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OFFICER AND SERGEANT’S GROUP OF EFFINGHAM VANDERBURGH, 56th NY – “TENTH LEGION” – AND 1st NEW YORK ENGINEERS

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This group consists of four pieces belonging to an early-war Lieutenant in the 56^th New York Volunteers who re-enlisted later to serve as an enlisted man in the 1^st New York Engineers. The group consists of two pieces from each service: his officer’s belt and buckle from his service in the 56th, with a brass stencil for marking his gear and possessions with his name rank; and, a NY Depot canteen with his initials, along with a small, pocket-size roll book for a detachment of the 1^st Engineers from his later service with that unit.

The belt is the standard officer’s belt of folded leather construction with regulation M1851 officer’s rectangular eagle belt plate and hasp/keeper in place, showing matching bench number “101,” used to keep the hand-fitted pieces together in the maker’s workshop until mounted on the belt. The plate shows nice detail and has an aged patina on the face, with substantial gilt finish on the reverse. The belt is supple, with nice brown finish showing just some wear to the lower edge. The safe is present behind the keeper, adjusting buckle and friction loops are present. The brass loops for the sword slings are there, but only a length of the rear sling remains.

The stencil is stamped brass wrapped on a frame and reading: “E. VANDERBURGH. / LIEUT.” with flourishes on either side of the rank and below it. These were typical early war commercial purchases by volunteers, usually packaged with a small brush and bottle of ink.

The canteen is a New York Depot product, distinguished by its characteristic chain for retaining the stopper. Both are in place. The strap is folded cloth, full length, showing just minor wear spots, and knotted, likely to keep the strap out of the way and perhaps hang it up for display after the war. The condition is very good. The cover is brownish-gray with some small, darker brown age spots or stains. There are no holes on the sides, but the seam is open for a few inches on either side below the upper brackets, with one side showing some slight fraying to the edge. The canteen is boldly stenciled on one side in large white letters “E.V.B.” An officer, of course, could have purchased an enlisted canteen for field use, but the gray/brown cover is typical of NY Depot products starting in 1864.

The last item is a narrow, pocket size notebook with Vanderburgh’s name on one edge and same E V B initials on another. The covers are brown leather, and show wear, especially at the hinges and spine, but the front is inscribed in black ink: “Roll Book / Detachment / 1^st NY Vol Engs.” There are 15 pages filled with names at the front of the book, mostly in ink, 3 pages in pencil.  There are 4 other pages of names at the back of the book, all in pencil. Some of the names at the front are broken down by company. The first page contains 22 names and we spot-checked two: George W. Hubbard and the uniquely named Moses Clapper, who both show up as recruits in September 1864 assigned to the 1^st NY Engineers. Vanderburgh’s use of the book likely dates to his promotion to sergeant in February 1865, but it may have been used earlier by special detail or earlier by another sergeant of the company and passed on to him. The men likely came from or were assigned to various companies and some may have been recruits sent to the regiment but eventually rejected by surgeons, but there may be some interesting stories in there.

The extravagantly named Effingham Vanderburgh was born May 30, 1830, in Dutchess County, NY, married in 1850, had at least 11 children, worked as cabinet maker, and lived much of his life in neighboring Orange County, where he died in 1906. He enlisted first at age 31 at Newburgh, NY, to serve three years on July 15, 1861. He mustered in as 1^st Lieutenant of Co. B of the 56^th NY on August 16 and received a commission dated December 17, giving him rank from August 16. Nicknamed the “Tenth Legion” after one of Caesar’s fighting legions, they left the state on November 7 and were initially assigned to the 1^st Brigade of Casey’s division in the Army of the Potomac, later joining the 4^th, 18^th and 10^th Corps, seeing substantial action in Virginia and South Carolina. Effingham was discharged Feb. 1, 1862. The reason was not stated, but was likely health related.

He seems to have returned to civilian life until Fall 1864 when, likely tempted by an $850 town bounty, he enlisted at Goshen, NY, on Aug. 29, 1864, joining Co. I of the 1^st NY Engineers as a private. His age and previous service likely carried some air of experience and authority: he was promoted Sergeant on Feb. 1, 1865. Company I was one of four companies in the regiment assigned to the Department of the South, but Vanderburgh is credited in the county clerk’s records with taking part in the battles of Chaffin’s Farm, VA, as well as Honey Hill, SC. The former was fought in September 1864, so he may have spent some time first with the portion of the regiment in Virginia, before joining his designated company, whose battalion served at Folly Island, Morris Island, Hilton Head, and Beaufort, working on forts and batteries, but seeing action in Hatch’s expedition up the Broad River in late November, which included the battle of Honey Hill on November 30. Company I also saw action and suffered some wounded at Devereux’s Neck on December 6.

Vanderburgh mustered out July 3, 1865, at Hilton Head, S.C., where the other members of the regiment serving in South Carolina (Companies A, C, G, and I) also mustered out that month. His obituary mentions service as postmaster from 1897 to 1904, and membership in the Cummins Post G.A.R. in Goshen, NY. He died in Florida, Orange County, NY, and was buried in Washingtonville. We show a photo of him from his online cemetery listing and a local obituary that notes his survival by six sons and five daughters.  [SR][ph:m/L]

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