Island, he aided in extemporizing a
little chapel, wherein the worship of God might be statedly
observed during their stay in that quarter. He had high regard
for the Chaplain by whom the services were conducted, aiding to
make his work pleasant and effective. And being fond of music
CAPT. EUGENE VAN SANTVOORD. 409
and skilled in its performance, he organized a choir of singers
from his company, and himself led in that part of the stated
devotions. His little testament, which was his close companion
during the war, seemed nearly worn out with use, and various
folds are found in its leaves to mark passages from which, as it
appeared, he had drawn refreshment, or which had struck him
as specially applicable to situations of difficulty or danger. Be-
fore entering on an engagement where the hazards to life looked
most imminent, he was wont to put up an ejaculatory prayer to
Him who holds the issues of all lives, and then felt strong and
confident as he went forth to yield his life, if it were so ordered,
a sacrifice on the altar of his country.
But he passed safely through the war, and rejoiced to greet
rejoicing friends, the conflict ended and peace restored, in the
loved home of his childhood. The joy and gratulations, however,
were shortdived. Like Colonel Bowers and Lieut. Col. McKee,
and many another brave spirit, he escaped all the perils of war
and battle, only to be smitten down suddenly, when in the midst
of perfect seeming security.
Captain Van Saxtvoord was making his arrangements to go
into business with a friend, near Savannah, Ga., and a few days
from the time his death occurred they were to take their depart-
ure. On his way from New York, on the 13th of November, to
his home, business detained him for a night at Newburgh. After
retiring for the night, at his hotel, an alarm of fire was suddenly
raised, when rushing as it is supposed from his room, in his
haste and in the dark, he encountered and fell over the baluster,
being precipitated to the floor beloAv, receiving fatal injuries, the
effect of which he survived only a few hours. His life was
quenched almost as suddenly as if struck out amid the actual
shock of the raging conflict. The pain of the blow had been
less to survivors in the latter case, for where danger is looked
for, and none are exempt, the mind is prepared for a result tiiat
is not unexpected. But the same Providence, wise and kind,
controls death in whatever form it comes, and Faith, looking up
trustingly to the infallible Disposer, finds consolation still, in
uttering, " even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight."
410 CAPT. WILLIAM J. TEMPLE.
XXVIII.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM JAMES TEMPLE.
Our city has not given to the war a more brilliant intellect, or
more splendid mental attainments than were possessed by this
young hero. Though he died just as he was entering upon his
twenty-first year, still he lived long enough to prove his power
of thought, his capability of rapid acquisition in knowledge, and
his ability to attain the highest rank in any profession or depart-
ment of literature or science, to which he might devote his
energies. His genius, too, seemed to shed its lustre and its
refining influence upon his whole nature. Capt. Temple was a
gentleman of elegant and polished manners, winning address,
and noble and generous impulses. He partook of the traits of
his distinguished father, Col. Temple, who was governed by a
high sense of honor, as well as a pure patriotism.
He was born in Albany, March 29th, 1842, and was the son of
Col. Robert Emmet Temple and Catharine James, daughter
of the late Wm. James, of Albany. At an early age he was sent to
a boarding school, and was successively under the care of Mr.
Watson, at Kinderhook, N. Y.; Dr. Thomas Read, of Geneva;
and Mr. A. N. Skinner, of New Haven.
He entered Yale College, and left there in November, 1858.
At the commencement of the war, Mr. Temple was a student at
Harvard College, and at the call of his Nation, he left all to serve
her interests. He enlisted in the regular army in 186' 1, and he
gave the fire of his genius, and ardor of his patriotic heart, to
the work of subduing the rebellion. Though but nineteen years
of age, he had the maturity of manhood, the skill of an expe-
rienced officer, and the bravery of a veteran in the service. Offi-
cers, who were associated with him, have said that they never
CAPT. WILLIAM J. TEMPLE. 411
saw such coolness displayed upon the battle field as he mani-
fested. He moved among cannons and exploding shells with as
much ease and calmness as he would among a circle of friends in
a drawing room. Had his life been spared, he would doubtless
have dealt some heavy blows upon the monster that was seeking
to tear out the vitals of our Republic, and the soul of liberty.
But in the bloom of youth; in the dawn of his splendid genius
and unconquerable bravery; at the moment the inspiration of a
lofty patriotism filled his soul, he fell a martyr to the cause that
represents to the world liberty, education, religion and all the
elements that confer righteousness, peace and happiness upon a
Nation.
He was killed at Chancellorsville May 1, 1863, by a shot
through the heart, and was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery
on the 25th of May, 1863. His funeral took place from St.
Peter's Church, and was attended by the Governor and his staff,
several army officers, and a large number of relatives and friends.
We regret that we have not been able to obtain the materials
for an extended sketch of this gifted, interesting and patriotic
young officer, and one that would form a just tribute to his
worth and valor; but after repeated and earnest efforts, we have
been able to obtain only the limited information that we present
in this brief article. We can only add the following extract
of a letter from Capt. Augustus Bark er, relative to the death of
our departed hero, and an article and a letter taken from our
daily newspaper:
Capt. Barker says:
' It was only on my arrival from a Richmond prison, at Anna-
polis, where I met my father, that I first learned of the painful
tidings of Willie Temple's sad fate. A brother's death could
not have had a more melancholy effect upon me, as I had known
him so intimately, both at home and at school, and lastly at col-
lege. I knew him, not as a soldier, yet I have seen comrades
of his, whose praise and admiration of him testify to his earnest-
ness in his profession, his gallantry in action, his charms of
mind and person, which so endeared him to all around him, even
to his commander, Gen. Doubleday. I will mention the circum-
412 CAPT. WILLIAM J. TEMPLE.
stances connected with his last moments, that can not fail to be
interesting to his friends, as showing the true, brave-hearted
Will. Temple. The battle was growing warm, and he was lead-
ing a detachment of his regiment as skirmishers, to ascertain
the position of the enemy. On they went amidst the fire;
coming to a fence, they hesitated; and he, leaping on top, sword
in hand, encouraged and cheered his men onward, when the
fatal bullet closed his life forever.
"A more shocking blow could not have befallen the family."
The following appeared under date of May 6, 1863:
" Capt. Temple was a young man of remarkably fine qualities,
and with an intellect matured beyond his years. He possessed
a brave heart and the truest personal courage, combined with
gentle and polished manners, and, wherever he was known, was
universally a favorite. In appearance he was strikingly hand-
some, with an expression of sternness or severity upon his brow,
which seemed like the stamp of matured experience upon the
fresh front of youth. His loss will be most sadly felt by near
and dear friends, whose hopes and affections were thickly clus-
tered around him."
A correspondent, under the signature of T. W., wrote as
follows:
"Captain William James Temple, son of the late Colonel
Egbert E. Temple, died of wounds received at the battle at
Chancellorsville, aged twenty-two. Soon after the rebellion
broke out, a modest, attractive youth introduced himself to me
at Washington, as the son of the late Colonel Temple, saying
that he desired to adopt the profession of his father. I obtained
for him a first Lieutenancy in the regular army, and he entered
the service animated by the aspirations which make heroes and
martyrs. When, a year afterward, I returned from Europe, I
inquired of Adjutant General Thomas, who had interested him-
self in securing commissions for several young men whom I
recommended, if he knew anything of Lieutenant Temple. He
replied: "I have kept an eye upon your boys, being partly
responsible for them. They are all doing well. Lieutenant
Temple is an excellent officer." Some three weeks since I met
CAPT. WILLIAM J. TEMPLE. 413
3 T oung Temple again. He had been on a brief visit to Albany,
and was returning to his regiment. He had been promoted to a
Captaincy, and was then just twenty-one years of age. He was
the same quiet, modest, gentlemanly person I first met two years
ago. reminding me, in his manner and expression, of an estimable
lady (his aunt, Mrs. Tweedy) with whom his boy-days were
happily associated, and whose good precepts and bright examples
imparted to children all that is virtuous and graceful. Yesterday,
upon entering the Hudson river baggage car, at New York, my
eyes rested upon a square, ominously proportioned box, with
'Capt. William J. Temple, 17th U. S. Infantry, Albany/ inscribed
upon its lid. And there, cold, inanimate and disfigured, lay all
that remains of the gallant young officer who, with beaming eye,
elastic step and buoyant spirit, I had so recently conversed with.
It was a sad and startling transition, illustrating with appalling
emphasis the uncertainty of life — the inevitable reality of death.
He departed, in the glow of health, with an apparently bright
and happy future, but a few days since; and now his lifeless
remains, ' smear'd in dirt and blood,' are sent home in a rude
box, for interment, where all inherit alike their ' body's length'
of earth."
<114 CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER.
XXIX.
CAPTAIN AUGUSTUS I. BARKER.
Augustus I. Barker was born in Albany on the 24th day of
April, 1842. His mother, Jeannette James, daughter of the
late William James, Esq., died two weeks after his birth.
His early life was marked by no circumstances of peculiar
interest. Like most young men who had the means to obtain a
good education, he passed from one school to another, until he
entered Harvard University in September, 1859. He remained
in that institution until the year 1861, when he enlisted in the
service of his country.
He first received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the
Fifth Regiment New York Cavalry October 31, 1861.
His second commission as First Lieutenant, was dated May 3,
1862, and his third commission as Captain, October 24, 1862, all
in the same regiment, and under the seal of Hon. E. D. Morgan,
Governor of the State of New York.
His promotion was quite rapid, from Second Lieutenant to
Captain within twelve months, and all through his own merit, no
intluence having been brought to bear upon those in authority to
advance him in the service.
Up to the time of his regiment's joining Gen. Banks, it passed
a somewhat inactive life, and without any particularly exciting
incidents. But it was actively engaged in Gen. Banks' corps, in
his disastrous Virginia campaign, when he was so badly routed
by Stonewall Jackson. The cavalry, in this instance, saved
Gen. Banks' army, they fighting the rebels in his rear, checking
them, and thus enabling the General to retreat to a point some-
where on the Potomac. Very shortly after this disaster, about
the 1st of August, 1862, Capt. Barker was taken ill with
CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER. 415
typhoid fever, and succeeded (in the saddle) in reaching within a
mile of Culpepper Court House, Va., more than a day's ride from
where he started, when he was obliged to alight, being unable
to proceed any further. Having had a soldier detailed to escort
him and assist him, he was placed under a tree by the road side,
and was left alone until the soldier went into the town to get an
ambulance, or other conveyance, (which was furnished after an
entire day's delay,) to take him to the cars for Alexandria. As
soon as his father heard of his illness, which was not until ten
or twelve days, he proceeded at once to Alexandria, and found
him in an extremely low condition, so much so that his physi-
cian informed him that there was no chance of his recoveiy. He
was then at the Marshall House, where Ellsworth was killed, a
most unsuitable place for a sick man, and his father took the
responsibility of removing him, in his low condition, to Wash-
ington, having secured most excellent quarters in advance. To
his great joy, his son began to rally at once, and he improved
so rapidly that in a fortnight he was removed, by slow stages, to
Lenox, Mass., among the Berkshire hills. His health was
rapidly restored, and he rejoined his regiment the same year,
1862, November 16th, at Fort Scott, Virginia, near Washington.
On the 9th of March, 1863, he was taken prisoner at Fairfax
Court House, and sent to Libby prison, Richmond. He was
exchanged on the 6th of May following, and rejoined his regi-
ment on the 27th of May.
In June, 1863, he wrote thus to a friend :
" At last I have entered the threshold of manhood and must
depend upon myself; but I shall never, I now imagine, rely upon
the profession of a soldier longer than the duration of the Avar.
I do not want to shrink from my present position until the Union
arms are victorious, North, South, East and West, and the Old
Flag floats once more over an entire unanimous people."
In Jul}' he wrote thus to his father:
Bivouac Fifth N. Y. Cavalry, ?
Boonsboro, Md., July 7, 1863. \
My Dear Father — An hour ago we arrived here completely
fatigued and worn out, having been in the saddle two weeks and
416 CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER.
two days, without food for men or horses, and with not more
than four hours' rest out of the forty-eight. I am now sitting
upon a bundle of wheat, writing upon my knee, in haste, as the
mail leaves in an hour; and after this day the Lord only knows
when and where we may halt again. No longer are we under
Gen. Staiil's command, as he was relieved at the same time as
Hooker; but Gen. Kilpatrick is our leader now, and we are as
proud to be led by him as he told us in an address after the
battle of Gettysburg, " he is proud to command us." No
longer does the cavalry roam about the country, a small, timid,
hesitating band, but it now comprises three grand divisions,
under Major General's Greig, Buford and Kilpatrick. They
are so well organized and concentrated as to be irresistible,
when maneuvered as they have been since the Northern invasion.
It would be utterly impossible for me here to give you any
idea of our late doings, but as soon as the communications are
established with the north, watch for Kilpatrick's reports and
the correspondence from the command. Within three miles of
Frederick city, General Staiil turned his command over; and,
after a grand review of four thousand five hundred cavalry and
six pieces of artillery, by General Pleasanton, our chief, we
were sent off on our mission, which thus far has been a too
laborious one to last much longer. Out of the last seven days,
we have been engaged six in desperate fighting, and that, too,
against infantry; and, though we have accomplished our alio ted
task, we did it at the sacrifice of some of our noblest officers and
men; our own regiment to-day, mustering one hundred and fifty
fighting men, out of three hundred and fifty who started out
with us two weeks ago. One officer killed, two wounded and
six missing; just think of it! It would be impossible for me to
tell you of our hair-breadth escapes, but, father, I assure you.
that never before, since my enlistment in this war, have I sat so
calmly upon my horse, resolved to fight and die honorably, if
necessary, for my country.
Yesterday we arrived at Hagarstown, and there awaited the
rebel army, in full retreat, anxious to save themselves by cross-
ing the Potomac. It seemed a cruel fate, that made it a duty for
CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BAEKER. 417
cavalry to oppose infantry, artillery and cavalry who were fight-
ing for life itself. After holding them in check for three hours,
we were compelled to yield gradually, (the only time thus far)
as their forces coming up rapidly, outnumbered us five to one at
the least. A sad and stubborn withdrawal was ours. Not to
speak of other regiments, which lost equally, ours lost that day
one hundred killed, wounded and missing. In my own company
two sergeants had horses knocked from under them by shells,
one wounded, and how many of the missing ones are wounded
remains to be seen. I only had three men after the fight. I
found a bullet in my blanket, which was rolled behind my saddle,
and a round shot struck so near me as to spatter the dirt upon
me. I have to be thankful that I was spared when so many fell.
At the battle of Gettysburg, we fought all day and, by keeping
a whole division of the rebels in check, decided the day in our
favor. Then swinging around to the extreme left we cut our
way through the enemy, capturing three hundred wagons and
fifteen hundred prisoners of war, and gaining his rear. Thus we
inflicted a paralyzing blow upon the rebels and made them think
again before a third attempt to trouble us. I could write much
more but cannot. Your affectionate son,
AUGUSTUS I. BARKER.
Captain Barker was captured in the Moseby raid on Fairfax
Court House, of which his father gives the following account:
"The facts are these: My son, at the time he made the effort
to escape, was on a strange horse, without saddle, and surrounded
by fifteen or twenty rebel cavalry. Watching his opportunity,
he suddenly wheeled, and in the effort unhorsed several of the
rebels and succeeded in getting clear of them. He pursued his
course, with the rebels in full pursuit, and a dozen or more
shots were fired at him without effect. Coming suddenly upon
a rather formidable ditch, his horse bolted and threw him over
his head without injury of consequence. The rebels were upon
him in a moment, and knowing it was useless to resist he sur-
rendered. But for this unfortunate contretemj) he would un-
doubtedly have escaped."
27
418 CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER.
In the following letter from Lieutenant A. B. Waugh, we have
an account of the death of this accomplished and brave officer:
Camp 5th New York Cavalry, )
Stevensburg, Va., Sept. 20, 1862. }
Mr. Wm. H. Barker:
Sir — It becomes my painful duty to inform you of the death
of your son, Capt. Augustus I. Barker, under the following
circumstances: When the command left Hartwood Church and
crossed the Rappahannock, he was left behind in charge of the
men picketing the river, and, while on the march to rejoin his
regiment, he, with one man, being some distance ahead of the
column, was shot by guerrillas, concealed in the wood. Two
balls took effect, one in the right side and one in the left breast.
Some of his company, Avho were with him, carried him to the
house of Mr. Freeman Harris, living at Mount Holly Church,
about one mile from Kelly's Ford, on the Rappahannock. They
did all in their power to relieve him, but without avail. He died
at half past one on the morning of the 18th, being about twelve
hours after receiving his wounds. Sergeant McMullen, of his
company, was with him all through, and saw him buried just in
the rear of Freeman's house, and the grave marked. McMullen
came to camp yesterday, and I telegraphed you last night. I
have collected all Capt. Barker's effects, and placed them in
charge of Surgeon Armstrong, at the camp hospital at Culpep-
per Court House. If we move forward, or if we fall back,
before I hear from you, Ave will bring them with us. In the list
you will see two daguerreotypes. They were taken some two
months since, while he was officer of the day, and one is very
natural. His pocket book and watch I will also leave in charge
of Surgeon Armstrong, and a watch, which belongs to General
Stoughton, which he had in his possession. If you desire to
come on, please communicate with me, and any assistance which
I, or any officer, can render, we will give with pleasure.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. B. WAUGH,
2d Lieut. Co. L, 5th JV. Y. Cavalry.
CAPT. AUGUSTUS I. BARKER. 419
As soon as Mr. Barker heard of the death of his son, he went
on to recover his body, and removed it to Albany, where the
bnrial took place, on the 10th of October, 1863.
The following obituary, and notice of the funeral, appeared in
the Albany ; ' Evening Journal:"
" Capt. Augustus Barker, of the Fifth New York Cavalry, died
near Kelly's Ford, on the 18th of Sept., 1863, in the twenty-
second year of his age.
"He was the youngest son of William H. Barker, Esq., and
grandson of the late William James, of this city. He was
beloved by his comrades, as by all who knew him, for the man-
liness of his character and the generosity of his disposition.
His promotion was the just reward of his good conduct and
honorable service. His valor and patriotism had been tried in
main' battles, and by the more dreadful horrors of Richmond
prison. He survived all these to perish, in the flower of his
youth, by the hands of rebel assassins.
'Capt. Barker's funeral took place Saturday afternoon, 10th
October, 1863, at three o'clock, from St. Peter's Church. It was
largely attended. The funeral cortege consisted of a detachment
of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, the City Volunteers, Capt. Mar-
shall, preceded by Sciireiber's band. The remains of the gal-
lant officer were deposited in the cemetery."
Capt. Barker's patriotism was a strong feature in his charac-
ter. After recovering from a low fever, which brought him near
the grave, he returned with new ardor to his regiment. Soon
afterwards, being made a prisoner in Richmond, where he was
confined for two months, he came out with his heart still warm
for his country's service. When attacked by guerrillas, attended
by but one man, and the demand was made upon him to surren-
der, he replied "never" and received his death wound.
We regret, in the case of Capt. Barker, as in that of his gal-
lant relative and friend, Capt. Temple, that we are not able to
give a fuller and more detailed account of his life and military
career. But we cannot but hope that in the future, in some form,
the patriotic services of these noble officers in the American
army will be suitably commemorated.
420 CAPT. JAMES KENNEDY.
XXX,
CAPTAIN JAMES KENNEDY.
Capt. James Kennedy was bora in the city of Albany, Feb-
ruary 15, 1833. He was the eldest son of John and Elizabeth
Kennedy. In early life he received a fair education, and, as he
grew up, he manifested more than ordinary ability.
Before the war he was deeply interested in national affairs,
and was firm and zealous in the advocacy of his political views.
He possessed, in an eminent degree, the qualities of a leader, and
made his influence felt in whatever cause he enorao-ed.
At the breaking out of the great rebellion, he was in the
Comptroller's office, and was filling his position with zeal and
fidelity. But when the flag of his country was insulted at Fort
Sumter, his patriotism was thoroughly aroused, and he resolved
to do all in his power to defend the flag and support the gov-
ernment.
At the call of the President for three hundred thousand men,
he joined the army, and was commissioned First Lieutenant in
Company B, of the One Hundred and Thirteenth N. Y. Infantry,
on the 4th of August, 1862.
He served faithfully with his regiment in the defences of the
National Capital, until February 12th, 1864, when he was pro-
moted to the Captaincy of Battery L, in the same regiment.
Sooii after he left with his command for the front, where he dis-
tinguished himself on the bloody fields of Spottsylvania and
North Anna river, by the courage which he imparted to his
men, as well as by his own unflinching bravery.
At Coal Harbor, on the morning of the memorable 3d of June,
in that terrible charge, when the. gallant Seventh lost six hun-
dred of their brave comrades, he led his men over the enemy's
CAPT. JAMES KENNEDY. 421
works, in the face of a battery whose every shot dealt death to
his fast thinning ranks, and there received the surrendered
sword of the officer in command.
Then quickly turning their own guns on the flying foe, he was
fast achieving a victory, when the enemy rallied, and charged
en masse on the unsupported band. They were forced to retire
to a neighboring wood to reorganize, when the Captain received
a severe flesh wound in his left thigh, from a case shot, which
exploded almost in his face. While being carried from the
field he exhorted his men to bravery, and said cheerfully, " I
shall soon be with you, boys."
He was sent home to recruit, but was so anxious to be at his
post that he joined his regiment on the 21st of July, in spite
of the advice of surgeons, and the entreaties of friends. From
this time to that of the battle at Reams' Station, he was in every
engagement. In this battle, August 25th, he received a severe
wound in the right hip, and was subsequently captured.
From Petersburg he was transferred to the horrors of the
Libby prison. Of that prison, a friend of the Captain writes:
"No pen has ever yet described, no heart, except it were walled
within, has ever yet conceived the terrible sufferings that have
been endured in that den of misery. A prisoner in the hands
of an enemy, defiant, imperious, cruel ! To know that the
weakened body will be denied the common necessaries of life,
and the prostrate spirit be trodden under the heel of tyranny!
Waiving all plrysical suffering, what loneliness of spirit; what
longings for active life; what agonies of suspense for the absent
and loved ones, have our brave men felt as prisoners of war! All
this was endured by the Captain without complaint. His forti-
tude was equal to his extremity."
His last act was to write to his beloved young wife, and two
of his letters came the day after the news of his death.
He died in Libby prison, of typhoid fever, September 10,
1864, at the age of thirty-two. His remains were consigned to
the earth by the hand of traitors, in the prison burying ground.
Capt. Kennedy was greatly beloved by his officers and men,
and when the tidings of his death reached them, many a veteran
422 CAPT. JAMES KENNEDY.
turned away, to hide emotions which are the involuntary tribute
to the memory of the good.
Of him it can be truly said he was among " the bravest of the
brave," and had it been his fortune to have been called to a
higher position, he would undoubtedly have enrolled his name
on the brightest pages of the Nation's history. It should be
mentioned that a commission, promoting him to the rank of
Major, was made out, but it arrived too late. He was dead
when it arrived.
In the death of this pure patriot and noble hero, a wife mourns
the loss of a devoted husband, a little daughter of a fond and
indulgent father, and a large circle of relatives and friends of one
honored and respected as a citizen and soldier.
CAFT. HARMON N. MERRIMAN. 423
XXXI.
CAPTAIN HARMON N. MERRIMAN.
Capt. Harmon N. Merriman, son of Titus L. and Susan Mer-
riman, was born in Franklin, Susquehanna county, Pa., Septem-
ber 19, 1819. At the early age of fourteen, he made a public
profession of his faith in Christ, and united with the Presbyte-
rian church of his native town. While with his parents, and a
few years subsequent to his removal from them, Mr. Merriman's
occupation was that of an artizan; but shortly after becoming a
resident of this city he studied law, and was successfully engaged
in its practice when called by his country to enlist in her defence.
Mr. Merriman was a member of the Fourth Presbyterian church
of this city, and was for about eight years a teacher in its Sab-
bath School.
In the organization of the Tenth Regiment he took an active
and very efficient part; and Company H, of which he became the
Captain, was largely enlisted by his influence and exertions.
This regiment left our city for New Orleans in the month of
December, 1862, and it was almost immediately, upon its arrival
in that city, called to a perilous service. It was engaged in the
earliest assault against Port Hudson, that made May 27, 1863,
and it was while gallantly leading his company in that charge
that Capt. Merriman received a wound, which, although not at
the time supposed to be fatal, proved to be such in the end. He
was carried from the field of battle, and was for a short time an
inmate of the Military hospital at Baton Rouge. From thence
he sailed in the steamer " Thomas A. Scott" for his home. His
meloncholy decease o& board of that steamer, together with the
circumstances of his burial, are thus related by Rev. J. Ford
Sutton, the General Superintendent of the United States Chris-
424 CAPT. HARMON N. MERRIMAN.
tian Commission for the Department of the Gulf. In a letter
addressed to the afflicted widow, and dated at sea, July 16, 1863,
steamer "Thomas A. Scott," he says :
" It becomes my painful duty to announce to you the death of
your husband, Capt. H. N. Merriman, who died at sea yesterday
morning at six o'clock, on board the ' Thomas A. Scott,' bound
for New York. I first saw Capt. Merriman the night before his
death. I went into his state room and inquired after his health.
He said : ' I am all right, but very weak from the effect of my
wound.' I remarked that we — that is, the ship's company and
myself, had just been holding a short religious service on the
quarter deck. He replied : ' I heard you, and should like to have
been with you.' Seeing that he was very weak, I gave him a little
wine, thinking to pursue the conversation further. But the wine
was too strong, and the servant had to be called in to dilute and
administer it to him, and the conversation was broken off. I
intended to have talked more with him the next morning in
regard to his religious feelings. But alas ! he had been called
away half an hour before I came out of my state room. He
evidently died of exhaustion from the effect of his wounds. He
was full of hope that he would reach home, where he thought he
would soon recover. But the Lord came Avhen he least expected
him. * * *
"At half past nine o'clock in the morning of the day on which
he died the body was brought upon the quarter deck, wrapped
in the American flag, and solemn and appropriate funeral services
were performed. After that we buried him in the deep — in the
Gulf of Mexico, with many tears of sorrow for the loss of our fel-
low-soldier, and with warm tears of sympathy for his widow and
fatherless children, mingled with many prayers that God would
indeed be ' the father of the fatherless and the widow's God.' "
The annexed notices of Capt. Merriman's death, taken from
the Albany Evening Journal and the Albany Morning Express,
are just tributes to his memory :
" We are pained to hear of the death of Capt. Merriman, of
this city, from wounds received before Port Hudson. This intel-
ligence will be the more saddening from the fact that he was
CAPT. HARMON N. MERRIMAN. 425
convalescing, and might soon be expected home. He was on his
way home, accompanied by Brigade Surgeon Blaisdell, of Coey-
mans, when on the second day out he died, and his body was
consigned to the deep.
" Captain M. labored with great zeal to effect a prompt organ-
ization of the Tenth when called into service, and shared in all
its toils and battles until he was wounded, gallantly leading his
company in one of the earliest assaults against Port Hudson.
He was an ardent patriot, and has given his life to his country.
His name will be associated with the heroes of the time, and be
placed prominently upon the long roll of our fellow-citizens
who, like him, have shed their blood for the Union and the prin-
ciples of Freedom, Humanity, and Justice."
From the Albany Morning Express :
" Dr. Blaisdell, of Coeymans, late Surgeon of the Seventy -fifth
Regiment New York Volunteers, arrived in this city yesterday
morning. The doctor left New Orleans a week ago Friday on
the steamer ' Scott,' in charge of thirty -four wounded officers and
sixty-one privates. Among the former was Capt. Harmon N.
Merriman, of the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh (Tenth)
Regiment, wounded before Port Hudson. Soon after the sailing
of the vessel, it became apparent to the doctor that the Captain
was failing rapidly, and the Captain himself was perfectly sensi-
ble of his situation. He expressed a great desire and hope that
he might be spared to reach home and again see his family, but
was fully prepared for death. Dr. B. informs us that he never
met a man who seemed possessed of so firm a spirit and deter-
mined will. He conversed freely of his affairs, and even consulted
the doctor as to the propriety of saving his body, and returning
it to his family. He died on Tuesday morning last, in the full
enjoyment of all his faculties. It was at first decided to preserve
the body and bring it home; but an examination of the ship's
stores, showed that it would be impossible to do so, as there was
scarcely a sufficient quantity of ice on board for the use of the
sick and wounded during the passage, and many other necessary
articles could not be procured. It became necessary, therefore,
that the remains of the gallant soldier should be committed to
426 CAPT. HARMON N. MERRIMAN.
the deep. During the day all hands were summoned for the
funeral ceremonies. The Episcopal service was performed with
great solemnity, after which the body was given to the wide
waste of waters. Dr. Blaisdell says it was the most melan-
choly duty he ever performed, and had there been the slightest
chance of saving the remains, they would have brought them to
this city."
CAPT. JOHN A. FEE. 427
XXXII.
CAPTAIN JOHN A. FEE.
John A. Fee was born in Albany, January 16, 1837. When
the guns which were fired against Sumter echoed through the
c O S
north, and were awakening responses in the hearts of the loyal,
Capt. Fee was at once aroused. Seeing the true position of
affairs, and comprehending something of the vastness of the
struggle upon which we were entering, he saw that lives would
have to be given, and blood poured out, before peace would again
omile upon our land.
Conceiving it to be the duty of every man, who had the inte-
rests of his country at heart, to give his services to the country
in the hour of her need, he would immediately have taken part
in the struggle, if the earnest persuasion of friends had not
deterred him. Restless under this restraint, and impatient at
being a spectator only of scenes in which he desired to be a par-
ticipant, he enlisted in October, 1861, in the Ninety-first Regi-
ment N. Y. S. V., then forming in Albany. He was at once
appointed Orderly Sergeant of his company.
Upon the filling up of the regiment, they were ordered to ren-
dezvous at Governor's Island, New York Harbor, and after a few
weeks detention at that place, they were ordered to Key West,
Florida, where he remained until September, 1862.
While at Key West, by his gentlemanly manner, his soldierly
bearing and strict attention to duty, he was called the model war-
rant officer of that post. He secured the approbation of his offi-
cers to such a degree, that a petition was sent to Gov. Morgan,
signed by every commissioned officer in the regiment, asking that
a commission be given Sergeant Fee. He was immediately
appointed Second Lieutenant in the Forty-eighth Regiment N.
428 CAPT. JOHN A. FEE.
Y. S. V., then holding Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island, Ga. Join-
ing this regiment a stranger to all, by the exercise of those social
qualities with which he was so eminently gifted, he soon sur-
rounded himself by a circle of friends, and became one of the
leading spirits of the regiment.
He remained at Tybee Island, where his company was sta-
tioned, until his regiment was sent to join the expedition under
Gen. Seymour, in which was fought the battle of Olustree. After
the battle, Lieut. Fee was complimented for his bravery in action.
Returning to Tybee Island, he remained there (upon the resigna-
tion of his Captain) as commandant of the post until April, 1863.
While in command of Tybee Island, he received a special letter
of thanks from the commander of the district, for preventing a
vessel, supposed at that time to be either the "Alabama" or
"Florida," from entering the harbor of Savannah, then held by
the rebels. Discovering her approach in the gray mist of the
morning, he gave her such a warm reception with his thirty-two
pounders that she quickly retreated.
The regiment being ordered to join Gen. Grant, they united
with the Army of the Potomac in April, 1863. At that time
Lieut. Fee received his commission as Captain. In the actions
that ensued, Capt. Fee became conspicuous for his bravery among
a regiment of brave men.
Never absent or sick when an engagement was about to take
place, he was with his company as their leader in every engage-
ment in which it took part. He was always careful, too, of the
interests of his men, ministering to their comfort when sick or
wounded.
Modest, almost to a fault, in regard to his own actions, the
part he took had to be learned from others.
The following extracts from a letter, received from the Orderly
Sergeant of his company, after Capt. Fee's death, will show the
estimation in which he was held by his company and regiment.
He writes :
" We arrived in Virginia April 23, and from that period until
June 30, the day on which Capt. Fee received his death wound,
the regiment had been marching, picketing, skirmishing, driving
CAPT. JOHN A. FEE. 429
the enemy from his works and occupying them; night and day
exposed to the incessant and unerring lire of his sharpshooters,
so that one could scarcely hold his finger above a certain eleva-
tion, without the certainty of having it shattered. Through all
this, Capt. Fee was the cool, intrepid and skillful commandant
of his company, ever among the foremost in the fight, inspiring
his men to deeds of heroism by his noble example and gallant
words of cheer; and well do they sustain in the regiment the
reputation which he and they so well have won.
"The first battle in which the Forty-eighth was engaged in
Virginia, was fought at Chester Hill, on the Petersburg and
Richmond railroad. We landed at Bermuda Hundred on the 6th
of May, bivouacked that night, and the next morning took up
the line of march. The day was excessively hot, and the roads
a mass of blinding dust. About two p. m. we came up with the
enemy, and engaged him, the fight lasting about three hours.
Our regiment took up a position in a broken field, to reach which
we had to cross a deep creek, penetrate a piece of woods, and
climb a steep embankment on the other side of the railroad,
exposed all this time to a very heavy fire. In the same field,
and within short range, was a portion of Stonewall Jackson's
famous old brigade. They had with them a battery of light field
pieces, and the work began a fair, stand-up field fight. Neither
side would yield an inch. We kept them to their work while our
troops were destroying the railroads and bridges. The object
of the expedition having been accomplished, we received orders
to retire.
" On that day Capt. Fee acted with his accustomed gallantry.
Always exposed, and never flinching from the stern work before
him, he added another leaf to the laurels he had already won.
The Forty-eighth lost heavily, and our company lost twelve men.
" Our next engagement was at Drury's Bluff, fought Mav 16.
We captured the enemy's outer works, and moved forward
towards his next line, which was of the most formidable charac-
ter. Our line was thin, and our flanks were exposed. They
charged us six times in quick succession, and in great force, and
each time they were bloodily repulsed. At length they massed
430 CAPT. JOHN A. FEE.
their forces on our right and left, and succeeded in crushing in
both flanks. An enfilading fire was the result, which it was im-
possible to withstand. A few moments before our flanks were
turned, Capt. Fee was selected by the commanding officer of the
regiment to take his company and reconnoiter the enemy's posi-
tion in our front. While doing so, he had one man killed and
five wounded. When we returned, our line was abandoned, and
the enemy had advanced beyond it on the right and left. It was
a critical position, and capture appeared inevitable; but owing
to Capt. Fee's coolness and skill, and the confidence his men
reposed in him, we succeeded in rejoining our regiment with a
loss of only eight or ten men.
" Our next engagement was the battle of Coal Harbor, fought
June 1st. On that day we marched twenty-seven miles; men
died from exhaustion and sunstroke on the march. We arrived
at the scene of action at the very crisis of the battle, and when
victory was in the balance. Heated, weary and foot-sore, we
formed line of battle. At once the order was given, " for-
ward, double quick." The brigade dashed on with wild and
deafening cheers, through the crashing of musket balls, grape
and cannister, and solid shot. There was between us, where we
formed our line, and the enemy's works, a ploughed field, half a
mile in width. Beyond, and bordering that, was a narrow belt
of woods, which we made penetrable, though one might suppose
a bird would find it difficult to work its wings there. Emerging
from these woods, the enemy, behind strong breast works, con
fronted us. We lost heavily before reaching this line of works,
but the boys never wavered and never flagged for a moment.
Although death was holding a high carnival there, they kept right
on; climbed the hill crested by the works; mounted these, and
either killed, captured, or put to flight their occupants. They
also repulsed every attempt on the part of the enemy, to recover
their fine position. In this battle, Capt. Fee was conspicuous
for his bravery; earning and receiving the thanks of his com-
mander, and the admiration of his men. It was by such reckless
bravery as he displayed in this battle, that has secured his high
position in the regiment. We remained at Coal Harbor three
CAPT. JOHN A. FEE. 431
or four weeks; all the time at the front, picket firing and skir-
mishing, with occasional charging, when the army changed its
base, and by a flank movement we arrived in front of Petersburg.
From that time until Capt. Fee's death, we occupied the front
line of works. The day on which Capt. Fee received his wound,
June 30, there was a general charge to be made along the whole
line. We were outside of our works, to within a hundred yards
of the enemy's works. While getting into position, Capt. Fee,
and five of his company, were killed or wounded.
" Capt. Fee was wounded through the right arm and body by
a rebel sharpshooter; the ball in its course completely shatter-
ing the bone of the arm.
