The 115th New York Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Iron Hearted Regiment", was a volunteer regiment recruited during the American Civil War from the counties of Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, and Saratoga, New York.
Content "In writing the history of the 115th N. Y Volunteer Infantry, we record the acts of a noble body of men, whose deeds are already written in blood, and inscribed high up in the roll of fame. The regiment was raised in the counties of: Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, and Hamilton, and mustered into the United States service on 26th day of August, 1862, by Capt. Edgerton, U. S. A., at Fonda the place of rendezvous of the regiment. The field staff and captains were as follows" (Beers, 1878)
Officers of the 115th NY Volunteer Regiment Sammons, Colonel Simeon Batcheller, Lieutenant-Colonel George S. Cowan, Major Patrick Henry Horton, Adjutant Thomas R. McMartin, Quartermaster Martin Sutton, Surgeon Richard H. Ingersoll, Assistant Surgeon William H. Clemons, Chaplain Sylvester V.
CAPTAINS:
Company A: Garret Vanderveer Company B: John P. Kneeskern Company C: William H. McKittrick Company D: Sidney Lingenfelter Company E: William H. Shaw Company F: Walton W. French Company G: Egbert B. Savage Company H: Solomon P. Smith Company I: Ezra L. Walrath Company K: William Smith
With the above officers, together with a full complement of lieutenants and ten hundred and forty enlisted men, the regiment broke camp at Fonda on 29 August, and was forwarded to the seat of war as soon as possible, arriving at Dandy Hook, Md. on the Baltimore and Ohio R. R., on 1 September, where the regiment was furnished with arms, but very little ammunition. It then moved on to Harper's Ferry, Va., where it was assigned to guard duty along the Shenandoah Valley R. R., with headquarters at Charlestown, Virginia.
The regiment performed guard duty faithfully, until a few days before the surrender of Harper's Ferry, when it and others were ordered to concentrate at that place. On the way to the Ferry James English, a member of Company D, was wounded in the hand, by the accidental discharge of a musket, necessitating amputation at the wrist; he was the first man wounded in the regiment. On arriving at, or near Harper's Ferry, the regiment was encamped on Bolivar Heights, in the rear of the village. From this point it performed picket duty, and while so engaged, John Hubbard, of Co. A, was wounded by a guerrilla. On the 12th, Companies E and A were ordered to report to Col. Tom Ford, in command of Maryland Heights, and upon doing so, were ordered to proceed up the Potomac, to the old "John Brown" school-house, and form a skirmish line from the river as far up the mountain as possible, the left resting on the river.
Early the next morning the two companies were ordered back to Ford's headquarters, and from there to Elk Ridge, at the Lookout, on the highest peak of the mountain. Here for the first time members of the 115th regiment met the enemy in deadly combat. After several hours fighting, and holding their position, the two companies were ordered to evacuate the place, and report to Gen. Miles' headquarters, which they did very reluctantly, and not until they had received the third order. Company E had one man wounded. About this time Company K moved up, and, in a few minutes its captain was carried to the rear, having been wounded in the thigh by a minie-ball. Upon nearing the foot of the mountain, at what was known as Maryland Heights, Companies E and A met the remainder of the regiment, who congratulated them upon their safe return.
The regiment returned to camp on Bolivar Heights. The troops were kept moving to and fro until the morning of the 15th, when General Miles made one of the most cowardly and disgraceful surrenders recorded in the annals of American history.
Eleven thousand men, armed and equipped in the best style, with plenty of ammunition, holding one of the most defensible positions in the United States, were ignominiously surrendered, instead of aiding to surround Lee's, Longstreet's, Hill's and Jackson's corps where there was no possible way of escape. Thus the Union army was reduced, and eleven thousand as good fighting men as ever shouldered a musket were doomed to bear the taunts of their enemies, at home and abroad, as "Harper's Ferry cowards." But every regiment that was obliged to participate in that farce, and whose honor was sold by the commanding officer, has, upon bloody fields, won bright laurels, and vindicated its soldierly character. By the good graces of the rebel generals, who had the captured army as an "elephant on their hands," the prisoners were paroled the next day, and allowed to depart in peace, which they did with sorrowing hearts.
The regiment returned to Annapolis, Maryland, and thence went to Chicago, where it went into camp on the Cook county fair ground, which was called "Camp Tyler," after the general in command of the troops around the city. During the stay of the 115th in Chicago its duties were about the same as those of troops in garrison, but the men were allowed rather more liberties than regular soldiers on duty. While at Chicago, the weather being very bad most of the time, and the men not on fatigue duty enough to give them healthy exercise, malarial fever caused the death of quite a number.
About 20 November 1862, the regiment was ordered to proceed to Washington. The capital was reached about 23 November, and at the same time the soldiers of the 115th were exchanged and marched over to Arlington Heights. There they were supposed to go into winter quarters, but by the time quarters were built the regiment was ordered out again, and kept in motion between Arlington, Fairfax, Hunter's creek, Alexandria and Yorktown, where it embarked on the steamer "Matanzas," 23 January 1863, and arrived at Hilton Head, S. C., Department of the South, about 26 January.
