HISTORY: Chapter 18, History of Cayuga Co., NY 1879; Cayuga co., NY

submitted by W. David Samuelsen
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1789 - History of Cayuga County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical
Sketches of some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, by Elliot G. Storke,
assisted by Jas. H. Smith. Pub. by D. Mason & Co., Syracuse, N.Y. 1879

CHAPTER XVIII.
CAYUGA IN THE REBELLION, (CONTINUED.)
19TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS - TERM OF ENLISTMENTS - MISUNDERSTANDINGS -
UNPLEASANT RESULTS - IN CAMP AT WASHINGTON - WITH PATTERSON - MILITARY
EXPERIENCE - WITH GENERAL BANKS - NEW UNIFORMS - HELD FOR TWO YEARS -
RECUSANTS PUNISHED - REDUCED TO A BATTALION - CHANGED TO 3D ARTILLERY -
SUBSEQUENT SERVICES.

Im the preceding chapter, we have given a connected account of the enrollment
of the six regiments from this military district, and of Kennedy's battery,
and of their departure for their respective fields of duty in the service of
the State and of the United States. In the en-suing chapters devoted to this
subject, we shall subjoin as full an account of their field and camp service
as our limits will permit.

19TH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS. - The companies comprising this regiment, pending
its full completion, had been quartered at the military depot at Elmira, where
they were initiated into the earnest and severe experiences of camp-life, as
contrasted with the home quiet, and the conveniences and comforts to which
most of them had been accustomed. The rough barracks, the coarse and poorly
cooked food, and the beds of straw had to be accepted as the inevitable lot of
the soldier and was borne with varying degrees of patience, corresponding to
the individual temperaments.

The first five companies of the regiment reached Elmira on the 29th of April;
Captains Stewart, Giles and Ammon, arrived on the 9th of May; and on the 14th,
all the companies having arrived, orders were issued by the State military
board "that the several companies commanded by Captains John T. Baker, Owen
Gavigan, Theodore H. Schenck, Chas. H. Stewart, John H. Ammon, Solomon Giles,
Nelson T. Stephens, J. E. Ashcroft, T. J. Kennedy, and J. R. Angel, be
severally accepted and formed into a regiment to be numbered 19, and that
orders be forthwith issued for the election of regimental officers thereof. "A
brisk and spirited canvass followed, in which were considered the names of
Colonel John M. Dodge, H. V. Howland, Gen. Segoine, and Major John S. Clark,
resulting in the choice of the latter for Colonel, by a nearly unanimous vote,
and of the other officers as stated in the official organization of the
regiment in the pre-ceding chapter.

Attention had been called to Major Clark for the reason of his general
qualifications for the position, and particularly by a voluntary, perilous,
and successful act of heroism in running the rebel blockade between Baltimore
and Washington a few weeks before, wherein several previous messengers- had
been turned back. He, by his perseverance, skill and boldness, succeeded,
conveying dispatches to our forces, with which he returned to Washington.

Regular and thorough drills were maintained, though the weather was rainy and
inclement, and the men not sufficiently clothed to comfortably resist the
chills and damps of the season. The men of this regiment had enlisted for two
years and doubtless felt themselves bound to that term of service should the
war continue so long. The military board of the state, as early as May 1st,
1861, had offered to furnish thirty-eight regiments for two years' service and
the offer had been promptly accepted on May 3d. The Nineteenth regiment having
enlisted for two years and the military authorities of the state having
offered, for two years, the services of thirty-eight regiments, of which the
Nineteenth was one, which offer had been accepted, it was clearly the duty of
the mustering officer to have sworn them in for that period. But a bad blunder
was made, and the men of the Nineteenth regiment were sworn into the United
States service, on May 22d, for three months only.

As might have been expected if the war continued, trouble came of it. We had
sanguine men who at that time believed the war would be short, and their
council may have governed in the mustering of the 19th for three months.
However that may have been, the error was committed and unpleasant results
followed, The rank and file were ignorant of the real facts in the case, were
not informed of the action of the State and National authorities, and when
sworn into the service for three months regarded the contract as binding.

On May 24th, the men received their uniforms, which by a most shameful fraud
of the contractors, were composed of that miserable shoddy material, and the
color, instead of the regulation blue, was a dingy gray, the cloth, of which
they were composed had no inherent strength and the garments very soon fell to
pieces. Our spirited and proud boys were therefore clothed in uncomfortable
and unseemly rags, mortifying to their feelings, and an affront which deeply
wounded them. In this affront to the regiment, their friends at home fully
participated; a public meeting of citizens was called, and a deputation sent
to Albany, to protest against the outrage and to seek to right the wrong
which, after long delay, was finally done.

Meanwhile on May 31st Colonel Clark applied for marching orders, and was
directed by the Secretary of War to proceed to Harrisburg, Pa., for which
place the regiment started on June 6th, 950 strong. On their way through
Pennsylvania, they received flattering and grateful ovations from the people,
who lavished upon them the most generous and liberal hospitality.
At Harrisburg, Col. Clark received a dispatch from General Patterson, to
proceed at once to Chambersburg, but before doing so, the former telegraphed
both to General Scott and Patterson, and the former ordered the command to
Washington, whither it immediately proceeded. This proceeding of Colonel Clark
gave offense to General Patterson who afterwards remembered, and resented it
to the prejudice of Colonel Clark. At Baltimore the regiment prepared for
anticipated trouble from the rebel and rowdy elements of the city ; the
bayonets were fixed and rifles loaded, each with a ball and three buck shot
and, formed in column of half companies, they resolutely and firmly marched
through the rebel city amid the taunts and jeers of a rough and excited
populace, from whom an attack was momentarily expected. But the demonstrations
proceeded no further than taunts, vile imprecations upon the "hated Yankees,"
and repeated jostlings of the regiment, which passed unharmed on to
Washington, arriving at three o'clock P. M.

The regiment was soon ordered into a camp of instruction, located on the hills
north of the city, whither it proceeded on the loth of June. Cayuga was the
name given to their quarters. The camp was soon arranged in systematic order,
tents floored with boards, and thorough military rules enforced. Regular
drills were instituted and maintained, and the hitherto novices in tactics
soon became familiar with the manual and maneuvers. The season of the year was
inviting, the weather pleasant, and the health of the regiment generally good,
though measles were to some extent prevailing.

The regiment remained here nearly a month, when, a decision having been
reached to advance upon Richmond, orders were given to Colonel Clark, by
Major-General Sandford, on July 5th to be ready with his command to march by
noon of the day following.

The plan was, that General Mc Dowell, who lay with his army opposite
Washington, was to proceed directly upon Richmond, while General Patterson was
to demonstrate from Williamsport upon the army of General Johnston, then near
Winchester and detain the latter, while the former movement was being made.
General Patterson had under his command a force of over 20,000 men; but he had
so hesitated and delayed, that General Sandford with four New York regiments,
of which the 19th was one, was sent to reinforce him.

The 19th promptly executed the order and filed out of camp before noon of the
loth, General Sandford with the balance of the regiments following the next
day. Colonel Clark proceeded by the way of Baltimore to Harrisburg and
Chambersburg to Hagerstown, where the command debarked. Orders were met here
to follow General Patterson, who had gone on to Martins-burgh, sixteen miles
from Winchester ; and also to bring with them a thirty-pound rifled gun, which
was expected to have reached Hagerstown before the arrival of the regiment,
but as it was, it did not reach there until thirty-six hours there-after. From
Hagerstown to Williamsport is six miles, and the heavy ordnance must be
trans-ported on trucks over the common highways. Col. Clark decided not to
wait for the arrival of the gun with his full command, but detached Capt.
Kennedy with his company to await its arrival and to bring it forward, the
balance of the regiment making a night march to Williamsport. Early the
following morning the march for Martinsburg was resumed. The Potomac, which at
the crossing was about three feet deep, was reached and forded, giving the
regiment its first experience of the kind.

Captains Schenck and Stewart with their commands were left at the ford to aid
Capt. Kennedy, when he, with his cumbrous freight, should arrive; but when the
regiment had advanced to Falling Waters, six miles from the ford, those two
companies were ordered to rejoin the regiment, and the whereabouts of Capt.
Kennedy were sought for.

The long delay had not been anticipated, and when finally the gun came, there
were also with it a large quantity of stores; the gun required ten horses to
transport it, and the whole train comprised seventy-five wagons. It was put
under way as soon as possible to join the regiment. This is but one of a long
series of mistakes which characterized the earlier movements of our armies. It
was a very hazardous movement to entrust so large and valuable a train in the
enemy's country to the escort of a single company, but it reached its
destination without interference. Meanwhile the regiment had reached
Hagerstown, and were, with a battery and three other regiments, on the 11th of
July, brigaded as the 8th brigade, and placed under the command of Col.
Schwarzwalder, and constituted a part of the 3d division of Gen. Patterson's
command, Gen. Sandford commanding the division, about 8,000 strong.

Gen. Patterson's forces now exceeded 23,000 men, with two batteries, and lay,
for about one mile, along the hills south of Martinsburg, confronting the
rebel force under Gen. Johnston of 20,000 men, that lay at Bunker Hill, a few
miles distant; so close indeed were the two armies that their respective
pickets were in immediate proximity, and rebel cavalry scoured our out-posts.
The 19th was posted on the extreme right, the post of danger, and a nightly
fusilade was kept up from the rebel picket line upon our outlying post. Here
the regiment lay for several days.

Corporal Martin Webster and private S. J. Tobias sought to vary the monotony
of camplife by a short foraging expedition ; but were captured by a squad of
rebel cavalry, after a sharp skirmish with them, which the boys maintained
from behind a stone-wall, and in which one of the assailants was killed, and
Tobias wounded. They were taken to Libby prison, where the latter died, and
the former, after being taken, first to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and next to
Salisbury, N. C., was exchanged, and rejoined his regiment in June, 1862.

Colonel Clark led out repeated foraging expeditions in quest of army supplies.
On the 11th of July, he took out on such an errand, seven companies from the
19th, and three from the 28th N. Y. While engaged in gathering supplies he
sent a company up the road, with directions to lie in ambush, and to permit
all that came, to pass, but to intercept their return. Soon about forty
cavalry came dashing down the road, and discovered some of the decoy party,
who had strayed into view and were fired upon. The main body, too eager to
wait, returned the fire. The other companies under the lead of their Colonel,
rushed upon the scene; but the assailants, firing; wheeled and fled. In this
affair one of the 12th New York was killed and three of the cavalry were
wounded.

Before leaving Washington, disaffection toward their Colonel had arisen among
several of the officers of the 19th, and they had drawn up formal charges
against him, among which were those of harsh and ungentlemanly treatment of
officers and men, and profanity. These were laid before General Patterson, at
Martinsburg, who had not forgotten Col. Clark's neglect of his first order,
nor his failure to escort the heavy gun and the accompanying stores with his
full command. The General suspended Colonel Clark from the command of the
regiment, which then devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Clarence A. Seward. Col.
Clark was put under arrest to be tried by court-martial; but though he
repeatedly demanded to be tried, his demand was never granted. It is perhaps a
sufficient commentary upon the merits of this whole question, to state the
view taken of it by Gen. Banks, who succeeded Gen. Patterson, and who, after a
full examination of the facts, voluntarily relieved Col. Clark from all the
disabilities growing out of his suspension from command, and gave him his
choice of the old position in the regiment, or a position on the staff of the
Major-General commanding. Col. Clark accepted the position of aid-de-camp on
the staff of Gen. Banks, and held it through all that General's campaigns,
rendering, on several occasions, signally important services.

After lying four days at Martinsburg, the order was given on July 14th to
advance to Bunker-Hill, which was reached with only a slight skirmish of the
advance with six hundred of Stewart's cavalry, but who were speedily stampeded
by our artillery. The New York troops encamped that night in a wheat-field,
the sheaves of which supplied them with pillows and couches. Foraging had been
forbidden ; yet the army would not go hungry with an abundance of supplies
within reach. They took the liberty to help themselves, and fed bountifully
upon the various productions of old Virginia, including poultry, pigs, mutton,
beef, vegetables and fruits and whatever edibles came within their reach.
Patterson halted here, hesitating what to do. He had received peremptory
orders from General Scott, either to fight Johnston, or so demonstrate against
him as to prevent his junction with the rebel General Beauregard, against whom
McDowell was advancing ; but he did neither. His dilatory and unsoldiery
conduct greatly incensed General Sandford ; but, as a subordinate, he could
only advise, not direct the operations to be made. On the 17th of July, Gen.
Patterson moved, not toward, but away from the enemy, toward Charlestown,
opening an easy and undisputed pathway for Johnston to unite his forces with
those of General Beauregard, and thus determined the issue of the bloody field
of Bull Run on the 21st of July.