"The surgeon of the regiment, it is said, failed to treat the
wound properly. Instead of removing the arm, which should
have been done, or at least the splinters of bone, he merely
bound up the wound. In that condition, Captain Fee was
removed to Chesapeake hospital, Fort Monroe. He continued
to suffer from the 30th of June until the 11th of July, when one
of the splinters of bone, working its way out of the arm, severed
one of the arteries, and he nearly bled to death. When it was
decided that the arm must be removed, nature had suffered so
severely from loss of blood, that it was thought if attempted at
that time, the patient would die in the operation. Two days
afterwards it was decided that the operation should be performed.
When asked by the surgeon in charge, if he had courage to stand
the operation, his answer was, ' I have courage to stand any
operation you have courage to perform.' The surgeon said to a
relative of his afterwards, 'I never, in all my experience, saw
a man exhibit such courage under intense suffering, as that shown
by Capt. Fee.'
" After the removal of his arm, the surgeon saw he must die.
Although a man of strong constitution, nature could not stand
such drafts.
"During the day preceding his death, and until within a few
hours of that event, he was conscious, and supposed he was
going to recover. A few hours before his death, he became
delirious, and continued so until about an hour before he died,
432 CAPT. JOHN A. FEE.
when consciousness again returned. During this delirium, he
was again on the battlefield, again in command of his company
Now they were charging the enemy, and now shouting when they
were driven. Then the sharp, clear notes of command would
ring out in that abode of sickness and death, and then some low,
murmured words of prayer would come from his lips.
"Within a short time of his death, consciousness having re
turned, he became aware that he was dying; but he expressed no
regret, and manifested no shrinking from the foe whom he had
met on so many battle fields. He said he would like to live to
see the end of the war, but if otherwise ordered he was willing
to go.
"The only anxiety evinced by him, was in regard to his mother.
He feared that she would grieve too much for his loss; that she
would feel too bitterly his death when he was gone. But he
committed her to the care of Him in whom he himself trusted.
Having given directions in regard to his effects, and having
sent messages of love to each of his absent relatives, he calmly
awaited the call of the Great Commander, whose summons we
must all obey. Almost his last words were, ' I have given my
life for my country.' "
CArT. EDWARD B. CARROLL. 433
XXXIII.
CAPTAIN EDWARD B. CARROLL.
This brave young officer was born in the county of Tipperaiy,
Ireland,, on the 24th of March, 1840, of poor, but worthy pa-
rents. The family emigrated to this country in 1850, and since
that time have resided in Albany.
When the rebellion broke out in April, 1861, their younger
son, Michael Carroll, entered the army in defence of the Union
on the 19th of that month, and was honorably discharged in
September, 1862. He was a color-bearer in one of the New
York Regiments.
The subject of this notice, the only other son of this family
then living, entered the Sixty-third Regiment New York Volun-
teers as a private in Company K, in September, 1861. This
regiment was composed of Irishmen, and was attached to the
famous Irish Brigade commanded by Gen. Thomas F. Meagher.
Young Carroll continued with this regiment through all the
campaigns of General McClellan in Virginia, and fought in
almost every battle of the Peninsula and at Antietam. He was
several times slightly wounded; but he was severely wounded
at the battle of 'Fredericksburg. In the winter of 1863, on
recommendation of his superior officers, he was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant. After the recovery of his wound received
at Fredericksburg, he joined his regiment in time to take part
in the battle of Chancellorsville. After this light, owing to the
terrible destruction in the ranks of the Sixty-third Regiment,
several of the companies were consolidated; when he, with some
other officers, were mustered out of service, and he returned to
Albany to visit his parents.
There he remained till March, 1864, when he again joined the
28
434 CAPT. EDWAED B. CARROLL.
Sixty-third Regiment as a private, and was at once promoted to
a Second Lieutenancy. Shortly after, for valor on the field, he
was promoted to a First Lieutenancy, and then to a Captaincy.
He passed through the bloody campaign under General Grant
from the Rapidan to Hatcher's Run, where he was killed in bat-
tle on the 3d of April, 1865, only a few days before the surren-
der of General Lee's army.
He had been in more than twenty-five battles and skirmishes;
and after being several times wounded, he fell at the head of his
command while charging the enemy at Hatcher's Run. He was
mortally wounded by a bullet that struck him in the forehead.
Capt. Carroll was a silversmith by trade, and was an indus-
trious and exemplary young man. From childhood he was a
good boy, and delighted to assist by his labor his parents, and
did much to make them comfortable and happy.
His parents are Roman Catholics, and he adhered to the same
faith. Without fortune or influence, except what his good char-
acter gave him, he rose from a private to the position of Captain
in the celebrated Irish Brigade, where all were brave, and where
he was highly esteemed and greatly beloved.
CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE. 435
XXXIV.
CAPTAIN DOUGLASS LODGE.
The late Captain Douglass Lodge was born in Albany, New
York, September 22d, 1842. His parents were from Scotland,
and came to this country in the spring of the same year. He
received a liberal education in the public schools and academy.
In the year 1857, he became anxious to enter the Navy, and was
appointed from this (fourteenth) congressional district, to the
Naval School at Annapolis, Md. After being there a little over
a year, he became tired of the school, on account of its monotony
and the overbearing spirit of students from the Southern States,
who were in the majority. He returned home and engaged in
business in a commercial house. So rapid was his proficiency,
and so superior his business qualities, that in less than two years
he was sent out to travel for the house.
When the rebellion broke out, and the Government called for
the first seventy4ive thousand men to put it down, he was among
the first to offer his services. Enlisting as a private in company
B, Twenty -fifth Regiment, he served his full term of three months
and aided in building Fort Albany, on the Virginia side of the
Potomac, across from Washington. Soon after the return of the
Twenty4ifth Regiment, he re-enlisted in the Forty-third Regi-
ment New York State Volunteers, for three years or during the
war, and was appointed Third Sergeant in company A. In
September, 1861, he was promoted to the office of Quartermaster
Sergeant, and he served in that capacity with credit to himself,
until April, 18G2, when he was commissioned as Second Lieu-
tenant. The regiment was then in active service with the army
under General McClellan, in its marches across the Peninsula.
During this time he was promoted, on account of his bravery, to
436 CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE.
the rank of First Lieutenant, and, on the 3d of November in the
same year, was again promoted to the position of Captain. He
was with his regiment in all the hard-fought battles, from the
time it went into service until after the battle of Antietam, never
being absent from it a single day. It is noticeable in his letters
to his father, which were brief, that he made no complaints, but
with a firm hope of the ultimate success of the army in putting
down the rebellion, waited and fought with patience throughout
the campaign.
The army, under General McClellan, reached Yorktown in
April, 1862, where it worked hard and long against the enemy's
fortifications. The Forty-third Regiment was divided into com-
panies that did picket duty, threw up breastworks in the face of
the enemy's guns, and supported the artillery. Afterwards they
were ordered to Lee's Mills. From thence the regiment marched
to Williamsburg, a distance of fifteen miles, in one day. Here
they laid on their arms all the following night, and the next
morning acted as a support to that portion of the army under
General Hooker who attacked and routed the enemy. The regi-
ment then moved on to Fair Oaks, thence to Seven Pines, and,
at last, reached the swamps of the Chickahominy, where they
lay for some time in view almost of the city of Richmond.
Here they endured much suffering.
On the 27th of June, 1862, when the army was retiring from
before Richmond, his regiment was drawn up in line of battle
all day. The enemy with a heavy force, attempted to turn its
position, with a view probably of cutting off the retreat of
Gen. Porter across the Chickahominy. The regiment held the
tight of the line, resting on the above named river, with two
regiments from Vermont — to support if necessary; and for an
hour and a half it was subjected to an incessant and terrific fire
of musketry. Yet it stood its ground and the enemy suffered
severely, and at length was obliged to retire. Our army passed
on safely to Malvern Hill, on the James River. After the army
returned to the Potomac, Capt. Lodge was, with his regiment,
ordered from Alexandria to the Shenandoah Valley to reinforce
CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE. 437
Gen. Pope, at which time the brave and fearless Gen. Kearney
was killed.
From thence across the Potomac into Maryland, the regiment
marched to the bloody battle of Antietam. Here again the
soldier boy was at his post of duty and danger, supporting a
battery which was doing fearful execution among the enemy.
While thus engaged, he and his company were compelled to lie
flat on their faces, around and in front of the pieces, for several
hours. While the shot and shell flew thick and fast, an order
came for Company A to charge at double quick across the con-
tested field, in an oblique direction, towards a house that sheltered
part of the enemy. The shot from our own and the enemy's
guns, was so near the ground, that while doing this, they were
obliged to bend almost double in order to save themselves; but
regardless of danger, they charged and secured the coveted
place, holding it until night threw her dark mantle over that
dreadful day's work. Then they rested, and though in the pre-
sence of so much agony, and surrounded by such ghastly sights,
they laid down on that held of death, and slept as none but
soldiers could.
The army having been reorganized, under the command of
Gen. Burxside, was marched to Fredericksburg, where a des-
perate effort was made to disloge the enemy, but without success.
When Gen. Hooker took command, a second attack was made
by the Light Division, which was composed of the Forty-third
regiment, and several others under the command of Gen. Pratt.
Then they succeeded in storming and taking Marye's Heights,
back of the city. On May 3d, 1863, while making that des-
perate charge, Capt. Lodge was struck on the sword belt plate
and knocked down; but soon recovering his breath, he went up
to his command, and continued charging up the hill, in face of a
terrible hail of bullets from the enemy. His regiment had the
right of the line, and his company (A) the right of the regiment.
Quoting from a letter sent to his father after this fight, " now
commenced an exciting race between the gallant Sixth Maine,
Fifth Wisconsin, and our (Forty-third) regiment, to see which
could act their colors in first. The brave Sixth Maine succeeded
438 CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE.
in planting their colors in the fort on the left of us. Scarcely
had their standard touched the ground, ere Capt. Lodge sprang
upon the ramparts on our right, and planted our colors on the
redoubt which we had stormed and carried. Then cheer after
cheer was echoed and re-echoed from our regiment on the rebel
fort, to the batteries on the hill in front of them."
Again the regiment rested until the next morning, when they
were ordered to skirmish beyond these heights. Capt. Lodge
deployed his company, and moved through a deserted rebel
camp, when the rebels, in ambush, opened a heavy fire upon his
men. He gave his orders calmly, as a soldier should, until he
was seen to throw up his arms and fall with a faint moan; a ball
from the enemy struck him on the left temple. It was more
than a man's life was worth just then, to go and recover him.
His men waited until there was a lull in the firing, and then crept
in on their hands and knees, to where their Captain lay, and
brought him out to the rear. He was sensible at times for
twenty-four hours, when death put an end to his pain.
Thus ended the earthly career of the boy soldier. Though
but twenty years old, he had all the experience of a veteran of
several years, having passed through the several grades, from a
private to senior Captain of his company.
Just before the regiment was ordered to that desperate yet
successful charge on Marye's Heights, he called his First Lieuten-
ant to him and said: "Lieut. Davidson, I feel that this may be
my last fight. I have been thinking so much of home and my
sick mother; I wish I was with her. If I should fall, promise
me that you will see that my bocly is sent home to my father;
and if you should be taken, I will do the same for you." He
called his company together before receiving orders to move,
and told them what they were expected to do. " Boys," said he,
"I want you to follow me in the fight; if I fall, then obey the
next in command." And nobly they did follow their young Cap-
tain, for when the regiment came out of the conflict, it had lost
two hundred and four enlisted men, and eleven officers in killed,
wounded and missing.
In the concluding part of the letter previously quoted, the
CAPT. DOUGLASS LODGE. 439
writer says: "The lamented Capt. Lodge now rests in peace;
his soul has gone to Heaven to form one of the Christian band
who have died for their country. May their blood cement the
Union stronger in the bonds of love. He died beloved by all
his men. There was not a dry eye in the company when they
heard their Captain was no more."
His body was brought home, and now rests with that of his
sainted mother (who soon followed him) in our cemetery. The
mother and the soldier boy she loved so much, though parted
on earth for a time, are at last united in Heaven, where there is
an eternal peace.
440 CAPT. JOHN A. MORRIS.
XXXY.
CAPTAIN JOHN ARTHUR MORRIS.
The subject of this sketch was born in the city of Albany, Aug.
31, 1835. .The names of his parents are Samuel Morris and Eliz-
abeth Mason. He was baptized in St. Paul's Episcopal Church,
by Bishop Kipp, then of Albany, now of California. An affec-
tionate son and brother, intelligent and generous, he grew into
manhood with the affection of all around him. His social vir-
tues and maul}- character, with his fine musical abilities, drew
many a friend to him. He was a bookbinder by trade, and ex-
celled in that department. Being an active member of the
Washington Continentals, Co. B, at the commencement of the
war, he took an active part in endeavoring to organize the Tenth
Regiment National Guards, and urging the Government to accept
their services. But finding this a hopeless case, he took the first
opportunity presented of entering the service.
On the issuing of General Order No. 52, dated Head-quarters
State of New York, A. G. O., Albany, July 7th, 1862, he com-
menced recruiting for the Tenth Ward company, of the "Albany
County Regiment," and was mustered in First Lieutenant, Com-
pany C, August 7th, 1862. Upon a vacancy occurring in the
regiment, he was made Captain, August 19th, 1862, the day the
regiment left Albany.
The regiment, originally an infantry, was changed to Seventh
Heavy Artillery (One Hundred and Thirteenth), and was engaged
in garrison duty, in several of the fortifications in the vicinity
of Washington, and finally ordered to the front. They were
assigned to Gen. Tyler's Division, and on Thursday, May 19th,
1864, the rebels attempted to reach the rear of the right flank
of Gen. Grant's army, when they were met by Gen. Tyler's
CAPT. JOHN A. MORRIS. 441
forces. After a severe battle, in which the Seventh and Second
bore the most conspicuous part, the rebels were repulsed and
forced to abandon their bold attempt. The Second and Sev-
enth, it is said, fought with the utmost fearlessness and courage.
Capt. Morris was faithful as a commander, and served con-
stantly in the regiment until May 19th, 18G4, the day upon which
he met his death. The regiment was sent iuto battle, and after
charging through a wood and across an open field, the command
was halted on the top a ridge, back of the line of fire, and then
ordered to lie down. The men had dropped down, and Capt.
Morris, while exposed to the enemy's tire, was shot by a bullet
from the rifle of a rebel sharpshooter, which pierced his heart.
He died without a struggle, on the field of Spottsylvania, Va.
He was buried the next morning, at or near the division hospi-
tal, by Chaplain Calder. His remains were brought to Albany,
by his brother, in the fall of 18G5, and buried in the Rural
Cemetery, with military honors. Company B, Tenth N. G., and
returned members of Seventh Artillery New York Volunteers
formed the escort.
Capt. Morris was a man of strict integrity and high moral
character. His comrades in arms, among whom is Capt. George
H. Tread well, of the same regiment, unite in pronouncing him
a devoted patriot, a brave and faithful soldier; while friends in
civil life bear with them the consoling thought that he acted a
noble part in life, and leaves a fragrant memory behind him.
At a meeting of Protection Hook and Ladder Company No. 1,
of which he was a member, among the resolutions adopted were
the following:
Mliereas, We have received the sad intelligence of the death
of our esteemed fellow member, Capt. John A. Morris, of the
Seventh New York Artillery, while bravely leading his command
into action in the engagement near Spottsylvania Court House,
on Thursday, May 19, 1864; therefore.
Resolved, That though we feel assured that he willingly
offered up his life on the altar of his country, and died where
his gallant nature prompted — at the post of duty, facing the
enemies of his country, and in the hour of victory — yet the pride
442 CAPT. JOHN A. MORRIS.
we feel in his devoted patriotism is mingled with sadness for the
loss of a comrade, whose generous nature, social virtues and manly
character endeared him to all.
Resolved, That in the death of Captain John A. Moeris, the
country loses a devoted patriot and a brave soldier, and this com-
pany one of its most active and useful members, who, since its
organization, had been foremost in everything that contributed
to advance its interests; and that while we view with admiration
the noble example he has left us, we deeply deplore his early
death. M. HIGGINS, President.
K. T. BRIGHTMAN, Secretary.
Albany, N. Y., May 23, 1864.
CAPT. JOHN McGUIRE. 443
XXXVI.
CAPTAIN JOHN McGUIRE.
Ox the 15th of April, 1865, just as the great southern rebellion
was breathing its last breath, Captain John McGuire, of the
One Hundred and Seventy-fifth New York Regiment, after having
escaped the perils of mauy battles during three years' service,
was killed by guerrillas, about twenty-five miles from Golds-
borough, N. C, while in the performance of his duty.
Captain McGuire was born in the town of Belturbet, county
Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1829, of poor but pious parents.
His father died while John was a child, and, in 1845, his widowed
mother and John with his sister, now dead, came to Albany.
Soon after their arrival in Albany, in 1846, John procured
employment in the store of Mr. Kerr, who formerly kept at the
corner of Pearl and Howard street. There he remained, helping
to support his mother, till April, 1861, when the summons came
for the nnlitia to hasten to the Capital to defend it against Vae
rebels. John was a Sergeant of the Albany Worth Guards, a
company of the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York Militia, com-
manded by Colonel Bryan. On the 22d of April, 1861, he left
his employment and served with that regiment during its first
three months campaign in Virginia. During his absence in Vir-
ginia, his poor mother died, and he procured a furlough to come
to Albany to bury her.
He left his situation at Mr. Kerr's, at a great sacrifice, to obey
the call of his country.
Upon the return of this regiment to Albany, he procured
employment in a clothing house in New York, at a good salary,
where he remained till June, 1862, when the Twenty-fifth Regi-
ment New York Militia was, a second time, ordered to Virginia
414 CAPT. JOHN McGUIRE.
by Gov. Morgan. He joined them, and was at once appointed,
by Colonel Bryan, Sergeant Major of the regiment, which posi-
tion he filled with credit. Upon the return of the regiment to
Albany, in September, 1862, he at once joined the One Hundred
and Seventy-fifth Regiment New York Volunteers, which Colonel
Bryan was then raising at Albany, and was appointed First Lieu-
tenant, and afterwards promoted to Captain, in the same organ-
ization. He served with Colonel Bryan till the Colonel's fall,
at the attack on Port Hudson.
After the capture of Port Hudson, his regiment was ordered
to the Shenandoah valley, where he served under General Sheri-
dan. He remained with the army of the Potomac till Lee's sur-
render, when he was sent to North Carolina, where he fell, pierced
with three balls, two through the breast and one through the
head.
He leaves no father or mother, brother or sister, wife or child
to mourn his untimely end. But he leaves in Albany, and where-
ever he was known, those whose eyes will fill with tears as the
tidings of his death reaches them.
