22nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 22nd New York Volunteer Infantry (not to be confused with the 22nd New York National Guard
) was a volunteer regiment
of the Union Army
in the American Civil War
.
along with the 24th New York, 30th New York, 84th New York (14th Brooklyn) (also known as the 14th New York State Militia), and for a number of months, the 2nd United States Sharpshooters (a battalion under the respected Colonel Henry A.V. Post). The brigade was the First Brigade in the First Corps
of the Army of the Potomac
, and Colonel Walter Phelps
and the regiments of the brigade referred to themselves as the Iron Brigade of the East
and served with the Division's more famous Fourth Brigade which would earn the title "Iron Brigade of the West" in September 1862 during Battle of South Mountain
in the Maryland Campaign
.
Colonel
Walter Phelps
was chosen as the original commander of the regiment, and after his promotion to brigade commander, Major
John McKie became regimental commander. The regiment suffered its first fatality when passing through Baltimore, when a man was killed by friendly fire
during confusion among a mob. It would go on to serve in the Army of the Potomac's I Corps and III Corps
, and fight at the battles of Second Bull Run
, South Mountain
, Antietam
, Fredericksburg
, and Chancellorsville
.
The regiment was mustered out of service on June 19, 1863, and those men who had signed three year enlistments were transferred to the 76th New York and 93rd New York.
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
) was a volunteer 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...
of 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...
in 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
The regiment was formed with 800 men in 1861 and was placed in a brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
along with the 24th New York, 30th New York, 84th New York (14th Brooklyn) (also known as the 14th New York State Militia), and for a number of months, the 2nd United States Sharpshooters (a battalion under the respected Colonel Henry A.V. Post). The brigade was the First Brigade in the First Corps
I Corps (ACW)
I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
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...
, and Colonel Walter Phelps
Walter Phelps
Walter Phelps Jr. was an officer in the Union Army throughout the American Civil War, ending the war as commanding general of the First Iron Brigade...
and the regiments of the brigade referred to themselves as the Iron Brigade of the East
Eastern Iron Brigade
The Eastern Iron Brigade or First Iron Brigade was a brigade of infantry that served in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. For much of its service, it was designated as the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps...
and served with the Division's more famous Fourth Brigade which would earn the title "Iron Brigade of the West" in September 1862 during Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
in the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
.
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Walter Phelps
Walter Phelps
Walter Phelps Jr. was an officer in the Union Army throughout the American Civil War, ending the war as commanding general of the First Iron Brigade...
was chosen as the original commander of the regiment, and after his promotion to brigade commander, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
John McKie became regimental commander. The regiment suffered its first fatality when passing through Baltimore, when a man was killed by friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
during confusion among a mob. It would go on to serve in the Army of the Potomac's I Corps and III Corps
III Corps (ACW)
There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*In the Army of Virginia:**Irvin McDowell ;**James B...
, and fight at the battles of Second Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
, South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
, 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...
, Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, and 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...
.
The regiment was mustered out of service on June 19, 1863, and those men who had signed three year enlistments were transferred to the 76th New York and 93rd New York.
Casualties
Casualties during the course of the war were as follows:- Killed in action: 11 officers, 61 enlisted
- Died of disease: 1 officer, 27 enlisted
- Died as POWPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
: 1 enlisted
Further reading
- Cunningham, Roger. '"Always a Storm Centre:" The Trials and Tribulations of Lt. Col. Asa Bird Gardiner.' The Journal of America's Military Past. (Fall, 2006) 5-28.
- Higley, Albert E. and Joan F. Aldous. The Civil War letters of Albert E. Higley. J.F. Aldous: 1986.
- McCoy, James. "Extracts from journal of Captain . . . Twenty-second regiment, New York state volunteers." In Fifth annual report of the New York state Bureau of military statistics, 1868, p. 544-59.