The 24th and 184th New York State Volunteer Infantry Regiments:
A Review of the Scriber Family in the Civil War
Part Four
By Kent Scriber

Soon after General McClellan did not pursue Lee’s retreating army, President Lincoln again replaced him and made Ambrose Burnside General of the Army of the Potomac. After a period of 6 weeks of maintaining camp in Sharpsburg, Maryland, the Union Army of the Potomac moved southward. Eventually the 24th NY regiment crossed the Rappahannock River just south of Fredericksburg, Va. On December 13th, 1862 General Burnside ordered wave after wave of Union soldiers to try to penetrate the Confederate stronghold on Marye’s Heights. Again, after suffering heavy casualties, the Union Army was forced to retreat back over the Rappahannock River. A letter dated January 2nd, 1863 from Lewis Benedict to his mother briefly mentioned the Battle of Fredericksburg. He said “we was on the extreme left of the Army, we was not brought into action no more than a little skirmishing”.

Battle of Fredericksburg (Dec 13th, 1862, 24th NYS was at extreme left under Reynolds)

Fredericksburg (24th Infantry was with Phelps at Union’s far left)

After the Fredericksburg disaster, the Union forces set up winter camp on the east side of the Rappahannock River near Belle Plain, Va. Lewis Benedict wrote in a January 1863 letter to his mother that they were doing their best to build comfortable winter quarters at that time. Later that month, Burnside tried to get the Army to move on muddy, impassable roads, but was soon forced to return to camp. Quickly, Lincoln replaced him with Hooker. Stephen Scriber mentioned the poor weather and “Burnside’s stick in the mud” march in one of his letters to the Pension Office. He also stated that at that point, he “had his first severe attack of rheumatism and contracted a very bad cold which settled all over my body and especially in my head and lungs having been exposed to a continuous rain storm for three days and nights with very little rest and no change of clothing”.

In May, the 24th NYS Infantry was moving toward what would become the Battle of Chancellorsville. Apparently several of the men from this particular unit laid down their arms just before this battle and were refusing to continue to fight since it had been 2 years since they enlisted (but not 2 years after they were officially mustered into service) and they felt their terms were up. After being marched in front of a Wisconsin Regiment who pointed their loaded rifles at them, they were convinced to pick up their arms and go off to one more battle. Another NYS company also laid down their arms and refused to fight. They were actually court-martialed and sentenced to “heavy labor” for the duration of the war. They were later pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln.

Battle of Chancellorsville, May 3rd, 1863
Image taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chancellorsville_May3.jpg

During its service the 24th regiment lost by death; killed in action, 5 officers, 63 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 1 officer, 22 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 1 officer, 30 enlisted men. The 24th NYSV took part in the following engagements: 1861, near Bailey’s Cross Roads, Va (July 25th), near Fall’s Church, Va (October 8th), 1862, Falmouth, Va (April 17-18th), Massaponax, Va (August 6th), General Pope’s Virginia Campaign (August 16-September 2nd), Rappahannock River (August 22), Sulfer Springs (August 22nd), Gainesville (August 28th), Groveton (August 29th), Bull Run (August 30th), Little River Turnpike (September 1st), South Mountain, Md (September 17th), Antietam, Md (September 17th), Fredericksburg, Va (December 11-15), 1863, Pollock’s Mill Creek, Va (April 29), and Chancellorsville, Va (May 2-3rd).

Stephen J. Scriber’s second term in the Civil War was with the NYS 184th Infantry. This regiment (under Col. Wardell Robinson) was organized in Oswego, NY and was constituted of about 200 men from neighboring Madison and Cayuga Counties, with the remainder of the unit’s men from Oswego County. It was generally felt that late in 1864 if one more determined effort was made that the rebellion would soon be crushed. The regiment was mustered in during August and September, 1864 for one year. Stephen was appointed Captain of Company K whose men were recruited principally from Schroeppel, Parish, West Monroe, Fenner, and Richland.