Captain McGuire was a model young man. Surrounded by
temptation, he was never known to take a glass of strong drink,
or utter a profane word. In his manners and in his intercourse
with all, he was a gentleman and had a kind word for every one.
He lived a devoted and humble Christian, an honor to the religion
of his fathers. He was an intelligent, accomplished and brave
soldier, and died, a warm patriot, in the service of his adopted
country. Though he loved with enthusiasm the scenes of his
native land, and hoped that he might one day aid in erecting the
flag of freedom and independence over the graves of his fathers
and kindred, still he proved by his acts that he was ready at all
times with his life, to maintain the honor of his adopted country.
CAPT. NATHANIEL WRIGHT. 445
XXXVII.
CAPTAIN NATHANIEL WRIGHT.
Captain Weight was born in the State of Ohio, in Kirtland,
Lake County. In 1853, when about seventeen years of age, he
came to Albany, to act as clerk in the store of his uncle, the late
Nathaniel Weight; in whose employ he continued until the
death of his uncle. Afterwards he was in the employ of his suc-
cessors, Messrs. Woodward & Hill, until he offered his services
in the cause of his country.
Although not a professor of religion, he was a young man of
good moral character, strict integrity, generous impulses, and
was beloved in an unusual degree by those who enjoyed his
acquaintance. In fact, there was something peculiar in his frank
and yet reserved and quiet manner, that inspired a very warm
friendship, so that " Natty," as he was familiarly called, could
always count upon the aid of his friends.
His peculiar personal popularity was evinced by his success
in recruiting his company at perhaps the most difficult time
during the war; and it was evidently appreciated by his superior
officers, as he was sent back to Albany to recruit the regiment,
when the Government decided to make of it a heavy artillery
regiment.
As to his motives in volunteering, I feel confident thej' were
those of the purest patriotism: and this is confirmed by the
fact that his services were so highly valued and so promptly
rewarded by his advancement, both in position and salary.
He was mustered in the service of the United States, August
11th, 1862, as First Lieutenant, Battery F, Seventh Regiment,
N. Y. V. Artillery, Col. Leavis O. Morris. He was first stationed
at Fort Pennsylvania, and afterwards at Fort Reno, where he
446 CAPT. NATHANIEL WRIGHT.
remained until May 15th, 1864, when he was ordered with the
regiment to report to Gen. Meade in the Army of the Potomac.
Arriving at Spottsylvania about midnight, May 17th, they were
assigned to the Second Army Corps, Gen. Hancock. After par-
ticipating in the following desperate engagements: Fredericks-
burg Road, May 19; North Anna River, May 23d and 24th;
Tolopotomy Creek, May 31st and June 1st; Coal Harbor, June
3d to 10th; Petersburg, June 16th; Petersburg aifair, June 22d;
Deep Bottom, July 26th and 27th; Deep Bottom, August 12th
to 18th; he was killed at Ream's Station, August 25th, 1864,
and as our forces were driven back, his body fell into the hands
of the enemy. He was shot through the body, and as Major
Murphy raised him up, he stretched out his hand, and grasping
the hand of the Major held it until he expired. He died like a
hero, without a murmur, and deserves a far more extended sketch
than this brief tribute.
CAPT. JOHN SULLIVAN. 447
XXXVIII.
CAPTAIN JOHN SULLIVAN.
This brave young man was born in the town of Belturbet,
county Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1837, and was the son of
Ann and Francis Sullivan, who are still living in Ireland. The
father of John was a small farmer, and possessed of too limited
means to be able to do more for his children than give them a
good common education, and then leave them to seek their for-
tunes as best they could.
At the age of nineteen, John emigrated to America, and came
at once to Albany, N. Y., and entered the employ of Mr. Michael
Crummey, his brother-in-law, as a baker.
Soon after he came to Albany he joined the Albany Mont-
gomery Guards. He took great interest in the improvement of
the company in discipline and efficiency, and became an excellent
soldier himself. On the breaking out of the rebellion, this com-
pany being attached to the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York
Militia, he was ordered with that regiment to the defence of the
National Capital, and on the 22d of April, 1861, he left Albany
with his company, as Orderly Sergeant, and served three months,
when he was mustered out, the term of service of the regiment
having expired.
In September, 1861, he joined the Sixty-third Regiment New
York Volunteers, and was, upon the organization of that regi-
ment, appointed First Lieutenant of Company K. He was at
once ordered to Virginia, where his command was assigned to
Gen. Meagher's Irish Brigade. He passed through the cam-
paigns of the Army of the Potomac, in 1862, in Virginia, being
engaged in most of the battles fought under Gen. McClellan,
from Yorktown to Richmond.
448- CArT. joiix sullivan.
At the battle of Antietam he was in command of his company,
and fought with great gallantry, losing more than half of his
men, killed and wounded, and all the officers of his company.
He was soon after promoted to the position of Captain, and
next fought at the battle of Fredericksburg, where, on the 19th
of December, 1862, he fell mortally wounded, just as the fight
was closing. He died on the 2 list of December. His remains
were brought to Albany, where he was buried with military
honors.
In his native land, and during his residence in Albany, Capt.
Sullivan bore an irreproachable character, and was greatly
esteemed by his associates, and respected by all who knew him.
He was a sincere and devoted Christian, and received, at his
death, the consolations of the faith of his fathers.
His love and affection for his parents were conspicuous even
in his last moments, when he remembered them with words of
tenderness in his dying prayer.
Such is the brief history of one of our adopted citizens, who
laid down his life to preserve and perpetuate the American
Republic. All honor to his memory!
The following account of this gallant officer appeared at the
time in one of our papers:
"The circumstances attending the death of this gallant and
much regretted officer are peculiarly afflicting. He had escaped
without a scratch the bloody field of Antietam, and in the terri-
ble slaughter before the enemy's works back of Fredericksburg,
he also escaped uninjured; but while marching at the head of
the remnant of his regiment, in the afternoon of this fatal day,
it was ordained that he should fall. He was struck on the upper
part of the right thigh, by a round shot (twelve-pounder), shock-
ingly fracturing the bone, rendering amputation impossible. He
was told by the attending surgeon that he must die; that if the
limb was disjointed at the hip, he could not survive the operation.
He received the solemn announcement with the courage and firm-
ness for which he was distinguished in the fearful ordeals he had
passed through, and declared he would not consent to lose the
limb, but "would prefer to die with both legs on." He lived
CAPT. JOHN SULLIVAN. 449
about fifty hours after receiving his wound, when his gallant
spirit forsook its frail tenement, and sped its way to brighter
realms. No officer in the Irish Brigade was more sincerely loved
or respected than Capt. John Sullivan. By his cheerful and
unassuming maimers he endeared himself to all, and in the Sixty-
third Regiment his loss is deeply and sincerely deplored. His
body was embalmed, and his friends telegraphed to of the melan-
choly event. His relative, Mr. Michael Crummey, immediately
proceeded to the camp, near Falmouth, to perform the melancholy
duty of taking it home. The respect he was held in by the bri-
gade was evinced by their spontaneous turn out at his funeral.
The remnant of the officers and men of the Sixty-ninth, Eighty-
eighth, Twenty-eighth Massachusetts, One Hundred and Sixteenth
Pennsylvania and Sixty-third, formed the escort from the camp
to the cars. The following officers acted as pall-bearers: Capt.
Saunders, commanding Sixty-ninth, and Quartermaster Sullivan,
same regiment; Capt. McNamara, commanding One Hundred and
Sixteenth; Capt. Smith, commanding Eighty-eighth, and Capts.
Cartwright and Gleeson, of the Sixty-third. Lieut. Col. Cart-
wright, and officers of the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, were
among the others of the brigade who followed in the sad cortege,
testifying by their presence their admiration of the gallant dead,
and sympathy with their brothers of the Sixty-third, in the loss
of a true and brave soldier."
29
450 CAPT. ROBERT B. EVERETT.
XXXIX.
CAPTAIN ROBERT BARTLETT EVERETT.
Captain Robert Bartlett Everett was born on the 17th of
May, 1824, at New London, N. H. At an early age he removed
with his parents to this State, and up to the date of his enlist-
ment resided in Watervliet engaged in agricultural pursuits.
On the 8th of October, 1862, he was mustered into the United
States service as Captain of Company F, Thirtieth Regiment New
York State Volunteers. The regiment was then in the field,
having served out about one year and a half of its tnree-year
term. He joined the regiment early in the fall of 1862, and was
present at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and
several minor engagements. At the time the Thirtieth Regiment
was mustered out, Captain Everett, with his company was trans-
ferred to the Seventy-sixth Regiment New York State Volunteers,
in which organization he remained until the time of his death.
Captain Everett was killed on the 1st of July, 1863, at the
battle of Gettysburg, while leading his command into action.
He was struck in the head by a Minnie ball and killed instantly.
His body was never recovered, as our troops were obliged to fall
back from the spot, and there was no mark to distinguish the
grave.
CAPT. ROBERT H. BELL. 451
XL.
CAPTAIN ROBERT H. BELL.
Robert H. Bell was born in England, Lancashire, of English
descent. He came to this country when about nineteen years
old, and was a resident of Philadelphia for a number of years.
He then married and came to this city. He was a wood-carver
by profession, and was connected with the Eire Department.
For some time previous to the breaking out of the rebellion, he
was Foreman of Company No. 8. At the commencement of the
rebellion, when the Twenty-fifth Regiment responded to the call
for troops, he left his home and friends to join in defending his
adopted country. He served at first as a private in the ranks of
Company K, of Twenty-fifth Regiment. At the end of three
months he returned to his home and friends, and resumed his
occupation.
As the Avar progressed, a call was made for more men, and
Albany again nobly responded. Men were commissioned to
recruit companies for the One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment,
and among the first to enroll his name and fill his company was
Captain R. H. Bell, of Company F. He again went forth to
fight for his country. He was a kind and courteous officer, and
beloved and respected by his men. He made ever}* effort to sus-
tain the responsible position he held, and was ever at his post
when duty called.
The regiment left this city August 19, 1862. Arrived at Fort
Reno, and there remained on garrison duty until May 15, 1864.
They then received marching orders, and left the fort on Sunday
morning, and arrived at Belle Plain. They were engaged in the
battle of the Wilderness, and on the afternoon of the 19th Capt.
Bell received a very severe wound in the left leg, and was taken
from the field.
452 CAPT. ROBERT H. BELL.
His leg was amputated, and the same day he was brought to
Washington to the Army Square hospital. He lingered until the
20th of June, when his spirit took its flight to the other world.
His body was embalmed and brought home, and was received by
his former friends and associates. His brother firemen conveyed
his remains to the Bleecker street Engine house, where it lay
until the 27th of June, when the funeral services took place at
two o'clock. His remains were then taken to the Cemetery for
interment, followed by a large concourse of friends and citizens,
who came to pay their last tribute of friendship and respect to
the gallant dead. He left a wife and two children to mourn his
loss.
CAPT. DAVID BURHANS. 453
XLI.
CAPTAIN DAVID BURHANS.
Capt. David Buriians, of Company H, Forty-third Regiment
N. Y. Volunteers, was born in the town of Bethlehem, Albany
county, N. Y., June 24, 1840.
After the death of his father, which occurred on the 28th day
of February, 1854, when David was but thirteen years of age,
the maintenance of the family devolved upon him and his elder
brothei-, then sixteen years of age; and most faithfully did the
noble boy perform his share of this duty.
His honesty and integrity soon secured to him a situation, as
a messenger to carry the reports of the proceedings of the Legis-
lature to the New York papers. Next, he obtained the appoint-
ment of mail agent from New York to Troy. He continued in
this service until the autumn of 1862, at which time he left this
position for the tented field, at the head of a company, which he
had raised almost entirely by his own perseverance.
On taking leave of his townsmen, they presented him, as a
token of their regard, with a sword, which he carried with honor
through every engagement of the gallant Forty-third. His com-
mand also presented him with a valuable gold watch.
He served with his company and regiment, in the Army of
the Potomac, in succession under Generals McClellan, Burn-
side, Hooker and Meade, and participated in the battles of
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Rappahannock
Station, The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and other engagements
previous to the battle of Po River, wdiere he fell, in the front of
that conflict, on the 10th of May, 1864.
He w^as a young man of unblemished reputation, and highly
respected by all who knew him, for his many virtues.
454 LIEUT. CHARLES W. HEALD.
XLIL
LIEUT. CHARLES WESLEY HEALD.
Lieut. Charles W. Heald was born September 28, 1818, in
Granville, Washington county, N. Y. His parents, John E. and
Olive A. Heald, were both descendants of Revolutionary heroes.
His early life was a continued struggle with poverty, and often
in childhood he was but scantily supplied with the necessaries
of life.
His father died when he was but a lad, yet young Heald nobly
struggled with adversity, and aided in the support of his
widowed mother and the younger children.
His thirst for knowledge was very early developed. After
exhausting the meagre facilities afforded by the common school,
he, with a scanty wardrobe, went to Poultney, Vt., to secure an
academic education.
After leaving Poultney, he commenced the study of medicine,
but owing to interruptions to which he was subjected, by the
necessity of working with his hands and teaching, to procure the
means of sustenance, he did not finish the required course until
he was about thirty years of age.
In 1848, he graduated at the Medical College, Castleton, Vt.,
and immediately commenced the practice of medicine at West
Haven, Vt.
He had a trying field of labor, but was very successful, and
obtained a high professional reputation. He had a robust frame,
firm health, and was untiring in his duties, responding cheerfully
to calls by night or day.
After a few years' residence in West Haven, he removed to
Albairy, in hopes of bettering his fortune. Here he found the
profession full, and he had not patience to await the gradual
LIEUT. CHARLES W. HEALD. 455
appreciation of his skill. He manifested also an instability of
purpose, that in fact was his greatest enemy to success in life.
Changing his profession, he applied for and received a license
as a local preacher from the Washington Avenue M. E. Church;
but he soon saw, that the ministerial office was not his calling.
Subsequently his attention was turned to the legal profession, and
he graduated at the Law University of this city in 1857.
Mr. Heald was a great reader, and his reading was so varied,
and his memory so retentive, as to secure for him a familiarity
with a most extended range of subjects. Few persons, with the
limited advantages that he had enjoyed, were so familiar as he
was with general literature. His library was well selected, and
contained many rare books.
On the breaking out of the rebellion, Mr. Heald, true to his
patriotic instincts and antecedents, was among the first to offer
his services in the cause of the Union.
He entered the army in May, 1861. as Second Lieutenant in
the Eighteenth Regiment X. Y. V., and served with the regiment
in the famous battle of Bull Run. He was the first man who
was heard to call in question the patriotism and military ability
of Gen. McClellan. He believed that rebels should be treated
with severity, and when Virginia, slaveholders came into our
camps hunting their run-away negroes, and were aided in their
pursuit, Lieut. Heald was most eloquent in his denunciation of
such a course. He did not approve of that mode of suppressing
the rebellion.
He was remarkably frank and outspoken, and often declared
that the war would never be a success, on our part, until a differ-
ent system was adopted by those having control of our armies.
His controversies were frequent and very spirited; and finding
himself uncomfortable, he resigned late in the autumn of 1861,
and returned to his home in Albany.
He soon, however, again entered the service, this time as a
private in Eleventh Battery. His knowledge of medicine soon
brought him to the notice of his surgeon, and he was made Hos-
pital Steward. His health failing, he was honorably discharged.
After remaining at home for a time, he enlisted again as a private
456 LIEUT. CHARLES W. HEALD.
in the Second Artillery, Capt. Daavson. Here, on account of his
medical skill, he was much of the time detailed on service with
the sick and wounded.
While in this company, he saved the lamented Capt. Dawson
from capture, if not from death. Overtaking the Captain on
foot, disabled by the kick of a horse, the Doctor dismounted and
gave his horse to the wounded officer, just at the approach of the
enemy. The Captain escaped, while Dr. Heald took to the
woods, and after three days wandering, avoiding pickets, he
reached the camp, having been several times fired on by rebel
guerrillas. This most benevolent and heroic act, we have already
referred to in the sketch of Capt. Dawson.
He served in this company until the autumn of 1864, when,
worn out and reduced almost to a skeleton by the chronic
diarrhoea (that scourge that during the war made more sad hearts
than any other disease), he came home to die. He lingered, sur-
rounded by his family and friends in Valatie,- until the 14th of
January, 1865, when death released him from his pains. He
died a beloved and consistent member of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church of Albany, and in the full hope of a blessed immortality.
Generous in spirit, faithful in the performance of every duty,
cool and brave upon the battle field, he won the affection and
esteem of all who knew him. Such, too, were his intellectual
gifts, that he would have risen to eminence in any depart-
ment of literature or science, had he devoted his life to a single
pursuit; but so versatile was his genius, that before he could
attain an exalted position in one calling, he would enter upon
another.
His passion for books amounted almost to a mania. He hun-
gered and thirsted for knowledge, and in its attainment every
desire of his nature seemed to be satisfied.
He has left in manuscript many lectures on a great variety of
subjects, exhibiting much research and scholastic learning; bul
he has fallen. When the cause of human liberty demanded his
services, his prospects for life, his passion for books, his family,
were all laid on the altar of patriotism, and the name of Charles
Wesley Heald adds another to the list of martyrs for freedom.
LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON. 457
XLiir.
LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON.
Lieutenant James Williamson was born in the town of Kil-
marnock, in Ayrshire, Scotland, N. B., on the 2d of October,
1829. His parents were Andrew and Margaret Williamson.
He was a very affectionate son and brother. At the age of
twelve years, he was religiously impressed, and he always said
that it was then that he received "the truth as it is in Jesus,"
although he did not make a public profession until he was in his
nineteenth year. Then he united with the State Street Baptist
Church, but afterwards associated himself with the State Street
Presbyterian Church, when it was first organized. He was
elected as one of the first trustees of the church, and was inti-
mately identified with all its interests. He was ready to do any-
thing for its welfare, and for the cause of Christ, that he ever
ardently loved. When upon the battle field his thoughts ever
reverted to the spot he so dearly loved.
His integrity and truthfulness, his open and manly adherence
to principles, the large and generous sympathies of his heart for
the suffering and the oppressed, won for him a large circle of
friends. Although a native of a foreign land, which he always
cherished with a loving heart, yet he was ever true to the gov-
ernment and institutions of the land of his adoption. These he
ever upheld when assailed, and he threw himjelf at last, with
enthusiasm, into the contest when they were in danger. It was
this devotion to his country that induced him to sacrifice all the
pleasures and comforts of his loved home and the gains of a
lucrative profession, in the hour of its peril.
