The 17th New York Infantry Regiment ("Westchester Chasseurs") was an

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 ...

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 ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

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 ...

Service

The 17th New York Infantry was organized May 14, 1861, at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and mustered in on May 28, 1861, for two years' service under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Henry Seymour Lansing. The regiment was attached to Mansfield's Command,

Department of Washington Department of Washington, was a department of the Union Army constituted on April 9, 1861. It consisted of the District of Columbia to its original boundaries, and the State of Maryland as far as Bladensburg. It was merged into the Military D ...

, June to August 1861. Garrison,

Fort Ellsworth Fort Ellsworth was a timber and earthwork fortification constructed west of Alexandria, Virginia, as part of the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War. Built in the weeks following the Union defeat at Bull Run, Fort Ellswort ...

, Defenses of Washington, D.C. to October 1861. Butterfield's Brigade, Porter's Division,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, to March 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division,

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

, Army of the Potomac, to May 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division,

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

, to June 1863. Men who enlisted for three years' service were detached on May 13, 1863, assigned to a battalion of New York volunteers, and eventually transferred to the

146th New York Volunteer Infantry The 146th New York Infantry Regiment, nicknamed Garrard's Tigers, was a Federal regiment which mustered on October 10, 1862, and mustered out on July 16, 1865. The regiment was raised and organized in Rome, New York, and was known as the 5th Onei ...

. The 17th New York Infantry mustered out of the service on June 2, 1863.

Detailed service

Left New York for Washington, D.C., June 21. Duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C., until March 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10–15, 1862. Moved to the Peninsula, Va., March 22–24. Peninsula Campaign March to August. Warwick Road April 5. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Reconnaissance up the Pamunkey May 10. Battle of Hanover Court House May 27. Operations about Hanover Court House May 27–29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Operations about White House Landing June 26-July 2. White House June 28. Duty at Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Fort Monroe, then to Centreville August 16–28. Pope's Campaign in northern Virginia August 28-September 2. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6–22. Battle of Antietam September 16–17. Shepherdstown September 19. Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12–15. Expedition to Richards' and Ellis' Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29–30. "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863. At Falmouth until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. According to Brigader General

Daniel Butterfield Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Assistant Treasurer of the United States. After working for American Express, co-founded by his father, ...

, the 17th distinguished themselves honorably at the

Battle of Hanover Court House The Battle of Hanover Court House, also known as the Battle of Slash Church, took place on May 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. On May 27, elements of Brig. Gen. Fitz John Po ...

. They along with the rest of the Third Brigade "charged the enemy and drove him back, capturing one of his cannon with caisson and ammunition complete. They additionally routed Confederate forces as they pursued them by a railroad close to the Hanover Court House. Butterfield recalled his brigade "capturing many prisoners, in fact encumbered ourselves with them..." In total 225 prisoners were captured in this battle. Praise was given to Lieutenant John Burliegh of Yonkers by Butterfield for his pursuit of the enemy. At the Second Battle of Run, the 17th fought bravely but suffered high casualties. Major William T.C. Grower of the 17th reported that he "gave the word double-quick, charge, and with a mad yell the gallant fellows rushed up the hill to what was almost certain death." They charged up a plateau but not able to go any further. Canister and rifle smashed through their ranks from two different directions. Major Grower was wounded but he was fortunate enough to survive. Other officers were killed in action trying to rally their men. "Captains Deinerest and Blauvelt were shot dead while nobly cheering on their men." The 17th held the plateau for approximately fifteen minutes before they retreated. In total, 11 officers and 200 were casualties in this engagement. Three officers and twenty-four men were killed in action. 17th New York Infantry on parade - NARA - 525032 (cropped)

17th New York Infantry on parade - NARA - 525032 (cropped)

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 77 men during service; 5 officers and 32 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 37 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Henry Seymour Lansing * Colonel William T. C. Grower * Colonel Joel O. Martin * Colonel James Lake

References

* Dearing, Gilbert H. ''Chronological History of the 17th Regiment of N.Y. Infantry Volunteers'' (Sing Sing, NY: Sunnyside Print. Co.), 1894. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Westervelt, William B. ''Lights and Shadows of Army Life: As Seen by a Private Soldier'' (Marlboro, NY: C. H. Cochrane), 1886. ;Attribution *

External links