United States Regiments & Batteries > New York


The 34th New York Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 90 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 68 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Antietam.

1861
Enlisted under President Lincoln’s Call, issued April 15, 1861 to serve two years and organized at Albany, N.Y.
May 1 Mustered into State service under the command of Colonel Wiliam La Due, Lieutenant Colonel James Suiter and Major Byron Laflin
June 15 The 34th New York Infantry Regiment mustered into United States service for two years.
July 3 Left the State for Washington, D. C. by rail through New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore
July 5 At Washington. Served in the Defences of Washington
July 7 Moved to Kalorama Heights
July 21 Exchanged U. S. Model 1842 muskets for Enfield rifles
July 28 – 29 To Great Falls. Major Laflin and Companies B and G detached on picket
July 31 To Senaca Mills. Established Camp Jackson and picketed 17 miles of the Potomac River and C&O Canal.
August 4 Attached to Stone’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac for outpost duty on the Upper Potomac
September 1 Private William R. Bailey mortally wounded at Seneca Mills, Md.
September 16 Private Oliver P. Darling killed at Seneca Mills, Md.
October Attached to Gorman’s 2nd Brigade, Stone’s (Sedgwick’s) Division, Army of the Potomac
October 4 Lieutenant James R. Carr died at Seneca Mills
October 21-24

Operations on the Potomac

The regiment crossed the Potomac at Edwards Ferry on scow boats and helped the wounded from Ball’s Bluff.

October 22 Near Edwards Ferry
October 23 Recrossed to Maryland and established Camp McClellan at Poolsville
1862
February 24 – 27 Marched to Harpers Ferry
March 3 To Bolivar Heights
March 9 To Charlestown
March 10 To Berryville
March 11 Picketed road to Winchester, then returned to camp
March 13 Marched to Winchester to support General Shields’ attack, but arrived after the engagement ended. The regiment returned to Berryville
March 14 To Camp Sedgwick, Charlestown
March 15 Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 20 Colonel Le Due resigned. Lieutenant Colonel Suiter was promoted to colonel, Major Laflin to lieutenant colonel, and Captain Charles L. Brown of Company G promoted to major
March 22 Crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry on pontoon bridge and boarded train at Sandy Hook for Washington
March 23 Reached Washington and quartered near the capitol
March 26 Left Washington for Alexandria
March 29 Embarked on the transport Richard Willing
March 31 Arrived Fortress Monroe, Va.
April 1 Landed at Hampton
April 4 At Big Bethel
April 5 At Winne’s Mills
April 5 – May 4

Siege of Yorktown

May 4

Winne’s Mills

The regiment was first into the enemy’s works

May 5 Marched to Yorktown and occupied a former Confederate camp
May 7 Embarked on schooner William for West Point
May 9 Marched to Eltham on the Pamunkey River
May 15 Marched to New Kent Court House
May 18 To Cumberland Landing
May 21 To Bottom’s Bridge
May 23 To Tyler’s House
May 24

Tyler House

Private Nicholas Moses of Company H mortally wounded

May 31-June 1

Battle of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks

The regiment was engaged for almost three hours, losing 29 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Captain Wells Sponable, 4 other officers and 60 enlisted men wounded and 3 enlisted men missing or captured

June 16 Private Richard Mosher of Company G was killed at White House
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond

June 27 Skirmished with enemy
June 28 Moved to Peach Orchard
June 29

Peach Orchard and Savage Station

June 30

White Oak Swamp and Glendale

Colonel Suiter took command of the brigade. The regiment supported batteries for two hours before being detached from the brigade and moved to the support of General Kearney at Glendale, where it was engaged for an hour. It lost 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenants William S. Walton and Emerson Northrup and 18 enlisted men wounded amd 1 officer and 34 enlisted men captured.

July 1

Malvern Hill

Major Brown and Sergeant George Morse of Company K were mortally wounded.

Captain John Beverly of Company K was promoted to major

July 2 Retired to Harrison’s Landing
July – August Duty at Harrison’s Landing
August 4

Reconnoissance to Malvern Hll

The regiment lost one man killed and three wounded

August 16-29 Movement to Newport News
August 23 Embarked on the steamer Mississippi with the 15th Massachusetts and the 1st Minnesota
August 25 Landed at Alexandria and encamped at Fort Corcoran
August 27 To the Chain Bridge and Fort Ethan Allan
August 30-September 1 Cover Pope’s retreat from Bull Run
September 1 At Centerville. Formed rear guard of Pope’s retreat
September 4 Recrossed the Potomac on Chain Bridge and camped at Tennallytown
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

