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THE JAMES VERNER SCAIFE

COLLECTION

CIVIL WAR LITERATURE

THE GIFT OF

JAMES VERNER SCAIFE

CLASS OF 1889

1919

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

1924 092 924 996

^=^^

Cornell University Library

The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924092924996

NEW YORK MONUMENTS COMMISSION

FOR THB

BATTLEFIELDS OF GETTYSBURG AND CHATTANOOGA.

FINAL REPORT

ON THB

BATTLEFIELD OF GETTYSBURG.

COMMISSIONERS.

Maj.-Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, U. S. A. Maj.-Gen. Daniel Butterfield,

BvT. Maj.-Gen. Alex. S. Webb. Bvt. Brig.-Gen. Anson G. McCook.

Col. Lewis R. Stegman. Col. Clinton Beckwith.

Major Charles A. Richardson. The Adjutant-General of the State, Ex-Officio.

Chairman, Maj.-Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, U. S. A.

Engineer and Secy., A. J. Zabriskie.

Vol. III.

ALBANY:

J. B. LYON COMPANY, PRINTERS.

1902.

A. 3X^^23

J. B. LYON PRINT.

F. J. SEVEKENCK, PHOTO.

137th new YORK INFANTRY. On Gulp's Hill. Rislit nr Grppno ,-i New York Brigade.

New York at Gettysburg.

935

(INSCRIPTIONS.)

{Front.)

137th N. Y. INF'Y.

3d brig. 2d DIV.

12th corps.

(Reverse.)

Casualties

K.IVLED 40

Wounded 87

Missing 10

(Left Side.) For its services

IN THIS

and many OTHER

GREAT BATTLES

OF THE War

IT HOLDS A PROUD POSITION IN THE HISTORY OF THE

Great Rebellion ".

(Right Side.)

The 137TH

Regiment

OF New York

Infantry

HELD this

position

July 2, 1863,

and until the

retreat of

THE Rebel Army

93^ New York at Gettysburg.

ISrTH REGIMENT INFANTRY. Historical Sketch by Surgeon John M. Farrington.

This regiment was organized at Binghamton, N. Y., from recruits enlisted in the Twenty-fourth senatorial district. Four companies were raised in Broome, three in Tioga, and three in Tompkins counties. The regiment was mustered into the United States service September 25, 1862, and left for the seat of war two days afterwards. Capt. David Ireland, of the Fifteenth United States Infantry, who was recruiting in Binghamton, was appointed colonel of the regiment, and Koert S. Van Voorhees, of Ithaca, received the appointment of lieutenant colonel. Colonel Ireland brought to the command such knowledge and experience of military service that by his drill and discipline the regiment rapidly came to the front as one of the most efficient in the service. Lieutenant Colonel Van Voorhees had the advantage of several years' service in the New York State Militia, and was an able and accomplished officer. The regiment contained a noble body of men, of splendid physical appearance, most of whom had been reared in the rural districts.

But little need be said of the departure of the regiment from Binghamton, for similar scenes were at that time occurring in many cities and villages of the state, as the boys in blue marched from their camps of organization to the railroads for transportation to the seat of war. These were the times that tried not only men's souls, but with more severity still those of the gentler sex. Deep seated below the cheers and applause which were given to these brave soldier volunteers as they marched through the streets, there was, in many instances, the most profound anguish; for there had been many a sad scene at the homes of these enlisted boys and men when the hour came in which to say good-bye.

The regiment went by special train to Washington via Elmira, Williams- port and Baltimore. We were compelled to ride in freight and on open plat- form cars; but unlike many other regiments did not lose a man by accident on the route. On reaching Washington we were ordered to Camp Chase, on the opposite side of the Potomac, but before reaching the Long Bridge the order was countermanded, and the regiment was sent to Frederick, Md., by rail.

We remember this locality as our first encampment. It was in a pasture field about half a mile from the city. Every church and most of the public buildings were at that time filled with the wounded brought from the battle- field of Antietam, the fight there having occurred just twelve days previous to our arrival at Frederick. On October 4th we moved to Pleasant Valley, near Maryland Heights, and on the 29th to Harper's Ferry, where we took the Charlestown Pike to Bolivar Heights, about two miles distant, and went into camp. We remained here until the loth of December, 1862. We were not far from the enemy's fines, and for the first time our men did picket duty in the face of the enemy, and some of our boys, straying beyond the picket line were captured by Confederate cavalry scouts. While in Pleasant Valley our

New York at Gettysburg. 937

regiment was assigned to the Twelfth Army Corps, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum commanding. Our division was the Second, under command of Brig. Gen. John W. Geary. Our brigade, composed of five New York regiments, the Sixtieth, Seventy-eighth, One hundred and second, One hundred and thirty-seventh, and One hundred and forty-ninth, was commanded by Brig. Gen. George S. Greene.

On November 9th we made our first reconnoissance into the enemy's lines, with our division, to Charlestown, Va., General Geary being in command. The troops were much interested in the town because of its notoriety as the place of trial and execution of John Brown. As the regiment was marching by, the writer rode his horse into the Court House, up to the judge's stand, and out at the other front door, much to the amusement of the boys, but also to the unexpressed indignation of the residents, who regarded the act as one of desecration to their hall of justice.

While the troops were halted in the main street of Charlestown another new experience was encountered by our regiment. Some Rebel cavalry had been discovered by our advance, and General Geary ordered the battery to shell the woods to which they had retreated; while the cannon were firing, an orderly came riding rapidly down the line, giving the order " Load." Some of us will never forget how the sound of that order, given for the first time under such circumstances, stirred our emotions. We marched about four miles be- yond Charlestown, driving the Confederates before us. Judging from the appearance of their recently vacated camps their numbers were few. Having accomplished the object of our expedition we returned to camp, taking with us some prisoners, contrabands and beef cattle.

The site of our camp at Bolivar had been continuously occupied by Union or Confederate troops from the very beginning of the war. The result was that the soil, saturated with the germs of disease, made our camp a pestilential one. Soon we were visited with a grave and extensive epidemic Of typhoid fever, and our regimental sick list increased rapidly until it reached 200. It became necessary to send the most severe cases to the general hospital at Harper's Ferry, where, on one day, four of our men died from this disease. During the last four weeks of our stay at Bolivar Heights there were nearly 400 cases of typhoid fever, and scarcely a day passed without a death in camp.

December 2d General Greary took his division out again. On this occasion we penetrated the enemy's country as far as Winchester, being five days on the trip. The details of this expedition would, if reported, be interesting but want of space forbids their insertion here. One incident the writer will be par- doned for publishing, as he was one of the chivalrous party. On leaving Win- chester he overheard General Geary say to General Greene, " Let the men have fresh meat." The writer reasoned that if they had fresh meat it must needs be captured, and, spying a cow in the streets as we were marching out, he tried to drive the animal to the head of our line; but "bossy" was not disposed to join the Union army, and so with head and tail erect she " bolted," and had not reinforcements arrived she would have escaped capture. But Major Willoughby and Chaplain Washburn, who were also mounted, recog- nizing the benevolent design of the surgeon galloped to his aid. The ,cow

938 New York at Gettysburg.

surrendered. The prisoner was escorted to the head of the regiment, where the boys, being experienced cow-drivers, took her in charge. But, alas! the power of example was too well illustrated; for after that every cow along the side of the road was driven from her inclosure and added to the number until a respectable drove was secured. Yet even then all would Have gone on well had not General Greene, unfortunately for us, ridden back along the line and dis- covered the horned recruits to his command. The general was a "West Pointer " and a severe disciplinarian. Mortified and indignant at our action he ordered the animals liberated, much to the regret of the boys, who already were enjoying beefsteak in anticipation. We lost the game but had the name, for the lieutenant colonel, who was quite a wag, wrote home to his good wife: " Life in the army is very demoralizing, for I have seen this very day a Metho- dist class leader, a Presbyterian deacon, and a Baptist preacher steal a cow." And the next issue of the Richmond Inquirer announced that " Border Ruffian Geary has been to Winchester, and has stolen the poor widow's last cow."

The regiment went to Bolivar Heights, November ist, i,ooo strong; it marched from there, December loth, with 650 pale, jaundiced, and enfeebled men. We left no men in camp who were too feeble to march, and who were transferred from there to general hospital after the regiment had left. The remaining survivors of the regiment were absent, sick in hospital, or had been discharged from the service direct from the general hospital. So depressing had been the influence of our pestilential camp that there was scarcely a well man in the regiment ; but on the march, with better surroundings, the health of the regiment rapidly improved.

We marched with the entire Twelfth Corps through Loudoun Valley, Lees- burg, Gum Springs, Fairfax Court House, and on to Dumfries. We were within twenty-five miles of Fredericksburg, whence we had heard the roll of artillery the day previous from the battle then in progress. Early in the morning of the 17th we received orders to be ready to march at a moment's notice, expecting that we were to advance as a reserve for General Burnside ; but it was noon when the order came to move. Then it was to countermarch ; and it began to be evident to us that the battle of Fredericksburg had not resulted in a Union victory. We marched to near Fairfax Station, where we made our camp on the 19th. The First Brigade of our division was left at Dumfries to hold the town. The march to and from Dumfries to Fairfax Station was made through the deepest of mud; the wagons mired, and the animals becoming exhausted, balked. Our journey was very slow, and we were bespattered with mud from head to foot.

On the 27th we received orders to move, and marched at 9 p. m. The night was dark and the teams were much delayed. We learned that the enemy had attacked the brigade left at Dumfries in such force that Colonel Candy had called for reinforcements, and that we were being sent to his relief. We crossed the Occoquan River on the 28th, and after marching some three or four miles beyond, halted for dinner. While the troops were resting General Slocum with his body guard rode by. The general halted a moment and passed some words with Colonel Ireland, who was in the rear of our line of march. As the general passed the regiment

New York at Gettysburg. 939

our boys all arose and gave him three rousing cheers, which, of course, brought off his hat. He was in full dress uniform, and thus a shining mark for the enemy, who, as subsequent events proved, was much nearer than we supposed, for in a few minutes we heard the crack of rifles, and the general and his staflf came galloping back, pursued by Rebel cavalry upon whom they had suddenly and unexpectedly ridden. Instantly the order, " Forward 1 double quick 1" was given, and the men of our regiment, which was in the advance, jumped upon their feet, slung their knapsacks, capping their pieces as they ran, and, under the command of Colonel Ireland, went splendidly into line, and hurriedly through the woods in the direction in which the enemy's cavalry had retreated. At the same time our artillery was placed in position and served with promptness and rapidity. Afterwards we learned that the force which had been in our front was a small detachment of a large cavalry force under the command of Stuart and Fitzhugh Lee who, failing in their attack on Dumfries, were now making one of their characteristic raids. About an hour before meeting us they had encountered and overpowered a small force of the Second and Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. They crossed the Orange and Alexandria Railroad after leaving us, and captured the telegraph operator at Bealeton Station, and played the " dickens " generally with the wires, sending and receiving despatches from Washington and elsewhere, after which they cut the wires and attempted to go to Fairfax Court House, but were repulsed by the Vermont regiments stationed there.

We arrived in camp near Fairfax Station, December 30th, and remained there until January 19, 1863. The promptness, coolness, and efHciency of the One hundred and thirty-seventh regiment on the 28th, gave it a reputation that was never afterwards impaired, but enhanced by further service on more important occasions, as its subsequent history will show. We left camp at 4 p. m. on the 19th; our regiment being rear guard was the last to move. Our course was towards Dumfries, and the second night out we were nearly drowned by a downpour of rain from which it was impossible for us to protect ourselves fully and marching in the rain the next day just filled our cup of woe.

On reaching the dismal town of old Dumfries we found ourselves in even a worse plight than we were on our former visit there. We entered Dumfries on the 2ist, and the following day were ordered on, notwithstanding the fact that the mud was so deep in some places that the teams and the wagons were almost submerged. But the orders from the commanding general werp that the wagons must go through, even should it be necessary to throw out every- thing they contained. These orders were literally obeyed. Never before did the writer witness such shouting at, and lashing of teams as took place that day. The men were compelled to wade through the mud, and succeeded in making but five miles of progress. On the 24th we reached Stafford Court House where General Sigel had his headquarters; but his corps, the Eleventh, had received marching orders at the same time that we did, and had gone, most of them, to join Burnside. The next morning our brigade alone received marching orders, the main body of the corps remaining at Stafford Court House, where General Slocum established his headquarters. After march- ing about seven miles we came suddenly in sight of the Potomac River and

g^o New York at Gettysburg.

the mouth of Aquia Creek. We encamped on a hillside just south of the railroad, which ran from Aquia Creek Landing to Falmouth opposite Fred- ericksburg. This railroad conveyed all of the supplies to the Army of the Potomac. February 7th we moved to a new camp about half a mile further south on the banks of tlie Potomac. This camp was put in excellent order for winter quarters. Log huts with fire-places and berths were constructed, making the quarters quite homelike. Just before moving to this camp we received our first visit from the paymaster, who paid us, however, only to October 31st.

April loth we marched to Stafford Court House, and, with the Army of the Potomac, were reviewed by President Lincoln. The President was accom- panied by Mrs. Lincoln, who rode in a carriage, and by one of his sons, who rode on a small pony. After the review the President took the cars at Brooke's Station for the Landing, and from there a steamer for Washington, midst the screeching of steam whistles, ringing of bells, etc. The visit of the President foreshadowed a forward movement; for the next day, at 9 a. m., we heard the roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry at the front, both of which increased in volume for some time. Then a courier rode rapidly to our brigade head- quarters, and we were ordered under arms and ready to move at a moment's notice. At last the firing ceased, but we were kept in readiness to move until 4 p. m., when we were dismissed. On the 14th we received orders to move. The troops of the entire army had been provided with eight days' rations and eighty rounds of cartridges. We expected to move 9n the morning of the 15th, but the rain came down in torrents and in consequence we did not move. Soon after this we received white stars cut, out of flannel to wear upon our hats or caps. The star was the badge of the Twelfth Corps, and the color designated the Second Division, that of the First being red. On the 2Sth the surgeon received orders to send all that were unable to march to the corps hospital. The next day we broke camp, and stopped for the night six and one-half miles northwest of Stafford Court House.

On the 29th we crossed .the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford on a pontoon bridge laid by the Fiftieth New York Engineers, and on Thursday, April 30th, reached Chancellorsville, where we lay for a time in a wood of small growth trees. Here we started fire to cook some fresh beef, but as soon as the smoke arose the enemy sent shells whizzing and bursting down in our midst. We promptly changed our bill of fare, put out our fire, and many of us made a discovery that raw beef, well seasoned, is very grateful to the taste of a hungry man. The movements of the regiment the three days following may be described by quoting briefly from the reports of the commanding officers.

General Geary stated that, " The conduct of Greene's Brigade, May ist, was admirable. Although exposed for quite a length of time to the fire of the enemy, where they could neither shelter nor defend themselves, nor return the assault, they bore themselves with the calmness and discipline of veterans." General Greene says officially: " The One hundred and thirty-seventh New York, commanded by Colonel Ireland, displayed great coolness and good dis- cipline in all its movements."

New York at Gettysburg. 941

On Friday we accompanied the brigade on a reconnoissance, and returned to the position formerly occupied by us. At 10 p. m. we received orders to throw up a small breastwork and cover the front with abattis. May 2d re- ceived orders to move out, but subsequently the order was countermanded, and we returned to our former position, where we remained until Sunday morn- ing, May 3d. We lay in the trenches for some time under a heavy fire of shot and shell, and then had orders to march out by left flank which we obeyed. During the time the regiment was under fire, the officers and men obeyed all orders promptly, and manifested much coolness and bravery. One man caught a shell, the fuse of which was on fire, and threw it over the breastworks. The loss of the regiment in the battle of Chancellorsville was 3 killed, 17 wounded, and 36 missing, — the latter supposed to have been captured by the enemy. Some of the missing were known to have been Wounded.

We returned to Aquia Creek Landing, where we remained until June 13th, when we broke camp and began the march which terminated in the battle of Gettysburg. The effective strength of the regiment present for duty at that date was but 525; deaths, desertions, discharges for disability, absence at hos- pital for sickness or wounds, details on detached service, paroled prisoners, and the resignations of officers had caused this depletion of the regiment, so that only little more than half of those that went out with us were present for duty eight months after our organization. We passed through Stafford Court House, crossed Aquia Creek, and once more greeted old Dumfries. We were then marched to Fairfax Court House in such a hurried manner that nearly one-half of our men fell out from exhaustion, and sixteen were so seriously prostrated it became necessary to send them to general hospital at Washington. We left Fairfax Court House on the 17th, and arrived on the 21st at Edwards Ferry, where we bivouacked on the bluff near a pontoon bridge that was being laid across the Potomac at that point.

Our regiment was the only one assigned to the duty of guarding the bridge. On the 24th the Third Division of the Eleventh Corps came up and remained until night, when the remainder of that corps having arrived they commenced crossing the river; but it was nearly noon on the 25th when the last of the corps had passed over. They were followed immediately by the First Corps, which occupied all the afternoon in crossing. On the same day we saw a large cavalry force passing up the Maryland side of the Potomac. A second pon- toon was thrown over the river, and at 3 a. m., on the 26th, we were ordered up and crossed at 5 a. m., accompanying our corps. We took the road leading to Poolesville, but turning to the left did not pass through it. The next day we crossed the Monocacy River at its junction with the Potomac. We marched on the tow-path of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which crosses the river by an aqueduct bridge. On the 28th we marched on the road leading to Frederick, passing through Jefferson, Centreville, and Eagle Mills.

While halted for dinner General Slocum rode by and told Colonel Ireland that we had a new commander; that General Hooker had tendered his resigna- tion, and General Meade had been placed in command. For once it was evident that President Lincoln had disregarded his expressed rule of action " not to swap horses while crossing a stream." On the 30th we crossed the

942 New York at Gettysburg.

State line into Pennsylvania, and encamped early in the afternoon on the north side of Littlestown.

On the morning of July 1st we marched to a place on the Baltimore and Gettysburg Pike called Two Taverns, and halted for dinner. About 3 p. m. we heard the cannonading in our advance, and received orders to move as rapidly as possible in the direction of the firing. The First Division turned ofif to the right and moved towards the field of battle on the east of Rock Creek, and about 4:30 p. m. that division confronted Wolfs Hill, which is east of Gulp's Hill and on the opposite side of Rock Creek. On reaching the vicinity of Gettysburg our division, the Second, was sent to the left of our army; but before morning we were moved to the right of our line on the west side of Rock Creek, and took a position on the slope of Gulp's Hill, facing eastward towards Rock Creek. Here the men threw up earthworks the best they could without intrenching tools, and here they remained until the end of the fight.

The breastworks were completed about noon of the 2d of July. From that time until 4 p. m. the troops which had arrived were resting quietly, and all was as peaceful and serene as though there were no war in the land, when suddenly an artillery duel, the like of which this continent had never known, burst upon us. Probably nearly 100 cannon were blazing away, and the roar of the explosions, with the shrieking and whizzing of shells, surpassed all possible description. The Writer was, at that time, in a position to see all along the centre of our line, where the artillerymen, midst fire and smoke, were loading and firing as rapidly as they could. All the loose elements of the army, sutlers, hostlers, visitors, etc., were scurrying to the rear as fast as their legs or horses could carry them.

General Greene, in his report of the battle on the night of the 2d, says: " The First Division and the First and Second Brigades of the Second Division were ordered from my right, leaving the intrenchments of Kane's Brigade and Williams' Division unoccupied on the withdrawal of those troops. I received orders to occupy the whole of the intrenchments previously occupied by the Twelfth Army Corps with my brigade. The movement was commenced, and the One hundred and thirty-seventh Regiment on my right was moved into the position vacated by Kane's Brigade. Before any further movement could be made we were attacked on the whole of our front by a large force, a few minutes before 7, and the enemy made four distinct charges, which were ef- fectually resisted. About 8 p. m. the enemy appeared on our right flank in the intrenchments from which Williams' Division had been withdrawn, and at- tacked the right flank of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York. Colonel Ireland withdrew his right, throwing back his line perpendicular to the intrenchments in which he had been in position and presenting his front to the enemy in their new position. The officers and men behaved admirably during the whole of the contest. Colonel Ireland was attacked on his flank and rear. He changed his position and maintained his ground with skill and gallantry, his regiment sufifering very severely."

Colonel Ireland, in his report of the battle, thus alludes to the officers who were killed; " Captain Gregg with a small squad of men charged with the

New York at Gettysburg. 943

bayonet the enemy that were harassing us most, and fell mortally wounded, while leading and cheering on his men. Captain Williams I had thanked for his coolness and courage but a short time before he fell. Lieutenant Van Em- bcrg, acting adjutant, was everywhere conspicuous for his, bravery, and fell while cheering his men. Lieutenant Hallett fell doing his duty." Our regi- ment's loss was 40 killed, 87 wounded, and 10 missing. The Confederate force against which our regiment and brigade fought was Johnson's Division of " Stonewall " Jackson's old corps, then commanded by General Ewell.

