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A PATRIOT AND A HERO,CAPTAIN ISAAC C. NICOLLHl« Olariouit Kecoiil In (tie Union Army*Tribute to Vlff Momory by One of HI*Comrade* of (lit lJMth If* f* Vflli,[By Meal. TjCmi* T. StwltsJ(At the exorcises at Salisbury Mills on the 10th lust connected with the unveiling1 and dedicating ol tho monument erected at that place by Mr* Richard Caldwell to commemorato iho services of the soldiers from that town who fought in the war of I8J2 and in the war for the Union, tho following appropriate and touching tribute was paid lo tho gallant deeds and memory of Capt. Isaac C. Nicoll of that town, who commanded Co, Or. of the 124th Reg. N. Y. Vols., by Jits comrade and friend, LicuLuianl Lewis T. Shults, now a resident of the town of Cornwall,]To give honor to whom honor is duo, is not vain boasting; neither is Its manly or womanly acceptance false pride.It is an outgrowth of civilisation, of virtue and of religion. It is as dlvino as it is human; and m long as love and memory exist, so long tbo great, the good, and especially tho patriotic and the bravo, will ho remembered and praised. Such was tho feeling and tho motive which moved our nobJo friend and citizen to cruet yonder magnificent monument to the lasting memory of yottr fathers, husbands and brothers who went forth from your homes for country's sake; to dare, to do and, if need be, to die. Such, too, is the kindly filling and the hallowed motive which to-day has drawn together in your quiet town this largo, intelligent and sympathetic concourse of people,It is to remember, to cherish and to honor our patriotic dead; yea, and our patriotic living, too. indeed, from the oldest to tho youngest, all arc patriots to-day.While it stirs my heart with unspeakable emotions to meet and look into the faces of men who by his side for 20 months encountered the privations, tho clangors and the horrors of war, passing through two of the greatest and many of tbo^ smaller, yet terrific charges and battles from (Julpopper lo Clovorhlll, and more than once fooling tho bomunbing thud or cutting sting of robol hill tots, yet am I now to devote my thoughts and your time to tho memory of our beloved captain, Isaac Nicoll, who at the battle of Gollysbtirgh laid upon his country's altar the greatest sacrifice within the possibilities of a patriot'spewcr.Captain Isaac Nicoll was born in the city of Now York February 14, 1840. With his father he removed to this town in 1844, where ho afterward attended school at the residence of the late lion. Robert Donnlston until 35years of age. He then entered a store in Now York, and was there in 3803, when tho war broke out. Ho was anx-ious.to join tome city regiment as a private, but his father discouraged this stop. 1When Col. Ellis began to valso the J 24th Isaac sought an interview with him, and the colonel told him if ho would recruit a company ho would give him a captain’s commission. Ho wont at the work with ail of his energy, and soon Company G, with full ranks, was mustered in, with Isaac Nicoll as cap tain. JIo was a man of deeds rather than ol words, and he could not boar to receive praise for any service be rendered, however praiseworthy. To goforth to a strange land, and the stranger work of commanding 300 men in a great war, was a wonderful responsibility, ono that might well make his dearest friends and relatives tremble for his ability and success. How well he met his duty and accomplished his task is attested by all we hear, all we read and all we know, Those who knew him best praise him most, Colonel Woy-gant, in his interesting and instructive history of tho 124th, and ©specially in his vivid description of the battle of Gettysburg, says concerning the captain's death that ho passed down the line of battle observing tho condition and position of each company, Coming to Company G, which wont into battle that day with more men than any other company in the regiment, he found it reduced to a corporal’s guard, and commanded by a corporal. He learned that the dead body of our truly noble and esteemed Captain Nicoll lay wedged in between two rocks at the farthest point of our advance.liaadtvtA1:lt;tfIliivJ(*(te£C1
Newspaper Details
Middletown Daily Times
Middletown, New York, US
Thu, Jun 18, 1891
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Pamela M.
USA 05 Jun 2023
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