A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > New York > Genesee http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=637 Also visit our new sister sites: http://www.AncestorsOnTheWeb.com http://www.Genealogy101.com Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=44506 Submitted by: New York Contributors Article Title: The Daily Republican Advocate Article Date: July 29 1861 Article Description: Another account of the 12th Regiment. Article Text: Originally submitted by: L. Schmidt 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 was 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.' 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 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NY-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com