Dishonorable end for soldier

The 64th New York Volunteer Infantry, known as the Cattaraugus Regiment after one of the home counties of its soldiers, was the outgrowth of the 64th militia, a pre-Civil War unit. The regiment was a three-year unit mustered into service at Elmira, N.Y., according to Volume II of “The Union Army,” an eight-volume set of books published in 1908 that provides short histories of Union regiments and batteries.

Ira B. Stewart joined Company A on Sept. 20, 1861. After the regiment was fully manned, it left the state for Washington on Dec. 10. Pvt. Stewart was 24 years old and 5-foot-9-inches tall, according to one document among his service records. (Civil War soldiers' records are available from the National Archives.)

The 64th was to spend the next few months camped near the Capitol while undergoing training. Stewart would miss most of this period, however. He had been sent home on furlough by the hospital surgeon at Elmira, according to a form dated Dec. 31, 1861.

Stewart's name is absent from the January-February 1862 bimonthly report. Sometime in March, he returned and is shown as present from then on in his records. About the time of his return, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. Oliver O. Howard; 2nd Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. Israel B. Richardson; 2nd Corps, commanded by Brig. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, Army of the Potomac. The 64th proceeded to the Virginia Peninsula with the rest of the Army under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan in March 1862.

Probably sometime in spring 1862, Stewart bought an identification disc. The disc shows an eagle with spread wings and the phrase “War of 1861.” This style of disc is identified as the Eagle 5A in the recent reference book Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in the Civil War, by Larry B. Maier and myself.

The Eagle 5A is based on the U.S. $10 gold coin of the period. Scoville Brass Co. of New York made tokens with the same design as early as 1858. Stewart's disc was stamped IRA. B. SUART. Co. A. 64TH REG N.Y.S.V. DAYTON, misspelling his name.

Dayton is a town in Cattaraugus County in far western New York. Similar tags were bought as early as February 1862. It is typical of those sold by sutlers (Two men are known to have been sutlers for the 64th, J.P. Mosher and Henry Thompson, so one of them probably sold Stewart his disc).

One wonders if Stewart demanded a partial refund because of the misspelling. Or maybe he was illiterate and didn't even know his name was misspelled. Regardless, Stewart seems to have worn the disc a lot, based on the wear on it and the hole for the string. He probably was wearing it as the regiment entered the Peninsula Campaign.

The regiment was present during the siege of Yorktown (April 5 to May 4, 1862) but received its first real test at Fair Oaks, where it behaved with great steadiness under fire.

In the War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 11, Part I is the report written by Col. Thomas J. Parker, who commanded the 64th New York on June 1, 1862, describing the actions of the regiment. He wrote:

“Hdqrs. Sixty-Fourth Regiment N.Y.S. Vols.

“Camp Victory, at Fair Oaks Station, Va. June 2, 1862

“General: I have the honor to report the position and part taken by my regiment on the battle-field in the engagement yesterday, June 1, 1862, near this place. About 7 o'clock a.m. we were ordered to the front. On advancing through a thick woods on the south side of the railroad under a shower of balls from the enemy General O.O. Howard and his aide, C[harles]. H[enry] Howard, were both severely wounded near our line. On arriving within about 50 yards of the enemy's line we opened fire on them. They fought desperately, being soon re-enforced, and the battle raged about two hours, both lines holding their position. We then charged bayonet on them, they falling back in disorder, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. I then received orders to reform the line in rear of [Brigadier] General [Thomas F.] Meagher's brigade, and took that position.

“About this time I was directed by General Richardson to take the command of the brigade. After this I ordered the Sixty-fourth to support Captain [Rufus D.] Pettit's Battery [Battery B, 1st New York Light Artillery], under the command of Capt. R[ufus] Washburn, Lieutenant-Colonel [Daniel G.] Bingham being severely wounded and Captain Washburn being the senior officer. The regiment took position according to the aforesaid order in the rear of Captain Pettit's battery supporting the same.

“During the entire engagement the officers and men displayed the most determined courage and bravery, being in the hottest part of the contest, opposed to vastly superior numbers, observing good order, and obeying every command. Numerous instances of distinguished bravery in officers could be mentioned, but where all did sonoblyit is difficult to determine who did best. All acted bravely, nobly, and honorably.”

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