86th New York Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 86th New York Infantry Regiment

“Steuben Rangers”

The 86th New York Infantry Regiment lost 13 officers and 159 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 129 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
The regiment was organized at Elmira, New York.

  • Company A was primarily recruited at Syracuse
  • Company B at Addison
  • Company C at Corning
  • Company D at Hornellsville
  • Company E at Elmira
  • Company F at Corning
  • Company G at Canisteo
  • Company H at Troupsburg
  • Company I in Steuben county
  • Company K at Woodhull.
November 20 Mustered in under the command of Colonel Benajah P. Bailey, Lieutenant Colonel Barnard Chapin and Major Seyman G. Rheinvault
November 23 960 men left New York for Washington, D.C. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Casey’s Division, Army of the Potomac
December Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C.
1862
March Attached to Wadsworth’s Command, Military District of Washington
August Attached to Piatt’s Brigade, Whipple’s Division
August 16-
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

The regiment was under the command of Colonel Baily. It lost 23 men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 56 men wounded, and 38 men missing.
September Duty in the Defenses of Washington
October 18-19 Moved to Point of Rocks, then to Pleasant Valley, Maryland.
October 24-November 16 Movement toward Warrenton, Virginia.
November 5-6 Reconnaissance to Manassas Gap, Virginia. and skirmish
November 18-24 Movement to Falmouth, Virginia. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Chapin. It lost 3 men wounded and 1 man missing.
December Duty near Falmouth
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January 23 Captain Benjamin L. Higgins of Company A was promoted to major.
April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5

Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 4 officers and 13 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 3 officers and 57 men wounded.

Lieutenant Colonel Chapin and Captains Daniel S. Ellsworth and W.W. Angel were killed, Lieutenant Jackson A. Woodward was mortally wounded, and Major Benjamin Higgins, Captains J.H. Lansing and Amos B. Sherwood, and Lieutenant Nathan H. Vincent were wounded.
May 3 Major Higgins was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Captain Jacob H. Lansing of Company C was promoted to major.
June Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac.
June 9

Battle of Brandy Station

The regiment was commanded by Major Jacob H. Lansing. It lost 5 men killed or mortally wounded and 21 men wounded.
June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign
June 12 Colonel Bailey was discharged for disability. Lieutenant Colonel Higgins was promoted to colonel and Major Lansing was promoted to lieutenant colonel
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Benjamin Higgins until he was wounded by a shell in his left side on July 2 in fighting north of the Devil’s Den. Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Lansing then took command. It lost Captain John Warner and 19 men killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenants Hammond, Blanchard and Packer and 39 men wounded, and Adjutant Seeley and 3 men missing of the 286 men engaged.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee
July 23 Wapping Heights, Virginia.
August-September Duty on line of the Rappahannock
October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7 Kelly’s Ford
November 26-
December 2

Mine Run Campaign

The regiment was under the command of Colonel Higgins until he was wounded, when Major Michael Stafford took command.  It lost 6 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 25 men wounded.
November 27 Colonel Higgins was wounded in both thighs.
December-May Duty near Brandy Station
1864
January Much of the regiment reenlisted, earning Veteran status. Veterans received a 30 day furlough.
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
March Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac.
May 3-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

Began the campaign with 450 men under the command of Colonel Lansing.
May 5-7

Battie of the Wilderness

The regiment lost Captain Barton and 17 men killed or mortally wounded, and 5 officers and 56 men wounded.
May 8-12

Spotsylvania Court House

The regiment lost 5 officers and 53 men killed or mortally wounded, 63 men wounded, and 4 men missing, mostly at the Po River. Captain Stone was killed and Captain Vincent was wounded.
May 10

Po River

The regiment engaged in hand to hand combat, losing every member of the color guard but saving the colors. The regiment entered the battle with 300 men and lost half its strength. Captains John Phinney and Samuel Stone and Adjutant James Cherry were killed and Captain Nathan Vincent was badly wounded.
May 12

Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle”
May 13 The regiment mustered 75 men.
May 23-26

North Anna River

The regiment lost 1 man mortaly wounded, 1 officer and 11 men wounded, and 2 men missing. Lieutenant Colonel Lansing was wounded in the left arm.
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Cold Harbor

The regiment lost 4 men mortally wounded and 9 men missing.
June 16-18
Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg

The regiment lost Lieutenant Colonel Michael Stafford and 6 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 36 men wounded.
June 16-18

Siege of Petersburg
June 21 Three years men from 70th New York Infantry transferred in when their regiment mustered out.
June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad
June 25 Colonel Benjamin Higgins was discharged for his wounds from Mine Run and Gettysburg. Lieutenant Colonel Lansing was promoted to colonel.
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James
July 27-28

Deep Bottom
August 13-20 Demonstration north of the James
August 14-18

Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
September 29-
October 2

Poplar Springs Church
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run

The regiment lost 1 officer and 6 men killed or mortally wounded, 7 men wounded and 3 men missing.
November 14 Colonel Jacob Lansing was honorably mustered out.
December 1 Lieutenant Colonel Stafford was mortally wounded in “Fort Hell.” Captain Nathan Vincent was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
December 9-10 Reconnaissance to Weldon Railroad
1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 25 Watkins’ House
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

The regiment lost 2 men killed, and 1 officer and 7 men wounded.
March 29-31

Boydton and White Oak Roads
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.
April At Burkesville
May 2-12 Moved to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 27 The 86th New York Infantry Regiment mustered out near Washington under Colonel Nathan H. Vincent