The 16th NY Artillery, Companies B, D, and F

The Artillery Representation of Herkimer County


From "History of Herkimer County, New York" by F.W. Beers & Co., New York. 1879

This regiment was raised and organized in the State of New York at large, and commanded by Colonel Joseph J. Morrison. It was mustered into service from September 28th, 1863 to January 28th, 1864. Entering the service as it did after the worst was over (no reflection on the good will of the men) it was not given an opportunity to distinguish itself like many other regiments of the kind.

The first action in which the Herkimer county members of 16th engaged was inaugurated on April 26th, 1864, when a detachment of 1,150 men of the regiment, including those from Herkimer county, embarked on board transports at Yorktown, Va., for a point known as Bermuda Hundred, under command of Major Thomas I. Strong. Arriving there on the afternoon of the 27th, they marched five miles and bivouacked for the night, and the next morning marched six miles and camped near Hatch's Farm. After having been there a short time the 16th was attached to the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 10th army corps. On the 9th of August 600 men of the detachment went to Dutch Gap to dig on a camp. On the 15th they were severely shelled by the rebels, losing a few men. On the 16th they advanced and drove the enemy from Signal Hill, and held the position until the next day, then fell back to Dutch Gap.

The object in taking Signal Hill was to divert the attention of the enemy from other points. On the 19th the force returned to Hatch's Farm, and remained there until the 24th of August, when it started for the trenches in front of Petersburg, where it remained until the 24th of September, and had plenty to do. Captain O. W. Beach, of Company F, in a letter to Little Falls Journal under date of "Camp Laurel Hill, October 15th, 1864" said: "While in the trenches we lost several men killed and wounded and a few by disease. On the 24th of September we were relieved by the 2nd corps and taken back about two miles to prepare for other duties. We rested four days; then started out with all sorts of conjectures as to our destination, and marched about fifteen miles, arriving at Deep Bottom at 1 o' clock , A. M., very tired and thirsty. Water in this section is very scarce, and it is with much difficulty that we can obtain it at many times. At 4 o' clock, A. M., September 29th we were ordered to leave knapsacks and prepare ourselves in light marching order. The 10th and 18th corps then advanced upon Deep Bottom and routed the enemy, driving them to within three miles of Richmond. At night we returned four miles, and camped for the night. October 1st we made a reconnaissance in forces within one and a half miles of Richmond. The 2nd brigade had the advance. We have three regiments in our brigade that are armed with Spencer rifles, and as they are equal to seven men each on account of their breech-loading proclivities, we have to take the lead generally. The 16th was drawn up in line of battle as a reserve to the sharpshooters, who were deployed out as skirmishers, and thus we advanced to within a short distance of the outer line of defenses around Richmond. As we cross an open field we could plainly see the rebs load and point their cannons upon us. I am happy to say that though thus exposed we lost but a few men. Having satisfied ourselves as to the strength of the enemy, we marched back to the place we started from and camped, where we remained until the morning of the 7th. We were then ordered in line of battle and moved out in a piece of woods to await the approach of the enemy, who soon made their appearance. We received them with a sharp volley of musketry, and for fifty minutes there was an incessant fire kept up from both sides. At length the enemy, finding they could neither break our lines nor stand our fire, fell back. By this movement, I am proud to say, we gained a goodly number of prisoners. The 16th, by their conduct, gained for themselves a name that will be a credit to the State which they hail from."

"Our commanding general gave us great praise for the prompt manner in which we maintained our share of the battle. We had but 550 men engaged, and lost 68 killed and wounded, which was more then the rest of the brigade lost. On the 13th we again advanced in force and had a brisk fight with the enemy about three miles from Richmond."

"We are daily expecting to make another move of some kind, but to me it is a mystery what it will be. A soldier never knows what is in store for him."