In a work published by Col. William F. Fox, entitled " Regimental Losses in the Civil War," he states in regard to the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York as follows : " This regiment won special honor at Gettysburg; then in Greene's Brigade, which held Gulp's Hill during a critical period of that battle against desperate attacks of a vastly superior force. The gallant de- fence of Gulp's Hill by Greene's Brigade, and the terrible execution inflicted by its musketry on the assaulting column of the enemy form one of the most _ noteworthy incidents of the war."

General Geary reported that 900 of the enemy's dead lying in our front were buried by our troops, and a large number were left unburied, as marching orders were received before the work was completed.

There was a heavy fall of rain on the 5th. The troops received marching orders, and we went as far as Littlestown, where we remained until 4 a. m., on the 7th, when we marched to Walkersville, a distance of twenty-six miles. On the 8th we passed through Frederick, and halted for the night at Jeflferson. On the way we passed by a tree from which was hanging by the neck a Rebel spy. He was caught in Buford's cavalry camp, getting information that would enable him to lead a Rebel force to capture our supply train. Abundant evi- dence of his guilt was found upon him, and he was promptly executed. His body had been hanging for three days and was enormously bloated, his face presenting a horrid appearance. Our boys, nevertheless, identified him as the fellow that visited our camp at Bolivar as a peddler selling song books, and they were so elated to know that he had at last been detected and his treacherous career brought to an end, that they broke forth singing as we marched by, "And everything is lovely and the goose hangs high."

From Jefferson we crossed South Mountain at Crampton's Pass. On the loth marched to Rohrersville, on the nth to Fair Play and Jones's Cross Roads. On the I2th our regiment was sent out as skirmishers, and several batteries were also moved out in the direction from which we heard cannonading on our right. The troops and artillery were astir and moving all night; trees were cut down and breastworks built. At 8 p. m., on the 13th, our line had fallen back behind the intrenchments built by our regiment the day previous. On the 14th received orders to move at 7 a. m., but did not move at all that day. At 10:30 a. m.. Generals Geary and Greene came riding by with the news that General Lee had, during the night, crossed the river with his entire army. On the 15th our whole army was in motion. Our regiment marched fifteen miles and camped at Sandy Hook, and the next morning moved to Pleasant Valley, where we went into camp about half a mile from our former camp in October, 1862. We spent the i6th in preparing pay and muster-rolls, and on the 17th

944 New York at Gettysburg.

crossed the Potomac to Harper's Ferry. We again entered the Loudoun Valley and camped at Hillsboro, where we remained until the 20th. So long a time had elapsed since an opportunity had been afforded us for taking a bath, that we had not only become bronzed by the sun's rays, but begrimed with dirt, while our clothing was both ragged and dirty. We improved these few days in camp in a general cleaning up of our persons and garments.

Leaving Hillsboro on the 20th we were constantly on the mov? until we reached Warrenton Junction the 29th. We left the Junction on the 31st and marched from 5 a. m. until 6 p. m., when our brigade was detached from the corps, the latter going to Kelly's Ford, while we continued our march southerly. At 9 p. m. we received instructions from General Greene to take our regiment to Kemper's Ford, while the other regiments of the brigade marched on to Ellis's Ford, three miles farther down the Rappahannock River. We lay down until 2 a. m., August ist, when we took up our line of march for Kemper's Ford, our camp being back from the river in a piece of woods. Our regiment here had a great amount of picket duty to perform, and a large detail was employed in digging rifle pits down by the river near the ford.* Our camp life at Kemper's Ford was uneventful. The pickets of the Confederates were on the opposite side of the river, and ere long friendly communications were established be- tween their pickets and ours. Newspapers were exchanged, and our boys traded with them coffee for tobacco, until one day they were surprised by a visit from General Geary who, in language more forcible than elegant, forbade our boys fraternizing any more with the " Johnny Rebs " under penalty of severe punishment. On the 15th of September, 1863, we struck tents, drew rations, and at dark moved out of camp on the road, and, marching all night, arrived at Kelly's Ford on the morning of the i6th. After waiting for a pon- toon bridge to be laid we crossed the riyer and marched until 2 p. m. On the 17th we marched at 7 a. m., and at noon established camp in the vicinity of Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan.

On the i8th our regiment witnessed for the first time a military execution. Two deserters from our division were shot. The usual formal details were ob- served, and the sad and terrible scene will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. On the march to Gettysburg in June, before crossing the Po- tomac, three deserters from the First Division were executed in the presence of the Twelfth Army Corps, our regiment perhaps alone excepted, we hap- pening to be in the rear that day in the line of march, and these men were exe- cuted and buried before our arrival. We saw their new-made graves as we marched by. One of these boys had been pardoned by the President, but the courier intrusted with the reprieve arrived too late, though his horse was covered with foam as he rode up just after the fatal volley had been fired, and handed the order to General Slocum. We have not here space to give the details of this pathetic story, and of the expressed sadness of President Lin- coln, when he handed to the grief-stricken and waiting father, the despatch from General Slocum that the pardon arrived a few minutes too late.

*From August 7, 1863, until the close of the war and the mustering out of the regi- ment, the writer is indebted chiefly tor all that is hereafter recorded to Rev. Oscar L. Severson, Capt. Wm. H. Bristol, and to the official records.

New York at Gettysburg. 945

We took up the line of marchfor Bealton Station, on the Orange and Alex- andria Railroad, on the 24th of September, where on the 28th we were put in ordinary freight cars, with rough boards for seats, and rode to Alexandria, arriv- ing there just before dark. Marching over the Long Bridge to Washington, we remained there about four hours, and then left on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, passing through Harper's Ferry, Martinsburg, Cumberland and Grafton to Bellair, Ohio, where we remained over night Next morning, boarding the cars, we passed through Columbus, Dayton and Indianapolis to Jefifersonville, Ind. After crossing the Ohio River at Louisville, we took the cars to Nashville, Tenn., arriving October 6th, and remained there until the 22d.

The journey by rail occupied nine days, and was perhaps the greatest move- ment of a large body of troops from one department to another that was ever made. The soldiers enjoyed it greatly, ndtwithstanding the unpleasant features of being crowded in box cars and cramped in uncomfortable quarters, for it was a blessed change from the monotony of camp life and the weariness of hard marches. But the most cheering feature of the journey was the cordial and demonstrative greetings given us by the people all along the route, both by day and by night. It was a constant ovation, not of applause alone, but what was more substantial and still better appreciated, the unlimited supply of hot cofifee, and all kinds of choice food and fruits. The school children gathered at the station where we were waiting, and sang patriotic songs. It was on the eve of the election in Ohio, and one of the songs that seemed to be a very popular one with them ran thus:

"The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah I Down with Vallandigham and up with Johnny Brough."

Leaving Nashville, October 22d, we moved to Bridgeport on the Tennessee River, which we crossed on a pontoon bridge. Marching oyer a spur of the Cumberland Mountains we entered a narrow valley called Lookout Valley, through which ran the railroad, then in possession of the enemy. Without serious trouble we gained possession of the mountain passes and railroad. We stopped for the night at Shellmound, visited Nick-a-jack Cave, where we captured a few prisoners and destroyed the saltpetre works. We resumed our march around the foot of Raccoon Mountain, and went into camp.

On the 28th we entered Lookout Valley, with the famous Lookout Mountain before us, under whose frowning brow we marched all the afternoon. From the mountain we could see the enemy signal, notifying General Bragg of our approach. At night we made the usual camp fires to prepare a soldier's meal, and gave ourselves over to sleep. The enemy saw our camp fires from the mountain, noticed the long interval between us and the advance forces, and resolved to make a night attack and capture our small brigade.

At midnight our picket at Lookout Creek was surprised and captured, our camp was alarmed by the firing on the picket line, and we were hastily formed in line of battle; but as nothing further occurred, and quiet was restored, we were permitted to lie down on our arms, an order which the men cheerfully obeyed. But before sleep came, the enemy, who had silently approached our camp,

60

046 New York at Gettysburg.

guided by our camp fires, poured a terrific volley through our line. In great haste we formed in line of battle under a severe and continuous fire from the enemy, who were in our very camp, and for three hours the battle raged in great fury in the darkness of the night.

General Geary states in his official report that: "The One hundred and thirty-seventh New York on the left fought the overreaching right of the enemy by part of them fighting back to back with the other part; " and that " the Hampton Legion, 1,600 strong, had penetrated to the Kelly's Ferry Road, about seventy rods to the left, and while marching by the flank was attacked by two companies of the One hundred and thirty-seventh, under Adjutant Mix, moved around at right angles, and they were thrown in confusion by our sudden assault, and the advantage on our side being followed up, they were hastily driven back, leaving a number of killed and wounded in the woods to the left and rear of our line." Colonel Ireland who was in command of the brigade states that " the conduct of the officers and men of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York during the action was truly heroic. They took position while under heavy musketry fire, and held that position throughout the engagement. When the enemy attempted to turn their flank not a man wavered, but by steady and well-directed fire drove the enemy back at every attempt they made to charge. Before the close of the action the cartridges were all expended, but by sending to the hospital and cutting the cartridge boxes from the wounded and the dead, they had a supply until the close of the action. When the firing ceased there were but 200 cartridges in the regiment. Of their bravery and good conduct during the engagement I need only mention, that of the whole number killed and wounded in the brigade, 105, 90 were of this regiment; there were none missing."

General Greene having been wounded early in the fight, the command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Ireland. Lieutenant Colonel Van Voor- hees immediately took command of the regiment, soon after which he was wounded; but, notwithstanding, he continued his duties as commander until the close of the action, when Captain Eldredge took command of the regiment.

An amusing incident occurred while the battle was in progress. The sup- ply train was corralled in the rear of our camp ; the. mules became panic stricken and broke from their fastenings, and made a dash for liberty. The rattle and clatter of itheir chains, and the noise accompanying their stampede, struck terror into the hearts of the enemy, who in the darkness supposed it was a heavy reinforcement of cavalry, and the " Johnnies " broke and ran for their lives. The quartermaster subsequently in making his report recommended that these brave mules be breveted horses for gallantry and meritorious ser- vices on the field in face of the enemy. The One hundred and thirty-seventh Regiment had 15 officers and 353 men present, and of this number 15 men were killed and 3 officers and 72 men were wounded.

Before daylight on the 24th of November, in company with Geary's Divi- sion, we marched to Wauhatchie Creek, where a temporary bridge had been constructed over an old mill-dam on which we crossed and began to climb Lookout Mountain. Our regiment was in the first line of battle, and near the centre. After the right of the line had reached a point near the palisades on

New York at Gettysburg. 947

the top of the mountain, we commenced a forward movement, and soon came upon the enemy, and their first volley killed 2 and wounded several of our regiment. We then moved forward as rapidly as possible, which was very difficult on account of the deep ravines, large boulders, brush and briers which- obstructed our movements; but we moved faster than the enemy and captured a large number of them as we came to an opening on the side of the mountain.

Near the Craven House we encountered the enemy in larger force, behind breastworks, and with two pieces of artillery. Captain Eldredge, who was in command of the regiment at this time, gave the command, " Halt! fix bayonets! charge!" which order was quickly obeyed. Captain Eldredge was the first man to mount the works, followed by the whole regiment. We captured quite a number of prisoners, swept the regimental flags over the captured cannon, passed our prisoners to the rear, and hastened forward to about five rods beyond the Craven House where we found that the enemy had been reinforced, and they arrested our advance. We were relieved in the afternoon by the Seventh Ohio, but remained on the field all night, and the following morning buried our dead. Then, with Hooker's command, we marched through Chattanooga Valley to Missionary Ridge, and took part in its capture. We followed the enemy towards Ringgold, and camped near Peavine Creek.

On the 27th we found the enemy in force on Taylor's Ridge, just back of Ringgold, with artillery in the gap, which was served with destructive force upon our advance. We were ordered to charge across an open field to silence the battery, which we did, but with a loss of 7 men. We remained here but a short time after driving the enemy from this stronghold, and then returned to our camp on Raccoon Mountain. These movements had been a severe test to our endurance. Starting out with three days' rations in cold weather and remaining six days, much of the. time under great excite- ment, when reaction came on we found ourselves badly used up.

Captain Eldredge commanding the regiment states officially: "The men pressing eagerly forward drove the enemy from their breastworks, and some of our men getting so near that after firing their pieces they threw stones at the enemy. Where all did so nobly, it would perhaps be unjust to mention individual instances of bravery, but I cannot refrain from mentioning the names of the color bearers. Jesse A. Brink, Company H; John Barnard, Company D; and George Perkins, Company B, who have so gallantly carried our flag always in advance. When Sergeant Brink fell mortally wounded, Private George Perkins nobly filled his place, and carried the colors' until our return to camp."

In Aprilj our corps number was changed from the Twelfth to the Twentieth, the Eleventh Corps having been consolidated with the Twelfth, and General Hooker placed in command of the new corps. Our brigade was strengthened by the addition of the Twenty-ninth and One hundred and eleventh Penn- sylvania, and an additional division was added to the corps, the Third, com- manded by Gen. Daniel Butterfield. Ex-President Harrison, then Colonel Harrison, commanded a briga<^e in the Third Division.

548 New York at Gettysburg.

We left Wauhatchie January 4, 1864, and marched via Kelly's Ferry, Shell- mound, and Bridgeport to Stevenson, Ala., arriving there on the 7th, and re- mained there doing provost duty until May 2, 1864, when we broke camp and started on the Atlanta campaign. On the morning of the 15th we marched towards the enemy's right at Resaca, Ga., and forming in columns of regi- ments slowly approached his works, being more or less under fire. Our regiment was formed on the right of the Seventy-eighth New York, and was ordered by General Geary to charge and carry a fort in our immediate front. The regiment started, but was ordered to halt by the colonel commanding the brigade. One officer and 5 enlisted men were wounded. The enemy evacu- ated at night, and on the morning of the i6th we marched to the Connesauga River which was forded, the men stripping for the purpose. At 5 p. m. we reached the Coosawattie River, and were ferried over in two flat-bottomed boats lashed together.

On the 25th we started at 7:15 a. m., and after marching about five miles the head of the column became engaged with the enemy. Three of our com- panies were sent out as skirmishers. We advanced to within a short distance of the enemy's works, and were ordered to lie down as we were being heavily shelled, losing 8 men, wounded. On the 15th of June, marched about a mile, and formed in line of battle. Our regiment was in the second line, and on the right of the One hundred and forty-ninth New York. We advanced slowly, keeping in supporting distance of the first line. Going forward about a mile over steep hills and deep ravines, mostly covered with woods, we approached within a short distance of the enemy's fortifications when we were marched by the right flank and became the front line, where a spirited skirmish was going on. Our regiment lost i killed and 14 wounded. On the i6th we lay in breastworks which were built before daylight, skirmishing all day, losing i killed and 6 wounded. On the 17th the enemy having evacuated during the night, we started at 5 a. m., marched into their works and made coffee. At II a. m. moved forward a short distance, reaching cleared land and formed in fine of battle, and while taking our position i man was killed and another wounded. On the 21st we were sent out on a reconnoissance with the One hundred and forty-ninth, advancing about one-fourth of a mile beyond the line of works; we lost 2, wounded. On the 22d moved forward with the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania, and occupied the hill held by the enemy the previous day, losing i man killed, i officer and 2 enlisted men wounded. On the 27th, formed in line of battle and advanced our breastworks one-fourth of a mile, and took a position under fire; i officer slightly, and i man severely wounded. Remained here until June 30th, when we were mustered for pay.

On the morning of July Sth, advanced in a southerly direction, halting at 5 p. m. At this point the boys by climbing trees obtained their first glimpse of Atlanta. At 11 a. m., reached Peach Tree Creek. On the 20th we were aroused by a terrific attack of the enemy. We immediately fell in, and while marching by the right flank to form on the right of the One hundred and forty- ninth we came almost directly upon the enemy's line of battle, and received a galling fire while in that position. The regiment, however, held its ground well, but the right wing being in a deep ravine, the position for fighting was not

New York at Gettysburg. 949

available. Consequently, the regiment fell back about 300 yards and reformed, joined the brigade, and assisted to build temporary breastworks, and this line we held until the conclusion of the battle. Loss, 8 killed, 19 vvounded, and 3 missing. On the 21st, we buried our dead. The following day, the enemy having fallen back from his line of works, we marched to within two miles of Atlanta, and halted at 11 a. m. On the 23d marched to the left of the Second Division, and occupied this position until the 27th, when our line being advanced nearer the enemy we moved in the front line, our regiment relieving the troops of the Third Division. We remained in this position, furnishing 3 commissioned officers and about 80 enlisted men for picket and fatigue duty until September 2d, at 5 p. m., when we received orders to move forward towards Atlanta, which had been evacuated by the Confederates during the day. About midnight we marched into Atlanta with flying colors, band and drum corps playing, thus ending a tedious campaign of four months, dur- ing which time we had marched about 300 miles ; our total loss was 79. Offi- cers wounded, 2; men killed, 12; wounded, 62; missing, 3. Colonel Ireland, who commanded the brigade from the time of the wounding of General Greene at the battle of Wauhatchie, was stricken down by disease and died in Atlanta, September 10, 1864, just one week after the occupation of the city by our forces. His body was sent North, and buried in Spring Forest Cemetery at Binghamton, N. "Y.

The regiment left Atlanta on the 15th of November, 1864, with Sherman's army, and on that day commenced its historic March to the Sea. The march was an uneventful one, being remarkable for its interesting experiences in foraging rather than in fighting. On reaching the Georgia Central Railroad near Sandersville, the regiment assisted in the novel work of tearing up the track, in heating and twisting the rails, and in otherwise destroying the rail- road property. The division arrived in front of the city of Savannah on the nth of December, and laid siege to the place. Here we received our first mail since leaving Atlanta. The city was evacuated by the enemy on the 21st, and the White Star Division, to which the One hundred and thirty-seventh belonged, entered the city and took formal possession. General Geary made a very complimentary address to our brigade on this occasion, to which Col. Henry A. Bamum, who had succeeded Colonel Ireland in his command, made a happy response. During this campaign the regiment lost i killed, 8 wounded, and 4 missing. While at Savannah, a company of recruits which had enlisted for one year's service, joined the regiment and were designated as Company L.

Leaving Savannah, January 27, 1865, the regiment, under command of Major Eldredge, moved with the corps on the Carolina campaign, marching northward, arriving at Goldsboro, N. C, on March 25th. During this march the corps forded many rivers and waded through swamps; made long, fatiguing marches in all kinds of weather; foraged on the country; skfi-mished at times with the enemy; destroyed railroads at various places, and experienced all the hardships incidental to an active campaign in an enemy's country. The corps was present in the meantime and partially engaged at the battles of Averasborough a:nd Bentonville, in North Carolina.

950 New York at Gettysburg.

After encamping two weeks at Goldsboro we resumed our northward ajid homeward march, passing through Appomattox, Richmond, and the battle- fields of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Chancellorsville. At the latter place a detail was made to bury our comrades who fell there in May, 1863, and whose bones were found bleaching where they fell.

Crossing the Rappahannock at United States Ford, and passing through our old camp grounds at Fairfax Station, we arrived at Alexandria on May 19th. On the 24th we marched in the Grand Review at Washington, the final pageant of the war. The regiment was mustered out June 9, 1865, when its long and honorable service was brought to a close, and the scarred and sun- brcwned veterans returned to the quiet pursuits of civil life.

,(—

ti-'!5T

J. B. LYON PRINT.

F. J. iiii.Vh.tkh.ncti., I'UUTO.

140th new YORK INFANTRY.

On Little Round Top. In rear of the monument is the stone wall, erected as a breastwork on the

night of July 2d.

New York at Gettysburg.

951

(INSCRIPTIONS.)

(Right.)

140th

N. Y. INFTY,

3rd brigade

2nd division

5th corps. JULY 3 & 3, 1863.

VALOR.

(Left Side.)

Number engaged, 526

Casualties

26 Killed, 89 Wounded

18 Missing.

DUTY.

(Front.)

PATRIOTISM.

(Reverse.)

Col. Pat'k H. O'Rorke

Killed July 2, 1863.

FRATERNITY.

952 New York at Gettysburg.

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT. 140th regiment INFANTRY.

September 17, 1889. Address by Lieut. Robert J. Lester.

Comrades and Friends: • i

We are here to dedicate a monument which shall preserve and honor the memory of our comrades who, in giving their lives on this spot, gave the supremest evidence of their patriotism and devotion to their country.

The great State of New York remembers her heroes. Her citizens are ever ready to honor the brave, and the names of our friends who fell on this bloody field are written on the hearts of her people. These rest from their labors. For them no more the weary march — the nightly bivouac — the lonely watch of the picket; but their works do follow them, and in the peace, the prosperity and security of a united people they have their ample recom- pense. Eternal honor rewards duty well done. The survivors of these battle- fields receive a just recognition from a grateful country. Honored in all the walks of life, they are foremost in every patriotic work, and show in all manly ways their devotion to the flag and to the living principles of liberty. The veterans of the war performed their duty as good citizens when the country called them to arms. In peace they continue constant in every work which stands for the honor and well being of all our people. Whatever difference of opinion may exist as to the methods, the same great purpose animates all hearts.

