United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 23rd New York Infantry Regiment


“Southern Tier Regiment”

The 23rd New York Infantry Regiment lost 17 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 53 enlisted men to disease.

1861
May 10 Organized at Elmira, N.Y.
July 2 The 23rd New York Infantry Regiment mustered in for two years service under the command of Colonel Henry C. Hoffman, Lieutenant Colonel Nirom Crane and Major William M. Gregg
July 5 Left State for Washington, D.C for duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C.
July 9 Camp at Meridian Hill
July 23 To Fort Runyon
August 4 Attached to Hunter’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac
August 5 To Arlington Heights
August 27-28

Action at Ball’s Cross Roads, Va.

Only Companies I & K were engaged. They lost 1 enlisted man killed and 3 wounded

August 31

Munson’s Hill

Only Companies I & K were engaged. They lost 4 wounded

October Attached to Wadsworth’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac
1861
March Attached to 2nd Brigade, King’s 3rd Division, McDowell’s 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15
Advance on Manassas, Virginia
March 16 At Upton’s Hill
April Attached to 2nd Brigade, King’s Division, Department of the Rappahannock
April 9-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, Virginia
April 20 Duty at Fredericksburg
May 7 Crossed the Rapahannock and occupied Fredericksburg
May 18 Skirmish on Bowling Greek Road
May 25-29 McDowell’s advance on Richmond
May 25 Private William March of Company A was killed when the Fredericksburg arsenal was blown up.
May 27 Advanced to Massaponax Creek, seven miles south of Fredericksburg, before returning to town the next day
May 29 To Catlett’s Station
June Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia
June 1-21 Operations against Jackson
June 1 At Haymarket
June 6 To Warrenton
June 8 To Falmouth
June 9 Camped at Elk Run
June 24 Returned to Falmouth
June 27 To Camp Rufus King on Belle Plain Road
July 24-27
Reconnaissance to Orange Court House

Marched through Fredericksburg and west on the Wilderness Road towards Gordonsville, camping 3 miles from Orange Court House.

July 26 Returned to Falmouth
July 28 Changed camp to riverbank, with companies assigned to guard duty in Frericksburg. Company assigned to the railroad bridge and company K to the depot.
August 10 Marched ten miles to Orange Court House
August 11 Crossed the Rapidan at Ely’s Ford
August 12 To Cedar Mountain
August 16 Moved to the Cedar Mountain battlefield.
August 19 To Culpepper
August 16-
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 21-22

Fords of the Rappahannock

One man was killed, cut in half by an artillery shot

August 23-24 Sulphur Springs
August 28

Battle of Gainesville

The regiment was on the extreme left of the line, and not engaged

August 29

Battle of Groveton

August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

The 23rd New York Infantry Regiment lost 4 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 15 enlisted men wounded, and 75 men captured or missing in attacks on the railroad embankment

September Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

September 14

Battle of South Mountain

The regiment lost six enlisted men wounded

September 16-17

Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

The 23rd New York lost 10 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 29 enlisted men wounded, and 2 enlisted men missing or captured.

There are three markers for Patrick’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield.

From the first marker on the east side of Mansfield Avenue near the Hagerstown Pike:

On the night of September 16, 1862, Patrick’s Brigade of Doubleday’s Division bivouacked in line of battle on the east side of this road, facing west.

This tablet marks the left of the brigade line, which extended northerly about 320 yards, through a triangular strip of woods.

From the second marker on the east side of Maryland Route 65, north of Starke Avenue:

(September 17, 1862.)

Patrick’s Brigade formed line north of Joseph Poffenberger’s at 5:30 A. M. and advanced on the east of the Hagerstwon Pike in support of Gibbon’s Brigade. It crossed the Pike and entered the West Woods at this point. The 80th New York was sent to support Battery B, 4th U. S. Artillery, 130 yards south of Miller’s barn, and the 23rd moved into the field west of this point. The 21st and 35th, in close support of Gibbon’s right, swept through the West Woods and open ground east of them in the direction of the Dunkard Church, being rejoined on the way by the 23rd. The three Regiments were checked and obliged to fall back to the cover of Miller’s barn and the rocky ledges south and west of it. After an interval of nearly an hour the three Regiments again advanced in support of Goodrich’s Brigade, Twelfth Corps, but were compelled to fall back. After the repulse of Sedgwick’s Division, the Brigade was withdrawn to a position east of the Pike in support of the Artillery of the First Corps.

From the third marker on the north side of Starke Avenue:

(September 17, 1862.)

Early in the morning of the 17th, Patrick’s Brigade advanced through the North Woods and fields east of the Hagerstown Pike and into Miller’s Cornfield in support of Gibbon’s Brigade. When Gibbon’s right deployed on the plateau and in the woods west of the Pike, Patrick crossed the Pike 230 yards north of this and entered the West Woods in support, the 80th New York was withdrawn to support Battery B, 4th U. S. Artillery, 130 yards south of Miller’s barn, and the 23rd was sent to check a movement of the enemy in the fields west of the West Woods. The 21st and 35th, in close support of Gibbon’s right, swept through the West Woods, swung to the left flank of the enemy while charging the Battery, driving them in the direction of the Dunkard Church and east of the Pike. Rejoined by the 23rd, the line advanced to the Pike but was forced back to this ledge which was held until attacked on the right flank, when it was compelled to retire to the cover of Miller’s barn and the rock ledges south and west of it.

September – October

Duty in Maryland

October 29-
November 19
Movement to Falmouth
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 4 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 14 enlisted men captured.

1863
January Assigned to provost duty at Aquia Creek attached to Provost Marshal, General Patrick’s Command, Army of the Potomac
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

May 11 – 18 Embarked for New York on U.S. Mail steamer John Brooks, landing at Washington and moving by rail to Baltimore, Harrisburg and Williamsport to Elmira.
May 22 The 23rd New York Infantry Regiment mustered out on the expiration of its term of enlistment, under the command of Colonel Hoffman, Lieutenant Colonel Crane and Major Gregg. Three years men were transferred to the 80th New York Infantry.