E , f^ -V w^ ^^(^ — >-' ■>-'-^' ^i^:^' .X^'^ Book. ?6%?rv?- 1 J. R. I T'>i I lUVT. 6l5T NEW YORK INFANTRY. In till- WlifstnrM. r. J. hrt r-uKHt I:, i-ntrru. Ntw York at Gettysburg. 455 (INSCRIPTIONS.) (Front.) 61st REGT. X. Y. IXFY. 1st brig. 1st DIV. 2nd corps. ORGANIZED SEPTEMBER 18C1. MUSTERED OUT JULY 14th 1865. (Rcxcrsc.) This position held by the 6IST ReGT. N. Y. IXFY. ON the afternoon of July 2, 1863. Casualties, Killed H; Wounded 5(5. Total Loss, 62. 4.iO New Yokk at Geit^sblkg. Comrades: DEDICATION OF MONUMENTS. tflsr REGIMENT IXKAN'TKV. July I, 1889. Oration ok Lieut. Cuaui.ks A. Fci.lek. It lacks but a little of twenty-six years since the members of this organiza- tion, or some of tiieni — all who could be — were present on this very spot, then as active members 01 a hardy, fighting regiment. Those here to-day who responded to the order, " Forward," on th£ 2d of July, 1863, if they then thought of anything beyond the immediate present, did not look ahead a quarter of a century and anticipate this occasion. We all felt then that a desperate encounter was before us, and we were mostly anxious to acquit ourselves like men. To-day we, the survivors of the Si.xty-first Regiment of New York Volun- teers, meet to dedicate a monument sacred to our dead who fell on this field, and in recognition of the stalwart services of the regiment. The story might be briefly told, and still be wonderfully eloquent. We went into the light with less than 100 muskets, and we left on the field over 60 killed and wounded. Gettysburg is by no means the only great battle in which our little regiment did deeds of valor. But it is not practicable to erect costly monuments at every place where soldierly acts were performed worthy of connncmoration. This is one of the g^eat battlefields of the world, and is, so far as post-bellum attentions go, the greatest. There is no oilier place on this broad earth, noted as a battle site, where so much has been ilone by art and labor to make it worthy of pilgrimage as here. This expenditure and expression is not a forced and artificial affair. No one has said that it is the proper thing for the leading nation of the world to have a pet battlefield, and in assent selected this one. Many things conjoined to make it the place where people from all na- tions would desire to visit. The location was fitted by nature for a great battle. Here two well-matched and unexcelled armies joined issue, in what each at the time believed might be the decisive struggle. With us it was a battle in defence of our firesides; with the enemy, they felt that to be broken up and routed was the grave of their cause. The number engaged was great, the fighting was fierce and prolonged, the dead and wounded on each side were numbered by the thousands. It was a time when the people. North and South, outside of the armies, looked on witli bated breath, and regarded the result as almost conclusive. When the plans of the enemy were here brought to a halt, when, in place of a glorious victory, he pulled out under cover of night and marched for a ford over the Potomac, which he placed between himself and our following troops, there was throughout the North such a sense of relief and gratitude that its remembrance has not faded away, but is readily recalled; and, therefore, it is that this has become the place of places in regard to the War of the Rebellion. New York at Gettysburg. 457 We meet to-day around this granite pile in response to a sentiment. The State of New York has expended thousands on this field in response to sentiment. The effect of all this effort and expenditure will be considerable and prolonged; bodies of men such as we are from a dozen different States cannot come together after years of separation and dedicate a monument in memory of deeds here transacted, without such action having a lasting moral effect that will radiate as does light and heat from the sun. Our patriotism is brightened, our regard for the land we fought for is enhanced, and we will return to our homes better fitted to do the remnant of our work, part of which is to perfect the Government we saved. It is proper that we should briefly refer to the history of the regiment that calls us here, and makes possible this occasion. What eventually became the Sixty-first New Y'ork Volunteers, was at the start named the " Clinton Guards," and Spencer W. Cone was its first colonel. It was organized, uniformed, drilled and armed at Staten Island, between the months of August and November, 1861. During the time spent on Staten Island, difficulties of some sort re- sulted in a change of officers, and in, what may be said to have been the making of the regiment, the appointment of Francis C. Barlow to the lieutenant colonelcy. I think it was in November that we left the Island about 700 strong, a fact that convicts the State Government of a blunder, little short of a crime. That fact and the later one, of organizing new regiments when further requisitions were made for men instead of keeping full the ranks of veteran regiments whose numbers had been thinned by battle and disease, reduced the efficiency of New York troops at least one-half. No possible excuse could be rendered for such a practice, except the desire on the part of the State