17th New York Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 17th New York Infantry Regiment

“Westchester Chasseurs”

The 17th New York Infantry Regiment lost 5 officers and 32 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 37 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1861
May 14 Organized at New York City and accepted for state service under the command of Colonel H. Seymour Lansing, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas F. Morris and Major Charles A. Johnson.
May 28 The 17th New York Infantry Regiment mustered in for two years United States service.
June 15 At Camp Washington, Staten Island.
June 21 Left State for Washington, D.C. by rail via New Jersey, Harrisburg and Baltmore. Attached to Mansfield’s Command, Department of Washington and assigned to garrison duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C.
August 4 Assigned to Fort Ellsworth, Division of the Potomac.
September Attached to Butterfield’s Brigade, Porter’s Division, Army of the Potomac
December 5 Captain Nelson Bartram of Company B was promoted to major.
1862
March Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15
Advance on Manassas
March 16 Company G was consolidated with companies A, B, C and F
March 21 Company A of the 54th New York Infantry Regiment was transferred to become Company G of 17th New York.
March 22

Peninsula Campaign

Moved to the Peninsula, Virginia on the steamship Knickerbocker

March 23 Landed at Fortress Monroe and marched five miles from Hampton.
April 5 Warwick Road
April 5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown; attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps
May 8 Marched to Yorktown and embarked on steamship S. R. Spaulding
May 9 Embarked at West Point in pontoon boats. Lieutenant Colonel Morris was promoted to colonel of the 93rd New York Infantry Regiment
May 10 Reconnaissance up the Pamunkey. Major Bartram was promoted to lieutenant colonel
May 18 Major Johnson was discharged to become colonel of 25th New York Infantry Regiment
May 27
Battle of Hanover Court House

The regiment captured a howitzer and caisson in an attack on the Confederate flank, losing 8 enlisted men captured or missing
May 27-29 Operations about Hanover Court House, burned several railroad bridges.
June 20 Captain William T. C. Grower was promoted to major.
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond

The regiment was cut off from the main army and forced to retreat under the command of General Stoneman to White House.
June 26-July 2 Operations about White House Landing.
June 28 Embarked at White House under cover of gunboats, losing 3 enlisted men wounded.
July 1 Reached Yorktown and transferred from gunboats to the steamboat Catskill, to the tug Adriatic, and finally to the steamer Kennebec, arriving at Harrisons Landing.
July Duty at Harrison’s Landing. One man was killed by artillery fire.
August 14 Left Harrison’s Landing at midnight, crossing the Chickahominy.
August 15 Marched through Williamsburg.
August 16 Reached Yorktown
August 17 Marched 17 miles toward Newport News
August 19 Embarked on the steamer Knickerbocker, which ran aground at the mouth of the Potomac. Transferred to the Alice Price.
August 20 Landed at Aquia Creek.
August 21 Moved by rail to Fredericksburg, then marched to Warrenton and Manassas.
August 28-September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

The 17th New York Infantry Regiment led the advance of Butterfield’s Brigade at Groveton. Three color bearers were shot down and both flagstaffs shot to pieces.

The regiment lost 46 enlisted men were missing or captured.

Captains Isaac Blauvelt of Company K, James Demerest of Company G and Andrew Willson of Company I, Lieutenant James Reed of Company K and 33 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded

Major William Grower, Adjutant Waldo Sprague, Captains John Burleigh of Company D, Terrance Foley of Company A and Joel Martin of Company H and Lieutenants Cornelius Green of Company D and Joseph Morey of Company K and 92 enlisted men were wounded.
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign
September 12 Left camp at Fairfax Seminary and Hall’s Hill, crossed the Potomac and passed through Washington and Georgetown.
September 13 Marched through Rockville
September 14 Reached Frederick
September 15 Camped near South Mountain
September 16 Arrived near Antietam battleground
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The 17th New York Infantry Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nelson B. Bartram. It was in reserve and suffered no casualties.
September 19

Shepherdstown
September – October Duty at Sharpsburg, Maryland, picketing the Potomac.
October 30-
November 17		 Movement to Falmouth, Virginia.
October 30 Moved toward Harpers Ferry.
October 31 Passed through Harpers Ferry and to the Blue Mountains.
November 2 Marched on Leesburg Turpike to Woodgrove, then to Snickersville and Snicker’s Gap
November 6 Moved toward Middleburg on the Alexandria Road, but went into camp due to a severe snow storm
November 8 Marched to New Baltimore along the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, then to Warrenton
November 17 Continued to Warrenton Junction.
November 18-24 Marched to Falmouth.
December 11 Left camp and crossed the Rappahannock.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost Adjutant George Wilson and 2 enlisted men mortally wounded, 2 officers and 9 enlisted men wounded, and 5 enlisted men missing or captured.
December 29-30 Expedition to Richards’ and Ellis’ Fords, Rappahannock River.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February At Falmouth
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 1 man killed and 4 wounded at U. S. Ford. It was the last regiment to cross while covering the retreat of the army.
May 13 Three years’ men were detached and assigned to a Battalion of New York Volunteers under Captain Hudson, which became part of the 146th New York Infantry Regiment.
May 18 Left for New York to muster out
May 22 The 17th New York Infantry Regiment mustered out under the command of Colonel Lansing and Lieutenant Colonel Bartram
The 17th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 17th New York Infantry Regiment; Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Civil War Photographs