The 82nd New York Infantry Regiment, the "Second Militia," "Second Regiment N. Y. S. Light Infantry," or "State Guards", 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 ...

of 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 2d Regiment Militia failing to be ordered to the front under the first call, organized in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

as a regiment of volunteers, Col. G. W. B-. Tompkins, under special authority from the War Department; and was mustered in the service of the United States for three years at Washington, D. C, between May 20 and June 17, 1861. Company A was mustered out and consolidated into the other companies' July 15, 1861; a new Company A joined in September, 1861; Company D, the howitzer company of the regiment, served mostly detached from it, until it was finally converted into the 3rd New York Independent Light Artillery, and, in September, 1861, was replaced by a new company. The regiment was recruited principally in New York City, turned over to the State in September, 1861, and received its numerical volunteer designation December 7, 1861. The men not entitled to be mustered out with the regiment were, May 22, 1864, formed into a battalion of five companies, those of A and C forming Company A; those of B and G forming Company B; those of F and I forming Company C; those of D and H forming Company D, and those of E and K forming Company E, and June 28, 1864, the men of the 42d Infantry, not mustered out with their regiment, were transferred to this battalion, which was finally, July 10, 1864, transferred to the 59th Infantry. The regiment left the State May 18, 1861; served at and near Washington, D. C., from May 20, 1861; in 2d Brigade, 1st Division,

Army of Northeastern Virginia An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, from July, 1861; in Stone's Brigade, Division Potomac, from August 1, 1861; in Gorman's Brigade, Stone's Division, Army of Potomac, from October 15, 1861; in same, 1st, brigade, 2d Division, 2d Corps, Army of Potomac, from March, 1862. The regiment was quartered near the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

until July 3, 1861, when it crossed into Virginia and engaged at Bull Run, with a loss of 60 in killed, wounded and missing. After passing the winter in the defenses of Washington, it moved to the Peninsula with the general advance under McClellan in March, 1862. It participated in the siege of Yorktown; the battle of Fair Oaks; the Seven Days' fighting; was next active in the Maryland campaign and suffered severe losses at Antietam in the advance of Sedgwick's division, upon the Dunker Church. Out of 339 men engaged, 128 were reported killed, wounded or missing. The regiment arrived at

Falmouth, Virginia Falmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U. ...

, late in November; participated in the battle of Fredericksburg; returned to its camp at Falmouth; was active at Chancellorsville in May, 1863; after a short rest at Falmouth marched to Gettysburg and there suffered fearful loss, 192 members out of 365 engaged, Col. Huston being numbered among the dead. It next participated in the engagements of the 2nd corps at Auburn and Bristoe Station in the autumn and in the Mine Run campaign, and went into winter quarters at

Brandy Station, Virginia Brandy Station is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Culpeper County, Virginia, Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census ...

(during this time, a soldier or soldiers of the regiment completed a drawing entitled "How are you Fort Sumter" at the

Graffiti House The Graffiti House, located at 19484 Brandy Road in the eastern end of the town of Brandy Station, Virginia, is believed by the Brandy Station Foundation to have been built in 1858. It is one of few dwellings in the village built before the Amer ...

). Camp was broken for the Wilderness campaign late in April, 1864, and the regiment was in action constantly until after the first assault on Petersburg, where it lost 1 man killed, 9 wounded and 111 missing. On June 25, 1864, the term of service expired and the original members not reenlisted were mustered out, the remainder of the regiment being consolidated into a battalion of five companies. The regiment was conspicuous for its dash and daring and became famous for its fighting qualities.

Total strength and casualties

The total enrollment of the regiment was 1,452 members; during its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 5 officers, 129 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 5 officers, 38 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 5 officers, 84 enlisted men; total, 15 officers, 251 enlisted men; aggregate, 266; of whom 24 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.New York State Military Museum Unit History Project 82nd Infantry Regiment Civil War Second Militia; Second Regiment N. Y. S. Light Infantry; State Guards
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Commanders

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 ...

George W.B. Tompkins * Colonel Henry W. Hudson * Colonel James Huston

Notes

References

The Civil War Archive

External links