62nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > Infantry

“Anderson Zouaves”

The 62nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was named in honor of the hero of Fort Sumter, Robert Anderson. The regiment lost 3 officers and 85 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 82 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
Organized at New York City
June 30 Mustered in under Colonel John Lafayette Riker, Lieutenant Colonel W. S. Tisdale and Major Oscar V. Dayton. One company of the regiment consisted of French adopted citizens under Captain La Fata. The regiment adopted for its private soldiers the Zouave uniform of baggy red breeches, leggings, gaiters, blue scarf worn around the waist, wiastcoat, short jacket, and red fez with blue silk tassel.
August 21 Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to Defenses of Washington, D.C.
October Attached to Peck’s Brigade, Buell’s Division, Army of the Potomac
October 25 Lieutenant Colonel Tisdale was discharged due to disability; Captain David J. Nevin was promoted to take his place.
1862
March Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 11-15 March to Prospect Hill, Va.
March 25 Ordered to the Peninsula, Virginia
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown, Va.
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg

Sergeant Oscar Buffington and Prvates Edward Kelly, Herman Eggleston and Henry Scheper were killed or mortally wounded and Sergeants Charles Eddy and James W. Griffith, Corporal Jacob Greiner, and Private Christian Schmidt were wounded.
May 20-23 Operations about Bottom’s Bridge
May 31-June 1
Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks

Colonel Riker was killed leading the regiment in a charge that cost the regiment 2 enlisted men killed and 4 mortally wounded, Captain William Ackerman and 13 enlisted men wounded, and 29 men missing.

Lieutenant Colonel Nevin took over the regiment after Colonel Riker was killed.
May 31 Major Dayton promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Wilson Hubbell of Company B promoted to major
June 20 Lieutenant Colonel Nevin was promoted to colonel and Major Dayton promoted to lieutenant colonel.
June 25-July 1
Seven days before Richmond

The regiment lost 2 men killed, 6 mortally wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Dayton and 35 men wounded and 1 man missing during the seven days.
July 1
Battle of Malvern Hill

Colonel Nevin commanded the regiment from an ambulance due to sickness
July – August At Harrison’s Landing. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps
July 16 Captain George Lewis of Company H died of fever on the transport Vanderbilt in the James River, Virginia
August 16-
September 1		 Movement to Alexandria
September 6-22 Maryland Campaign. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

The regiment was in Pleasant Valley during the battle and did not reach the battlefield until the 18th.
September 23 to October 20 At Downsville, Md.
October 20-
November 19		 Movement to Stafford Court House, Va. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 6th Army Corps
November 21 Major Dayton was discharged due to wounds and transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. He received a brevet to brigadier general at the end of the war.
December 5 To Belle Plains
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost three men wounded, one mortally.
December 27 Captain Theodore Hamilton of the 33rd New York Infantry transferred in as lieutenant colonel
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February – April At Falmouth
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations about Franklin’s Crossing
May 3
Battle of Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 10 men killed and 7 mortally wounded and Captain George Moeser, Lieutenant Lewis Samuels, 3 other officers and 45 men wounded in a few moments time in an unsuccessful assault on Marye’s Heights. Lieutenant Colonel Theodore B. Hamilton, commanding the regiment, was wounded, the color-sergeant was killed and the colors holed by over 30 balls. The surviving 45 men under Lieutenants Morris and Stewart continued skirmishing fire against advancing Confederates until they were captured, and in the opinion of General Wheaton, “saved the right of the Second Division and my own brigade from capture.”

Corporal Edward Brown, Jr. of Company G was awarded the Medal of Honor for continuing at his post under fire carrying the colors in spite of being severely wounded until he was finaly ordered to the rear.
May 3-4
Salem Heights

Captain Ackerman and Lieutenant William Brady were wounded
May 4 Banks’ Ford
June 5-7 Franklin’s Crossing
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel David J. Nevin, who took over brigade command on July 1st. Lieutenant Colonel Theodore B. Hamilton took temporary command of the regiment.

The 62nd brought 237 men to the field, losing one enlisted man killed and Lieutenant William Davies and 10 enlisted men wounded, 1 mortally, fighting in the Wheatfield.

A bronze tablet on the regiment’s monument on the J. Weickert farm at Gettysburg states:

On the site of this monument the Regiment under command of Lieut. Col. T. B. Hamilton charged the enemy and recaptured two guns.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 10-13 Funkstown, Md.
July-October Duty on line of the Rappahannock
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Rappahannock Station
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
December-May Duty at Brandy Station and vicinity
1864
January Attached to Wheaton’s Brigade, Dept. of West Virginia
March Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment lost 14 men killed, 8 men mortally wounded, Captains William Baker and William Davies, Lieutenant Sandford Dockstatder, 1 other officer and 46 men wounded.

Sergeant Charles E. Morse of Company I and Private James R. Evans of Company H were awarded the Medal of Honor for going in front of the line in the face of a rapidly advancing enemy to rescue the regimental colors after the color bearer had fallen.
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Curt House

Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Hamilton wounded
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

The regiment lost 2 men killed and 2 wounded, 1 mortally.
June 1-12
Cold Harbor

Major Wlson Hubbell and 5 men were killed, 1 man wounded, and 3 missing.
June 17-18
Before Petersburg. Siege of Petersburg begins.

The regiment lost 2 men killed and 12 wounded, 1 mortally.
June 22-23
Jerusalem Plank Road

The regiment lost 8 men killed, 3 men mortally wounded, and 17 men wounded.
June 29 Lt. Colonel David Nevin mustered out near Petersburg
June 30-July 1 Men who were entitled were discharged at the end of their terms of service. Almost all of the men reenlisted, however, and the regiment continued in service with nine companies of reenlisted men and recruits. Colonel Nevin mustered out, and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Hamilton took command of th regiment for the rest of its service.
July 9-11 Moved to Washington, D.C.
July 11-12 Repulse of Early’s attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern defenses of Washington
July 14-21 Pursuit of Early
August 7-
November 28		 Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
September 13 Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 19
Battle of Winchester

The regiment lost 2 officers and 2 enlisted men wounded
September 21 Strasburg
September 22
Fisher’s Hill

The regiment lost 8 enlisted men wounded, 1 mortally
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

The regiment lost 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 10 wounded
October 21 William Baker re-enrolls as major
October-December Duty in the Shenandoah Valley
November 11 Lt. Colonel Hamlton promoted to colonel
December 9-12 Moved to Petersburg, Va.
December 12 Siege of Petersburg
1865
March 25
Fort Fisher, Petersburg

The regiment lost 3 men killed and 12 wounded.
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
April 2 Assault on and fall of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 9 Appomattox Court House. Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 23-27 March to Danville, Va.
May 24-June 3 March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C.
June 8 Corps Review
June Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.
July At Fort Schuyler, N.Y.
August 30 Mustered out at Fort Schuyler, New York, under Colonel Theodore B. Hamilton and Major William Baker