Companies A, B, D, and F of the 184th NY Infantry left the State September 12th and served in the Army of the Shenandoah under General Phillip Sheridan. They spent time in Winchester and Harpers Ferry, Va while they participated in operations in the Shenandoah Valley. At one point they covered over 100 miles in 3 days as they burned and destroyed property. This was to render the land useless to the Rebels. On October 19th, 1864 these companies of the 184th were called to the Battle of Cedar Creek. Although ultimately a Union victory, the regiment had 15 men killed and another 40 wounded. After a few more weeks in the valley, these 4 companies were ordered to join the rest of their regiment south of Richmond at City Point and Harrison’s Landing, Va. The other companies (including K) had left NYS on September 16th, 1864 and went south to serve at Bermuda Hundred, in the Army of the James (River). The regiment was at Harrison’s Landing, Fort Pocohantas from December 1864, and was honorably discharged and mustered out of the Army June 29th, 1865 at City Point, Va. The regiment was transported on two steamers to Baltimore and arrived on July 1st. The next day they were sent to Elmira and they were subsequently paid off in Syracuse, NY that August.

Bermuda Hundred, Va (Looking south toward Petersburg, Va)

Many years after the war ended Stephen filed for a pension where he mentioned (in a letter dated August 11th, 1885) that he had been slightly wounded multiple times and this was verified in a surgeon’s report sent to the US Pension Office a couple years later. He also spoke of disabling problems of rheumatism, catarrh, and diseased lungs that resulted from initial exposure during the winter of 1862-63 (Burnside’s “mud march” a couple months after the Battle of Fredericksburg). Stephen stated in a different letter that he recovered quite well during the year he was between terms in the war, but had recurrences when exposed to a heavy rain and sleet storm in January 1865 while on picket duty near Harrison’s Landing, Va.

Taken from Surgeon’s Report re: Stephen J. Scriber’s wounds
(Dr. Kinne, Pennington Co, Dakota, April 11th, 1887)

Stephen lived in several locations after being discharged from the war. These included Elmira, NY to 1867, Syracuse, NY to 1868, Omaha, Nebraska until 1869, Cheyenne, Wyoming until 1877, Black Hills, South Dakota until 1879, Rapid City, South Dakota until 1910, and St. Cloud, Florida until his death on January 21st, 1917. Stephen went back to visit “his old home in NY State in 1880-1882”. This was probably to help at home before his ailing father’s (George) death in 1882.

When he was living in Elmira, NY he stated he was “treated for Rheumatism, Lung Trouble, and Catarrh by Dr. Stanchfield”. When he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming he taught and was the principal of the Cheyenne Public School until he was obliged to resign because of ill health. In Cheyenne he was treated by a Dr. Russell for the same previously mentioned maladies. Before that he was involved in teaching school and dealing in general merchandise. When he moved again to Rapid City, South Dakota he was elected as the Superintendent of Schools for Pennington County, SD (see letterhead from letter sent in 1885). Additionally, on letterhead from another letter he sent in 1886 he was listed with a man named Burton listed as Real Estate and Mining Brokers. He was listed as a Notary Public and W.C. Burton was listed as a Conveyancer who gave “Special Attention Given to the Business of Non-Residents”.

Portion of Scriber letter to Pension Office (August 11th, 1885)

Portion of follow-up letter to Pension Office (May 11th, 1886)

In another letter (dated November 25th, 1887) to the Pension Office Stephen stated that he had recently been granted a pension. He questioned the fact that he was not rated as a captain, but a 2nd lieutenant. In the same letter he asked if he qualified for 3 extra months of pay due to the fact he was not actually discharged and paid until August 12, 1865. Other records indicated in 1887 his pension increased from $7.50 to $15.00 per month and, that as of September 12, 1912 he was receiving a monthly pension of $17.00.

At the present time, records of Stephen’s family life are incomplete and somewhat confusing. On some documents he lists that he was initially married to a Maria A. Scriber (Nee) and was later divorced (no dates given). He was remarried to Jennie Young on September 27, 1887 in Shell Rock, Iowa. He listed a married daughter Estella Thomas who was born August 20th, 1872 (previous marriage?). An old South Dakota census listing for Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, etc. reports there was a Nettie M. Scriber who was the divorced widow of Stephen J. Scriber. Another interesting statement is found in a pension affidavit from Stephen’s mother filed in 1871. She stated that at that time Stephen was living in Cheyenne, Wyoming with his wife and 3 children.

