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From: "DonLinda" <>
Subject: [NY~Old-News] July 29-1861: The 12th Regiment
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:57:05 -0500

Note:
FYI: Augustus Root enrolled in Batavia, Apr 24 1861; on Apr 29, he forme
the first military organization in Genesee Co., which became the K Company
of the 12th Regiment of the NYSV, Infantry. Their first battle was July 18,
1861, at Bull Run.
Lt. Emory Upton was also from Batavia. ~ Linda

The Daily Republican Advocate - Batavia NY
July 29-1861.

The Twelfth Regiment.
Several of the correspondents of the Eastern papers have borne pretty
hard upon the Twelfth regiment, for their conduct in the battle of Thursday,
the 18th of July. Probably one cause of this may be found in the fact that
that regiment had no newspaper correspondent or editor on the spot to speak
in its defence.
Col Walrath has been denounced as a coward, and represented as fleeing
from his regiment during the action. As he has demanded a court of inquiry
as to the matter, we shall probably soon know whether the charges made
against him are true or not. But, until a proper tribunal desides[sic] that
he acted the part of a coward, we shall think the allegation is untrue. -
We had a short interview with an officer in the Untied States Army, who was
present at that battle, and had good opportunity of ascertaining what was
the personal bearing of the officers, and he assured us that that of Col
Walrath was not a coward. In speaking of the men of the 12th regiment, and
of Capt Root's company, he said that "no troops could have stood up under
the fire to which they were exposed."
The truth is, the men at that battle, had had a long and tedious march,
after a light and insufficient breakfast, and were led into the action
against the masked batteries without even being allowed a few moments rest.
The enemy were strongly posted behind their fortifications, aside of logs,
and behind trees, and it was sure death for the men to attempt to take such
a battery with so few numbers as made the attack. The heat of the day, too,
was so intence[sic] that many officers and men fell from fatigue and the
effect of the sun.
The Syracuse 'Journal' contains a letter written at Washington on the
24th, from Peter Baumgrass, a gentleman of that city, which we think gives a
fair account of the battle. the wounded man William Graham, is a Batavian,
and a member of Capt Root's company, and is known here as Billy Grimes. He w
as wounded by a musket ball, it appears, instead of a bayonet thrust.

Mr Baumgrass says:
I regret that I, like thousands of others, was misled by scamps of
sensation reporters, in regard to the conduct of our Onondaga volunteers in
the late battle at Bull's Run. I have since ascertained, from a number of
sources, that in bravery and courage they were equal to the best; and those
whose wounds are still bleeding, give the best testimony. I visited, this
morning, our College hospital, and fond a Syracusan among the wounded
patients. His name is Wm. Graham, Co. K, Capt. Root. He was shot with a
rifle ball near the abdomen, so that the ball passed sideways in the hip
region. The ball is so deeply imbedded, that the surgeon, after counsel,
decided that it would be dangerous to extract it,and determined to let it
rest and heal the wound. Mr. G. is doing well and feels comfortable.The
hospital is under excellent management, and the patients are under the care
of tender, kind-hearted, refined ladies, administering to their wants with
angelic gentleness and skill.

Mr Graham gave me a lively account of the engagement of the 19th: and
from all I learn, our troops acted like lions and veterans. I hear that we
have five killed, but the number of the wounded I could not yet ascertain.
This is a small number, but large and sad enough for all the loving souls
that are thus cast in mourning in old Onondaga county. Most of the wounded
are eager to get back into their ranks, to avenge the losses of that day.

A member of one of the Syracuse companies writes to his friends as
follows:
On Thursday before we went into the fight, we had marched ten miles,
with forty-three rounds of ammunition, a heavy blanket and a haversack of
rations. We then had to run around the field for about an hour to get in
shape for an attack, and were then ordered into the woods in double quick.
We rushed along every man, until we were opened upon by a discharge of grape
and canister, shot from a masked battery. We discharged our pieces in the
direction that the fire came from, and received orders to lay down; which we
did, and gave them another volley. We stood our ground under a tremendous
fire of musketry, which was kept up incessantly, until we got the order to
retreat. Capt. Locke was put under arrest for giving the order to retreat.
The Colonel did not give it, but it was a fortunate thing that it was given,
or we should all have been cut to pieces. We were all drawn up Friday and
Saturday, expecting another attack, but as you already know none was made
until Sunday, and in that we were not engaged, the enemy having refused to
reply to or attack the batteries belonging to our brigade. You are already
aware that our army had to retreat. We left the field about 6 o'clock P.M.,
and marched back to Centreville, a distance of about 5 miles, and formed
there, expecting an attack. - No attack was made, however, and at half past
ten o'clock the word was passed along to prepare to march, and we certainly
thought that we were going in for a night attack. I could not be persuaded
that we were retreating, until we were five or six miles on the road to
Washington. Then I was convinced on beholding wagons upset, provisions
thrown along the road, arms and ammunitions strewed on the wayside, that
were thrown away by tired soldiers. - We marched all night and arrived at
Washington about ten o'clock next day, after having traveled a distance of
about 30 miles, without having eat anything since Sunday morning.

Lieut. Wood, of one of the Companies in the Twelfth Regiment, in writing
to his friends at Syracuse, says that after the skirmishes - 24 out of each
company in the Brigade - have been driven back by the rebels, the
Massachusetts 1st were sent down on the right of the enemy's position, and
soon came out on a run, in disorder; the 2d Michigan were then ordered down
to the front, where they stopped about two minutes, and moved off to the
right. Two pieces of artillery with a troop of cavalry were then sent down
to the front, and halted under cover of the woods. - The artillery entered
to the left of the woods, took a position and opened fire.

The 12th New York were then ordered down to support the artillery. We
arrived at a position to the left of a heavy wood, where we were covered in
part by a thick undergrowth of light brush and then halted. An artillery
officer came out of the wood, and ordered us into it to support his battery,
which he said was being cut up. The Colonel saw Col. Richardson (the
commander of our brigade) down toward the left and asked him if he should
go. - After hesitating, he said, "Yes, go in and drive them out," and never
were men more eager for the fray than were ours. The brush was so thick that
we could not keep any kind of a line. The advance was more o a charge than
an advance, and no one knew where or how far the enemy were from us, or what
their position was. In that condition the right had to descend a bank, the
centre to a leap a fence, and the left going down a side hill. the Regiment
received a fire that had it been well directed, would have swept every man
into eternity. The enemy were so close, that every man on the right felt
the powder in his face, so that they must have fired over us.
I do not know the names of all, but some thirty or thirty-five fell
killed or wounded.

While lying under the fire of the enemy, Lieut. Wood mentioned an
incident which will be of some interest to Batavians. -

Lieut. Upton, of N. York, belonging to the regulars rode up n rear of
us, saying that he was a regular and wished us to listen to him.
'The command was given, 'cease firing,' the boys obeyed and laid there
with the balls flying over them, and listened to a pithy little 4th of July
speech from Lieut. Upton; gave him a cheer and resumed their firing.'
*
*transcribed & submitted by L.Schmidt, 20 February 2007.

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• [NY~Old-News] July 29-1861: The 12th Regiment by "DonLinda" <>