Silas Titus
Encyclopedia
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. He was active in the organization of the city of Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and served as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for two years and as a supervisor in 1865. He was influential in the construction of the first 30 miles of continuous railroad in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life and career
Silas Titus was born May 30, 1811 in Wolcott, New YorkWolcott, New York
Wolcott, New York is the name of two places in Wayne County, New York:*Wolcott , New York*Wolcott , New York...
. His father Stephen Titus and mother Sarah died when he was only three years old. His uncle, Platt Titus, wrapped him in a blanket and carried him on horseback to his farm in Cato
Cato, New York
Cato, New York may refer to either:*Cato , New York, located in Cayuga County*Cato , New York, located within the towns of Cato and Ira...
, Cayuga County
Cayuga County, New York
Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- History :...
, New York. In 1827, when 16 years old, Titus left his uncle's farm and was hired as a clerk at the general store of W. S. Inghams at Cato. In the same year he was also commissioned as Deputy Post Master of Cato. He worked at the store until 1832 when he moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, to look for a job with $50 in his pocket. He was successful finding work and in 1833 he went into business for himself.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. While in Albany, he saw the first railroad in New York running from Schenectady to Albany. Impressed by the new technology he organized a town meeting upon his return to Detroit that approved the building of a railroad from Detroit to Ypsilanti, Michigan. Titus became one of the commissioners of the Detroit and Shiawasse Railroad Company which was responsible for the first continuous 30 mile stretch of railroad in the United States.
In 1837 Titus married Eliza McCarthy, daughter of Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy (Syracuse politician)
For other people with a similar name, see Thomas McCarthyThomas McCarthy was nominated as the first Mayor of Syracuse, New York in January 1848 and was veteran of the War of 1812. He was an influential citizen in early Onondaga County, New York and the father of Congressman Dennis McCarthy...
and Percy Soule. Bishop John DuBois
John Dubois
Bishop John DuBois was the third bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. He was the first presiding bishop to reside in the diocese....
, of New York City, traveled to Salina
Salina, New York
Salina is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 33,290 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Latin word for "salt."...
near Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, to perform the marriage even though Titus was a Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
. The marriage certificate became the first catholic record in Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The young priest accompanying the Bishop as a sherpa was John McCloskey, the first Archbishop of New York to be created cardinal. Titus returned to New York in 1840 and settled in Salina. He went into business with Dennis McCarthy
Dennis McCarthy (congressman)
Dennis McCarthy was an American manufacturer and politician from New York.-Life:...
operating a general store for ten years. In 1850 he was appointed by the Supervisors of Onondaga Co. to the position of Superintendent of the Penitentiary, a position he held for seven years after which he went into the lumber business with McCarthy. He stayed in the lumber business until 1861 and the beginning of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Civil War
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
. By September 1861 he had been transferred to the staff of Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
John J. Peck
John J. Peck
John James Peck was a United States soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War.-Early life:...
, who commanded a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the guarding of Chain Bridge and Tennallytown
Tenleytown
Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC.-History:In 1790, Washington locals began calling the neighborhood "Tennally's Town" after area tavern owner John Tennally...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, before being promoted to commanding colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 122nd New York - Third Onondaga Regiment on August 22, 1862.
The regiment was rushed to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to prepare to advance on the Confederacy. At 4 o'clock the morning following the 12th NY's arrival in Washington, President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and U.S. Secretary of State William Seward
William Seward
William Seward may refer to:*William Seward, English anecdotist, 1747-1799*William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, 1861-1869*William H. Seward, Jr., his son, banker, Civil War general...
drove out to the camp of the 12th in a carriage. The President personally thanked the officers of the 12th New York saying "I'm glad to see you here boys". He then shook the hand of every soldier in the regiment.
The regiment moved out of the Washington camp to Fort Albany
Fort Albany (Arlington, Virginia)
Fort Albany was a bastioned earthwork built by the Union Army in Arlington County in Virginia. It was built in 1861 as part of the defense of Washington during the American Civil War.The fort...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
where it stayed until July 1861 when it advanced on the enemy at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
at Manassas. The 12th New York took light casualties in the battle including the first man killed in action in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. After the battle the regiment retreated to Washington with the rest of the Union army to regroup. Soon after Bull Run, Titus was made Adjutant of General John J. Peck
John J. Peck
John James Peck was a United States soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War.-Early life:...
's staff a position he held until the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
in June 1862.
In July 1862 Titus took a leave of absence due to poor health and returned to his home in Syracuse. While he was home recovering he was appointed colonel of the new 122nd New York State Volunteer Regiment, by the governor of New York. The 122nd regiment joined the Army of the Potomac in September 1862 at Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
on the final day of the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. Three months after Antietam, with Titus in command, the 122nd found themselves supporting the Pennsylvania Reserves in the assault on Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg may refer to a location in the United States:*Fredericksburg, California*Fredericksburg, Indiana*Fredericksburg, Iowa*Fredericksburg, Ohio*Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania , various places*Fredericksburg, Texas...
Heights. The regiment spent four hours under artillery fire with only four men wounded at the end of the day.
In the summer of 1863, the 122nd New York was part of First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps. The night of July 1, the 6th corps marched from Manchester along the Baltimore Pike
Baltimore Pike
thumb|[[SEPTA]]'s [[SEPTA Route 34|Route 34]] streetcar line runs through the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue in [[West Philadelphia]]The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
towards Gettysburg. As the regiment crossed the Pennsylvania - Maryland line, the regimental flag unfurled to the breeze and the drum corps played "Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
". At about 4 o'clock the corps reached the Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
battlefield where they were held in reserve for the night to allow the tired troops some much needed sleep. With Titus in command, the regiment was engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
on the Morning of July 3 on the north side of the battlefield in the area of Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
and Culps Hill. In the afternoon of July 3 the 122nd NY was held in reserve behind the Union right during Pickett's charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
.
Shortly after Gettysburg, Titus was ordered to serve as Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
of the General Court Marshal in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
. After serving one year as a member of the court martial he resigned and returned to Syracuse. At the battle of Williamsburg a Virginian State flag was captured by Peck's Brigade and was kept by Colonel Titus for several years after the war. Col. Titus' son Silas Wright Titus
Silas Wright Titus
Silas Wright Titus was an engineer who discovered and patented deep water pumping technology and discovered early water supplies for New York City and other towns and cities in the United States in the late nineteenth century. He was known as “The Water Wizard”.- Biography :Silas Wright Titus was...
took the flag back to Virginia and presented it to "those entitled to receive it".
Postbellum activities
In the late 1890s, Titus lived with his son Silas Wright TitusSilas Wright Titus
Silas Wright Titus was an engineer who discovered and patented deep water pumping technology and discovered early water supplies for New York City and other towns and cities in the United States in the late nineteenth century. He was known as “The Water Wizard”.- Biography :Silas Wright Titus was...
in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1899 a fire was caused in his son's home by Colonel Titus smoking on the couch. Titus was dragged to safety by his daughter-in-law, however, he died two weeks later on October 4. He is buried along with his wife Eliza and two of his three children in St. Agnes Cemetery in Syracuse.