The National tribune., 1904-06-02
THE 18th N. Y. H. A.
Disastrous Efforts to Hold the Lines Near
Cold Harbor.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: was
much interested in Comrade VENTS mar
native in The National Tribune, of the
deeds and doings of the 14th \. Y. II. a.
during the civil war. l think it is time
| that the boys wake up. fight their battles
| some of the glory for putting down the re-
belliOn. This regiment saw hard service
| from the day it reached the front to the
close of the war If my memory serves
me right, it stands eighth in the list of
regiments losing the greatest number of
men during the war, These losses all oc-
Cured in about II months. | enlisted in
the regiment Jan. 4, 1864, from Hector.
| Schuyler Co, at the age OF is years.
| The Adjutant-Generafs report, State Of
| New York. shows there were more than
1000 enlisted in the regiment. the excess
being transferred to other regiments
| suppose that many, like myself. enlist
cd in the 18th II. A.. thinking they would
have soft snap. being stationed in the
Notifications in New York harbor. The
soft snap hardened in earnest when we
were ordered to shoulder heavy muskets
| and join the Army Of the Potomac.
Comrade Wcntz gives quite an accurate
| account of the movements Of the regiment
while | was with it. He fails to mention
an important event Of June 2. 1864. in
which the regiment lost n killed, nine
| prisoners only II survived the prison hard
ships to return to our lines, | being one
of the -
/ have always supposed this scrap took
place on grounds that history gives as the
| first days fight of Cold Harbor. but the
State Adjutant-Generars report mentions
the loss on this day as occurring near
, Shady Grove: also, near Cold Harbor.
The regiment arrived on this ground on
| the evening Of June |, and worked half
| the night building breastworks. On the
| following morning ! was ordered to the
| skirmish line; what other companies or
| commands were on this line / am unable
| to say; Il private in the ranks isn't sup
| posed to know what is doing ouside Of
his immediate presence. The report gives
| losses in all companies on that day. save
Il and f. 4, to which Comrade Wentz
belonged, lost two wounded, one of whom
| lied June ). This skirmish line was post
cd far beyond and out of sight of our
breastworks. Co. /, to which | belonged,
must have been posted on the extreme
| right: but on this / am not sure. A pnr-
ton Of the company was posted at the
| edge OF the woods, in narrow clearing.
| this clearing widening quite rapidly as it
extended toward our breastwOrks. The
balance of the line extended into the woods.
| lsatiOns were issued to us on this line early
| III the forenoon, and we received orders
position. 1t was nearly noon when the
| rebels made the attack; some Of the boys
were preparing their MONDAY meal. ! had
just prepared my coffee. You may bet
your boots didn't drink that coffee We
defended ourselves as best I'VE could. bur
being outnumbered, and in this clearing,
| where we could find. no cover. we had to
do or die. Go. l lost three killed and 40
taken prisoners. AS far as / know only
one man posted in this clearing succeeded
| in reaching our breastworks. He has told
| me since that when he reached those
| breastworks he found them empty-thc
army had moved! This statement corrobo-
| rates Comrade VENT in your issue of FEB
where he says that OH June 2, in the fore
noon, they received marching orders, that
| his company was rearguard. and that the
| corps wagons had passed on by II o'clock
| This was fully one hour before the rebs
| opened on our line. Will some comrade
tell why we were not called in before the
| army moved? The rebels on our immedi-
| ate front were Alabama troops, command
ed by Rodes. About o'clock that af-
ternoon. with sad hearts, we started for
Hotel Libby. where we were to occupy
| furnished apartments, with board and
| lodgings free. and right there our fight for
life began. / need not here give my prison
experience; your readers are well informed
| on that subject. l was confined i'm several
'.Iut itHI IA iHoif'-i-Rfba, IAHutFSOHEIie
Millen, Savannah. Blackshear: thence to
Fhomasville, crossing f. hel country TO AL
hany: thence by rail to Andersonvlle, re-
entering the old stockadel on Christmas
Day, 1864. There were few prisoners
there at that time-perhap s 1900 or 1000
\ bout 200 OF lis left lere'the forepart of
March, reaching Vieksburg, where we
| were exchanged April e.. E,was discharged
| mt st. Louis, June 9. ISGl,-GEo. GRANT
| jr.. Co. ], 14th N. Y. Ii. e., Mecklenburs
N. Y.