The 157th New York Infantry Regiment was a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
organized in New York state during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
On August 13, 1862, Colonel Philip P. Brown Jr. was authorized to recruit this regiment in the then 23d Senatorial District of the State. It was organized at
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
, convening in the service of the United States for three years from September 19, 1862. On June 22, 1865, the men not to be
Muster (military)
The term muster means the process or event of accounting for members in a military unit. This practice of inspections led to the coining of the English idiom , meaning being sufficient. When a unit is created, it is "mustered in" and when it is d ...
with the regiment were transferred to the
54th New York Volunteer Infantry.
Organization
The companies were recruited principally:
*A at Hamilton, Madison, Sherburne and Georgetown;
*B at Oneida;
*C at Hamilton, Cincinnatus, Marathon, Cuyler, Taylor, Willet, Solon, Freetown and Pitcher;
*D at Scott, Preble and Homer;
*E at
Cortland, Virgil, Harford and Cortlandville;
*F at Smyrna, Smithfield, Lebanon, Georgetown, Hamilton, Eaton and Madison;
*G at Canastota, Lennox, Clockville, Wampsville, Oneida and Hamilton;
*H at Homer, Truxton and Cortlandville;
*I at Sullivan, Smithfield and Hamilton;
*K at Cortlandville, Marathon, Harford, Freetown and Virgil.
Service Dates
The regiment left the State September 25, 1862.
Service dates are as follows:
*From October, 1862 - 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 11th Corps
*From July 13, 1863 - 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Corps
*From August, 1863 - 2nd Brigade, Gordon's Division, 10th Corps, on
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings.
Eighteenth-cent ...
and
Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...
s, South Carolina,
*From January, 1864 - in
Schimmelfenning's Division, 10th Corps
*From February, 1864 - 1st Brigade, Ames' Division, 10th Corps, then in the District of Florida
*From June 15, 1864 - at
Beaufort Beaufort may refer to:
People and titles
* Beaufort (surname)
* House of Beaufort, English nobility
* Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England
* Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility
Places Polar regions ...
, South Carolina
*From September 5, 1864 - on Morris Island, South Carolina
*From October 22 to November 28, 1864 - at
Fort Pulaski
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, Georgia
*From November 1864 - 1st, Potter's, Brigade, Coast Division, Department of the Gulf
*From February 1865 - at
Georgetown, South Carolina
*July 10, 1865 - Commanded by Col. James C. Carmichael, it was honorably discharged and mustered out at
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
, South Carolina.
Legacy
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
the 157th participated in the
Mud March, the
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign.
Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...
, and the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
. On the
first day at Gettysburg they suffered in heavy fighting north of the town. On the
second day they were a reserve regiment rushed to the aid of the 137th New York holding the right flank on
Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill,. The modern U.S. Geographic Names System refers to "Culps Hill". which is about south of the center of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a ...
.
They guarded the "
Immortal 600"
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
officers at
Fort Pulaski
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. This was a special group of prisoners that were there for the "purpose of retaliation". Col. Brown and his men, though, treated the prisoners better than their orders specified and this led to an official reprimand for Col. Brown, much to the Confederates' dismay.
Roster
*
Casualties
*Killed in action, 5 officers, 50 enlisted men;
*Died of wounds received in action, 2 Officers, 40 enlisted men;
*Died of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 104 enlisted men;
*Total, 9 officers, 194 enlisted men;
*Aggregate, 203; of whom 1 officer, 4 enlisted men, died in the hands of the enemy
See also
*
List of New York Civil War regiments
The following units served the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Infantry
Militia infantry
Cavalry
Artillery
1st New York Light Artillery
*Battery A, 1st New York Light Artillery
*Battery B, 1st New York Light ...
References
External links
*
Military units and formations in New York (state)
Infantry 157
1862 establishments in New York (state)
Military units and formations established in 1862
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
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