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In The
War For The Union by Abraham J.
Palmer, D.D. CHAPTER
X |
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COMPANY
H |
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| ..................... | During the
summer of 1861, Colonel Jas. H. Perry went to witness the
drill of a Home Guard Company at Montague Hall, known as
the Brooklyn Union Rifles, of which Dudley W. Strickland.
a young lawyer living in Brooklyn, was the captain and
drill-master. Colonel Perry was so much pleased
with the superior drill of the company that he offered
Strickland a captaincy in his regiment, then about to be
formed. He accepted on the condition that he could
name his First Lieutenant, which was granted; and
he selected William L. Lockwood, also a young lawyer
living in Brooklyn and a life-long friend of
Strickland. They were both formerly members of the
Young American Guards Infantry and Artillery in
Cincinnati, O. They both went to work with much
enthusiasm to recruit and organize Company H.
Captain Strickland was soon ordered to Camp Wyman, near
Fort Hamilton, to organize a camp and superintend drill,
etc. Lieutenant Lockwood, from several places on
Long Island and up the Hudson River, recruited about
thirty men. Second Lieutenant Caleb N. Patterson
brought as many more from the vicinity of Keyport and
Freehold, N. J. Only one member of the Home Guard
Company enlisted -- First Sergeant Jas. A. Barrett, who
went into camp and assisted in drilling and recruiting
for the company from the many visitors who came to the
camp. Great care was taken in selection of
recruits, and Company H soon took high rank for its drill
and soldierly qualities, and was assigned by Colonel
Perry the position of right-flank company. Its
officers were temperate, efficient, and devoted to the
truest interests of the company. Every man in the company knew he had a true friend in any one of his officers. A certain company pride was encouraged and fostered, and the records of the regiment will show that the guard-house scarcely ever contained a member of Company H. Company H was mustered into service August 16, 1861, with ninety-eight men. It always maintained a high reputation for efficiency, discipline, and drill. Captain Strickland became Major and Lieutenant-Colonel, and commanded the regiment when Colonel Barton was assigned to command of the brigade. Lieutenant Lockwood became Captain of Company F, but subsequently was transferred to his old company. He served as Inspector-General on the Brigade Staff. Of the five original Sergeants, Barrett, Edwards, Lacoppidan, and Stayley were promoted officers. Sergeant Sparks carried the colors and was wounded while gallantly planting them on the parapet of Fort Wagner, and was afterwards transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. Corporals Halstead, Garaghan, Laxey, and Private Miller also became officers; and Private Stoney was appointed Quartermaster-Sergeant. In December, 1863, the government offered a furlough of thirty days and $400 bounty to all 1861 men who would re-enlist as veteran volunteers. The State of New York also offered $75 additional bounty, and Kings County $300. Lieutenant Barrett, then in command of Company H, submitted the offer and announce hid intention to remain and see the war through. Fifty-four men promptly accepted the offer and re-enlisted as veteran volunteers. The original members of the company had been thinned out from time to time by sickness, disability, wounds and death, so that in the fall of 1864, when the first three years' enlistment expired, there were only seven men left who had not re-enlisted to claim their discharge by expiration of service. |
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COMPANY I
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| The
recruiting office for Company I was opened in Orange
Street, near Fulton, in Brooklyn, about July 19, 1861, by
Captain Joseph G. Ward, who, with the assistance of
Sergeant J. Renshaw and other non-commissioned officers,
went into camp at Camp Wyman, Fort Hamilton, August 2,
1861. The company was mustered into the service of
the United States on August 16th, being the third of the
regiment to be sworn in. Joseph G. Ward was
Captain; Samuel M. Swartwout, First Lieutenant; and
James H. Perry, Jr, Second Lieutenant. Company I was with the regiment; participating in all its duties, until July 19, 1862, when it was detailed on picket duty and sent to Tybee Island from Fort Pulaski. There was a battery consisting of five guns on Tybee Island, four being six-pounder brass field-pieces, and one rifled thirty-two-pounder. This battery commanded the channel at the entrance to the Savannah River. It had been the custom to relieve each company on picket at Tybee Island every ten days previous to this time, but while Company I was on Tybee Island it had the great good-fortune to fire upon (and so injure that it was subsequently captured) the English steamer Ladona, which was endeavoring to run the blockade. General Hunter sent a letter of thanks to Captain A. H. Ferguson, and thereafter Company I was permanently stationed on Tybee Island. It was absent, therefore, from the regiment during the dreadful campaign on Morris Island, as also was Company G; but both these companies rejoined the regiment in the fall of that year, and served with it afterward to the end. Company I suffered heavily at Olustee, and did its full part in the labors of the remaining campaigns of the regiment. Four officers of the company were killed in battle or died of their wounds: Captain John A. Fee at Petersburg, Lieutenant James M. Keenan at Olustee, Major Swartwout at the explosion of the mine at Petersburg, and Lieutenant Dunn, then Captain of Company E, at Fort Fisher. The letter of thanks from General Hunter referred to was as follows:
Upon the resignation of Captain Ward in January, 1862, Lieutenant A. H. Ferguson was promoted from Company A to fill the vacancy. Lieutenant Perry resigned in September of 1862. Lieutenant John A. Fee succeeded Captain Ferguson, and upon the death of Captain Fee, Lieutenant Hutchinson became Captain o the company. |
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COMPANY K
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| This Company
was organized and largely recruited by Captain Samuel J.
