9th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment
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The New York 9th Heavy Artillery was a notable Grand Army of the Republic regiment in the American Civil War.
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[edit] History
Formerly 138th infantry, reassigned to the 9th Heavy Artillery on December 19th 1862 (February 5, 1863, the 22d N. Y. Volunteer Battery was transferred to the regiment as Company M. Company L was organized at Albany between November 4 and December 9, 1863)
Nickname - Second Auburn Regiment; Second Cayuga and Wayne County Regiment
Also known as "Seward's Pets"
(Largely a Cayuga and Wayne County Regiment although men also from Albany, Genesee, Oswego, Onondaga, Ontario and Tompkins counties)
3rd Division 2nd Brigade of the 6th Corps (Union - 6th Corps )
[edit] Timeline
- September 1862-August 1863: Stationed near Washington DC [1](Forts Bunker Hill, Kearney, Mansfield, and Reno)
- August 1863-May 1864: Built Fort Foote [2]
- May 18, 1864: Joined the Army of the Potomac
- May through June: Rapidan Campaign
- May 26: North Anna River North Anna
- May 26-28: On line of the Pamunky River
- May 28-31: Totopotomoy Creek Totopotomy
- June 1-12: Cold Harbor Cold Harbor [3]
- June 1-3: Bethesda Church
- June 18-19: Before Petersburg
- June 18-July 6: Siege of Petersburg
- June 22-23: Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad Jerusalem Plank Road
- July 6-8: Move to Baltimore
- July 9: Battle of Monocacy
- August 7 - November 28: Shenandoah Valley Campaign
- August 21-22: Near Charlestown
- August 29: Charlestown
- September 19: Battle of Winchester Winchester
- September 22: Fisher’s Hill Fisher's Hill
- October 19: Battle of Cedar Creek [4]
- Through December: Duty at Kernstown
- December 3: Moved to Washington, DC, then to Petersburg
- December 1864-April 1865: Siege of Petersburg Petersburg National Battlefield (National Park Service), [5]
- March 25, 1865: Fort Fisher
- March 28-April 9: Appomattox Campaign
- April 2: Assault and fall of Petersburg [6]
- April 5: Amelia Springs
- April 6: Sailor’s Creek
- April 9: Appomattox Court House: surrender of Lee and his Army
- April 17-27: Expedition to Danville
- Till June: Duty at Danville and Richmond
- June 8: Corps Review
[edit] Regiment losses
Regiment losses included 10 Officers and 204 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded. 247 Enlisted men died by disease. The total deaths were 461 Total, not included wounded casualties.
[edit] Ever True
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Excerpt taken from Ever True : A Union Private and His Wife (published by Heritage Books,2002). Civil War letters between Private Charles McDowell and his Nancy Wager McDowell plus background information of Seward’s New York 9th Heavy Artillery of Wayne and Cayuga Counties - Lisa Saunders. [7]
Excerpt from Chapter One:
Upon Charles McDowell’s enlistment in Lyons, Charles and Nancy traveled to Auburn, where the men of Wayne and Cayuga Counties were being organized into what would initially be designated the 138th Regiment New York Infantry. They were to serve under Secretary of State Seward’s son, William H. Seward, Jr. Although that association did not protect Charles’s regiment from marching to the front, it would bring him in close contact with not only the Secretary of State, but with President Lincoln as well.
William H. Seward, Jr. left his position in banking to become the Lieutenant Colonel of the New York 9th Heavy Artillery.
The young Mrs. Janet W. Seward recalls the events leading up to her husband’s departure for Washington with the regiment: “Of course we talked about my husband’s going, but I was in hopes he would not have to do so; but one afternoon, while I was spending the day with my mother, who was not well, he came in with his hand behind him, sat down before me and unwrapped a parcel and gave to me a large photograph of himself. I knew instantly that he was going to leave me. I hope that I took it bravely, but I cannot exactly remember. After that, there were a great many preparations to make and the time went altogether too fast” (Roe, Alfred Seelye, The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery, Worcester, MA, 1899, 393)
In Auburn, while waiting to be sent to Washington, Charles McDowell lived among the other recruits in Camp Halleck, where he learned the basics of soldier discipline. The men slept in tents with three-tiered bunks; each covered with a thin pile of straw and a blanket. The ground where they lay and imagined the battles ahead is now covered with homes and located on what is presently known as Camp Street.
"Perhaps no more ludicrous incident is recalled of the story in Camp Halleck than that on parade, when Lieut. Colonel Seward's horse, like many of the soldiers, just from the farm, deliberately lay down, so frightened was he at the firing of the cannon. Even military dignity could not restrain the risibles of amused beholders" (Roe 17).