He was chosen First Lieutenant in the Tenth Regiment of the
New York State Militia, in the city of Albany, on the 8th day
458 LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON.
of July, 1861. Preparatory to the leaving of the regiment for
the seat of war, it was changed to the One Hundred and Seventy-
seventh Regiment New York State Volunteers. He then enlisted
as First Lieutenant of company D, on the 14th of October, 1862.
The regiment left Albany on the 16th of December, and arrived
at their headquarters, at Bonnet Carre, on or about the 21st of
January, 1863.
The first battle in which he was engaged was at Ponchatoula,
on the 24th of March, 1863. The second and last battle in which
he was engaged, was that at Port Hudson, on the 27th of May,
1863. Company D went in with fifty privates, one Corporal,
two Sergeants and Lieutenant Williamson. There he was shot
through the brain, while gallantly leading his men to the charge,
and he died instantly. He was buried under the shade of an old
tree. Two weeks afterwards his remains were taken up and
conveyed to New Orleans. There they remained until the
autumn of the same year, when they were brought home to the
city of Albany, and arrived on the 15th of December. The
funeral ceremonies were observed on the 16th of December, at
the Albany Rural Cemetery, where his remains now rest.
Besides a numerous circle of warm friends, Lieutenant Wil-
liamson leaves an afflicted widow, who mourns the loss of a most
devoted husband; but, as she trusts in the same Saviour who
sustained him in the last hour, we believe they will yet meet to
part no more.
To this brief record we gladly add the tributes to the departed
from the State Street Presbyterian Church and the St. Andrew's
Society of Albany, and an interesting letter from Colonel
Aixsworth.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the State Street
Presbyterian Church, held June 11th, 1863, the following memo-
rial was ordered entered upon the minutes:
" Killed in battle before Port Hudson, May 27th, 1863, Lieut.
James Williamson, Co. D, One Hundred and Seventy-seventh
New York State Volunteers (formerly Tenth Regiment, National
Guards.)
1. The associates of Lieut. Williamson, of the Board of Trus-
LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON. 459
tecs, rf the State Street Presbyterian Church, have met this day
to gi /e expression to their sense of sorrow at the death of another
of their number. Within two weeks of the time that Adjutant
Stroxg died in camp, Lieut. Williamson, his friend and com-
panion in arms, has perished on the field of battle; and although
we would bow in humble submission to these successive bereave-
ments, yet we are tilled with the deepest grief and solicitude.
2. James Williamson was elected a trustee of this church at
its organization — he was intimately identified with all its interests,
and deeply concerned in its prosperity — with a clear head and a
ready hand he thought an 1 labored for its welfare. He loved
it with a strong and pervading love; and he looked back towards
it from his distant field of labors with longing and regret.
Go • O
Knowing all this, and knowing that no church ever had a more
faithful and vigilant trustee, we are deeply sensible of the loss
we have sustained in his death.
3. Because he had become endeared to us all by personal
friendship; because we appreciated his kind and hearty and
unselfish nature; because we knew his uprightness in business,
his benevolent disposition, and his pure and faithful Christian
character; we loved him while living, and we mourn for him now
that he is dead.
4. We rejoice that Lieut. Williamson possessed that patriot-
ism which led him to volunteer for the defence of his country;
that he was willing to devote a life so precious to a cause so
holy, and that in the performance of his duties as an officer, he
was enabled to render such noble service; and although the per-
formance of these duties cost him his life, yet we cannot regret,
as he did not withhold the sacrifice.
"To the wife, who has been left a stricken widow, by this
bereavement; to all the relatives and friends of our deceased
associate, and to the soldiers whom he led in battle, and who are
now deprived of his faithful and capable oversight, we extend
our heartfelt sympathies; and we pray God to give them that
consolation which they need, but which the ministry of man is
powerless to bestow.
460 LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON.
6. We direct that a copy of these minutes be transmitted to the
family of the deceased and published in the papers."
R. L. JOHNSON, President.
John C. McClure, Secretary.
TRIBUTE TO THE LATE LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON.
At a special meeting of the members of the St. Andrew's So-
ciety of the city of Albany, held on the evening of June 15, 1863,
the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously
adopted, viz :
Wliereas, We have learned with sincere regret that Lieut.
James Williamson, one of our members, fell in battle before
Port Hudson on the 27th of May, 1863, and being desirous that
some memorial, expressive of our deep and lasting regard for
him be entered on our minutes, therefore
Resolved, That we bear our cordial testimony to the numerous
excellencies of our deceased brother in public and private life;
his integrity; his truthfulness; his open and manly adherence to
principle; the large and generous sympathies of his heart for
the wants of the suffering and the wrongs of the oppressed; the
purity of his character; the suavity of his manners and that fine
combination of moral and Christian qualities which endeared him
to those by whom he was intimately known.
Resolved, That we desire to express with feelings of admira-
tion his ardent devotion to his country, which induced him, in
the hour of its peril, to renounce the gains of a lucrative pro-
fession, and the comforts of a loved home, at the call of patri-
otism; and feel that in the death of this gallant officer, whose
career has been thus briefly, though honorably closed, the nation
has lost an ardent and devoted friend.
Resolved, That we record it with satisfaction that, though of
foreign extraction, and always cherishing with a loving heart the
land of his birth, he was, in the truest sense of the word, " an
American;" affiliating himself in heart and soul with the Govern-
ment and institutions of the land of his adoption, upholding
them in the exercise of their functions, vindicating them when
LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON. 461
assailed, and throwing himself at last with his characteristic
enthusiasm into the contest when these were imperiled; and we
hallow his memory, and will resolutely defend that paternal gov-
ernment under which it is our privilege to live, and to which we
owe the enjoyment of all our social and civil immunities.
Resolved, That we tender our affectionate sympathy to the
bereaved wife, and supplicate in her behalf the support of reli-
gious consolation; to the numerous relatives and friends of the
deceased; and desire also that his early and lamented death may
be blessed to the members of our Society, in gathering up those
solemn lessons of duty which it is designed and fitted to convey.
Resolved, That a copy of the resolutions be transmitted to the
widow of the deceased, and that they be inserted in the daily
papers of the city.
JAMES DUNCAN, President.
Peter Smith, Secretary.
Letter from Col. Ainsworth:
Mrs. Williamson:
Respected Madam — I beg you will pardon me for addressing
you at this late hour a few lines respecting my friend and com-
panion in arms, your dear lost husband. I feel it is due to
community to perpetuate the memory of those who well perform
their part in life, as an example to others that may come after
them.
It was not my good fortune long to enjoy an intimate acquaint-
ance with Lieut. Williamson. It commenced with his military
life, a life brief and simple, not marked by uncommon incidents
which attract the attention of the great world. He did not live
long enough to achieve the high honors of rank to which his
soldierly bearing, his talents, his industry, his manly and modest
deportment, his spotless character, his love of truth and justice
entitled him.
It seems as but yesterday I beheld him in the morning of life,
surrounded by every comfort which means and affection can
give; stimulated by every motive of honorable ambition, as ho
462 LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON.
saw the future bright before him. and, with a just reliance upon
himself, looked forward to a useful and honorable career. But
an imperiled country called him to other duties. He was among
the first, when the sound of conflict reached us, to assume the
profession of arms in defence of the Nation's flag; and with the
brave men who went forth to the field of strife, he sought danger
as a duty, and proved himself brave in battle as he was patient
and submissive.
He was a Christian gentleman, a Christian soldier. He fol-
lowed, with unfaltering trust, the path of duly to his God, and
to his country, and leaves no enemy behind him. All who knew
him, loved him, for his nature was gentle and genial. He was
firm in honest purpose, quick to discover and defend the right,
and incapable of wrong; and while it was no part of his ambition
to win applause, he was entitled to and received the universal
respect of his brethren in arms. When such men die, there is a
melancholy pleasure in bearing testimony to what they were,
and to do so is a sacred duty to the living and the dead.
His Captain being one of those who were left in New York on
our sailing with the Banks' expedition for New Orleans, and
subsequently wounded in battle, when he was sent to the hospital
in New Orleans, gave Lieut. Williamson command of the com-
pany, most of the time, up to his death. On our arriving at New
Orleans, we were ordered to march up the coast to Bonnet Carre,
La., an important post on the Mississippi river, being one of the
main defences of New Orleans. Large numbers of our men were
soon prostrated with disease peculiar to that country and to
camp life, and Lieut. Williamson, besides being the acknow-
ledged friend of the individual members of the regiment, became
an unwearied attendant upon the wants of the sick. His assist-
ance was freely bestowed on all sides, regardless of danger
from infection. With a rare skill, and a joyous and genial man-
ner, peculiar to himself, he watched with and assisted in the care
of the sick, and administered to the dying the consolation of that
religion he had himself experienced.
The circumstances under which Lieut. Williamson closed his
brief but honorable military career, were peculiarly painful and
LIEUT. JAMES WILLIAMSON. 463
impressive to me, and his loss to the regiment deeply felt by all.
He fell on that fearful day, the 27th of May, 1863, while leading
his company amid a shower of iron hail, as the regiment charged
upon the works of Port Hudson, being struck in the temple by a
grape shot. He died as a soldier would prefer to die, on the
field of battle, amid the smoke and flashes of artillery, the shouts
of contending armies, and the roar of musketry, listening, as
death steals over him, for the glorious shouts of victory. I doubt
whether a braver or more heroic spirit has perished in our coun-
try's conflict. "Peace to his ashes." Albany may well feel
proud of such a patriotic hero, yielding up his life for their
country. May He, who has promised to be the widow's God, be
your consolation and abiding reward.
I have the honor to be,
Yours, very respectfully,
IRA W. AINSWORTH,
Late Colonel 111th Regiment, JST. Y. S. V.
Albany, July 4, 1866.
464 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
XLIV.
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
From Mrs. Mart Scudder Pool.
William H. Pohlman was born in the Island of Borneo, Jan-
nary 10th, 1842. He was the only surviving son of the late Rev.
Wm. J. Pohlman and Theodosia R., missionaries of the Ameri-
can Board of Foreign Missions to China. His parents were
devoted to the sacred cause of extending Christianity among the
heathen.
His paternal grandfather, Daniel Pohlman, was a man distin-
guished for his earnest piety, his gift in prayer, and his deeds of
Christian benevolence.
He was also a nephew of the late Rev. John Scudder, who
went to India as a missionary in 1819, whose memory is warmly
cherished in that country, as well as in the churches of America.
Indeed, William's ancestors, for several generations back, were
distinguished for their piety, usefulness and high social position.
Dr. Nathaniel Scudder and Col. Philip Johnson were the grand-
fathers of his mother. The former, an eminent and beloved phy-
sician, was unintentionally shot in the Revolutionary war, and
was, it is believed, instantly killed. Dr. Scudder was an inti-
mate friend of Mr. Prime, the grandfather of the Messrs. Prime,
the distino-nished editors of the "New York Observer." As a
token of affection for his friend, Mr. Prime named one of his sons
Nathaniel Scudder.
Col. Philip Johnson fell a victim to his country's cause, in the
fatal conflict on the 27th of August, 1776. Like his descendant,
he was a zealous and courageous patriot.
The father of William, the Rev. William J. Pohlman, the
devoted missionary, when he oftered himself to the American
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 465
Board, said to them: "Appeals press home upon me from all
quarters. Three worlds unite in urging me on. Heaven, earth
and hell beseech me to go forth to the help of the Lord against
the mighty. The heavenly host are looking with intense inte-
rest, to see whether the command of Christ is obeyed by me.
Multitudes, ready to perish, call me to make known to them the
gospel of Jesus. Oh, then, send me, send me, send me. For
necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not
the gospel to the perishing heathen."
Willie's mother, Theodosia R. Scudder, was the youngest
sister of the Rev. J. Scudder. She devoted herself, in her
youthful days, to God's service. Her paternal grandfather was
a man of fervent piety, remarkably gifted in prayer, and rich in
good words and work.
While the Rev. Mr. Pohlmax was in India, he lost his beloved
wife by death, and found it necessary to send his children, Wil-
liam and Mary, to this country, to the care of a favorite aunt,
Mrs. McClure. Perhaps there is no trial so severe to a mis-
sionary as to part with his children. Willie was then three
and a half years, old. The ship being detained at Java Head
two weeks, the father desired once more to look upon his loved
ones, but the second parting was more trying than the first.
WllIe hung around his father's neck, weeping and wanting to
go back to his Amoy home, and the dear father had to untwine
those gentle hands, and go back to his desolate home to see the
empty crib and the vacant chair belonging to the little ones. His
only source of comfort was the mercy seat. He writes at this
time: "I can add my testimony to the tens of thousands of
God's people as to the all sufficiency of the grace of God, and
the comforting influence of the holy spirit, under the most try-
ing circumstances, and in times of the most bitter grief and
anxiety of soul."
The children arrived safely, and were tenderly cared for by
their father's favorite sister. Under the religious influences of
Mrs. McClure, William was hopefully converted to Christ, and
devoted himself to the foreign missionary work. He united with
the North Dutch Church of Albany, at present under my pas-
30
466 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
toral care, and he continued his membership with this church up
to the time of his death.
Having completed his preparatory studies, he entered Rutger's
College, New Brunswick, N. J., in the fall of 1859. He very
soon became a great favorite with the students, and was beloved
and esteemed by all who knew him.
William was quietly and successfully pursuing his studies,
preparatory to the ministry, when the first gun from Sumter
aroused the people to arms. He felt that his country needed him,
and for a time there was a struggle as to whether he had best go
on in his course of preparation, or enlist in defence of his country.
He presented his case in fervent prayer to Almighty God, and
after a certain period thus spent, he saw dearly that his duty
was to light for his adopted country. Had anything been want-
ing at that time to fan into a flame the tires of patriotism in the
breasts of any of the sons of Butger's, it was when the venerable
and noble President Feelinghuysen, with his own right hand,
which has since forgot its cunning in the grave, raised the banner
of freedom on the college green, and under its waving folds, his
voice rang out in clarion tones for freedom, and law and right.
Said he, " we must light ; there is no alternative. The rebellion
must be crushed; and then we shall once more become a happy
and united people."
Among the first to respond to the call of his country, was the
much loved William Pohlman. He enlisted as a private in the
First New Jersey Regiment, Co. G, May 28th, 1861, to serve
three years. He served with his regiment until January 1st,
1862, when his peculiar qualifications pointed him out as fitted
for something better, than the mere ordinary duties of the camp.
Upon the formation of the Signal Corps, he was therefore trans-
ferred to that efficient arm of the service.
He performed Avith great ability the duties incumbent upon
him, in all the campaigns that followed until January 17th, 1863,
when he was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the Fifty-ninth Eegi-
ment New York State Volunteers, and shortly after was appointed
Acting Adjutant. Though a stranger to the regiment, his good-
ness of heart and firmness of spirit soon made him friends and
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. TOHLMA^. 467
admirers, and it was not long before they learned to love him,
and to anticipate great things from the brave and noble boy.
Not one of the thousands who have laid their lives upon the
altar of their country — now alas drenched with so much precious
blood — was ever actuated by purer motives or more lofty
patriotism.
Having joined the Army of the Potomac, Mr. Pohlman parti-
cipated in its campaigns and battles, from the time of the disas-
trous battle of Bull Bun to the fearful engagement at Gettys-
burg. Just after the battle of Bull Run, he wrote to a favorite
cousin the following letter :
Arlington Heights, July 29th, 1861.
Dearest Cousin — You need not have made so many excuses for
not answering my letter before, for I always know that there
must be some good reason when my friends do not immediately
reply to my missives.
I meant to have written to you when I last wrote to Theodore,
but we received such sudden orders to march, that it was impos-
sible.
May be that I shall yet be spared to see you, but the chances
are rather the other way. There is going to be a terrible war,
Rosey, dear, and thousands of souls will be sent to their last
account before its close. If you could hear the women of the
South talk; if you knew that kind and affectionate wives sent
their sick and feeble husbands to the war; if you knew that
sisters put the musket into their brothers' hands, and bid them
God speed; if you could see the dark eyes of striplings gleam
at you; you would wonder where and when would be the end.
God alone can foresee the sequel. We have already had a sam-
ple of what kind of fighting will be required in this conflict,
and although our men fought like brave and noble men, they had
to give up. Every inch of ground from here to Florida will
have to be overcome with force of arms. Our First Regiment
was the reserve heretofore, and consequently it is not improbable
to suppose that we will be the advance now; if this should be
the case, it will be a miracle of grace if many of us return to our
468 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POIILMAN.
friends. I am not now writing, cousin dear, either to frighten
3*011 or to make you feel bad, but simply to show you how the
case stands, so that you may be prepared for the request I am
going to make. I doubt not that you, as well as many others of
my friends have been surprised at the step I have taken in com-
ing to this war; that I should have left such a good, dear sister
as Mary, to take up arms in defence of my country. Although
many of my friends blame me for doing it, I can truly say that I
did it from a sense of duty, and was perfectly conscientious in
all I did. God knows that I love Mary, although it may seem
otherwise, aud I would give all I am worth for her good. I
know that her whole life is wrapped up in me, and if I should
fall it might be the means of killing her. Ma}* God forgive me
if I should be the means of breaking not only her heart, but also
the heart of mother. Now, Rosey, dear, I have always felt as if
you were my sister and it seemed so natural to think and speak
of you as one of our family. Shall I ask too much of you, when
I ask you to be a sister to Mary; to comfort and cheer her if I
should fall, and if it should break her heart, will you, if possible,
be with her at the last ? You ma}* think it very strange that I
should write you such a letter and make such a request; but I
can't help it. I have been thinking of this matter a great deal
lately, and I wanted to share my burden with some dear one
whom I could trust. You have been the first one and only one
to whom I have imparted my feelings, but who could so sympa-
thize with a sister placed in such circumstances, as one who also
has a brother in the army. I have been trying to find the
Twenty-seventh New York, but as yet have not succeeded.
^Yllen I do find it, I shall make the acquaintance of your brother
and give him your message.
Now I must stop, so give a kiss to the baby and ever remem-
ber me as one who loves you.
WILL H. P.
July 30th. — Please give lots of love to Ed. Thank him for
his kind letter to me. I meant to write him a good long letter
to-day; but I feel very unwell, and I can hardly keep in any
position.
LIEUT. WILLI AIM H. POHLMAN. 469
Lieut. Pohlman wrote frequently to his beloved sister, and
his letters are so graphic and full that they furnish the best
account that we can give of his militarv life. The following are
extracts from them:
Arlington Heights, July 31, 1861.
