79th New York Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 79th New York Infantry Regiment

“Highlanders”

The 79th New York Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 116 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 78 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1861
Organized at New York City
May 29 The 79th New York Infantry Regiment was mustered in.
June 2 Left New York for Washington, D.C. under the command of Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Elliott and Major David McClelland
June 6 Colonel J.C. Cameron, brother of the Secretary of War, was appointed Colonel of the regiment.
June Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., attached to Mansfield’s Command, Department of Washington
July 16-21 Advance on Manassas, Virginia attached to Sherman’s Brigade, Tyler’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia.
July 17 Occupation of Fairfax Court House
July 21

Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

The regiment lost 41 men killed or mortally wounded, 7 officers and 35 men wounded, and 8 officers and 107 men missing. Colonel Cameron and Captain Brown were killed.
August Duty in the Defenses of Washington assigned to W. F. Smith’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac. Colonel Isaac Stevens took over the regiment.
September 25 Reconnaissance to Lewinsville, Virginia.
October Colonel Stevens was promoted to brigadier general and the regiment was assigned to Stevens’ Brigade, Smith’s Division, Army of the Potomac. Lieutenant Colonel Elliott and Major McClelland both resigned.
October 10-11 Reconnaissance to Lewinsville, Virginia.
October 10 Little River Turnpike, near Lewinsville
October 12

Bailey’s Cross Roads
October 21-November 7

Sherman’s Expedition to Port Royal, South Carolina

Assigned to Stevens’ 2nd Brigade, Sherman’s South Carolina Expeditionary Corps
November 7

Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, Port Royal Harbor, South Carolina
November 8 to December 11 Occupation of Bay Point
December-June Duty at Beaufort, South Carolina and vicinity
December 17 Addison Farnsworth was promoted to colonel.
1862
January Expedition to Port Royal Ferry
April Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of the South
May 29 Action at Pocotaligo, South Carolina
June 1-28 Expedition to James Island, South Carolina
June 16

Battle of Secessionville

The regiment lost 1 officer and 34 men killed or mortally wounded, 5 officers and 74 men wounded, and 34 men missing.
June 28-July 7 Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head, South Carolina
July 12-16 Moved to Newport News, Virginia.
August 4-6 To Fredericksburg and asigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac
August 13-
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 13-27 Operations on the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

The regiment lost 9 men killed or mortally wounded, 5 officers and 656 men wounded, and 1 officer and 12 men missing. Colonel Farnsworth was wounded and disabled, and Lieutenant Colonel Morrison took command of the regiment.
September 1

Battle of Chantilly

Brigadier General (former Colonel) Stevens was killed after picking up the fallen colors of the regiment. His son Hazard had been wounded moments before.
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac
September 14
Battle of South Mountain

The regiment lost 12 men wounded.
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

The regiment lost 8 men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 22 men wounded.

From the War Department marker for Christ’s Brigade along Rodman Avenue at Antietam:

On the morning of the 17th Christ’s Brigade was in reserve on the eastern slope of the ridge on the left bank of the Antietam, nearly opposite the Burnside Bridge.

About 2 P.M., after Sturgis’ Division had carried the bridge, the Brigade crossed and, following the stream and road to Sharpsburg, filed to the right where the course of the former diverged to the east and formed line on the narrow plateau at the foot of the bluff southeast of this point. After the formation of the Corps line, the Brigade advanced, under a heavy fire from Cemetery Hill and the high ground west of the road, to within a few yards of this point where it was checked. After a short delay the 79th New York advanced as skirmishers and compelled the Confederate Artillery to retire. The Brigade was about to move forward, when the attack of A.P. Hill on the left of the Corps obliged it to fall back to the Antietam, where it remained until the evening of the 18th, when it was relieved by Morell’s Division of the Fifth Corps.
September Duty in Maryland
October 11-
November 18		 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, then to Falmouth, Virginia.
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 20-24
“Mud March”
February 17 Colonel Farnsworth was discharged for disability from his Second Bull Run wound. Lieutenant Colonel David Morrison was promoted to colonel.
March 13 Moved to Newport News, Virginia.
March 20-28 Transferred to Kentucky
April-June Duty at Paris, Nicholasville, Lancaster, Stanford and Somerset assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Ohio
June 4-10 Movement through Kentucky to Cairo, Ill. assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Tennessee.
June 14-17 To Vicksburg, Mississippi.
June 17-July 4

Siege of Vicksburg
July 5-10 Advance on Jackson, Mississippi.
July 10-17

Siege of Jackson
July 18-22 Destruction of Mississippi Central Railroad at Madison Station
August 6 At Milldale
August 6-12 Moved to Crab Orchard, Kentucky.
August 16-
October 17

Burnside’s Campaign in East Tennessee

Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Ohio
October 10
Action at Blue Springs

The regiment lost 12 men wounded, 2 mortally.
October At Lenoir
November 4-December 23

Knoxville Campaign
November 16

Action at Campbell’s Station
November 17-
December 4

Siege of Knoxville
November 29

Repulse of Longstreet’s assault on Fort Sanders

The regiment lost 4 men killed and 16 wounded.
December-March

Operations in East Tennessee
1864
January 20 Action at Holston River
January 21-22 Strawberry Plains
March Moved to Annapolis, Maryland.
April Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 3-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21

Battle of Spottsylvania Court House
May 10

Ny River
May 12

Assault on the Salient
May 13-15 Non-Veterans left front to guard prisoners to Alexandria, Virginia.
May 23-27

North Anna River
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
May 31 Non-Veterans moved to New York and mustered out under Colonel Morrison.
June 1-12

Cold Harbor
June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 16-18

Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg
June 16-18

Siege of Petersburg
July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg (Battle of the Crater)
August 18-21

Weldon Railroad
September Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps
September 29-October 2

Poplar Springs Church
October Assigned to Provost Guard, 9th Army Corps. Major Andrew D. Baird was in command.
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
1865
March 25

Fort Stedman
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign
April 2

Fall of Petersburg
April 3 Occupation of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee. Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 21-28 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June-July Duty at Washington, D.C.
July 14 The 79th New York Infantry Regiment mustered out.