Part 12

April 24th the boys reached Leunds Ferry to find the boats had returned to Charleston, taking the rations with them. There they were, in a country abounding in food and a military order prevented them from foraging during the truce. Col. Brown must issue such supplies as were in his possession, so the men were marched up to a heap of corn in the ear and each man helped himself to two ears. The record does not state whether Col. Brown took two ears, perhaps he did. Certainly almost any other man in the colonel's position would have found means and fed his faithful soldiers on other than horse feed, in such a land of plenty. Col. Brown was an excellent man, only, he failed in acute discernment, sometimes.

The two ears of corn were to serve for supper and breakfast next morning. So when they started out on the 25th for Georgetown, twenty-three miles distant, the boys had swallowed their handful of corn and drew up their belts a notch or two, called it a square meal and trotted along. At one stage of the journey they marched a mile in fourteen minutes, and if they had drawn one, instead of two ears of corn, they might have done better. The real spring in their heels was the prospect of the home-march.

At noon wagons from Georgetown met them and the straps were loosened again. They were all glad to hear of the safety of the place, particularly those who, like Col. Carmichael, had left a wife there, twenty days before. Toward night, as the column drew near the town Mrs. Carmichael, escorted by Major Place and others, rode out on horseback to meet them. At 6 p.m., the boys were back in their old quarters. No more hard marching for Co. G.

Enough comment has been made upon the merits of raids, burnings and destruction generally. But this raid in particular was practically uncalled for. On the very day the locomotives and cars were destroyed, Beauregard issued his order announcing the truce. The surrender of Johnston practically ended the war. And thus thousands and tens of thousands worth of property were destroyed needlessly. But it was war, and so far justifiable. The estimate placed on property destroyed by that raid, including cotton, cotton-gins, presses and buildings, was at least one million dollars.

They brought back nearly one hundred prisoners, three field pieces and a quantity of arms and accoutrements. Also many horses and cattle. Near three thousand colored people of all ages followed the little army to Georgetown. They were poor people who had been slaves and all their worldly goods were few. Some carried everything they owned balanced in bundles on their heads. Others had horses or mules laden, and some had carts in which the chickens and the little freedmen shared the privilege of transportation. At Georgetown the crowd were served with rations for a few days and then were advised to return to the interior, as the war was over and they would thereafter be paid for their labor.

Co. G returned to duty, as of old and the time passed pleasantly. Hard marching made them feel a bit old and some of them believed that an inch or two was taken from the stature of each man, but the suspicion was not confirmed. A few had lost flesh and the tobacco chewers, who had reveled in the weed, might have gained a few pounds. Some had grown handsomer from roasting in the sun; certainly none had grown homelier. Co. G had no homely men. The only man who could have been called really homely, had deserted. Probably he was lonely.

In June Capt. Gates was sent to Florence, and Capt. Van Hoesen to Kingstree with their companies to assist in the early reconstruction plans and preserve order between the whites and the freedmen. This is noted because Capt. Gates is a Co. G boy. He is not to be forgotten for his good work in supplying the regiment with an excellent set of band instruments. It would have been a long time before those horns would have been bought, by the same, or by any other means. Let Capt. Gates have full credit for all he did as he has passed away. He was a faithful soldier, a genial friend.

Col. Brown went North on leave, in June, and Col. Carmichael was left in charge.

June 19th Major Place was sent to Mount Pleasant near Charleston with five companies of the regiment. And on the 24th the remainder of the regiment joined the others at that camp.

Those men whose terms of service did not expire prior to Oct. 1st, 1865, were by general order transferred to the 54th N.Y. Veteran Volunteers.

Mt. Pleasant was, before the war, a resort for Charleston people and was then finely kept. When Co. G arrived there the place had a terribly neglected appearance. There were many pests to annoy the boys, of the day and of the night variety, so there was little comfort anywhere. There were drunken negroes strolling about and drunken whites likewise, and quarreling and fighting. It was a bad place for Co. G and the boys longed to get away from the stenches and the fleas and bad society generally, of the degenerated spot.

The muster-out rolls were completed and on the 10th of July the 157th N.Y. Vols. were mustered out of the United States service. On the same day they sailed for Hilton Head.

Co. G left Hilton Head, soldiers; they returned civilians. The freedom of the town was offered the boys while waiting for transportation. Some one in the regiment got into trouble, for which the whole of them were to do penance. They were marched aboard a steamer and a schooner and anchored two miles out in the harbor. They lay there four days rocked on the bosom of the waters.

On the 15th of July the regiment were transferred to the steamers Gen. Custer and Clyde and steamed for the North.

Co. G were with the party on the Gen. Custer, an old, worn-out hulk with new paint and a newer name. Off Cape Hatteras the old trap threatened to go down. Her crew were afraid she would go to the bottom. The crew worked the pumps and the soldiers worked the pumps to keep afloat. The winds raved and the boys kept on pumping until they weathered the stormy cape. Who shall be so bold as to deny that the buoyant hopes of Co. G did not lighten the vessel considerably?

On the 19th the boys landed at a North River dock in New York, and marched to the Soldier's Rest on Howard St., and were fed.

July 20th, headed by their own band and escorted by policemen and small boys, the regiment moved through Broadway. The men made a nice appearance in clean uniforms, brasses and guns and the ladies smiled upon them, and the men waved their hats to them, and their uncles, Aaron, Levi and others who sold clothing cheap, sadly turned away, for the boys were leaving the city.

