George Washington SALISBURY
1862 - Civil War - Mustered into Service Unprepared and Disorganized

"IT SEEMS THAT THE CALL TO VOLUNTEERS WAS DONE AT A TIME OF CHAOS AND CONFUSION. THE GOVERNMENT SEEMED UNPREPARED AND DISORGANIZED AT THE TIME THAT THE 111TH MUSTERED INTO SERVICE ON AUGUST 20, 1862. FOR EXAMPLE, ON AUGUST 21 THEY WERE ALL PUT ONTO RAILROAD CARS AND SENT TO WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE THEY WERE TO BEGIN BASIC TRAINING. THEY HAD NO WEAPONS ON THEM AT THAT TIME. THEN ON AUGUST 22, WITHOUT ANY TRAINING WHATSOEVER, THEY WERE ALL TRANSFERRED TO BARGES AND TAKEN DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER TO NEW YORK HARBOR WHERE THEY WERE AGAIN TRANSFERRED TO STEAMSHIPS. FROM THERE THEY WENT TO AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, WHERE THEY WERE ONCE AGAIN TRANSFERRED TO RAIL CARS, AND THEN TAKEN TO PHILADELPHIA AND THEN ON TO BALTIMORE."

"IN BALTIMORE THEY RECEIVED NEW ORDERS TO BOARD STILL ANOTHER TRAIN THAT WOULD TAKE THEM TO HARPER'S FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA AND, UNDER MILES' COMMAND, THEY WERE TO FACE THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL, THOMAS "STONEWALL" JACKSON. DURING BATTLE ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1862 THE VETERAN (TRAINED) UNION TROOPS FLED THE SCENE, AND THEN PINNED THE SUBSEQUENT MISERABLE LOSS ON THE NEW RECRUITS OF THE 111TH WHO HAD RECEIVED NO WEAPONS, TRAINING, NOR SUPPORT BY THE TIME THAT THEY WERE LEFT TO FACE JACKSON. THEY WERE CAPTURED, IMPRISONED, AND THEN LATER PAROLED ON SEPTEMBER 16. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1862 THE 111TH MARCHED TO ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND TO BOARD TRAINS TO CAMP DOUGLAS NEAR CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. THEIR DUTY IN CHICAGO WAS TO GUARD CONFEDERATE PRISONERS. ON NOVEMBER 19, 1862 THEY WERE SENT BACK TO WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE THEY FINALLY RECEIVED TRAINING. BY JUNE 24, 1863 THE GETTYSBURG BATTLE BEGAN TO BUILD WHEN THE 111TH AND OTHER REGIMENTS WERE SENT."

THE NEW YORK 111TH WERE MUSTERED INTO SERVICE ON AUGUST 21, 1982. THEY TRAVELLED FROM THE 22ND THROUGH THE 26TH, ARIVING IN HARPERS FERRY, VIRGINIA. THEY WERE ENGAGED IN PRELIMINARY TRAINING AND RECEIVING THEIR MILITARY EQUIPMENT RIGHT UP TO THE SIEGE OF HARPER'S FERRY.

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