History of Co. K, Co. L, Battalion Headquarters Co., Third Battalion, 10th Infantry, National Guard of the State of New York — Troop G, 101st Cavalry, N. G. S. N. Y. — The Utica Citizens Corps, (1837), from which Co. L is descended — Three major generals and five brigadier generals of the Civil War, rise from the Citizens Corps — Deering Guards of 1873, the parent organization of Co. K — Records of the Utica National Guard companies in the Civil War, Spanish-American War and the World War.
By Col. H. J. Cookinham, Utica.
The National Guard of the State of New York in the City of Utica is composed of Companies K and L and 3rd Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Infantry, and Troop G, 101st Cavalry.
The (1925) officers are:
Major Thomas C. Dedell commanding the 3rd Battalion, Woolverton T. Stedman, battalion adjutant; Headquarters Company, 1st Lieutenant Frederick L. Hayes.
Company K, Captain W. Ralph Floyd, 1st Lieutenant George A. Drury, 2nd Lieutenant Peter N. Berthold.
Company L, Captain Richard L. Roberts, 1st Lieutenant Guy J. Morelli, 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence W. Dedell.
Troop G, Captain Claude B. Pape, 1st Lieutenant Ralph A. Glatt, 2nd Lieutenant Harold H. Barnard.
Company L is the present designation of the old Utica Citizens' Corps, one of the oldest military organizations of the state and county, having been chartered December 20, 1837. For many years it was one of the companies of the old Red, White and Blue Battalion, the Red Company being the Albany Burgesses Corps, the White Company being the Old Guard of New York, and the Blue Company being the Utica Citizens Corps. The tall black bearskin shakos, the blue dress coat and trousers, striped with buff and gold, and red lined overcoats of the Corps, for many years were familiar and made picturesque any celebration or ceremony in the city.
It was the first company to report for duty at Albany at the outbreak of the Civil War and became Company A of the 14th New York Volunteer Regiment, participating in the battles of Yorktown, Va., at the siege of Yorktown Heights, at Hanover Court House, Va., Mechanicsville, Va., Gaines' Mill, Va., Malvern Hill, Va., in General Pope's campaign the summer of 1862 and in the battles of Chancellorsville and Antietem.
The company became a part of the National Guard of the State in 1887 and received the designation of 44th Separate Company.
At the declaration of war with Spain in 1898, on the call of the President for 125,000 men, the corps volunteered and was chosen as one of the companies of the first twelve infantry regiments from the state.
It was known as Company E, 1st New York Volunteer Infantry. Under command of Captain Lewis E. Goodier, afterwards colonel, U. S. A., it left Utica May 2, 1898, and garrisoned at Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor, later at the Presidio, California, and, on the annexation of Hawaii, formed the first troops to garrison that island.
Company E was mustered out of the United States service in February, 1899, and then became Company B of the 16th Battalion, then Company B of the 4th Battalion, then Company B of the 1st New York Infantry, N. G. N. Y.
Company K was organized as the Deering Guards, Company C, 36th Battalion, in 1873, with Captain Joseph H. Remmer in command, who continued as its commander for more than 25 years. Its designation afterwards was changed to the 28th Separate Company, N. G. N. Y.
At the outbreak of the Spanish War, the 28th Company volunteered its services, under the first call of the President, but was not taken as an organization, though opportunity was given for men to enlist individually. A large number of its members enlisted and formed the nucleus of Company G, 203d New York Volunteer Infantry, under command of Captain Charles S. Horsburgh. Many of its members also enlisted in Company K of the 202nd New York Volunteer Infantry, under command of Captain Joseph H. Remmer.
Company G served on Long Island, in Pennsylvania and at Camp Wetherill, South Carolina. Company K served in Pennsylvania, Georgia and in Cuba, being the first American troops to enter the City of Havana.
On return of the men to Utica, the 28th Separate Company was reorganized and became Company A, 16th Battalion, National Guard New York; then Company A, 4th Battalion; then Company A, 1st New York Infantry.
In 1893 both of these companies served for several weeks on riot duty in the City of Buffalo, and again in 1912, they served for a number of weeks on riot duty at New York Mills.
In 1916 they were ordered out for service on the Mexican border, but as the regiment remained at Camp Whitman within the State, they did not serve on the border as organizations, though many members of both companies, by transfer to other organizations, served on the border throughout the disturbance.
Shortly before the declaration of war with Germany in 1917 both companies were again ordered out to guard and protect the water system of New York City and, for several months, performed this duty in the mountains of Putnam and Orange counties.
Shortly before the call of the President for troops for the World War two new National Guard companies were organized in Utica, receiving their nucleus from the existing companies. These were the Supply Company and the Machine Gun Company of the 1st Infantry, N. G. N. Y.
On August 5, 1917, the 1st New York Infantry was drafted by the President and, on August 18, the four Utica companies of the regiment left for the World War.
The Utica officers in this regiment were: Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. Cookinham, Jr.; Major Thomas M. Sherman; Captain Chester W. Davis, regimental adjutant; 1st Lieutenant Frederick B. Adams; battalion adjutant, Captain Edward K. Miller; 1st Lieutenant Thomas C. Dedell of Company A, Captain Edward A. Roberts, 1st Lieutenant Thomas D. L. Cronan, 2nd Lieutenant John D. Morse of Company B; Captain Walter S. Cookinham of the Supply Company and 2nd Lieutenant Frank S. Judson of the Machine Gun Company.