A steamboat was waiting at the dock to carry the boys to Albany, where they arrived safely early on the morning of July 21st.

It was then fix-up and prim-up, as the good people of Canastota had obtained permission for the train carrying the boys, to stop at their place.

Mike Miller once more drew out the well-thumbed picture of his better-half, as was his usual custom mornings, kissed it and said, "Goodt morning, oldt lady!" Then he proceeded to darken his mustache with shoe-blacking.

Pete Cummings assumed a fresh paper collar, which he wore peacefully, after Near had taken a commission with a colored regiment.

Jim Johnson carefully twisted the corners of his newly-born mustache.

Charley Ricker stretched himself, wondering if it would be necessary to acclimate his sprouting beard and the six or eight inches of growth in stature.

Steve Harrington had changed but little, unless to grow handsomer.

Doc White had lost much sleep worrying over John Miller, while Miller sat quietly, but anxious, for he thought the slow-moving wheels of the cars were geared wrong and they were running backward.

Amos Avery, Dan Betsinger and Nick Ecker, jolly as ever, enjoyed the situation.

Jim McMaster "disremembered" seeing all the houses on the way down, as he now, on his return, saw them from the other side.

Canastota people had but three hours in which to prepare the feast, but the time was sufficient to collect a large supply of good things. The chickens soon understood there were unusual doings in town; stores of pies, cakes and doughnuts and boilers filled with hot coffee, were in waiting.

At 2 p.m., the boys arrived. The men cheered, the women who wept when they went away, wept at their return. The welcome is beyond the power of a descriptive pen. So many hearts were glad, and, alas, many were sad. All united in the grand reception.

The feast was on. Judge Barlow briefly addressed the regiment. Col. Carmichael replied in a few well-chosen words. The colonel was proud of his men.

How the good things disappeared. Two or three ladies were busy attending Brock, who, with a half chicken in one hand, a piece of pie in the other and a friedcake in his mouth, was trying to make a deaf man understand just how it happened that enough rebels were left to make a decent surrender.

Two hours were passed in Canastota. The band played and the boys cheered their appreciation for the greetings. Then they boarded the train and were taken to Syracuse and quartered at the fair grounds.

Food at Syracuse was supplied returning regiments, on the contract plan, very much as at the City Hall barracks in New York--mussy, greasy and repulsive, even to soldiers. Somebody had a fat contract.

On the 31st of July the Madison county boys were paid off and left for their homes. The Cortland boys were paid next day. Thus the colonel, a Cortland man, had given precedence to Madison.

And so Co. G returned from the war. The recruits left in South Carolina felt it hard to be held for further service. Col. Carmichael endeavored to bring them with him, but the order retaining them was inflexible. But they fared very well, having light guard duty under the Freedmen's Bureau, and finally were discharged in April, 1866.

Soon after disbanding at Syracuse a regimental association was formed which meets each year on the 19th of September, in commemoration of the date of muster into the service of the general government. The place of meeting is selected yearly with a design to favor both Cortland and Madison counties, alternately.

The most active in organizing this Association was Col. Carmichael, who made it a duty to be present, himself, at the reunions as a comrade among comrades. And so deeply was his interest that he attended the reunion at Canastota in 1889, while suffering from a fatal illness, and against the advice of his physician, his death occurring a few weeks later.

To Col. Carmichael is due the credit for suggesting and carrying to completion the idea of a monument at Gettysburg erected by the survivors. Although the stone is not pretentious it bears upon its granite sides a record that does honor to the Empire State. In September 1886 the regimental reunion was held at Gettysburg and the monument unveiled. The stone is of gray granite and stands on Howard Avenue, near the Mummasburgh road. A year or two later by general act of the state legislature all organizations representing the State of New York at the Gettysburg battle, were entitled to a monument at the expense of the state. The 157th regiment thus has two monuments there, neither of which marks the position of the battalion in the fatal wheatfield. And although several attempts have been made to secure permission of the Gettysburg Battlefield Association to change the position of one of the monuments to the proper site, thus far such efforts have failed. The reasons given for the refusal are several, but the one most potent appears to be, that "the regiment had no business out there." But it is hoped that the time will surely come when a more gratifying reply will be given to this request appreciative of that promptness and obedience to orders which brought so great disaster with so little commendation.

In 1893 the State of New York erected a noble shaft in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. To facilitate attendance at the unveiling the State supplied transportation to all survivors who wished to attend. To each participant was voted a bronze medal commemorative of the event. Co. G was represented by a number of the boys. On this occasion the graves of Capts. Backus and Frank were found located in Evergreen Cemetery, adjoining the National Cemetery, and duly marked with head-stones. Their burial there was caused by Free Masons of Gettysburg before the National Cemetery was established. At a meeting of the regimental organization measures were taken to secure the removal of the remains of those officers to the National Cemetery. Daniel Lamont, then Secretary of War, very considerately ordered the transfer to be made and the two worthy captains can now be located as resting among the men whose fate was identical with their own. And then in that beautiful ground which is kept and guarded by the entire nation, the frightful cost of the weight which turned the scales in favor of an undivided people can be cast. It is a sacred spot kept in perfect order and made attractive by the highest art. But amidst the thousands buried there but one stone marks the grave of a man of Co. G and he, the captain. But we know the boys are not forgotten although resting among the "Unknown," for far above from the high shaft on which she stands, is the Goddess of Liberty holding over those unknown forms an immortal wreath.

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Transcriber's note:

Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.

Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed.