| This section of my page will show the celebrated oddity of the American Civil War: the inevitable Yankee connection. Many families had members on both sides of the fighting. Ours is no different. |
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The picture to the left is of our paternal Great Great Grandparents, Henry and Alice Stancliff. Henry was a member of the 119th NY Volunteer Infantry, assigned to the Union Army of the Potomac. This picture was contributed by Tim Strickland. Henry, the son of William and Sarah Stancliff was born in New York on December 3, 1844. Henry Stancliff enlisted on either May 10, 1862 or August 13, 1862...the record is not exactly clear. He was part of the 119th Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry, Company I, with the rank of drummer. His record shows he was discharged on June 7, 1865 at Bladensburg (Prince Georges County), MD. During his service with the 119th Regiment of the New York Volunteer Infantry (Army of the Potomac), he took part in the Battles of Chancellorsville, Va., he was in Spotsylvania County, Va in early May of 1863, and he was also involved in the Battle of Gettysburg, in Adams County, Pa July 1-3 1863. Other battles included those of the Tennesee campaigns of 1863, the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea of 1864, and finally the last campaigns against General Johnston's army in the Carolina's in 1865.>
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After the war, Henry was married to Alice E. Dodge on February 26, 1868, in Long Island (Nassau County), NY. Alice was born in 1854 and died in Baltimore, MD before 1900. Census records show that Henry and Alice lived in Hempstead (Queens County), NY in 1880. After Alice's death, Henry moved to maryland and lived with his son-in-law Henry W. Roles and his daughter Mary J. [Stancliff] Roles, in Ann Arundel County, MD. At the age of 62 in 1906, he was described as a small man, being 5 feet 3 inches tall, light complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, and weighed only 128 lbs. In 1907 he was living at the National Soldier's Home at Washington (Rhea County), TN. His daughter, Lottie M. [Stancliff] Broughon was listed as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy with John Hancock Mutual Life. There he lived out his days and died of pneumonia on December 21, 1911, at the age of 67. He is buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Baltimore County, MD. Henry and Alice [Dodge] Stancliff had five sons and seven daughters: CHARLES STANCLIFF born NY 1869 died before 1880 WILLIAM W. STANCLIFF born NY November 27, 1870. SARAH S. STANCLIFF born NY May 10, 1872 MARY J. STANCLIFF born NY August 9, 1874, married Henry W. Roles, born September 1869 LOTTIE M. STANCLIFF born NY October 12, 1876, married JOSEPH GROVER BROUGHON (Our Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather) LESLIE B. STANCLIFF born NY March 14, 1879, married Lucy M., born 1884 SUSAN E. STANCLIFF born NY March 26, 1880 SUS. STANCLIFF born June 14, 1881 ALICE B. STANCLIFF born April 22, 1885 RICHARD H. STANCLIFF born July 31, 1887 FRANK M. STANCLIFF born February 26, 1893 MARGARET E. STANCLIFF born December 19, 1896
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The 119th New York Regiment of Volunteer Infantry was organized at New York City and mustered into the US Army on September 4, 1862. Almost immediately, the regiment was transferred for duty in and around Washington, D.C. They were sooon attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, General Franz Sigel, Commanding--as they remained so until October, 1863. The latter part of the war record shows the 119th assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, until mustered out in June, 1865. The 119th NY Regiment of Vol. Infantry had varying duties: Until November of 1862, they manned the defenses around Washington, D.C. Then they were moved in support of the Army of the Potomac during the battle of Gainesville, Va., November 1-9, 1862. Afterwards, they were pulled back to Centreville, Va. on November 18, and moved again to Falmouth, Va. in support of General Burnside's efforts at Fredericksburg, from December 9th until December 16th, 1862. However, they were not used in the battle.
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It was during this time that General Sigel asked to be relieved and General O.O. Howard was given command of the 11th Corps. The regiment then moved into Stafford Court House, Va. till January 20, 1863, for winter quarters. The regiment was then part of the enfamous "Mud March" of January 20-24, 1863--in which General Burnsides atttempted to outflank General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, and failed. Afterwards, the regiment was encamped again at Stafford Court House, Va. until April 27 1863. |
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General O.O. Howard commanding the 11th Corps of which the 119th NY was still a part, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Va., May 1 - 3, 1863. At this time the 11th Corps numbered 12,169 effectives. General O.O. Howard allowed himself to be surprised and poorly dispositioned his troops. General Jackson's 2nd Corps of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, was able to effect a flanking movement and caught the 11th Corps, totally unaware. The men were not only attacked without a warning shot, but were taken at a terrible disadvantage. Anything beyond a brief resistance was impossible, and they had to abandon their position. However, some of the brigades changed front under the attack, and made a gallant resistance for over an hour, seriously retarding the Confederate's onset, after which they retired slowly and in good order. The loss of the corps at Chancellorsville was 217 killed, 1,218 wounded, and 972 captured or missing; total, 2,407.
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| The 119th NY Regiment of Vol. Infantry was still with the 11th Corps during the Battle of Gettysburg (Pa.), July 1-3, 1863. At Gettysburg the corps was still under the command of General O.O. Howard; the divisions were under Generals Barlow, Steinwehr, and Schurz. During the first day of the battle, the 11th Corps was with the First Corps, and on the second day, participated in the defense of Cemetery Hill. Records show the 11th Corps with 10,576 officers and men for duty, before the Battle of Gettysburg; lost in that battle was 368 killed, 1,922 wounded, and 1,511 captured or missing; out of less than 9,000 engaged. |
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The 11th Corps accompanied the Army of the Potomac, on the return to Virginia after Gettysburg, in its pursuit of the retreating Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. On the 24th of September, the Second and Third divisions (Steinwehr's and Schurz') were ordered to Tennessee, together with the Twelfth Corps. These two corps, numbering over 20,000 men, were transported, within a week, over 1,200 miles, and placed on the banks of the Tennessee River, at Bridgeport. |
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On October 29th, General O.O. Howard's 11th Corps were ordered to the support of the Twelfth Corps, in the midnight battle at Wauhatchie, Tenn. Arriving there, part of Steinwehr's Division charged up the steep hill, known as Lookout Mountain--in the face of the enemy, receiving but not returning the fire, and drove Longstreet's veterans out of their entrenchment's, using the bayonet alone. A part of the Eleventh Corps was also actively engaged at Missionary Ridge, where it cooperated with Sherman's forces on the left. After this battle it was ordered to East Tennessee for the relief of Knoxville, a campaign whose hardships and privations exceeded anything within the previous experience of the command. The 119th NY Regiment of Vol. Infantry was assigned duties in Lookout Valley until late November and was involved in the Chatanooga-Ringgold Campaign from November 23-27, 1863. |
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In April, 1864, the two divisions of the Eleventh Corps were broken up and transferred to the newly-formed Twentieth Corps. General Howard was transferred to the command of the Fourth Corps, and, subsequently, was honored by a promotion to the command of the Army of the Tennesse. The Twentieth Corps was formed April 4, 1864, by taking the Twelfth Corps, which was composed of the veteran divisions of Generals Williams and Geary, and adding to it General Butterfield's newly organized division. At the same time, the two divisions of the Eleventh Corps, 2nd and 3rd Divisions...were broken up and distributed to the divisions of Williams, Geary and Butterfield. Each of the three divisions now contained three brigades, containing in all 52 regiments of infantry, and 6 batteries of light artillery, numbering 21,280 officers and men. They were all battle tried veterans, most of the men had served with the Army of the Potomac in many of the greatest battles of the war, and, later on, at Wauhatchie and Lookout Mountain.
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Command of the Twentieth Corps was given to Major-General (Fighting Joe)Joseph Hooker. He had been the commanding officer during the ill fated Chancellorsville Campaign and was well known by the 119th New York. The Twentieth Corps started, May 4, 1864, on the Atlanta campaign, and during the several months the 119th NY Regiment of Vol. Infantry would take part in operations against Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11,1864; including Mill Creek or Dug Gap on May 8, 1864. The hardest fighting of the Atlamnta Campaign was the Battle of Resaca May 14-15, 1864, the Battle of New Hope Church on May 25, 1864, and at Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864. The 119th NY Regiment of Vol. Infantry also saw operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10 to July 2, 1864. Other smaller but no less important battles and skirmeshes around the Atlamnta are included: Pine Hill June 11-14; Lost Mountain June 15-17; Gilgal or Golgotha Church June 15; Muddy Creek June 17; Noyes Creek June 19; Kolk's Farm June 22; the assault on Kenesaw June 27; Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4; Chattahoochie River July 5-17; Peach Tree Creek July 19-20, 1864. All of these led to the eventual siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25,1864. Before entering Atlanta, General Hooker had a disagreement with his commander, General William Sherman, and asked to be relieved. He was replaced by Major-General Henry W. Slocum, the former commander of the Twelfth Corps. General Slocum was thought to be one of the ablest generals in the Union armies. |
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As the Confederates commanded by General John B. Hood, evacuated their defense works in and around Atlanta, some troops of the Twentieth Corps were the first to enter and occupy the city, the entire corps remaining there to hold their important prize, while Sherman and the rest of the Army marched in pursuit of General Hood. On November 15, 1864, Sherman and his men started on their grand march through Georgia to the Sea, the Army of the Cumberland--Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps--forming the Right Wing, under command of General Slocum. General A. S. Williams, of the First Division, succeeded to the command of the corps, with Jackson, Geary, and Ward as division generals. When it started on this march, the corps numbered 13,741, present for duty, and contained 47 regiments of infantry, 1 of engineers, 1 of pontoniers, and 4 batteries of light artillery. It was actively engaged at the siege of Savannah, and upon Hardee's evacuation, December 20th, Geary's Division was the first to enter the city. |
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The Twentieth Corps left Savannah in February, 1865, and with the Army marched northward through the Carolinas, and at the battle of Averasboro (N. C.), the Twentieth Corps was the only infantry engaged; Three days later, Jackson's and Ward's Divisions were hotly engaged in General Slocum's battle at Bentonville. At the close of the campaign, in April, 1865, Major-General Joseph A. Mower was assigned to the command of the corps. In March of 1865, the 119th NY Regimentof Vol. Infantry was assigne as occupation troops in Goldsboro, North Carolina. However, they were later involved in the advance against Raleigh, North Carolina April 9-13, 1865. Upon the surrender of Confederate General Johnston and his remaining army, the Twentieth Corps marched to Washington D.C. and took part in the Grand Review. The 119th New York Regiment of Volunteer Infantry was then disbanded. Some of the veterans and recruits were transferred to 102nd New York Infantry. During their service with the various Armies of the Union, the regiment lost 6 Officers and 66 Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and lost 2 Officers and 92 Enlisted men by disease. Total 166.
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