George A. Hoyt (1841-1930) was 21 years old when he enlisted at Canajoharie on 4 August 1862 to serve three years in Co. B, 115th New York Infantry. He had been in the service for little more than five weeks when he and his regiment were surrendered with 12,000 Union troops that garrisoned Harpers Ferry in September 1862 by Dixon S. Miles who commanded the strategic post. Thus, the 115th New York and other regiments were unfairly tagged as the “Harper’s Ferry Cowards” and spent the remainder of the war trying to regain their reputation. George was later wounded in action on 20 February 1864 at Olustee, Florida, but survived his wound and served out his time in the Veteran Reserve Corps.
George was the son of Thomas Hoyt (1817-1880) and Mary Knapp (1815-1880) of Canajoharie, Montgomery county, New York.
Transcription
[Chicago, Illinois]
October 1, 1862
Dear Friend,
I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. I have written before when I was at Harpers Ferry and received no answer. I have written eight letters and have received no answer.
The fight beginning on Saturday morning about 10 o’clock, the 115th Regiment was ordered on Maryland Heights but Company B was on picket on the west side of Bolivar Heights. About two o’clock in the afternoon, General [Dixon Stansbury] Miles ordered the pieces spiked and left everything on the ground and run. There was no rebels seen there until about sundown. They had time enough to save the pieces but there was no use to surrender. If we would have had a good, true general, we could [have] held the place until we got [re]inforcements.
On Sunday morning we opened on them. One of our batteries killed one hundred and twenty men. The distance between the batteries was about 3 miles and then the rebels had the Maryland Battery. I was on guard to the foot of Bolivar [Heights]. The battery on Maryland and they fired over Bolivar [Heights] and the shells fell near Company C and did not touch a man.
“General Miles surrendered and then he said he wished that the first shell that was fired it would kill him for he had sold his boys once before and I am very happy to say that he got his wish. A shell or something else struck his thigh and he died in a few hours.”
Sunday night we was drawn in line of battle about twelve o’clock on Sunday night and a cavalry came up and we fired four or five shots in them and then they turned and run. We cut them all to pieces on Monday morning. General Miles surrendered and then he said he wished that the first shell that was fired it would kill him for he had sold his boys once before and I am very happy to say that he got his wish. A shell or something else struck his thigh and he died in a few hours. And we stacked our arms and the rebels came and took possession and we remained there until Tuesday morning and then we started for Annapolis. We arrived there on Sunday night. It was about one hundred and thirty miles. nd now we are in Chicago. We arrived here on Sunday night.
I must close. write soon.
Chicago, Illinois
115th Regiment, Company B, New York Volunteers
Your friend, — George Hoyt
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