Canadians in the 49th New York Infantry
Article by T.W. Brooks, reproduced by permission
Tune: Liberty Ball
Of the 1,312 men in the 2nd Buffalo Regiment, the 49th New York, sixty men, or nearly five per cent, were born in the British North American provinces. Not surprisingly, the majority of these men, fifty-two, came from Canada West (Ontario). Certainly the city of Toronto was well represented among them, as were the towns of Hamilton,
Queenston and Niagara. Some of these men, however, came from as far away as Chatham and Windsor to the west, Aurora to the north, and Whitby and Kingston to the east to join the regiment.
Four of the sixty men were natives of Canada East (Quebec), three were from Nova Scotia, and one was born in New Brunswick.
Though the sixty Canadians enlisted in nine of the regiment's ten companies, company "K" being the only exception, half of them could be found in but two companies, company "D" and company "E". It is probably no accident, for instance, that the three Nova
Scotian's all ended up in company "E", as they all enlisted within a few days of each other in February, 1865, or that three Toronto men enlisted in company "D" within a day of each other in August 1861.
Most of the men enlisted in Buffalo, or in communities close to Buffalo, such as Clarence, Fredonia, Lockport, and Tonawanda. Several, however, enlisted in Rochester, Oswego, and Warsaw, and at least one enlisted in far off Jamestown.
Forty two per cent of the sixty enlisted in the late summer or fall of 1861. Only two of these men, Michael Fitzpatrick of company "C", from Toronto, and Robert H.
Taylor from St. George, survived four years of war intact to muster out with the regiment on June 27, 1865. In December 1863, Fitzpatrick re-enlisted as a veteran and was made a
wagoner, an appointment which no doubt added to his longevity. Taylor likewise re-enlisted as a veteran in December 1863, and apparently made it through by some good fortune.
Seven men enlisted in 1862, and three of them were still with the regiment on its last day of existence.
Only one Canadian joined the regiment in 1863, John Keneally in Company "G". He transferred from the 33rd New York Infantry.
Twenty-five per cent of the sixty Canadians joined the regiment in mid-summer 1864. Twenty per cent of these recruits were hired substitutes for Americans who did not want to serve.
Another dozen Canadians joined the ranks in February 1865. At least four of these men were confirmed "bounty men". Each was paid $300.00 to serve.
Nearly six out of ten of the sixty Canadians were twenty-one years of age, or under at the time of their enlistment. Only six men, ten per cent of the Canadian population in the regiment, were age thirty years or older. This ration is on a par with the three hundred and fifty-nine Canadians in the 5th New Hampshire Infantry for instance, where twelve per cent were age thirty years or older.
By way of occupation, that of farmer or unskilled labourer accounted for forty-five per cent of the Canadians. Over half of the Canadians, though, had some kind of tutelage. There were four clerks, four carpenters, three blacksmiths, three sailors, and three shoemakers among the eighteen trades represented by them in the regiment. Other trades included cooper,
harness maker, mechanic, tailor, and tinsmith.
Their average height was five foot seven inches, and ranged from a low of five foot three inches, to a high of six foot.
Seven of the sixty one Canadians, or about one man in nine, died in the war. Four died as a result of combat, one died as a prisoner of war, one died by misadventure, and most surprisingly, only one, Private Edward McQue of Company "I", died of disease. McQue died in a hospital in New York City on November 30, 1862. He is buried in Cypress Hills
Cemetery in Long Island, New York.
The first to die in action was Lieutenant John P. McVeane
of company "D". He was from Toronto. He was killed at The Wilderness on May 10, 1864. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry at at Chancellorsville in the year previous. The second to perish as a result of battle was Major William Ellis, formerly of company "E", then of Field and Staff, from Brantford, Canada West.
Ellis was shot through the left arm by a ramrod which penetrated his side and fractured a rib. A splinter from the fractured rib penetrated his heart and he died in camp at Monocacy Creek, Maryland, on August 4, 1864. He is buried in Forest Lawn
Cemetery in Buffalo, New York. The third to die was John Kenealley of company "G" who succumbed on June 6, 1864, to a wound received at Cold Harbor on the 3rd.
The fourth to fall was one of the two Canadian Charles Smiths in company "A", in this case, Charles Smith
the younger. He was killed in action at Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864, and lies buried in the National
Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia.
In addition to the four dead in battle, a further seven were wounded by Confederate bullets. In this population of sixty Canadians, a man stood nearly a once chance in five of being hit.
Joseph Luce of company "D", from Florence, Canada West, was wounded at Gettysburg. The wound ended his active military career and he transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps. Rufus Wait of company "E", from Whitby, Canada West, was wounded at Spotsylvania on May 12, 1864. Said wound led to his medical discharge.
James Shaffer of company "D" was wounded at 3rd Winchester on September 19, 1864. He recovered to muster out with the regiment on June 27, 1865.
The second Canadian Charles Smith in company "A", the elder, was wounded at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, as were John Foley and John Steward, both of company
"D". D. Maurice P. Sullivan of company "E" was the last Canadian in the 49th New York to be wounded. He was struck by a
minie ball during the Confederate assault on Fort Stedman, on March 25, 1865. Shaffer, Smith, and Sullivan mustered out with the unit. Steward was absent at the end, probably still in hospital, and Foley, a hired substitute, deserted from hospital in November, 1864.
Six of the Canadians were, at various times, taken prisoner of war. Nicholas Grow of company "B" and Robert H. Taylor of company "E" were captured at Salem Church (Chancellorsville campaign) on May 3, 1863. They were exchanged within a few weeks.
John Dougherty of company "C", the only New Brunswicker in the regiment, and John C. White of company "D", from Hamilton, were captured at Spotsylvania on May 12, 1864. White survived. Dougherty did not. Dougherty died of
dysentery at the notorious Andersonville prisoner of war camp on August 3, 1864. He is buried in grave #4650 in the National
Cemetery there.
William Powell of company "D" was captured at Petersburg on March 27, 1865, and John C. Gardner was captured at Petersburg on April 2, 1865. Neither was long in captivity.
Twenty-one year old John Stewart of company "H" died by misadventure at Aquia Creek, Virginia, on June 4, 1863. His good friend Barney H. Boyle was on night picket duty in the woods. Stewart went beyond the picket post and attempted to frighten Boyle into thinking that a Confederate patrol was coming. The eighteen year old Bolye fired his musket. The shot struck and killed Stewart. Boyle was made most distraught by the incident.
Eleven of the sixty Canadians deserted from the regiment, and an additional two were dishonorably discharged. Most of the deserters were volunteers who had enlisted in 1861 or 1862. Only one was a known substitute, and he deserted after having been wounded. None of the deserters was a known "bounty man".
Four desertions occurred in 1862. One in 1863, while the regiment was en route to Gettysburg. Four men deserted in 1864, and one man in 1865. The desertions appear to be isolated except perhaps for the case of John T. Swallow from Toronto, and John Moore from Canada West, both of company "D". The two deserted from Harrison's Landing, Virginia, on August 4, 1862.
Only one of the eleven deserters, Robert Smith from company "I", was a repeat offender.
Of the two who were dishonorably discharged, William L. McFarlane of company
"F", from Toronto, was a deserter who had returned to the regiment after a prolonged absence. The other dishonorably discharged case is that of Perry Johnson of company "I". He had enlisted in August, 1861, and in January, 1863, was allowed home on sick leave. While home, he stole a horse, was caught and convicted, and sentenced to three and one half years hard labor.
In the end, nearly half the Canadian compliment of the regiment mustered out with the 49th New York. Of the others, seven were dead, six had been honorably discharged for disabilities on account of disease or wounds, two had been dishonorably discharged, eleven had deserted, three were still in hospital at the muster out date, and the remaining five had transferred out to other units.
Of the five who transferred, Henry S. Larned of company "D" from Chatham, Canada West, became a Lieutenant in the 16th New York Cavalry, while Joseph Luce of the same company was with the 42nd Company, 2nd Battalion, Veterans' Reserve Corps. William Morrison of company "F" joined the western rivers gunboat fleet and eventually the US Navy, and
George Johnson of company "I" transferred to the 1st New York Independent Battery of Light Artillery. Peter A. Taylor joined the Signal Corps and received a brevet major of
volunteers for his four years service.
It was an enviable record for the regiment. One hundred and forty-one men killed in combat or died of wounds, twenty-two battle honours, one stand of colors captured, and one Medal of Honor awarded.
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