The soldiers of the war are honored not only for what they did twenty- five years ago, but for what they have aided to accomplish in the years since peace has ruled our borders. As statesmen, as scholars, and in all the wallcs of lousiness and professional life they have commanded the confidence and the esteem of their fellow citizens. Nor have they as a class failed to secure those material rewards which are the result of industry. The soldier in health is not a dependent on the public bounty. Less than 25 per cent, of the amount paid by the national treasury for pensions is paid to the survivors of the war. Over 75 per cent, is paid to the widows, orphaned children or dependent parents of those who lost their lives as a result of service in the field.

The veterans of the war have shown the disposition and the ability to make their own way in the world, while at the same time devoting themselves to every patriotic enterprise.

Comrades — as we drop the sympathetic tear over the friends who fell in our ranks on this and many other fields — let us remember their virtues, and emulate their patience and patriotism, their courage and self-sacrifice. Let it be our part to conserve and maintain what they secured at such a cost. May it be our constant aim so to live as to honor our counlry and ourselves, and so honor the cause for which our brothers died.

New York at Gettysburg. 953

ADDRESS BY LIEUT. COL. LOUIS ERNST. Comrades: |

I know that you expect no formal speech from me, but out of the fullness of my heart I am glad to express the feeling of profound gratification with which,! meet you, the men of my old regiment, upon this battlefield and here mingle my thoughts with yours as together we remember the great deeds done and the sad losses suffered here. What a spot this is! As I rode with you this morning about the old field and saw for the first time the splendid monu- ments here erected, the thought came over n:e, what other battlefield in the world is like this? What nation on the globe has 'so commemorated the achievements of its armies?

Standing on this spot, and by the side of this memorial stone, our thoughts turn to our brave comrades who fell here. Many good men were lost on that day, and we are here to unite in a tribute to their memory. Among them all there stands foremost in our minds our young Col. O'Rorke, who was here cut off in the flower of his youth. In his memory and in that of all those who here fell with him we here unite in these appropriate ceremonies.

I will no longer detain you. Our comrade Farley stands ready to address you more at length upon the thoughts which now fill all our minds.

ADDRESS BY CAPT. PORTER FARLEY. Comrades:

The motives which have brought us together spring from events which were momentous in our history as a nation; which were tragic and bereaving as they affected many of us in our social and domestic lives, and which hap- pened here so long ago that we now look back upon them across half our lifetimes.

And now that time has made us gray, we have made a pilgrimage to this historic spot, to revive our memories of the deeds which make it famous, to evince our devotion to a united country in whose cause those deeds were done, to honor the memory of those whose lives here went out amid the smoke of battle, and upon this soil which drank their blood to dedicate this monument, which to our children's children and to generations after them shall stand to mark the place where our loved regiment rendered its great service and suf- fered its most grievous loss.'

On this very spot, on Thursday, the 2d day of July, 1863, the One hundred and fortieth Regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry met the enemy, and after a desperate struggle stood fast upon this eminence, and here with other brave commands shared the honors of victory. It is to commemorate that action that we are here to-day.

Peace now spreads her sheltering wings over the broad valley which lies before us. The hills and woodlands which surround it, the farm houses which dot its fruitful fields, the cattle grazing in its pastures, and the blue mountains

954 New York at Gettysburg.

on its far horizon, all unite to form a picture which suggests only the quiet, the plenty, and the thrift of happy rural life.

How different was the scene that broke upon us that July afternoon, a quarter of a century ago, when we first looked across this landscape and beheld it then, — a vision of horror, filled with the smoke and carnage of battle.

It was the moment when disaster had overwhelmed the front of the Union army. Sickles' Corps was falling back, pressed by an exultant foe. A great part of it was in dire confusion. The air was resonant with all the dis- cordant sounds of battle. Horsemen and footmen and cannon in great con- fusion filled out the foreground of the picture, as seen through the clouds of smoke which drifted over all the field. Little besides the components of that picture is fixed upon our memory, for its movements were tumultuous, and the gHmpse we caught of it was only momentary. But the recollection of the scene, albeft so confused, lingers like a frightful dream whose impressions cannot be recalled in actual order, nor yet can they be forgotten.

The campaign which culminated in the great battle of Gettysburg — the battle itself, with all its horrors, and the pursuit of the enemy which followed — are subjects which might draw a speaker on to endless lengths. But re- sisting this temptation, we must confine ourselves to a brief description which shall chiefly concern our regiment's own experience, services, and losses upon the spot where we now stand.

It would be a satisfaction to review our regimental history during the hot and toilsome month which preceded the great battle; to retrace our itinerary and follow the course of events by which we were led up to the exciting moment when the bullets of the enemy whistled through our ranks upon this hilltop. But time permits me to stir your memories of that campaign only by the mention of Falmouth and United States Ford, of Hartwood Church and Weaversville, of Manassas Junction and Centreville, Bull Run, Gum Springs, Aldie, Leesburg, Union Mills, and Hanover. Every one of those names suggest some reminiscence. Every man of you has his story which he could tell about them. But we cannot linger on the history of those marches. We will go back only a single day.

It was on Wednesday, July i, 1863, that the battle of Gettysburg began. At 4 o'clock, in the morning of that day we left our bivouac at the village of Union Springs, Md., and crossing the State line marched that day to Han- over. There we halted in an open field just on the outskirts of the town. We were resting there when the rumor reached our camp that a battle that day had been fought somewhere to the east of us, and that General Reynolds had been killed. Orders to move soon came. By 6 o'clock that evening we were again on the road, and we were making all possible speed towards Gettys- burg.

We were campaigning under new conditions. It was a novel experience for us to be marching through a free State, and to be greeted as friends by a loyal people. You all remember how the women and children stood by their gates with an anxious, kindly interest in their faces; how the farmers served us with water and saluted us with kindly words. Darkness came on, but we pushed forward till i o'clock in the morning, when we halted and laid down

New York at Gettysburg. 955

in the dusty road at Bonaughtown, some three miles east of Gettysburg. So tired were we that sleep came upon us almost as soon as we dropped upon the ground. At 4 o'clock we were roused from our heavy slumbers, and, shaking off as best we could the drowsiness which oppressed us, we moved further westward. Perhaps it was an hour later, at all events it was shortly after sunrise, when we halted, and with the other regiments of our brigade were massed in close column by division in the rear of troops who were de- ployed in line of bkttle, with skirmishers advanced. The preparations all indicated a belief in the near presence of the enemy in force. The geography of this battlefield was then absolutely unknown to us; but from what we have learned of it since, it appears to me that we were then to the right, or eastward, from Gulp's Hill. It was while waiting there that a printed order was brought to Colonel O'Rorke. He read it and then handed it to the adjutant, as they both sat mounted in front of the regiment, and told him to read it aloud. It was from the general in command of the army and was as follows:

CIRCULAR.

" Headquarters Army of the Potomac, June 30, 1863.

" The commanding general requests that previous to the engagement soon expected with the enemy, corps and all other commanding officers will address their troops, explaining to them briefly the immense issues involved in this struggle. The enemy are on our soil. The whole country now looks anxiously to this army to deliver it from the presence of the foe. Our failure to do so will leave us no such welcome as the swelling of million of hearts with pride and joy at our success would give to every soldier in the army. Homes, firesides, and domestic altars are involved. The army has fought well here- tofore. It is believed that it will fight more desperately and bravely than ever if it is addressed in fitting terms.

" Corps and other commanders are authorized to order the instant death of any soldier who fails in his duty at this hour.

" By command of Major General Meade.

" S. WILLIAMS, Asst. Adjt. General."

The order was explicit that all commanding officers should address theii troops; and though doubtless much against his inclinations, as it was cer- tainly contrary to his habit, O'Rorke, for the first and last time, there addressed a speech to his regiment. How well we all remember him sitting there on his horse in front of the regimental colors. His face, his form, his dress, all come up before us. His cheeks flushed as he spoke, but there was no hesitancy, and he closed with the ringing words: " I call on the file closers to do their duty, and if there is a man this day base enough to leave his company, let him die in his tracks. Shoot him down like a dog." The words were those of a man who intended to do his duty, and who was equally determined that every man under him should do his. The speech was efifective for its purpose and a murmur of approval ran through the ranks. The scene, the action, and the w^rds were of intense dramatic interest.

556 New York at Gettysburg,

We soon changed our position, and during the greater part of the remainder of that day we lay with the whole of our corps upon Powers Hill, about a mile eastward from the spot where we now stand.

Throughout the day, the boom of an occasional cannon shot could be heard, but it seemed far away. Late in the afternoon, however, we could hear the artillery in lively play to our westward; but it still seemed much more distant than it really was. The battle of the day had actually opened, and we were soon set in motion towards the high ground which we could see to the west- Ward, and which in fact was the very hill on which we now stand.

The First Division of our corps had preceded us, and so had the other brigades of our division and the other regiments of our brigade. It is my belief that we were marching that afternoon as the rear regiment of the Second .Division. The whole of our division, therefore, was passing along the road which crosses this ridge at the foot of the northern extremity of Little Round Top; the two leading brigades had become engaged in the furious battle then raging on the farther side; our own brigade was crossing the ridge, and we ourselves had about reached the point where the railroad now crosses the roadway, when an incident occurred which changed our line of march, and which proved to be an important factor in the result of that day's battle.

Just at that moment our former brigadier. Gen. G. K. Warren, Chief En- gineer of the Army, with an orderly and one or two ofHcers, rode down towards the head of our regiment He came from the direction of the hill top, that is, from this point where we now stand. His speed and manner indicated un- usual excitement. Before he reached us he called out to O'Rorke to lead his regiment that way up the hill. O'Rorke answered him that General Weed had gone ahead and expected this regiment to follow him. " Never mind that," answered Warren, " I'll take the responsibility." Warren's words and manner carried conviction of the importance of the thing he asked. Accept- ing his assurance of full justification, O'Rorke turned the head of the regiment to the left, and following one of the officers who had been with Warren, led it diagonally up the eastern slope of Little Round Top. Warren rode off evidently bent on securing other troops. The staflf officer who rode with us, by his impatient gestures urged us to our greatest speed. You will remember how some of the guns of Hazlett's Battery broke through our files before we reached the top, and the frantic efforts of the horses, lashed by the drivers, to pull their heavy pieces up that steep acclivity. A few seconds later the head of our regiment reached the summit of the ridge; war's wild panorama spread before us, and we found ourselves upon the verge of battle.

It was a moment which called for leadership, and we are here to-day the witnesses of the manner in which that leadership was fulfilled. There was no time for tactical formation. Delay was ruin. Hesitation was destruction. Well was it for the cause he served that the man who led our regiment that day was one prompt to decide and brave to execute.

The bullets flew in among the men the moment the leading company mounted the ridge, and as not a musket was loaded the natural impulse was to halt and load them. But O'Rorke permitted no such delay. Springing from his horse, he threv; his reins to the sergeant major; his sword flashed

New York at Gettysburg. 957i

from its scabbard into the sunlight, and calling, " This way, boys," he led the charge over the rocks, down this hillside, till he came abreast the men of Vincent's Brigade, who were posted in the ravine to the left. Joining them an irregular line was formed, such as the confusion of the rocks lying there- about permitted, and this line grew and was extended towards the right as the successive rearward companies came upon the scene of action. There, while some were partly sheltered by the rocks and others stood in the open, a fierce fight went on with an enemy among the trees and underbrush. Flushed with the excitement and bravely led, they pushed up close to our line. Tlie steadfastness and valor displayed on both sides made the result for some minutes doubtful; but a struggle so desperate and bloody could not be a long one. The enemy fell back; a short lull was succeeded by another on- slaught, which was again repelled.

The story has been told in print that our colonel led with the regimental colors in his own hands; and that the men followed him, and with clubbed muskets beat back the enemy. Such fictions provoke a smile, and are men- tioned only to contradict them. O'Rorke carried only his sword, and you carried your muskets grasped by the butts and not by the barrels. History should record the truth without exaggeration. And this is the truth of the matter: that as the regiment came over the ridge its muskets were empty, and its leading companies rushed down the hill to meet the enemy without firing a shot. It was only when you came abreast the men of Vincent's Brigade near the foot of the hill that you had time to load and return the fire which spit a deadly fusillade from tlie woods before you. Those woods seemed to swarm with the g^y-coated crowd. The enemy had almost enveloped Vin- cent, and had nearly seized this vantage ground on whiqh we stand. Vincent's men, who for some minutes had maintained the fight, were outnumbered and outflanked. Reinforcement was never more opportune. The arrival of the One hundred and fortieth Regiment at that crucial moment saved Little Round Top; and a glance at the surrounding topography carries conviction as to the supreme value of its possession.

While our regiment fought in the valley, the guns of Hazlett's Battery thundered from this hilltop, and its discharges swept the hostile lines which had forced back Sickles' corps; so that by the time our regiment's fighting was over, not a battalion of the enemy remained in sight upon the opposite ridge, which had been the scene of that afternoon's chief battle.

Such, briefly told, was the struggle for the possession of this hilltop.

When that struggle was over, the exultation of victory was' soon chilled by the dejection which oppressed us as we counted and realized the cost of all that had been won. Of our regiment, 85 enlisted men and 6 officers had been wounded. Two of these officers, Lieuts. Hugh McGraw and Charles P. Klein, were fatally hurt. Besides these, 26 of the comrades who had marched with us that afternoon had fallen dead before the fire of the enemy. Grouped by companies, a row of inanimate forms lay side by side beneath the trees upon this eastern slope. No funeral ceremony, and only shallow graves could be accorded them. In the darkness of the night, silently and with bitter de- jection, each company buried its dead.

g^8 New York at Gettysburg.

Among the slain was one whose loss lay heavy on the heart of every one of us. Your thoughts anticipate his name. The artist's hand has reproduced his features, and his efifigy upon this cenotaph now calmly gazes upon us, and for years to come shall remain the testimony to all who come this way of the admiration and the love which this regiment accorded him. O'Rorke was among the dead. Shot through the neck, he had fallen without a groan, and we may hope without a pang. The supreme effort of his life was consummated by a death heroic in its surroundings and undisturbed by pain.

The spot on which he died is a most fitting place, and this circle of his comrades the most fitting presence in which to utter that tribute to his memory, which by grace of character, by natural talent, and by studious culture, he so truly deserves. To me ha was as an elder brother beloved; and though since that time Death has struck near and hard upon my heart, he had never before struck so near as that July afternoon, when I looked down upon the placid features of O'Rorke's dead face and felt that he had gone from me forever. Twenty-six years have passed, and time has tempered the grief which his death brought into our hearts; but we shall always cherish his memory with a loving regard and admiration, which only a noble nature could inspire. We have known many men since the day he died. Let each of us recall the list of those whose qualities have most attracted his regard. Has there been one among them who possessed combined, the grace of form and carriage, the modesty, the purity and honesty of character, the amiable temper, the in- tellectual force, the commanding influence over others, the knightly accom- plishments of his profession, and above all, the proved courage of Col. Pat. O'Rorke, who here died at the head of his regiment? For myself I must say that I have never known one whose personality was so symmetrically developed, one so free from blemish, one who so well exemplified the ideal soldier and man.

" He was a very perfect, gentle knight"

This cenotaph is a memorial of all our comrades who died in this great battle; but by the united wish of all of us who survived, it bears the face and name of the man whom we all most delighted to honor.

A visit to this field cannot be regarded as a mere holiday excursion. It recalls the most dreadful recollections ; it suggests the most serious thoughts. To us living in these peaceful times and standing in this now peaceful spot, the tragedy which for three days was enacted here, viewed through the vista of a quarter of a century, seems like a dreadful nightmare. Though it was so real, so impressive, so fraught with excitements and filled with scenes so sur- prisingly beyond any we have ever witnessed, either before or since, it never- theless seems after this lapse of years to be invested with a haze which casts upon the picture as we reproduce it in our memory, a semblance of unreality, which almost makes us doubt our waking senses, and we ask ourselves, " Can these things have really happened? "

Our experience in the war taught us many lessons. In it we learned the duty of obedience, the strength which Ues in discipline and in organization, the recognition of those qualities in men which fit them for leadership and com-

New York at Gettysburg. 959

mandi These were some of our many lessons. But above all, we learned to value rightly the blessings of Peace. The old volunteer soldiers, who are living in these days, are the men of peace. If the shaping of our nation's policy were to be intrusted to those who actually fought in the ranks, and who carried the sword of command upon the battlefields of the Rebellion, Jingoism would be voted down in their councils. Should invasion threaten, or a just war call again for patriotic service, no class of citizens would so promptly rally to the^front as they. But they know the dread horrors of the business, and their influence is a potent factor in the consensus of our national life, which works in favor of that justice in national policy, which diminishes the danger of internal disturbance and of external aggression. A fervent " amen " is the response which goes up from them in answer to the sentiment of the greatest captain of the war, who gloriously closed his military career with the benignant utterance " Let us Have Peace."

q6o New York at Gettysbueg.

(INSCRIPTIONS.).

(Front.)

145th N. Y. INFY.

1st brig. 1st Div.

12th corps.

JULY 2, 3, 1863.

(Reverse.)

Casualties

Killed i. Wounded 9

Total Loss 10.

J. K. LYON I'RINT,

145th new YORK INFANTRY. On Gulp's Hill, southeasterly slope ; line of McDougairs Brigade, Twelfth Corps

F. J. SKVKKBMCE, PHOTO.

^Jew York at Gettysburg. 961

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT. 145th regiment INFANTRY.

July 3, 1890.

Oration by Col. Edward L. Price.

Comrades and Countrymen:

On this day twenty-seven years since, we trod as soldiers of the Union what was then a bloody battlefield. On this d^y, twenty-seven years after, we stand upon what is now a field of peac^, only disturbed by the scenes of the past which its sight recalls to memory. Here we stand, thankful to God that so many of us survive, but still more thankful that the seed planted here in blood has grown to a goodly tree, and that after the strife of brothers all are gathered again under the old flag with a friendship made still stronger through the blood of friends and foes.

As we stand here and look at well-remembered points how the facts come to us! What privations and sufferings calmly and heroically endured return to memory! What patriotic duty gallantly done rises up again! What scenes, where the brave face danger without fear and meet death without repining, open again before us! And all this not for glory only (though he is a dull clod who is not stirred by a noble ambition), nor through avarice, for the price of danger and death is not to be balanced by gold; nor through malice, for we hated the cause they upheld on their bayonets and not the men we fought; but that the federal constitution made by our forefathers, creating a perpetual Union, decreeing the liberty of the citizen and the autonomy of the states, might be preserved for us and for our descendants through the coming countless years.

It needs no orator, comrades, to recite the deeds and picture the scenes of the decisive fight — the key-battle of the unhappy war — which took place here. It would be idle to paint for you a panorama of which you were part of the moving pictures, or to reproduce a fragment of history which you aided to make. The battle was the turning point, and is its own panegyric. Up to that time there was doubt mixed with hope on both sides. The scales hung nicely balanced in the hand of the Fates; but when, after the repulse of Pickett's gallant and desperate charge, the skilled leader of the foe retreated with his baffled and bleeding braves, fear and doubt were with the enemy and hope and confidence with us. The triumph of the Union was a foregoije conclusion, and all that followed Gettysburg were the necessary forms of a predetermined triumph of the constitution and the laws.

Nor is it for us here to laud our own heroism, to vaunt our sacrifices, or to

call on men to praise the patriotism which moved us in those days of blood

and steel. The country had done that. The grand and imperial State of

New York recognizes these things by the monument here erected in honor of

■ our comrades, which we dedicate to their memory to-day.

But, ah! That is not all the monument to the heroic deeds of those who sleep around us. Long after the bones of our once dear comrades shall have

6i

062 New York at Gettysburg.

mouldered to dust, long after the splendid token of a great State's gratitude shall have fallen to fragments under the blows of time, history will record the doings on this field, and the proudest monument will be the peace, prosperity and progress of the United States, and the renewed and strengthened friend- ship and brotherly love of their people.

Yes, comrades, brotherly love. When we fought in the past, it was with no personal hatred, but through a sense of duty; and, now, in dedicating this monument, we do it without rancor, to perpetuate the memory of the great fight which marked the stoppage of the ebb tide of conflict, and its turn here to the flood of triumph. Here it was, amid the roar of cannon, the rattle of musketry and the clash of steel, that the phantom of a Southern Confederacy vanished into thin air and was seen no more. Here, to secure this end, 10,000 men — parts of as noble a manhood as the world ever saw — "Friend and foe in wild confusion blent " — gave up their lives.

No one, when this battle began, knew its result. Both sides hoped, both sides doubted; but both determined to do.

Ah, we had foemen worthy of our steel! The more honor to those who won! They had not to course with hares, but to wrestle with lions. The flower of the Southern chivalry grappled with the Bayards of the North. It was a three-days' fight of giants, and the waves of battle surged and the columns dealt deadly blows, or reeled under fierce shocks.

The final result was known only to the God of battles. And when the third day closed in blood, we knew not, what God only knew, that we had won and that the morrow's morning sun, rising on the anniversary of our independence as a people, would rise also on a victory which would again establish that union of the states, that can alone make that independence secure.