Our regiment was too late for the Bull Run tight; but we had
plenty to do in guarding the retreat of our flying army. If we
had been two hours earlier, we might have turned the tide of
battle; for it was only the reinforcements of the enemy which
gained them the victory. It was such a defeat as I hope will
never again happen to our army.
We have on these heights a most splendid view of the city
and river, Avith the surrounding country, and it looks so peaceful
and quiet that one would hardly imagine it was the seat of war,
if it were not for seeing so many uniforms. This war is a dread-
ful thing, sister, dear! So many orphans left; so many turned
out of peaceful and happy homes, to seek shelter wherever they
can find it. Then, of all wars, civil and intestine war is the
most to be dreaded; where those who were once brothers are
now arrayed against each other, seeking to take lives which they
were bound to protect and cherish. But then our country and
her laws must be sustained at any and every cost, and it null be,
as long as there are two millions of men to suffer and die for
her. God has never yet let the unjust cause triumph for a long
time, and we will eventually come out conquerors.
Fairfax Seminary, August 22, 1861.
Three hundred of our regiment are here sick in the hospital,
none of them dangerously ill, however, the prevailing complaint
being chills and fever. I have not been affected in the least,
and have been perfectly well ever since I enlisted. We have
some splendid rooms for a hospital, being those which were used
for the purposes of the students. This cluster of buildings, con-
sisting of about tw T elve separate houses, was called the Fairfax
County Episcopal Theological Seminary. Not only did south-
erners patronize it, but also northerners, for many of the stu-
470 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
dents were from the north. At the approach of the troops, the
buildings were deserted; most of the students, I suppose, taking
up arms in defence of secession. The buildings are well fur-
nished and well adapted for the purposes of a seminary. There
is a nice little chapel, containing a line organ. We used the
place and instrument last Sunday, and I tell you it seemed so
natural to hear the strains of an organ again. There is a large
library of religious books in one room. In the same room there
is a clothes press full of women's clothing, and on a bed, neatly
made up, there lies a black cloak, with a white collar pinned fast,
and a breast pin to hold it together whilst the owner was wear-
ing it. It looks just as if the lady had come in, in great haste,
and having thrown it off, had fled. This is the way with almost
all the deserted houses we find. The occupants seem to have
left in great haste and terror. We are about two and a half
miles from the enemy's pickets. Every once in a while our
pickets meet the rebel pickets, and they exchange the courtesies
of peace times, that is, they smoke and talk together just as if
they were friends.
Faiefax Seminary, September 5, 1861.
At present we are kept very busy in building forts and breast-
works. About three and a half o'clock every morning Ave have
to get up and get our breakfast; then off we march to the
trenches and dig from six till nine a. m. At twelve we go in
again and work till three. By that time we are pretty well tired
out. Our forts begin to present a very formidable appearance,
as you may imagine, when I tell you that twelve hundred men
work (per day) on Fort Taylor, which is being built by our New
Jersey Brigade. The other fort, which the New York, Michi-
gan and Maine boys are building, has three thousand two hun-
dred men working a day on it. We are going to mount some
very heavy guns on these forts, when they are finished, with
which we expect to give the secessionists a good dose, for they
are only two or three miles away from us. They are building a
fort just opposite to ours, and with a glass we can see distinctly
what the rebels are doing. We scare them often, by making
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 471
them believe we are going to fire on them. The other day some
of our boys got four wheels, and mounting a stove pipe on it,
placed it in the middle of the road, about half a mile from the
nearest enemy's battery, and then they went through the motions
of loading and firing. The rebels were watching us, and it
would have made you laugh to see the renowned " Southern
Chivalry " take to their heels and run. Very soon they blazed
away at us with seven rifled cannons. Then you would have
laughed harder than ever to see our boys scatter. But we found
out all we wanted to, viz: if they had cannon there or not.
Why, for a week we expected an attack at any moment, and our
company were kept under arms for seventy-two hours, twenty-
four of which were very rainy; but they never came very near
us. But the Third Regiment had a skirmish with them, in which
they lost three men killed and nine wounded.
Fairfax Seminary, October 8, 1861.
You ask if I am not tired of a soldier's life, and if I am not
anxious to return home again. I would like very much to be
able to see you all whenever I wanted to, but would never con-
sent to giving up now. I am not sick and tired of a soldier's
life, and the charm has not worn otf. There are hardships and
toils without number; there are weary marches and sleepless
nights; there are dangerous watches and midnight alarms; there
are times when both food and w T ater are scarce; there are want-
ing all the refinements of home life; death itself must be looked
for at any moment; but, in spite of all these disadvantages, my
courage has not failed me, and I am this minute as confident that
our cause will eventually succeed, as I was when I first started.
Very many rushed into the army without considering what they
would have to endure, and, consequently, would give all they
possess if they could get free. Thus far I have found nothing
different from what I expected.
The work of missions to which Wm. Pohlman had hoped to
devote his life was dear to him even while in the army, as the
following extract will show:
472 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. ROHLMAN.
Fairfax Seminary, November 1, 1861.
This morning- I was detached for extra duty, which consisted
in packing up the library and curiosities belonging to the Semi-
naiy. There are about ten thousand volumes, some of them very
old. One book was almost seven hundred years old, having
been printed in the year 1200. I worked all the morning, and
got the missionary relics and pictures all ready to send off.
There were curiosities from China, Africa, Asia, and every other
portion of the globe where the missionaries of the Episcopal
Church have established stations. Then there were the pictures
of all the missionaries who had gone forth from the Seminary.
No work which I have had to do has so suited me as that in which
I was engaged to-day. Many an old memory came up to my
mind, as I looked upon the faces of those who had taken up
their cross and labored and died, in their Master's cause, on
heathen ground, and I could not but exclaim: "O, what a glorious
cause to engage in! "
Fairfax Seminary, November 29, 18(51.
Thanksgiving day passed in quietness, and, by some wonderful
chance, I did not happen to be on guard duty, so I had the day
to myself. Our bill of fare was not so very extensive, but then
we imagined that we were in some vast eatino- saloon, and so we
kept calling for " bean soup, bread and strong butter," and that
best of brewed liquors "water." Then, as no darkies came forth
at our summons, we would, forsooth, be our own waiters and
help ourselves to the above mentioned dainties. Well, it is a
good thing to have a fertile imagination and a good appetite, but
every once in a while I got thinking of my last Thanksgiving
dinner, and then I had to gulp the food down the best I could.
That Thanksgiving day, you remember, I spent so pleasantly at
Aunt H.'s house. What changes have transpired since then!
Then we were in the midst of peace, and our flag w r as honored
throughout the whole world. Now there are wars and rumors
of war. Our national emblem has been disgraced, not by a
foreign foe, but by those who ought to cherish and defend it.
Many a life and many a river of blood will be required before
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 473
that stain shall be washed out; and there are many thousand
brave hearts willing to cease to beat, if, by this means, our
original honor and glory shall be restored. Many may talk
about this war soon ending, but, in my opinion, there will have
to be more than one hard fought battle before the end comes.
Thank God, we are now gaining many victories and are striking
the secessionists some pretty hard knocks.
You have, doubtless, heard of our last grand review at Mun-
son's Hill. It was a splendid affair. The President and General
McClellant were present and reviewed us. There were between
seventy-five and eighty thousand troops. Our, First New Jersey,
regiment has received the name of doing the best marching and
presenting the finest appearance of any regiment in both reviews.
While we were passing the point where General McClellan,
the President and statf were standing, our line was perfect.
General McClellan turned to the President and made the
remark, "That is it, that is first rate." I tell you we do look
finely when we get all our accoutrements on.
Fairfax Seminary, December 11, 1861.
Yesterday the Inspector General gave us a visit. Everything
we possessed underwent a strict examination, but no fault could
be found with us. I only wish that you could see our regiment
and camp grounds. Strangers Avho have visited almost all the
camps around, say that ours is the cleanest they have seen, and
that our men look the neatest. The Inspector and Colonel were
so pleased with us that they gave us to-day as a holiday.
Things in this neighborhood remain quiet. There is not much
excitement, except when we go out on picket duty. Our com-
pany just came in on Saturday. We were outside, and only
about one mile from the rebels, who have lately made some
daring and successful attacks on our pickets. Our pickets were
doubled, and the utmost watchfulness and caution enjoined. We
wanted to have a little brush with them, but were disappointed.
When we returned, it was only to prepare for a review by Gov.
Moroax. He looked natural, and as noble as ever. What a
good thing that New York has such a man at the head of affairs
474 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
during this time of discord and rebellion. The old Empire
State has done nobly in the cause of freedom and constitutional
rights; and if there should be need of more aid, I am sure New
York would be equal for the emergency.
Last Friday afternoon our whole division was drawn up to
witness a military execution. This is the first time I ever saw
anything of the kind, and it was a very impressive scene. The
prisoner was a cavalryman! who had attempted to desert to the
rebels with very correct and valuable information concerning our
pickets. He fortunately did not succeed in his designs, but was
arrested by our troops. After a fair trial, he was condemned to
a speedy and terrible death, at the hands of his own comrades.
The procession passed along the lines in the following order:
1st, Provost Marshal; 2d, music of the cavalry; 3d, the firing
party (consisting of twelve men and a Sergeant); 4th, coffin in a
wagon; 5th, prisoner and Chaplain; 6th, escort of cavalry. As
the solemn train moved slowly, each regimental band played, in
succession, the dead march. The prisoner was deathly pale, and
I think he fully felt his situation. At last, the spot was reached,
the coffin was placed upon the ground, the prisoner, blindfolded,
sat upon his own coffin. The executioners stood twelve paces
from him. The silence of death reigned amongst the thousands
drawn up to see the scene. A volley of carbines broke the still-
ness, and all was over. Thus die all traitors.
Camp of the U. S. Signal Coeps, ?
January 1, 1862. )
You have, very likely, heard before this, that I have been
detached from my regiment and company and am now a member
of the United States Signal Corps. We came into camp on
Monday afternoon, and have been very busy ever since getting
our camp fixed up in style. Soon everything will be settled, and
I think I shall like my new business very much indeed. We
have a beautiful situation for a camp on the summit of George-
town Heights. A splendid view is stretched out on every hand.
Our duty consists in warning friends of the approach of friends
in the time of an advance movement or in time of battle. Then
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 475
we hold conversations with each other, at the distance of miles,
by means of flags during the day, and torches at night. On every
expedition, both by land and sea, a number of our signal boys go.
Camp of the U. S. Signal Corps,
January 21, 1862.
The winter campaign has commenced — "merrily goes the ball."
The secession forces in Kentucky have been defeated, and we
rejoice in a splendid victory. Uncertainty and anxiety pervade
our whole camp. Here we are away from our regiments and
companies. The army is under marching orders, and we know
not when or where our respective regiments will move, and if a
tight comes off, we cannot be with our comrades in the deadly
strife of arms. We have no chance of striking a blow at a rebel
for our cause. We are, of course, doing a very great service to
the United States, but then one does so hate to be away from
comrades in the hour of danger.
Camp of tiie U. S. Signal Corps,
February 2, 1862.
We get along finely in our new camp. The signals are being
learned rapidly, and soon we expect to be of some service in the
war. Every day parties of us are sent into Virginia to practice
with flags, by means of which a conversation can be kept up at
the distance of miles. We are beginning to learn how to take
care of horses, which is a good thing at least. How I wish that
you could look in upon me some day just about dinner time.
You would, no doubt, laugh heartily. Sleeves rolled up, face
flushed, a large knife in one hand and a frying pan in the other,
from which the odors ascending inform the spectator that a beef-
steak is going through the culinary process. You can't imagine
what a nice cook I am. I can give steaks the most finished
touches, potatoes and onions a fine brown turn; fishes, omelets,
&c, &c, undergo scientific processes. In every thing that I turn
my hand to, I always think of my dear sister, far away. Yes, in
times of danger and in times of rest and quiet, during the long
and tiresome inarch, during the death-like silence of my lonely
476 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POIILMAN.
picket tour, amid the roar of cannon, amid the scenes of distress
and anguish, amid the dead, dying and wounded, my thoughts
have ever turned to you, my dearest earthly friend. Though far
away from you, enduring hardships and privations for my country's
honor, surrounded by rough and rude men, yet, still, I have my
thinking moments, and many a kind thought for home and home
scenes. Ah! how can one forget the kind, good wishes, the
heartfelt and sincere prayers of an only sister? Though years
intervene, separated by oceans, yet thought knows no hindrance
but death. It traverses distance, is undimmed by age.
Camp or the U. S. Signal Corps, )
February 8, 1862. ]
Glorious good news has just arrived; another important Union
victory in the south. Fort Henry taken. This will lead to
important results. The roads are yet impassable in this direction,
consequently artillery is at a stand still. When the roads are
better an advance is expected.
Camp of the U. S. Signal Corps, )
February 25, 1802. ]
Nine of our Lieutenants and twenty-two privates left early
this morning. They took their baggage with them, and are
going to join Hooker's Division on the upper Potomac, near the
rebel batteries. When any of the corps leave camp in that kind
of style, you may soon expect a fight. It is a common report
that the batteries, extending for a distance of five miles, are to
be attacked. Another large detachment is to leave in the course
of a week, as I think something is going to happen.
How did Washington's birth day pass off in Albany? I spent
mine by standing guard, in all the rain, for it was a very un-
pleasant day. You know we are situated on the very summit
of Georgetown Heights, and thus occupy a position which can
be seen for miles from both sides of the river. Well, Major
Meyer thought we ought to have some kind of display; so, as
soon as it became dark, the hill was illuminated with scores of
lights, sky-rockets, &c, &c. The night was very misty, and, con-
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 477
sequently, I fear the big show could not be seen a great distance.
There were, besides the fire works, the usual attendants of sing-
ing, speechifying and eating.
Camp of the U. S. Signal Corps,
March 6, 1862.
We are constantly employed now, having one hundred and
thirty horses to take care of every day. Then there are camp
and guard duties to perform, and we have to drill both in the
saddle and out of it. How you would have laughed at my
maiden efforts at horsemanship; but I am getting bravely over
my timidity, and can manage a horse finely. This is quite a feat
when you understand the properties and virtues of a Government
horse. You have to watch every motion, or you may get a sly
kick or a tremendous bite, and when in the saddle, look out for
breakers ahead, or you may find yourself on the ground rather
sooner than you expected.
Yesterday our whole corps was turned out to attend the fune-
ral of one of our poor fellows, who was killed by one of the
horses. Poor boy; he was a German, and had not a friend in
this country. He was killed in the performance of his duty,
and had a soldier's funeral. The excitement in our camp is, and
has been, great; great is not strong enough, it is intense. We
have every thing packed and ready to start, at half an hour's
notice. Some great move is to be made on the Potomac, and
the services of the Signal Corps will be required. Some of our
boys went off about a week ago, and many more leave to-mor-
row. McClellan gives the orders and we obey. I wish you
could see our outfit. First and foremost, each Lieutenant has
two men to accompany him, one of whom carries a copper can-
teen, which holds one gallon of turpentine. He also carries
a canvass haversack, which contains the necessary trimming
instruments. The other one carries a long sort of bag, in which
are the Hags, pole, torch and lance. We are armed with Colt's
best navy revolvers, and have a large Bowie knife, which is so
made that we can slip it on the end of our pole, and thus use it
as a lance. The Lieutenants carry the best kind of marine
478 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
glasses. Imagine us rushing through the country thus accoutred.
We seem to attract universal attention wherever we go.
Fairfax Court House, Va., March l§th, 1862.
After an eventful week, I find time to send you a few lines, so
as to let you know that I am in perfect health, and never felt
better before in my life. It is now about three o'clock in the
morning, and I take the chance of sending you this, as I don't
know when I can write again. We leave at six o'clock to go
we know not where. Without bloodshed we have the rebel
stronghold, and "Manassas is ours." Our signal boys have been
busy night and day, and I am very tired and sleepy. Been up
almost all night. I have a splendid little horse, which I call
Charlie. He has already done much in the way of traveling,
and can begin to count our journey by hundreds of miles. If
Charlie feels as willing to do his duty to his country as I do, all
will be well.
Steamer "Knickerbocker," Chesapeake Bay, 1
March 24, 1862. $
We are for out in the Sound, with vessels on every side of us.
One looking upon the scene would think that these vessels were
laden with happy pleasure seekers. But appearances are oft-
times deceitful. Instead of being crowded with a happy,
thoughtless throng, there arc stern and stout men, loyal hearts,
anxious to offer their all a sacrifice upon their country's altar.
We see determination written on every face. We hear senti-
ments drop from their lips, rather detrimental to the interests
of rebeldom. I am connected with Gen. Porter's Division; so
whenever you hear of him, and the troops under him, you may
know that I am somewhere around. Our present destination is
Fortress Monroe; I know not where we go from there.
Afternoon. — Land, ho! The renowned Fortress is in sight,
and active preparations are going on previous to disembarkation.
We are busily engaged in signaling, so I must stop now.
Fortress Monroe. — Here I am at last. I have always had
high expectations concerning this stronghold, and thev have all
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 479
been realized fully. It is a beautiful place. I have been not
only all through the fort, but also through the town of Old
Point. We are truly getting South, for the trees are budding,
and many are in blossom. There are lots of flowers, and I have
heard more than one feathered songster singing beautifully. I
have had a good look at the Monitor (termed by the rebels "the
cheese box"). A queer looking craft she is. I have also seen
the top works of the "Cumberland" and "Congress," and the
rebels and their fortifications on Sewell's Point. We are ordered
to saddle up and go, so farewell for the present.
Hampton, Va. — Seated in the midst of the ruins of this once
beautiful little town, I am going to inscribe a few lines to you,
my darling sister. Every moment we expect to go. Our horses
are all saddled, and everything is in readiness. Report says that
our destination is Great Bethel, which the rebels are evacuating
as speedily as possible. My little horse is as lively as ever, not-
withstanding rough knocks. He and I took a stroll through the
village this morning, and he took it into his head to run away
with me. Well, I gave him the rein, and away we tore along at
a mad pace through the fields. Fences don't trouble him much;
over he goes. Field after field was passed, where remains of
rebel camps were to be seen, but just like themselves, among
the things that were. Charlie, my horse, got tired after awhile,
and we took a slower pace back to the village.
Little Bethel, Va., April 3, 1862.
Our present camp, or rather bivouack, is in the midst of a
thrifty peach orchard, many of whose trees are in full blow.
The ruins of burnt houses still surround us, and I suppose will
continue to be with us as we go further into the secesh territory.
