Emory J. Conklin
Emory had two (2) brothers who were also in the Civil War: "O.D. Conklin was in the 27th N.Y. and was WIA at Bull Run; Zacariah Taylor was in the 37th N.Y., was in Libby and Andersonville; he had almost tunnelled his way out, but was retaken and starved to death." "References: "Adjutant General's Report, 1901"; "Presidents, Soldiers, Statesmen", pg. 1352; Dennis Conklin (descendant of Emory) .
Additional information, corrections and comments from descendant of Emory Conklin - in part to show how history can become distorted:
"He was in many skirmishes"
There is no factual basis for this. Every account I have read of the Regiment (64th NYSV), both published and unpublished, makes no mention of any action by any elements of the Regiment until they reached the Peninsula [Emory was in the hospital by then]. The closest they came to any action was the killing of the rebel "scout" mentioned on page 2 of Martin Sigman's diary. A COMPENDIUM OF THE WAR OF THE REBELLION by Frederick H. Dyer is the most exhaustive and complete study of all skirmishes, engagements and battles participated in by any and all elements of the union army. He makes no mention of any action by the 64th prior to the peninsular campaign.
" the most important of which was driving the rebels out of Bull Run"
The Rebels had abandoned the area around Bull Run [Manassas Junction] before the 64th arrived (Sigman Diary, p. 2).
The poisoned flour story:
This is more complex. It is a story I heard as a child and is alluded to by Sigman on p. 2 of the diary. However, Emory's pension file presents a different and more confusing picture. His own declaration states:"was poisened by flour issued to us....which caused a cronic diarea". The declaration of Isaac Harvey who was Sergt. of Co. C and at the time of its signing in 1893 was Emory's brother-in-law states: "That while at Camp California.....in winter of 1862 Conklin complained of being sick......no strength and having tremors. He was relieved from camp duty taken for light duty at Captains quarters where he remained for some 2 months until we broke camp. That soon after while on the march towards Manassas Station and I think at Springfield Station said Conklin was attacked with rheumintisam and was excused from duty but kept along with us until we returned to Alexindria Va. where said Conklin was sent away to Fairfax Seminary Hospital." The declaration of Joseph Charlesworth, also a Sergeant in Co. C, repeats the foregoing almost word for word except Charlesworth avers that he was the person who took Conklin to the hospital. Now the mystery deepens. The declaration of W. R. Burroughs, 2nd Lieut., Co. C during the relevant time period, repeats the flour story in much the same language as appears in PRESIDENT'S SOLDIERS AND STATSMEN. The certificate of disability for discharge is not illuminating. It refers to an irregular action of the heart causing "frequent fainting fits......with twiching of the muscles."
"we were sent to Mason and Saville's mansion for about 3 weeks"
This is not mentioned any place else and is inconsistent with the declaration of
Charlesworth who says he took him to the Fairfax Seminary Hospital. Maybe the mansion was some sort of annex to the hospital. My own assessment is that the illness had nothing to do with the consumption of the flour. I think that flour left by the Confederates was eaten, and some of those who partook did get sick but the sickness was caused by lack of sanitation, concentration of young farm boys in conditions they were unaccustomed to and bacteria they had not been exposed to in Cattaraugus Co.
"He was on a detail of scouts, 60 men to the Appomatox on a reconniter, having three skirimishes and lost two men"
See above regarding lack of any action by the 64th prior to arriving on the peninsula. Furthermore it is inconsistent with the declarations of Harvey and Charlesworth both of which state that he was relieved from duty at that time. [There was a 60 man party sent to the Rappahannock headed by Capt. Maltbie during this time period but it saw no action and suffered no casualties, the 1st men KIA in the Regiment were at Fair Oaks.]
"He was discharged May 30, 1863"
He was discharged May 13, 1862
"O.D.Conklin was....WIA at Bull Run"
The 27th NYSV's were engaged at 1st Manassas [Bull Run]. However if he was WIA, it was not serious enough to mention in his military records which I have, nor is it mentioned in his obituary which I have.
Zacariah [sic] Taylor Conklin was in the 37th NY. Was in Libby and Andersonville; he had almost tunnelled his way out but was retaken and starved to death."
Zachary Taylor Conklin was in the 14th Heavy Artillery NYSV. He was captured in the disastrous battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864, taken to Danville Prison and he died there on Dec. 13, 1864. I have read of attempts to tunnel out of Andersonville but never Danville. That he starved to death is undoubtedly, at least in part, true. During this period of time Lincoln and Grant were refusing any prisoner exchanges. Thousands of Union soldiers were captured in the battle of the crater and since Lee's own soldiers were starving at that time I am sure the prisoners fared far worse.
This is an excellent example of why a single source should never be accepted as historically accurate. It must be checked and cross-checked against multiple sources.
Dennis Conklin, January, 1999
The quotes are included complete with misspellings.
Top photo courtesy of Gowanda Area Historical Society
P.O. Box 372
Gowanda, NY 14070
