The 1st New York Engineer Regiment was an
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
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 ...
that served 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 ...
. It was also known as Serrell's Engineers,
New York Volunteer Corps of Engineers,
or Engineer's and Artizans.
The regiment served initially in the
Lower Seaboard Theater, and later in the
Richmond–Petersburg Campaign.
Organization and muster
In 1860 the army Corps of Engineers consisted of just 44 officers and 100 soldiers for an army of 15,000 soldiers. After the formation of the
Confederacy and the
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War.
Follo ...
, Congress authorized a massive increase in the number of specialized engineer troops on August 3, 1861, to complement the growing Union Army.
Edward W. Serrell, a prominent
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
obtained authorization to begin recruiting an engineer regiment which would become known as the 1st New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment, or Serrell's Engineers.
The regiment was accepted by the state on September 27, 1861. Serrell was appointed a
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 ...
of Volunteers on October 11, 1861, and promoted to a full
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 ...
by December of that year. The regiment was officially organized in
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 ...
, and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on October 11, 1861.
Volunteers were recruited by company:
*Company A: New York City
*Company B: New York City
*Company C:
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
,
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 ...
,
Cooperstown
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...
,
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
, and
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
*Company D: New York City
*Company E:
Kingston, PA
Kingston is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the western bank of the Susquehanna River opposite the city of Wilkes-Barre. Kingston was first settled in the early 1770s; it was incorporated as a borough in ...
, Newark,
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north of ...
,
Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
, and
Ulster County
Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.
History
...
*Company F: New York City,
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 ...
,
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
,
Canandaigua
Canandaigua (; ''Utaʼnaráhkhwaʼ'' in Tuscarora) is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,545 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county compl ...
, and Newark
*Company G: New York City, Canandaigua, and
Otsego County
*Company H: New York City
*Company I: New York City,
Newburgh,
Schuyler's Falls,
Mooers,
Goshen,
Saranac,
Piermont,
Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...
,
Centerville, and
Ellenburgh
*Company K: New Jersey at
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
,
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
,
Paterson,
Morristown,
Stanhope, and
Rockaway
*Company L: New York City
*Company M: New York City, Brooklyn,
Tompkinsville,
Kingston, and
Tarrytown
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hu ...
Upon formation, the volunteer engineers were promised pay wages one-third greater than that of the line. After the unit had been mustered, the Paymaster General refused to recognize the status of the newly formed regiment, and paid them the same rate as infantry. After protests to the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
failed to rectify the situation, the men refused to take their reduced pay. Finally, after eight months of refusing to accept the lower wages, the order finally came through to increase the soldiers' pay to the agreed amount.
Department of the South
![1st NY Eng Co F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/1st_NY_Eng_Co_F.jpg)
The 1st New York was deployed to
Port Royal Sound Port Royal Sound is a coastal sound, or inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the Sea Islands region, in Beaufort County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the estuary of several rivers, the largest of which is the Broad River.
Geograph ...
and was formed as the 10th Corps Engineers in the Department of the South. The regiment sailed for Port Royal from New York Harbor on October 13, 1861 aboard the steamship ''
Star of the South''. The regiment distinguished itself in the
Battle of Fort Pulaski
The siege of Fort Pulaski (or the Siege and Reduction of Fort Pulaski) concluded with the Battle of Fort Pulaski fought April 10–11, 1862, during the American Civil War. Union forces on Tybee Island and naval operations conducted a 112-day si ...
, helping to capture the fort after 30 hours of
bombardment
A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings.
Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, ...
, constructing batteries for the new
James rifled cannon. The 1st New York was given the honor of having their regimental flag chosen as the first to float over Fort Pulaski after its capture.
The regiment was employed throughout the east coast, from South Carolina to Florida.
While serving in the
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
* ...
, the regiment was involved in capturing several key forts in
Charleston Harbor
The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston H ...
. After the failed infantry assault on
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 Agai ...
which included the famous charge by the
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry ...
, retold in the climax of the feature film ''
Glory'', the 1st New York Engineers were tasked with conducting a traditional
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
on the fort. After 60 days of shelling, the defenders abandoned the fort on September 7, 1863.
Using
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 ...
as a staging area, the X Corps could focus on recapturing
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
, the site of the first military action of the Civil War. During the
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War.
Follo ...
, the 1st New York established watchtowers and built batteries in an attempt to pummel the fort into capitulation. However, in spite of a near constant bombardment, as well as a failed amphibious assault, Union forces were unable to occupy the fort until its abandonment by
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 ...
forces on February 17, 1865.
