The 86th New York Infantry Regiment ("Steuben Rangers") was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

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 ...

in the Union Army 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 ...

Service

The 86th New York Infantry was organized at Elmira,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and mustered in for three years service on November 20, 1861, under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Benajah P. Baily. The regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, Casey's Division,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

, to March 1862. Wadsworth's Command, Military District of Washington, to August 1862. Piatt's Brigade, Whipple's Division, to September 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division,

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

, Army of the Potomac, to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps, to March 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division,

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, to June 1865. The 86th New York Infantry mustered out of service on June 27, 1865.

Detailed service

*Left New York for Washington, D.C., November 23, 1861. *Duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C. until August 1862. *Pope's Campaign in northern Virginia August 16-September 2. *Duty in the defenses of Washington until October. *Moved to Point of Rocks, then to Pleasant Valley, Md., October 18–19. *Movement toward Warrenton, Va., October 24-November 16. *Reconnaissance to Manassas Gap, Va., and skirmish November 5–6. *Movement to Falmouth, Va., November 18–24. *Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12–15. *Duty near Falmouth until April 27, 1863. *"Mud March" January 20–24. *Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. *Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5. *Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9. *Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. *Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3. *Pursuit of Lee July 5–24. *Wapping Heights, Va., July 23. *Duty on line of the Rappahannock until October. *Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. *Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8. *Kelly's Ford November 7. *Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. *Duty near Brandy Station until May, 1864. *Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7. *Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. *Battle of the Wilderness May 5–7. *Spotsylvania May 8–12. *Po River May 10. *Spotsylvania Court House May 12–21. *Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. *North Anna River May 23–26. *On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. *Totopotomoy May 28–31. *Cold Harbor June 1–12. *Before Petersburg June 16–18. *Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. *Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad, June 22–23, 1864. *Demonstration north of the James July 27–29. *Deep Bottom July 27–28. *Demonstration north of the James August 13–20. *Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14–18. *Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. *Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27–28. *Reconnaissance to Weldon Railroad December 9–10. *Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5–7, 1865. *Watkins' House March 25. *Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. *Boydton and White Oak Roads March 29–31. *Crow's House March 31. *Fall of Petersburg April 2. *Sailor's Creek April 6. *High Bridge and Farmville April 7. *Appomattox Court House April 9. *Surrender of Lee and his army. At Burkesville until May 2. *Moved to Washington, D.C., May 2–12. *

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in th ...

May 23.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 303 men during service; 13 officers and 159 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 129 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

Benajah P. Baily * Colonel Nathan H. Vincent * Lieutenant Colonel Bena J. Chapin - commanded at the Battle of Fredericksburg; killed in action at the Battle of Chancellorsville while in command of the regiment * Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin L. Higgins - commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg until wounded on July 2 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Jacob H. Lansing - commanded at the Battle of Chancellorsville while still at the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

after Ltc Chapin was killed; commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg after Ltc Higgins was wounded * Major Michael Stafford - commanded during the Mine Run Campaign; killed in action at Cold Harbor while serving as lieutenant colonel

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Holden, Douglas & Garda Parker. ''From Camp to Cannon's Mouth: The Letters of Four Union Soldiers During the Civil War'' (Lee's Summit, MO: Delphi Books), 2011. * Shover, Charlotte Rosenquist. ''Augustus Temme in the Civil War with the 70th and 86th New York Volunteers Infantry'' (Rosemount, MN: Printed by InstantPublisher.com), 2011. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links