Collecting The 95th N.Y. Infantry Regiment

By Paul Post · Originally published June 2016 · p. 17

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— One day, while cleaning out a closet, Lance Ingmire’s father handed him a box and said, “Here, this is something you might be interested in.” Inside were Civil War papers from the 95th New York Infantry Regiment such as master rolls, commissions and an infantry tactic book. For that simple gesture not only sparked Ingmire’s interest, but has turned into a lifelong pursuit to learn about and obtain articles belonging to the 95th Regiment, to which his great-great-grandfather, Lt. William F. Ingmire, belonged. “I have the largest collection of 95th memorabilia and artifacts in the world,” said Ingmire, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. “I’m researching the history of the 95th. I work on it every day.” “I’ve made 150 trips to the National Archives in Washington, D.C,” he said. “I’ve pulled pension files and service records of every single soldier. I’ve got 25 binders of data and 55 original images of officers and soldiers.” His goal is to author an in-depth, detailed regimental history, which has never been done before. The 95th was organized in New York City in November 1861, was mustered into service on March 6, 1862 and was involved, for the duration of the war, in many of its most famous engagements such from Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg to Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor and Appomattox. The turning point in Ingmire’s passion for the 95th happened during a routine trip to Gettysburg with his son, Scott’s, Boy Scout troop. “We were at the First Day (July 1) battlefield, and I was leaning on a monument,” Ingmire said. “When I turned around it said 95th New York Infantry on it.” The sight sent chills through Ingmire’s body as he immediately realized the personal connection with his great-great-grandfather. “I was standing at the exact point where Major Edward Pye led the first infantry charge of the 95th at Gettysburg,” he said. The 95th was among the first Union regiments to reach the battlefield. Pye took command after Col. George H. Biddle was wounded. “I became more immersed and more involved in collecting,” Ingmire said. One of his most prized possessions is the presentation sword – one of five 95th regimental swords he owns – given to Pye by hometown friends long after the battle. “I got it at an auction in Portsmouth, N.H.,” Ingmire said. “I have a network of sources that tip me off about these things.” He also owns the original banner from the Grand Army of the Republic post in Haverstraw, N.Y. that was named in Pye’s honor. Another unique collection is a set of seven Union soldier identification discs – dog tags. One was found by a former Confederate soldier at the Spotsylvania Battlefield 25 years after the war. The Confederate mailed them to the postmaster in each Union soldier’s hometown. One of these soldiers, William Weiant, was from Haverstraw, in the lower Hudson Valley. He had lost the tag during the battle and told about its return, in his own handwriting, when applying for membership in the Edward Pye GAR post. In 1907, a large national GAR convention was held in Saratoga Springs, with 35,000 Union veterans and 25,000 others on hand. “Every single house in Saratoga that had a room rented it out,” Ingmire said. He has a great deal of memorabilia from that event such as books, badges and ribbons. Also from the 95th, Ingmire has the wooden prosthetic leg worn by William E. Maxwell whose leg was amputated after being hit by shrapnel at Spotsylvania Courthouse, and a pistol used by Lt. Col. James B. Post. Another pistol in his collection belonged to William McKitrick of Ballston Spa, N.Y. However, the rarest items Ingmire owns are photos taken by his greatgreat-uncle, Frederick W. Ingmire, of President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral proceedings in Springfield, Illinois. One shows the slain president’s coffin in the vault next to his son, Willie’s, who died on Feb. 20, 1862. It was passed down to Lance Ingmire through the family.

As Ingmire’s interests grew, he became involved in a variety of Civil War projects and organizations. Former New York Gov. George E. Pataki named him to a commission charged with conserving the collection of aging and deteriorating New York State Civil War battle flags. For several years, Ingmire organized a large Civil War living history encampment in Saratoga Springs. He is past president of Friends of Grant Cottage, where President and Union commander Ulysses S. Grant died on July 22, 1865, near Saratoga Springs; and past president and current treasurer of Friends of the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs. In addition to his personal memorabilia, Ingmire is New York state archivist for Sons of Union Veterans, which is in the process of donating its vast collection of artifacts to the Military Museum and the New York State Library in Albany.

“We want to make sure these items are someplace we know they’ll be taken care of,” he said. “Hopefully, they can be digitized, so they’re preserved forever.” Ingmire is constantly on the lookout for items related to the 95th Regiment. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. “My primary goal is to not only reach out to individuals who are interested in the story of the 95th, but more importantly to make contact with descendants of soldiers who fought with the unit. In writing the history of the regiment, I am desperately seeking original letters, diaries and images of the men who fought in the unit. Those soldiers, through their written testimonials of the hardships of camp life as well as the horrors of the battlefield, can better tell the story of their involvement in this tumultuous period of our history.”

CDV of Maj. Samuel C. Timpson of the 95th N.Y Vol. Infantry.