The 48th New York Infantry Regiment 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 mar ...

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 conscript ...

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

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 ...

Service

The 48th New York Infantry was organized at

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York and mustered in for three years service on September 10, 1861, 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 o ...

James H. Perry. The regiment was attached to Viele's 1st Brigade, Sherman's South Carolina Expeditionary Corps, to April 1862. Fort Pulaski, Georgia,

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

Department of the South The Department of the South was a military department of the United States Army that existed in several iterations in the 19th century during and after the American Civil War. 1862–65 After the first 11 months of the American Civil War, startin ...

, to May 1863. St. Helena Island, South Carolina, X Corps, to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, Folly Island, South Carolina, to July 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Morris Island, South Carolina, to August 1863. St. Augustine, Florida, to October 1863. District of Hilton Head, South Carolina, to January 1864. Barton's Brigade, District of Hilton Head, South Carolina, to February 1864. Barton's Brigade, District of Florida, February 1864. Barton's Brigade, Ames' Division, District of Florida, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, X Corps,

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

Department of Virginia and North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departmen ...

, to May 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, XVIII Corps, to June 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, X Corps, to December 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, XXIV Corps, to January 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Terry's Provisional Corps,

Department of North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departme ...

, to March 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, X Corps, Department of North Carolina, to July 1865. Department of North Carolina to August 1865. The 48th New York Infantry mustered out of service on August 16, 1865.

Detailed service

The 48th, the "Continental Guard," contained seven Brooklyn companies, one from New York, one from Monmouth County, N. J., and one from Brooklyn and Monmouth county. It was mustered into the U. S. service at Brooklyn Aug. 16 to Sept. 14, 1861, for three years; left the state for

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Sept. 16; was attached to the 1st brigade of Gen. Sherman's force; embarked for Port Royal late in October, and was active in the capture of the fortifications of Port Royal ferry Jan. 1, 1862. In the siege operations against Fort Pulaski, Ga., the 48th took a prominent part and after the fall of the fortress was assigned to garrison duty there with expeditions in September and October to Bluffton, Cranston's Bluff and Mackay's Point. In June, 1863, the regiment with the exception of Cos. G and I, left Fort Pulaski and proceeded to

Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of Charleston. The island is ...

, where it was there attached to Strong's Brigade, 10th Corps, with which it participated in the movement against

Fort Wagner Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Again ...

in July. In the assault of July 18, the loss of the 48th was 242 killed, wounded and missing, including Col. Barton wounded and Lieut.-Col. Green killed. The regiment received high praise from the commanding officers for its gallantry in this action. In August it formed a part of the Florida expedition; was posted for some time at St. Augustine; participated in the disastrous battle at Olustee, with a loss of 44 in killed, wounded and missing; then retired to

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

; proceeded up the river to Palatka on March 10, 1864, remained there until April when it was transferred to the Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred, and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 10th Corps. In the engagement at Port Walthall Junction the regiment again showed its mettle by heroic conduct in spite of severe loss. On May 30 it was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, and on June 15, to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 10th Corps. It took a prominent part in the battle of Cold Harbor; was in the first assault on Petersburg and in action at the explosion of the mine; and was engaged at Strawberry Plains and Fort Harrison. The original members not reenlisted were mustered out at

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on Sept. 24, 1864, but 350 members having reenlisted in Dec., 1863, the regiment retained its organization. In Dec., 1864, with the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 24th Corps, the 48th was ordered to Fort Fisher, N. C., was active in the capture of the fortifications there in Jan., 1865, and served for some months in that vicinity. In March it was attached to the provisional corps, in April to the 10th Corps and during the summer months performed various routine duties in the neighborhood of Raleigh, N. C., where it was finally mustered out on Sept. 1, 1865. During its term of service 2,173 members were enrolled, and of these 236 or over 10 percent, were killed or mortally wounded in action, a loss exceeded among the regiments of the state only by the 69th and 40th. It was 17th in the list of all of the regiments of the Union armies in total loss. In the battles of the regiment 868 men were reported killed, wounded or missing, and it earned by desperate fighting its right to be known as a crack fighting regiment.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 369 men during service; 18 officers and 218 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 131 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel James H. Perry - died in the service, June 18, 1862 * Colonel William B. Barton * Colonel William B. Coan

Notable members

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

Joseph C. Hibson, Company C -

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient for action near Fort Wagner on three occasions

Service

Detailed service

Casualties

Commanders

Notable members

See also

References

Further reading