170th New York Volunteer Infantry

The 170th New York Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

The 170th New York Infantry was organized at New York City, New York, and mustered in October 7, 1862, at Staten Island under the command of Colonel Peter McDermott.

The regiment was attached to District of Newport News, Virginia, Department of Virginia, to December, 1862 Corcoran's Brigade, Division at Suffolk, Virginia, VII Corps, Department of Virginia, to April 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, VII Corps, to July 1863. Corcoran's Brigade, King's Division, XXII Corps, Department of Washington, to November 1863. 1st Brigade, Corcoran's Division, XXII Corps, to December 1863. 2nd Brigade, Tyler's Division, XXII Corps, to May 1864. 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps, to July 1865.

The 170th New York Infantry mustered out of service July 19, 1865, at Raleigh, North Carolina.

Detailed service

Left New York for Washington, D.C., October 16, 1862; then moved to Newport News, Va. Duty at Newport News, Va., until December 1862, and at Suffolk, Va., until May 1863. Action at Deserted House January 30, 1863. Siege of Suffolk April 12-May 4. Edenton Road April 15. Attack on Suffolk April 24. Providence Church Road, Nansemond River, May 3. Siege of Suffolk raised May 4. Operations on Seaboard & Roanoke Railroad May 12–26. Blackwater May 12. Holland House, Carrsville, May 15–16. Carrsville May 18. Dix's Peninsula Campaign June 24-July 7. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 12. Duty in and about that city and guard duty on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad until May 1864. Ordered to join the Army of the Potomac in the field. Rapidan Campaign May 17-June 15. Spotsylvania Court House May 17–21. 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 on north side 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. Ream's Station August 25. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27–28. 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 30–31. Crow's House March 31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3–9. Sailor's Creek April 6. High Bridge, Farmville, April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. At Burkesville until May 2. March to Washington, D. C., May 2–12. Grand Review of the Armies May 23. Duty at Washington, D.C., until July.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 227 men during service; 10 officers and 119 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 96 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

• Colonel Peter McDermott - discharged January 4, 1863
• Colonel James Patrick McIvor

Notable members

• Lieutenant Colonel Michael Cotter Murphy - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of North Anna River; dismissed from the service June 4, 1864, due to disability
• Captain Hugh Francis "Bob" O'Lone, Company F - active in Canadian politics; member of the Convention of Forty and served in the Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia

See also

• List of New York Civil War regiments
• New York in the Civil War

References

• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908.

Attribution

• This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.