FRANKLIN
WHITBECK
158th New York Volunteers
Sergeant, Company D
Yaphank
Franklin Whitbeck
Sgt. 158th New York Volunteers, Co. D
Yaphank
Franklin Whitbeck lived in Yaphank with his father,
Tunis, who was a wheelwright. Franklin was one of nine
brothers and sisters. At the age of twenty, he decided to
leave his life of farming and enlist in the army. He
joined the 158th New York in Brooklyn on August 15, 1862.
At the time, he stood five feet eight inches tall, had
gray eyes and light hair.
Whitbeck was ill for most of his early
service with the 158th. According to the company muster
rolls, he was sick with an undisclosed illness at Macon
Hospital at Portsmouth, Virginia, from November 1862
until August of 1863. On August 25, the Medical Inspector
transferred him to Battalion No. 2 of the Invalid Corp.
Whitbeck remained there until his health was restored.
On March 13, 1864, Whitbeck returned to
the 158th NY. He was present with his regiment during the
siege of Petersburg. On September 1, 1864, Whitbeck was
promoted to the rank of sergeant. He participated in the
battle of Chaffins farm, which resulted in 78 casualties
for the 158th NY.
In November of 1864, Whitbeck was in
charge of drilling colored troops. The Emancipation
Proclamation not only freed slaves, but also enlisted
blacks into the Union army and navy. 180,000 blacks ended
up serving the Union cause, a tremendous help when
enlistment was down and men were needed. Enlisting black
troops, however, was not universally liked, especially in
the border states where they had slaves but were loyal to
the Union. Some soldiers in these and other states
refused to fight now that the war had become an issue of
emancipation.
The South responded to black enlistment
by giving an order that all former slaves serving in the
Union army who were captured would not be treated as
prisoners; rather, they would be executed. Any white
officer leading black troops could expect the same.
Although the order was never officially enforced,
Confederate forces were known to kill surrendering black
soldiers.
A white officer leading black troops was
promoted quickly, as Whitbeck learned. He was promoted to
Lieutenant in charge of Colored Troops on January 5,
1865. He never had to face the wrath of Confederate
forces, however, because he was discharged from the army
ten days later by Major General Gibbon at Deep Bottom,
Virginia.
There was no reason given for the
discharge, and there is no record of a pension file for
Whitbeck. His story seems to end when he was discharged.
Although many members of the Whitbeck family continued to
live and prosper in Yaphank, Franklin never returned.