Freemasons of New York State in the Civil War
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http://www.15thnewyorkcavalry.org/images/dscn2021.jpg Dress and Field Epaulettes belonging to Captain Augustus I. Root, 15th NY Cavalry. 
http://www.15thnewyorkcavalry.org/images/dscn2022.jpg Col. Root was originally a Captain in the 12th NY Volunteer Infantry. While serving in this capacity he wore these epaulettes and shoulder straps. He became Lieutenant Colonel of the 15th NY Cavalry in 1863, and was leading the 15th NY through the village of Appomattox Court House on 8 April 1865 when he was shot by an Alabama infantryman from Wallace’s Brigade.
Capt. Root. ~ taken from the 'Syracuse Courier.' ~ Capt. Augustus J. Root, of Co. I, 12th Onondaga Regiment, is at home the second time, suffering severely from wounds received in the recent battles. We called upon him at his rooms in the Syracuse House, yesterday, and although dangerously wounded, and in considerable pain, we found him as cheerful and pleasant as though nothing had happened. He has a severe bullet wound in the right side, and another on the left hip, having been hit twice, no doubt by some rebel sharpshooter. From his own lips we gathered the following particulars of Saturday's battle, in the vicinity of Manassas, which will be interesting to the public. Daylight of Saturday morning, the 30th ult., found the Twelfth Onondaga Regiment five miles west of Manassas Junction, with orders to march immediately for Centreville. By sunrise the regiment was well on the way, and had made about half the distance when it was ordered into a corn field, with the balance of Gen. Butterfields's brigade, and prepared for battle. After laying there an hour or two, Col. Weeks received orders to take command of the brigade, and move forward. Capt. Root was ordered by the Colonel to take command of the regiment, which took him very much by surprise, and he received it with regret, inasmuch as it would take him away from the head of his company. Capt. Ira Wood was taken ill the night previous to the battle, and was not with the regiment. There were but eleven line officers in the regiment, and Capt. Root could not take one of them to his assistance. Adjutant Watson, a man in whom he had every confidence, and whom he reports as having done his duty nobly, was the only assistant Capt. Root had during the battle. The regiment moved a few rods into a piece of woods, and halted. Capt. Root cheered up his men, scanned them closely, found them resolute and determined, and was convinced that they would make a "bully fight." The first duty assigned the regiment was to charge upon a rebel battery. On emerging into the open field, which was only a few rods in advance, Capt. Root ascertained that there were two brigades besides that of Butterfield's on the charge with him, and speaks of it as the most exciting and beautiful sight a man ever witnessed. The brigade moved forward in fine style till within about forty rods of the enemy, when the advance was checked on account of the heavy fire from the rebel batteries. Two regiments being between the Twelfth and the front line, the boys had no chance to fire upon the enemy. As they could not stand thus, exposed to a raking fire, they pushed through the ranks of the other regiments, formed into line of battle, and went to work in earnest. The fire from the enemy was terrible, and none but veterans could have withstood it for a moment. The ranks of the Twelfth were being thinned out very fast, and the force sent against the rebel batteries was not strong enough to take them. Reinforcements not coming up, the order was soon issued along the whole line to fall back in good order, and then commenced a scene that beggars description. The enemy opened upon the retreating column with redoubled vigor, piling the dead and wounded in heaps upon the battle field. Capt. Root says he has been under heavy fire several times, but never experienced anything like what the rebels dealt out on that occasion. The smoke from the explosion of shell was so thick that it was impossible to see but a short distance, while solid shot, grape and cannister, and bullets from Mine rifles and muskets were showered upon them by the bushel. In fact, it hailed iron missiles, and it seemed a miracle for a man to escape with his life. Capt. Root had got back about three rods, and was congratulating himself upon having escaped without a scratch, when he was hit in the left hip by a rifle ball. Thinking this was all he was to get, he kept on with his men, but had only proceeded a few steps further when he was struck in the right side by a ball, the force of which knocked him forward, and he fell into a small ditch, half filled with water. He made an effort to get out, but found he could not move, and shortly afterwards found himself in the hands of the enemy. He had been in the ditch but a short time when a rebel approached, and relieved him of his sword, belt, and pistol. In about the space of half an hour the same audacious fellow returned and coolly inquired of Capt. Root if he had some ammunition he would give him for the pistol. This appeared to him as a good joke, and he told his rebel visitor that he was sorry to say he could not accommodate his reasonable and very modest request. In a short time a fellow came along and relieved the Captain of his hat, a new one, leaving an old, dilapidated one in its stead. Capt. Root begged his new visitor not to carry off hi shat, but he jocosely remarked that "an even exchange was no robbery, so he would trade with him." As the "secesh" hat had probably been worn before the rebellion broke out, joke No. 2 struck our philosophical friend, the Captain, as a better one than the first, and he acquiesced, with a smile. Aside from these two little incidents, Capt. Root says that the enemy, into whose hands he fell through the chances of war, did everything they could to make him both comfortable and cheerful. He lay in the ditch during the entire night. Just after daylight the following morning, there came up a tremendous shower, which at once put our brave friend in fresh trouble. The water began to collect in the ditch, which threatened to drown him. He made a desperate effort to move out, but found it impossible. His wounds had become swollen and painful, and his joints stiffened. He was so weak that he could not make a noise or raise an outcry. The water was rising rapidly in the ditch were he lay, when four rebel scouts happened to come that way, and saw him. They picked the Captain up and carried him to an old shanty about ten rods distant, and left him under shelter, expressing their wonderment and regret that he should so soon be on the field again to fight the, after his first wounds of only a few months before. Capt. Root remained there until about noon of the next day, when our ambulances, having obtained permission to cross the rebel lines under a flag of truce, arrived, and he was taken charge of, and put into one of them, where he remained until Wednesday night, was removed to Alexandria, and from thence to this city by railroad and steamboat conveyance. The long journey has been a painful one to him, but with the kind care and devoted attention that he is receiving, we hope to see him about in a short time. Directory: sites -> default -> files -> history files -> Nstructions for Acquiring Excess Equipment online, through the 1033 Program files -> Occupational health and safety files -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Program files -> International programs roel profile files -> Fermi Questions a guide for Teachers, Students, and Event Supervisors Lloyd Abrams, Ph. D. DuPont Company, cr&D/ccas experimental Station Wilmington, de 19880 files -> Personal Information Name: Maha Al-Ammari Nationality: Saudi Relationship Status history -> History of the Third Masonic District Grand Lodge of the State of New York history -> Grand Lodge of New York Masonic Lodge Histories Lodge Nos. 201-230 history -> Grand Masters of the United Grand Lodge of England [ugle] and of Scotland Download 13.54 Mb. Share with your friends:
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