United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > Infantry
“4th Excelsior”
“2nd Fire Zouaves”
The 73rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 18 officers and 138 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 76 enlisted men to disease, a total of 233. The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg, as well as on the Excelsior Brigade monument there.
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1861
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| July to October | Organized under authority of the War Department, at Camp Scott, Staten Island, N.Y., as 4th Regiment, Sickles’ Brigade, principally from members of the fire department |
| October 8 | Left State for Washington, D.C. under Colonel William R. Brewster, Lieutenant Colonel William McCanley and Major John Moriarity |
| October | Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C. attached to Sickles’ Brigade, Hooker’s Division, Army of the Potomac |
| November 9 | Expedition to Matthias Point |
| December 11 | Designated 73rd New York Infantry |
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1862
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| March | 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 and action at Stafford Court House |
| April | Ordered to the Peninsula |
| April 10-May 4 | Siege of Yorktown |
| May 5 |
Battle of WilliamsburgLieutenants Benjamin Beach and John Glass and 20 enlisted men were killed, Captain John Feeney and 4 enlisted men were mortally wounded, 1 officer and 61 men were wounded and 15 men missing. |
| May 31-June 1 | Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks |
| June 12 | The regiment lost 5 enlisted men wounded and 2 missing at Fair Oaks |
| June 15 | The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed, 6 wounded and 9 missing at Fair Oaks |
| June 25-July 1 |
Seven days before RichmondThe regiment lost 8 men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 22 men wounded and 1 officer and 3 enlisted men missing |
| June 25 | Battle of Oak Grove |
| June 29 | Peach Orchard and Savage Station |
| June 30 | White Oak Swamp and Glendale |
| July 1 | Malvern Hill |
| July 7 | Major Moriarity discharged |
| August 5 | Malvern Hill |
| August | At Harrison’s Landing. Captain William Fisk captured. |
| August 16-26 | 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 RunCommanded by Captain Michael Burns, the regiment lost Lieutenants Henry Lewis and John McAllister and 8 enlisted men killed, Captain Alfred Donald and 4 enlisted men mortally wounded and Captain John Short, 2 other officers and 32 men wounded out of 8 officers and 99 men engaged. |
| August 29 | Battle of Groveton |
| August 30 |
Battle of Bull RunThe regiment lost 3 men wounded and Lieutenant Henry Tremain captured |
| September | Duty in the Defenses of Washington. Colonel Brewster rejoined the regiment on September 2 |
| November | At Fairfax Station Va. |
| November 1 | Captain Michael Burns of Company A promoted to major and Captain William McCauley of Company H to lieutenant colonel |
| November 10-12 | Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad |
| December 12-15 |
Battle of FredericksburgThe regiment lost 1 enlisted man wounded |
| December | At Falmouth |
| January 11 | Lt. Colonel McCauley discharged |
| Janury 16 | Major Burns promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John Lawrence of Company H to major |
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1863
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| January 20-24 |
“Mud March”Company G was consolidated with Company E, and 375 men transferred in from the 163rd New York Infantry |
| February 5-7 | Operations at Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church |
| April 27-May 6 | Chancellorsville Campaign |
| May 1-5 |
Battle of ChancellorsvilleLieutenant Thomas Dennan and 4enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 27 enlisted men wounded, and 4 men missing. |
| June 11 – July 24 | Gettysburg Campaign |
| July 1-3 |
Battle of GettysburgColonel Brewster commanded the Excelsior Brigade, while the regiment was commanded by Major Burns. Captain Eugene Shine and Lieutenants George Dennin and James Marksman and 47 enlisted men were killed, Lieutenant Martin Higgins and 9 enlisted men were mortally wounded, 11 officers and 92 enlisted men were wounded, and 8 men missing or captured From the Excelsior Brigade monument: At 5:30 p.m. July 2, 1863, this regiment was detached to support General Graham’s Brigade at the Peach Orchard which was heavily attacked by McLaws’ Division of the Confederate Army. On July 3rd, supported the left centre of the army. |
