COMPANY E, 115TH REGIMENT
N.Y. INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS
by W. H. Shaw
Note: This is the start of a four part series on Company E, 115th Regiment written by W. H. Shaw in 1864. Additions will be updated once week until the entire series is online by mid June.
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In undertaking the task of sketching Company E, of the 115th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry we feel ourselves utterly incapable of becoming the Historier of so noble and patriotic a body of men as composed that Company, whose deeds of valor are already written in blood, and whose names are inscribed on the Cap-stone of the pinnacle of fame. Composed as it was, of almost all nationalities, and of all religious Creeds, the men went forth at the call of their Country, knowing nothing of creeds or nationalities, feeling themselves bound together by the indissoluble ties of love to this, their native and adopted Country, forgetting all else, and having as a body, no higher aim that the salvation of their Country from threatened destruction by its unnatural enemies.
Leaving pleasant homes, fond parents, loving wives, idolized children and other loved ones, they bid them good byes and imprinting a sweet kiss upon the lips of dear ones, and many with tearful eyes pronounced their last farewell to all such, turned their faces southward, to receive, instead of the fond caresses of kind friends, the murderous shot, shell and bullet, of a cruel and heartless enemy, and not a few of them the blighting curse of the various prison hells of the so called southern Confederacy.
The originals members of the Company were recruited in Fulton County,and in probably as short a space of time as any Company in the service outside of our large cities. All the circumstances of the Company's enlistment need not be stated, yet it is proper to say just here, that the citizens of Gloversville were instrumental in al large degree, and should have full credit for the quick time made in enlisting in this Company. They placed at the disposal of the recruiting officer who subsequently commissioned as Captain of the Company, Nelson B. Randall, (now a Baptist preacher) to do the talking, a printing office to do the necessary printing, two livery stables for transportation, and about $1500 in money to [be] used for paying extra bounties, and in the almost incredible short space of one hundred and forty-four hours, the Company consisting of one hundred and twenty-five men was recruited and reported at Camp Fonda for duty. Johnstown also furnished three or four speakers for different points in the County at which meetings were held. Well do we remember the long rides and sleepless nights of that week, when Fulton County was one boiling, seething cauldron of excitement, when stern realities of an intermecine war was threatening the life of our Nation when the legend "our Country must and shall be preserved at all hazards" was written in letters of bold relief upon the countenance of every patriotic citizen, from one end of the County to the other. Under the pressure of the fact that it was a life or death struggle for the existence of free tho't fill speech,a free press, and the freedom of our various institutions there built up for the advancement of the cause of humanity. The Board of Supervisors of the County met in extra session and authorized the payment of an extra bounty of four dollars per month, the same to be paid to the wife or family of each volunteer, for one year. Let us say just here, that it would have been an act placed to the everlasting credit of the succeeding boards of supervisors and to the County, had they kept up that four dollar bounty to the families of volunteers during their entire term of enlistment. Upon arriving in Camp Fonda, it was ascertained that we had in our Company more men that the regulations governing the U.S. Army would allow, therefore the number in excess, were given the alternative of returning, or of being transferred to some other Company. Two or three returned to their homes, the balance,about twenty, though very reluctantly, allowed themselves to be transferred, and yet while they remained in service, claimed Company E their military home.
The following is a complete transcript from the Muster-in-roll of the Company, now in possession of the Captain of the Company, giving the name, age at enlistment, and where enlisted.
