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137th New
York Infantry
Online Books:
137th New York
Infantry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 37 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| One Hundred and Thirty-seventh New York Infantry. — Cols., David Ireland, Koert S. Van Voorhes; Lieut. -Cols., Koert S. Van Voorhes, Milo B. Eldridge: Majs.,
Wetsell Willoughby, Milo B. Eldridge, Frederick A. Stoddard. This regiment, recruited in
the counties of Tompkins, Tioga and Broome — the 24th senatorial district — was
organized at Binghamton, and was there mustered into the U. S. service for three years on
Sept. 25-26, 1862. It left on the 27th, 1,007 strong, for Harper's Ferry, and was there
assigned to the 3d brigade, 2nd (Geary's) division, — the "White Star"
division — 12th corps, to which it was attached throughout the whole period of its
active service. The list of important battles in which the regiment took part includes
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wauhatchie, Missionary ridge, Lookout mountain, Ringgold,
Rocky Face ridge, Resaca, Cassville, Lost mountain, Kennesaw mountain, Peachtree creek,
the siege of Atlanta, and numerous minor actions on the march to the sea and in the
campaign of the Carolinas. Col. W. F. Fox, in his account of this regiment, says: "It
won special honors at Gettysburg, then in Greene's brigade, which, alone and unassisted,
held Culp's hill during a critical period of that battle against a desperate attack of
vastly superior force. The casualties in the 137th at Gettysburg exceeded those of any
other regiment in the corps, amounting to 40 killed, 87 wounded and 10 missing. The
gallant defense of Culp's hill by Greene's brigade, and the terrible execution inflicted
by its musketry on the assaulting column of the enemy, form one of the most noteworthy
incidents of the war. The 12th corps left Virginia in Sept., 1863, and went to Tennessee,
joining Grant's army at Chattanooga. In the month following their arrival the regiment was
engaged in the midnight battle at Wauhatchie, where it lost 15 killed and 75 wounded; and,
a few weeks later, fought with Hooker at Lookout mountain in the famous 'battle above the
clouds;' casualties in that battle, 6 killed and 32 wounded. In April, 1864, the corps
number was changed to the 20th, Gen. Hooker being placed in command. A large accession was
received from the 11th corps, but Col. Ireland and Gen. Geary retained their respective
commands. The 137th shared in all the marches and battles of the Atlanta campaign, and
then marched with Sherman to the sea." Col. Ireland succumbed to disease at Atlanta,
and Col. Van Voorhes succeeded to the command. When the campaign of the Carolinas closed
with the surrender of Johnston, the regiment marched with the corps to Washington, where
it participated in the grand review and was mustered out near Bladensburgh, Md., June 9,
1865. The total enrollment of the regiment was 1,111, of whom 6 officers and 121 men, were
killed and mortally wounded — 11.4 per cent of the enrollment; 4 officers and 167 men
died of disease, accidents, and all other causes, a total of 294. The total number of
killed and wounded was 490. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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