111th New York Infantry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 111th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service) was an infantry regiment organized at Auburn, New York, primarily from companies recruited in Cayuga and Wayne counties, within the Twenty-fifth senatorial district. The regiment was mustered into United States service on August 20, 1862, for the Union Army. It served in the Eastern Theater and became noted for its extensive combat record and heavy casualties.

No regiment sent out by New York saw harder service than the 111th. The unit participated in many of the major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac and was recognized by Col. Fox as one of the “three hundred fighting regiments.”

Organization & Service

The 111th New York Infantry was organized at Auburn, New York, and mustered in on August 20, 1862. The regiment departed for Harper’s Ferry the following day. In September 1862, it was surrendered with the Harper’s Ferry garrison. The men were paroled and sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago. After being declared exchanged in December 1862, the regiment went into winter quarters at Centerville, Virginia.

Initially, the regiment was assigned to the 3rd (Alexander Hays’) Brigade, Casey’s Division, 22nd Corps, where it remained until June 1863. On June 25, 1863, the brigade joined the 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac, en route to Gettysburg. At Gettysburg, the regiment left two companies on guard at Accotink Bridge; the remaining eight companies, numbering 390 men, were engaged on the second day of the battle as part of Willard’s Brigade.

Following Gettysburg, the 111th continued with the 2nd Corps, participating in every major engagement of that command. During the Gettysburg campaign and at subsequent actions such as Bristoe Station, Mine Run, and Morton’s Ford, the regiment was attached to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division (Alexander Hays’). Just before the Wilderness campaign, it was reassigned to Frank’s (3rd) Brigade, Barlow’s (1st) Division, which was composed entirely of New York regiments.

The 111th New York Infantry remained active through the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, and the final Appomattox Campaign. It was mustered out near Alexandria, Virginia, on June 3, 1865.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Surrender at Harper’s Ferry (September 1862)
• Gettysburg Campaign (June–July 1863)
• Battle of Gettysburg (July 2, 1863)
• Bristoe Station
• Mine Run
• Morton’s Ford
• Wilderness Campaign
• Spotsylvania
• Overland Campaign
• Siege of Petersburg
• Appomattox Campaign

Casualties

• Killed and mortally wounded: 10 officers, 210 enlisted men
• Died of disease and other causes: 2 officers, 177 enlisted men
• Total deaths: 404 (including 2 officers and 74 men who died in Confederate prisons)
• Notable battle losses:
  • Gettysburg: 58 killed, 177 wounded, 14 missing (total 249)
  • Wilderness: 42 killed, 119 wounded, 17 missing (total 178)
  • Spotsylvania: 22 killed, 57 wounded, 13 missing
  • Appomattox Campaign: 81 killed and wounded

The regiment’s total of 220 killed and died of wounds was exceeded by only four other New York regiments and by only 24 regiments in the Union armies.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Jesse Segoine
• Colonel C. Dugald McDougall
• Colonel Lewis W. Husk
• Lieutenant Colonel Clinton D. McDougall
• Lieutenant Colonel Seneca B. Smith
• Lieutenant Colonel Isaac M. Lusk
• Lieutenant Colonel Aaron P. Seeley
• Lieutenant Colonel Lewis W. Husk
• Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Mead
• Major Seneca B. Smith
• Major Isaac M. Lusk
• Major James H. Hinnian
• Major Lewis W. Husk
• Major Joseph W. Corning
• Major Sidney Mead
• Major Reuben J. Meyers

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 111th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details for those who served in the regiment.

To view the complete roster, visit the 111th New York Infantry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XIX, XXVII, XXXVI, XL, XLVI
• New York State Adjutant General’s Reports
• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
• Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
• The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Volume 2