United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > Infantry


20th New York State Militia

“Ulster Guard”

The 20th New York State Militia lost 8 officers and 120 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 157 enlisted men to disease during its three year enlistement, and 2 enlisted men to disease during its original thirty day enlistement. It is honored by a monument and marker at Gettysburg.

1861
April 23 Ordered to Washington D.C.
May 3 Order revoked with the regiment in transit in New Yok City.
May 7 Nine companies were allowed to proceed to Annapolis under Colonel George Pratt, Lieutenant Colonel Hiram Schoonmaker and Major Theodore Gates
May 11 Mustered into three months United States service at Annapolis, effective from April 23. Assigned to Butler’s Department of Annapolis.
May-July Duty at Annapolis and Baltimore and guarding the railroad
August 2 Mustered out at Kingston, New York
August-September Re-organized for three years service at Kingston, New York under Colonel Pratt, Lieutenant Colonel Hiram Schoonmaker and Major Theodore Gates
September 20 – October 20 Mustered in
October 26 Left State for Washington, D.C.
Novemb er – March Duty at Upton’s Hill, Defenses of Washington, D.C.
December 7 Designated 80th New York Infantry and attached to Wadsworth’s Brigade, McDowell’s Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
March Attached to Patrick’s 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 4-19 McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, Va. attached to 2nd Brigade, King’s Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April-May Occupation of Fredericksburg
May 26-29 McDowell’s advance on Richmond
June-August Duty at Fredericksburg attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia
August 16-September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 20-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 20 Beverly Ford
August 26 Sulphur Springs
August 28
Battle of Groveton, or Brawner’s Farm
August 29-30
2nd Battle of Bull Run

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Pratt. It lost 1 officer and 30 men killed, 3 officers and 18 men mortally wounded, 6 officers and 138 men wounded, and 2 officers and 73 men missing. Colonel Pratt was mortally wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore B. Gates took over the regiment.

The regiment is featured on a trailside marker along the Unfinished Railroad on the Bull Run battlefield.

September 1
Battle of Chantilly
September 6-22 Maryland Campaign. Atatched to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14
Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17
Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Theodore B. Gates. The regiment lost 1 officer and 6 men killed, and 3 officers and 37 men wounded.

There are three markers for Patrick’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield. The first marker is on the east side of Mansfield Avenue near its intersection with the Hagerstown Pike. From the marker:

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.

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

(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.

The third marker is on the north side of Starke Avenue. From the marker:

(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
At Sharpsburg, Md.
October 20-
November 19
Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 2 men killed or mortally wounded, and 2 officers and 15 men wounded.

December 20 Duty at Hall’s Landing
1863
January 7 Provost Guard duty at Aquia Creek and along Richmond and Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad attached to Patrick’s Command, Provost Guard, Army of the Potomac
May 24 Three years men from the 35th New York transferred to the regiment.
June 27 Relieved and ordered to join 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Colonel Theodore B. Gates. It brought 375 men to the field and lost 35 killed, 111 wounded and 24 missing out of 287 engaged.

From the monument:

Held substantially this position from about 12m. July 1st 1863 to 4 p.m. July 2nd on Cemetery Hill in support of 3rd Corps. July 3rd in front line of battle resisting Pickett’s attack.

From the marker:

From a position south of this point the 20th New York State Militia delivered a most destructive fire into the attacking southerners’ right flank. As the enemy infantry moved obliquely to the left, the New York Regiment advanced north along this line firing as they moved to the right. Occupying a new position near the copse of trees the Ulster Guard fought to repel Longstreet’s assault, finally charging a group of Confederates, driving them from the shelter of the slashing.

Major Walter A. Van Rensselaer was wounded near the slashing in a successful attempt to capture an enemy battle-flag. 

Captain Ambrose N. Baldwin Co. K was mortally wounded in the final action near the Copse of Trees.

July 16 Provost Guard duty, Army of the Potomac
October 9-22 Participated in the Bristoe Campaign
September Colonel Gates mustered out at the end of his term of service. Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Hardenberg was promoted to colonel and command of the regiment.
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
1864
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
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; Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond begin
June 18 Assigned to garrison and guard duty at City Point, Va., Provost Guard, Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac
November Company I joined the regiment
1865
March Assigned to Independent Brigade, 9th Army Corps
April 2 Assault on and fall of Petersburg
April 3 Occupation of Petersburg
April 14 Provost duty at Richmond assigned to Dept. of Virginia
November 27 At Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va.
1866
January 29 Mustered out under Colonel Jacob B. Hardenberg