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88th New
York Infantry
Online Books:
88th New York
Infantry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 31 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Eighty-eighth New York Infantry. — Cols., Henry M. Baker, Patrick Kelly,
Dennis F. Burke; Lieut.-Cols., Patrick Kelly, James Quinlan, John Smith, Dennis F. Burke,
John W. Byron; Majs., James Quinlan, William Horgan, John Smith, William G. Hart, John W.
Byron. The 88th, the 5th regiment of the Irish brigade, recruited in New York city,
Brooklyn and Jersey City, was mustered into the service of the United States at Fort
Schuyler, from Sept., 1861, to Jan., 1862, for three years, and left New York for
Washington Dec. 16, 1861. Upon its arrival it was attached to Meagher's Irish brigade (for
which it was recruited), Sumner's division, and continued in that brigade during its term
of service. It served in the vicinity of Washington until the general advance of the army
under Gen. McClellan to the Peninsula in March, 1862, when the brigade became a part of
the 1st division, 2nd corps. It was present at the siege of Yorktown and the battle of
Fair Oaks; lost 129 in killed, wounded or missing during the Seven Days' battles; was next
active in the Maryland campaign; was in the thick of the battle at Antietam and 102 were
killed or wounded; then proceeded to Charlestown, W. Va., and by short marches to
Fredericksburg, where it arrived in time to bear an important part in the assault of the
2nd corps during the battle. At Fredericksburg Maj. Horgan and 23 of his comrades were
killed, 97 were wounded and 6 missing out of 252 engaged. At Chancellorsville in the
spring of 1863, the loss of the regiment was again heavy and it became necessary to
consolidate the remaining members into a battalion of two companies before the battle of
Gettysburg, where the Irish brigade fought bravely in the wheat-field. The regiment shared
in the action of the 2nd corps at Bristoe Station and in the Mine Run campaign, and during
the winter a sufficient number of the men reenlisted to retain the 88th in the field as a
veteran organization. Three new companies joined the command in April, 1864, and
throughout the memorable campaign under Gen. Grant from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, the
88th continued to serve with unflinching courage. In the first assault on Petersburg, the
regiment lost heavily, Col. Kelly, who had succeeded Gen. Meagher in command of the
brigade, being killed. The regiment was posted at different points before Petersburg
during the siege and participated in siege duties until the fall of the fortifications. It
was mustered out at Alexandria, June 30, 1865, having lost 150 by death from wounds and 71
from other causes out of a total strength of 1,352, and having earned the right to be
known as a crack fighting regiment. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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