Greene, New York is a small town today and it was even smaller during the Civil War. Lying along the Chenango River, up until 1812 it had been occupied by the Oneida people. In 1860, Greene village only had a population of 846. The larger Town of Green had a population of 3,809. Please note that while the village and the town are named Greene, they are not part of Greene County. They are part of Chenango County.
The Chenango Canal was opened in 1836, linking the Susquehanna River and the Erie Canal. Much was the work in digging the canal was done by Irish immigrant laborers. When the canal opened, it also opened trade routes throughout the Northeastern United States.
After the outbreak of the Civil War, recruitment went on throughout Chenango County. In July of 1862, many local men joined the 114th New York Infantry Regiment. Company E was made up of men largely from Greene. In less than a week, 120 men enlisted. A meeting was held on August 5, 1862 where many of the men signed up for the company. Before the company left for the rendezvous in Norwich, the “ladies” of the town presented each man with a kit consisting of needle, thread, and other implements for caring for their clothing. After the regiment was assembled and partially trained in Norwich, it set out on the Chenango Canal and made its way to Binghamton. From there it proceeded by train down to Maryland. It was later sent to Fortress Monroe and then to New Orleans. In 1864, the unit was transferred to Virginia where it fought in the Shenandoah Valley and at in the repulse of Jubal Early’s raid into Maryland.
The Lyon Iron Works was founded in 1840 and it manufactured cannon balls during the Civil War. The iron works was later renamed the Raymond Corporation which became a major manufacturer of forklifts.
. The monument sits at the intersection of Genesee Street and South Chenango Street in Greene Village. When the monument was erected on a small common it was the only memorial on the site. Unfortunately, other monuments have been put up on the narrow mall and some are to close to the Civil War monument. Now called Veterans’ Memorial Park this overdevelopment of the site seems to be without reason. There are other empty areas of the village where subsequent memorial could have been erected instead of crowding them all together on this little island.
Many photos taken of the village feature the statue.
The monument itself is in good shape. It is only a block away from the Chenango River and can be seen from the bridge going over the river.
The memorial is inscribed:
“In Memory Of Our
Heroes Who Served
In The Defense
Of The Union”
The statue is a rather standard depiction of a soldier at ease, the corners of the monument have elaborate carvings.
In what was a later addition, an inscription was added:
Dedicated To The Memory
Of The Sons and Daughters
Of This Community Who In
All Our Wars Gave Their
Futures To Preserve Our
Heritage
The top of the column is marked with the years of the Civil War.
Here is a postcard of the monument from the early 20th Century when this was the only monument in the narrow park.
Note: All color photos of buildings in this post were taken by Patrick Young except as noted.
Sources:
History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York by James Smith pub. by D. Mason & Co. (1880)
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