September 7 Left camp
September 8 Through Rockville
September 9 Marched to Middleburg
September 10 Continued to Clarksburg
September 12 To Urbana
September 13 Marched to Frederick City and Turner’s Pass
September 14 At Middletown, picketing Crampton’s Gap
September 15 To Keedysville
September 16 Camped one and half miles west of Keedysville and was ordered to cook four days rations and prepare 40 rounds of ammunition
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The 34th New York Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel James A. Suiter. The regiment was detached from Sedgwick’s Division and temporarily attached to Crawford’s Brigade in an attack toward the Dunker Church. Lieutenant Clarence Hill and 45 men were killed or motally wounded, Lieutenant Armineas Rounds, 1 other officer and 96 enlisted men were wounded and Lieutenant John Kirk and 9 enlisted men missing or captured out of 311 men engaged.

From the monument at Antietam:

At 7:30 on the morning of September 17, 1862, the Thirty-fourth Regiment left camp near Keedysville, crossed the Antietam Creek and marched westward into the East Woods, now extinct. Facing Westward being on the extreme left of Brigade line it emerged from the East Woods and soon became heavily engaged with the Confederate forces in its front. Crossing the open field and the Hagerstown Pike, it entered the West Woods, now also extinct, the line extending North and South of the Dunkard Church. The left of the Regiment being unprotected was in danger of being enveloped by the enemy, and a hasty retreat became necessary; the Regiment reforming near the East Woods with its organization intact. In a very brief time 43 men had been killed and 74 wounded, the killed being 13 percent of all engaged.

Composition of the Regiment at the time of this Battle

Colonel James A. Suiter
Lieutenant Colonel Byron Laflin
Major John Beverly
Adjutant George W. Thompson
Quartermaster Nathan Easterbrook, Jr.
Surgeon Socretes N. Sherman
Asst. Surgeon Edward S. Walker
Chaplain John B. Van Petten

Co. Captain County
“A” Benjamin H. Warford Albany
“B” Wells Sponable Herkimer
“C” Thomas Corcoran Herkimer
“D” John A. Scott Clinton
“E” Henry Baldwin Steuben
“F” Charles Riley Herkimer
“G” Joy E. Johnson Herkimer
“H” Samuel P. Butler Essex
“I” William H. King Steuben
“K” Emerson S. Northrup Herkimer
September 21 Moved to Harper’s Ferry
September 22 Forded the Potomac at Sandy Hook and marched to Bolivar Heights
October 29 Crossed the Shenandoah and Loudon Heights
October 31 Marched to Hillsborough
November 1 To Woodgrove
November 2 Engagement at Snicker’s Gap.
November 3 Marched to Upperville
November 4 To Paris, Reconnoissance with cavalry through Ashby’s Gap.
November 5 Picketed the Paris/Piedmont-Upperville/Barbers road junction
November 6 Marched to Rectortown
November 7 – 9 Continued to Warrenton
November 21 Reached Falmouth and went into camp
December 11 The regiment led the division in crossing the Rappahannock by pontoon boat and clearing Fredericksburg of the enemy
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

Lieutenant Albert Ransom and 6 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 8 enlisted men were wounded, and 18 enlisted men were missing or captured

1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January 22 Colonel Suiter resigned. Lieutenant Colonel Laflin was promoted to colonel, Major Bevely promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Wells Sponable of Company B promoted to major
February-April At Falmouth
April 16 Tents were turned in and 8 days rations prepared
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
April 28 Moved to near Lacy House
May 1 Six companies of the regiment stacked arms and refused orders, claiming their enlistments were up. After General Sully was unable to enforce discipline, division commander General Gibbon came to camp with the 15th Massachusetts regiment. He told the men that despite their grievances, what they were doing was mutiny which made them no better than “the rebels on the other side of the river. ” Unless they returned to duty he would order the Massachusetts regiment to open fire and “kill every man it could.” He then called on the men to step forward if they were ready to do their duty. Little by little, they all did, and served for another month.
May 3

Maryes Heights, Second Fredericksburg

May 3-4

Salem Heights

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men wounded and 1 missing

May 4

Banks’ Ford

May 6 Returned to camp
June 8 Three years men transferred to 82nd New York Infantry
June 9 Moved by train to Aquia Creek and embarked for Washington
June 10 Left Washington by train
June 12 Arrived Albany and quartered in the Industrial School barracks
June 27 Public reception at Little Falls
June 28 Returned to Albany
June 30 The 34th New York Infantry Regiment mustered out at Albany at the expiration of its term of enlistment, under the command of Colonel Laflin, Lieutenant Colonel Beverly and Major Sponable