What was it really like to serve
with the 131st New York Infantry? In the Collection of the Library of the
New-York Historical Society on West 77th Street in New York City, I have
had the rare privilege to hold and to read through the letters of 4 men
who served and documented their experiences with this regiment. It is with
this historical reverence that I share with you excerpts from the letters
of 2 such individuals; 2nd Lt. James E. McBeth of Co. G and Capt. Francis
A. Howell of Co. E. McBeth's extremely frank observations and opinions
do not always portray the 131st New York and it's leadership in the most
favorable or exemplary light. They are the opinions and the candid musings of
one officer who as evidenced by his writings, became embittered and discouraged
with the Banks Expedition, the pestilence and sickness of Louisiana and
eventually the 131st itself. Their unparalleled historical significance,
coupled with the overall record of gallant and meritorious service of the
131st, can allow this regiment to stand up to McBeth's slight tarnishing.
Quotes from Howell's letters give us even further insight into the 131st
and to the duties performed early on while stationed at Annapolis, his
own account of their arrival at Baton Rouge and the circumstances surrounding
the resignation of the regiment's original commanding officer and Howell
family friend, Colonel Charles S. Turnbull. They also reveal a bit about
the duties of a Regimental Company Captain as well as his yearning to be
home with his wife and children. A
hyperlink at the bottom of this page will also allow you to read Howell's
rather lengthy/detailed description of the Battle of Irish Bend, La. on
a page of it's own.
Research, Composition & Computer Graphics by
Richard N. Ether 2001
McBeth/Howell Letters: The Collection of the New-York
Historical Society
2nd Lieutenant James E. McBeth
[USAMHI]
From a letter
written by McBeth to William E. Conrow from Camp Acton, Annapolis, Md.,
dated Sept. 30, 1862:
"The people of Baltimore said that our regt.
was the hardest-one that had ever passed through their city And I
can tell you we had our hands full. But I can also state another side to
the matter I never saw a body of men behave better than our regt.
does now. They are beginning to receive praise all around here for their
soldier like bearing And I can tell you there is every indication
of this being made one of the first regiments in the field that is
if we are not wholly neglected by the Police Commissioners of New York.
And that this regiment has been ill treated, neglected and abused by them
there isn't any question.They sent
us away before the regiment was full by three hundred men only half
equipped And with about a hundred of as bad as set of thieves and
robbers as ever disgraced a city. And the Commissioners knew it well.We had however, the good luck to get rid of them
as we came on as we lost over a hundred by desertion. The balance
are well behaved and if they will give us the balance of the men we need
from pure enlistment and not out of the prisons, we can make a good regiment
of it.
I had my carte de visite taken before I came
away and left word with John Cairns to give one to you when they were done.
Have you received it yet?"
From a letter
written by Howell to his wife from Camp Acton, Annapolis, Md., dated Sept.
24, 1862:
"We have had a very hard time so far, my
company particular. As we have been on duty ever since last Tuesday guarding
Parole Prisoners taking [sic] at Harpers Ferry the Sunday before, but hope
now as we are in camp here they will give us some rest."
Postwar photos of Capt. Francis Augustus Howell and
his wife Mary Jane Howell in the 1890's
[Photos Courtesy of Kent Howell]
From a letter
written by Howell to his wife from Camp Acton, Annapolis, Md., dated Nov.
2, 1862:
"The reason I have not written is that we
are guarding the Parole Prisoners again and it keeps us very busy, but
we will soon be relieved as we are under marching orders to leave here
at any moment but where to, we do not know but we think it is further down
south, probably Charleston, so you see your intended visit here is postponed
for the present."
From a letter
written by McBeth to William E. Conrow from on board Steamship United States,
off Fortress Monroe, Va.,
dated Dec. 3, 1862:
"We are huddled here together like a lot
of cattle, filthy as a lot of pigs one half of the officers being
compelled to sleep on the floor there not being state rooms enough.
The men packed between decks like so much pork in a barrel. We have to
pay $1.50 per day for our meals cash."
From a letter
written by McBeth to William E. Conrow from Baton Rouge, La., dated Dec.
19, 1862:
"We arrived at this place yesterday morning
after a passage of fourteen days from Fortress Monroe. We effected a landing
under fire of the Gun Boats which Johnny Secesh so far respected
as to make himself scarce, so that the fight which we were expecting did
not come off. The enemy are in strong force about fifteen miles from here
at Port Hudson to which place we expect to go in a short time and
dispute the possession with him and from thence to Vicksburg
and so open the Mississippi."
From a letter
written by Howell to his wife from Baton Rouge, La., dated January 24,
1863:
"I suppose you read in the papers that our
regiment was the first to land here under the Essexs guns and I tell you
all of our hearts went pit pat for we did [not] know how many rebels there
was here but we found on going into the city that there [were] about 500
rebels but they skedadled on our approach to the city. So there was no
chance for a fight then. But we were pretty strong (about 20,000) now,
but if we are attacked by the same number of rebels we shall have to stand
our ground as there is no place here to crawl out of as there is in Virginia.
Baton Rouge is nearly deserted, you will find nothing but some few women,
old men and hundred niggers. Every white person is a rebel and do not fear
to express their opinion as our Generals let them do as they please. That
is what makes me so angry and makes me feel as if this was no place for
me with the opinions I entertain. Lieut. Corsa has been very sick again
with the fever. I am trying to get him discharged from the service. Lieut.
Bergan is well and as saucy as ever. Col. Turnbull has resigned on account
of his health and is now down to N.O. [New Orleans] waiting for ship to
N.Y. He will call on you when he gets home (and don't I wish I was in his
place)."
