United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > Infantry


The 111th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 10 Officers and 210 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 178 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg. It is also mentioned on the We Began Firing at Will and From Skirmish Line to Burial Ground wayside markers at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

1862

Organized at Auburn, N.Y.
August 20 Mustered in under Colonel Jesse Segoine, Lieutenant Colonel Clinton McDougall, and Major Senaca B. Smith
August 21 Left State for Harper’s Ferry. Attached to Miles’ Command, Harper’s Ferry.
September 12-15 Defense of Harper’s Ferry

Colonel Segoine and two privates from the regiment are quoted on wayside markers on the Harpers Ferry battlefield:

“We went below and formed in line of battle and laid down on our arms. Sleep was out of the question but of course, human nature will succumb and drowsiness was general among the boys. It must have been nine O’Clock or more by this time. All of a sudden there came a blinding flash in front of our line. We were all alert in a moment and we got in line of battle as quickly as possible.

We began firing at will for all we knew hardly a thing about military drill and didn’t see anything to fire at but still kept firing till we were ordered to cease firing”

Private Newman Eldred, Company H,
111th New York Regiment

“Suddenly we heard a clattering among the stones; you could see nothing…it turned out to be a body of the enemy’s cavalry that made a dash at us and delivered a fire from carbines, as I supposed. I immediately ordered my regiment to return the fire; I repeated it about three times.”

Colonel Jesse Segoine,
111th New York Regiment.

“Went to the foot of the hill to bury Disbrow, was shot in the head the knight before. Sad time. We buried him with overcoat and blanket wrapped around him.”

Private John Paylor, Company D
111th New York Regiment

“Horace Acker of Meridian had been killed. Poor boy, he was such an impulsive nature. It was impossible to tell whether he was killed by friend or foe as he was found dead in front of our line.”

Private Newman Eldred, Company H,
111th New York Regiment.

I found 4 men killed and 1 very seriously wounded; he died. That made 5 killed. I do not know how many were wounded, 9 or 10, mostly slightly wounded. One man was wounded in the breast, and another had a little finger shot off – some little things of that kind. I could not tell how many of the rebels were killed, or whether any of them were. When they came into our camp [after the surrender] they told us we had killed 20 of them and wounded a number more.”

Colonel Jesse Segoine,
111th New York Regiment

September 15 The regiment was surrendered with garrison
September 16 Paroled and sent to Annapolis, Md., then to Camp Douglass, Chicago, Ill.
November 23 Exchanged; duty at Camp Douglass guarding prisoners
December Ordered to Washington, D.C., and duty in the defenses of that city and at Centreville, Va. assigned to Wadsworth’s Command, Military District of Washington

1863

February Attached to 3rd Brigade, Casey’s Division, 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington
April Attached to 3rd Brigade, Abercrombie’s Division, 22nd Army Corps
June 25 Ordered to join Army of the Potomac in the field. Assigned to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 25-July 24
Gettysburg Campaign

Two companies were left on guard at the Accotink bridge. The remaining eight, numbering 390 men, joined the Second Corps on the march to Gettysburg.

July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Clinton D. MacDougall until he was wounded on July 3. Lieutenant Colonel Isaac M. Usk took command until he, too was wounded, when Caption Aaron P. Seeley took over the regiment.

From the monument:

Arrived early morning July 2nd 1863, position near Ziegler’s Grove. Went to relief of 3rd Corps in afternoon; took this position that evening and held it to close of battle. Number engaged (8 companies) 390 Casualties Killed 58, wounded 177, missing 14, total 249

July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
August Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
October 3 Lewinsville
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 14 Auburn and Bristoe
October 15 Blackburn’s and Mitchell’s Fords
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-
December 2
Mine Run Campaign
December At and near Stevensburg, Va.
1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan; Morton’s Ford
March Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment lost 42 killed, 119 wounded and 17 missing, over half its strength.

May 8-21
Spottsylvania Court House

The regiment lost men 22 killed, 37 wounded, and 13 missing

May 10 Po River
May 12 Assault on the Salient, or “Bloody Angle”
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Cold Harbor
June 16-18
Before Petersburg
June 16 Siege of Petersburg begins. Attached to Consolidated Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps.
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
August 13-20 Demonstration north of the James
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
August 25
Ream’s Station
November Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps
December 9-10 Reconnaissance to Hatcher’s Run

1865

February 5-7 Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 25 Watkins’ House
March 28-
April 9
Appomattox Campaign

The regiment lost 81 casualties in the last campaign of the war

March 29-30 On line of Hatcher’s and Gravelly Runs
March 31 Hatcher’s Run or Boydton Road and White Oak Road
April 2 Sutherland Station and fall of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 7 High Bridge and Farmville
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.

April At Burkesville
May 2-12 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 3 Mustered out under Lieutenant Colonel Lewis W. Husk. Veterans and recruits transferred to 4th New York Heavy Artillery.