The 161st 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 ...

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 regiment was organized in Elmira, New York and was mustered in for a three-year enlistment on October 27, 1862; it was composed of companies from Chemung, Steuben,

Schuyler Schuyler may refer to: Places United States * Schuyler County, Illinois * Schuyler County, Missouri * Schuyler, Nebraska, a city * Schuyler County, New York * Schuyler, New York, a town * Schuyler Island, Lake Champlain, New York * Schuyler C ...

, Chenango and Broome Counties. During this time, a

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...

epidemic caused many deaths, with subsequent desertions both at Elmira and 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 ...

. The regiment left the State December 4, 1862; it served in

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's Division,

Department of the Gulf The Department of the Gulf was a command of the United States Army in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. History United States Army (Civil War) Creation The department was co ...

, from December, 1862; in 2d Brigade, Augur's Division, from December 31, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, Augur's Division, 19th Corps, from January 21, 1863; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Corps, from March, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 19th Corps, from August 15, 1863; in the Engineer Brigade, Department of the Gulf, from June, 1864; with the 17th Corps from August 14, 1864; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, Reserve, 19th Corps, from August 17, 1864; at

Columbus, Kentucky Columbus is a home rule-class city in Hickman County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 170 at the 2010 census, a decline from 229 in 2000. The city lies at the western end of the state, less than a mile from the Mississippi Ri ...

, from October 26, 1864; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, Reserve, 19th Corps, at

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, from November 20, 1864; in the 4th Brigade, Reserve, Military Division of West Mississippi, from December 4, 1864; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 13th Corps, from February, 1865; in the District of Florida in June, 1865. The spring 1863 attack on Port Hudson and the battle at Donaldsonville caused many casualties; illness at

New Iberia New Iberia (french: La Nouvelle-Ibérie; es, Nueva Iberia) is the largest city in and parish seat of Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, and forms part of the Laf ...

caused many deaths while the autumn attack on

Sabine Pass Sabine Pass is the natural outlet of Sabine Lake into the Gulf of Mexico. It borders Jefferson County, Texas, and Cameron Parish, Louisiana. History Civil War Two major battles occurred here during the American Civil War, known as the First and ...

resulted in many captured. New recruits arrived in the winter of 1863–4 in time for the Red River Campaign. At the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads, many were wounded and captured, while in the summer many deaths from chronic

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occurred at Morganza. New recruits again arrived in the fall, while the beginning of 1865 saw a steamboat accident with drownings and injuries. In the spring, the regiment participated in the Mobile Campaign, then traveled to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. They were in the

Department of Florida Department of Florida, was the military administrative department established by the Union Army. The Department of Florida was established on April 13, 1861 to defend and administer the few remaining Federal installations remaining in Florida. Fo ...

from July, 1865, and assigned to

Fort Jefferson, Florida Fort Jefferson is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. It is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, and is composed of over 16 million bricks. The building covers . Among United States forts, only Fort Monroe in Virginia a ...

in Aug. 1865; the regiment was honorably discharged and mustered out November 12, 1865, at

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the populatio ...

Total strength and casualties

During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 32 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 23 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 250 enlisted men; total, 1 officer, 305 enlisted men; aggregate, 306; of whom 13 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.New York State Military Museum Unit History Project 161st Infantry Regiment Civil War
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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 ...

Gabriel T. Harrower *Colonel Henry G. Harrower * Lieutenant Colonel Marvin D. Stillwell *Lieutenant Colonel William B. Kinsey * Major Charles Straun *Major Willis E. Craig

Notes

{{reflist

References

The Civil War Archive

External links