Ah, comrades, as you stand before this token of the gratitude and good feeling of the great State under whose banner you served, as well as under the flag of the Union of which it is a part, dismiss the darker part of the past before the light of the glorious future. Be proud that 65,000,000 of people now partake of the blessings you fought to secure. Admire the Supreme Wisdom that bade, you build "wiser than you knew." You fought for the Union; but you were the North and a section, and while you fought for the Union, were necessarily partisan; for the South was against the Union.

The war is over; and now you see that by the kind dispensation of the Supreme Power you won not only a stronger Union but a new prosperity for the South as well. The shackles of the slave were shackles on the master. In breaking these you have emancipated all. The South feels the blood of a new youth coursing through its veins. The sleeping giant there has awakened. Where labor was formerly evaded, toil is alive. The South gives forth its long-locked treasures to enterprise. Where silence reigned formerly, there comes the hum of the mills and the clang of forges. The new Soutli under the Union which you aided to preserve, is marching to a golden goal of prosperity. And this good, which as part of the Union the North shares, was not proposed by man, but disposed by a higher power.

You did not toil in vain, comrades, nor did those whose revered bones moulder in this sacred soil part with their lives for naught. You secured

New York at Gettysburg. 963

blessings for friend and foe alike; bfessings for the whole country, not a sec- tion. And here to this field shall come year after year your descendants and those of others; and the same of those who fought you, honoring thereby more the courage of their sires. They shall learn also to be proud of the patriotism of the army of the Republic, the results of whose achievements shall be theirs not less than yours ; for from this day twenty-seven years since, dates the solidification as well as security of a Union of hearts as well as hands;, the supremacy of the national government where the consititution makes it supreme; the preservation of the reserved powers of the States; and above- all, the maintenance of the freedom of the individual in the pursuit of progress,, prosperity and happiness.

To the dead who sleep here, comrades, a memory ever green; to the living who profit by their death, a glorious future. To the gallant McDougall who headed yoitr brigade, to Williams who led your division, to Slocum who commanded your army corps, and to Meade, the chief of all, — the libation of your tears. Not to perpetuate bitterness, not in rancor, but to honor patri- otism with courage — is this monument unveiled to the light of day.

Comrades, survivors of the fray! We celebrate the Uniop, the States, and the People — one and the same, now and forever.

HISTORICAL SKETCH,

By Philip S, Clark, President i4Sth N. Y. V. Veteran Association.

The One hundred and forty-fifth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, was raised in New York, Richmond and Suffolk counties. It was mustered into the United States service at New Dorp, Staten Island, on September 11, 1862, and started for Washington, D. C, on September 25th under the com- mand of Lieut. Col. Ole P. H. Balling. On arriving at Washington the regi- ment was reviewed by President Lincoln.

On September 28th the regiment was ordered to Frederick City, Md., and from there to Pleasant Valley. After camping for a few days in the Valley it proceeded to Bolivar Heights and went into camp, where it was assigned to Kane's Brigade, Geary's Division, Banks' Corps. While encamped on Bolivar Heights the One hundred and forty-fifth made frequent reconnoissances up the Shenandoah River and to Winchester, Va. Early in December, 1862, the regiment marched to Stafford Court House where it went into winter quarters. At that place it was transferred to the First Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Army Corps, and was joined by Col. E. Livingston Price, now of Newark, N. J., as its colonel.

In the latter part of April, 1863, the regiment left camp, and marched to the Rappahannock River, which it crossed by wading, and participated in the battle of Chancellorsville, where it left i officer and 5 enlisted men killed, and a large number missing, of whom many were never heard from afterwards, having evidently been killed or mortally wounded and not identified.

On May 5, 1863, the One hundred and forty-fifth recrossed the river and marched back to its old camp at Stafford Court House, where it remained

964 New York at Gettysburg,

until the corps started on the march which ended in the battle at Gettysburg. The regiment arrived on this field late in the afternoon of July ist, and was placed in position on the slope of Gulp's Hill, near Spangler's Spring, where it assisted in throwing up the breastworks on that line. On th« afternoon of the second day the One hundred and forty-fifth, with the rest of the division, was ordered to the left to the support of General Sickles' Corps, but arrived too late to take an active part in repulsing the enemy in his attack on that part of the line.

On returning late that night to its old position on the right, it found its works occupied by the enemy who, taking advantage of the absence of the division, had taken possession and opened fire upon the troops as they re- turned. The regiment halted and bivouacked for the night. At daylight, on the 3d, the regiment assisted in driving out the enemy, and reoccupied its line about 11 o'clock, a. m., losing i killed and 9 wounded, of whom 2 sub- sequently died of their wounds and were buried in the cemetery at Gettysburg.

On the retreat of Lee's army the One hundred and forty-fifth accompanied the corps in its pursuit of the Confederates into Virginia, and went into camp at Raccoon. Ford on the Rapidan River. It remained there until Sep- tember 23, 1863, when the corps was detached from the Army of the Potomac and ordered to Tennessee. On its arrival in Tennessee the regiment was placed on guard duty on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, with head- quarters at Tantalon, where it remained until December 9, 1863. Its organi- zation was then discontinued, and Companies B, C, G, I and K, were trans- ferred to the One hundred and seventh Regiment; Companies E and H to the One hundred and twenty-third Regiment, and Companies A, D and F, to the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment, New York Volunteers.

The subsequent history of these regiments is the history of the men of the One hundred and forty-fifth. The good service rendered by them is attested by the following extract from a letter written by Col. A. B. Smith, of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment, New York Volunteers, dated Pough- keepsie, N. Y., July 14, 1893:

" About 100 as good men as ever went to the war came to us from your regi- ment.''

Also, from a letter from Surg. John J. H. Love, Thirteenth New jersey, dated Montclair, N. J., November 28, 1889:

" The official records speak in a very creditable manner of the fighting qualities of the men of your regiment, and uniformly bear witness to their good conduct in the Atlanta campaign."

The men who were thus transferred from the One hundred and forty-fifth retained their corps badge, — the red star of Williams' Division, with which famous command they participated in the bloody battles of the Atlanta cam- paign, Sherman's March to the Sea, the siege of Savannah, and the battles of Slocum's army in the final campaign in the Carolinas. In the One hundred and seventh New York it was often remarked that, of the large number of casualties sustained by that regiment in the Atlanta campaign, the transferred men of the One hundred and forty-fifth sufifered more than their share, a strange fatality seeming to pursue them in this respect.

J. B. LYON PRINT.

F. J. SEVEKENCE, PttOTO.

146th new YORK INFANTRY.

On Little Round Top, line of Weed's Brigade, Fifth Corps

New York at Gettysburg. 965

(INSCRIPTIONS.)

(Front.) 146th new YORK INFANTRY

(5th ONEIDA)

3d brigade, 2d DIVISION,

5th corps.

COL'S GARRARD, JENKINS, GRINDLAY.

(Reverse.)

July 2 and 3, 1863

Casualties

Killed 4

Wounded 24

(Right Side.) Engaged in 23 Battles. Thrice complimented in general

ORDERS.

(Left Side.)

From this position

Maj. Gen. Meade

observed the Battle

for a time

ON July 3

g6Q New York at Gettysburg.

146th regiment INFANTRY,

" HALLECK INFANTRY."

Historical Sketch by Gen. James G. Grindlay.

The One hundred and forty-sixth Regiment was organized in Home under the direction of the senatorial committee of the Nineteenth District. It was mustered into service October lo, 1862. It has frequently been designated the " Fifth Oneida," but its original synonym was " Halleck Infantry," in honor of Maj. Gen. Henry Wager Halleck, who was a native of Oneida County. The familiar title of " Garrard Tigers," by which the officers and men were wont to speak of themselves, was a compliment to the stern discipline and soldierly en- thusiasm of Col. Kenner Garrard, a graduate of West Point, who had accepted the command of the One hundred and forty-sixth at the suggestion of Gen- eral Halleck. Colonel Garrard had been nearly fifteen years in the United States service.

The regiment left for the seat of war on October nth, and went into camp at Arlington Heights, Va. During the month that the regiment remained there it was subjected to the most severe drill. Leaving Camp Seward, Novem- ber 9th, it joined the Army of the Potomac at Warrenton the day after Mc- Clellan was relieved of command. The regiment was assigned to the Third Brigade, Sykes' Division, Fifth Corps, the latter then under the command of General Meade. In the latter part of November it went into camp near Fal- mouth, Va^ and remained there until December nth, when it broke camp and was engaged with the army at the battle of Fredericksburg. On the 15th the One hundred and forty-sixth recrossed the river to its old camp. It was the last regiment over at the lower bridge. It was at the battle of Chancellorsville, May 1-3, 1863, under Hooker, and in the first day's fight suffered heavily; but the men acquitted themselves .with honor. May 21, 1863, the regiment was sent on guard to Richards' Ford on the Rappahannock River.

On June loth the start was made for Gettysburg. During that battle the One hundred and forty-sixth was in the brigade commanded by Brigadier General Weed. Here also it was that the One hundred and forty-sixth, with the One hundred and fortieth New York, and Ninety-first and One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Regiments, at a severe loss of officers and men, charged up and obtained possession of " Little Round Top," the key to the position, and held it during the entire engagement. They were among the first troops to occupy " Round Top Ridge," which they did on the afternoon of the 2d of July. The brigade went up on the double-quick. Hood's Division of Longstreet's Corps were just climbing the hill when we reached the top and in a hand-to-hand encounter drove them back. It was then that General Weed, Colonel O'Rorke of the One hundred and fortieth New York, and Cap- tain Hazlett, commanding the famous " Battery D," Fifth United States Ar- tillery, were killed. The charge of Crawford's men was in the Valley, on the right of our position, and it was handsomely made. I would not detract from it in the least, but I claim that the brave deed of Weed's and Vincent's Brigades

New York at Gettysburg. 967

should have whatever of glory is attached to " Round Top." General Lee says, in his official report, that it was the real point of controversy. Warren said it was the key of the battlefield, and he put us there. Finally, General Meade and all his staff generals came to the position occupied by this brigade to view the battlefield. The losses of the Third Division (Crawford's) at Gettys- burg in killed, wounded and missing were 249; the losses of the Second Divis- ion (Ayres'), regulars and volunteers, were 1,028.

What a scene was Round Top! There was the high bluff covered with rocky crags, among and on which our brave zouaves were disposed in every possible position. On the central rock was the signal flag, telling the story of the battle. And there was Warren — the master mind it seemed of the field, — with his neck patched up from the wounds received on that spot. There was Hazlett and Weed, dying; and Sykes and Garrard as cool as if witnessing a review, while the rifled guns of Hazlett were within fifteen yards of the same place and firing directly over their heads at the enemy's lines; and then if the group of Meade and his generals were added, it would make an excellent position to locate an historic picture of the battle. In consequence of the death of General Weed and Colonel O'Rorke, the command devolved upon Colonel Garrard, and for his gallant conduct on that occasion he was com- missioned brigadier general. Colonel Jenkins then took 'command of the regiment.

The One hundred and forty-sixth shared the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac until the spring of 1864, when General Grant assumed command of the army, and the First and Fifth Corps were consolidated. The One hundred and forty-sixth was then in the Fifth Corps, First Brigade, Second Di- vision, General Ayres commanding the division. April 29th the army broke pamp, and on May 4th came within one mile of the Wilderness battlefield. On the succeeding day the One hundred and forty-sixth went into the fray, and suffered almost total annihilation; numbering at the commencement some 600 muskets, they lost nearly 400 in killed, wounded and prisoners. Col. David T. Jenkins, of Vernon, then commanding the regiment — than whom a braver or more meritorious officer never lived — was killed. He was ac- counted one of the best engineers in the Army of the Potomac, although not a West Point graduate. On that day also fell that gifted, courageous young dfficer, Lieut. Col. Henry Hastings Curran. The command of the regiment devolved upon James G. Grindlay, who led it until the close of the war. From this time until the end, the One hundred and forty-sixth bore a conspicuous part in all the operations of the Army of the Potomac. In the final movement of the campaign of Grant, when Sheridan took the advance on the extreme left of Dinwiddle Court House, he came upon the enemy a few miles beyond, at Five Forks. Warren's Corps was at once sent to his relief. The One hundred and forty-sixth led the advance, and marched all liight. They had been fighting all day, and the corps had suffered a loss of 1,800 in killed and wounded. Yet with Warren for a leader, and without an hour's rest, they marched along and reported to Sheridan next morning.

Thus reinforced an advance was made, and the enemy found strongly in- trenched at Five Forks. Warren was directed to move with his whole corps to the enemy's left flank, while the cavalry attacked in front With his usual

q68 New York at Gettysburg.

skill and promptitude he advanced on the strong position in three lines of battle, and sweeping steadily down carried everything before him. The One hundred and forty-sixth was in the first line of battle, and pursued the enemy until darkness overtook them. It captured two battle flags, for which Medals of Honor were given, and the brigade captured seven flags and many prisoners. The writer can testify to the fact that Warren, with his staff, was at the front directing the movements, and was still there at dusk, his men shouting the victory, when he received an order relieving him of command, an act of gross injustice done him just when he deserved the highest praise equal to if not higher than to any of his compeers. Every man of the Fifth Corps believes it to have been such ; and the imputations of one man, though a successful and great general, are wiped out by the verdict of thousands. A sudden act of injustice may he pardoned. Persisting in it, constitutes its chief criminality. At the close of the war General Warren was only thirty-five years old, and by those best qualified to judge, he was considered one of the best, if not the best, tactician in the army. i

Warren's fame is secure in the hearts of his soldiers. The army and the nation have a common interest in the record and the life of such a soldier.

In 1863 the One hundred and forty-sixth adopted the Zouave uniform. It numbered in all, from first to last, 1,568 men, receiving additions from the old Fifth New York (Duryea Zouaves), the Seventeenth New York, the D'Epen- euil Zouaves, and the Forty-fourth New York (" Ellsworth Avengers "), re- ceiving at each time a body of splendid soldiers. The regiment was thrice complimented in general orders for distinguished gallantry: first at Laurel Hill, Va., where, as two lines of battle in front broke, it stood firm and repelled the attack, losing severely; second, at Cold Harbor, where Mahone's Division burst on its lines, the brigade to which the One hundred and forty-sixth be- longed checking their career, and thus saving the position, the regiment losing in this encounter 2 officers and 69 enlisted men ; third, at Hatcher's Run, where it held its ground at great odds until its ammunition was entirely gone, when it was withdrawn a short distance, its cartridge boxes replenished, and the line again advanced. '

The One hundred and forty-sixth lost 2 field officers and 5 line officers killed in battle ; 2 officers by death from disease ; 5 by resignation on account of wounds, and I by transfer; 16 of its officers and 525 of its enlisted men were wounded in battle; 162 of its enlisted men were killed in battle; 105 died of disease; 550 were discharged for wounds and disability; 324 were transferred; and 327 were mustered out of service at the close of the war. One hundred and fifty-six commissions were issued to the regiment, and 11 enlisted men were promoted into other regiments as commissioned officers.

Three stands of colors were possessed by the regiment. A banner given by the State was carried through several battles and afterwards deposited at Albany. Two United States colors, that gave good evidence of the service they have seen, were carried by the regiment, and at the close of the war turned over to the War Department.

The regiment was engaged in the following battles, which by order of the War Department they were entitled to inscribe upon their flag: i, Fredericks- burg; 2, Chancellorsville; 3, Gettysburg; 4, Rappahannock Station; 5, Bristoe

New Yokk at Gettysburg. 969

Station; 6, Mine Run; 7, Williamsport; 8, Wapping Heights; 9, Wilderness; 10, Spotsylvania Court House; 11, Laurel Hill; 12, North Anna; 13, Totopoto- moy; 14, Cold Harbor; 15, Petersburg; 16, Weldon Railroad; 17, Chappell House; 18, Hatcher's Run; 19, Poplar Springs Church; 20, Hicksford; 21, White Oak Road; 22, Five Forks; 23, Appomattox.

The high opinion entertained for the regiment at headquarters is evident in the following letter written by General Ayres:

" H'd Qrs., 3d Div., Pro. Corps, July 15, 1865. Gen. James G. Grindlay and Ofificers and Men of the 146th Regt. N. Y. Vols. :

As our official relations are about to terminate, I take the occasion to ex- press my deep regret therefor, though rejoicing in its cause.

During the time that your regiment has served in my command, and the many battles it has participated in, I have ever felt entire confidence in its discipline and gallantry.

I have never called upon it, save to see the duty assigned, nobly performed. I believe there is not a more distinguished regiment than yours. Gallantly have you borne those torn and tattered banners. Defiantly have you shaken them in the very jaws of death, and triumphantly waved them on fields of victory.

Well assured that in your reception on returning home, will be evinced the deep gratitude of an admiring people, and with my best wishes for your wel- fare and happiness, I remain,

Sincerely and truly your friend,

R. B. AYRES,

Bvt. Major General."

Medals of Honor were given by Congress to:

James G. Grindlay, " for conspicuous bravery while commanding the brigade at the battle of Five Forks, Va., April i, 1865." Thomas I. Murphy, sergeant Company G, and Priv. David Edwards, Company H, for the capture of battle flags.

The regiment was mustered out of service at Washington, D. C, July 16, 1865, and its long and arduous service brought to an honorable close.

THE TAKING AND HOLDING OF LITTLE ROUND TOP. By Lieut. A. P. Case. The One hundred and forty-sixth New York, known as the Halleck Infantry, was commanded by Col. Kenner Garrard of the regular army, who left the post of commandant at West Point, by request of General Halleck for that purpose. The regiment first joined General Warren's Third Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps. This brigade was then composed of the Fifth New York, Colonel Winslow (Duryea's Zouaves), the One hundred and fortieth

970 New York at Gettysburg.

New York, Colonel O'Rorke, and the One hundred and forty-sixth New York, Col. Kenner Garrard. Warren, O'Rorke and Garrard were together at West Point. The two other brigades of Sykes' Division were all regulars. But at the time of the Gettysburg campaign the brigade was commanded by Gen. Stephen H. Weed, of the regular army, and was composed of the One hundred and fortieth New York, the One hundred and forty-sixth New York, and the Ninety-first and One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania.

The Fifth Corps, after marching nearly all night, reached the Gettysburg field about 6 a. m., July 2d, and was stationed on the west side of Rock Creek, near the bridge on the Baltimore Pike, on the extreme right of the Union hne. It was so posted, as we understood, because General Meade that morning contemplated an attack by the Fifth and Twelfth Corps on Ewell's position at Benner's Hill. Soon after our arrival. General Meade sent for General Weed, who had an excellent reputation as an artillery officer in the regular army, to visit the battery positions in this part of the line, including Gulp's Hill. The writer, an extra aid on General Weed's staff, was ordered to accompany him. Several batteries were changed at General Weed's suggestion. But no attack was made on Ewell.

About 3 p. m., the Fifth Corps was ordered in to support General Sickles, who held the extreme left of the Union line. At this time the Union line made nearly a horse-shoe shape, so that the corps was marched from the right heel of the shoe across to the left heel. General Sykes himself took in Barnes' First Division, going by the Peach Orchard cross road. General Ayres' Second Division followed. General Weed's Third Brigade leading, the other two brigades following at quite a distance. The Peach Orchard cross road connects the Taneytown and the Emmitsburg roads, and as it leaves the former it crosses over the north foot of Little Round Top.

When the head of General Weed's column had reached the woods south of Trostle's house, and near where the Third Massachusetts Battery was placed, the smoke of the battle was so dense that General Weed rode ahead to see where he was wanted, and told his staff to bring the column along very slowly until he returned. At this time the rear of the column, the One hundred and fortieth New York, had just passed the foot of Little Round Top, which was then bare of troops, and was occupied only by General Warren and the Signal Corps. They had just discovered a movement of Rebel troops from the south- west to occupy this hill, from which the whole left of the Union army could be enfiladed. Realizing the vital necessity of holding this point, and seeing the troops passing through the valley at its north foot. General Warren hastened down to them, and found them to be his old brigade. The men greeted him with repeated cheers, for he was greatly beloved and respected by his old regiments.

, Detaching the One hundred and fortieth he sent it up the hill, and then rode forward to the head of the column, and finding General Weed gone, or- dered it halted for Weed's return. Weed soon came back with Sykes' order to take his brigade on to Little Round Top. He at once moved up the hill by a countermarch. The writer never learned whether he saw General Sykes, or got the order from a messenger. A short time before this General Sykes had detached Vincent's Brigade from Barnes' Division, and sent it to occupy

New York at Gettysburg. 971

the level gap south of Little Round Top and lying between it and Big Round Top, as that passage offered an easy route for the Rebel troops to the rear, of the Union left. I do not think that the occupancy or defence of Little Round Top was then thought of, for it appeared almost inaccessible. But the Rebel troops that Warren had seen advancing towards the hill met Vincent's troops in the gap at the south slope of Little Round Top, and had there a hard fight in which Vincent was killed. His right was gradually driven back, and Hood's Texas Brigade reached the southern summit of the hill, where they were met by the One hundred and fortieth New York, which had been rushed up from the opposite side. Never was there a more opportune arrivaL A Rebel occupancy of the hill would probably have been fatal to the success of the Union army. The hill is sparsely covered with trees, and the ground thickly strewn with huge rocks, so that no deployment of troops could be made. A desperate hand-to-hand conflict ensued, the men loading and firing as they passed around the rocks. Colonel O'Rorke, 2 of his officers and 25 privates were killed at the first onset. The Texans were driven down, and Vincent's lines reformed, with his right touching the left of Weed's Brigade, now all on the hill. The attack was renewed, and again repulsed. The regi- ments then took the positions they remained in until they left the Gettysburg field on the Sth of July. Their line faced west, occupied the whole west crest of the hill in a north and south line, the One hundred and fortieth at the left, next the Ninety-first Pennsylvania, then the One hundred and forty-sixth, with the One hundred and fifty-fifth on the right. The One hundred and fortieth lay partly down the south slope, and the One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania partly down the north slope.

