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73rd New
York Infantry
Online Books:
73rd New York
Infantry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 28 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Seventy-third New York Infantry. — Cols., William R. Brewster, Michael W.
Burns, James Fairman; Lieut. -Cols., William McCanley, Michael W. Burns, James McKenna,
Lewis Benedict, Jr.; Majs., Michael W. Burns, John P. Lawrence, Lawrence H. Thompson, John
D. Moriarty. The 73d, the 4th regiment of the Excelsior brigade, was sometimes known as
the 2nd Fire Zouaves, having for its nucleus the New York fire department. It was
recruited principally in New York city and mustered into the U. S. service at Staten
island, July 8 to Oct. 8, 1861. It left New York for Washington Oct. 8; was assigned to
Sickles' brigade, Hooker's division, which became in March, 1862, the 2nd brigade, 2nd
division, 3d corps of the Army of the Potomac, and served during the first winter at Good
Hope, Md. It moved to the Peninsula with McClellan's army in April, 1862; participated in
the siege of Yorktown and the battle of Williamsburg, meeting with its first severe loss
in the latter engagement, where 104 of the regiment were killed, wounded or reported
missing and the troops displayed great courage and steadiness. At Fair Oaks and during the
Seven Days' battles the 73d was constantly in action and was much in need of rest by the
time it reached the camp at Harrison's landing. On its way from the Peninsula to join
Pope's forces the brigade had a sharp engagement at Bristoe Station, in which the regiment
lost 46 killed or wounded. It was active at the second Bull Run, was then withdrawn to the
defenses of Washington with the Excelsior brigade to recuperate, and left for Falmouth in
November. In the autumn of 1862 a new company joined the regiment and in Jan. 1863, it
received the members of the 163d N. Y. infantry into its ranks. The 73d was active at
Fredericksburg; returned to its quarters at Falmouth; engaged at Chancellorsville in May,
1863, but met its greatest losses at Gettysburg on the second day of the battle, where 51
were killed, 103 wounded and 8 missing out of 324 engaged, or 50 per cent. The loss of the
regiment at Gettysburg included 4 officers killed and 1 wounded, and during its term of
service it lost 18 officers killed or mortally wounded, a loss only exceeded by four other
regiments in the army. It was engaged at Wapping heights, Catlett's station, Brandy
Station, at Kelly's ford and Locust Grove, and went into winter quarters at Brandy
Station. During the winter of 1863-64 a sufficient number of men reenlisted to secure the
continuance of the regiment in the field as a veteran organization and in April, 1864,
camp was broken for the Wilderness campaign, in which the regiment served with the 2nd
brigade, 4th division, 2nd corps until May 13, when it was assigned to the 4th brigade, 3d
division, 2nd corps. It lost 66 in the first two days' fighting in the Wilderness, 30 at
Spottsylvania, and continued in service during the battles leading up to Petersburg. At
the expiration of their term of service the original members not reenlisted were mustered
out and the veterans and recruits consolidated into seven companies, which served from
July in the 1st brigade of the same division before Petersburg, where the regiment
participated in the various engagements of the brigade, the final assault and pursuit to
Appomattox. The 73d was mustered out at Washington, June 29, 1865, having received on June
1, the veterans and recruits of the 120th N. Y. infantry. The total enrollment of the
regiment was 1,326, of whom 153 died from wounds and 76 died from accident, imprisonment
or disease. The regiment sustained its part nobly in a brigade which became famous for its
fighting qualities and well deserves its reputation as a crack fighting regiment. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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