officials to furnish offices for ambitious men who wanted shoulder straps without earning them by service in the old regiments that had received the Ijaptism of blood." The regiment arrived at Washington without incident, and went into camp for a week or two on Kendall Green. The next move was across the Potomac, where a camp was made about three miles out of Alexandria, called Camp California. Here the winter was spent in drilling, camp guard, and picket duty. It was a trying time to the men; the measles took down many, and there were numerous deaths from that and other diseases. We were' here brigaded with the Fifth New Hampshire, the Fourth Rhode Island, and the Eighty-first Fennsylvania, under Gen. O. O. Howard. During the winter the Fourth Rhode Island was detached, and the Sixty-fourth New York took its place. The first real campaign of the regiment 'was the hard march to the Rappahannock, where the sight was permitted us of a handful of withdrawin brass bands, dress ])aradcs and j^rand reviews, he cuuld liardly have been better scr\xd. Barlow was almost unapproachable for bravery, skill and discipline. Howard demonstrated that a godly man could fight, and that it was not necessary to be wicked to be valiant. General Richardson — "Old Dick," as we lovingly called hin) — cai)tured the admiration of every man in the division the day they looked upon his herculean frame. And \vc all cheered for .'^un1ner, the grand old fighter from " way back," whose locks were bleached with years of army service, but whose " eye was not dimmed nor his natural force abated." With these surroundings, was it likely that wc could return, go up I'.roadway, and liave a reception, without a casualty? From the commander of the corps to the colonel of the regiment, it was believed that the Rebellion wa> to be conquered by hard fighting at short range. We were in the second line at the ridiculous siege of Yorktown. Williams- burg and \\ est Point were fought before we got there. But few who made it will ever forget the night march from Yorktown towards Williamsburg. On Saturday, May 31, 1862, we were in camp at Cold ilarbor. It was after- noon. Suddenly the thunder of Casey's guns greeted our ears. Johnston was making a mighty effort to crush our left before help could come from across the swollen Chickahominy. In a cw minutes we were under arms and await- ing our turn to cross the log bridge that was dancing on the surface of the stream. We reached the battlefield of Fair Oaks after dark; too late for a hand in that day's proceedings. It was our turn ne.xt day. Gallantly we were led, and the regiment vas no discredit to its colonel. We took in about 400 muskets. 1 will not attempt a description of that battle, suffice it to say that we lost six officers killed. Colonel Fox in his valuable work on " Regi- mental Losses in the W ar," says that the average is 16 men killed to I officer. That estimate would make a loss of 102. Company C lost in killed, 2 officers and 6 men. If that rate was maintained in all of the companies, it would make a death loss of 80. W hatcvcr may have been the actual loss, it was heavy. The regiment stood like a rock, and its "cputation with every other one in the First Brigade was made, as a " fighting regiment." Then foUowetl three weeks in the trenches, with fre(|uent picket duty t!iat was hazardous. Farly on tlie morning of the 2(jlh of June, our corps fell back on the line of the railroad. We passed the commissary depot where millions of rations were piled, to which the torch had been api>lied. A little bevond, at Peach Orchard, the advance of the enemy overtook us. We formed line of battle, and maintained our position. Wc were under destructive Rebel artil- lery fire, but wc were not engaged with nnisketry. Then we fell biok to Savage Station, where just at dark the corps had a brisk fight, and repulsed the enemy. This is the place where Suinncr was so disgusted that he came near disobeying the order of the commanding general to " fall back." The old fighter said it was against his practice and princii>les to run away from a beaten enemy. But McGellan was down on the gun boats seeking for a new spot in which to set his base, and the unwise orilcr coidd not he reversed. That night wc crossed \\ hite Oak Swamp, and the next rjay supported our batteries «jnder a heavy fire from the enemy's artillery. At this place we lost New Youk at Gettysburg. 459 some n-iCn. but it was cliild's play with what was to follow. As the sun v.as going down, orders came for us to move. All the afternoon there had been heavy firing in the direction of Glcndalc. Now we were headed towards it. Soon the order came, " Step out; " then, " Double-quick; " and then, " Run." It would take too much time to attempt a description of that fight. In it we lost in killed and wounded, Dcming, Moore, Spencer, Gregory, and a good share of our men. It was fought after dark, and we aimed our muskets at the flash of the enemy's rifles. Towards morning we withdrew, and again formed our lines at Malvern Hill. This was a magnificent battle. The enemy were thoroughly whipped, but there was no one in authority to direct an onward movement; consequently the army fell back to Harrison's Landing. In due, or rather dilatory, course of time, with