The National Guard troops of New York State were concentrated at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Due to increase in size of regiments and the creation of the 27th Division a consolidation of the regiments of the New York National Guard became necessary. A large number of men from the 1st New York Infantry were consolidated with men from the 7th New York Infantry and became the 107th Infantry of the 27th Division. A number of men also were transferred to the artillery of the 27th Division. The balance of the 1st New York Infantry, including parts of Companies A and B, the Supply and Machine Gun Companies, became the 1st United States Pioneer Infantry. The men of these companies, as members of the 107th Infantry and of the 1st Pioneer Infantry and as members of the artillery of the 27th Division, participated in some of the bloodiest battles of the war.
The 107th Infantry fought at East Poperinghe and Dickebusch, Belgium, at the breaking of the Hindenburg line at Bony, France, at La Selle River, Jonc de Mer Ridge and St. Maurice River, France.
The 1st Pioneer Infantry fought at the Oise, at the Aisne and at the Marne, throughout the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and were the first American troops to garrison the fortress of Ehrenbreitenstein at Coblenz, Germany.
Thirty-two of the men who left Utica with these companies were killed in battle and a large number seriously wounded. Two, 1st Sergeant Charles H. Adrean, killed, and Francis Bean, of Company A, received the Distinguished Service Cross for exceptional gallantry in action. Many received divisional and regimental citations for bravery and distinguished service.
On the return of the troops from France the Utica Citizens Corps was re-organized and designated as Company L, 10th Infantry, and the old 28th Separate Company was re-organized and designated as Company K, 10th Infantry. Both were federalized and are now a part of the Federalized National Guard of the United States. The Supply Company and the Machine Gun Company were not re-organized after the World War, as these units were located elsewhere by state authorities.
Many of the city's most prominent and distinguished citizens have been members of these companies and both companies have furnished many officers for United States service in time of war. More than 100 members of the Utica Citizens Corps alone have become officers in the United States service, six becoming major-generals and three brigadier-generals.
Troop G was organized June 21, 1912, as part of the 2nd New York Cavalry with 2nd Lieutenant Frederick R. Ford commanding. The following year it became Troop G of the 1st Cavalry, N. G. N. Y.
In 1916, because of impending trouble with Mexico, the troop was ordered into active service and left Utica June 25, arrived at McAllen, Texas, July 7th, under command of Captain Arthur W. Pickard, with 1st Lieutenant Nicholas E. Devereux, Jr., and 2nd Lieutenant Daniel C. Munro. It remained on border patrol a number of months, returning to Utica March 12, 1917.
On July 15, 1917, the troop again was called to active service and left Utica in August for service in the World War, under the same officers. It joined other organizations of the New York National Guard at Spartanburg, South Carolina, and, on the consolidation of New York State troops and the creation of the 27th Division, it was disbanded as cavalry and its members transferred to other units of the 27th Division, the larger portion of them going to the 106th Machine Gun Battalion.
Its members participated in the battles in which the 27th Division engaged, twelve of its members being killed in action and many wounded.
Earl W. Yeomans was decorated with the Belgian Croix de Guerre for gallantry, and Michael P. Costello and Robert S. Carpenter received divisional citations for conspicuous bravery.
On the return of the troops from France the troop was reorganized organized and federalized and became Troop G, 101st Cavalry, part of the National Guard of the United States. Its present officers are Claude B. Pape, captain; Ralph A. Glatt, 1st lieutenant; Harold H. Barnard, 2nd lieutenant.
The history of the Utica companies and troop of the National Guard of New York in the wars of our country is a record of splendid accomplishment, unselfish devotion and patriotic service and sacrifice. It is a record which not only the participants may recall with satisfaction, but of which every citizen of Utica is proud.
The State Armory, at the corner of Park Avenue and Rutger Street, Utica, is the headquarters of the 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry, National Guard of the State of New York. It is the home station of Company K, Company L and 3rd Battalion Headquarters Company. The other two companies of the battalion are Company I at Mohawk and Company M, the battalion machine gun company, at Hudson. In 1923 and 1924 the 3rd Battalion of the 10th Infantry ranked first in point of efficiency among the National Guard battalions of the State of New York. In 1923 Company I of Mohawk won the company marksmanship championship of the National Guard of the United States. On January 5, 1925, the 3rd Battalion had reached a strength of 391 soldiers, the full strength of an infantry battalion, on a peace footing, being 382. Troop G, 101st Cavalry, N. G. S. N. Y., has its armory at 321 Lafayette Street.
Three major-generals and five brigadier-generals of the United States Army rose from the ranks of the Citizens Corps. The major-generals were: James McQuade, Daniel Butterfield, John M. Fuller. The brigadier-generals were Rufus Daggett, William H. Christian, Charles A. Johnson, Sylvester Deering, Oscar F. Long. General Deering and General Long gained their rank in the army following the Civil War, in which conflict the other foregoing generals gained their stars. U. S. Senator Roscoe Conkling and Governor Horatio Seymour were members of the Citizens Corps.