On the 8th of September, Charles, a member of Company D, was mustered into the service of the United States for three years. Within the next few days, he received his uniform.
On September 12, Charles was roused at 4:00 a.m. and began the greatest adventure of his life. But he began it quietly. They marched past Lieutenant Colonel Seward’s house on their way to the train station, where Seward’s young wife and newborn child lay sleeping. Janet Seward wrote: “On the 11th, our first daughter was born. On the 12th, very early in the morning, I was aroused by an unusual sound, and listening, found that it was the steady tramp of many feet passing the house. No other sound but a few words of command in a lowered voice that I knew so well. It was our regiment marching to take the train for Washington. It was really to me the most mournful sound that I ever heard. No drum, no fife, nothing but the quick, firm steps; and all the stillness was for my sake” (Roe 393-394).
Nancy was not at the train station to see Charles off. She returned to the home of her parents in Rose, N.Y.
To Nancy from Charles:
[[[New York City]]]
September the 13 - 1862
I thought I would take a few minutes to write to you letting you know how we are a getting along.
We started from Auburn Friday morning at eight o' clock and we was in New York Saturday morning at 6 o clock. We was met with great cheers all the way along. We are stationed right near Broadway and it’s the liveliest place I ever see. They have the most ways for making money you ever see. They drawed us through the City with horses. Four horses to two cars and we had twenty-two passengers besides some freight cars.
We expect to get our guns before we leave here.
This is a beautiful place. We had two girls come and dance for us today. They both danced and played an accordion all at once. The nicest I ever saw.
I want you to write and let me know when you started for home. I looked for you all the next day. I didn’t know whether you had gone or not but it was the lonesomest day I ever saw. I hope I will never feel so again.
Our guns has just come and I think we will start right off. Don’t write till you hear from me again.
Your ever true and affectionate husband
The transcribed letters of Charles McDowell and his wife, Nancy, display remarkable devotion, and offer readers a unique perspective of the Civil War. Read little known details about: hangings; prostitution; amputations; desertions; theft and murder among Union troops; personal contacts with Lincoln and Seward (of "Seward's Alaskan Folly"); battles of Cold Harbor, Jerusalem Plank Road, Monocacy, Opequon, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, the Siege of Petersburg, Mosby's Men, and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. This story is cohesive and informative yet charming and romantic in a very personal way. Vintage photographs enhance the text.
[edit] References
Also see: www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unnyart1.htm
(The Civil War Archive Union Regimental Index New York: Regimental histories from A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer, 1385)
Newspaper clippings on the regiment: http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/artillery/9thHeavyArty/9thHeavyArtyCWN.htm
New York York Military Museum
http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/mil-hist.htm
Recommended Books:
The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery. A history of its organization, services in the defenses of Washington, marches, camps, battles, and muster-out ... and a complete roster of the regiment AUTHORS: Roe, Alfred Seelye, PUBLISHED: Worcester, Mass., The author, 1899. 9th NYHA Images (Names of New York 9th Heavy Artillery Leaders and a few privates) NOTE: The facsimile copies of Roe's regimental: The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery is available for $57.00 (plus postage) from Higginson Book Company (148 Washington Street) PO BOX 778 Salem, MA 01970. Phone is 978-745-7170. website: www.higginsonbooks.com. The book is also available at: http://www.wardhousebooks.com/NewYork.html. The book is also being typed for online research. If you'd like to read excerpts and perhaps help type, please visit: "Wayne County NY Military Roe's History of the 9th Artillery The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery. A History of its Organization, ... Camp Morris and the 9th Heavy Artillery -this typing includes Chapter V, above, ... http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywayne/roe/9thnyindex.html"
Heritage Books: Ever True: Civil War letters of Seward’s New ... ... Ever True: Civil War letters of Seward’s New York 9th Heavy Artillery of ... Cayuga Counties between a soldier, his wife and his Canadian family - Lisa Saunders.
Wayne County Troops in the Civil War: Letters from the Front, by R.L. Murray (visit www.nyincivilwar.com)
Another book by Alfred Seelye Roe about the Battle of Monocacy:
GenealogyDirect.com - MONOCACY [MARYLAND]: Company A, 9th New York ...
Clark, Lewis H., The County in the Civil War, New York: Clark, Hulett, Gaylord 1883 (The Wayne County Historical Society has a copy)
Cooling and Owen, Mr. Lincoln’s Forts , Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Press, 1988