On his march to Charlestown rebel cavalry watched and reported the movements,
and when they found them to be no feints, but a direct retirement of the army,
the enemy unmolested, quickly marched through the gap thus opened for him and
accomplished his awful work. What a fearful responsibility rests upon the
cowardly, or traitorous head of. the vascillating General. Patterson reached
Charlestown on the evening of the 17th, the 19th regiment encamping in a field
near that in which John Brown had been hung, many of the men visiting the
scene of the tragedy. Here the army lay idly for four days, until the morning
of that fatal Sunday, on which was fought the disastrous battle of Bull Run,
when it moved to Harper's Ferry, and encamped upon Bolivar Heights. On the
25th of July, Patterson was superseded by General N. P. Banks, and sent home,
followed by the execrations of the army and the country.

General Banks found his army so weakened by the expiration of the terms of
service, as to make it necessary in the then defeated and disorganized
condition of Mc Dowell's forces, to withdraw across the Potomac. In
preparation for this movement, and to guard the passage, General Banks
despatched Captain Kennedy with his own company and those of Captains Schenck,
Gavigan, and Stewart, with two guns of the Rhode Island battery to occupy the
heights on the Maryland side of the river. The army moved over and encamped on
this side, picketing its shore for some forty miles up and down the river. The
rebels occupying its opposite banks.

Here the army lay for three weeks pending its reorganization and was
thoroughly drilled and disciplined. In the reorganized army the 19th regiment
formed a part of the eighth brigade which was commanded by Colonel George H.
Thomas, who soon became here very popular and efficient as he afterwards was
in more trying and responsible positions.

The shoddy rags which till now had dangled from, and deformed the bodies and
mortified the spirits of the men of the 19th Regiment, were, on the 30th of
July, duly exchanged for neat and substantial uniforms, which were at once the
corn-fort, pride and joy of the long abused soldiers. While lying here,
Captain Kennedy proceeded with a detachment of about one hundred men in a
night march to Lovettsville, three miles from the river, to attempt the
capture of a rebel cavalry patrol that was in the daily habit of
reconnoitering in the vicinity. But on this occasion the cavalry came by a
different route from that usually taken by them, and fled so quickly when they
discovered our detachment that only a long range shot could be obtained,
resulting in wounding a few of them and in capturing trifling sup-plies. The
incident was not important in itself, except as a relief to those engaged in
it from the tedium of camp life.

While lying idly in camp, and the three months limit of their time of service
rapidly approaching, the men matured their plans for returning home,
to which, so far as they knew, there was no objection. The 5th and 12th New
York regiments brigaded with them, returned home on the 30th of July and the
first of August, forcibly reminding the members of the 19th that on the 22d of
the latter month they too would leave for their homes. Rumors were, however,
circulated that they were to be retained for the full period of their
enlistment, two years, and an appeal was made to General Banks for his
judgment in the premises. He expressed the opinion that they could be held
only for three months, the period of their muster. Lieutenant-Colonel Seward,
then in command of the regiment, and an able lawyer, coincided with General
Banks.

But special orders No. 323 issued at Albany, August 2d, 1861, finally settled
the matter. It directed that Colonel Clark should "report with his command to
the Adjutant-General of the army for duty under the orders of the United
States government, for the remainder of the term of the enlistment of the
regiment, into the service of the United States."

On the 12th of August the order was announced in camp producing great surprise
and indignation. The men were greatly disappointed, they had made every
arrangement to return, and had been cruelly kept in ignorance of their legal
obligations. Had section 3d of the New York act of April 16th been promptly
read and fully explained to them, they would have clearly seen their
obligations and obeyed them. The phraseology of that act was as explicit as
words could be, thus:

" They," the enlisted men, "shall be at all times liable to be turned over to
the service of the United States, on the order of the Governor, as a part of
the militia of the State, on the order of the President, &c."

That was the obligation which the men of the 19th assumed on their enlistment,
and special orders 323 legally bound them to service for the full two years.
But the 22d of August had not yet come. The regiment moved with the army to
Hyattstown, ten miles south of Frederick, and encamped. Here the subject was
thoroughly canvassed by officers and men, all of the former and the great body
of the latter, though disappointed in their expectations, still accepted the
inevitable, against which they clearly saw it was useless to contend.

