| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
63rd New
York Infantry
Online Books:
63rd New York
Infantry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 27 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Sixty-third New York Infantry. — Cols., Richard C. Enright, John Burke, Henry
Fowler, Richard C. Bentley, John H. Gleason, James D. Brady; Lieut. -Cols., Henry Fowler,
Richard C. Bentley, John Stewart, John H. Gleason, James D. Brady, William H. Terwilliger;
Majs., Thomas F. Lynch, Richard C. Bentley, Joseph O'Neil, Thomas Touhey, Miles McDonald,
John H. Gleason, James D. Brady, William H. Terwilliger, James McQuade. The 63d, the 3d
Irish regiment, composed mainly of recruits from New York city, but containing a number
from Boston and some from Albany, was mustered into the service of the United States at
New York city from Sept. to Dec, 1861, for three years. It left New York Nov. 28, 1861,
for Washington and was assigned to the Irish brigade in Sumner's division, which became
the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 2nd corps, Army of the Potomac. The regiment remained in
the vicinity of Washington during the winter but was early in motion in the general
advance to the Peninsula. Trench duty and picket duty occupied the troops during the siege
of Yorktown but the regiment was in action at Williamsburg, Fair Oaks and during the Seven
Days' battles. At Antietam the Irish brigade showed its mettle, the 63d losing 6 officers
mortally wounded and 202 killed or wounded out of 341 engaged. The regiment then moved
into Virginia and arrived at Falmouth in November. It went into the battle at
Fredericksburg with 162 men, of whom 44 were reported killed, wounded or missing. After
spending the winter in camp near Falmouth the 63d participated in the Chancellorsville
campaign, and in June, 1863, was consolidated into two companies. This little force lost
23 at Gettysburg, fought at Auburn and Bristoe Station, shared in the Mine Run campaign,
and established winter quarters near Brandy Station. In Oct., 1863, a company of new
recruits was added to the regiment, two more companies in April, 1864, and in June, 1864,
one company, which with the reenlisted men continued it in service as a veteran
organization. At the Wilderness 99 of the regiment fell, and 31 in the week following,
among them Maj. Touhey. At Cold Harbor and in the first engagements before Petersburg the
loss was severe. The regiment was active at Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Reams'
station, Hatcher's run, Fort Stedman, the final assault on April 2, 1865, and joined in
the pursuit to Appomattox. It was mustered out at Alexandria on June 30, 1865, having lost
157 by death from wounds and 95 from other causes, out of a total enrollment of 1,411. The
Irish brigade, as well as the individual regiments composing it, became noted for bravery
on many a hard-fought field, and the 63d, which was one of the original regiments of the
brigade, was one of New York's most gallant organizations. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|