Overview
The 140th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment from New York, organized at Rochester and mustered into United States service on September 13, 1862, for a three-year term. Known as the “Rochester Racehorses,” the regiment was recruited primarily from Monroe County. The 140th served in the Army of the Potomac, participating in many of the major campaigns and battles in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. The regiment was noted for its distinctive Zouave uniform and for the gallantry of its officers and men, particularly at Gettysburg.
The regiment received the three-year men of the 13th New York Infantry in June 1863 and, in October 1864, the veterans and recruits of the 44th New York Infantry. The 140th New York Infantry was mustered out near Alexandria, Virginia, on June 3, 1865.
Organization & Service
The 140th New York Infantry was organized at Rochester, New York, and mustered into service on September 13, 1862. The regiment left the state on September 19, 1862, and proceeded to Washington, D.C. In November 1862, it joined the Army of the Potomac and was assigned to the 3rd (Warren’s) Brigade, 2nd (Sykes’) Division, 5th Corps. The regiment first saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, where it suffered a small number of wounded and missing.
In May 1863, the 140th participated in the Battle of Chancellorsville, with losses totaling 21 killed, wounded, and missing. At Gettysburg in July 1863, the regiment was part of Ayres’ Division and played a significant role in the defense of Little Round Top, where Colonel Patrick H. O’Rorke was killed leading his men. The regiment lost 26 killed, 89 wounded, and 18 missing at Gettysburg.
During 1864, the 140th was brigaded with regular army units under General Ayres, later transferring to the 1st Brigade of Ayres’ (2nd) Division in June. The brigade was commanded at various times by Colonel Gregory, General Joseph Hayes, Colonel Otis, and General Winthrop. The regiment was heavily engaged in the Wilderness Campaign, suffering severe losses: 23 killed, 118 wounded, and 114 captured or missing. At Spotsylvania, Colonel George Ryan and Major Milo L. Starks were killed, with additional casualties of 12 killed and 48 wounded. The regiment also saw action at the Weldon Railroad, Bethesda Church, Poplar Spring Church, Hatcher’s Run, White Oak Road, and Five Forks, among others.
The 140th New York Infantry was mustered out of service on June 3, 1865, near Alexandria, Virginia, under Colonel William S. Grantsyne.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Fredericksburg
- Chancellorsville
- Gettysburg
- Bristoe Station
- Rappahannock Station
- Mine Run Campaign
- Wilderness
- Spotsylvania
- North Anna
- Totopotomy
- Bethesda Church
- White Oak Swamp
- Siege of Petersburg
- Weldon Railroad
- Poplar Spring Church
- Hatcher’s Run
- White Oak Road
- Five Forks
- Appomattox Campaign
Casualties
- Total enrollment: 1,707
- Killed or died of wounds: 8 officers, 141 enlisted men
- Died of disease and other causes: 2 officers, 168 enlisted men
- Total deaths: 319 (including 77 who died in Confederate prisons)
- Total killed and wounded: 533
Casualty figures are based on official reports and regimental histories.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Patrick H. O’Rorke (killed at Gettysburg)
- Colonel George Ryan (killed at Spotsylvania)
- Colonel Elwell S. Otis
- Colonel William S. Grantsyne
- Lieutenant Colonel Louis Ernest
- Lieutenant Colonel Isaiah F. Force
- Lieutenant Colonel W. James Clark
- Major Milo L. Starks (killed at Spotsylvania)
- Major Benjamin F. Harman
- Major William J. Clark
- Major Willard Abbott
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 140th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and service details for those who served in the regiment.
To view the complete roster, visit the 140th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 21, 25, 27, 36, 40, 46
- New York State Adjutant General’s Reports
- Dyer, Frederick H. “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion”
- Fox, William F. “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War”
- “The Union Army,” Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 2
- Contemporary wartime reports and regimental documents