There is some uncertainty as to which of the regiments first followed the One hundred and fortieth, but the writer thinks it was the One hundred and forty-sixth. While the regiments were ascending the hill Captain Hazlett's United States battery of four guns was also taken up, the horses being lashed to their utmost exertions, and the infantry assisting at the wheels. It was a terrible place for the horses or guns, but the emergency had to be met. The ground on the west front of the hill was covered by the rocks of the Devil's Den, which were occupied by hundreds of Rebel sharpshooters. This fight on Little Round Top took place between 4 p. m. and 5 p. m. The Rebel sharpshooters were a great annoyance to both infantry and artillery. The guns of the battery could not be depressed enough to dislodge them. Soon after 5 p. m. General Weed was instantly killed by a bullet, and as he sank to the ground, Captain Hazlett, of the battery, who had been standing by his side, leaned over to speak to him, when he, too, was shot, and fell by Weed's side, neither of them speaking a word, except that Colonel Jenkins, of the One hundred and forty-sixth, thought he heard General Weed say " My sister."

During the whole of the next day, July 3d, the Rebel sharpshooters killed all who showed themselves on the hill. The men protected themselves as well as they could, the One hundred and forty-sixth piling up loose stones, which I am told still remain as they left them. As the hill made an excellent outlook over the field of the third day's fight. General Meade and his staff, with the Signal Corps, were there all day, occupying a rocky pen directly in the line held by the One hundred and forty-sixth. A company of Berdan's Sharp-

972 New York at Gettysburg.

shooters was brought up and afforded some protection. It was here that General Warren thought he could use one of the heavy rifles better than the man who had it. After firing it a few times, with what effect no one could tell, his own neck was grazed by a Rebel bullet. He bound it up with his" handkerchief, and relinquished the rifle. The writer on going over that Devil's Den, on the morning of July 4th, to relieve the wounded Union soldiers who had lain there since the afternoon of July 2d, found those rocky crevices full of dead Rebel sharpshooters, most of them still grasping their rifles. Behind one short low ridge of rock lay a row of eighteen dead who had been tallied out one by one by our sharpshooters. One of the One hundred and forty- sixth brought in the sword of General Barksdale, of Mississippi, which was found by the side of his dead body. Colonel Garrard sent it to General Sykes.

During Longstreet's great charge on the afternoon of July 3d, Hazlett's Battery (commanded by Lieutenant Rittenhouse after Hazlett was killed) had a terrible raking fire on the Rebel line, which was made with great effect. This caused a concentration of the fire of many Rebel batteries upon Hazlett's posi- tion, their shell and shot crashing among the rocks as if the world was coming to an end. The Fifth Corps hospital had been made at the house and barns of J. Weikart, on the Taneytown Road, at the foot of the east front of Little Round Top, and during this cannonade many of the Rebel shells came over the hill and struck our hospital, wounding some a second time. It was then moved to Lewis Bushman's, about a mile to the southeast. The losses of Weed's Brigade were as follows: Staff, i; One hundred and fortieth New York, 133; One hundred and forty-sixth New York, 28; Ninety-first Pennsyl- vania, 19; One hundred and fifty-fifth Pennsylvania, 19; total, 200.

It was a curious coincidence that while the First and Second Brigades of the First and Second Divisions, respectively, of the Fifth Corps were support- ing General Sickles, the Third Brigades of those divisions should have been separately detached and sent by different routes to the defence of Little Round Top, these two brigades containing the only three New York regiments in the Fifth Corps. Thus the Forty-fourth New York, Colonel Rice, of Vin- cent's Brigade, came shoulder to shoulder with Colonel O'Rorke's One hun- dred and fortieth New York, and Colonel Garrard's One hundred and forty- sixth New York, in one of the most critical moments of the Gettysburg fight. So the New York men of the Fifth Corps made a most gallant fight, and made it side by side. And as General Weed's death left Colonel Garrard in command of one brigade, so did Colonel Vincent's death bring Colonel Rice in com- mand of the other brigade. Col. David T. Jenkins, afterwards killed in the Wilderness fight, succeeded Colonel Garrard in the command of the One hun- dred and forty-sixth. Col. James G. Grindlay, a gallant and competent officer, succeeded Jenkins and led the regiment in every battle to the close of the war. The Fifth Corps left the Gettysburg field on the afternoon of July 5th.

Death has come to most of the leaders of the One hundred and forty-sixth, Meade and Sykes of the corps, Warren, Weed and Garrard of the brigade, Jenkins and Curran of the regiment. The One hundred and forty-sixth had other ties which united it closely to General Warren, as one of his brothers was quartermaster of the brigade, and his youngest brother, Robert P. War- ren, was a captain in the regiment.

J. B. LYON PRINT.

THE WARREN MONUMENT On Little Round Top.

F. J. SKVKttKNUE, PHOTO.

New York at Gettysburg. 973

(INSCRIPTION.)

Led to this spot by his military sagacity on july 2, 1863, GENERAL GOUVERNEUR KEMBLE WARREN,

THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE ArMY OF THE PoTOMAC, DETECTED GENERAL HoOD'S FLANKING MOVEMENT, AND BY PROMPTLY ASSUMING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ORDERING TROOPS TO THIS PLACE, SAVED THE KEY

OF THE Union position.

Promoted for gallant services from the command of a regiment in 1861, through

SUCCESSIVE GRADES TO THE . COMMAND OF THE 2D ArMY

Corps IN 1863, and permanently assigned to that

OF the 5th Army Corps in 1864.,

MAJOR GENERAL WARREN NE;EDS NO EULOGY.

His name is enshrined in ..the hearts of his countrymen.

This statue is erected under the auspices of the veteran organization of his old regiment, the 5TH New York Vols., Duryee Zouaves, in memory of their beloved commander.

DEDiCATtD August 8, 1888.

974 New York at Gettysburg.

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT.

TO THE MEMORY OF MAJ. GEN. GOUVERNEUR K. WARREN.

August 8, 1888.

Invocation by Rev. I. M. Foster. (146th New York Infantry.)

Almighty God, Thou art our Father, and in Thee is our life. From Thy hand cometh every good and perfect gift, and Thy mercies are over all Thy creatures.

We give Thee thanks for the mercies that have guided us in all the past, and for the goodness which has brought us to this hour. We thank Thee to-day for our nation's history, and rejoice that when war was upon us. Thou didst bring victory to the truth and right.

We would not forget that the victory won upon this battlefield was not only in defence of the power of the government, but in the interest of humanity everywhere. And we rejoice, O God, that out of the struggle here, Thou didst bring light and hope to the oppressed of every land. And as the memories of the past flow in upon us to-day, may we renew our devotion to the truth that was here exalted by the valor of the nation's defenders.

May Thy special blessing rest upon the family of him whose name to-day we honor. May they, the beloved of his heart, find in Thee protection and safety ever and always.

Give us all Thy grace. Help us all to emulate the virtues of our old com- mander; and to remember that though the bronze shall decay, as iEhe years are told, the truth he loved and the graces that characterized his life shall shine as the stars forever. Guide us all in the truth. And when the battle of life is fought, bring us to the victor's palm, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

TRANSFER OF MONUMENT.

By James B. Fiske, Pres. sth N. Y. Veteran Assn. (Duryee Zouaves).

Honored Sir and Gentlemen of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association:

With feelings of awe and with memories of the relentless War of the Re- bellion passing quickly through our minds, we are here to-day to perform a duty that is both sad and pleasant. Sad, because we regret the absence from life of him whose memory we this day seek to perpetuate. Pleasant, from the fact that it has, and very properly, fallen to our lot as survivors of the Fifth New York Volunteers to offer here for dedication this tribute to the spotless name and memory of Gouverneur K. Warren.

To you, gentlemen, who have passed through the furnace of war, our pil- grimage hither will be no source of wonderment. You fully understand the

New York at Gettysburg. 975

promptings of loVe born of patriotism, nursed by trials and dangers, and ma- tured by the fire of battle.

We come as members of one family, and Warren was our brother. We served with him through all the periods of privation and hardship encountered by his command from 1861 until 1865. We are living witnesses of his devotion to the Union cause, and we can testify to his cool and intrepid bravery un^er many trying circumstances.

Gaines' Mill, Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Hatcher's Run, and Five Forks are a few of the many fields on which we were led by Warren, and on which he gained imperishable glory and renown.

Our regiment, under his able management, reached a proficiency in disci- pline and drill, and demonstrated fighting qualities unexcelled by that of any regiment in the United States service during the War of the Rebellion.

We admired his zeal and ability; we gloried in his bravery; and we loved him for his patriotism and loyalty to our flag and country.

It is said " he needs no eulogy." Can it not, with equal truth, be said " he needs no monument?"

If we had not listened to the patriotic impulses of our hearts and had never given this memorial a thought, what then? Could it not be said to those who come in after years: " If ye seek his monument, look around! " These grand old hills, " Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun; " the vale below, wherein was felt the shock of battle, and all the country circling round are one vast, ever- lasting monument to the name and fame of Warren.

But, honored Sir, would we be satisfied to take our departure to " that Home not made with hands," without leaving behind us some testimonial of his worth? I think not.

Who, then, could attend to this work more appropriately than those with whom he faced the summer's scorching sun, the winter's fiercest blast, the hardships, fatigues and dangers of a soldier's life.

It would consume too much of time to enter into all the details of this movement. It is sufficient to say that about two years ago the Veteran As- sociation of the Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, Duryee Zouaves, at one of its regular meetings determined to erect a monument to the memory of their old commander. Gen. Gouverneur Kemble Warren. Our own members con- tributed liberally, but were not financially able to do the work unaided. We, therefore, through the aid of the press, and through the medium of printed circulars, appealed to the public, more particularly to that portion whose knowl- edge of the general was gained through service with him in the army.

Subscriptions came slowly for a time, but many words of cheer and en- couragement were received which buoyed our spirits, and at last we began to see the dawn of success. From East and West, from North and South, came messages filled with gems of historic truth and praise of Warren. • We shall ever remember with exceeding pleasure and gratitude the kindly co-operation of friends in Baltimore; and when our mental vision takes an easterly view we see as if by magic, seated tranquilly in Narragansett Bay, within hearing of the melancholy sound of old ocean's surge and roar, and

976 New York at Gettysburg.

defended by that grim old citadel, Fort Adams, Newport, the beautiful city by the sea. We, in thought, are led to its suburbs, to its place of graves; we stand in silent contemplation around the tomb of our beloved commander, and our hearts are filled with gratitude and our pulses beat livelier when we remember the generous hospitality of the friends in Newport, and their sturdy efforts to assist us, and to which we in a great measure attribute our success. They, and all others who aided us, have our heartiest thanks.

And now the memorial is here. Upon the rock on which it stands the immortal Warren stood, and by his quick forethought, his acuteness of per- ception, thwarted the enemy's movements which, if successful, would have brought disaster to our arms and incalculable injury to the nation.

Through you. Sir, we desire to extend to the gentlemen composing the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association our warmest thanks for the set- ting apart of this historic spot for the erection of this statue, and for the other courtesies extended us through our committee.

We d-esire also on this august occasion to congratulate the sculptor, Mr. Karl Gerhardt, under whose careful study and manipulation this beautiful creation came into existence. With wonderful power he has delineated in bronze the hkeness and character of our idol, and has given a valuable con- tribution of art to this glorious battlefield. Nor should we forget with what care and nicety the work of the founder was performed. We feel that we are indebted to the Henry Bonnard Bronze Co. in no small degree for furnish- ing so beautiful a dupHcate of the sculptor's handiwork, without which all were in vain.

And now. Sir, in the name and on behalf of the Veteran Association of the Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, Duryee Zouaves, permit me to present to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, through you, this statue of our beloved commander, Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren. A few of us who followed where he led are here to-day to do honor to his memory ; but a little while and we, too, shall have gone the way of all men. Our mother Earth, always friendly to the human race, will receive us and piously cover our remains with her bosom, while we go into the realm of oblivion; but amid the ravages of time will stand this statue of the savior of Gettysburg. His deeds will be an incentive to the most lofty patriotism, and thousands who are yet unborn will do him homage.

DEDICATORY POEM. Major Andrew Coats, U. S. V., (Co. E, Duryee Zouaves.) Kind friends of Warren, you who loved him well. Why call on me, to break the calm, sweet spell. Which silence gives? To thoughtful minds, to soldiers true, Along these hills, stretch lines of blue,

And Warren lives.

New York at Gettysburg. 977

With loyal heart, and soldier's skill, He notes the vantage of this hill,

Then longs for aid: One passing thought o'erclouds his brow: Where, where, alas! those veterans now,

His old brigade? But there's no time for vain regret, The foe will come, and must be met,

Whate'er the cost. His well-trained eye is quick to see, That this small hill, once gained by Lee,

The field is lost So rein to bit, and spur to side, Fast down that slope you see him ride

In search of men. Hope spurs him on, for at a glance He sees a few tired troops advance

From out the glen. I say a few, yes! all too few, But brave and loyal, good and true.

And men of fate To thus meet Warren, then and there. Without a moment's time to spare.

Or all too late. In voice with pent emotion thick, He cries out, "Forward! double-quick.

And do not stop." " Colonel! advance your whole command. And do not halt them, till they stand

On that round top." The brave O'Rorke stops not to ask The reason for such hurried task.

But, out of breath. Leads quickly on his soldiers brave: This pinnacle of fame to save

And reaches — death. While Warren, past the panting men. Spurs on his steed, till once again

The view is clear. "Thank God!" he cries; and well he may. For there they come, the men in gray.

But ours are here. The foemen charge with glittering steel. But backward soon you see them reel

Through leaden showers. Our Warren was the first to see That on this Top hung victory's key.

And made it ours. 62

978 New York at Gettysburg.

Such is the story, all too poorly told; But days will come, as time grows old,

When brush and pen In skillful hands shall paint this tale, And Warren's name, over hill and dale,

Shall ring again.

The old Bay State has marked, and marked it well, A sacred spot where "Rebel" Warren fell; He, like our own dear Warren, a patriot brave. But happier far, he found a soldier's grave; While our loved hero, through the battle's strife, Had harder task than yielding up his life. He led the vanguard, at war's first rude blast. Fought in the first fight, and nobly won the last. And so grim fate, to each a task thus gives, One for his country dies, another for it — lives. To-day we come to mark, in loving mood. Not where our Warren fell, but where he stood, And where he always stood — and will forever stand — In the front rank of heroes, of our land. This spot shall be the shrine, in coming years. Of joy and glory — not regrets, or tears; For pilgrim patriots shall seek this holy rood And point with pride, to where our Warren stood.

ORATION BY REV. C. F. HULU.

(Duryee Zouaves.)

Mr. President, and Comrades of the Fifth New York Volunteers Veteran Association, Ladies and Gentlemen:

We meet to-day to commemorate an event, and to dedicate a monument. As the survivors of an army that fought valiantly for a cause, as noble in pur- pose as it is deathless in principle, we gather on this heroic field to renew the friendships of former years, to revive the memories of those stirring days, and to ofifer our meed of affection and eulogy to the memory of our lamented and honored dead.

It is proper that those who have made history should meet upon the spot where history was made. The printed page is punctuated to give sense to sentences, and to make emphatic each climax in the narrative. So the un- lettered but all-luminous page that lies outspread before us has its punctuation marks in battle monuments.

Each memorial column and cenotaph on this battlefield of fame marks a paragraph of heroism, endurance, and daring in the story of Gettysburg.

Where all were brave, it is hard to think that some must lie unhonored

New York at Gettysburg. 979

among the dead. The undiscovered heroes who fell upon this field, and whose fame will be unsung, are worthy of a thought of reverence from those who saw them fall; and, while we gather at this monument of our illustrious chief to do him honor, let us lay one flower of eulogy upon the graves of those who fought so nobly, and who died — " unknown."

It is passing strange that mortuary honors are often the first that men receive from their neighbors. The man who moves unrecognized among the level crowd will one day be esteemed a hero for his deeds ; and when the hand we never touched in life has crumbled into grave-dust, we twine the laurel leaf, and crown a name.

Grave glories are not like morning glories. The latter wither while the sun is at the zenith; the former blossom when the sun of life is set. So he who suns himself beneath the favor of the passing hour, may be forgotten by the changing crowd; but his the lasting honor and the fame whose deeds and praise live after he is dead. May the memory of these heroes inspire within our breasts a love for liberty and country, that shall remain a noble ideal for our children when we, too, have passed away. And when they gather at these graves in coming years, may they remember that those who fell fought not for glory, but for principle.

Among the treasures brought from Cyprus is an intaglio head, engraved on amethyst. Every line is executed in delicate detail; but though the hand that graved it has crumbled in the dust for ages, the perfect features in the stone remain to tell the story of the unknown artist's skill. Yet more enduring than amethyst is principle. Precious stones may perish. The soldiers who lie buried here, and those who fell on other fields, fought for an idea and left a legacy which will outlast both bronze and sculptured stone. Let us resolve that whatever is true in the ideal for which they fought shall live in the govern- ment they died to sustain.

As we assemble here to-day, some one may ask : " Was there need of such a sacrifice of life and all these wasted years of reconstruction since the war? " But have these years been wasted? Has this cemetery been peopled with the dead in vain? The lessons of experience are not too costly if they are learned. We cannot hurry Providence. The momentum of events is meas- ured by their magnitude. Time moves with measured tread, unheeding our impatience. It has taken more than two decades to readjust the movement of our national life along the line of human progress.

History pauses to correct its earlier mistakes ere it fills up its later pages. A quarter century has not yet sufficed to reveal the full meaning of that four years' struggle. The great events presaged, and the grand ideal of national integrity enunciated, will fill a century with their development.

If we glance backward to the outbreak of the war, we will find the country was in the condition to meet some great trial; to need some strong convulsion. Our constitution had been wisely framed, but it could not be adjusted to the varying conditions of the age, without a jar in the movement somewhere. The fair structure of our Temple of Liberty could not longer be sustained on the corner stone of slavery. The foundations were weakening, while above the dome, where hung the Flag of Freedom, the air was heavy with the

ggo ■ New York at Gettysburg.

sulphurous breath of latent battle rage. At length the gathering storm broke on the land. The pen had done its work. Embittered passions had refused to yield, and statesmanship had faulted. It was time the sword, unsheathed, should pierce the cloud and let the lightning loose, to clear the air from fratri- cidal hate, and doubt, and discontent. Then came the signal gun at Sumter; and then came the hurrying multitudes from North and South, to test their issues on the field of strife. Thus the war began that made and unmade history. It lifted into prominence men fitted to be leaders, and gave to ob- scure localities a record as enduring as time. To such a place our feet have turned to-day, that we might study at this later hour the record of that three days' battlefield, the turning point of General Lee's success, and place among the monuments erected here in honor of the dead, the statue of a chief whose memory we revere.

Among the illustrious soldiers whose valor has given renown to each locality on this historic field, the name of General Warren is closely associated with the glories of Little Round Top. Standing here, we can see the angle that indicates the " high-water mark of the Rebellion " — that swelling flood of Southern victory that dashed against the living walls of Union breasts, and beaten back, bore on its refluent tide the shattered prestige of the pride and valor of Lee's Invincibles.

But, on the previous day, here Warren stood, and checked the advancing march of the invading foe, that threatened to overwhelm the height. Had he been absent, or less able to meet the crisis, the high-water mark of the gray line of battle would have missed the " bloody angle " and the " clump of trees," and by the way of Round Top, and one day earlier, would have swept the army of the North from its victorious front, and spread its volume of in- vasion through this broad commonwealth. Here it is fitting that this monu- ment should stand, and tell to coming ages the story of his alertness and military prescience; and, standing here on this the anniversary of his death, it is well to pause and dwell a moment on the record of his life.

Gouverneur Kemble Warren, the hero of the day, and of this eminence, was born at Cold Spring, on the Hudson, January 8, 1830. Cradled amid the highlands of that storied river, his infant ears were daily assailed by the sound of the morning and evening gun at West Point, and his boyhood's ardor was aroused by the strains of martial music that floated across the stream. Living within sight of the Academy, and a frequent visitor to it, we can imagine how the associations and traditions of that locality would fill the mind of the am- bitious youth with ardent aspirations for a military career. Having passed through the schools of his native place, he spent one year at a neighboring academy, and then his desires were fulfilled, and at the age of sixteen he re- ceived his cadet appointment, graduating July i, 1850, and standing second in a class of forty-four members. He was at once assigned to the corps of topographical engineers, in the grade of brevet second lieutenant. In this congenial sphere: he found ample scope for his investigations in different branches of science, and throughout life he maintained his fondness for these pursuits as a relaxation from the more arduous duties of his profession.

