The 62nd New York Infantry Regiment 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 ...

that served 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 ...

. It is also known as the Anderson Zouaves.

Organization

It was raised under special authority of the War Department in New York City by Col.

John Lafayette Riker John Lafayette Riker (August 15, 1824 – May 31, 1862) was an American attorney and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Fair Oaks during the Peninsula Campaign. Early life Joh ...

in May and June 1861, in response to President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

's call for

75,000 volunteers Proclamation 80, titled "A Proclamation by the President of the United States, April 15, 1861," was a presidential proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. It called for 75,000 militia A militia ( ...

to suppress the insurrection in the rebellious Southern states of the United States of America. The regiment was named in honor of, and raised under the auspices of,

Major Robert Anderson Robert Anderson (June 14, 1805 – October 26, 1871) was a United States Army officer during the American Civil War. He was the Union commander in the first battle of the American Civil War at Fort Sumter in April 1861 when the Confederates bomb ...

, "the hero of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

". The regiment was later numerically designated the Sixty-second New York State Volunteers. The regiment was mustered in at Saltersville (now part of

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

on June 30 and July 1, 1861.

Service

The regiment left New York from its Camp Astor on Rikers Island on August 21, 1861. The regiment embarked upon the steamer ''Kill Van Kull'' by which the men and the camp equipment were transported the Elizabethport New Jersey, from where the regiment was transported to Washington, D.C. by the

Central Railroad of New Jersey Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

. The regiment arrived in Baltimore at 9am the next morning where they disembarked in order to change trains. On their march through the town the regiment was cheered by the crowd. By 1pm the regiment and its equipment had been transferred to the carriages at the south bound depot and by late that day the regiment arrived in Washington. On August 23, the Anderson Zouaves marched through Washington and on to

Meridian Hill Meridian Hill is a small urban Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. Meridian Hill is often considered to be a part of the larger neighborhoods of Adams Morgan ...

where they were reviewed the next day by

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (; May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States senator. A determined opp ...

. On September 13, 1861, the regiment was brigaded with the 6th New Jersey, the 55th New York, aka the Gardes Lafayette and the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment (the Old 13th Pittsburgh Washington Infantry), under the command of General John J. Peck. On September 26, the regiment broke camp in abeyance to an order received the previous evening and marched two or three miles to the village of Kalorama on Rock Creek, where, on the rocky, sloping ground of Swartz' Farm the brigade established Camp Holt. After two weeks in this location, October 9, 1861, the Anderson Zouaves along with the rest of Peck's brigade was moved to Tennallytown where it replaced McCall's Division of the Pennsylvania Reserves, which had crossed the

Chain Bridge A chain bridge is a historic form of suspension bridge for which chains or eyebars were used instead of wire ropes to carry the bridge deck. A famous example is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest. Construction types are, as for other suspensi ...

into Virginia the day previous. On October 1, 1861, while at Camp Tennally, the regiment's Lieutenant Colonel, William S. Tisdale, was discharged due to disability and was replaced by

David J. Nevin David John Nevin (born 1830) was an American Officer (armed forces), officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life Prior to enlisting in the Anderson Zouaves Infantry Regiment of New York (later the Sixty-second New York State ...

, the captain of company "D". The Anderson Zouaves spent the winter in camp at Tennallytown, until it took part in the Advance on Manassas on March 10, 1862. The regiment marched to Prospect Hill where it lay for three days, before returning to its old camp at Tennallytown. On March 26, the regiment deployed to McClellan's

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

aboard transports at Georgetown harbor. The Anderson Zouaves fought at Gettysburg. The regiment was mustered out at

Fort Schuyler Fort Schuyler is a preserved 19th century fortification in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. It houses a museum, the Stephen B. Luce Library, and the Marine Transportation Department and Administrative offices ...

New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...

, on August 30, 1865. It lost during its term of service 3 officers and 85 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded, and 2 officers and 82 enlisted men by disease; total 172. Three members of the regiment were 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 ...

: Edward Brown, Jr.,

James R. Evans James Robert Evans (September 12, 1843 – December 27, 1918) was an American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient (date of issue: February 25, 1895). Biography Evans was born in New York City on September 12, 1843. He died December 27 ...

and Charles. E. Morse.

Uniform

The regiment was a Zouave regiment and its uniform was of that style. They wore a red wool fez with gold trim and blue tassell. A dark blue zouave jacket trimmed in red with same color vest with red trim. A light blue sash was worn under the waist-belt. Red pantaloons with leather and canvas gaiters completed the uniform.

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

* * {{refend

External links

New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center - Civil War - 62nd Infantry Regiment
History, photographs, table of battles and casualties, monument at Gettysburg, historical sketch, newspaper clippings, and infantry flank markers for the 62nd New York Infantry Regiment. Infantry 062 1861 establishments in New York (state) Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865