Here the regiment was divided into detachments for post, camp and outpost duty. Companies E and D were detailed to garrison Battery Mitchell, an outpost on Scull creek. Company B was stationed at, Saybrook, and other companies at different points on and around Hilton Head Island, until 28 May, when the different detachments were relieved and the regiment was again a unit at Hilton Head. On 2 June, Companies E and B were, by order of General Chatfield, detailed for special field duty, and went with other troops up May River, S. C., and burned the town of Bluffton. About 27 June, the regiment was moved to the city of Beaufort, S. C., some twelve miles up Beaufort river, where it went into camp. After remaining here a while and suffering severely from malaria, incident to the dull routine life of the camp, the regiment was again divided into detachments and sent to do outpost and picket duty on Beaufort, Port Royal and other islands adjacent to them.
On 20 December, the regiment embarked on transports for the old camp at Hilton Head, where it was attached to Gen. T. Seymour's "ill-starred" Florida expedition. The force left Hilton Head on 5 February 1864, reached Jacksonville on the evening of 7 February, and occupied the city without opposition. During the night of 8 February, the expedition reached Camp Finnegan, about twelve miles from Jacksonville, capturing a battery of six guns, a quantity of small arms, etc., and a large amount of provisions, upon which the boys feasted until next day, when, with well filled haversacks, they moved towards Tallahassee, reaching and occupying Baldwin without opposition, and reaching Barber's Plantation during the night. The next day the troops advanced to Sanderson's Station, where they burned the railroad depot filled with corn, and several resin and turpentine factories, and tore up considerable railroad track, burning ties and other property belonging to the rebels. By order of Gen. Seymour, the army fell back to Barber's Plantation and remained there until 19 February.
During this time the 115th, a part of the 4th Massachusetts cavalry and a section of the Third R. I. Flying Artillery were ordered to proceed to Callahan, a station on the Fernandina and Cedar Keys railroad, and capture whatever they might find, which was one pony, seven bushels of sweet potatoes, and one or two Florida hogs, of the kind that need to have knots tied in their tails to prevent their getting through cracks. Returning to camp, weary, footsore and hungry, the boys of the 115th were allowed to rest about one day, when the whole command broke camp early on the morning of 20 February, for the disastrous field of Olustee, known by the rebels as Ocean Pond.
Upon arriving on the field the order of battle was formed, with the 115th on the extreme right of the infantry line, and the troops ordered to move forward, which they did with a steadiness that showed the 15,000 rebels that they had work to do. Upon arriving on a rise of ground between where the line was formed and the rebel position, the advancing force received a murderous fire, at which the colored troops on the extreme left broke very badly. The white troops upon the left began to double up on the 115th, but order was soon restored. About this time the rebels made a charge upon the Union right, which was repulsed by the 115th, who sent the enemy back over their works with heavy loss. The combat continued to rage with fury until the supply of ammunition on both sides gave out, and, night coming on, both parties were willing to call it a drawn battle; but Gen. Seymour, by ordering a retreat, gave the rebels to understand that he abandoned the contest. Upon this occasion Gen. Seymour took occasion to publicly compliment the 115th, giving it the honor and praise of saving his little army from total annihilation, and naming it the "Ironhearted Regiment." The regiment lost over one-half its number in killed, wounded and missing. Col. Sammons was wounded in the foot at the commencement of the battle. Capt. Vanderveer was mortally wounded, and died in a few days. Lieuts. Tompkins and Shaffer were killed, besides many of the best non-commissioned officers and men.
On leaving Olustee the expedition retraced its steps toward Jacksonville, where the 115th did picket and camp duty until 9 February, when the force embarked on transports for Palatka, Fla., about one hundred miles up the St. John's river from Jacksonville. Here the troops rested, and nothing of interest transpired. On 4 April, they again embarked on transports for Hilton Head, S. C., making a few hours' stop at Jacksonville, and arriving at their destination on the evening of 16 April. On 18 April the regiment sailed for Gloucester Point, Va., reaching that place on 21 April, and was attached to the 10th Army Corps. On 4 May it was attached to the Army of the James, under Gen. B. F. Butler. The army moved up the James river to Bermuda Hundred, and on 7 May, the 115th participated and suffered severely in the ill-fated battle of Chesterfield Heights, Va., losing about eighty in killed, wounded and missing, From this time to 16 May the regiment was marching, fighting, picketing, etc. On the morning of that day the disastrous battle of Drury's Bluff was fought. and the 115th regiment again brought into requisition under the immediate supervision of Gen. Adelbert Ames, who complimented it for its bravery and skillful movements, which saved Butler's army from total rout.
On 17 May the regiment went into camp at Hatcher's Run. From this time it was on picket duty all the time to 28 May, when it marched to City Point, and embarked on board the steamer "De Molay," for White House, Va., landing there on 31 May at 4 P. M. The 115th took up the line of march for Cold Harbor, Va., reaching that place on 1 June, at 3:30, P. M., and immediately, with the rest of the brigade, charged the enemy's works, this regiment capturing two hundred and fifty men with their arms and equipment. Here the regiment was again complimented for bravery by Gen. Devens.