In 1869 Stephen and Charles’ mother Lydia Margarett had filed for a pension to help support her and her husband George, who was very ill and could no longer support them. They continued to live in Hinmansville, NY, Town of Schroepple. Because of her husband’s declining health over the previous 8 years she filed for a “Mother’s Pension” that August. The justification was that had he not died in the war, their son Charles B. could have now supported the family. In her documentation she mentioned each of her living children, including Stephen, and gave reasons why they could not support them. During the next few years several more documents were sent to the Pension Office and the paperwork was completed in 1872. On a form dated 1879 it became apparent that Charles’ mother was to be paid in arrears the sum of $940.80 for September 14, 1862 (one day after Charles’ death) through July 1st, 1872. This was the private’s rate of $8.00 per month for that 10 year period. It was unclear as to whether she received the pension after 1872, but that would be a reasonable assumption.

Stephen returned from South Dakota in approximately 1880 and stayed in his old home for about 2 years. His father George Scriber died on August 9, 1882 and was buried in Lysander’s Chase Cemetery next to his son, Charles. At that point, Stephen returned to Rapid City, South Dakota. Lydia M. Scriber moved to Volney, NY to live with her youngest daughter Kate and son in law Eugene Gates. She died February 6th, 1907 and was also buried in the family plot at the same cemetery.

During the past few years, a number of questions have been answered regarding the Scriber family during the 1800s. However, there are still many aspects of the “family history” that remain a mystery at the present time. Some questions will remain unanswered, but in all likelihood, Kent will continue gathering information and periodically update the existing information.

Kent at Burnside’s Bridge (Antietam, Md)

Selected References

Benedict, Lewis. Various letters home to family members, 1861-1863. Copied from NYS Military Museum Archives, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Catton, B, McPherson, J. The American Heritage New History of the Civil War. Freidman/Fairfax Publishing: New York, NY.

Haight, Theron Wilbur. “After the first Bull run, by Theron Haight, First Lieutenant 24th Infantry.” MOLLUS-Wis III, 215-225.

Haight, Theron W. “Among the pontoons at Fitzhugh crossing.” MOLLUS-Wis I, 416-423.

Haight, Theron W. “Gainesville, Groveton, and Bull Run.” MOLLUS-Wis II, 357-72.

Haight, Theron W. “King’s division: Fredericksburg to Manassas, an episode of Pope’s Virginia campaign.” MOLLUS-Wis II, 345-356.

Hearn, Chet (Ed). The Civil War: Virginia. Salamander Books: London, UK. 2005.

Hennessy, John. Return to Bull Run. Simon and Shuster: New York, NY. 1992.

Johnson, Rodney. “Gilbert Crocker’s Civil War 24th Regt, NYSV.” Twenty Fourth Publication of the Oswego Historical Soc, 1961, 48-75.

Newvine, Lowell. “Hannibal’s Role in the Civil War” from Hannibal History in Pictures and Prose, Lakeside Printing: Skaneateles, NY, 1994, 18-22.

“Oswego County in the War of the Rebellion.” 1895 Landmarks of Oswego NY: The War of the Rebellion. Retrieved from Oswego County History webpage, 2/14/05.

Phisterer, Frederick. (3rd Ed) New York in the War of the Rebellion. J.B. Lyon Company, Albany, NY.1912.

Robinson, Wardwell G. History of the 184th regiment New York state volunteers, an address prepared by Ward-well G. Robinson, late Colonel commanding, and delivered by him at the Regimental reunion held at Oswego Falls, Oswego County, New York, June 5, 1895. [Oswego: Press of R. J. Oliphant, 1895].

Scriber, Charles B. Pension papers on file at the National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Scriber, Stephen J. Pension papers on file at the National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Snyder, Charles M. “Robert Oliver, Jr. and the Oswego County Regiment.” New York History XXXVIII (1957)276-93.

“Twenty-Fourth Regiment of Infantry Oswego County Regiment ‘Iron Brigade’”. Retrieved from Civil War Regimental Histories webpage, 3/5/05.

Woodhead, Henry (Ed). Illustrated Atlas of the Civil War: Echoes of Glory. Time Life: Alexandria, Va., 1991.

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