The regiment (besides John Clark, of Little Falls, Company A) were over one hundred private soldiers from Herkimer county, as follows:

COMPANY B
William Alderman
Little Falls
James A. Barker
Little Falls
Hiram J. Barrett
Little Falls
Byron Brown
Little Falls
George Chase
Little Falls
William Clark
Little Falls
Henry R. Clock
Little Falls
William Coles
Little Falls
Eben Comstock
Little Falls
Jerome Delamater
Little Falls
James Daley
Little Falls
George Darrin
Little Falls
William H. Doty
Little Falls
Charles J. Flinn
Little Falls
William Folinsbee
Little Falls
George Galusha
Little Falls
Horatio Grant
Little Falls
Simon Hadcock
Little Falls
John Kane
Little Falls
Patrick Kelley
Little Falls
Wallace King
Little Falls
George W. Miner
Little Falls
Benson L. Northrup
Little Falls
William Page
Little Falls
Oscar C. Perkins
Little Falls
Solon F. Pickert
Little Falls
Patrick Quigley
Little Falls
Paris Richardson
Little Falls
John D. Rodgers
Little Falls
Patrick F. Rohan
Little Falls
Charles Ruth
Little Falls
Freeman S. Skeels
Little Falls
John M. Smith
Little Falls
Lorenzo D. Smith
Little Falls
Theodore Smith
Little Falls
Joseph Smyther
Little Falls
Francis Spencer
Little Falls
Charles P. Staring
Little Falls
Jacob H. Traver
Little Falls
John Wensing
Little Falls
James Wilson
Little Falls


COMPANY D
Valentine Bargo
Little Falls
George Boyer
Little Falls
James L. Comstock
Little Falls
James Davis
Little Falls
Norman Flint
Little Falls
Adam Folts
Herkimer
Joshua Folts
Herkimer
Jerome Goodbread
Little Falls
Jacob Guyer
Herkimer
John Mansfield
Little Falls


COMPANY F
Jacob V. Allen
Little Falls
Theodore M. Becraft
Salisbury
Myron G. Bloodough
Little Falls
Martin Boh
Little Falls
Walton Buck
Little Falls
Orlando Casler
Little Falls
George F. Chaddon
Herkimer
Morris G. Conklin
Little Falls
Eli Cramer
Little Falls
John H. Crist
Herkimer
David M. Cristman
Herkimer
Lewis A. Curtis
Little Falls
John S. Dalrymple
Little Falls
George Daly
Little Falls
Delancey Darling
Little Falls
Luther Darling Jr.
Little Falls
George Davis
Little Falls
Francis Decker
Little Falls
Albert Doxtater
Little Falls
Henry O. Doxtater
Little Falls
James H. Dunning
Little Falls
Winne Dutcher
Richfield
Andrew Dutcher
Little Falls
William L. Estes
Little Falls
Homer M. Ferrell
Little Falls
William H. Folts
Little Falls
Jesse R. Fort
Little Falls
Joseph Frinkle
Little Falls
George Frye
Little Falls
Andrew D. Gray
Little Falls
Henry Guller
Norway
Jacob Guller
Norway
Jesse R. Fort
Little Falls
John Hagar
Little Falls
George Hamersley
Little Falls
James W. Hardenburgh
Norway
Luther Haskin
Manheim
Harmonious Hayes
Little Falls
Jeremiah Helmer
Litchfield
James B. Hicks
Little Falls
Herman T. Hodge
Ohio
Thomas James
Little Falls
Isaac Johnson
Herkimer
Andrew Jubino
Little Falls
Daniel A. Kart
Herkimer
Arthur D. Kibbe
Little Falls
John Krebs
Little Falls
Stephen Ladue
Little Falls
James D. Lascell
Little Falls
Andrew Lehman
Little Falls
Thomas Lynch
Herkimer
Joseph McCafferey
Little Falls
Wellington Montany
Little Falls
Abram L. Miller
Herkimer
Eugene L. Miller
Little Falls
Thomas Milstead
Little Falls
John A. Moak
Little Falls
Richard Ostrom
Ohio
John P. O' Sullivan
Norway
Rufus Pearl
Little Falls
Henry Prame
Little Falls
George Robb
Little Falls
Amasa S. Rowe
Little Falls
George G. Sanford
Norway
William A. Saterlee
Little Falls
George F. Shaver
Little Falls
Hiram H. Smith
Herkimer
George Terry
Little Falls
Hiram Terry
Little Falls
Joseph F. Terry
Little Falls
William Thomas
Herkimer
John Thompson
Little Falls
Rufus Thompson
Little Falls
Theodore Travers
Little Falls
James Vandusen
Little Falls
Francis Wells
Little Falls
James Welsh
Little Falls
Thomas S. Whitmore
Herkimer
Jacob F. Wind
Little Falls
Lorenzo A. Winslow
Herkimer
George H. Worden
Little Falls
Jacob Zuller
Little Falls



Another great Civil War roster typed by Maggie Coletta!



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Last Updated: 11/1/97
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