122nd New York Volunteer Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 122nd New York Volunteer Infantry known as the "Onondagas", was an infantry
regiment
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
, additional troops were being raised in Onondaga County, New York
.
The county was named for the Onondaga people who lived in the area. It was the third regiment to be raised from the county.
The regiment was put under Colonel Silas Titus
, and was sent immediately into combat action as part of the Army of the Potomac
as part of the VI Corps.
In its first engagement, the Battle of Antietam
, they were kept in reserve and there were no losses. After a few other skirmishes, they saw heavy fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863. Sickness also took its toll on the regiment. Several times Col. Titus was ill and lieutenant colonel
Augustus Wade Dwight
had led the troops until he died March 25, 1865. Titus was also called away to serve as Provost Marshal
. Other times, both officers were unable to lead and command passed to Captain Horace Hall Wapole, who was later promoted to lead the regiment.
of Major General Henry Warner Slocum
. On May 2 at the Battle of Chancellorsville
, Tracy was sent with an urgent message to General Alpheus S. Williams
about the attack by Stonewall Jackson
. Finding himself behind enemy lines, he kept is nerve and made it through to Union lines despite being wounded. He was awarded the Medal of Honor
for this action.
In 1888, speeches were given to dedicate a monument for the regiment in at the Gettysburg Battlefield
.
William Eugene Ruggles (1844–1907) enlisted as a private in the regiment. He collected a series of drawings depicting the regiment that appear to be the work of engraver Philip M. Ostrander (a private in another Syracuse-based regiment). The drawings were bequethed to the University of Dundee
in 1958 by Ruggles' daughter, and formed the basis of a book by Professor David Swinfen published in 1982.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
A year into the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, additional troops were being raised in Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
The county was named for the Onondaga people who lived in the area. It was the third regiment to be raised from the county.
The regiment was put under Colonel Silas Titus
Silas Titus
Silas Titus was a military officer who fought in the American Civil War in the Union Army. He was active in the organization of the city of Syracuse, New York, and served as an alderman for two years and as a supervisor in 1865...
, and was sent immediately into combat action as part of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
as part of the VI Corps.
In its first engagement, the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, they were kept in reserve and there were no losses. After a few other skirmishes, they saw heavy fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863. Sickness also took its toll on the regiment. Several times Col. Titus was ill and lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
Augustus Wade Dwight
Augustus Wade Dwight
Augustus Wade Dwight was a lawyer who became an officer in the American Civil War. He served in 21 battles and was wounded three times, the last wound being fatal.-Life:...
had led the troops until he died March 25, 1865. Titus was also called away to serve as Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
. Other times, both officers were unable to lead and command passed to Captain Horace Hall Wapole, who was later promoted to lead the regiment.
Awards and legacy
Around April 1863, regiment Lieutennant William G. Tracy (born April 7, 1843) was assigned as aide-de-campAide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
of Major General Henry Warner Slocum
Henry Warner Slocum
Henry Warner Slocum , was a Union general during the American Civil War and later served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. During the war, he was one of the youngest major generals in the Army and fought numerous major battles in the Eastern Theater and in Georgia and the...
. On May 2 at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, Tracy was sent with an urgent message to General Alpheus S. Williams
Alpheus S. Williams
Alpheus Starkey Williams was a lawyer, judge, journalist, U.S. Congressman, and a Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
about the attack by Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
. Finding himself behind enemy lines, he kept is nerve and made it through to Union lines despite being wounded. He was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for this action.
In 1888, speeches were given to dedicate a monument for the regiment in at the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
.
William Eugene Ruggles (1844–1907) enlisted as a private in the regiment. He collected a series of drawings depicting the regiment that appear to be the work of engraver Philip M. Ostrander (a private in another Syracuse-based regiment). The drawings were bequethed to the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
in 1958 by Ruggles' daughter, and formed the basis of a book by Professor David Swinfen published in 1982.
Organization
The companies were recruited principally from these towns and organized by region:- A Company: BaldwinsvilleBaldwinsville, New YorkBaldwinsville is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,053 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- B Company: SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
- C Company: FayettevilleFayetteville, New YorkFayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 4,190. The village is named after Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States...
, and FarmersvilleFarmersville, New YorkFarmersville is a town located in the eastern border of Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census.- History :The area was first settled around 1805, but no permanent settlement was made until around 1817... - D Company: SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, OnondagaOnondaga, New YorkOnondaga is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy....
, SpaffordSpafford, New YorkSpafford is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,661 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Horatio Gates Spafford, a writer and founder of the local library....
and Amber - E Company: SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
- F Company: MarcellusMarcellus (town), New YorkMarcellus is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,319 at the 2000 census. The town was probably named after Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman general, by a clerk interested in the Classics....
and SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603... - G Company: Elbridge
- H Company: Camillus and SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
- I Company: SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
- K Company: SyracuseSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New YorkTully (town), New YorkTully is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population of the town was 2,709 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. The town is on the county's south border, south of Syracuse....
, Skaneateles and CiceroCicero, New YorkCicero is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population was 27,982 at the 2000 census. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman....