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(continued)

His leave was short and he returned south. Soon after, the Military Committee offered him the colonelcy of the 140th.

O'Rorke would not join the regiment until after it left Rochester. As that inevitable date grew near some men apparently began to have second thoughts about their enlistments. A Rochester newspaper reported that Albert Perry of Company A, while home on furlough in Brockport, accidentally cut off one of his toes while chopping wood. The article told that, strangely enough, while the toe was completely amputated, none of the other toes were injured.

With or without Perry, the regiment was officially mustered into United States service Sept. 13. The recruits were also paid the Federal bounty of $25 and the state bounty of $50; however, those who had enlisted after Aug. 22 were not allowed the government money. The discontent of these men was evident; guards were doubled for the evening hours and armed with weapons procured from the local militia armory.

Sept. 14 was another popular excursion Sunday at Camp Porter. Guards had to carefully search visitors in order to prevent the smuggling of liquor into the camp. Two women were found carrying flasks of whiskey in their pockets and were confined in the guard house. A vendor in one of the booths outside the camp was arrested and jailed for selling the soldiers whiskey packaged in lemon beer bottles.

It was publicly announced that afternoon that a regimental flag had been procured for the 140th. A group of young ladies had been, for some time, diligently engaged in that pursuit. The flag was a regulation size - 5'6” by 6' - seamless piece of dark blue silk, bordered with a gold bullion fringe. The design was done in oil paint: one side displaying the New York state seal, with the inscription “Presented by 34 Young Ladies of Rochester to the Second Monroe County Regiment.” The reverse pictured the United States seal, with the inscriptions “God Help the Right” and “One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment, N.Y. State Volunteers.”

Orders for the regiment to leave the city were expected at any day and final dispositions were being made. On the 16th the county treasurer paid the men the $100 county bounty. Worries of desertion continued, as that evening Lt. Col. Ernst ordered two squads of soldiers to patrol the city and particularly to watch the railroad stations. Soldiers were rounded up from “several dance houses and other disreputable places” and taken to the police station.

The long-awaited orders finally came on the 17th, revealing that the 140th would leave the next day at 5 p.m. Due to great demand for cars on the New York Central Railroad, the regiment's departure was pushed back a day to Sept. 19. Of that day, Lt. Porter Farley would later write: “This was an occasion upon which Rochester was profoundly stirred....They had not come out to see a holiday spectacle, but to bid an anxious farewell.”

A two-mile march would take the regiment from Camp Porter to the New York Central Railroad Depot. Between 8-9 a.m. the City Hall bell sounded, a signal for those who would escort the regiment to meet at the courthouse. From there they proceeded to the camp where thousands of family and friends were already present. The packing of knapsacks and haversacks complete, the 140th left Camp Fitz John Porter for the last time at about 10:30.

The procession numbered some 2,000 men. The route went through the heart of the city, passing masses of people, not to mention the thousands that followed the troops. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the soldiers marched by and balconies and windows were filled with fluttering white handkerchiefs. One newspaper noted that “there was never such a display of military in our streets.” Close to 10,000 people thronged the depot. After a slight delay the train arrived, 24 cars long, and the soldiers boarded. Throughout the crowd the cheers were mixed with sobs, as pride mixed with the realization that not all the men would return safely.

At half past noon the train slowly began to steam out of the station. The car windows were full of the blue soldiers, waving hats and shouting their farewells. Along the portion of the railroad that ran through the city large numbers of spectators had gathered at street crossings and bridges. There was more cheering and waving; then the train was gone, the cheers faded and the crowds drained away.

One thousand sons of Old Monroe had gone off to war.

Brian Bennett is the authors of Sons of Old Monroe. The 644 page book, including photographs, maps and regimental roster, is available from Morningside Press, 260 Oak St., Dayton, Ohio 45410 (800-648-9710).