What an enemy we contend against — an enemy who will fire his
own homestead, kill his own cattle and destroy his crops, so that
the contending faction may derive no benefit from them. Almost
the whole Army of the Potomac has been transported hither, and
we expect to advance soon. Gen. McClellan arrived at Fortress
Monroe to-day, and we expect some excitement soon. We had
a grand reconnoissance the other day, in which we advanced some
480 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
four miles beyond Big Bethel. The rebels absquatulated rather
suddenly when they saw our boys coming along at a charge.
They did not make a stand once, but scouted away before our
skirmishers at a tremendous pace. We always travel with the
staff of some General or other, thus we have a first rate chance
to see all that's worth seeing.
Near Yorktown, April 11, 1862.
I am now sitting in a field in front of Yorktown, and as
my sister is doubtless feeling somewhat anxious about me, I
will improve the present time in writing her. This has been
a day of rest for us and for our horses, and I am sure we need it
badly enough. Day after day, and night after night, we have
been busy, signaling orders and news. I have pretty thoroughly
traversed this neighborhood. Our stations are continually changed
about, so that we are one day here, another, there. For three
or four days we were on the beach, signaling with the fleet of
gunboats, and I tell you we had a tine opportunity for seeing the
strength of the rebel works. They are tremendous, and every
day thousands of their men are at work upon them. Troops are
constantly coming in from Richmond and Gordonsville, so that
by this time they must have one hundred thousand men within
their fortifications. Why, during one morning, by the aid of a
good glass, we saw sixteen of their transports come into York-
town loaded down with troops. Then, again, they have an
enormous quantity of guns of heavy calibre. Considering all
things, this place is their Sebastopol. I think they have placed
their last hopes on this stronghold. If we conquer, secesh is at
a discount. You must not think that we are lying idle all this
time while the rebels are strengthening their position. Not so.
Our boys are working like bees on our entrenchments — forty-two
thousand men are digging to-day. Our heavy artillery is con-
stantly coming up from Fortress Monroe, and our balloon is
making daily reconnoissances of the opposite positions. By the
way, you ought to see the rebel balloon. It is worth a quarter
to see it. Such a queer shape — looks exactly like two Sibley
tents with their bottoms sewed together. Well, one of the
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 481
secesh gentlemen undertook to ascend in this nondescript; but
as fate would have it, a few of our sharpshooters happened to be
on picket, very close to the aspirer, and he had only arisen a few
rods, when such a volley of bullets whistled around him that he
was glad enough to cry to be let down. I don't think he saw
much.
Tidings of glorious good news have reached us, and it makes
us feel anxious to do something, not on]}- for our country, but
so as to avenge the deaths of the brave and valiant western men,
who fell at Island No. 10 and in Tennessee.
Neae Yorktown, May 2, 1862.
I am now very near the enemy. Three of the rebel batteries
are within eleven hundred yards of us, and they are very careless
as to how they sling their shells around us. Continually are the
shells and shots flying around us. I have become quite used to
the explosions, and can always manage to get down flat before
they reach the vicinity, though I must say that it was rather
difficult at first to get down in time. Our station is just under
cover of a piece of woods, which alone conceals us from the view
of the rebels. Redoubt A is ou our right, and Battery Sixth on
our left. Our line of fortifications is as powerful as extensive,
and I think will soon be ready for operation.
May Uh. — Yorktown evacuated; rebels in full retreat; our boys
close on their heels; skirmishing between our advance and their
rear guard. All is excitement among the troops; thousands upon
thousands pressing on to Richmond. We, as well as others, have
our duties to perform, so farewell for the present.
May 5th. — We are ordered off to Gloucester Point, which is
opposite Yorktown, in order that we may open communication
with the gunboats.
New Kent Court House, Va., May 15, 1862.
Within one week the rebels have evacuated Yorktown, Glou-
cester, Norfolk, Williamsburg, West Point and New Kent Court
House. Such reverses can do nothing less than demoralize the
secesh army. When last I wrote you, I was on my way to Wil
31
482 LIEUT. WILLIAM II. POHLMAN.
liamsburg, where we gained a glorious victory. The dead rebels
covered the ground like dead leaves. The battle field was an
awful sight; but the least said of this will be the better for the
sensitive heart of my sister. I cannot write more, as I am very
sleepy and tired, having been up all last night.
Eight Miles from Richmond, May 30, 1862.
On this beautiful Sabbath morning (so different from the quiet
Sabbaths of by-gone days, when we used to proceed through the
streets of Albany to the music of the tolling bells), I take up my
pen to answer your last dear, good, long letter, which arrived
last night. You can't imagine how much joy your epistle gave
me. All day long we had been riding through drenching rain,
with the further inconvenience of wading through mud, which
possessed the virtue of having a very solid consistency. Wet
through to the skin, tired and muddy, I had just kindled a roar-
ing lire in the midst of a Virginia wood, and was trying to dry
on one side as fast as the other side got wet. Just at this moment
two letters were handed me, one from your own dear self. I
forgot all my trouble, and commenced reading immediately. My
litlle horse (who was enjoying the tire equally with myself,)
seemed to share my pleasure, for he would occasionally look over
my shoulder and rub his nose against my cheek. This morning,
which I suppose is so quiet in the northern homes, is full of life
and motion. Contrary to the customary rule of observing the
Sabbath as much as possible, a military necessity has compelled
the troops in this vicinity to move forward three miles, so as to
hold the position which our boys fought for yesterday. The
roads are lined for miles with troops, artillery, baggage wagons,
ambulances and dead carts.
We expect the order to move every moment. We hope soon
to be in Richmond, but at what a cost, we know not. The latest
reports state that the citizens are leaving Richmond; this looks
as if they meant to make a stand of it. Hope so, at any rate.
We had quite a brisk skirmish two miles from here, 3 r esterday,
in which we scattered the rebels, killing and wounding about
one hundred and fifty. Our side lost only about ten killed and
LIEUT. WILLIAM II. POIILMAN. 483
wounded. This morning the rear guard of the enemy were
busily employed in tearing up the railroad track. They have
also placed obstructions in the James River, so as to hinder the
passage of our gunboats. Notwithstanding all their reverses, the
few remaining inhabitants are thoroughly impregnated with the
cursed Southern sentiment. Few, very few remain behind to
run the risk of exposing their opinions. Rich and poor, equal
in this time of their adversity, alike tramp off towards Rich-
mond (a rather critical refuge.) Almost everything is left
behind. Rich furniture, splendid crockery and cut glass ware,
most beautiful silk dresses and velvet traps. Well, we formed
our station on top of the house, and were working away finely,
when all of a sudden, whiz, whiz, whiz came a volley of rifle
bullets from the woods. Fortunately none of us were touched,
though the bullets came uncomfortably close. Ten of us resolved
to drive the enemv from the woods; so we mounted, and making
a good wide flank movement, we came upon their backs. The
rebels skedaddled without firing a shot, leaving us sole possessors
of the bloodless field. We were unmolested afterwards.
Savage Station, June 5, 1862.
Oh, if I could but forget the dreadful scenes of the past few
days. Another awful battle has taken place and we are again
victorious; but oh, what a sacrifice ! The people at home read
of the fight and our success, and they all rejoice. Processions,
parades, fireworks and thanksgiving, are the order of the day;
then those who have lost no dear ones, forget everything except
the victory. It is not so here. True, we rejoice at our success;
but the groans of the wounded, the last words and looks of the
dying, the awful scenes of the field of carnage can never be
obliterated. Poor fellows ! even in their dying moments, they
are faithful to their country. I have seen the eyes of more than
one dying boy brighten, as I recounted to him the brave deeds
of his regiment. The troops are full of fire and eagerly await
the next great fight, which I only wish would end the war in
Virginia. I can't see why the rebels hold out so long. They
must see their cause is lost, yet many of the prisoners we have
484 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
taken are actuated by the keenest hatred. The women are ten
times worse than the men. I have argued with many a pretty
Southern girl, and then on parting have had the exquisite plea-
sure of hearing her say, that she hoped the confederates would
kill me and the rest of the cowardly Yankees.
U. S. Steam Gun Boat Mahaska, July 5, 1862.
What exciting times we have had since last I wrote you, you
can hardly imagine. Truly it has been one continual struggle
for the dear old flag and the preservation of our Union. Did
you receive my last few lines telling you that a light was going
on? One week ago yesterday our army commenced its memor-
able retreat from in front of Richmond. We have whipped the
rebels seven or eight times since we began to retreat. This
shows of what material our army is composed. How I wished
that you could have seen with what gusto our boys sailed into
the rebel vanguard. We scattered them time and again with
immense loss. But, although, we have gained so many cheering
victories, yet it has been at a sacrifice on our side. Regiments,
brigades and divisions are badly cut up.
U. S. Steam Gun Boat Mahaska, July 10, 1862.
Our northern boys have now immortal names and imperish-
able glory. All praise to the now silenced noble hearts. Grief
and sorrow for those poor maimed fellows, who once wounded
in their country's cause, were fated to fall into the hands of the
ruthless southern soldiery. God ever keep me from again be-
holding the agonized features of our poor bleeding comrades, as
we were compelled to leave them to their fate. One thing is
certain, our troops will never forgive the southerners for firing
into our sick, whilst they were hobbling and crawling away.
In Camp, Near Alexandria, September 4, 1862.
I have nothing to tell you about except defeat, scenes of
blood and almost miraculous preservation from death on my
part. Three times have I witnessed our whole army overcome,
viz : at Bull Run, on the Peninsula and in the valley of the Shen-
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 485
andoah. Many a time have I been in extreme danger, when it
might almost be said that I fairly lived in an atmosphere of shot
and shell, yet am I uninjured, and unto God would I give all
the praise for His watchful care and protection over me. When
last I Avrote I had expected to go to Aquia Creek, but instead of
doing so we were shipped to Alexandria and had no sooner set
foot on shore, than we were immediately sent out to Manassas
where the fight was raging. For over a week we have been
where the booming of cannon and the whistling of shells have
been our music, now we make our final stand for the defence of
our Capital and the homes of the beloved north. Here on the
verge of the loyal States, two hundred thousand lives stand
ready to die for our Union. Three hundred thousand of the foe
press onwards — God help the ship, the staunch old ship Union.
Near Antietam Creek, September 18, 1862.
I am going to tell you good exciting news. Yet, while we
rejoice at an auspicious event, let us think of noble lives lost, of
honorable wounds received for our country's sake. Twice have
we whipped the foe within four days. Yesterday occurred one
of the greatest battles fought during the war, and that is saying
a great deal. At daylight the slaughter commenced, and con-
tinued with uninterrupted violence through the day, ending after
the shades of night began to fall. Regiment after regiment,
brigade after brigade, division after division, corps after corps
went up the hill to the fight. Now advancing, now retreating,
backwards and forwards all day long. But when the sun hid
itself from view, we saw our worn out and powder blackened
soldiers upon the crest of the eminence, which had been in pos-
session of the rebel forces at the beginning of the conflict. We
are all rejoiced at the success. The enemy's dead strewed the
plain in vast numbers, far exceeding our loss. But we have suf-
fered largely in valuable officers, both wounded and slain.
September 21st. — I have spent these three days on top of a high
mountain, from which we can overlook the movements of both
armies. It is a most beautiful and romantic position and one in
which I have always loved to be placed. The pleasing silence is in
486 LIEUT. WILLIAM II. POHLMAN.
such great contrast to the noise and bustle of our army and army
movements. You know, dear sister, how I used to love the
country; well, I love it still, with all its quiet and beautiful
scenery. How I wish that you were by my side on this glorious
Sabbath morning, so that we could together look down on the
hostile armies. Many a poor fellow is lying in the village below,
this day, thinking of the loved ones at home; and 'tis pitiful to
see the shadows of death slowly stealing over so many youthful
faces, when we consider that there may be wives, mothers and
sisters, far away in the loyal North, who on this holy day are
praying for the welfare of the absent soldier. It has been said
that the heart grows hard and becomes steeled to the continued
sight of bloodshed. However true this may be in some cases, it
fails in mine, for I cannot get accustomed to such scenes as I
have so frequently witnessed.
Hooker's Head Quarters, January 10, 1863.
This is the 10th of January, 1863, and I am just twenty-one
years old. Strange how time creeps on. Although so many
years have elapsed, yet does my whole life appear as a dream
which can easily be recalled. Events of my earliest childhood
seem as though they had happened but yesterday. However
hard it may be to credit, yet it is the truth that scenes and
actions of days spent in the far off regions of Heathendom are
still fresh in my memory. I can almost imagine that I am again
with father and yourself in the little boat, which propelled by
the strong arms of a Chinese boatman, slowly used to transport
us across the harbor to the Island of Ko-long-zoo, where I col-
lected shells and sea-weed to add to my stock of playthings. I
believe that I owe all my military hankerings to those same shells,
for you know how I used to spend hours upon hours in forming
my line of battle with buttons and shells. I little thought then
that a practical demonstration awaited me. Then again I remem-
ber how I, in company with mother and our little brother, used
to promenade backwards and forwards on the piazza, which over-
looked the water. How that brother and I quarreled over our
childish games ! Then that sad event flashes up distinctly, when
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 487
that brother died, and was laid out in his coffin awaiting burial.
My last distinct recollection of the land of Cathay is the saddest,
viz: my last look into mother's coffin. Ah, what a loss that was.
Many a tear have I shed in secret for the loss of that dear, sainted
mother. Ever since I have arrived at man's estate, I cherish
these memories of by-gone days, and I think they soften the hard-
ness of a soldier's nature.
Near Falmouth, Va., May 5, 1863.
Some very queer and strange scenes have we passed through
within the past seventy-two hours. For three nights I have slept
only about two hours, and during the day time we have been
under constant fire and excitement. Our brigade is completely
worn out. Thus far I have been miraculously preserved. On
all sides of me have our brave boys fallen; but not a shot has
been designed for me. We charged the enemy's works in rear
at Fredericksburg, at half-past seven a. m. on Sunday morning,
but were repulsed. At twelve m. made another terrible charge
on their right flank, and carried all the lines of their works.
Such a glorious old charge you could scarcely imagine. To be
sure many a poor fellow fell, but we gained the day. What suc-
cess we have met with on the right, I cannot tell, but am quite
confident that the fight is not finished. We expect to pitch over
into Fredericksburg again in a day or two — may we be successful.
We don't mind wounds or even death itself, if we can only con-
quer the enemy. They seem to be badly off for provisions. An
old woman offered me a ten dollar U. S. note for a pound of
coffee. I did not happen to have it for her.
I suppose you would like to know why we came back from
Fredericksburg. I will tell you. After we had captured the
fortifications, one single brigade was left to hold the city — the rest
of the troops pushing on to form a junction with Hooker on the
extreme right. No troops were left in the rebel breastworks,
and only our weak, decimated brigade, numbering about two
thousand men, to hold the city. Well, everything passed off
quietly during the night. Early in the morning, with the peep
of day, a large force of the enemy came rushing into their own
488 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
works, drove our pickets in, and thought they were going to
come right into the town, but not so. Our two thousand rifles
were too many for them, and such a hot tire as we poured into
them, would have made your eyes stand out. The approach to
the town from their works is by a few narrow causeways over a
canal, and placing our boys in advantageous positions, we kept
them at bay for twenty-four hours, but it was of no use. During
the night the enemy were reinforced, and we were forced to
retreat across the Rappahannock. I was very sorry that it was
so, but what could two thousand men do against eight or ten
thousand. Our retreat was orderly, no haste. We did not lose
a thing, or leave a wounded man behind.
May 6, 1863. — It storms terribly; a great fight is going on
on our right; Hooker is at Lee again; pray that we may be vic-
torious; the roar of cannon and rattle of musketry drown the
tumult of the storm. Don't feel anxious about me; I will write
as soon after the battle as I can.
Near Falmouth, Va., May 15, 1863.
We are having terribly hot weather for inarching, but this I
do not mind, for I am so anxious to accomplish something before
the rebels have entirely recovered from their last great victory
over the Potomac army. Two or three more such victories will
be apt to use Gen. Lee's army up. We did just mow the enemy
down. We undoubtedly suffered severely, but they must have
lost immensely. If Hooker only keeps at work, and don't let
the rebels rest, we may yet expect great things. We can die
but once, and if we die in battle for the Union, why, we fall in a
glorious cause. I don't think our boys are much demoralized,
from what I can see. In ten days the army will be in as good
condition to fight as ever, so far as number and feeling is con-
cerned. This last fight makes the thirteenth battle I have been
engaged in since the opening of the war. Quite a veteran, am
I not ?
Falmouth, Va., May 24, 1863.
Glorious good news has reached us within the past few days,
in reference to Grant's operations in the south and west. We
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 489
hope and pray that the news is true; but there are so many false
reports afloat now-a-days, that we hardly know what to think.
Here everything remains in statu quo — not a sign of a move. I
wish that we could strike a decisive blow soon.
Falmouth, Va., June 6, 1863.
We expect to have another tight pretty soon. Our forces are
again across the river. We are expecting to be in Fredericks-
burg before forty-eight hours more. Our orders were to start at
two o'clock this morning, but the order was countermanded.
Before I write again, I hope to be able to tell of more glorious
deeds accomplished by Union arms and valor. You must not be
alarmed if you do not hear from me very soon, for in the stir of
battle it is difficult to collect one's ideas and time.
Thoroughfare Gap, Va., June 21, 1863.
Here we are, safe and sound, but that is all I am able to tell
you; for to what place we are bound, or what we are to accom-
plish, is more than I can tell, but we hope for the best. I think
we are here to cut off the retreat of the rebels when they come
from Pennsylvania and Maryland. We have undergone some
very severe marches and hard times for our country's cause.
Union Town, June 30, 1863.
Almost worn out from our constant marching, we are at last
in a friendly neighborhood, and breathe a good Union atmos-
phere. You cannot imagine how good we felt to see the people
greet us kindly, and freely offer us almost everything they had.
The rebels are at Westminster, only seven miles off, and only
three miles from the Pennsylvania border. We hope to draw
them out in a day or two. The country all through here is
beautiful. It seems a pity that it should ever be traveled over
by an invading army. I hope we will be able to bag the rebels.
As I have said before, do not be alarmed about me. Eemember
that I am in God's hands, and that the same being who has
brought me safely through thus for, can, if He so sees best, pre-
serve me unto the end.
