Haviland Gifford, NY 93rd Infantry

NEW YORK NINETY-THIRD INFANTRY (Three Years)

Ninety-third Infantry.-Cols., John S. Crocker, Samuel McConihe, Haviland Gifford; Lieut.-Cols. Benjamin C. Butler, Haviland Gifford, Jay H. Northrup; Majs., Ambrose S. Cassidy, Samuel McConihe, Henry P. Smith, Jay H. Northrup, George Bushnell.

The 93d, the "Morgan Rifles," recruited mainly in Washington county, was mustered into the service of the United States at Albany, from Oct., 1861, to Jan., 1862.  It left Albany, Feb. 14, 1862, with 998 members; camped at Riker's island, New York city; moved to Washington on March 7; was there attached to Palmer's brigade Casey's division and proceeded to the Peninsula on March 30.

It was present at the siege of Yorktown; fought at Lee's mills, Williamsburg and in the Seven Days' battles; and upon the return from the Peninsula was present at Antietam and Fredericksburg, but was not actively engaged, having been detailed to perform provost guard duty at headquarters, a post occupied by the regiment for about two years.

At the opening of the Wilderness campaign, the regiment, of which a large proportion had reenlisted, was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 3d division, 2nd corps, and showed its fighting mettle at the Wilderness, where it lost 258 killed or wounded out of 433 engaged.

It was constantly in action during the battles of that month; at Cold Harbor in June, and upon the arrival of the army at Petersburg, joined in the first assault, followed by engagements at the Weldon railroad, Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Poplar Spring Church, the Boydton road, Hatcher's run and in the Appomattox campaign.

The regiment remained at Petersburg until the end of the siege and constantly displayed such gallantry in action and reliability in the performance of every duty that it well deserved the reputation won as an unusually well trained, efficient command and as a "fighting regiment."  It lost during the term of service 128 by death from wounds and 143 by death from other causes.

NEW YORK NINETY-THIRD REGIMENT OF INFANTRY (VETERAN).

Washington County Regiment; Morgan Rifles; Northern Sharpshooters; New York Riflemen. (Three Years)

This regiment, Col. John S. Crocker, was organized at Albany February 1, 1862, by adding to the companies recruited by him those recruited by Maj. B. C. Butler for a battalion of sharpshooters, A, B, C and D, and one company, E, originally recruited for the 76th Infantry.  Major B. C. Butler had received authority from the War Department, August 14, 1861, to recruit four battalions of sharpshooters.  The regiment was mustered in the United States service for three years between October, 1861, and January, 1862.  In June, 1863, some of the three years' men of the 22d Infantry were transferred to this.  At the expiration of its term of enlistment the men entitled thereto were discharged and the regiment continued in service, but consolidated in November and December, 1864, into seven companies, A, C, D, E, F, H and I.  June 2, 1865, the men of the 124th Infantry, not mustered out with their regiment, were transferred to this.

The companies were recruited principally: A at Chester; B--Hobart's Company, 2d United States Sharpshooters--at Albany; C at Minerva; D at North Hamden; E at Cortland village; F at Fort Edward; G at Cambridge; H at Boston; I at Argyle, and K at Troy.

The regiment left the State March 7, 1862; served in Palmer's Brigade, Casey's Division,4th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1862; Companies B, C, D, E, G and I at the White House, Va., the other companies as Provost Guard, Army of the Potomac, from May 19, 1862; the regiment, as such, from July, 1862; in 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1864, and it was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Col. Haviland Gifford, June 29, 1865, near Washington, D. C.

Report of Maj. Samuel McConihe, Ninety-third New York Infantry.

HDQRS. NINETY-THIRD Regt. NEW YORK STATE VOLS.,

August 9, 1864.

CAPT.: In compliance with Special Orders, No. 209, dated headquarters Army of the Potomac, of August 5, 1864, I have the honor to report the part taken by my command in the several engagements or operations of the campaign from the crossing of the Rapidan to the assault on the enemy's works in front of Petersburg, Va., July 30, 1864.

FIRST EPOCH.

