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66th New
York Infantry
Online Books:
66th 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-sixth New York Infantry. — Cols., Joseph C. Pinckney, Orlando H.
Morris, John S. Hammell; Lieut.-Cols., James H. Bull, John S. Hammell; Majs., Orlando H.
Morris, Peter Nelson. The 66th, the "Governor's Guard," was the outgrowth of the
6th militia, recruited mainly in New York city, and was mustered into the U. S. service at
New York, Nov. 4, 1861, for a three years' term. It left New York for Washington, Nov. 16,
1861, was assigned to Graham's brigade, Buell's division, until Jan., 1862, when it became
a part of French's brigade, Sumner's division, which became in March, the 3d brigade, 1st
division, 2nd corps, Army of the Potomac. It reached the Peninsula in time to be present
during the latter part of the siege of Yorktown; was active at Fair Oaks and during the
Seven Days' battles, but suffered its most severe loss at Antietam, where 103 were killed,
wounded or captured, among them Chaplain Dwight, who was in the midst of the fight. The
66th proceeded through Charlestown, W. Va., and Snicker's gap, to Fredericksburg, where it
lost 75 in killed, wounded and missing out of 238 engaged. It was then in the 3d (Zook's)
brigade of Hancock's division, which also suffered severely at Chancellorsville, the loss
of the 66th being 70 men. The 2nd corps continued to see arduous service through the hard
fought field of Gettysburg and the actions at Auburn and Bristoe Station, the last being a
2nd corps engagement. After the Mine Run movement the regiment went into winter quarters
with the Army of the Potomac and when the spring campaign opened, was assigned to the 4th
brigade of its old division. In Grant's campaign in the Wilderness the heaviest losses of
the 66th were suffered during the first week, but it continued in active service through
Cold Harbor, where Col. Morris, commanding the brigade was killed, and the siege of
Petersburg, losing heavily in the first assault on the fortifications. In the autumn of
1864 the original members not reenlisted were mustered out and the reenlisted men and
recruits remained at the front as a veteran organization. After the fall of Petersburg the
regiment was ordered to Fort Richmond, New York harbor, and there remained until Aug. 30,
when it was mustered out, having lost 107 from wounds during the term of service and 124
from other causes. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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