The One hundred and fifty-fourth Regiment, New York Volunteers, was recruited
from the counties of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus, the men enlisting for three
years or during the war. It was organized at Jamestown, N. Y., where it was
mustered into the United States service September 24, 1862.
Under command of Col. Patrick H. Jones it left the State September 30th, for the
seat of war. Colonel Jones had already served with distinction as major of the
Thirty-seventh New York, from which regiment he was promoted to the colonelcy of
his new command.
On arriving at the front the One hundred and fifty-fourth was assigned to the
Eleventh Corps, and was placed in Buschbeck's Brigade of von Stein-iwehr's
(Second) Division.
The One hundred and fifty-fourth New York was engaged in the battle of
Chancellorsville, numbering then 590 men in line of battle. It held its position
at Dowdall's Tavern, where with Wiedrich's Battery it really served as
headquarters guard, until after all the rest of the Eleventh Corps had retired
to the woods east of them, and then retreated in good order. Many of the
Seventy-third Pennsylvania retreating, fell in behind them and supported them as
they lay and fought in their breastworks. Its losses in killed, wounded, and
captured were so large that the regiment numbered only about 300 men when in
line of battle at Gettysburg.
On the 30th of June, 50 men of the regiment, together with 50 of the
Seventy-third Pennsylvania were detailed, under the command of Maj. L. D.
Warner, of the One hundred and fifty-fourth New York, to make a recon-noissance
out to Strykersville, and thus were not engaged in the first day's fight at
Gettysburg.
The Second Division was the last one of the Eleventh Corps to reach Cemetery
Hill by the Emmitsburg Pike. The One hundred and fifty-fourth New York arrived
there at about 4 p. m., on the double-quick, filed into the cemetery and cleaned
guns, and immediately (with the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania and One hundred and
thirty-fourth New York, only,) double-quicked down through the town, out on the
Harrisburg Road, and formed line of battle where its monument now stands, a
short distance north of Stevens Run. At this time the broken lines of Schurz's
troops were in full retreat, and about as soon as the One hundred and
fifty-fourth New York (with the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania on its left and the
One hundred and thirty-fourth New York on its right) had formed line of battle,
the enemy in overwhelming numbers fell upon them, in front and on both flanks.
Again the One hundred and fifty-fourth New York held its ground, receiving no
order to retreat whatever, the men firing six to nine shots apiece with their
Enfield rifles. Thus nearly all possible chance to retreat was cut off, and all
but 15 men and 3 officers were captured. These officers were Lieut. Col. Daniel
B. Allen, then in command of the regiment, Capt. M. B. Cheney and Lieut. James
W. Bird, of Company G, who escaped by running at the very last under the deadly
fire of the enemy.
Capt. M. B. Cheney, on his way, came upon the National and State colors of the
One hundred and thirty-fourth New York lying on the ground, mistook them for
those of his own regiment,* and bore them safely off from the field through a
perfect hail storm of minie balls, receiving a severe gun shot wound just as he
was crossing the railroad, which wound so disabled him that he finally had to
reluctantly submit to discharge from the service. Col. (Gen.) P. H. Jones was
then a paroled prisoner, wounded and captured at Chancellorsville.
Lieut James W. Bird bore off the State colors of the One hundred and
fifty-fourth New York.
The remnant of the regiment, including the reconnoitering party, combined with
the few remaining men of the One hundred and thirty-fourth New York, did gallant
service on the 2d of July on Cemetery Hill, in support of Wiedrich's Battery and
in repelling the assault of the Louisiana Tigers.
After being reinforced by exchanged prisoners and convalescents, the One hundred
and fifty-fourth New York was transferred to Lookout Valley, Tenn., in October,
1863. It was engaged soon after in the battles of Wauhatchie, Missionary Ridge,
and the march to Knoxville to relieve General Burnside.
As a part of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twentieth Corps, the regiment
fought almost continuously throughout the Atlanta campaign, sustaining its
severest loss, in proportion to numbers, on the 8th of May, 1864, in the attempt
of General Geary to capture Dug Gap, on Rocky Face Ridge, near Dalton, Ga.
Increased by 90 recruits, the regiment made the March to the Sea, and served
through Sherman's campaign in the Carolinas. The services and experiences of the
regiment were of the most varied and interesting character, and its record one
of the best.
At the battle of Peach Tree Creek, July 20, 1864, it (and the Thirty-third New
Jersey) received the first onslaught of Hood's assault. At the battle of
Missionary Ridge, the regiment formed the extreme left of Grant's army on Citico
Creek, a perilous position, in close proximity to General Cleburne's forces that
intervened between the regiment and General Sherman's column. Colonel Buschbeck,
of the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania, commanding the brigade, with all of its
regiments except the One hundred and thirty-fourth and One hundred and
fifty-fourth New York, joined General Sherman's forces, leaving Colonel Jones in
command of the remainder; and Corp. Thomas R. Aldrich of Company B, was the
extreme left of all. He was captured at Rocky Face Ridge, wounded while holding
the colors. The regiment did gallant service in the battle of Missionary Ridge,
Colonel Jones having been exchanged, being in command. When mustered out at
Bladensburg, Md., June II, 1865, the regiment numbered only 303 men. Of its
prisoners, 76 died in Confederate military prisons, (53 in Richmond, Va., and 23
in Andersonville) or immediately after parole, from the effects of their
imprisonment; and 76 were killed in battle or died of wounds so received. Of
these, 42 fell at Chancellorsville, and 11 at Gettysburg.
Colonel Jones was promoted brigadier general, May 9, 1865, and Lieut. Col. Lewis
D. Warner was made colonel to fill the vacancy. Lieutenant Colonel Allen, who
commanded the regiment at Gettysburg, resigned September 30, 1864.
*And, as it is told, a soldier of the One hundred and thirty-fourth New York, by
a similar mistake, carried off the national colors of the One hundred and
fifty-fourth, this soldier being wounded also. [Ed.]