Isaac Tallman German

Born 18 July 1838 in Hector, NY the son of Stephen T. German and Sally Ann Southworth.  He enlisted for three years as a private into Company “I” of the 103rd NY Volunteer Infantry Regiment on 19 Feb. 1862.  The regiment, was organized in New York City March I, 1862, by the consolidation of the 3d Regiment German Rifles with the Seward Infantry. At Isaac’s mustering in he was made a Corporal.

The companies were recruited principally as follows: A, Grenadiers, in New York City; B, C as Corps d’Elite; D, E, F as 3rd German Rifles; G, H, I and K as Baker's Rifles and the New York Battery, at Elmira.

The regiment left the State March 5, 1862; served at Washington, D. C, from March 6, 1862; at Norfolk, Va., from March 21, 1862; in the 1st Brigade, 2d Division, Department North Carolina, from April, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 9th Corps, from July, 1862; at Suffolk, 7th Corps, Department of Virginia, from April, 1863; on the Peninsula, Va., in 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 7th Corps, in June and July, 1863; in the Department of the South, in Alford's Brigade, ad Division, 18th Corps, from August, 1863; same brigade, Vogdes’ Division, 10th Corps, from October, 1863, on Folly and Little Folly Island, S. C.; in 2d Brigade, De Russey’s Division, 22d Corps, from August, 1864; in 1st Brigade, Provisional Division, with the Army of the Shenandoah from September 22, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, Ferrero's Division, Army of the James, at Bermuda Hundred, Va., from December, 1864. Note: Isaac mustered out as a Sergeant March 17, 1865 in New York City with his Company.  The rest of the Regiment was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Capt. Wm. Redlich, on December 7, 1865, at City Point, Va.

During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 48 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 3 officers, 13 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 100 enlisted men; total, 7 officers, 161 enlisted men; aggregate, 168; of whom 5 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

After the war Isaac returned to Geneva, NY and married Lina C. (unkn.) in 1865.  He farmed and started a nursery there; they had two sons Frank Flood (3) and Montgomery.  Isaac died on 18 November 1910 and was buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, NY.

Orville J. Tallman

Orville J. Talman (1), age 19, enlisted into Company “B” as Corporal in the 108th N.Y. Infantry Regiment on Jul. 22nd, 1862.  His Volunteer paper described him as being 5’-71/4”, with light hair, blue eyes and a light complexion.  He returned to ranks prior to Oct. 1864 and promoted back to Corporal in February of 1865 and to Sergeant May 1, 1865. He mustered out with the Company at Baileys Cross roads, Virginia on May 28th, 1865.  Without his morning reports it’s hard to determine his absences and what action he did see.

The Regiment participated in all the battles of the 2d corps from Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, to the surrender at Appomattox, April 9, 1865, having been actively engaged 28 times.

It left the state the day after mustering, and served in the defenses of Washington, until Sept. 6, when it was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 3d division (French's), 2nd corps, and engaged in its first battle at Antietam. The new regiment suffered a loss in the battle of 30 killed, 122 wounded and 43 missing.  Its next battle was at Fredericksburg, where Gen. Couch commanded the corps, and the regiment again suffered severely, losing 92 in killed, wounded and missing.  Its loss at Chancellorsville was 52, Gen. Hancock being in command of the corps and Gen. Alex. Hays commanded the Division. At Gettysburg, where the regiment again met with a severe loss on the second and third days, its casualties amounted to 102 killed and/or wounded.  In October it was engaged with some loss at Auburn and Bristoe Station, a 2nd corps affair; was active during the Mine Run campaign at the close of the year, and at the battle of Morton's ford in Feb., 1864.  On the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac in March, 1864, the 3d division was consolidated with the 1st and the 108th assigned to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, 2nd corps, with which it crossed the Rapidan and engaged in the Wilderness campaign. It lost 52 at the battle of the Wilderness, 53 at Spotsylvania, suffered constant losses in the subsequent battles leading up to Petersburg, and in the battles at the Weldon railroad, Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Reams' station, Boydton plank road, Hatcher's run, the final assault on Petersburg, and fought its last battle at Farmville, two days before Lee's surrender.  It was mustered out under Col. Powers, May 28, 1865, at Bailey's cross-roads, VA.

The regiment lost during service 9 officers and 106 enlisted killed and mortally wounded; 90 men died of disease and other causes, a total of 208.  Among the many brilliant achievements of the regiment, it is related that in the fight at Morton's ford the 108th advanced rapidly and without firing a shot to a stone wall occupied by the enemy, when they delivered a volley and with shouts leaped over the wall and were soon in possession of an important position which virtually decided the contest.

After the war Orville returned to Monroe County and took up carpentry work.  He married Ella B. (unkn.) and had two children George and Maritta or Metta. They divorced and he married Amy Roblin and moved to Chicago where he went to work in a furniture factory.  In their later years they returned to live in Rochester and are buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Perinton, NY.

Copyright © 2013 Jon L. Tallman, all rights reserved