140th Infantry Regiment
Nickname: Monroe County Regiment; Rochester Race Horses
Mustered in: September 13, 1862
Mustered out: June 3, 1865
The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.
August 8, 1862, Capt. Hiram Smith received authority to recruit this regiment; it was organized at Rochester with Patrick H. O'Rorke as Colonel, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years September 13, 1862. June 26, 1863, the three years' men of the13th Infantry, and October 6, 1864, the members of the 44th Infantry, not mustered out with their regiments, were transferred to it. June 3, 1865, the men not to be mustered out with it were transferred to the 5th Veteran Infantry.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Brockport; B, C, E, F and K at Rochester; D at Rochester, Brighton, Gates, Penfield and West Webster; G at Rochester and Churchville; H at Rochester, Brockport and Fairport; and I at Chili, Greece, Penfield, Rochester, Ogden, Henrietta and Parma.
The regiment left the State September 19, 1862; it served in the Provisional Brigade, Casey's Division, defenses of Washington, from September, 1862; in the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 12th Corps, from October, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Corps, from November, 1862; in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, from March, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Corps, from June 6, 1864; and, under Col. W. S. Grantsyne, it was honorably discharged and mustered out June 3, 1865, near Alexandria, Va.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 4 officers, 86 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 4 officers, 46 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 169 enlisted men; total 10 officers, 301 enlisted men; aggregate, 311 of whom 1 officer, 78 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.
One Hundred and Fortieth Infantry.—Cols., Patrick H. O'Rorke, George Ryan, Elwell S. Otis, William S. Grantsyne; Lieut.-Cols., Louis Ernest, Isaiah F. Force, Elwell S. Otis, William S. Grant-syne, W. James Clark; Majs., Milo L. Starks, Benjamin F. Harman, William J. Clark, Willard Abbott, Isaiah F. Force. The 140th, the "Rochester Racehorses," was recruited in Monroe county, organized at Rochester, and there mustered into the U. S. service on Sept. 13, 1862, for three years. In June, 1863, it received by transfer the three years men of the 13th N. Y., and in Oct., 1864, the veterans and recruits of the 44th. The regiment left the state on Sept. 19, 1862, proceeded to Washington and joined the Army of the Potomac in November, being assigned to the 3d (Warren's) brigade, 2nd (Sykes') division, 5th corps. With this command it was under fire for the first time at the battle of Fredericksburg, where it lost a few men wounded and missing. The 5th corps was only partially engaged at Chancellorsville, though the I40th lost 21 killed, wounded and missing in that disastrous battle. Describing this gallant, fighting regiment, Col. Fox says: "Col., O'Rorke was killed at Gettysburg while leading his men into action on Little Round Top, where their prompt action aided largely in seizing that important position, the regiment losing there 26 killed, 89 wounded and 18 missing. The 140th was then in Ayres' division—the division of regulars. In 1864 the regulars were brigaded in one command under Ayres, and the 140th was placed in the same brigade; the division was commanded by Gen. Charles Griffin. But in June, 1864, the regiment was transferred to the 1st Brigade of Ayres' (2nd) division. This brigade was commanded in turn by Col. Gregory, Gen. Joseph Hayes, Col. Otis, and Gen. Winthrop. The latter officer fell mortally wounded at Five Forks. The regiment was in the hottest of the fighting at the Wilderness and suffered severely there, losing 23 killed, 118 wounded and 114 captured or missing; total, 255. Three days later it was engaged in the first of the series of battles at Spbttsylvania, in which action Col. Ryan and Maj. Starks were killed. At Spottsylvania the casualties in the regiment were 12 killed and 48 wounded; and at the Weldon railroad, 4 killed, 19 wounded and 51 captured or missing. The regiment was composed of exceptionally good material; the men were a neat, clean lot, and in their handsome Zouave costume attracted favorable attention wherever they appeared." The 140th took part in nearly all the great engagements of the Army of the Potomac from Fredericks-burg to the close of the war. It was actively engaged at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Bethesda Church, siege of Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Poplar Spring Church, Hatcher's run, White Oak road and Five Forks, It was present at Fredericksburg, Bristoe Station, Rappahannock Station, in the Mine Run campaign, North Anna, Totopotomy, White Oak swamp and Appomattox. Other important losses incurred besides those above detailed were, 60 wounded and missing at Bethesda Church; 22 killed, wounded and missing in the first assault on Petersburg; 23 killed and wounded at Hatcher's run; and 57 killed, wounded and missing during the final Appomattox campaign. Col. O'Rorke, when he was killed at Gettysburg, was mounted on a rock at Little Round Top, cheering on his men. He graduated at the head of his class at West Point in 1861 and was only 25 years of age when killed. The regiment was mustered out June 3, 1865, near Alexandria, Va., under Col. Grantsyne. Its total enrollment during service was 1,707, of whom 533 were killed and wounded; 8 officers and 141 men were killed and died of wounds; 2 officers and 168 men died of disease and other causes; total deaths, 319, of whom 77 died in Confederate prisons.
140th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Regimental Color | Civil War
In September 1862 the 140th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry received this painted silk regimental color from a group of young ladies from Rochester.…
140th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Regimental Color | Civil War
This blue silk regimental color carried by the 140th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry features a painted Arms and motto of the United States complete…
NYSMM Online Resources
Battles and Casualties -Table from Phisterer (PDF format)
Battles and Casualties -Table from Phisterer (MS Excel format)
Civil War Newspaper Clippings
This is also available in PDF format. hese are large files; however, they are exact images of the pages.
Pages 4 - 13 ** There are no pages 1 - 3
Pages 14 - 23
Pages 24 - 33
Pages 34 - 43
Pages 44 - 53
Pages 54 - 63
Pages 64 - 74