Footnotes to Long Island History
Areas Aid to Union
by
Thomas R. Bayles
When
the war between the States broke out in 1861, the towns of Suffolk County
responded promptly to the call of the countries need. Sympathy for the Union
cause was emphatically the popular sentiment and intense interest was felt in
the events in the spring of 1861.
Enthusiasm
was manifested by raising the stars and stripes in every village in the county.
As the was became an established fact the towns held special meetings to raise
money and arrange for filling their quotas of volunteers.
On
August
18, 1862 the Board of Supervisors at Riverhead passed a resolution that each
town should fill its own quota of men in the service or raise its own funds
independent of any associated action of the county.
At a meeting at Coram, August 21, it was voted that the Supervisors
should raise money by a loan and pay a bounty of $150 to each volunteer
who would enlist to the credit of the town. About this time the
government was making loud calls for the men to carry on the war and it
was thought that a draft might be necessary to fill quotas.
The
supervisor and assessors met at Coram August 26 and began making an enrollment
of men liable for military service. A commission and a doctor sat at Coram
November 1st to examine men claiming exemption from military duties for
physical disability.
Enlistments
were sufficient to prevent draft, and the quotas of many towns being filled, the
surplus of recruits was obtainable at a lower bounty than had been voted by the
town.
The
supervisor at the time was Nathaniel Miller who on November 5 went to New York City
and was able to make up the deficiency in the town's quota by securing 107 three
year men in Corcoran's Irish brigade at $80 each and saved the town
considerable money.
After
the meeting of August 21 the work of raising a loan began. A the time the town
had no authority to borrow for this purpose or to raise money by tax to pay it.
At the time political prospect was dark, party spirit was strong and the very
foundations of government were trembling.
The man
who loaned money to the cause took all the risk himself and his only security was
his faith in the final triumph of the Union and the integrity of the people and
their government. There were each.
The
legislature of 1863 did sanction such loans, and granted the power to secure
them after many men in Brookhaven town who staked their money on this and made
loans of $50 to $200 which loans of larger amounts were made.
Under
the draft which took place in 1863, the town made no effort to provide for its
citizens who were drafted, as the act of that year released any drafted man who
paid $300.
At a
special town meeting held January 4, 1864 it was voted to raise a fund by the
contribution of $25 from each man subject to a draft, the fund so raised to be
divided among those who were drafted.
A
special town meeting was held on February 18, 1864 at which it was voted to
raise $60,000 to secure the towns quota of men for the call which had been
made. A town committee was appointed to collect and spend the money in
employing men and finding substitutes in case of a draft.
The draft
occurred on May 11, taking from Brookhaven town 201 men.
On
January 12, 1865 a special town meeting was held at which it was decided to
raise a loan to pay $500 to three year men, $400 to two year men and $300 to
one year men. It was also voted that with the authority of the Legislature the
amount should be raised by tax within the year which was done.
Of
those who went from Suffolk County a greater number enlisted in the 127th New
York Infantry than in any other regiment. Several companies of this regiment
were made up almost entirely from the county mainly from Southold, the Hamptons
and Huntington.
A
company in the 12th New York was largely made up from the neighborhood of
Patchogue, and a number from Huntington and other sections of the county joined
the 102nd New York. The able number to the 81st New York of which Colonel Edwin
Rose of Bridgehampton was in command.