GEORGE B. COATES -- 34th INFANTRY and 2nd CAVALRYSPEEDY RISE IN THE RANKS IN TWO REGIMENTS -- On May 1, 1862, George B.Coates was 22 years old when he first enlisted in Ticonderoga on May 1,1861, two weeks after Lincoln's first call for 75,000 men. He wasmustered into the 34th Infantry on June 15th and on July 5tharrived in Washington.They were soon assigned to duty on the upper Potomac and ordered toBall\'s Bluff, but only arrived in time to help in the removal of thewounded. Until the spring of 1862, camped in Berryville west of thecapital and then sent to Hampton, VA, at the beginning of the PeninsulaCampaign on April 1, 1862.The regiment was at the Siege of Yorktown and was the first regiment inthe enemy\'s works at Winne\'s Mills. The day before he went into battleat Fair Oaks on May 31st, George was promoted to sergeant. The regimentwas heavily engaged for nearly three hours, with a loss of ninety-fourkilled and wounded. The day after the battle, he was promoted tocommissary sergeant.The regiment went on to participate in most of the operations on thepeninsula, and at Glendale and Malvern Hill lost more than one hundredmen and were forced to abandon their killed and wounded to the enemy.Later, they performed a series picket and field duties, and on thewithdrawal of the Army of the Potomac endured the forced march fromHarrison\'s Landing to Newport News -- a distance of 55 miles.From there the 34th sailed to Alexandria, and advanced to the front,encamping without tents or shelter, amid a furious rainstorm. On theAugust 30th they were engaged in covering the retreat of Pope\'s army.At Antietam on September 17th, entering the field on a double quick,they moved directly to the front, where they were exposed to infantryfire from the front and both flanks, and by artillery fire on theirleft. They maintained their position, although abandoned by a supportingregiment, until ordered to fall back, only to be exposed to adestructive cannonade. During this bloody day, they sustained a loss ofone hundred and fifty men, amounting to one-half of the effectivestrength with which they went into action.Through the remainder of the campaign, the regiment was employed inconstant and arduous services, in severe marches, reconnaissance andpicketing. On December 11th they led the van of the brigade atFredericksburg driving the enemy from the town. On this occasion, theregiment lost more than thirty men from the fire of the enemy\'sbatteries. They stayed in the area during the winter, often performingpicket duty. While in camp, George was promoted to 2nd lieutenant. AtChancellorsville and Fredericksburg in the spring of 1863, they werepresent, but only slightly engaged. On the expiration of its enlistmentthe regiment was mustered out at Albany on June 30, 1863.George went on to enlist in the 2nd Cavalry in 1864 in Plattsburghwhere he went from private to 1st lieutenant in 9 months. When hemustered out in May 1865, he joined the 42nd U. S. Infantry.After his military service, he returned to the Ticonderoga area. He diedin 1883, at 44 years old and was buried in the Mount Hope Cemeterythere. His wife, Mary, started receiving her Widows Pension in 1885.
