The 54th New York Infantry Regiment (aka "Schwarze Yaeger" or "Hiram Barney Rifles") 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 54th New York Infantry was organized in

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

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 * '' ...

beginning August 30, 1861 and mustered in September 5, 1861 through October 16, 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 of ...

Eugene A. Kozlay. The regiment was attached to Provisional Brigade, Casey'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 December 1861. Steinwehr's Brigade, Blenker's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March 1862. Steinwehr's 2nd Brigade, Blenker's 2nd Division,

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

, Army of the Potomac, to April 1862. 2nd Brigade, Blenker's Division, Department of the Mountains, to June 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division,

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

, Army of Virginia, to September 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division,

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * XI ...

, Army of the Potomac, to November 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, XI Corps, to August 1863. 1st Brigade, Gordon's Division, Folly Island, South Carolina,

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 * X ...

, Department of the South, to April 1864. Folly Island, South Carolina, Northern District, Department of the South, to October 1864. 1st Separate Brigade, Morris Island, South Carolina, Department of the South, to July 1865. 3rd Sub-District, Department of the South, to August 1865. 1st Brigade, Department of the South, to April 1866. The 54th New York Infantry ceased to exist on December 21, 1862 when it was consolidated with the 38th New York Infantry as Companies G, H, I, and K.

Detailed service

Left New York for Washington, D.C., October 29. 1861. Duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C., until April 1862. Movement to Winchester, Va., April 5–18. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley until June. Battle of Cross Keys June 8. At Sperryville July 7 to August 8. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope's Campaign in northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 20–23. Sulphur Springs August 26–27. Battle of Groveton August 29. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Duty in the defenses of Washington. D.C., until November. Movement to Centreville November 1–19. Waterloo Bridge November 7. Reconnaissance to Snicker's Ferry and Berryville November 28–30. Movement to Fredericksburg December 9–15. "Mud March" January 20–24, 1863. At Stafford Court House until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3. Ordered to the Department of the South August 1. Siege of Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, and operations against Fort Sumter and Charleston August 9-September 7. Operations against Charleston and duty on Folly and Morris Islands, S.C., until June 1865. Expedition to John's and Islands February 6–14, 1864. James Island and October 24, 1864. Santee River February, serving duty in the District of South Carolina, Department of the South, until April 1866.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 142 men during service; 2 officers and 38 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 101 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Eugene A. Kozlay *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Charles Ashby - commanded at the Second Battle of Bull Run and at the Battle of Chancellorsville where he was captured *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Stephen Kovacs - commanded at the Battle of Chancellorsville after Ltc Ashby was captured; commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg where he was captured on July 1 * Lieutenant Ernst Both - commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg after Maj Kovacs was captured

References

* ''A Brief History of the 54th Regiment N.Y. Vet. Vol. Infantry (Hiram Barney Rifles)'' (New York: A. H. Kellogg), 1888. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links