490 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
But the last closing tragedy draws near. Our hero, after
passing through the toil, hardships and perils of thirteen hard
fought battles, appears before us in the bloody field of Gettys-
burg. Our forces, weary, hungry and exhausted by their long
marches under the burning sun, wheeled into ranks to receive
the shocks of the rebel artillery. Those memorable three days
of July, when heroism and brave endurance won such triumphs,
will never be forgotten by a grateful people. On the 2d of
July, the valiant Colonel of the regiment was severely wounded,
and Lieut. Pohlman was the only field officer left during the
remainder of the battle. How keenly he felt his responsibility,
and how well he discharged his duties, his men relate with pas-
sionate pride. How could they falter, when, wherever the peril
was greatest,
" There was no braver sight
Than his young form, steadfast 'mid shot and shell."
But late in the afternoon of Friday, July 3d, a Minnie ball struck
his arm, and frightfully shattered it. He was at once urged to
withdraw from the front, but he answered, "No, never while I
have a sound arm left to fight with." An hour later his sword
arm failed him, and another ball, glancing from his swordhilt,
which it shattered, pierced his right wrist, and severed an artery,
thus disabling him from service. At this crisis his noble nature
shone forth with new lustre. To the soldiers, who would have
borne him from the field, now almost won, he said, "Boys, stay
in your places. Your country needs every man of you." Thus
he left them, but not until he had groped about in his blindness,
to recover, if possible, the sword given to him by his adopted
mother. Its empty scabbard, battered and blood-stained, with
the glorious motto engraved upon it, unmarred: " For God and
your country," is now the most cherished relic to her who filled
a mother's place to the orphan boy. He reached the camp,
having fainted on the way from loss of blood, and was laid by
the side of his beloved Colonel. So careful was he of the feel-
ings of his friends in this city, that he withheld his name from
the newspaper reporters, lest the tidings of his wounds might
shock those who were dear to his heart.
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 491
In a characteristic note dictated the following day, after first
speaking of their glorious victory, he added, "The usual good
fortune which has attended me in thirteen battles of the war,
has forsaken me in the fourteenth engagement. I bear honor-
able wounds in my country's cause." Our hero was tenderly
cared for, and under the influence of a home presence, and while
hoping soon to welcome a beloved only sister, he seemed to
rally; but on the night of the 20th he sank rapidly, and at 11
o'clock in the forenoon, July 21st, his noble spirit went to its
reward. His nearest relative says of her patriotic and christian
brother: " We could not wish him a prouder record, nor ask for
him a worthier death."
' Great God of night !
Accept out - sacrifice ;
Bid thou our country rise,
The joy of longing eyes,
The home of Right.' "
The following is an extract of a letter written by a dear cousin
of the deceased, and published in The Princetown Standard:
We found Mary (the sister) in the greatest distress. She felt
her loss the more because she was not able to get to her dear
brother. The news which first arrived was that Willie's
wounds were slight, and that he wanted somebody to come on,
so that he could be removed to his home, in Albany. His adopt-
ed brother went on immediately, and then he begged for his sis-
ter. Three telegraph messages in succession were sent to her,
none of which she received. Letters were written on three suc-
cessive days, each giving particular directions to his sister for
her journey, urging her to come on, which all failed to reach her,
until after the intelligence arrived that the dear boy's spirit had
flown.
I hardly know where to begin to tell you about Willie, but
will commence at the time of his first wound.
The Captain of his company (his intimate friend) being mor-
tally wounded, the command devolved upon him. He bravely,
at the head of his men, cheered them on, fighting with all his
might. At length a shell hit him, shattering his left shoulder
492 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. TOHLMAN.
and arm, which hung powerless by his side. His men urged him
to leave the field, but he said, " Not while I have nry sword arm
left." For an hour, he bravely rushed on to victory, when a
Minnie ball penetrated his right wrist, and passed up his arm,
shattering his sword in pieces. One of his men wound his hand-
kerchief round the arm, and pushed his ramrod in the wound,
to keep it from bleeding. They now proceeded to carry him off
the scene of action, but the brave, noble boy said "No, every
man is wanted; go back to your post," and notwithstanding all
their entreaties, he insisted upon walking. He walked three
miles, fainting once by the way. He happily fell among very
kind friends, who did everything in their power for his comfort.
The reporters came repeatedly, and begged him to have his name
put among the wounded. No, he would not, for his wounds
were, he thought, slight, and it would needlessly alarm his
friends at home, and he expected so soon to be taken to them.
When the Surgeon extracted the bones from his shoulder, not
a groan or sigh escaped his lips. The Surgeon asked, "Doesn't
that hurt you, Adjutant? " The reply was, "Of course, a little."
I know he must have used all his fortitude so that his dear sister
might not hear how he suffered. On Monday, the day before
he died, he longed so for his sister. He did not expect to die,
neither had those about him the least idea that he was so near
his end. He had a long talk with his adopted brother, until the
fever flushed his face, when he was requested to desist. He then
dropped asleep, when his wound commenced sloughing, as it is
termed. It means that a second bleeding takes place, an outward
and inward hemorrhage, and the dear boy slept away his life.
He was called by name several times, but he took no notice. The
steward stooped down and shouted in his ear, "Adjutant." He
opened his e}es for a moment and then closed them again. A
short time before he died he raised his head, gave the order
"Cease firing," dropped it again, and in few moments expired.
He was not the only one who died on that day. There were
over one hundred and fifty who were wounded in the same battle,
and whose wounds were all, as they thought, getting along well,
but just between two and three o'clock the barometer fell, and
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 493
immediately the wounds of the more than one hundred and fifty
commenced sloughing, and every one died. It is said that such
a thing has never been known before.
The body was embalmed and sent to Albany, and reached Mrs.
McClure's on Saturday evening. It was a comfort to have the
precious remains at home, but oh, how unlike Willie! The
funeral services were very interesting. Dr. Sprague opened
with a prayer. Mr. Nevius followed with a touching address,
and Dr. Clark, of whose church W. was a member, closed with
prayer and the benediction.
Mr. Xevius referred to his deep attachment to the father
(with whom he was formerly associated in the missionary work
in China) and of that love having been transferred to the son.
It was truly a comforting address. A flag was thrown over the
foot of the coffin with a broken scabbard upon it. At the head,
a beautiful wreath of flowers was placed.
His cousin, Joseph Scudder, did not receive the news in time
to attend the funeral. He came in the evening. He said if he
had known Willie was dangerously wounded, he would have
gone on immediately. He referred to a satisfactory conversation
he had with W. after his visit home, in February, on his way to
join his regiment. He went from home to Governor's Island.
Chaplain Joseph Scudder is now stationed at Governor's Island,
and was formerly Chaplain of the Fifty-ninth New York State
Militia, with which Lieutenant Pohlmax was connected at the
time of his death. Mr. Scudder remarked that as they parted,
he said, " Willie, live for Jesus." He answered, "Yes, I will."
Mr. S. says that he has not the least doubt that the precious one
is now happy, and he is as perfectly assured of this as if he had
been with him at the last, and heard from his own mouth that
he was goino- to Jesus.
The following tribute to our departed hero has been received
from a college classmate:
My acquaintance with William Pohlman began September,
1859, at which time we entered the Freshmen's class of Rutger's
college at New Brunswick, N. J. We soon became well
404 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
acquainted, and our acquaintance rapidly grew into a. strong
friendship, which continued until he left the college in the spring
of 1861.
He was, in many respects, a remarkable young man. The
first prominent characteristic that one would notice in him
was his sprightliness and vivacity. He was very quick in his
movements, and all his actions showed that he possessed an
energy that might be quite irresistible. His continual good
nature made him a most pleasant companion, and this alone won
for him many friends. He was always ready for fun; was noto-
rious in his class for his perpetual good humor and pleasant wit;
and in all college sports, none was more eagerly sought or better
fitted to take the lead than Pohlman.
Combined with this natural buoyancy of spirit and activity of
body, was a natural quickness of mind, which made study no
real task for him. His power of quickly grasping and thoroughly
comprehending a subject, was indeed wonderful in one so young.
For him a few moments would be sufficient in which to acquire
a perfect knowledge of a lesson, which it would take most of his
classmates an hour to learn, and his recitations were almost
invariably perfect. This quickness of mind, combined with a
most excellent memory, an ambitious zeal and an indomitable
perseverance, soon ranked him among the best in his class, and
we all looked upon William H. Pohlman as one who, if spared,
would make his mark in the world.
But these are intellectual graces. There are also graces of the
soul which as far outshine the intellectual, as the noonday sun
excels in brightness and glory the midnight star. These spi-
ritual graces Pohlman possessed in an eminent degree. His
whole walk and conversation evidenced true piety of heart. As
he entered upon his college course with the design of preparing
for the ministry, his whole energies while in college, were bent
towards the attainment of that object. He was always in his
place at the college prayer meeting on Friday afternoons, and
his fervent prayers and earnest exhortations often warmed our
hearts and encouraged us to renewed diligence in the Master's
service. It may be proper also to state here, that as he con-
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 495
templated entering upon the foreign missionary work, he was
one of a faithful few who sustained a missionary prayer meeting.
This little band often met in his own room, and on those occa-
sions fervent prayers were offered to God in behalf of the mis-
sionary cause.
A prominent and well known characteristic was his love of
everything that was honorable and manly. He despised mean-
ness, in any shape or form, and nothing would so rouse his indig-
nation and scorn as the commission, by any one, of a cowardly
and ungentlemanly act. He was generous to a fault, always
ready to use any means in his power to accommodate a friend, or
relieve any one in distress.
Such were some of the characteristics of William H. Pohl-
man. Every one who knew him could not but love him, and all
saw before him a bright career of usefulness, when he should
enter upon the labors of the minister of Christ. But God, in
his providence, ordered otherwise. He had scarcely passed
through two years of his collegiate course, when the trumpet
of war sounded through the land. Traitors were aiming deadly
blows at the life of the Nation. Men were needed to punish
them, and save our Government from a horrible death, and
Pohlman was the first, among a number of others in Rutger's
College, to shoulder his musket and rush to the field of battle.
Friends and relatives expostulated, entreated him not to go, but
in vain. He saw his duty before him, and that duty must be
performed. He fought bravely. For two long years he patiently
and patriotically endured all the toils and privations of a sol-
dier's life, when, at the battle of Gettysburg, July, 1863, he
received the wound which soon after caused his death.
Thus terminated the glorious career of one of Rutger's noblest
sons; the devoted Christian student; the patriotic Christian sol-
dier. God's ways are mysterious; but He doeth all things well.
Yet who would say that it were doubting God's goodness, as we
stand by that silent grave, to wish that William H. Pohlmax
might have lived to become, what he bade fair to be, a faithful
servant of Christ.
496 LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN.
The following account of the conversion, and Christian charac-
ter of Mr. Pohlman, has been furnished by an esteemed fellow
citizen, Mr. Anthony:
Albany, March 7, 1866.
Mrs. J. McClure:
Madam — In compliance with your request that I would furnish
you with the incidents relating to the conversion and the earlier
Christian life of your nephew and my former pupil, William H.
Pohlman, I would present the following statement:
I think it was in the autumn of 1856, that, near the close of
the day, I was in company with George Blake, (afterwards
Sergeant Blake, Eighteeth Regiment New York Volunteers,)
when he expressed a desire to converse on the subject of reli-
gion. Gladly accepting the proposition, I induced him to lead
the conversation. This was done with a view of eliciting the
train of thought that was evidently passing through his mind,
and with the hope of bringing our discourse to a profitable issue.
The result was what had been anticipated. He left me, im-
pressed with the necessity of immediate action. It was not long-
that I was obliged to wait for the joyful announcement that he
had yielded to the claims of his Saviour.
Soou after this, knowing that your nephew was very intimate
with George, I took occasion one day to inform him of what
his friend had done, and how he had been blessed; reminding
him that the way of salvation was no less open to him, than to
the one who had already begun to walk in it. He gave me
encouragement to believe that he would think seriously upon
what had been said. He was faithful to his promise, and in a
few days he too brought me the pleasing intelligence that he
had accepted Christ as his personal Saviour, and was resolved
henceforth to live to His honor and glory. This interview, as
well as the preceding one, was marked by perfect calmness on
both sides. My own mind was entirely free from excitement,
and I wished that his should be so too. There is every reason
to believe that it was so. He had evidently been doing what
he had for a long time felt it his duty to do.
His friend George was soon made acquainted with the stand
LIEUT. WILLIAM H. POHLMAN. 497
that he had taken; and it was resolved that we three should
institute a private prayer meeting. In a short time we had an
addition of one or two more; and the systematic study of the
Bible was superadded to the exercise of prayer. Many a plea-
sant and profitable hour was spent in this way; and William
was never willingly absent from our little circle. Here I had
an excellent opportunity of studying the inner spiritual life of
every member of my class; while the daily walk of each one, as
manifested in the school room, could easily be compared with
the standard which a profession of religion so plainly indicates.
With such means before me of judging, I can say, most emphat-
ically, that if he, of whom I write, was not a servant of Christ,
I have no means of knowing; who is so. I know of no act in his
life, while he remained under my charge, that was inconsistent
with, while I can remember many things that served to adorn, a
Christian profession.
In the year 1858, during the great revival, a most marked
interest in religion was manifest among the youth of our city.
The boys' prayer meeting, held at the rooms of the Christian
Association, was largely attended, although it occurred at a time
usually devoted to play. It was not a rare thing to see in the
entrance halls, instruments of boyish sports, hoav laid aside, that
their owners might enjoy an hour of communion with God, and
of spiritual intercourse with each other. The devotional zeal
of those boys on such occasions might profitably be copied by
their elders, when, as members of the visible church, they assem-
ble for prayer and praise. Our little gathering, which had con-
tinued its meetings for more than a year, had now merged itself
in this larger convocation, where William still exhibited the
same earnestness of joiii-pose that had characterized his efforts
from the very commencement of his religious career. And so it
was with him as long as any opportunity was afforded me of
observing his course of life. During all these years, nothing
occurred, on his part, to modify my opinion of him as an earnest,
consistent follower of his Divine Master. How could I doubt
that he was so, while I bore in mind His words who said, "By
their fruits ye shall know them."
498 LIEUT. WILLIAM II. TOIILMAN.
It gives me great pleasure to bear this testimony in favor of
one so dear to both of us, so earnest in the great business of life,
and whose blessed privilege it was, in his early departure hence,
to set a seal, with his own warm blood, to his sense of obligation
to our beloved country and our common humanity.
Very truly yours,
C. H. ANTHONY,
Late Principal Albany Classical Institute.
LIEUT. HENRY D. BROWER. 41)9
XXV.
LIEUT. HENRY D. BROWER.
No feature of the late war is more remarkable and providential
than the uprising of the young men of the nation, in response
to the call of the President of the United States for soldiers to
fill the ranks of the Union army. Especially are we impressed
with the readiness of Christian young men to leave home and
friends, church and Sabbath school, and the finest prospects for
usefulness and prosperity, and devote their all to their country.
Their religious consistency and zeal, too, after they entered the
camp; the heroic manner in which they battled with temptation,
as well as with the foes of civilization and liberty; their labors
and success in bringing their impenitent comrades to Jesus, are
such as call forth our warmest gratitude and highest admiration.
Among the Christian heroes, no one stands higher or presents
a purer record than the lamented martyr whose history we pro-
pose now to trace.
Henry Douglass Brower, son of S. Douglass Brower, was
born in Albany, on the 12th day of November, 1839. His
mother's maiden name was Harriet Putnam. The happy home
circle, of which he was the youngest member, was not destined
to remain long unbroken, for he was called to witness in one
short week the decease of his mother, and a brother next older
than himself. His mother died on the 28th of October, 1843,
and his brother on the 22d of October, 1843.
At the age of sixteen years, Henry was in his father's employ
as a manufacturer of silver ware, where he remained until he
was of age, and became master of his profession. He became
hopefully converted to God, and joined the First Congregational
Church, when about nineteen years of age. He was engaged in
500 LIEUT. HENEY D. BROWER.
the Sabbath school of that church as treasurer, and, at the time
of his enlistment, as assistant librarian.
At the breaking out of the rebellion, he, being a young man,
felt that he ought to respond to the call of the President for sol-
diers to defend the Republic; and the more he thought upon the
subject the more deeply he became convinced that it was his
duty to enlist, His father cordially approved of his course, and
the feelings which animated the father in his approval were
illustrated by an incident which occurred at a subsequent period.
A man came into his office one day, after Henry had gone to
the front, and after inquiring about " the boy," and making
some remarks as to the way the war was being conducted, said,
"If Henry was killed, his life would be wasted, for he believed
the Government could not sustain itself, but must soon go to
pieces." Said his father, " I have four sons, one is now in the
army, but sooner than see this Government go to pieces, I would
not only see that one killed, but would send the other three
too, and then, if necessary, go myself."
That was the true spirit of loyalty, that made him approve
his son's choice, and that spirit Henry carried with him as he
left home to do battle for his country. After having decided to
become a soldier himself, his next thought was to try and call
together young men enough of good moral character, to form a
company. After spending considerable time and money, he at
length had the satisfaction of marching to the Barracks at the
head of the first installment of men, who after having been
recruited to the requisite number, were known as the Eleventh
New York Battery, or the Havelocks; taking the name from
General Havelock, and desiring, that like him, they might be
good as well as brave men. On the first of October, 1861, he
was mustered into the service as a private. Afterwards he
made application to Brigadier General Rathbone to be trans-
ferred to some other company, and being successful, he left
Albany for Washington on the 17th January, 1802, as Corporal
in the Twelfth New York Battery, under command of Captain
William II. Ellis. The company left here in a severe snow
storm, and after many detentions, reached Washington January
LIEUT. HENRY D. BROWER. 501
28th, at about 7 o'clock in the evening. They received orders
the next morning to be prepared to leave for Fort Ellsworth.
In his diary he says:
" January 30. — This morning we started for the fort, at eight
o'clock. It rained very hard, and the mud was ankle deep. I
never saw such mud. The Albany Barracks are nothing to it.
I was, I confess, a little disappointed to find nothing but tents
for our accommodation. However, I shall soon be all right, as I
have expected hardships."
From the outset of his military career, Henry manifested an
earnest religious zeal, as well as a pure and lofty patriotism. In
his diary and in his letters this is very apparent.
To a younger brother, whose name was Charles Moore
Brower, he wrote as follows, after learning that he had a hope
in Christ:
" There is one thing, Charlie, I wish to speak to you about
particularly. You have hoped that you are a Christian. Oh!
my brother, stand fast in the faith. You have had experience
enough, even in so short a time, to know that it will be a hard
battle. Temptations will beset you; that you must overcome.
Don't think to gain friends by yielding to temptations; for the
very friends that you might thus gain would despise you for it.
Such friends are not worth having.
"But do not be discouraged by the difficulties that attend the
Christian cou 