our corps we were again on the old camp ground of the winter before; then, at Arlington Heights; and finally, after Pope was beaten, we reached Centreville. We ought to have been in the Second Bull Run. One or more people ought to have been killed by slow torture, for this damnable blundering — or worse. Again, movements were started that resulted in the battle of Antietam, where brave fighting was done by piece-meal; where Lee ought to have been crushed, and where he wasn't. In this battle the Sixty-first, I believe, did the most brilliant thing in its career, in the capture of more of the enemy than it had men, and where Captain Greig took a Rebel battle flag. This was due to the generalship of Barlow. Here, on account of a dangerous wound, we parted company with the man who had up to that date given us a special character. Barlow was to lead us as colonel no more. When he rejoined the army, it was as general of a brigade in the Eleventh Corps. It was fortunate for us that the next in command was Nelson A. Miles. It is rare that any regi- ment has at one time two such men. \\'hile at Harper's Ferry, or on the way to Fredericksburg, a new company, under Captain Bain, reached us, and about doubled our numbers. On Decem- ber 13, 1862, we had a losing hand in the slaughter at Fredericksburg. It is said that while we were lying down on the right side of the road, behind the close-l>oard fence, that Miles was prospecting, and had sent back for permis- sion to charge the rifle pits beyond. If such is the case it was lucky for us, that a bullet clipped his throat in time to prevent such an heroic act; had it been done, some of us, who to-day can enjoy a good dinner, would have added our names to the list of " killed in battle." Miles recovered in time to lead the regiment at Chancellorsville, where he gained great credit by soldiership while m charge of the picket line. Our losses were not heavy in this campaign aside from Miles, who was dangerously wounded and never served again with the regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Bn.ady succeeded him. In a few weeks' time we were again in motion, \^'e were going where the enemy led us, and that happened to be here. As I have said before, we had less than 100 muskets. There was not to exceed six in Company C, a com- pany that started out one of the strongest. Clearly do I now recall what hapi)ened as we reached this vicinity on the evening of the ist of July; how we stacked arms: ate supper; removed a rail fence and worked it into a line of rifle pits; went to bed, or rather rolled up in blankets and slept the sleep 4Go New York at Gettysburg. of the just: how we were callotl at an early Iiour; prcparctl breakfast; had a thorouph iiisnoclion; ami ihcn moved towards ilie town. I renieniber passing our doctors in a lilllc ])iece of woods, and giving a good-bye shake of the hand, and moving on. I remember our position in the meadow, between the town and tlie " wheatfield." The brigade was closed in mass, the Sixty-first with 97 men; then the Eighty-first Pennsylvania with, perhaps, 150; then the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania with 300 or 400; and the Fifth New Han:pshire with about 200. These numbers, except in the case of the Sixty- first, are estimates. I remember, while we were ner\ously awaiting the order to advance, the admonition of Colonel Cross, commanding the brigade. He said: " Men, you know what's before you; give'em hell!" Sickles' troops Inid been engaged for some time and were falling back; then came the order for tiie First Division to go to the rescue. The brigade moved by the left flank, and in that formation reached the narrow cross-roacr of men, borrowed from otlicr coni|>aiiies for the occasion. I mention this, as I notice that Colonel Fox names tite Fifth New Hampshire of our brigade, as tlie infantry regiment losintj the greatest percentage of men in action in the whole army. I am satistied that if Colonel Fox had made his calculations on the basis of 600 instead of 770, he might have awarded the honor to us. But there is no occasion to sing the praises of this (to say the least) re- nowned regiment of the grand olil Second Corps. Its memories are en- shrined in all your hearts, and I have no doubt you will teach your children and children's children to reverence its memory, and tell them of its deeds until they are proud to exclaim, '" My father belonged to, and fought in the Sixty-first New York, the regiment which gave to the country the tsvo great generals, Francis C. Barlow and Nelson A. Miles; that captured four tlags from the enemy, and brought home its own, unsullied by traitor's touch; that on two occasions cajitured more prisoners than it had men in its ranks: that while willing to shake hands with the old Johnnies, never forget that we fought for Freedom and L'nion, and they for Slavery and Disunion; and that we stood for tiie rigiit. and they for the wrong." Comrades, as I look over and through your attenuated ranks, I behold an- other line; and in it I see Massett, Plumb, Garland, Angell, Deming and Owens. Grouped around them I see a long line of the private soldiers of our old regiment, who with their comrades of like rank, at the points of their bayonets, finally conquered and won for us the peace of Appomattox; and it seems to me as I gaze upon them, that from their voiceless lips there comes a silent benediction on our proceedings here this day. And now, Mr. Secretary, I have the honor and pleasure in behalf of this regiment and the State we rci)resent, of turning over to you this monument, hoping and trusting that tlie Gettysburg Battletield Memorial .