Coincidentally, 2nd Lt. William
Corsa and 1st Lt. Van Brunt Bergan were both nephews to two of the Police
Commissioners of the city of New York respectively. Lt. Corsa would recover
and go on to be promoted to Captain of Co. E on April 25, 1864. In one
of those strange twists of fate during the Civil War, Corsa became the
Captain of the very same company that the writer of the above letter, Howell,
had commanded before he was eventually discharged. Like many of the officers
of the 131st NYSVI, Howell and Corsa had both previously served in the
famous 7th NYS Militia. Corsa was later wounded in action at Opequon, Va.
and would be discharged due to a disability from his wounds on January
4, 1865. Ironically, Lt. Bergan (whom Howell described in his letter as
"well and saucy as ever") was discharged due to failing health
in March of 1865 and died shortly thereafter of consumption.
Lithograph purported to be that of the 131st NY, 41st
MA, & 25th CT in the
United States Arsenal, Baton Rouge, La., being entertained
by the "Contrabands"
From a letter
written by Howell to his wife from Baton Rouge, La, dated Feb. 15, 1863:
"We are situated just about the same as
when I wrote you last. We do nothing but drill, eat & sleep and move
camp from one place to another.""...I
wish when you write you will tell me every little thing that happens about
yourself, for when I get such a letter from you it makes me thoughtful
and I lay down on my bunk and shut my eyes and think I am with you in body
as well as in thoughts and feeling." "...I wish you would go
and see Mrs. Wingert, whose husband died on the 11th of January in the
general hospital here from Typhoid Fever. Tell her the Company buried him
with military honors and that I will write to her and give her the particulars
& money due her husband when he died." "...Today is the first
I have had a good Dinner since I left home. I had an invitation from Billy
Wilsons officers to Dinner and I tell you they done it in style and to
my satisfaction, but when I got in camp I found the regiment had gone to
drill. So I had to go double quick and get a blowing up and drill from
2 oclock till 5 1/2 oclock, so you know how I felt."
View of the encampment of the 131st NYSV & the
19th Army Corps. at Baton Rouge (L)
Hospital in Baton Rouge where Pvt. John Wingert died
of Typhoid Fever (R)
From a letter
written by McBeth to William E. Conrow from Camp near Alexandria, La.,
dated May 15, 1863:
"We have marched over 500 miles in 35 days
so you will see that we haven't been idle. The fact of the matter
is it is killing the men. The hospitals are beginning to fill up very rapidly.
My constitution is slowly but surely becoming undermined. There is a great
amount of sickness here and the worst weather is yet to come. I have
had my full share of it. I have been quite unwell for some days back and
feel worse today so much so that I can hardly sit up to write to
you and wouldn't do so but there is a mail leaves from here today.
I must leave this department. I like it much better on the Potomac. I am
trying to keep up my spirits as well as I can and keep out of the hospital,
but how much longer I can't tell. One reason is that I am and have been
for a long time the only officer in my company. They have only about ten
line officers in the regiment for duty all the others are either
present or absent-sick. I am heartily sick of this regiment and wish myself
out of it. If I live for two months longer I will get out of it if I have
to get out of it dishonorably."
McBeth got his wish, on October
8, 1863 he was discharged from the 131st NY for a promotion into the Second
Louisiana Calvary as a First Lieutenant. Much later, Howell too would be
discharged from the 131st NY on January 19, 1864. During it's service,
the regiment traveled over 10,000 miles by land and water. Deaths attributed
to disease and other causes by July of 1865 would claim the lives of 107
enlisted men alone, while deaths of enlisted men killed in action would
number 49.
From a letter
written by Howell to his wife from Thibodeaux, La., dated Aug. 31, 1863:
"You see by the heading of this letter we
have moved from New Orleans again. If there is any hard work to do the
New York regiments has to do it. We have a very fine camp near the Bayou
Lafourche about 60 miles from New Orleans." "...I have not written
to you lately for I have been very busy getting my books written up for
the year. Ask Tom how much I have to do and he can tell you how much it
is." "...Also tell Tom to get as many volunteers as he can for
our Company by mentioning Liegt. Eldridge name down in 5th Ward. He thinks
there is a good many of his friends would come with him in preference to
being drafted."
From a letter
written by McBeth to William E. Conrow from Camp near Alexandria, La.,
dated May 15, 1863:
"Col. Turnbull left the regt. last January
And Col. Nott is Col. of another regt. It was he who got me in this
regt. Nicholas W. Day a son of Day, the India rubber man
was sent out to the regt. as Major which position was bought for
him by his father after Turnbull left (Nott never came on to us).
Day was made Lt. Col. He is no military man whatever. Thinks of little
but the gratification of his own appetite and has very few friends in the
regiment. I have quarreled with him several times."
The "Col. Nott" to
which he refers was Lt.-Colonel Charles C. Nott, who left the 131st on
January 10, 1863 to take command of the 176th New York. McBeth's opinion
not withstanding and in all deference to Colonel Day, it should be noted
that author and fellow-officer Richard B. Irwin credits Day for having
"brought up his regiment" (under many drawbacks) "to a high
standard of discipline and efficiency." Day was also made Brigadier-General
by brevet, for gallant and meritorious services at the Battle of Opequon
(or 3rd Winchester), Va., on March 13, 1865.
Rare War-time photo of Col. Nicholas W. Day (131st
NY) and Col. Frederick A. Boardman (4th Wisc. Cavalry)