We broke camp near Brandy Station. Va., May 4, 1864, at 12.30 a. m., crossing the Rapidan at 10 a. m., arriving at Chancellorsville, Va., at 3 p. m., and bivouacked in line of battle; distance 26 miles.  Remained in that position until 5 a. m. of the 5th, when we marched to near Todd's Tavern; distance 4 miles. At 12 m. were marched up the Brock road to the Wilderness, 4 miles, went into action at 3 p. m., and were hotly engaged until 8 p. m. May 6, in action all day. May 7, in charge at head of brigade. During the operations of the Wilderness on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of May, we sustained a loss of commissioned officers killed, 4; enlisted men killed, 38; commissioned officers wounded, 13; enlisted men wounded, 200; enlisted men missing, 5; making an aggregate of casualties of 260 officers and men.

SECOND EPOCH.

On the 8th of May marched to Todd's Tavern, 4 miles; threw up breast-works, and at 6 p. m. were sent out to support Col. Miles brigade, First Division, of the Second Corps. May 9, marching across the River Ny, 4 miles. May 10, crossed River Po, 3 miles; sent to support Gen. Barlow's division under heavy shelling. May 11, marched from right to left, 4 miles. May 12, at 3 a. m. charged the enemy's works near Spotsylvania Court-House, Va., the regiment capturing 2 stand of colors, 6 guns, and 600 prisoners. May 13, were occupied in carrying off the wounded and burying the dead. May 14, the brigade was formed in column by battalions, closed in mass, and moved to the support of Gen. Gibbon's division which, together with the other troops, were to charge the enemy's works. May 15, moved back to the left and were sent out on picket. May 17, the brigade was relieved by Gen. Barlow's brigade. May 18, moved back to second line near Landrum's house. May 19, marched to Anderson's farm, 4 miles. At 4 p. m. moved to the right to the support of Gen. Tyler's division in the attack on Ewell's corps; relieved First Maine Heavy Artillery; lay o our arms until morning. May 20, at daybreak moved to the front, 1 mile, and captured 42 prisoners. At 9 a. m. moved back to Anderson's farm, 3 miles. At 1 p. m. moved into woods, 2 miles.

During these operations around Spotsylvania, Va., the regiment sustained a loss of 2 commissioned officers wounded, 3 enlisted men killed, 33 enlisted men wounded, 1 commissioned officer missing, and 4 enlisted men missing, and  aggregate of casualties of officers and men, 43.

THIRD EPOCH.

May 21, marched through Guiney's Station, Bowling Green, and Milford, and crossed the Mattapony River; distance, 30 miles. May 22, advanced 1 mile and threw up breast-works. May 23, 6 a. m., moved 9 miles to North Anna river. At 6 p. m. charged enemy's works and regiment held Taylor's Bridge. 8 p. m., moved half mile to the left and threw up works. May 24, 10 a. m., crossed the river. 7 p. m., moved into position and entrenched. May 25, 6 p. m., moved 500 yards to the right and went into works. May 26, 9 p. m., moved to the right 1 mile. May 27, at 2 a. m., withdrew from the front, recrossed the North Anna, and moved down the Pamunkey River, 12 miles. During these operations the regiment sustained a loss in killed, enlisted men, 5;  commissioned officers wounded, 2; enlisted men wounded, 25; enlisted men missing, 4; and aggregate of casualties of officers and men, 36.

FOURTH EPOCH.

May 28, 6 a. m., marched 8 miles to Pamunkey, crossed and marched 2 miles and bivouacked. May 29 moved 1 mile to the front and entrenched. May 30, worked on entrenchments. May 31, 8 a. m., moved 1 mile to the front. June 1, in breast-works. June 2, moved out by the left 12 miles, joined Gen. Smith's corps (the Eighteenth), and bivouacked. June 3, moved in behind works in rear of Sixth Corps; at 3 p. m. moved to the left one-half mile, near Cold Harbor. June 4, moved back to the old position in the trenches. June 5, moved to Beaver Dam, 1 mile. June 6 built works and remained in camp until June 13.

During these operations the regiment sustained a loss of 1 enlisted man killed, 3 enlisted men wounded, and 1 enlisted man missing, an aggregate of casualties in killed, wounded, and missing, 5 enlisted men.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAMUEL MCCONIHE, Maj., Cmdg. Regt.

Capt. F. E. MARBLE,Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Reports of Maj. Samuel McConihe, Ninety-third New York Infantry.

HDQRS. NINETY-THIRD Regt. NEW YORK STATE VOLS.,

August 9, 1864.

CAPT.:*

FIFTH EPOCH.