Foster, a member of the Seventh Regiment N.Y.S.M., and
Second Lieutenant Albert F. Miller of Brooklyn.
First Lieutenant S. G. Gale of Galesville, Ulster County,
N. Y., joined the company with about forty
recruits. It was the first company in the regiment
mustered into the United States service, and early became
proficient in drill and in discipline. Lieutenant
Gale resigned May 6, 1862, on account of ill health, and
Lieutenant Miller was promoted to fill the vacancy.
Orderly Sergeant Geo. L. Smith was made Second
Lieutenant. January 26, 1863, Captain Foster
resigned and First Lieutenant Hurst of Company E was
promoted to fill the vacancy. Captain Hurst was
severely wounded in the assault on Fort Wagner: and
falling into the hands of the enemy was carried to
Charleston, where he died in a few days. Lieutenant
Miller became Captain, and remained with the company
until severely wounded at Cold Harbor. He was
afterwards promoted to the Majority of the regiment, but
was unable to return to duty on account of his
wound. He was also severely wounded in the assault
on Fort Wagner. Company K ranked among the best of the companies, and stands fourth in the number of casualties. The following-named enlisted men received commissions: Charles B. Umpleby,
Captain, Forty-eighth N.Y.V. |
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THE
NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF |
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| The original
Non-commissioned Staff was as follows: Samuel H. Moser, Sergeant-Major; Van Rensselaer K. Hilliard, Quartermaster-Sergeant; Nathaniel D. Fisher, Hospital Steward; and Wm. Smith and Edward Hastings, Principal Musicians. Moser and Hilliard became commissioned officers. Fisher and Smith were killed in battle -- the former at Fort Wagner, an the latter while bearing off the wounded at Cold Harbor. Smith was quite a character. He had seen service in the regular army, and his experience there was of value to him in teaching the drummers and enforcing discipline among them. The older members of the regiment will recall Smith as Drum-Major on the dress-parade, when , at the head of the band, in gorgeous uniform, including the mighty shako, he twirled his baton with dignity and importance. Hastings was the principle Fifer. He also had been in the regular army, and between him and Smith the drummers and fifers had to walk according to "regulations." It was at reveille and tattoo that Hastings was in his glory. The musical notes of his fife will never be forgotten. Sergeants Smith and K. Morton of E, Fletcher and C. B. Wyckoff of F, and St. John of G were Sergeants-Major, and all became commissioned officers. The Quartermaster-Sergeants who received commissions were Ingraham of G, Taylor of F, Williams and Barney of A. Hamilton of E served until Sept. 21, 1864. Paddock of B and Orton of E were Commissary-Sergeants and received commissions. Newhart of K and Monel of E were Hospital Stewards. Sneider Stoney, Shannon, Monel, Hastings, and Stephenson were respectively Sergeant-Major, Ouartermaster-Sergeant, Commissary-Sergeant, Hospital Steward, and Principal Musicians when the regiment was mustered out. (end of Chapter 10) |
