The 124th New York Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms, was a volunteer

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

from

Orange County, New York Orange County is a List of counties in New York, county located in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen (village), New York, Goshen. This count ...

, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Formed in Goshen during the summer of 1862, The unit was officially mustered into United States Service on September 5, 1862, by Col. Augustus van Horne Ellis, the regiment was made up of volunteers from the surrounding towns and a core of veterans from the 71st New York State Militia.

Organization

Volunteers were recruited by town and the 10 companies of the regiment were organized by region: *A Company:

Newburgh Newburgh (''"new"'' + the English/Scots word ''"burgh"'') may refer to: Places Scotland *Newburgh, Fife, a former royal burgh *Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, a village England *Newburgh, Lancashire, a village * Newburgh, North Yorkshire, a village ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

, and Goshen *B Company: Goshen,

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, and Newburgh *C Company: Goshen, Cornwall, Newburgh,

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

, and New Windsor *D Company: Warwick and Goshen *E Company: Goshen, Crawford, Otisville, Wallkill, Newburgh, Bullville, New Windsor, Mount Hope, and

Port Jervis Port Jervis, named after John Bloomfield Jervis, a Roman civil engineer who oversaw the construction of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, is a city located at the confluence of the Neversink and Delaware rivers in western Orange County, New York, ...

*F Company:

and

Deerpark, New York Deerpark is a town in the western part of Orange County, New York, United States. It is part of the Poughkeepsie Newburgh Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York Newark Bridgeport, NY- NJ- CT- PA Combined ...

*G Company: Washingtonville, Blooming Grove, New Windsor, Monroe, Newburgh, Craigville, and Chester *H Company: Montgomery,

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is an 1854 book by American transcendentalism, transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. T ...

, and Goshen *I Company: Newburgh and New Windsor *K Company: Wallkill, Middletown, and Newburgh

Campaigns

The Orange Blossoms' first major engagement was at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

, in December 1862. Thomas W. Bradley, an Orange Blossom and future

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

in 1863. Colonel Ellis was killed at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, at Houck's Ridge. Three other officers and 31 enlisted men from the regiment also died during the battle. The Orange Blossoms also took part in the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

, taking losses in the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

, the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

, and the

Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

. In June 1864 they were at the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

. In 1865 they fought in the Appomattox Campaign, and were present during the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

surrender at the

Battle of Appomattox Courthouse The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last, and ultimately one of the most consequential, battles of the American Civil War (1861–1865). It was the final e ...

Legacy

*The 124th has two monuments at Gettysburg; one near the site where Colonel Ellis fell, and one at the unit's location during the defense of

Cemetery Ridge Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park, south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for t ...

. *"The Orange Blossom Monument" stands on a pedestal in the middle of Main Street in Goshen. The main statue in the monument, called "The Standard Bearer," was designed by

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson (née Ruggles, January 29, 1871 – October 29, 1932), known as Theo A.R. Kitson, was an American sculptor. Life Theodora Alice Ruggles was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Cyrus W. and Anna H. Ruggles. As ...

and dedicated on September 5, 1907. *

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

, who lived in Port Jervis between ages 6–11 and continued to have strong family ties to that area as an adult, is thought to have possibly interacted with Port Jervis area veterans of 124th whose experiences may have influenced his most famous work, ''

The Red Badge of Courage ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is an 1895 war novel by American author Stephen Crane. The novel was published on 3 October 1895. Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming ...

'', which is known to depict a fictionalized version of the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Medal of Honor Recipients

* Sergeant Thomas W. Bradley, future

, was awarded the

for his actions at the

in 1863. * Private Archibald C. Freeman, for capturing an enemy battle flag in the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

. * Corporal George W. Thompkins, for capturing a battle flag in the

Battle of Fort Stedman The Battle of Fort Stedman, also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill, was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final weeks of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a p ...

. * Private (later Corporal) Nathan M. Hallock, for bravery on 15 June 1863 in the

Battle of Bristoe Station The Battle of Bristoe Station was fought on October 14, 1863, at Bristow, Virginia, Bristoe Station, Virginia, between Union Army, Union forces under Major general (United States), Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren and Confederate States Army, Confe ...

. * First Lieutenant Lewis S. Wisner, for bravery during the

References

History
* - Modern-day 124th reenactors * - Modern-day 124th reenactors

External links