64th Infantry Regiment
Nickname: First Cattaraugus Regiment
Mustered in: December 1861
Mustered out: July 14, 1865
The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.
This regiment, Col. Thomas J. Parker, was organized by the State November 13, 1861, at Elmira, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years, in December, 1861. The 64th State Militia formed the nucleus of the regiment. At the expiration of its term of service, the men entitled thereto were discharged in September and October, 1864, and the regiment retained in service, but at the same time consolidated into a battalion of six companies, A, B, D, E, G and H.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Gowanda; B at Randolph; C at Otto; D at Rushford; E at Ithaca; F at Little Valley; G at Wellsville; H at Owego; I at Olean, and K at Leon.
The regiment left the State December 10, 1861; served in the Provisional Brigade, Casey's Division, Army of the Potomac, from January, 1862; in Howard's, 1st, Brigade, Richardson's, 1st, Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March 13, 1862; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from June, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, from September, 1862; in the 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from February, 1863; and it was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Col. William Glenny, July 14, 1865, near Washington, D. C.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 10 officers, 109 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 3 officers, 50 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 5 officers, 124 enlisted men; total, 18 officers, 283 enlisted men; aggregate, 301; of whom 1 officer and 31 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908. volume II.
Sixty-fourth Infantry.—Cols., Thomas J. Parker, Daniel C. Bing-ham, Leman W. Bradley, William Glenny; Lieut-Cols., Daniel G. Bing-ham, Enos C. Brooks, Leman W. Bradley, William Glenny, Theodore Tyrer; Majs., Enos C. Brooks, Leman W. Bradley, William Glenny, Lewis H. Fassett, Horatio N. Hunt, Theodore Tyrer, Albert F. Peterson. The 64th, the Cattaraugus regiment, was the outgrowth of the 64th militia and was recruited at Gowanda, Randolph, Otto, Rushford, Ithaca, Little Valley, Wellsville, Owego, Olean and Leon. It was mustered into the U. S. service at Elmira, in Dec., 1861, for three years; left the state for Washington on Dec. 10; was quartered near the capitol; in Jan., 1862, was assigned to the provisional brigade of Casey's division; on March 13, it became a part of the 1st brigade, 1st division, 2nd corps, Army of the Potomac, and proceeded to the Peninsula with the general advance under McClellan. The regiment was present during the siege of Yorktown, but received its first real test at Fair Oaks, where it behaved with great steadiness under a fire which killed or wounded 173 of its members. It was active in the Seven Days' battles; then went into camp at Harrison's landing; arrived at Manassas too late to participate in that battle; took a prominent part in the battle of Antietam, where Gen. Richardson was killed and Gen. Hancock succeeded to the command of the division. At Fredericksburg, in the famous assault of Hancock's division on Marye's heights, the loss of the regiment was 72 in killed and wounded and immediately afterward it went into camp near Falmouth. At Chancellorsville in May, 1863, the 64th was placed on the skirmish line under Col. Nelson A. Miles and shared in the stubborn defense made by the regiments under his command, for which they won the highest commendation. The regiment moved in June to Gettysburg, where the division, under Caldwell, fought brilliantly on July 2 in the celebrated wheat-field and on the 3d defended its position stubbornly against Pickett's assault. It lost at Gettysburg 98 killed, wounded or missing out of 205 engaged. The 2nd corps fought in October at Auburn and Bristoe Station, where the 64th suffered severe loss. It participated in the Mine Run movement and established winter quarters near Brandy Station. During the winter of 1863-64 a sufficient number of the regiment reenlisted to secure its continuance in the field as a veteran organization, but after the original members not reenlisted were mustered out in the autumn of 1864 it was necessary to consolidate it into a battalion of six companies. It served through the Wilderness campaign, throughout the siege of Petersburg and in the pursuit of Lee's Army to Appomattox, losing 16 in killed and wounded at Farmville. Out of a total enrollment of 1,313, the regiment lost during service .182 by death from wounds and 129 from other causes. The division in which it served saw the hardest service and suffered the most heavy losses of any in the army and the 64th was one of the finest fighting regiments in the war. It bore without flinching the severest trials and won fame and glory for itself and the state. It was mustered out at Washington, July 14, 1865.
64th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | National Color | Civil War
The Board of Supervisors of Cattaraugus County presented the 64th Regiment with their Regimental Color and allegedly with this national color as well.…
NYSMM Online Resources
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (pdf)
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (spreadsheet)