Time will not permit, neither will the occasion justify me in making more than a passing allusion to the events of this period of his life. As an assistant

New York at Gettysburg. 981

to Captain Humphrey, he was engaged Upon the investigations and surveys of the Mississippi Delta. While employed in these duties he compiled a map of the then wilderness lying west of the Mississippi, and conducted three separate expeditions in Dakota and Nebraska. In the pursuit of these investigations he passed through the eastern, southern, 'and western outskirts of the " Black Hills," and was the first explorer of that now famoiis locality. Thus the interval between his graduation and his return to West Point as an instructor, was filled with those active and diversified duties which made up the eventful life of an officer of the engineer corps on the frontier. Nor was the service without peril. The Indian-infested forests and the blizzard-swept plains tried both nerve and endurance. While serving on the staff of General Harney he ran the gauntlet of danger through the Indian country as the bearer of des- patches, and there displayed that courage and sagacity which were afterwards conspicuous on larger fields of action. By these varied experiences the young lieutenant was being fitted for positions of graver responsibility, and the field of more imminent danger, to which his country would later call him. Steadily, studiously, faithfully, amid the heats of summer and the rigor of winter he met each call of duty. With an ambition as laudable as it was aspiring, he sought to make the most of his opportunities, and to cultivate the brilliant natural talents with which he was endowed. As among his classmates in the Academy he easily led the majority, so among his associates in the field his abilities were recognized, and his pre-eminence maintained.

From the scientific pursuits of a military engineer, to the position of As- sistant Professor of Mathematics in the halls of his Alma Mater, was a natural' transition for one of his acquirements; and there the call to arms found him. The alarm of war that filled the North with the spirit of military ardor had awakened a responsive thrill in the heart of the young professor, and, obtaining leave of absence for that purpose, he accepted the position of lieutenant colonel of the Fifth New York Volunteers, which was early tendered to him. This regiment, with which his fame became identified, was composed of material above the average; men who had been attracted to the organization by the prestige of a name famous in the annals of the New York State Militia. As soon as organized, it displayed those characteristics of individuality and ex- cellence, which made the name of " Duryee Zouaves '' synonymous with all that was highest in soldierly attainments. Early at the front, it received its first baptism of fire at Big Bethel, where Warren revealed those traits of cool- ness and good judgment which were conspicuous elements of his nature.

The regiment was soon ordered to Baltimore to suppress the turbulence of the Southern sympathizers, and there the young lieutenant colonel was called to the command, on the promotion of its organizer. To the perfection of the regiment, already well drilled in the school of the militia, Warren brought the thoroughness of the Regular Army routine. On Federal Hill he gave them practical lessons in the school of the engineer, and on the adjacent squares he drilled them in manual and manoeuvre, until they reached that point of ex- cellence which made them afterwards the pride of the Army of the Potomac, and obtained for them the distinction of being brigaded with General Sykes' Division of Regulars, when they were ordered to the Peninsula,

982 New York at Gettysburg.

He knew his men and trusted them, and that trust was never abused. Those for whom he did so much, did much for him, and in the hour of need they never failed him.- When later he was taken from their immediate command they followed his career with affectionate pride, and every honor he won was cheered by his old command. What, then, more fitting than that to those faithful admirers should fall the pleasant service of placing this monument in position, and dedicating it to his memory?

The story of General Warren's advancement is the history of the Army of the Potomac. From Yorktown to Five Forks each battle was the field of his achievements, and each disaster was mitigated' by his skill and energy as a staflf or general officer.

At Hanover Court House he commanded a brigade. At Gaines' Mill his •command lost heavily, and he was wounded. At Malvern Hill he repulsed the enemy, and saved the remnant of our army. At Manassas, by the sacrifice of 249 out of 490 soldiers of his own regiment, he covered the withdrawal of the corps. At Antietam and Fredericksburg, he was ever the same capable, efficient, and daring commander. At Chancellorsville, on Marye's Heights, and in the action at Salem Church, his star was ever seen where the storm clouds of' battle raged fiercest. On the 8th of June, 1863, he was appointed chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, and it was while serving in this capacity oh the staff of General Meade that he so signally contributed to the repulse of the enemy on the 2d of July, and gave occasion for this gathering to commemorate the turning point of battle on that fateful day. But for his foresight and energy the field of Gettysburg would not only be the cemetery of our dead, but, in the words of an able military critic, — " It might have been the grave of the Union."

After Gettysburg the arena broadens, and with larger command came the opportunity for more honorable distinction. Appointed major general of vol- unteers, on August 8th, he was assigned to the temporary command of the Second Corps; and at Bristoe Station he displayed brilliant generalship, in holding Hill's two divisions in check, until, by a happy manoeuvre, he ex- tricated himself from a dangerous situation. At Mine Run he had the moral courage to risk the sacrifice of his future prospects, when he saw that the assault he was commanded to make could only result in the useless slaughter of his men.

At length, assigned to the permanent command of the Fifth Corps, the steady march of events bears him on the tide of successful generalship and well-earned distinction, until the moment of the crowning victory and sorrow of his life. It was at the assault on the last line of the enemy at Five Forks, when, after fighting their way through the woods, our troops having halted for a moment, Warren leaped forward, and, seizing the flag of his corps, he led his cheering followers to victory.

Speaking of this act, Swinton says: "The history of the war presents no equally splendid illustration of personal magnetism." Such, also, is the wit- ness of those present, who beheld the gallant leader of this glorious charge. But when the hand was lifted in glad exultation to seize so well-won and so hard-contested a prize, suddenly it was stricken to his side by a blow that,

New York at Gettysburg. 983

all unforeseen, and undeserved, fell with sudden force and shattered every soldierly aspiration. Too proud to murmur at the unequal rewards of dis- tinguished services, the sword of a hero was sheathed at that hour, never to be drawn again.

The professional employments that filled the remainder of his career are recorded in the annals of the War Department. Resigning his commission in the volunteer service at the close of the war, he returned to the pleasing duties of the Engineer Corps, where his cultivated tastes and scholarly ac- complishments fitted him for the prominent appointments he received. His love for his country, and his recognition of its claims, made him faithful to the varied interests that were intrusted to his care.

But, while the wrong that had been done him ever cried for redress, no obligation was slighted, no professional service neglected, no just claim un- heeded. Although faithful to every call of duty, and earning well the honors and rewards that still came to him, the lofty sense of right that always actuated him could not rest under the cloud that shadowed his military renown. With that indomitable persistence that was natural to him, he sought to undo the wrong of the past. Thus fifteen years were spent in useless sacrifice and heart- wearying anxiety, in the vain attempt to make justice bandage her eyes with righteousness, arid not with prejudice. But when the irreversible was decreed, the strength of his soul was turned to bitter weakness, and he who never shrunk from living foe, turned from the prejudiced misjudgments of changeable popu- lar favor to one whose faith had kept her close to God when he was standing here so close to death, and whose heart had never failed him in those after years of bitter, unavailing struggle for the right.

And he found other tried and loyal friends who stood unshaken in their un- yielding faith and friendship. Outside the circle of these true hearts the then misunderstanding crowd might doubt and question; but they who knew the man so well, and read his heart so clearly, were never blinded by a decision that did not decide, nor swayed by the movements of the bending multitude.

Here, on the spot where he stood when the rising sun of prosperous favor was aspiring towards the zenith of his fame, we place his monument. History attests the justice of the situation. General Doubleday says : " This eminence should have been the first point held and fortified by us early in the day, as it was the key of the field ; but no special orders were given concerning it, and nothing but Warren's activity and foresight saved it from falling into the hands of the enemy." Here let him stand in bronze who once stood here in life, and with his presence filled a fatal gap left in the troops' alignment ; and where his energy and ardor met the eager assault of a confident enemy, and turned a threatened disaster into glorious victory.

There is an old saying: " It is the unexpected that always happens." This is a truism when applied to military strategy. All praise to him who, when the unexpected comes, is found prepared to meet it. God has stationed His sentries on the hill tops of Time to guard the danger points along the line of His developments. Who can doubt that Warren was the Sentinel of Prov- idence to guard against a surprise which would have been disastrous to our army, and fatal to our cause? If he had not stood where in silent semblance

984 New York at Gettysburg.

he now stands, and met the unexpected at this unguarded point, there would have been no third day's fight at Gettysburg; and the story of Pickett's gallant charge and its no less heroic repulse would never have made the page of history brighter with its record of daring and undoing.

As we gaze upon these features cast in bronze, upon the soldierly form, and the expectant attitude, we seem to catch the inspiration of the moment, and to see the-imminence of the crisis. The figure stands alert, aroused, intent, as if conscious of a moment of destiny. He has caught the gleaming of rifle barrels amid the foliage of the trees. They reveal the presence of the enemy. The aroused instinct of the trained soldier perceives that Hood is about to sweep down upon our left. He takes in at a glance the full meaning of the movement. Not that this or that corps will be sacrificed, but that the results of all the long marches, sieges, and battles of the Army of the Potomac would be lost, and the whole phase of the war would be changed; that the Army of Virginia would become the Army of Invasion, and the North would have to fight to defend its hearthstones; that the long withheld aid and comfort of alien nations would be extended from across the sea; that from the situation of an almost vanquished, disheartened and impoverished foe, the Confederacy would stand forth as an allied power, with aid unstinted, resources unlimited, and a position invulnerable. For an instant, with the prescience of a prophet, he beholds these possible results of the impending movement; then, with a word of warning to the signal man beside him, he turns with head-long rush for relief.

Can we doubt that in that supreme moment of anxiety his heart went out in eager longing for the men of his old command? Is it chance that at this moment the remnant of his old regiment is approaching? As if conscious of their loved commander's peril, they were pressing forward anxious to be in the fray, not knowing where they first would feel the enemy; and as Warren, in his hurried quest for help, and they with eager response to an unknown guiding, are drawing nearer, what joy fills his heart as he sees the men he longs for advancing; and with what a shout they recognize the leader they most admire! It needs but a word of explanation to their commander; then comes the struggle for the possession of this hill. At last they have found their true direction. Where Warren leads the way, the men he trained would never doubt or question; and while he turns to bring them aid they reach the crest of the hill, and here, and not one moment too soon, they feel the edge' of the strife, and the hot flame 01 the battle fans their cheeks. Then followed the conflict, as hand-to-hand with Hood's veterans they struggle for the prize of Round Top, the " key to the whole position of Gettysburg/' as it is called by the Confederate, Gen. E. M. Law, who commanded the attack.

Could these stones speak, what stories they might tell ! For hours the battle raged where we now stand, and rock and soil alike were wet with tears of human blood. Here Vincent fell, and Weed, and Hazlett, and O'Rorke! What costly sacrifices for these wind-swept rocks! But the sacrifices are not too great when estimated in the gauge of war. This hilltop was the high road to the North, if Hood had been successful.

These rocks were priceless that barred his progress. Each boulder was a breastwork for a Union soldier. Each crevice formed a shelter for our men

New York at Gettysburg. 985

to thwart the purpose of the foe, who, all too soon, had claimed the prize. Here our brave troops held their position hour by hour, and when the shadows of the night fell on the scene, and hushed the hideous clamor of the fight, they held it still; and held it on the morrow, and held it for this day, that here, again assembling where they fought, they might once more clasp hands, and in this sculptured presence speak of him who was the hour's man, whose promptitude and generalship made victory possible.

In summing up the character of General Warren we must be brief. It is not well to weary patience with our praise. Some one has said he was am- bitious. Let us be thankful that he was. A loving hand has written these words: "Ambition seemed inborn with him, not so much from a desire for fame, but from a sense of duty to do well whatever he undertook, and a hope to be of service to his fellow men." If to be ambitious means to be a better student, a greater soldier, a truer friend, then let ambition rule where none are wronged, and all are helped by better leadership. If he had not been ambitious, there would have been no Warren Monument to dedicate to-day.

As might have been expected in a man with his tenacity of purpose, he was unswerving in devotion to the cause .in which he believed. For years he studied the questions that aroused sectional antagonism, and when the hour came he was prepared for the issue. From that time until the close of the war, no toil could be too severe, no sacrifice too great, no trial too exacting, to advance the interest of the government he honoredj and the service he so much loved.

No issue could distract him, no falsehood blind him. Throughout he clearly saw the one duty of suppressing the Rebellion, and to it every energy of his will, and every faculty of his mind was directed.

He belonged to a profession that is not ashamed to die poor. When a fortune could be made by losing a battle, and the future assured against want by a false move in strategy, all honor to the sword bearers who kept their blades bright from the rust of corruption. .The soldier, whose fame we honor, avoided many an opportunity to obtain wealth unworthily, by turning his back on temptation, and keeping his eye steadfast on duty. When millions were springing up like mushrooms along the bloody trail of war, he would not stoop from the lofty altitude of hero, to ply the trade of huckster in the spoils of the conquered. A single purpose animated him, to bring to a speedy issue the strife of brotherhood, by striking hard, and doing utmost damage where it was needful; but preventing all wanton destruction of property, and opposing the needless effusion of blood. And thus the end of the war found him com- paratively poor, but rich in honor and renown, and those treasures that are beyond all price.

Those who never penetrated the circle of his official reserve, or who only saw him in the rage of battle, could little understand the kindness of his heart. As a child, he was remarkable for gentleness. He was known at home as "The tender-hearted boy;" and later in life, among the Indians of the plains, he was called " The good Lieutenant." Even long familiarity with scenes of strife and the carnage of the battlefield could not harden him to human suffering. Writing to his brother on this subject he said: " I do not

Qg6 New York at Gettysburg.

feel it much in my own person, but I sympathize so much with the suffering around me, that it seems at times I can hardly endure it." Those who knew him intimately have heard him relate, with keen appreciation, the following incident: When, after a long and fatiguing march and battle, he had thrown himself on the ground for needed rest, upon awakening he found a soldier's coat thrown over him. " Some poor fellow," he said, " had deprived himself of it in his kind thought for me."

Thus we behold the Soldier and the Man. Kind, true, and brave, with a contempt for mere showiness and pretence, he had respect for solid worth wherever found. In his relations to his brother officers of the volunteer ser- vice, he was always appreciative of true merit, never allowing his prejudices in favor of academic training to interfere with' the recognition and promotion of military genius. If he saw a star ascendant, it challenged his admiration and esteem, whether it came from West Point, or a village school.

In the semi-civil position he occupied after the close of the war, his interest in the social life around him was always very marked. Although naturally re- served, he was never a recluse, and while he was intensely appreciative of domestic joys, yet in every place he lived his public services, and private worth, procured for him the warm attachment of personal friends. This appreciation was shown in their recognition and praise of his professional achievements, and brilliant intellectual and social qualities, and their unobtrusive sympathy with him in the great sorrow of his life. Living, they gladly called him friend, and when dead, they sought to perpetuate his memory with mortuary honors.

Among the distinctions that attach to his fame none is more significant than the fact that so many localities aspired to the privilege of having this monu- ment placed in their midst. While Newport holds his precious dust, and deco- rates his grave. Cold Spring, his birthplace, asserts its earlier claims to recognition, and West Point envies Gettysburg. Here let it stand through coming years, among the monuments of this great battlefield.

O Warren! stand as firmly fixed in all our hearts as thou art planted in this soHd rock! The hand of man has carved the base for other statues, but his sure pedestal was wrought by a mightier hand. As firmly as the everlasting hills, so shall it stand, unmoved by heat or frost or passing tempest-tumult, with unchanged attitude of watchfulness, as if intent to guard our future as he did our past. And when our lips are mute, and in the grave's dark gloom our eyes have lost their sight, may he, still standing here, behold the coming grandeur of our elder age; a Nation living in the unity of peace, whose sons have learned the lessons of their father's bitter past. Then there will be no North, no South; but one broad, prosperous country under Freedom's Flag. And when another century has run its course, and men shall ask: " Who placed this statue here?" then let tradition answer: "Those who loved him best." And when the record inscribed upon this tablet shall be obscured by Time's effacing hand, let later History write this epitaph:

Among the heroes of undying fame, whose names are written on the Nation's heart, there never lived a truer patriot than Warren.

J. B. LYON PRINT.

147th new YORK INFANTRY.

. J. SEVERKNCE, PHOTO.

On the battlefield of the E'irst Corps (first day). The Chambersburg Pike and Lutheran Seminary are Id the background on the right. The railroad cut in the left background is not the one at which the regiment fought.

New York at Gettysburg.

987,

(INSCRIPTIONS.)

{Left Side.) Chancellorsville Mine Run Wilderness Spotsylvania ■ North Anna Cold Harbor Petersburg Weldon, R. R.

(Front.)

147th

NEW YORK

INFANTRY,

2d BRIGADE,

1st DIVISION,

1st CORPS.

(Reverse.)

Position 10 A. M.

July i, 1863.

Killed and wounded

HERE, 212. Killed and mortally

WOUNDED, 76

Wounded 146 Missing, 79 Total. Loss 301 Number engaged 380

(Right Side.) Yellow House Peebles' Farm Hatcher's Run Dabney's Mill Gravelly Run White Oak Road Five Forks Appomattox

988 New York at Gettysburg.

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT.

uhth. regiment infantry.

July I, 1888.

'Address by Capt. J. V. Pierce.

Comrades :

If ever thankfulness and gratitude springs from heart to lip it is on an oc- casion like this. It is gratitude to Him who sheltered us in the battle's con- test,— by whose mercy we are not among our comrades who never came home; for, to-day, we clasp hands with living comrades across a quarter of a century.

I come to meet you and greet you from the emerald plains of the West, where the golden sunlight kisses the fruitful fields; where the soft southland breezes fan the nodding corn to a glorious harvest; where Nature, in her milder moods, invites the whole world to her rich garner that comes responsive to the touch of honest toil ; where majesty rules all nature in her angry moods, the counterpart of the wild war days that witnessed her conception and her birth ; a Commonwealth conceived in slavery, born into Freedom's Sisterhood of States, while riot, bloodshed, fire and sword ruled in wild revels around her cradle, the glorious land of sunflowers, the Empire Soldier State of the Union — Kansas. I bring you greetings from 100,000 comrades, who send you " Cheers and God-speed " in your effort to perpetuate the names and deeds of our com- rades, who on this spot gave their lives for Freedom and tor Fatherland, and made the battle name " Gettysburg " famous throughout the world.

We are proud of the past. Blot it from our record we would not; forget it, we would not if we could.

We believe in perpetuating in marble and bronze, in song and in story, the grand principles of Union, of human liberty, of patriotism and a glorious memory.

Join with us, O Veterans in Gray! Join with us, O South Land! Let us weld anew the links that bind all interests, all issues, and all endeavors, to the making of a new Nation named Union, Friendship, Peace.

In the sorrowing days of the sixties, Whittier sang:

"The birds against the April sky

Flew northward singing as they flew; They sang, ' The land we leave behind

Has swords for corn-blades, — blood for dew.' * * * * *

" Oh, wild birds, flying from the south,

What saw ye, — heard ye, — gazing down? 'We saw the mortar's upturned mouth.

The sickening camp, the blazing town,'

New York at Gettysburg. 9^9

' We heard the sorrowing prisoners sigh,

And saw from line and trench your sons Follow our flight with homesick eye, Beyond the battery's smoking guns.' "

In the 'seventies —

' We saw the new uprising States,

The treason-nursing mischief spurned, As crowding Freedom's ample gates,

The long estranged and lost returned.' * :f * * *

" And sweet and far as from a star.

Replied a voice which shall not cease Till drowning all the voice of War It sings the blessed songs of Peace."

In theee days of peace we turn the leaves of the worn volumes of war memories, build our tablets, and lay our garlands down. I am not unmindful of the honor conferred on me on this occasion. While it is a labor of love, it is a sad one, and yet not unmixed with pleasure. Sad, for memory will run riot with the names and faces of comrades — names now carved in marble ; faces, " Though lost to sight, to memory dear," — boys who were my school- mates— companions of my youth; and as the phantom finger of Time draws aside the curtain of eternity, they come marching in review. Faces, forms, songs and sayings recall their glorious deeds, their sufferings and their death. Here we parted from them; here on this battle line where the blinding smoke from musketry was thickest; where this hell of battle snapped their threads of life with blood-stained hands; here where their lives went out, fighting the " Crime of the Century." Old soldiers are bound by ties and friendships that cannot be understood or appreciated by others. The truest, best and strongest ties of friendship were formed in times of greatest peril.

I find pleasure in recalling the history of the old regiment, of the brigade, of the division, and of the army corps, hoping I may contribute in some degree towards perpetuating the memories of my comrades dead, and stamp their heroic achievements forever on the hearts of the Nation. I can speak of my comrades but in praise, and shall lay just claims for credit not heretofore ac- corded them in the history of this battlefield.

We read among the old German legends the myth of Valhalla, where were thought to go the souls of the brave. " There were believed to be maidens fair called Valkyrs, or the Choosers of the Slain, — Hilda, Guda, Treda, Mista, and others who floated on swans' wings over the camps of armies before a battle and chose out who should be killed. Nor were such deaths accounted a disaster; for to die bravely was the only way to the Hall of Woden where the valiant enjoyed on the other side of the rainbow bridge the delight they cared for most in life. Shooting stars were held to be the track of weapons

990 New York at Gettysburg.

carried to supply fresh comers into Valhalla. Only by dying gallantly could entrance be won there."