Commissioned Officers:
Capt. William H. Shaw, age 33, Mayfield
1st Lieut. Frank Abott, 25, Johnstown
2d Lieut. Aaron C. Slocum, 27, NorthvilleNon-Commissioned Officers:
Orderly Sergeant, Jacob L. Haines, age 33, Mayfield
1st Sergt. Charles L. Clark, 34, Johnstown
2d Sergt. Robert Stewart, 35, Johnstown
3d Sergt., Henry Wright, 21, Johnstown
4th Sergt., Melville B. Foote, 23, Northampton
1st Corp., Matthew Van Steenburgh, 34, Northampton
2d Corp., Harvey C. Christie, 21, Mayfield
3d Corp., Geo. Van Renschler, 23, Bleecker
4th Corp., Isaac Colony, 28, Oppenheim
5th Corp., Webster Shaver, 21, Ephratah
6th Corp., James H. Taylor, 30, Johnstown
7th Corp., Peter J. Keck, 23, Oppenheim
8th Corp., Frederick Meyer, 21, Ephratah
Musicians:
Joseph B. Benson, 32, Northampton
John H. Hale, 18, MayfieldWagoner:
Wing A. White, 32, Northampton
Privates:
Alfred Allen, age 22, Johnstown
James H. Austin, 19, Johnstown
Henry I. Billington, 36, Ephratah
George W. Buel, 24, Oppenheim
James B. Brooks, 26, Northampton
Edward Burgess, 32, Northampton
John L. Bradt, 41, Mayfield
Darias Baker, 29, Mayfield
Peter Burns, 25, Johnstown
Henry Barkley, 29, Northampton
James Bolster, 26, Oppenheim
Charles J. Bishop, 24, Mayfield
Theron Bowman, 21, Northampton
Franklin H. Barker, 21, Oppenheim
Eli Brooks, 21, Northampton
Benjomin A. Baker, 24, Mayfield
Henry J. Cool, 43, Oppenheim
Orren Cross, 36, Johnstown
Samuel Clemens, 23, Oppenheim
Hermon Cool, 31, Johnstown
Augustus C. Canfield, 28, Oppenheim
Daniel B. Doxtader, 21, Johnstown
Philander Doxtader, 28, Stratford
Charles R. Dibble, 20, Stratford
David H. Dalrymple, 29, Stratford
James H. Eldrid, 21, Northampton
Benjamin Fergerson, 30, Mayfield
Nelson H. Farichild, 21, Johnstown
Paul Firpo, 31, Johnstown
Joshua Getman, 26, Ephratah
James H. Getman, 18, Ephratah
George C. Groves,27, Mayfield
William R. Holliday, 38, Johnstown
George B. Harrison, 27, Northampton
Albon W. Hamer, 26, Northampton
Jamed L. Hallett, 28, Mayfield
Albert Helibrandt, 22, Johnstown
John Hall, 23, Johnstown
Cornelius V. Hall, 22, Mayfield
John Hilton, 21, Johnstown
John J. James, 32, Northampton
James R. Jacoby, 31, Ephratah
Stephen A. Johnson, 23, Mayfield
John Sanders, 23, Ephratah
Aaron Johnson, 18, Johnstown
Stephen J. Kirkwood, 26, Mayfield
Andrew Keck, 29, Oppenheim
William H. Keck, 22, Oppenheim
William H. Loucks, 23, Ephratah
Moses Loucks, 23, Eprhatah
Geoprge H. Luck, 22, Northamptom
Joshua Lake, 25, Johnstown
Eli D. M. Lee, 22, Ephratah
Simon P. Little, 19, Stratford
Hugh Mc Laughlin, 27, Johnstown
Arhcibald Mc Glochlin, 19, Johnstown
David L. Mann, 23, Johnstown
James N. Mantaney, 24, Oppenheim
Simon Mosher, 24, Oppenheim
Stephen Mowers, 23, Stratford
Cornell Mc Alister, 19, Mayfield
Philip Plank, 44, Johnstown
Thomas D. Perry, 22, Mayfield
Stewart Putnam, 22, Johnstown
Levi Phillips, 18, Oppenheim
James H. Platt, 19, Northampton
Charles Rhodes, 23, Northampton
Abram Rathmire, 35, Johnstown
John A. Rhodes, 25 Northampton
Hiram Rhodes, 22, Northampton
Chas. W. Sauer, 31, Bleecker
Peter P. Shuler, 23, Bleecker
Sanford W. Shaw, 21, Mayfield
Benjamin Scott, 31, Ephratah
George H. Smith, 46, Ephratah
Nathan H. Snyder, 22, Johnstown
William H. Scorsby, 20, Stratford
John A. Smith, 18, Oppenheim
William H. Suits, 18, Northampton
Jeremiah Steenburgh, 34, Ephratah
James C. Tompkins, 28, Johnstown
William Van Auker, 21, Johnstown
James Van Auker, 21, Johnstown
Peter Van Loon, 25, Oppenheim
Joseph Wood, 37, Ephratah
Reuben T. Wells, 27, Mayfield
Reuben S. Wright, 21, Johnstown
John W. Ward, 26 Oppenheim
Eli Young, 21, Johnstown
SOURCE: THE FULTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN; THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1889; VOL XIX, NO. 44, PAGE 2.
On to Part II
This piece was typed by volunteer Jill Collins.
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