The Marsh Battery and the Swamp Angel
![SwampAngelPHOTO](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/SwampAngelPHOTO.jpg)
Unable to recapture Fort Sumter, the X Corps under Gen.
Quincy Adams Gillmore
Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his m ...
turned their attention to the nearby city of Charleston. Gillmore wanted to shell Charleston using
Greek Fire
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Eastern Roman Empire beginning . Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact w ...
to force its capitulation without capturing the harbor forts, so he instructed Serrell to explore the possibilities of constructing a battery in the marshes between
James Island and Morris Island.
According to legend Serrell gave the duty to a young engineer who declared the project could not be done. Serrell told the doubting engineer that nothing was impossible, and to requisition any necessary materials. A short time later Serrell received a request for twenty men eighteen feet tall. At the same time there was a request to the department's surgeon to splice three six-foot men together to make the needed eighteen footers. The request did not amuse Serrell, and he soon replaced the young officer.
Serrell assumed personal responsibility and conducted a series of experiments to establish the capability of the soil to support weight. He believed the soil could be stabilized enough to receive the weight of a siege piece. A plan was presented to Gilmore for the construction of a battery on August 2, 1863. It was immediately accepted, and several days were spent setting up support activities to supply lumber and other materials. Construction began on 10 August.
The engineers built a rectangular frame of sheet piling that was driven by a lever activated ram. The first measure to reinforce the soil was "a thick stratum of grass."
This was covered by two layers of tarpaulin followed by "15 inches of well rammed sand."
A platform consisting of three layers of 3 inch pine planks topped off the position.
The "Marsh Battery" was completed on August 17, 1863, and stood ready for its armament. The "
Swamp Angel," an
8-inch, 200 pound Parrott Rifle was positioned in the battery, and the
11th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment manned the weapon,
firing incendiary shells at the city of Charleston from August 22–23 of 1863.
After lobbing 35 shells into Charleston the Swamp Angel burst, and the battery was abandoned. Like Sumter before, Charleston held out under bombardment and did not capitulate until February 18, 1865.
The artillery piece also inspired a poem by Herman Melville, and is known as one of the most famous artillery pieces of the Civil War.
Army of the James
In the spring of 1864, companies B, C, E, F, H, K, L & M were sent to join
Benjamin Butler's 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 (Virginia), James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.
Histor ...
, and Serrell was again named chief engineer of the Corps. They participated in the
Bermuda Hundred Campaign, building the entire Bermuda Hundred Line, laid many miles of
corduroy road
A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the bes ...
s, dredged the
Dutch Gap Canal
Dutch Gap Canal is located on the James River in Chesterfield County, Virginia just north of the lost 17th-century town of Henricus. The canal's construction was initiated by Union forces during the American Civil War to bypass a meander loop of ...
, and constructed the abutments and roads that connected the pontoon bridge assembled by the Engineers of the
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 ...
with
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia, that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.
History
1613-186 ...
.
During the
Richmond–Petersburg Campaign, the Confederate line was broken at
Fort Harrison, and the 1st New York set the new line from the newly constructed Fort Brady to Fort Harrison and over to
Deep Bottom.
After the fall of Petersburg, the 1st New York was formed into the Engineer Brigade, along with the 15th New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment and the 50th New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment. Col. Serrell was honorably discharged on February 15, 1865, and Col. James F. Hall took command of the regiment until the end of the war.
The regiment was mustered out on June 30, 1865.
Casualties
The regiment lost 2 officers, and 25 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in combat. 5 Officers and 116 Enlisted men died from disease, for a total of 148 casualties.
Commanders
* Colonel Edward W. Serrell
* Colonel James F. Hall
Notable soldiers
*Lieutenant
Frederick Clarke Withers
Frederick Clarke Withers (4 February 1828 – 7 January 1901) was an English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival ecclesiastical designs. For portions of his professional career, he partnered with fellow immigrant Cal ...
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 ...
*
List of Engineer Regiments of the Union Army
Engineer Regiments were a key aspect of the Union army during the American Civil War. The duties engineer regiments during the American Civil War included destroying and building transportation networks, erecting defensive and offensive emplacemen ...
External links
1st New York Volunteer Engineers Descendants’ Depot
Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st New York Engineer Regiment
Military units and formations in New York (state)
Engineer 001
1861 establishments in New York (state)
Military units and formations established in 1861
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
Engineer units and formations of the Union Army