Surely the Valkyrs must have been busy during the night of June 30, 1863. Rapid must have been the flight of the shooting stars, as they flashed across the midnight sky from the deadly aim of the chosen of the slain, as Hilda, Guda, Treda, Mista, floated on swans' wings over the camps of the Boys in Blue and the Boys in Gray. Surely Valhalla never received into its portals braver spirits than were selected by the shooting stars of the Valkyrs, as the armies slept on the nether bank of Marsh Creek that beautiful June night and July morning. They spared neither the private in his " Blouse the Blue, or his Blouse the Gray."

The commander and the commanded were called alike to join the procession to the Hall of Woden; but of all who left us on that day of battle, none died more gloriously than the old commander who led us in so many battles — the Bayard of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds.

The sun had started the fleecy clouds up the side of Round Top, as the long roll sounded from the brigade headquarters, July i, 1863. General Cutler was an early riser, — his tent packed, horse saddled. The throbbing drum notes of the division found instant echo from Cutler's Brigade, and he and his men were ready to march. My breakfast, two hard tack and a tin cup of black coffee. This was my fighting meal, and the only one till July 4th. What a full meal would have done for me on that occasion, history will never record.

On marching from Emmitsburg to Marsh Creek, June 30th, the First Bri- gade led the division. From Marsh Creek to this battlefield the Second Brigade led; and the brigade formation from right to left was, — eighteen men of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York, under Sergt. H. H. Hubbard, as headquarter guard, followed by the Seventy-sixth New York, under Major Grover; Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, Brvt. Brig. Gen. J. W. Hofmann; One hun- dred and forty-seventh New York, Lieut. Col. F. C. Miller; Fourteenth Brook- l3'n, Brvt. Brig. Gen. E. B. Fowler; and Ninety-fifth New York, Maj. Edward Pye.

The distant reports of artillery tingled the ear as we marched up the Emmits- burg Pike. White circles of smoke rising in the air told of bomb bursts where the gallant cavalry boys wer^ defending the line of Willoughby Run and await- ing our coming. Orderlies with despatches dashed past us to the rear with the encouraging intelligence that " The Rebs were thicker than blackberries be- yond the hill." Pioneers were ordered to the front, fences were thrown down, and, as we passed into the fields near the Codori House, the fierce barking of Calef's Battery redoubled. With it came the order, "Forward, double-quick! Load at will! " Then was heard the wild rattle of jingling ramrods, as we moved owards the sound of the cannon. No straggling now; the old musket was clinched with firmer grasp. The death grapple was at hand. As we <:rossed the rocky bed of Stevens' Run, Hall's splendid battery dashed past us. Horses with distended nostrils, sides white with foam, now wild with excitement, hur- ried to join in the melee. A fence at the crossing of the Fairfield Road hindered the battery. We climbed the fence, and passing to the south of the Seminary plunged headlong over the hill into- the narrow valley between the Seminary

New York at Gettysburg. 991

and the McPherson House ridge. The air was full of flying fragments of shell from Confederate guns beyond Willoughby Run. The Fourteenth Brooklyn and Ninety-fifth New York were moved to the front of the McPherson House, from the rear of our column. Lieut. Col. Miller, not having any orders, halted the One hundred and forty-seventh near the garden with a picket fence at. the McPherson House, a few rods east of the stone basement barn on the south side of the pike, and rode forward for orders. Hall's Battery again overtook and passed us in our rear, going to our right,, across the Chambersburg Pike, and into position between the pike and railroad cut. Lieut. Col. Miller re- turned and ordered us by the flank to the right at a double-quick in rear of Hall's Battery, now in position on the third ridge. We crossed the railroad bed, and the moment the left of the regiment cleared it the order came, " By the left flank;. guide centre! " We are now in the line of battle moving to the west. The Seventy-sixth New York and Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, with the headquarters guard, had preceded us, moving along the rear of the second ridge, and were some distance to our right and rear, on the second ridge, and not on alignment with us. While we were advancing in the wheat- field the battle opened on our right, and the bullets from the enemy were flying thick and fast as we marched rapidly towards our opponents. The wheat heads fell with rapid noddings, as the bullets from the Confederate line com- menced their harvest of death. Men dropped dead, and the wounded men went to the rear before they had emptied their muskets; Corp. Fred. Rife and his file closer, Hiram Stowell, dropped dead, one upon the other. We continued to advance in the nodding wheat of death until our left touched on the railroad cut, supporting Hall's Battery. " Lie down ! fire through the wheat close to ground ! " The battle was now on in all its fierceness ; a continuous roar of musketry drowned all orders. Lieut. Col. Miller received a wound in the head, and his frightened horse carried him from the field. On Maj. George Harney the duty fell to command ; none more worthy than he. On this field he wore a " star " in the estimation of his command.

Capt. Delos Gary dropped on one knee, close in my rear, with a bullet wound in the head; Capt. Than. Wright, just to my right, was pounding the ground

and yelling at the top of his voice to " give them h ." The firing of the

enemy in my immediate front slackened, and the enemy retired towards the right. I moved my men forward a few yards further to the crest of the ridge with the m.en of Company C, and discovered a line of Confederate skirmishers on our front, advancing from the valley up a slope towards a rail fence, firing as they advanced into Hall's Battery, while the battery was fighting for dear life. A detachment of Confederates gathered in a fence corner, a short distance be- yond the cut. I immediately ordered, " Left oblique, fire." The order was responded to by the two left companies, G and C. Several rounds were fired into the skirmish lines; it became too hot for them, and I saw them return down the hill, with several of their number stretched on the hillside. Hall's Battery had been fighting that skirmish line in a death grapple. "Artillery against skirmishers is like shooting mosquitoes with a rifle." The Confederate skirmishers had the best of it up to the time the left of the One hundred and forty-seventh Regiment opened on them. The moment the battery was relieved

992

New York at Gettysburg.

from the force of the attack it began to limber to the rear, and, as the Con- federate skirmishers fell back, the battery disappeared in a cloud of dust on the Chambersburg Pike. While this was taking place on the left, the battle reopened on the right with redoubled fury, and the cry came down the line, " They are flanking us on the right." The right companies, by Major Harney's orders, swung back on the south side of the rail fence; the left front of the regiment was relieved of pressure from the enemy, who either laid concealed close under the ridge at the west end of the railroad cut, or had passed towards our right to crush that. The fight was again fierce and hot; the boys on the right were falling like autumn leaves ; the air was full of lead. Men fell all along the hne.

I saw an officer ride down from Oak Hill in our rear, and wave his cap in retreat. To venture into this maelstrom between the railroad cut and that fence on the right was death. Fierce flamed the fire around the altar of the Union from the guns of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York. The smoke of carnage rose as an incense, and wrapped the folds of the flag defended within its shortened Hnps. Not a man flinched; none left the field except the wounded; the untouched living and the dead remained. You may point to Thermopylae and its Spartans; but a Thermopylae was here, and a Spartan heroism stood within this death angle on this ground. Never was a grander fight made against triple odds; never greater readiness to do and die on duty's line; never greater results hung trembling in the balance than swayed in the battle front of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York. Shall the battle of Gettys- burg be fought? Shall the high tide of the Rebellion ebb from these fields into peaceful waters at Appomattox? Shall foreign nations recognize the Con- federacy? Shall the great struggle be fought now and here to a finish? The answer came back from the smoking guns of the One hundred and forty- seventh : " Our whole duty shall be done. We are here to stay."

Closer pressed the enemy. A regiment — the Fifty-fifth North Carolina — was pressing far to our right and rear, and came over to the south side of the rail fence. The colors drooped to the front. An officer in front of the centre corrected the alignment as if passing in review. It was the finest exhibition of discipline and drill I ever saw, before or since, on the battlefield. The battery was gone from our left; Wads worth seeing our peril ordered his adjutant gen- eral, Capt. T. E. Ellsworth, to ride in and withdraw us. With his coal-black hair pressing his horse's mane, he came through the leaden hail like a whirl- wind across the old railroad cut and up the hill to Major Harney, who gave the command, " In retreat, march ! " As I started with my men to the rear I found Edwin Aylesworth mortally wounded, who begged me not to leave him. I stopped, and with Sergt. Peter Shuttz, assisted him to his feet, and tried to carry 'him ; but I could not, and had to lay him down. His piteous appeal, " Don't leave me, boys," has rung in my ears and lived in my memory these five and twenty years.

Sergeant Shuttz was killed soon after near Oak Ridge. The time spent in assisting Aylesworth delayed me, so I was among the last to leave the field.

Finding the enemy so close upon us and the way open — the route we came in by — I followed several of my men into the railroad cut. A squad of Con- federates were at the west end of the cut, behind some rails, and as we struck the bottom of that railroad cut, they saluted us with all their gnins, and each

New York at Gettysburg. 993

one loaded with a bullet. I did not stay to dispute possession, for they evi- dently intended " to welcome us Yanks with bloody hands to hospitable graves," and I climbed up the rocky face of the cut, on the south side, and made my way with many of our men across the meadow between the railroad cut and the Chambersburg Pike, crossed the pike into a small peach orchard, and I overtook the colors in the hands of Sergt William A. Wyburn. Just as I joined him he received a shot, and fell on the colors as if dead. I tried to remove the colors, but he held to them with true Irish grit. I commanded him to let go, and to my surprise he answered, " Hold on, I will be up in a minute," rolled over and staggered to his feet and carried them all through the fight, and was commissioned for his courage.

We joined Major Harney and right wing of the regiment on the east slope of Seminary Ridge, on the north side of the Chambersburg Pike, refilled our canteens, and with the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York marched immediately over Oak Hill again into the com fields, to the ground they occupied at the opening of the fight. From thence back, to Oak Ridge, and assisted Paul's Brigade in the successful attack on Iverson's Confederate Brigade, and lay for some time among the oaks on the ridge, under a severe shelling from Confederate batteries, and then moved to the left of the railroad cut on Oak Ridge and filled up with ammunition, when the order came, " In retreat; down the railroad track and through the town!" Called roll in the Cemetery amonj^ the tombs of generations past, only to renew the combat on Gulp's Hill; and then two days more of battle and death, continuously under fire and on active duty from July ist until the sun went down in battle smoke on the 3d. How well they fought! How well they acted their part! Call the roll of the 380 who answered at Marsh Greek, July ist At Gulp's Hill 79 re- sponded. A loss of 301 out of 380.

Gallant Sickles in his address a year ago denominates the first day's battle " a preliminary skirmish." But for the heroism and staying qualities of Rey- nolds and his men the first day. General Sickles would never had the oppor- tunity to make the handsome boast that the Third Corps fought the battle of Gettysburg.

There were fifty battles of Gettysburg fought on these hills and plains, — each sanguinary and terrific in character.

In conclusion, I will ask your attention to the errors in the histories which affect the credit and honor of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York. It was unfortunate for the record of the First Corps that we lost our commander, Reynolds. Not by this would I be understood as abating one jot or tittle of honor due him who succeeded the gallant Reynolds ; for he who commanded us we all love and remember with a soldier's gratitude, Gen. Abner Doubleday.

It was more than unfortunate that General Howard failed to comprehend the situation, and reported to General Meade that " the First Army Corps had fled from the field." ,

Let us examine the accepted accounts of the part taten by the One hundred and forty-seventh New York and see how they conform with the actual facts.

General Doubleday, in his history, when speaking of the fight on this ground,

63

994 New York at Gettysburg.

page 129, says: "Two regiments (Seventy-sixth New York, Fifty-sixth Penn-, sylvania) on the right accordingly withdrew, but the One hundred and forty-, seventh New York, which was next to the (rail) road did not receive the orders, as its colonel was shot down before he could deliver it. Tliey were at once surrounded and very much cut up before they could be rescued from their perilous position."

We will acknowledge we did not receive the first order and were truly " very much cut up;" but if we were ever "surrounded" we never knew it. If we were ever " rescued " by any troops of the Army of the Potomac on that par- ticular occasion, we were not aware of it. Not only were we ignorant of such a state of affairs, but we most emphatically and positively assert it is a mistake of history, for which there was never any foundation.

When Major Harney received Captain Ellsworth's order to retire, we had occupied that ground nearly half an hour. The rear was open to Oak Hill, and the left and rear (the route over which we came from the Seminary) was open and unobstructed. The ground that Hall's Battery occupied was unoccupied by the enemy. The only point where there was any opposition to our retreat was at the west end of that railroad cut, which was not of such a nature as to prevent us crossing it with our colors, and the flank fire of the Second Missis- sippi and Fifty-fifth North Carolina on our north before whom we had to pass. We challenge the statement that the One hundred and forty-seventh New York was for a moment " cut off," but fought until ordered to retreat by the authority from the division commander, and not " rescued " by the action of any other regiment. There was no other regiment in reach of us to assist while we were fighting on the right of this railroad cut; when we left the ground it was by order, and we carried out colors with us.

Also page 29 : " As Wadsworth withdrew them (the Seventy-sixth New York and Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania) without notifying Hall's Battery in the road, the two regiments posted by Reynolds on the left (Fourteenth Brooklyn and Ninety-fifth New York) both became exposed to a disastrous flank attack o«n the right. Hall finding a cloud of skirmishers launched against his battery, which was without support, was compelled to retreat with the loss of one gun * * * The Fourteenth Brooklyn and Ninety-fifth New York finding their support gone on the right and Archer's Rebel Brigade ad- vancing on the left, fell back leisurely." The error in this is that the with- drawal of the Seventy-sixth New York and Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania exposed the One hundred and forty-seventh New York to " the disastrous flank attack on the right." We were still holding the ground when Hall withdrew his battery. The support Hall's Battery received from the One hundred and forty- seventh New York was as vigorous as one regiment could render against the terrible odds of three to one. The assistance rendered the battery by Companies G and C was largely instrumental in reHeving it from a disastrous attack by the skirmish line against which it was waging an unequal warfare;, and gave Captain Hall an opportunity to retire his battery from its exposed position. He left one gun, not on the right of his battery, but on the left next the Chambersburg Pike. So that instead of Hall's Battery being " with-

New York at Gettysburg. 995

out support and compelled to retreat," it was saved from capture and destruc- tion (by the One hundred and forty-seventh New York) and escaped, which it could not have done had the One hundred and forty-seventh New York left the field before the battery. Companies G and C of the One hundred and forty-seventh are entitled to much of that credit.

Page 133, speaking of the movement of the Ninety-fifth New York, Four- teenth Brooklyn and Sixth Wisconsin against the Second and Forty-second Mississippi at the railroad cut: " Dawes brought a gun to enfilade their position," etc. * * *

" This success relieved the One hundred and forty-seventh New York which, as I stated, was surrounded."

Comte de Paris says, page 26, vol. 6: " The Sixth Wisconsin, left in reserve by Meredith at the Seminary, made a lively advance, supporting the right, rallied that part of Cutler's Brigade which remained in the railroad cut, and, with the aid of one cannon, opened a deadly fire upon Davis' Brigade."

General Hunt says in his Century article : " The orders not reaching the One hundred and forty-seventh New York, its gallant Major Harney held that regi- ment to its position, until having lost half of its number the order to retire was repeated. Hall's Battery was now imperiled, and withdrawn by sections fight- ing at close range, sufifering severely."

Quinner's Military History of Wisconsin, page 461, says: " During the day the Sixth Regiment saved the One hundred and forty-seventh New York from capture by charging down upon the enemy."

Hall's abandoned cannon and the gallant Sixth Wisconsin have cut a large figure in the mythical " saving " of the One hundred and forty-seventh from capture or annihilation in past histories of the last twenty-five years. It has been a salient of glorious and magnanimous conduct which, if it had happened, should have decorated every member of that brave command with an Order of Merit The Sixth Wisconsin was supporting Meredith's Brigade in its rear near the Fairfield Road, and not at the Seminary; and was ordered to the right to assist the right of the line held by the One hundred and forty-seventh New York. That the order was obeyed with Dawes' characteristic energy no one will doubt. While he was en route up the valley, Hall's Battery withdrew. Colonel Fowler retired his line to the rear of the McPherson House, changed front along the Chambersburg Pike, and is there joined by the Sixth Wisconsin. While this is taking place on the left, the One hundred and forty- seventh is still fighting the three regiments on the right, and held them in check until the change was about completed and Fowler established his new line. Fowler's command now consisted of the Sixth Wisconsin, Four- teenth Brooklyn, and Ninety-fifth New York. When the One hundred and forty-seventh received orders to retreat, it retired in part on the east of the railroad and a part with the colors crossed it and the Chambersburg Pike, and thence over the Seminary Ridge without meeting any mythical rescuers with their enfilading gun or any other troops. If the One hundred and forty-seventh was " saved " or " rescued " by the gallant Wisconsin boys or by the joint move- ments of other forces, the next historian must produce some evidence and not rely on mere assertions.

99^ New York at Gettysburg.

Brig. Gen. E. B. Fowler, the gallant colonel of the Fourteenth Brooklyn, writes me at a recent date and says: "Hall's Battery had been withdrawn except one gun near the Chambersburg Pike. One man fired that gun and ran. * * * i^ without orders, marched to the rear of the house and changed front to face the railroad cut. While performing this movement the Sixth Wisconsin joined on the right of our line. The enemy, seeing our movement, also changed his front along the railroad cut, using it for shelter."

Now for that celebrated and sanguinary gun which has played such a glorious part in the " rescue," saving and relieving the One hundred and forty-seventh New York from being captured.

General Fowler says : " In regard to that gun you mentioned. My recol- lection is, that after we had passed it in our advance (from the Chambersburg Pike towards the railroad cut) one of Hall's officers brought out a limber with its men and horses and drew the gun off. Then I sent word to him to take it to the right and fire through the cut, but before he reached there the affair was over and the enemy surrendered. There was no artillery firing into or about the cut, nor did we have any assistance from artillery to aid in the repulse and capture of the enemy at the cut." When Fowler speaks of the cut he means the one at the second ridge, to which Davis' Brigade had pur- sued us before observing his advance.

Comrades, I have brushed aside some of the Cobwebs that have obscured your history since the battle day of July i, 1863. As it stands corrected it is a grand history; it is full of glorious and heroic deeds; and as I analyze it in. all the light now before me, I claim with all candor that the steadfast courage displayed by the officers and men of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York made the capture of several hundred men of the Second and Forty- second Mississippi and Fifty-fifth North Carolina by General Fowler's forces possible, and, therefore, entitled to the same credit.

We point with pride to the record, and claim the still higher credit that by holding the right of the line like a forlorn hope, we saved the entire line from destruction and made the battle of Gettysburg possible.

Had our regiment flinched for one moment, or allowed the three Confederate regiments to have marched over the field unopposed. Hall's battery and the left of the line would have been taken in flank and rear, with results no man can appreciate. God only knows the possible result.

To the memory of our honored dead who laid life's tribute on the sacred altar of home and country we leave this monument of respect and honor from the hands of the people of the Empire State. Of those who were with us, and those who led us on the field, where are they. Generals Doubleday, Fowler, and Hofmann still live to receive our love and gratitude. Reynolds, Wads- worth, Cutler, Hall, Rice, Miller, Gary, Schenck, Van Dusen, McAssy, Mace, Taylor, and Sisson have long since answered the inevitable roll call. Turn your faces comrades towards the setting sun! Far towards the backbone of the Con- tinental Divide, by the side of the rock-ribbed mountain, and within the shadows of the snow-capped summits of Pike's Peak, sleeps a hero for which that famed old mountain is none too grand a monument, — a true hero, a genial comrade, a

New York at Gettysburg. 997

warm friend, one beloved by all, Lieut Col. George Harney. He meets with us no more,

" Yet we see in our dreams in that shadowy region, Where the dead form their ranks at the wan drummer's sign, He rides on as of old down the length of his legion, And the word is still, ' Forward along the whole line.' "

We turn towards the South Land and view the finger iparks of war in the graves of comrades dead, and raise the old tin cup of black coffee, and drink to the memory of those who never came home.

" I dreamed of our dead and forgotten, Marked Unknown on the tablets of fame, And a long line of heroes filed past me, — Who for us gave a life and a name — With the grace of youth, but each face was pale. And furrowed by lines of pain; Though lost to fame they proudly marched As though they had not fought in vain.

" They halted for roll-call, and for each name

A ready 'Here' was said;

I listened with awe, for the sergeants there

Were calling the roll of our dead. ' All present or accounted for: ' ' A detail is still on earth,' ' To guard our flags, to mark our graves,' ' To let men know our worth.'

I awakened, startled, from my sleep; ' Our regiment, boys, is with the dead ; ' ' 'Tis the rear-guard only that's here.' "

HISTORICAL SKETCH.

By Adjutant Henry H. Lyman.

The One hundred and forty-seventh Regiment, New York Volunteers, An- drew S. Warner, colonel, was raised wholly in Oswego county in August and September, 1862, and was mustered into the United States service September 22d and 23d. It left Oswego, September 27th, with 837 enlisted men for the front, and received its arms at Elmira, N. Y., on the 28th, while en route to Wash- ington, where it arrived September 29th. Next day it marched over the Long Bridge, and encamped near Baile)r's Cross Roads, Va. It soon moved to the northern defences of Washington, at Tennalytown, where the men were en- gaged in building defensive works and roads until November 28th.

