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117th New York Infantry

Online Books:
117th New York Infantry Soldier Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year 1893, Volume 35     View the Entire Book

Regimental History
One Hundred and Seventeenth New York Infantry. — Cols., William R. Pease, Alvin White, Rufus Daggett; Lieut. -Cols., Alvin White, Rufus Daggett, Francis X. Meyer; Majs., Rufus Daggett, Francis X. Meyer, Egbert Bagg. This regiment, recruited in Oneida county in the summer of 1862, rendezvoused at Rome, where it was mustered into the U. S. service from Aug. 8 to 16, for three years, and left the state on Aug. 22. It was stationed at Tenallytown, Md.. until April, 1863, when it was ordered to Suffolk, Va., in the 1st brigade, Getty's division, 7th corps, and subsequently participated in the Peninsular campaign of 1863. It was then ordered to join the 18th corps (the 7th corps having been discontinued), Department of the South; later joined Vogdes' division, 10th corps, on Folly island, S. C; and took part in the siege of Fort Wagner and the operations about Charleston harbor. In April, 1864, the regiment was ordered to Virginia, where it joined Gen. Butler's Army of the James, being assigned to 1st brigade, 2nd division, 10th corps. Sailing up the James river, it disembarked at Bermuda Hundred and was engaged at Swift creek, Drewry's bluff and Bermuda Hundred, losing 20 killed, 62 wounded, and 7 missing at Drewry's bluff, Col. White being among the wounded. While at Cold Harbor it was temporarily attached to the 18th corps, but on its return to the James rejoined the 10th corps, and soon after took part in the initial assault on the works of Petersburg, losing 54 in killed, wounded and missing. It was present at the mine explosion, and then recrossing the James fought gallantly at the battle of Fort Harrison, losing 15 killed, 76 wounded and 33 missing. In the 1st (Curtis') brigade, 2nd (Foster's) division, it was heavily engaged on the Darbytown road, in October, losing 6 killed, 42 wounded, and 4 missing. When the 10th corps was discontinued in Dec, 1864, Curtis' brigade was placed in Ames' (2nd) division, 24th corps, with which the regiment sailed in Butler's expedition to Fort Fisher, N. C., where Cos. B and H captured 230 men of the 4th N. C. reserves during a reconnoissance. Reembarking, the troops returned to Virginia, but were at once ordered back to Fort Fisher, the second expedition being commanded by Gen. Terry. The 117th took a conspicuous and highly honorable part in the final assault on Fort Fisher, sustaining a loss of 92 in killed and wounded. During February it was in the actions at Cape Fear river, Fort Anderson and Wilmington, and in March and April, as part of the provisional corps, it engaged in Gen. Terry's Carolina campaign, which closed at the Bennett house on April 26. The regiment remained on duty at Raleigh, N. C, until June 8, 1865, when it was mustered out under command of Col. Daggett. About 250 recruits and reenlisted men were transferred to the 48th N. Y. During its term of service the regiment lost by death 9 officers and 129 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded; 1 officer and 136 enlisted men by disease and other causes, a total of 274, of whom 21 died in the hands of the enemy.

Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 2

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