| July 5-24 | Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va |
| July 23 | Wapping Heights, Va. |
| August | Duty on line of the Rappahannock |
| September 1 | Lieutenant Charles Near died of sunstroke in Virginia |
| October 9-22 |
Bristoe CampaignThe regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed and Captain John Short wounded |
| 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 |
| December-May | Duty near Brandy Station, Va., |
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1864
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| February 6-7 | Demonstration on the Rapidan |
| March | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps |
| May | Attached to 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps |
| May 3-June 15 | Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River |
| May 5-7 |
Battle of the WildernessThe regiment lost 6 men killed, 3 officers and 51 men wounded, and Captain William Fisk and 5 men captured |
| May 8 – 21 |
Spotsylvania Court HouseCaptains James McDermott, Michael Purtell and George Le Fort, Lieutenants John Phelan and Benedict Leonard and 3 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 20 enlisted men were wounded and 3 men missing. Three men from the regiment won the Medal of Honor at Spotsylvania. First Sergeant William Jones of Company A captured the flag of the 65th Vigrinia Infantry; he was killed on the 12th and the medal was awarded posthumously; Private Philip Schlachter of Company F captured the flag of the 15th Louisiana; and Private Christopher Wilson of Company E “took the flag from the wounded color bearer and carried it in the charge over the Confederate works, in which charge he also captured the colors of the 56th Virginia (C.S.A.) bringing off both flags in safety.” |
| May 10 | Po River |
| May 12 | Assault on the Salient or “Bloody Angle” |
| May 19 | Harris Farm or Fredericksburg Road |
| May 23-26 |
North Anna River |
| May 26-28 | On line of the Pamunkey |
| May 28-31 |
TotopotomoyThe regiment lost 3 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 10 men wounded |
| June 1-12 |
Cold Harbor |
| June 16-18 |
First Assault on PetersburgThe regiment lost 3 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 21 men wounded |
| June 18 |
Siege of PetersburgThe regiment lost 8 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 4 men wounded in the nine months of the siege exclusive of th ebattles listed below |
| June 22-23 | Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad |
| July | Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps |
| July 27-29 |
Demonstration on North side of the JamesThe regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed and 1 officer and 1 enlisted men wounded |
| July 27-28 | Deep Bottom |
| August 13-20 | Demonstration on North side of the James |
| August 14-18 |
Strawberry Plains, Deep BottomThe regiment lost 2 enlisted men killed and Captain Thomas Manning and 2 enlisted men wounded |
| August 25 | Ream’s Station |
| September 29- October 2 |
Poplar Springs Church |
| September 29 | Major Lawrence musters out |
| October 24 | Colonel Bretster musters out |
| October 27-28 |
Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s RunThe regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed, Captain Henry Bell and 3 enlisted men wounded, and Captain Samuel Greenwalt, Lieutenant Charles Porer and 26 men captured or missing |
| December 7 | Lt. Colonel Burns promoted to colonel, but not mustered |
| December 9-10 | Reconnaissance to Hatcher’s Run |
| December 22 | Captain James McKenna of Company G promoted to lieutenant colonel but not mustered |
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1865
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| February 5-7 | Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run |
| March 25 |
Watkins’ HouseThe regiment lost 3 enlisted men wounded |
| March 28-April 9 |
Appomattox CampaignThe regiment lost enlisted 6 men wounded. |
| March 29-31 | Boydton Road and White Oak Ridge |
| March 31 | Crow’s House |
| April 2 | Fall of Petersburg |
| April 6 |
Sailor’s Creek |
| April 7 | High Bridge and Farmville |
| April 9 | Appomattox Court House
Surrender of Lee and his army. |
| May 2-12 | Moved to Washington, D.C. |
| May 23 | Grand Review |
| June 1 | Men not mustered out from the 120th New York transferred in |
| June 29 | Mustered out at Washington, D.C. under Colonel Michael Burns, Lt. Colonel McKenna |