998 New York at Gettysburg.

The memory of that period, to its old members, is a most gloomy one. The camp was pleasant in appearance, but proved most destructive to health. The whole country round about had been occupied for eighteen months by soldiers, raw recruits who had no knowledge of the sanitary regulations necessary to keep their camps free from the soldier's most deadly enemy, malarial fever and dysentery. Here scores of its men were prostrated with disease, and the dead march was as familiar as the reveille. Its colonel was inexperienced in military affairs, but was a most thorough-going and energetic worker himself. Not appreciating the importance of drill and discipline, he neglected that almost wholly, and the regiment was kept for the first few weeks of its service entirely upon fatigue duty, until it came to feel that it was a gang of laborers rather than soldiers. Dissatisfaction and homesickness was a natural result.

On Sunday, November 28th, the regiment received orders to be ready to march in two hours. This, the first real march, viewed from the light of later field experience, was always very amusing. In anticipation of wintering in the defences of Washington and being a " good provider," the colonel had drawn tents, camp and garrison equipage, and ordnance stores enough for a large brigade. On receipt of marching orders, the quartermaster went to Quarter- master General Rucker and borrowed all the transportation he could, and they set out from Tenallytown with thirty-three six-mule teams heavily loaded with baggage and property, both personal and public, and still were obliged to leave ten large loads of property in camp. The writer was left in charge, with orders to guard and turn in the abandoned property. Applying to General Rucker for teams to haul the property to Washington, he was answered in language more forcible than polite: "D — n the One hundred and forty-seventh New York! they have already got all the reserve transportation of this department and gone off with it, God only knows where." Later on it was thought to be good luck if a regiment, and sometimes a brigade, secured even one wagon for baggage when on the march.

The regiment for a time did guard duty on the Aquia Creek Railroad, and at Falmouth Station after the battle of Fredericksburg. Their extravagant, luxurious tastes and mode of living acquired at Tenallytown, together with their habits of acquisition and accumulation, impaired their usefulness as guards, and they were relieved from provost duty January i, 1863, and assigned to Paul's Brigade, Wadsworth's Division, First Corps, then wintering at Belle Plain Landing.

They had not got fairly settled in their new quarters when, on January 20th, the Burnside mud march was begun. Whatever the object may have been which General Burnside hoped to accomplish by this dead-of-winter movement, the result was disaster and demoralization to the Army of the Potomac, and a waste of men and material never fully realized by the country. The One hun- dred and forty-seventh received its full share of damage and demoralization from this unfortunate movement. Scores of its men were exhausted and broken down by the four days' exposure to chilling rains and the strain of poaching through the endless slough of deep, sticky mud, and on returning to camp were prostrated with typhoid fever, pneumonia, dysentery and other complaints, from which many never recovered. As a direct result of this terrible four days'

New York at Gettysburg. 999

march, forty-four men died in camp at Belle Plain within the next two months. Demoralization was evinced by the resignation of the colonel, four captains, and three lieutenants, between January 2Sth and February 4th. Had the privi- lege extended to enlisted men, the list would have been larger. This circum- stance was an episode in the history of the regiment which caused considerable comment and criticism. These officers were, however, good citizens, brave men and as patriotic as those who remained; in fact, had been selected and commissioned at the request of local war committees on account of their high moral and social standing at home, but were mostly too old and wholly un- fitted for military life and the trying ordeals of actual war. Having found this out under the depressing strain of the mud march and its horrible results, they left the service, and their places were at once filled by younger and better men from the ranks.

Paul's Brigade was a sort of provipional brigade, and while assigned to it, it was the fate of the One hundred and forty-seventh Regiment to be, as be- fore, constantly upon fatigue duty on the docks ; and it seemed that we were to continue to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. On April 3d the regi- ment was transferred to the Second Brigade of Wadsworth's Division, under General Cutler, a veteran brigade consisting of the Seventy-sixth and Ninety- fifth New York, Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, and Seventh Indiana, all first-class, well-seasoned veteran regiments, with good records and able commanders. Drill and discipline now began in earnest. The command of the regiment de- volved upon Col. J. G. Butler, who was from the old Third New York; He was ably assisted by Lieut. Col. F. C. Miller, Maj. George Harney and Capt. N. A. Wright, all experienced officers who had seen service. Thirty days transformed the regiment from its indifference and demoralization into one of the best organizations in the army, and within six months its reputation, mili- tary appearance and esprit de corps was excelled by few regiments in the army. From that on its career was an eventful and honorable one.

April 28th, with the balance of the corps, the regiment broke camp for the Fredericksburg-Chancellorsville campaign. The First and Sixth Corps were to cross and make a feint, or a real attack, if warranted by circumstances, on the enemy's right on Fredericksburg Heights. Reynolds' orders were that the pontoons must be unloaded back from the river, and carried to and put in the water quietly in the night so as to be ready to row a brigade across before day- light. Reaching the Rappahannock at Fitzhugh's Crossing at daybreak, it was found that through a misunderstanding of or noncompliance with orders, the pontoons, except about twenty, were not yet down to the river, and the enemy in the rifle pits on the south bank were making it hot for the engineers. Our batteries Were unable to dislodge the infantry of the enemy intrenched on the opposite bank. Wadsworth's Division was at or near the river's edge in the sunken road, ready to cross, but no bridges laid and but few boats at the river bank to row them over. The situation was decidedly embarrassing, but General Wadsworth was not to be balked ; and here occurred an incident which showed his character and courage and endeared him to every man in the corps.

Riding down the river's edge under a hot fire, he comprehended the im- possibility of either laying the bridge or waiting to launch sufficient boats to

looo New York at Gettysburg.

carry over a brigade without great loss of life and also loss of time, which would enable the enemy to reinforce the works opposite. Ordering more pontoons hurried into the water, he got into one himself, leading his horse in by its side and pushed ofiE for the south side, followed by a part of the Twenty-fourth Michigan and Sixth Wisconsin, while a heavy fire was opened to hold down the Rebels in the pits opposite. It was a spectacle never to be forgotten, — that white-headed old hero standing like a statue in the rocking pontoon with the bridle of his swimming horse in his left hand, apparently more anxious for the horse than himself, occasionally turning his face towards the smoking breastworks on the high banks opposite. Ten thousand anxious men are eagerly watching and silently praying for the safety of their lion- hearted commander as he is rowed through the hissing shower of lead which bespatters the river and throws water in his face and over his clothing. Men drop at the long clumsy oars, but the boats, drifting a Uttle down the stream, sweep rapidly across and he safely reaches the opposite bank, jumps ashore and mounting his dripping horse cheers on the valiant men who have followed him. Up the bank they go, over the pits! Up go the white handkerchiefs all along the Rebel breastworks, while cheers for Wadsworth from thousands of men of the First Corps, who had eagerly watched his brave act, drowned the roar of the batteries which covered the banks. Other 'troops were quickly rowed over to reinforce those who first crossed.

The bridges were quickly laid, and headed by the One hundred and forty- seventh New York, the balance of the division safely crossed to the south bank. The engagement here, called " Pollock's Mill Creek," was simply a three days' artillery fight of a very desultory character.

May 2d, the First Corps was hastily moved to the right at Chancellorsville. They arrived on that field at daybreak on the 3d, and in time to strengthen Hooker's shattered lines and help prevent further disaster.

Returning from Chancellorsville, it camped in the pine woods below Fal- mouth until June 12th, when, with seven days' rations, they began the Gettys- burg march, which was initiated and governed by the movements of the enemy. On account of the extreme heat and irregular speed, which included several forced marches in the broiling sun and drenching rain, many men were pros- trated. After crossing into Maryland and as we approached Pennsylvania, the improved condition of the country and moderating weather was very in- spiring to the men.

On this march occurred another little incident which raised Wadsworth still higher, not only in the estimation of his own men, but those of the whole army. On the 28th of June the corps reached Frederick, Md. The day's march over the Catoctin Mountains had been very tiresome, and ended in a wet evening. Wadsworth's Division was halted for the night in a clover meadow of ten or fifteen acres, surrounded by a pine rail fence. Existing general orders were strict that the troops should not forage, or burn the fences of the citizens. It looked like having to lie down all night in the wet clover, in damp clothing, and without cofifee. General Wadsworth could not and would not stand that. Sending for the old farmer, he asked how much was the value of the rails around that field. The farmer said he didn't want to sell them at any price, and pleaded

New York at Gettysburg. iooi

the general orders for protection. General Wadsworth's reply was : " I am a farmer myself; your fence won't be needed to protect the clover which is already flat and ruined; my men are tired, wet and hungry and must have cofifee; your rails will be burned by either Union or Rebel soldiers in the next ten days; they're worth about $250; here it is; take it or take your chances." The farmer took the money which the general paid from his own pocket, and orders were given to use the rails for fire. In less than three minutes every rail had left the fence, and in ten minutes a thousand cheerful fires were blazing and giving warmth and comfort to 8,000 or 10,000 wet and weary men, whose pro- longed cheers for General Wadsworth fairly rent the heavens. The example was irresistible in the other corps, and in a very short time the heavens for miles were illuminated by fires fed with the prohibited Union rails. From that time on, the order was a dead letter, and General Wadsworth's rule to " first protect your men " prevailed instead.

July 1st, the regiment, together with the balance of Wadsworth's Division, was hurriedly moved from Marsh Creek, by way of the Emmitsburg Road, to Gettysburg, and went into line west of the town about 9:30 d.. m., re- lieving Buford's Cavalry which was contesting the advance of Hill's Corps on the Chambersburg Pike. It reached the liAe of battle by crossing the fields from the Codori buildings to the Seminary; thence westerly down the slope to the garden fence just east of the McPherson buildings, where it was halted for a very short time; and thence moved by the flank across the Chambersburg Pike, through the hollow in rear of the position taken by Hall's Second Maine Battery, northerly, crossing the old unfinished railroad in the hollow at or near grade, faced by the left flank and moved to the west between the railroad cut and the rail fence on the north of said cut, advancing until met by the heavy fire of the enemy who were coming up the opposite side of the ridge.

The position of the regiment when it first became engaged was about six or . eight rods in rear of the line of Hall's Battery and on the opposite or north side of the railroad cut, which at that point was deep. On its right and somewhat to its rear was the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York, but not connecting with it on the right. The fighting was at very short range and very destructive. After about fifteen minutes engagement, the Seventy-sixth and Fifty-sixth were withdrawn. The enemy, viz., the Forty-second Mississippi, were in the western end of the cut and covered its front, while the Second Mis- sissippi and the Fifty-fifth North Carolina were bearing down from the north on its right, one company of which had been thrown back along the rail fence to meeit them.

General Wadsworth, coming up the line from the left and observing our position, ordered Capt. T. E. Ellsworth, his adjutant general, to ride up to us, and if no conditions existed which, in his judgment, required our contmuance in that perilous position, to withdraw the regiment at once, as he supposed had already been done at the time of the withdrawal of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York. Captain Ellsworth reached the line just as Major Harney was consulting his senior captains as to whether it was best to remain and take the almost certain chances of being cut off and captured, or to retreat without orders. The order was given: " In retreat, double-quick.

I002 New York at Gettysburg.

run." In getting off the field, no order or line was observed. Some kept to the north side of the old railroad over the second ridge, now known as Rey- nolds Avenue; but the galling fire of the Second Mississippi and Fifty-fifth North Carolina, who were advancing from the north, drove most of them across the cut towards the Chambersburg Pike.

About the time that the enemy, who were pursuing us in a disorganized and yelling mob from the west and northwest, had reached the second ridge and were halted to see where they were and where they should go, they discovered a line of battle at the Chambersburg Pike which immediately attacked them and advanced, causing several hundred of the Forty-second Mississippi, Second Mississippi, and Fifty-fifth North Carolina to jump into the deep cut at the second ridge for cover and defence, where they were captured by the Four- teenth Brooklyn and Ninety-fifth New York, who had been hastily moved from the front of the buildings and formed by Colonel Fowler to meet the enemy which he saw bearing down from the north. Fowler's force was also joined on his right by the Sixth Wisconsin.

After this first engagement, about seventy-five men and officers were rallied in rear of Seminary Ridge, and again moved with the brigade to the west to take up the first line, but finding it untenable on account of heavy artillery fire from the north and west withdrew and advanced northerly along Oak Ridge to a rail fence, where they soon became engaged with the troops of Ewell's Corps, assisting in the capture of Iverson's Brigade. During the last of the first day's fighting they were supporting a battery near the Seminary. In the retreat through the town, the regiment was badly broken and jumbled up, but was again rallied and assigned position in the reformed line on East Cemetery Hill, which it held until the morning of the 2d, when it was moved to Culp's Hill just east of Stevens' Battery, where it lay in the second line until 5:30 or 6 p. m.

When Ewell's evening attack was made on Culp's Hill, the One hundred and forty-seventh New York and Fourteenth Brooklyn were hurried to the right and down the hill to reinforce Greene's Brigade, Geary's Division, Twelfth Corps, where they were engaged until 9 or 10 p. m. They remained in Greene's Brigade all next day, in position on the immediate left of the big rock on which is now situate the monument of the One hundred and forty-ninth New York, and assisted in successfully repulsing the numerous desperate attacks made on that Ime by Johnson's heavy columns. Before 10 a. m., of the 3d, every man and officer present had fired 200 rounds and the numerous dead in their front showed with what effect.

The service of the One hundred and forty-seventh on this line has never been officially recognized in the reports of officers of that corps, and as the commanding officer of the One hundred and forty-seventh failed to make any official report, that important event in its career has never been mentioned by historians and writers of the battle, except in General Slocum's speech at the reunion of Greene's Brigade on Culp's Hill, on July 2, 1893. The prompt re- inforcement of Greene's weak and attenuated lines by the One hundred and forty-seventh New York and Fourteenth Brooklyn, and their vigorous unflinch- ing attack on the advancing enemy, whose strength and movements were only

New York at Gettysburg. 1003

-evealed by the tongues of flame which leaped from the muzzles of their guns, undoubtedly frustrated Lee's plan of breaking through from Rock Creek to the Baltimore Pike. This night fighting in the dense darkness of the rocky forest was a feature of the battle most terrific and appalling. In advancing, no align- ment could be maintained; men stumbled and fell over the rocks and over ihe bodies of the dead and wounded; and as the opposing forces closed in and became intermixed, friends and foes could only be distinguished by the dancing flames from the muskets.

The battle of Gettysburg was to the One hundred and forty-seventh its most notable one, not only on account of its remarkable experience at the rail- road cut, but it was the field of its greatest loss. It carried to the first line of battle 380 men, of which it lost "j^, killed and mortally wounded, and 144, wounded, most of whom fell during the first half hour. Of the 60 or 70 who were captured in falling back through the town, most of them returned within five or six days. No New York regiment lost a greater percentage of its men in this battle. The large and unusual proportion of killed to the wounded was caused by the nearness of the lines of battle, the distance not exceeding six to ten rods during the first half hour's fighting, as well as the fact that for some time, while on the McPherson Ridge, it was subject to a fire from three ways.

Although in the nature of repetition, I desire to recall still more definitely a matter over which there has been much discussion and dispute, viz.:

The error as to the first position of the regiment at Gettysburg, which was on the McPherson Ridge, north of Hall's Battery, and a few rods to its rear on the north side of the railroad cut. The mistaken notion as to its being located on the second ridge arose through the errors made by Colonel Bachelder in leaving Hall's Second Maine Battery, which the One hundred and forty-seventh was supporting, off his first map ; then, later on, locating it on the second ridge, now Reynolds Avenue, where Lieutenant Ullman's right section of Hall's Bat- tery fired two or three shots in retreat, and placing the One hundred and forty- seventh upon its right on that ridge, instead of at first giving Hall his proper position between the Chambersburg Pike and the railroad cut on the Mc- Pherson Ridge, which he did not do until 1869.

The ridges in question run together and are merged near the Mummasburg Road. Cutler's line, north of Hall's Battery, was in echelon, the One hundred and forty-seventh New York being on the right, and six or eight rods in rear of the battery, the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania next and 250 or 300 yards in the rear of the One hundred and forty-seventh, with the Seventy-sixth New York in line on its right extending to the said road.

In coming on the field the One hundred and forty-seventh did not follow the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York across the pike in the hollow in rear of the second ridge; it went diagonally across the fields, after passing the Seminary, and was halted at the garden or yard fence just east of the McPherson barn, the Ninety-fifth and Fourteenth Brooklyn going to the front and left of the buildings. The One hundred and forty-seventh halted by this garden fence from three to five minutes; then moved hurriedly along the depression or valley in rear of Hall's Battery, which was then engaged, until the left of the regiment was across the old railroad bed; then faced to the front and without waiting for alignment moved up the slope between the cut

1004 New York at Gettysburg.

on its left and the rail fence on its right until it met, and engaged the enemy who were coming up in the field of grain on the opposite side of the ridge.

Hall's Battery was on the left of the One hundred and forty-seventh, on the south side of the cut, and six or eight rods more or less to its front.

The enemy occupied the west end of the cut, and a heavy force of their skirmishers were working up out of the cut on the western side of the slope on Hall's right flank, which was quite a distance from the One hundred and forty-seventh on the opposite side of the cut.

The left companies of the One hundred and forty-seventh at first were able to give Hall some protection; but to meet the heavy pressure from the Second Mississippi and Fifty-fifth North Carolina, which came down from the north- west after the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York were withdrawn, as well as the hot fire of the Forty-second Mississippi on its front and left, the regiment was soon compelled to give its entire attention to taking care of itself.

The One hundred and forty-seventh did not get Wadsworth's first order to withdraw with the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy-sixth New York, on account of the wounding of its colonel, but held on to its position after the withdrawal of those regiments, until almost surrounded. Then, upon orders which were brought by Capt. T. E. Ellsworth, it ran,' pursued pell-mell by the enemy, most of the men crossing to the south side of the old railroad grading in the hollow between the second and third ridges, a very few only keeping on the north side of the grading and along in the railroad cutting through the second ridge, back towards Seminary Ridge.

The enemy, consisting of the Forty-second Mississippi on the west, and the Second Mississippi and Fifty-fifth North Carolina, who had come down from the northwest after the withdrawal of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania and Seventy- sixth New York, closely followed them, also falling into great disorder, until they reached the deep cut of the second ridge, where is now located the Four- teenth Brooklyn monument at the iron bridge, when, receiving the lire of Colonel Fowler's force at the pike, they took to the cut for shelter and several hundred of them, under Major Blair of the Second Mississippi, were captured.

A thorough investigation has established these facts, not only by the recol- lection of men and officers of the One hundred and forty-seventh Regiment, but by the evidence of numerous officers of other commands, both Union and Confederate, which was secured and submitted to Colonel Bachelder, by the writer, before his death. This evidence, as may be seen by his letters herewith published, convinced him of his error.

I take the liberty to subjoin statements received from the Hon. Timothy E. Ellsworth, Wadsworth's adjutant general, who withdrew the regiment from the third ridge; Col. J. A. Blair of the Second Mississippi, the ranking officer in command of the Confederate detachment captured in the second cut, which had pursued the One hundred and forty-seventh ofif the field until met by Colonel Fowler at that cut; Capt. J. A. Hall, who commanded the battery, the right of which the regiment was supporting; and Col. J. B. Bachelder, Govern- ment Historian of Gettysburg, who was finally convinced, by this and a large mass of other positive proof furnished, of his error regarding the first position of this regiment.

Hew York at Gettysbukg. 1005

" Lockport, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1888. " H. H. Lyman, Esq.:

" My Dear Sir — Your favors of the loth and 24th of July ought to have had my attention sooner. Now as to your question:

" ' Q. Did the One hundred and forty-seventh go into position on same ridge and to the right of Hall's Battery, or were they on the ridge at the second cut some 300 yards in the rear of the battery? '

" ' A. The One hundred and forty-seventh and the two other regiments of that brigade were on the same ridge as Hall's Battery, and to the right of the cut as shown on your rough sketch ; this was the third ridge, the One hundred and forty-seventh being near to the unfinished railroad and the other two regi- ments to its right along the crest of that ridge.'

" ' Q. Do you remember whether you rode clear up to Major Harney to get him to retreat; if so, did you keep on the north side of the old railroad, and did you find us on the low ridge at the second cut, or on the ridge at third cut, counting Seminary Ridge as the first cut?'

" ' A. I rode substantially up to your regiment and inquired of the major what you were doing there ; was told you had had no orders to fall back. I then gave them, and got out myself as rapidly as I conveniently could. In going up I crossed to th6 north side of the old railroad and rode directly up the hill to about the centre of your line; you were on the ridge to the right of the third cut at that time, and the only regiment then there. Afterwards I learned from General Cutler's aide that he had given the order to your commanding officer, but it was found that he was wounded before communicating it. About the time that the First Brigade — in the woods — had its success there, and not long afterwards, the fight there having lulled, riding back towards the rear with General Wadsworth, the position of your regiment was observed by him, apparently the only command remaining on that third ridge, and seemingly under heavy fire. He asked me what that regiment was doing up there; said he had