June 13, moved to Charles City Court-House, crossing the Chickahominy River at Long Bridge, twenty miles. June 14, marched two miles, and crossed the James River at 11 a. m.; continued our march one mile and encamped. June 15, marched eighteenth miles and went into redoubts in front of Petersburg, Va. Regt. went on picket and remained all night. June 16, at sundown made charge, with doubtful results. June 17, moved down Petersburg road half a mile and built advance works. June 18, 4 a. m. brigade charged half a mile over two lines of the enemy's works. At 12 m. charged the enemy's pits unsuccessfully. At 4 p. m. ordered back to the front line. June 19, at 3 a. m. moved forward and built works in the garden at O. P. Hare's house. June 20, moved to the front of the Hare house and built new works. At 11 p. m. was relieved by the Ninth Corps, and moved two miles to the rear and bivouacked. June 21, 10 a. m. crossed Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad one mile and built works. June 22, brigade advanced, took new position on the right half a mile, and, while at work, our right and left were driven in, and at 4 p. m. we retired under heavy shelling. Sundown made charge across corn-field and took position in edge of woods. June 23, relieved, and retired behind works and bivouacked; at 9 a. m. moved into works. June 24, moved half a mile to the rear and built works. June 26, advanced half a mile and built works. June 27, relieved, and went back to old position. June 28, advanced to new line half a mile front and built secure works, and remained in them until 11 p. m. of the 11th of July, when we were ordered to level them. This being done, at daylight on the morning of the 12th the brigade moved out to the left about two miles. On the 13th at sunrise we moved to the right and in the rear of the Fifth Army Corps and encamped. On the morning of the 17th we moved camp about 500 yards. July 23, moved one mile to the left and encamped. July 24, built breast-works. July 26, broke camp at 6 p. m., and moved out by the City Point road, passing by Cedar Level Station; thence taking the road to the Appomattox, crossing that river at 10 p. m.; thence taking the road to Jones' Neck, on the James River, arriving at the river at 2.30 a. m. July 27. At daylight we crossed the James to Deep Bottom on pontoons. Moved down the river-bank about half a mile, and we were in line of battle during the entire day. July 28, this day we were occupied in strengthening our position, and at dark we moved out, recrossed the James, and took the road back to Petersburg.  July 29, at daylight we formed ourselves in rear of the position occupied by the Eighteenth Corps in front of Petersburg; were halted in mass and  remained in that position until 7.30 p. m., when we moved up to the line occupied by the Eighteenth Corps, and were placed in the entrenchments in the front line and immediately in front of the Hare house. At 10 p. m. received orders that at 2 a. m. on the morning of the 30th the whole command was to be under arms, and if any unusual sound was heard on our left that would cause the rebels to raise their heads above their works we were to keep them down. At 4.30 a. m. the explosion took place, and from that time during the entire day there was constant firing between the pickets. At 10 p. m. we were relieved by the Eighteenth Corps and moved back to our old position on the left flank of the army, arriving at that place at 2 a. m. of the morning of the 31st of July. During these operations we sustained a loss of 3 commissioned officers wounded, 5 enlisted men killed, 14 enlisted men wounded, and 13 enlisted men missing, and aggregate of casualties of 3 officers and 32 enlisted men.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAMUEL McCONIHE, Maj. Ninety-third New York Veteran Volunteers, Cmdg. Regt.

Capt. F. E. MARBLE, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 2d Army Corps.

HDQRS. NINETY-THIRD NEW YORK VETERAN VOLS.,

June 25, 1864.

CAPT.: In compliance to orders just received I would respectfully report the affair of the 22d instant as follows:

The regiment was engaged in building breast-works in the woods on the advance line, the enemy the while keeping up a brisk skirmish fire and shelling along our whole line; the works were near completion when sharp vollies of musketry were heard on our left and rear and in a few moments the First Division, Second Army Corps, came running down through us and in a line parallel to our works. The regiment was held in position until all on its left had given away, though some of its number had undoubtedly joined with the throng. Then finding the enemy pouring in upon our rear and flank the regiment fell back to the second line of works without confusion or disorganization. In this affair we ascertained that 2 officers and 4 men were wounded and 9 men were missing. Of the latter from the best information we can get 3 were probably killed and 3 wounded.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAMUEL McCONIHE,Maj. Ninety-third New York Veteran Volunteers, Cmdg. Regt.

Capt. MARBLE, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., 2d Brig., 3d Div., 2d Army Corps.