The 22d of August came at length and the test of compliance with, or
resistance to the order was to be made. The 19th was formed and over it was
placed a strong body of armed men, including a battery of artillery, to quell
instantly any and all attempts at mutiny or insubordination. Major Ledlie, in
a few words, informed the regiment that they were turned over to the service
of the United States for the remainder of the two years. Adjutant Stone read
the special order 323. Their arms were then stacked. Major Ledlie then
commanded the men to advance and take their arms. All the officers at once did
so, as did all of the men in the companies of Captains Kennedy and Stewart,
except a single recusant in the latter. Companies C, H, and K, stepped forward
With few exceptions ; but the larger part of the others held back. There were
280 who refused to obey. In Captain Gavigan's company, but one of the men
obeyed, and he, because his time would soon expire, as his term of enlistment
had been special. The recusants who were put under arrest, finally numbered
203. Captains Kennedy and Stewart were congratulated by Colonel Thomas on the
noble conduct of their respective commands, but on hearing a full ac-count of
the case declared the men free from blame, and that they had not "been treated
right," a conclusion to which all dispassionate men must arrive.

General Banks, understanding the great grievances of the men, gave them time
to consider the matter. They were labored with by their officers, and the
whole case, its causes and necessary consequences, was fully explained to
them. General Banks and Father Creedon, of the Holy Family Church in Auburn,
earnestly pressed upon them their obligations, and all but twenty-three
finally returned to duty. The recusants were tried by court martial and
sentenced to the Dry Tortugas for two years. They were pardoned the following
November on condition of serving out the remainder of their time honestly and
faithfully, and they did so.

The men who manifested such remarkable firmness in their resistance to what
they believed to be a great wrong were "Michael Banett, Wm. Buckley, Thomas
Burke, Daniel Doyle, James Downell, James Dwyre, Wm. Galvin, Thomas Green,
Thomas Head, John Hogan, Patrick Kellaher, Michael Lacy, Francis McCarthy,
John Mc-Kean, John O'Brien, and James Tracy of Co: D; John L. Crounce and
James Gaffney, Co. E ; Morgan L. Joslyn, Co. G; Samuel Barr, John P. Barber,
Walter M. Fowler and Morris Ryan of Co. I.

The camp of the regiment was now changed to Seneca Creek, in the vicinity of
Hyattstown, where it remained until the 24th of September. Meanwhile the
brigade commander had been changed, Colonel Biddle succeeding Colonel Thomas,
who was transferred to a command in the West. At the latter date the regiment
was ordered to Muddy Branch, to guard the depot of supplies established there,
where from ten to fifteen hundred wagons were daily loaded and despatched. In
this duty great vigilance was required to protect the very valuable freight
from rebel raids upon it, and heavy picket and patrol duty was exacted. The
regiment remained here through October and November and fitted up their tents
with comfortable fire-places of their own invention, consisting of a covered
ditch ex-tending outwards a few feet from the tent and connecting with a
fire-pit within it, the latter covered or nearly so with a flat-stone, while
the outer terminus of the flue surmounted with a barrel, or other arrangement
for a short chimney, finished the work ; such fire-places, very quickly
constituted, became common in all our armies during the rebellion.

By furlough, discharges on account of disability, and other causes, the
regiment was reduced in September 1st to 639 men, and on the 2d Capt. Kennedy
was detached for the recruiting service in Cayuga County. Lieut.-Colonel
Seward resigned his commission on the 13th, owing to impaired health, and was
succeeded by Major Ledlie, Capt. Stewart being elected Major. It was expected
that Colonel Clark would soon resign his commission and the command of the
regiment devolve upon Lieut-Colonel Ledlie. In the frequent absence of the
latter, the command and drill of the regiment mainly devolved upon Major
Stewart, who from that time forward, in an especial manner, displayed his
admirable military and soldierly talents and won the deserved esteem of
officers and men. The regiment was reduced to a battalion by consolidation of
companies, and Captains Stephens and Angel, and Lieutenants Squires, Parker,
Carr, Fosting, and Field were at their own request, mustered out, Capt. Angel
raised a new company.

On Sept. 25th, the 19th Regiment was transferred to the third brigade under
command of Colonel G. H. Gordon, and on the 8th of October, that brigade was
placed under the command of Gen. A. S. Williams, who instituted a thorough
course of military instruction. In October and November a large number of
desertions occurred, which the vigilance of the officers could not prevent ;
sixty-seven deserted in October and November, fifty in a single night. On
December 1st, the regiment numbered but 425 effective men. Capt. Baker
resigned and left Nov. 5th.

The plan of consolidating the 19th Regiment with the 28th N.Y. Volunteers was
now broached, but a display by its officers before Gen. Williams of the
thoroughness of its drill and the zeal and capacity of its officers, defeated
the scheme and new and vigorous efforts were made to replenish the regiment.
Capt. Giles, Lieut. Boyle, and Sergeant Barrus were detached on recruiting
service.

