Category Archives: 150 Years Ago

Heavy Losses in 33rd; Root Hospitalized; Worries About Ireland

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned From the Yates County Chronicle, May 21, 1863 “The Gallant 33rd – This brave regiment is now at Elmira expecting to be mustered out in a few days. Several of the boys of Company I … Continue reading

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Keuka Rifles Suffer at Chancellorsville; Stonewall Jackson Killed

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, May 14, 1863 “General Hooker is still on the north side of the Rappahannock. All the rumors of his recrossing and of the evacuation of Fredericksburg by the rebels are … Continue reading

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Setback at Chancellorsville, Root’s Fate Uncertain

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, May 7. 1863 “General Hooker has again broken the monotony of the war in Virginia. Early last week he commenced operations preparatory to crossing the Rappahannock.” What followed was a … Continue reading

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Sanitary Commission Thanked; War Strengthens Anti-Slavery Sentiment

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, April 30, 1863 The Chronicle published a letter from Charles Hoyt, Assistant Surgeon with the 126th NY Infantry, thanking Mrs. Ruth Goff of Dresden, who was associated with the local … Continue reading

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Abe Visits NY Men; Typhoid Ravages Camp; Deserter Detained

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, April 23, 1863 Twenty-year old James H. Mandeville of the 44th NY Infantry, camped in Virginia, wrote a letter to the editor describing a visit to the Headquarters of the … Continue reading

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Copperheads Decried in 150 Year Old Poem

By Rich MacAlpine Nearly 1,500 Yates County men voted against Abraham Lincoln and the Republican ticket in the 1860 Presidential election. They voted instead for the “Fusion ticket” of Democrats which combined the tickets of Stephen Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, … Continue reading

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Stanton Calls on Loyal Women; Soldier Condemns Draft Evaders

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, April 16, 1863 Although the war in Virginia was still relatively quiet, Union forces along the Mississippi River were closing in on Port Hudson in Louisiana and on Vicksburg in … Continue reading

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Soldier Praises Conscription Act: “Three Times Three and a Tiger!”

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, April 2, 1863 “A LETTER THE DEMOCRAT WOULDN’T PRINT – The Democrat promised to publish a soldier’s letter taken to that office by Isaac Purdy Esq.  After waiting two weeks … Continue reading

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Emancipation Has Succeeded! Yates Soldier Sparks Arrest of Traitor in Baltimore

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, March 26, 1863 “The Penn Yan Democrat thinks we did not predict wisely one year ago when we said a Proclamation of Emancipation would avert foreign intervention. We were right, … Continue reading

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Cry Peace When There Is No Peace? Not the Empire State!

By Rich MacAlpine As Gleaned from the Yates County Chronicle, March 19, 1863 In a letter to the editor of the Chronicle, Harrison Delong of the 1st Sharpshooters, wrote that the morale of the Army of the Potomac was vastly … Continue reading

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