86 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
one officer and myself went to New York
on recruiting service. That
was in 1814. I remained in New York
about two years. When we left
New York we marched with recruits to
fill up the companies stationed
on the northern frontier. I had
re-enlisted on the 23d of November,
1816, for five years. We marched to
Sackett's Harbor, and I was there
assigned to Company D, Second Infantry.
The other recruits were dis-
tributed at the different stations. I
was stationed at Sackett's Harbor
something like seventeen years. We
remained quietly at barracks all
this time, until the Black Hawk War
broke out beyond Chicago. We
started in the month of July, 1832, and
got back October 6, of the same
year. We had no battles in that
campaign. There was nothing but hard
marching, etc. I was appointed an
ordinance sergeant of the U. S. army
October 18, 1833, and was ordered to
Boston, but finally exchanged with
the ordnance sergeant at Madison
barracks. Colonel Kirby, paymaster,
and others arranged the matter for me.
During the Florida War I was
in Sackett's Harbor in charge of all the
property at that post. I was
there too during the Mexican War and got
an order from General
Augur to enlist all the men that I could
and send them to Syracuse. I
got from four to six every day, and sent
them to Syracuse for Mexico.
I was a recruiting officer for General
Augur. During the war of the Re-
bellion I was left alone in charge of
the quartermaster's stores, medical
and other property at Madison Barracks,
New York. I was discharged
December 31, 1866, by Secretary Stanton
and came to this home. I have
had charge of a great many improvements
in the home and was lodge
keeper at the Whitney Avenue gate for a
number of years."
Sergeant Gaines was at the time of this
interview an active
old man about five feet seven inches in
height, of dark complex-
ion. He had bright grey eyes, white hair
and strongly marked
features. He stood perfectly erect, and
had a very soldierly bear-
ing. His mind was clear and his memory
quite remarkable. He
described with great detail the incident
of his early service. He
was the last survivor of the gallant
defenders of Fort Stephenson.
He enlisted when in his thirtieth year
and probably no man served
longer in the United States Army than
he.
REUBEN CLEMENT.
In 1880 there still lived in Petersburg,
Va., a survivor of the
War of 1812, one of the Petersburg
Volunteers, one member of
which, Brown, fought at Fort Stephenson.
A letter from this
aged man, Mr. Reuben Clements, reads: