Unknown, Co. E, 13th New York Infantry, On the Battle

From Company E, Thirteenth Regiment —About Those Colors.

We extract from a private letter written by a member of Company E, Capt. Schoeffel, to a friend in this city, he says: It is useless for me to attempt a description of the battle. It is enough to say that we disputed every inch of ground with them, although the rebels were in the proportion of three to one. I did not expect that we should stand it as we did. I wish you could have seen the 13th sail in. The colors given to us by the ladies of Rochester were borne through the fight and safely back to camp by the color-bearers, not however without receiving a few bullet holes in them. We rallied around them three times for their defence, and it was plain to see that, sooner than let those colors go, they would die.

When we retreated it was done in good style, with colors flying. I understand that our regiment has been turned over by Gov. Morgan to the President for our remaining two years of service. We were expecting to be mustered out of the service in a few days, and plenty of long faces are to be seen in the camp to-day. Well, it is probably for the best, for what would half the regiment do if they should come home. Why, lay around useless and idle.

Our boys feel indignant at those New York City Reporters, for giving other regiments the credit of a large share of the work done by the Bloody Thirteenth, but I suppose they mistook us for rebels in our “Shoddy Grey” uniforms, which now look shoddier than ever. Give my best respects to the Lone Star boys.

Rochester (NY) Evening Express, 7/30/1861

Clipping Image

Contributed by John Hennessy

13th New York Infantry Roster