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Never Forsake the Flag employs letters written by Capt. George
A Turnbull, Co. A, 134th New York Volunteer Infantry, to tell
the story of the life and people of Schoharie, Duanesburg, and
Esperance during the Civil War. Ken Jones provides detailed
background that enables the reader to fully comprehend what
was going on at home and on the battlefield before, during and
following Captain Turnbull’s tour of duty.
These letters, written between September, 1862, and January,
1864, were discovered in a barn in Duanesburg owned by Judge
James Wemple Liddle and his wife Isabell Turnbull. Judge
Turnbull had been President of the Schenectady County
Historical Society and took care to preserve the letters. The
barn itself was relocated to make way for I-88.
Mr. Jones spent ten years compiling information for this book.
The time and effort he spent is evident in the amount of
detail included, especially when he describes the lineage of
the families living in this area at the time. As a newcomer to
the Cobleskill area, I happily absorbed much more about the
history of the region than one would anticipate from a book of
a mere 120 pages.
Everyday life as depicted in this book is a reflection of what
was happening in rural and industrial towns throughout the
country, beginning with the confusion over slavery. It was not
an obvious decision for young men of the era to decide to
volunteer for military service.
One also gets a solid picture of the ethnic make-up of the
area. George, of Scottish descent, often gives his opinion of
“Dutchmen,” referring to his German neighbors. Hundreds of
black families lived in the area and worked on the farms; some
also enlisted. An insightful picture develops as to how the
various ethnic and religious groups interacted and current
gender roles were played out. One develops a better
understanding through this book than through many textbooks.
Intimate details of life in the military at that time, and the
outstanding bravery of the men of the 134th, are revealed
through the letters. The men of the 134th, farmers, laborers
or innkeepers with a few professionals among them, appear to
value family, neighbors, God and work. These are the values
that sustained George and his friends when they had to walk
from the fairgrounds in Schoharie to Schenectady before
boarding the train that took them to Washington, D.C.
The book reveals such occurrences as officers being
commissioned based on the number of men they recruited rather
than talent or training, and their ability to pay their way
out of serving. Captain Turnbull’s resignation was denied
multiple times while he continued to be assigned more and more
units while other officers died or were permitted to resign.
Mr. Jones also describes the “life as usual” happenings back
home, such as an elaborate Independence Day party taking place
at the Brooklyn Hotel in Duanesburg. He is also careful to
finish the tale with a description of how life was changed
when the men who survived the Civil War returned home. George
opened up a dry goods store, The Tin Shop, in Esperance with
his uncle, Alexander McIntosh. Business was prospering as a
train was now passing through the rural towns. However after
George’s early death, his wife, Asenath, could never receive
widow’s benefits. Almost everything George left was passed on
to his son.
After George died, his friends in Duanesburg and Esperance
began a Grand Army of the Republic post in his honor. The
addendum to Never Forsake the Flag lists the names and
occupations of the men of G.A.R. Post 157. There is also a
listing with anecdotal notes of the men who served in the
134th New York Volunteer Infantry.
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