A Touching Incident
Parting With His Old Sword to Obtain Bread
New Era Gleaner, December 10, 1885
At Waverly [Tioga Co., NY], a short time ago, Captain James Tyrrell, of Company H., 17th N.Y. Volunteers, disposed of his old sword through necessity. The captain is aged and infirm and in indigent circumstances, and the fact that the "Republics are ungrateful" was never more truly said or more forcibly demonstrated than in the case of Captain Tyrrell, than whom no nobler citizen soldier ever went forth to battle for his country. He receives no pension, and being too old and infirm to work, was obliged to part with his treasured sword to obtain bread.
Charles H. Turney held the lucky number that drew the sword. He gave it back to the brave old captain who received it with trembling hands, and tears falling from his eyes. "I thank you Mr. Turney. I shall keep the sword now, and never part with it." It was all the old man could say, but amidst the tremendous cheering that followed, there was many a tear-bedimmed eye. Comrade Denel said in behalf of himself and Hull Post, G.A.R., that their brave captain should never want while they had a dollar.
On April 10, 1846, Captain Tyrrell received a letter from R.E. Temple, adjutant general, of Albany, to organize a company of volunteers for the Mexican war. The captain went to work and reported with his full company to General Temple, at Albany, in less than a week afterward. In April 1861, he issued a call for volunteers, and raised Company H in Oxford and Norwich, called the "Chenango Boys," of which he was captain. They were in the 17th New York regiment and served with distinction. Before leaving, the ladies of Oxford and Norwich presented the company with a beautiful silk banner, inscribed "Chenango Boys of New York." They feared it would meet the same fate in Baltimore as the Massachusetts banner did. It was then and there that Captain Tyrrell made his famous speech, in which he assured the ladies and friends "that they would carry that banner safely through Baltimore, or through hell if need be." He has been in ill health and needy for a long time, but too modest to make his wants known.
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, December 16, 1885
Capt. Tyrell will be remembered by many Chenango people. The company he organized was the first which went out of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] for the war. They left Monday morning April 29th, 1861 fourteen days after Sumpter was attacked. Previous to their departure they paraded the streets, elected James Tyrell, Captain, Joel O. Martin 1st Lieut. and E.P. Pellett 2d Lieut. and then formed upon the west park in front of the court house for a final farewell. There a committee of ladies presented each man with a copy of the new testament, after which Rev. Lyman Wright offered prayer. The company then marched up North Broad street to the top of the hill, where they took teams for Utica. Almost the entire population of Norwich accompanied them up the street and watched them as they disappeared towards the north.
Died
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, August 28, 1886
TYRRELL: At Waverly, N.Y., August 19th, Captain James Tyrrell, aged 69 years, formerly of Norwich.
Waverly Free Press, August 1886
Captain James Tyrrell, who has been sick for many months, is near the "dark shore," his death being looked for daily. He has been a great sufferer, and during the last three years has been unable to do but little manual labor. He has been suffering with dropsy for some time, and we are informed that the blood was forced through the skin of his limbs, until it run in pools upon the floor.
Later: Mr. Tyrrell died at four o'clock Thursday afternoon. His remains will be taken to Oxford, Chenango county, for interment.
Death of Captain James Tyrell
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, September 1, 1886
On Thursday, August 19th, at his residence in Waverly, N.Y. Captain James Tyrell, formerly a resident of this place, died in the 69th year of his age. His remains were brought to Oxford by his son and the commander of the G.A.R. post at Waverly, and interred in the cemetery Saturday afternoon. Edward E. Breed post, G.A.R, of Oxford, acted as an escort from the depot and conducted the ceremonies at the grave according to the ritual of the order.
Captain Tyrell was born in Burlington, Vermont, and moved into this state when a young man. He always had a liking for military matters, and when the Mexican war broke out was one of the first of offer his services to the state. He received a letter from the adjutant general April 10th, 1846 which authorized him to enlist a company of volunteers for the war. In less than a week he reported at Albany, with a full company.
After the expiration of his term of service, he settled in Oxford, but soon removed to Norwich. Here he became identified with the state militia and was made captain of the Norwich artillery company, which was attached to the old 41st regiment. He was very popular with his men and soon had his militia soldiers well in hand and thoroughly perfected in the manual of arms and field evolutions. In those times when Capt. Tyrell marched at the head of his troops armed with long muskets and glittering bayonets, dressed in gorgeous uniforms, tall hats and waving feathers, having two brass six pounders and cannons drawn by spirited horses, dove tailed among the steady platoons and headed by a full military band under the leadership of Jim Wescott and his famous bugle--Uncle Charlie playing the fife--training days were holidays for the boys, rare and wonderful, from the moment the first uniform appeared with the early dawn till company dismission at the old armory, at set of sun. The present era supplies the small boy with nothing to fill their places.
When the war of the rebellion broke out, Captain Tyrell came immediately to the front. The news of the attack on Fort Sumpter was received here Saturday, April 13th. On the 15th it surrendered. On the 17th Captain Tyrell had opened headquarters at the American hotel and was enlisting men. Monday morning, April 29th, he and his company went to the front. The men were sworn into service at New York and became Co. H of the 17th Regt. N.Y. Volunteers. The circumstances attending the departure of the first Norwich volunteers were detailed in the issue of The Telegraph Dec. 16th, 1885, in connection with the story of Capt. Tyrell's sword which was then printed.
After his return from the service, Capt. Tyrell removed to Waverly, where he remained until his death.
"Under rest, Thy warfare o'er"
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, April 11, 1891
"Thirty years ago," said an old veteran to the Listener, "one of the most prominent men in Norwich was Captain James Tyrrell. This was due to the fact that he was captain of the Norwich Artillery Company in the old 41st Regiment of State Militia, and was talking war all the time. The Captain made good his words by enlisting immediately after Sumpter was fired upon. He led to the front the first company of Chenango volunteers. They were attached to the 17th N.Y. or Westchester Chasseurs. Joel O. Martin, a teacher in the Academy, was his First lieutenant, who after going through four years' service committed suicide by stabbing himself to death with a penknife. E. Port Pellett, now in Barranquilla, South America, went out as Second Lieutenant. It was as a militia Captain, however, that Tyrrell achieved his greatest laurels. In the fall of '60 his company had a parade and sham fight, in the open field, which belonged to Tom Henry Lewis, and through which Canasawacta Street now runs. I was in the ranks. A man named Teale played one of the bass drums in the band that parade day. While marching around, Teale espied a tree loaded with apples. Dropping out of the ranks, he picked some of them and began to eat. Presently Captain Tyrrell saw him. Angered by such a breach of discipline, he became so excited he could not recall Teale's name, but the way in which Teale was putting down the apples suggested a simile. 'Hey there,' he cried, waving his sword, 'Hey there, you damned old Cider mill, get back into the ranks.' The recalcitrant musician got, and such was the discipline and solemnity of the occasion, not a soldier smiled."
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