70th New York Infantry Regiment "1st Excelsior"

The 70th Regiment lost 9 officers and 181 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 62 enlisted men to disease, a total of 254. It is honored as part of the Excelsior Brigade monument at Gettysburg.

 

Timeline of the 70th New York Infantry Regiment

 

Organized under authority of the War Department as 1st Regiment, Sickles' Brigade, at Camp Scott, Staten Island, N.Y. Company C was recruited in Paw Paw, Michigan, Company E at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Company H in Boston, and Companies I and K in New Jersey.

June 29, 1861

Mustered in under Colonel Daniel E. Sickles, Lt. Colonel William Dwight, Jr. and Major Egbert J. Farnum

July 23

Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to Sickles' Brigade, Division of the Potomac and Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C.

September 3

Colonel Sickles promoted to brigadier general. Lt. Colonel Dwight promoted to colonel and Major Farnum to lieutenant colonel

September 15-
October 2

Expedition to Lower Maryland

October

Attached to Sickles' Brigade, Hooker's Division, Army of the Potomac

November 1

Captain Thomas Holt of Company F promoted to major

December 11

Designated 70th Regiment New York Infantry

March 1862

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

March 10

Advance on Manassas, Va.

March 18

Expedition from Dumfries to Fredericksburg and capture of stores

April 4

Reconnaissance from Liverpool Point to Stafford Court House, Va.

April 6

Action at Stafford Court House

! enlisted man wounded

April 10-May 4

Ordered to the Peninsula, Va. and Siege of Yorktown

One enlisted man wounded

May 5

Battle of Williamsburg

Captains Jacob Brunnn, William Bugbee, John Mitchell and Henry O'Reilly, Lieutenants Herrick Hayner, William Kilburn, Frank Nelson, Gorham P. Stevens and 101 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 12 officers and 112 enlisted men wounded, and 97 enlisted men missing or captured out of 700 engaged.

 

Sergeant John Nicholas Coyne earned the Medal of Honor for capturing a stand of Confederate colors after a hand-to-hand fight.

May 31-June 1

Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed, Lieutenant John Coyne and 15 enlisted men wounded and enlisted man missing

June 12

The regiment lost 9 enlisted men wounded at Fair Oaks

June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond

June 25

Battle of Oak Grove

The regiment lost 7 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 5 enlisted men wounded, and 1 man missing

June 30

Peach Orchard and Savage Station, White Oak Swamp and Glendale

July 1

Malvern Hill

One enlisted men mortally wounded

August 5 -16

At Harrison's Landing

August 16-28

Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville

August 26-
September 2

Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 27

Action at Bristoe Station or Kettle Run

The regiment lost 5 men wounded

August 29

Battle of Groveton

August 30

Battle of Bull Run

The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed, 2 officers and 10 enlisted men wounded, and 10 men missing

September 1

Battle of Chantilly

September-November

Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. at Fairfax Station, Va.

November 10-12

Operations on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad

November 30

Colonel Dwight promoted to brigadier general

December 1

Captain Daniel Mahen of Company B promoted to major

December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 1 officer and 3 enlisted men wounded

December-April

Duty at Falmouth

January 20-24 1863

"Mud March"

January 14

Captain Daniel Mahen of Company B promoted to major with rank from December 1, 1862

February 1

Lt. Colonel Farnum promoted to colonel, Major Holt to lieutenant colonel

February 5-7

Operations about Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church

April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 4 enlisted men killed, Captain Charles Young and 11 enlisted men wounded and enlisted men 17 missing

May 16 - 17

Lieutenant Colonel Holt transferred to 74th New York Infantry as colonel, Major Mahen promoted to lieutenant colonel but not mustered, and Captain William Hugo of Company C promoted to major

May 19

Three years men from the 2nd New York Infantry transferred in

June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel John E. Farnum. It lost 36 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Captains William Hugo, William Kay and George Robinson, Lieutenants John Coyn, William Gage, Ransom Gaylord, Don Rogers and 69 enlisted men wounded and 4 enlisted menmissing.

 

From the monument: "On the afternoon of the 2nd of July 1863, the brigade of which this regiment formed a part, supported Carr's Brigade in resisting the assault of the enemy along the line of the Emmittsburg Road. On July 3rd, supported the left centre of the army."

July 5-24

Pursuit of Lee

July 23

Wapping Heights, Va.

The regiment lost Captain Benjamin Price and 10 men killed, 1 man mortally wounded, and 20 men wounded.

July-October

Duty on line of the Rappahannock

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

November 7-8

Advance to line of the Rappahannock

November 7

Kelly's Ford

November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

 

November 27

Payne's Farm or Locust Grove

The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed and1 officer and 6 enlisted men wounded

November 30

Lt, Colonel Holt retreansferred to the regiment after serving as colonel of the 74th New York since November 30, 1862

December-May

Duty near Brandy Station

February 6-7, 1864

Demonstration on the Rapidan

March

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps

May 3-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River. Attached to 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps

May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment lost Lieutenant Henry Chamberlain and 3 enlisted men killed, Lieutenants Thomas Chafee, Charles Young and 18 enlisted men wounded and 5 enlisted men missing

May 8-12

Spottsylvania

May 10

Po River

May 12-21

Spottsylvania Court House

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed, 2 officers and 29 enlisted men wounded, and 10 enlisted men missing

May 12

Assault on the Salient or "Bloody Angle"

May 19

Harris Farm or Fredericksburg Road

May 23-26

North Anna River

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed and 8 wounded

May 26-28

On line of the Pamunkey

May 28-31

Totopotomoy

June 1-12

Cold Harbor

June 16-18

Before Petersburg

The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed, Captain Morris Foot wounded, and 1 missing

June 22

Ordered to New York for muster out. Veterans and Recruits transferred to 86th Regiment New York Infantry.

July 7, 1864

Mustered out to date from July 1, 1864, expiration of term, under Colonel J. Egbert Farnum, Lieutenant Colonel Holt and Major William Hugo