1998 Letter by JoAnn Smith Bartlett

This is a transcription of a letter dated Dec. 12, 1998 and
written by JoAnn Smith Bartlett, concerning her ancestor,
Civil War veteran Pvt. George W. Smith., born in 1843.

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  Seasons Greetings to you and your families!  This is a special 
Christmas for me and I hope this will make it special for all of 
you too.  Inside you will find information about our mysterious 
Civil War relative -- honest!!

  First who is this man?  The man in the photo, looking more
like a scared kid than a soldier, is none other than Pvt. George
W. Smith, Company F, 76th New York Infantry.  He enlisted in the
fall of 1861 and fought in all of the major battles before
Gettysburg in 1863.  He walked hundreds of miles in rain and heat,
and endured all the hardships of war.

  The 76th New York was comprised of men from Cortland County
and Cherry Valley.  Their first assignment was to guard the
nation's capital and they were stationed at several forts on the
north side of Washington, D.C.  From there they went to
Fredricksburg, Va. where they guarded railroad tracks and
bridges.  They served, at this time, directly under Union General
Abner Doubleday, the subject of my book-in-progress.

  George was one of 328 men left out of the original 1,000 as
the 76th NY headed for Gettysburg.  They were at the head of the
column under the command of Gen. Wainwright.  At 10 a.m., July 1,
1863 they were ordered to hurry forward to support Gen. John
Buford's cavalry in a clash with the enemy.  They marched up the
Emmitsburg Road, moved to the left, approached the Lutheran
Seminary and across what is now U.S. Route 30 West.  They crossed
an unfinished railroad cut and hurried across an open field.  It was
then the enemy took aim and fired -- before the men of the 76th
could even get in battle formation.  The men of the 76th NY held
on as long as they could -- for some men that meant nearly six
long, tiring hours in the heat, dust and confusion.

  At some point on that first day, George took a minie ball in
the ankle.  As yet we don't know exactly when it happened or how long
it took for him to get help.  We do know he was eventually taken
to the Adams Express Office (it used to be behind the building
where we live) and had the lower third of his leg amputated by a
surgeon from the 24th Michigan (of the Iron Brigade).  The leg was
amputated several days after he had been shot.  We don't know if
he laid in the field, like many others, or if he was carried to
the Seminary or to someone's home before his trip to the Express
Office.

  Since so much was to be learned from medical procedures of
the time, he was one of several cases studied by doctors.  That
information was found in THE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL HISTORY OF THE
CIVIL WAR.  All other papers included are at the National 
Archives; his photo is at the United States Army Military History
Institute in Carlisle, PA.  (I am currently working on getting
permission to get a real photo.  The one you have is a photocopy
of the one at USAMHI and I need permission to get a "real" one).

  George went home to Cortland County, married and had several
children.  One, William, married Rose Ryan (Vallier) following the
death of Mr. Vallier.  Rose Ryan (Vallier) Smith and William then
had three children: Rose, George and Mary.

Love,
JoAnn

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