Col. Clark having been relieved by Gen. Banks from all disabilities arising
from his suspension from command and been offered and accepted a position on
his staff, he resigned the command of the 19th Regiment. Major Ledlie then
became Colonel, Major Stewart. Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain Giles, Major.
The plan of converting the 19th Regiment into artillery was now formed and
successfully executed. The singular and sad fortune of the regiment, the zeal,
fidelity and admitted capacity of its officers, and the fact that it had come
from the home of Secretary Seward, had not only drawn public attention to it,
but had prepared the way for successful appeal in its behalf. Justice, long
deferred, was soon to be awarded to it. Col. Ledlie visited Washington, had an
interview with Secretary Seward, and proposed his plan, which was cordially
endorsed by the Secretary. The latter accompanied Col. Ledlie on a visit to
Gen. McClellan, the result of which was that an artillery regiment, 1,900
strong was authorized to be raised, of which the 19th was to form a part. The
order for this purpose was dated December 11th, 1861, and in addition to
directing the formation of the regiment of heavy artillery, the design of
which at that time was to defend the Capital, there was this significant
clause:

"And any companies which may now be serving as light artillery, will be
detached, and mustered as independent companies, and their places in the
regiment will be supplied by other companies."

This clause was interpolated to do justice to Captain Kennedy, who, when
detached on recruiting service as theretofore related, had raised a battery of
artillery that had been mustered into the United States service on November
23d, as the 1st Independent N. Y. Battery.

This gave a new and strong impulse to recruiting, in which all heartily
joined. On December 18th, Captain Angel reported with a full company, K,
William Richardson, First, and T. J. Messereau, Second Lieutenants.

The autumnal rains and the heavy traffic over the roads, rendered them so
heavy as to compel Gen. Banks, on December 1st, to change his base of supplies
from Muddy Brook to Frederick. Here they established winter quarters. The
march of thirty miles to this point over horribly muddy and half frozen roads,
was extremely fatiguing, but it was accomplished in two days. A camp was here
selected in a piece of woods, through which ran a fine stream. Substantial
huts were built, with a base of logs three to four feet high, the crevices
filled with mud, surmounted with tents, and then floored and supplied with
fire-places. Here the regiment remained in comfortable quarters, until January
6th, when the threatening movements of the enemy under Stonewall Jackson, in
the vicinity of Hancock, demanded attention. That village, where was stationed
a Union brigade, was shelled on the 13th of December, and the attack
vigorously repelled by our artillery. Jackson had concentrated along the Upper
Potomac a force of some 20,000 men, and to strengthen our lines there, it was
decided to forward thither the 3d Brigade, then consisting of the l0th and
28th New York, 5th Connecticut and 46th Pennsylvania Regiments, Gen. Williams,
commanding. The march was through snow several inches deep, and the first
night, while under the temporary command of Col. Donnelly, it was compelled to
encamp in the open fields without the protection of tents, and suffered
intensely. The cruel commander was severely reprimanded by Gen. Williams for
his harsh treatment of the men. The third night the regiment found quarters in
Hancock.

Here they were subjected to all the privations and hardships incident to a
winter campaign, until February 18th, 1862. Heavy patrol, picket and engineer
duties were required of the men. The village was small, and its accommodations
insignificant. Exposure brought on colds and fevers, including the dreaded
typhus, attended with many fatal results. As a sanitary measure the camp was
removed to the open fields, and the men supplied with Sibley tents, holding
fifteen men each, warmed with the Sibley stoves, and well ventilated.

At the date mentioned, pursuant to the order of the War Department, the
regiment started on its return march to Washington, in furtherance of Special
Order No. 584, issued on the 30th of December, reciting that " the 19th
Regiment of New York State Volunteers is hereby organized into an artillery
regiment, to be known and designated as the 3d Regiment of New York Volunteer
Artillery." Before leaving, the Brigadier-General commanding complimented the
regiment, officers and men, for their good order, discipline and their marked
improvement in drill. A three days toilsome march over very bad roads brought
them to Frederick, where cars awaited them, and in which they reached
Washington on the 22d.

Here closed the career of the "Old Nineteenth" without a battle, after much
toil and many sacrifices on the part of both officers and men, and with little
of that eclat usually attaching to successful military achievements.
Subsequently, in another organization, and under a new name, the same officers
and men won many laurels upon sharply contested fields, and earned the undying
gratitude of the country.