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158th New
York Infantry
Online Books:
158th New York
Infantry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 40 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| One Hundred and Fifty-eighth New York Infantry. — Cols., James Jourdan,
William H. McNary; Lieut.-Cols., Wm. H. McNary, Hyron Kalt; Majs., William H. Burnett,
John O'Connor, Silas A. Ilsley, Hyron Kalt, William A. Furrey. This was a Brooklyn
regiment, all its members being recruited in that city except part of Co. C, which was
raised in Jamaica and New York city. It was organized at Brooklyn as one of the regiments
of the Empire (Spinola's) brigade, and went to the front under command of Col. James
Jourdan, afterwards promoted to brevet major-general. The regiment left the state on Sept.
18, 1862, about 700 strong, proceeded to Norfolk, Va., where it was mustered into the U.
S. service for three years on Nov. 11, and soon after moved to Suffolk. A few weeks later
it was ordered to New Berne, N. C, and placed in the 2nd brigade, 5th division, 18th
corps. It remained in North Carolina until the summer of 1864, when it rejoined the 18th
corps at Bermuda Hundred, Va. During its long stay in North Carolina it performed garrison
and outpost duty at New Berne, Beaufort and Morehead, and took part in several brilliant
raids. It went to the relief of Gen. Foster at Washington, N. C, when he was besieged
there in the spring of 1863, and in 1864 the regiment, led by Col. Jourdan, made a
brilliant raid into Jones and Onslow counties, N. C. Lieut. -Col. McNary served as
military governor of Beaufort. In Sept., 1864, soon after joining the Army of the James,
the regiment was attached to the 1st brigade, Heckman's (2nd) division, 18th corps and was
heavily engaged at Fort Harrison, losing 78 killed, wounded and missing. Gen. Butler wired
to Gen. Grant: "The 158th is with the Army of the James, and won its colors
handsomely at Battery Harrison." When the 24th corps was formed in Dec, 1864, it was
attached to the 1st (Foster's) division of that corps, with which it took part in the
assault on Forts Gregg and Whitworth at the time of the final attack on the works of
Petersburg, April 2, 1865. After the fall of Petersburg it followed in the pursuit of
Lee's army, being sharply engaged at Rice's station and at Clover hill, on the morning of
Lee's surrender. On that occasion the troops of the 24th corps fired the last
infantry-volley of the Army of the Potomac. The loss of the 158th in the Appomattox
campaign amounted to 55 killed, wounded and missing. During the assault on Fort Gregg,
April 2, 1865, Lieut. Edward Reilly was killed, being the only commissioned officer killed
in action during the war, though Lieut. James Crosbie was killed before Petersburg, Oct.
29, 1864, while serving with Co. D, 52nd N. Y. Four of the regiment were awarded medals of
honor by Congress for gallantry in action: Sergts. William Laing and James Howard, and
privates John Schiller and George Grube. After Lee's surrender the regiment returned to
Richmond and was there mustered out under Col. McNary, June 30, 1865. Its loss during
service was 2 officers and 49 men killed and mortally wounded; 83 men died of disease and
other causes; 4 men were accidentally killed at Batchelder's creek, N. C, by an explosion
of torpedoes; total deaths, 134. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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