\ssociation will guard it as vigilantly as the regiment it represents guarded the interests of the Republic. HISTORIAL SKETCH. By C.m't. Lee Nlttixg. The Sixty-first New York Volunteers — "Clinton Guards" — was raised and organized on Staten Island to serve for three years of the war. It was mustered into service of the United States from August 22 to October 26, 1861. Seven companies re-enlisted in the winter of 1863 for three years, and they, with the recruits, were mustered out July 14, 1865. in accordance with orders from the War Department. The first colonel was Spencer W. Cone, and commanded by him. we loft Staten Island, November 9, 1861, en route for Washington, where wc arrived without adventure, after a hearty midnight supper given us by the loyal ladies of I'hiladelphia. We encamped for a few days on Kendall Green, from whence we marched to McCloud's Mills, three miles from .Mexandria. where we went into winter quarters and settled down to hard and laborious drill. The regiment was composed of seven companies raised in and around New New York at Gettysburg. 463 York City, and tb.rec companies from Hamilton and Madison Counties, the latter being largely officered by stuJents iroin Hamilton University. The seven city companies were recruited mainly in the coal boxes, and were rough, insubordinate, and, as it seemed, poor material; but under the exacting disci- pline they became model soldiers, and were found to be better able than the countrymen to withstand the hardships and privations of a soldier's life. At Kendall Green, Lieut. Col. Francis C. Barlow joined the regiment, a medium- sized, slender man, with no beard, and looking so much like a boy that he was named the " Boy General " when he attained that rank. But though boyish looking, the spirit that animated Francis C. Barlow was a mighty one, and the discipline which he enforced and, above all, the gallantry and wisdom with which he led the Sixty-first into battle endeared him to both officers and men. As our poet, Quartermaster Wren, says in some doggerel verse com- posed to the air of Billy Barlow — Governor Morgan, he didn't do slow When he gave us a colonel in Billy Barlow. The surviving members of the regiment revere his memory. Singularly modest, no trumpet proclaimed his gallant deeds. In fact, he shrank from notoriety; and, yet, the fact remains that in our estimation no soldier from this State was his equal in anything which goes towards the making of a great soldier or general, and when New York finally writes the history of her sons who fought in the Great Rebellion, the name of Maj. Gen. Francis C. Barlow will occupy the highest niche in her Temple of Fame. In the spring of 1862, the Si.xty-first, then brigaded with the Fifth New- Hampshire, Eighty-first Pennsylvania and Si.xty-fourth New York, — the whole forming the First Brigade of the First Division, Second Army Corps, under the command of Brig. Gen. O. O. Howard,— marched to Manassas, and from there to the Rappahannock River, in pursuit of the rear guard of Johnston's army. The enemy sent a few shells back to us, but we did not get near enough to use our Enfields. Returning to Alexandria, we took the transport J. R. Spaulding, and steamed down to the Peninsula, landing by wading ashore at Ship Point, and assisting in various ways in the Siege of Yorktown. From Yorktown we marched in the night, and in mud and rain, to the assistance of our comrades at Williams- burg. Returning to Yorktown, we took transports up the York River to White House Landing, and from there marched to Deep Bottom on the Chickahominy. Heavy musketry firing aroused us Saturday afternoon. May 31, 1862, and our gallant old corps commander, Gen. E. \'. Sumner, ordered us to fall in. and marched us to the bridge heads. Farther he did not dare to go without orders, which General McClellan finally sent him, and we started to cross the river. The rain had caused the river to rise so that the frail bridges were afloat: but the marching column kept it solid and we passed over. We were soon halted and ordered to load with ball cartridges, and then it seemed at least a serious matter. Getting on the field about 9 p. ra., we were too late for the fight that day, but forming cohunn closed in mass, we were told to liUU 464 KtW Wn.!. i.j UETTVSDrKG. lie down bcliind our gun stacks. The Kcbcl woumJcd lay on the wet ground around us, and we got our first tasle of the horrors of war. I know one soldier that, as he rolled liis blanket around hini tliat night, debated seriously whetlier he had not mistaken his vocation, and wlicther he would be able to stand the storm of tlic morrow. Sunday, June 1st, broke bright and clear, and French's Brigade was sent into the woods ahead of us. Then the storm broke; the air seemed filled with lead; and some of us were very much troubled in mind. Soon the regiment was ordered forward, and finally entere