157th New York Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 157th New York Infantry Regiment

“Madison and Courtland Regiment”

The 157th Regiment lost 7 officers and 87 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 104 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by two monuments and a marker at Gettysburg.

1862
August-September Organized at Hamilton, New York under the authority Colonel Philip P. Brown, Jr.

  • Company A was primarily recruited at Hamilton, Madison, Sherburne and Georgetown
  • Company B at Oneida
  • Company C at Hamilton, Cincinnatus, Marathon, Cuyler, Taylor, Willet, Solon, Freetown and Pitcher
  • Company D at Scott, Preble and Homer
  • Company E at Cortland, Virgil, Harford and Cortlandville
  • Company F at Smyrna, Smithfield, Lebanon, Georgetown, Hamilton, Eaton and Madison
  • Company G at Canastota, Lennox, Clockville, Wampsville, Oneida and Hamilton
  • Company H at Homer, Truxton and Cortlandville
  • Company I at Sullivan, Smithfield and Hamilton
  • Company K at Cortlandville, Marathon, Harford, Freetown and Virgil.
September 19 Mustered in for three years service United States Service under the command of Colonel Philip P. Brown, Jr.,  Lieutenant Colonel George Arrowsmith and Major James C. Carmichael.
September 25 Left State for Washington, D.C. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
November 1-19 Movement to Centreville, Va.
December 8-17 Advance to Fredericksburg, Virginia.
December At Stafford Court House
1863
January 20-24
“Mud March”
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

Lieutenant Major L. Hunt and 24 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenants James Coffin, Charles Van Slyke and 51 enlisted men were wounded, and 1 officer and 18 enlisted men captured
June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 157th New York Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel Philip P. Brown, Jr. and brought 431 men to the field. It fought north of Gettysburg on July 1, suffering heavy casualties. They then retreated through town to Cemetery Hill. During the fighting on July 2 they were sent to Culp’s Hill as a backup to the defenders.

Lieutenant Colonel Arrowsmith, Captains Jason Backus and Harrison Frank, and Lieutenant Randall Lower  were killed; Captain George Adams and Adjutant Joseph Henry were mortally wounded; Colonel Philip P. Brown, Jr., Captains Leonard Briggs and E. Charlier, Lieutenants Clayton Atwater, Byron Fitch, Frank Gates, Nelson Smith and Henry Waters were wounded; and Captains James Coffin, Frank Place and J. Riley Stone, Lieutenants Roswell Bourne, Judson Powers and Henry Curtice were missing or captured.

From the Mummasburg Road monument to the 157th New York at Gettysburg:

Lost here 18 officers and 291 enlisted men, reducing reg’t to 100 for duty.

From the Carlisle Road monument to the 157th New York at Gettysburg:

Killed
4 officers, 23 men – 27
Wounded
8 officers, 158 men -166
Captured
6 officers, 108 men – 114.
Total casualties, 307.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Corps, Army of the Potomac.
July 23 Major Carmichael was promoted to lieutenant colonel with rank from July 2.
August 6-17 Movement to Morris Island, South Carolina and attached to 2nd Brigade, Gordon’s Division, Folly Island, South Carolina, 10th Corps, Department of the South
August 17-
September 7

Siege operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, and against Fort Sumter and Charleston.

One man was killed during the siege.
September 7

Capture of Forts Wagner and Gregg
September Picket and outpost duty on Folly Island, South Carolina, and operating against Charleston
1864
February 6-14

Expedition to Johns and James Islands

Attached to 1st Brigade, Ames’ Division, District of Florida. The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed and 7 wounded.
February 23 Ordered to Jacksonville, Florida and duty there.
March Captain Frank Place paroled and returned to regiment.
April Attached to District of Florida, Department of the South.
June Moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina attached to District of Hilton Head, South Carolina, Department of the South.
June 2 Two men were wounded at Camp Finnegan
June 4 Captain Frank Place of Company C was promoted to major.
June 30-July 10 Expedition to Johns and James Islands
July 4-9

Operations against Battery Pringle

The regiment lost 1 officer and 1 enlisted man wounded and 1 man missing.
July 9 Boudren’s Causeway
July Duty at Morris Island
August 12 Captain J. Riley Stone, captured at Gettysburg, died a prisoner of war at Macon, Georgia.
October Moved to Fort Pulaski, Georgia and duty there as garrison; attached to 3rd Separate Brigade, Department of the South
November Assigned to 1st Brigade, Coast Division, Department of the South
November 28-30 A detachment sent with Hatch’s Expedition up Broad River
November 30

Battle of Honey Hill (Detachment)

The regiment lost 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and Captain Lafayette McWilliams, Lieutenants Jerome Forbes and Robert Grant and 23 enlisted men wounded
December 3 One man was wounded at Partridge Hill (Detachment)
December 6-9

Demonstration on Charleston & Savannah Railroad (Detachment)

The regiment lost 8 enlisted men wounded, one mortally
December 6

Deveaux’s Neck (Detachment)

The regiment lost 3 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 21 enlisted men wounded
December 9

Tullifinney Station (Detachment)

The regiment lost 3 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 14 enlisted men wounded, and 1 man missing
1865
January 14-16 Expedition to destroy Charleston & Savannah Railroad (Detachment)
January Duty at Morris Island (Detachment)
February Attached to 1st Separate Brigade, Northern District, Department of the South. Captain James Coffin was paroled and returned to the regiment.
March In District of Charleston attached to 1st Separate Brigade, District of Charleston, South Carolina, Department of the South. Lieutenant Judson L. Powers paroled and returned to regiment.
April Colonel Brown absent commanding 1st Brigade of the Provost Division, 11th Corps
April 5-25 Potter’s Expedition from Georgetown to Camden, South Carolina.
April 9

Dingle’s Mills

The regiment lost 5 enlisted men killed and 23 wounded.
April 9-15
Operations about Sumter and Statesburg.

One enlisted man was killed.
April 17 Statesburg
April 18 Occupation of Camden, Boykin’s’ Mills
April 19 Denkin’s’ Mills and Beech Creek, near Statesburg
April-July Duty at Georgetown and Charleston, South Carolina.
June 12 Colonel Brown mustered out. Lieutenant Colonel Carmichael was promoted to colonel, Major Place to lieutenant colonel and Captain Leonard Briggs of Company I to major
July 10 The 157th New York Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonel James C. Carmichael, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Place and Major Leonard Briggs. Veterans and Recruits were transferred to 54th New York Infantry.