142nd Infantry Regiment

Nickname: St. Lawrence County Regiment

Mustered in: September 29, 1862
Mustered out: June 7, 1865

The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912. 

Colonel Roscius W. Judson received authority to recruit this regiment in the then 17th Senatorial District of this State; it was organized at Ogdensburg, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years September 29, 1862. June 7, 1865, the men not to be mustered out with the regiment were transferred to the 169th Infantry.
Colonel N. Martin Curtis of this regiment, commanding brigade, led the assault on Fort Fisher, N. C, January 15, 1865; having obtained possession of part of the works and while in the act of directing approaching reinforcements, he was, what was thought to be mortally, wounded; in recognition of his services on this occasion the Secretary of War issued then and there a commission to him as a Brigadier-General of U. S. Volunteers, and later he received the thanks of the people of the State in a concurrent resolution of the Legislature.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Macomb, DeKalb, Oswegatchie, Gou-verneur, Hermon, Canton, Colton and Fine; B at Rossie, Gouverneur, Morristown, Hammond, Macomb and Fowler; C at Waddington, Ogdensburg, Lisbon, Louisville and Madrid; D at Macomb, Bangor, Franklin, Westville, Constable, Burke and Bellmont; E at Oswegatchie, DePeyster, Lisbon and Hammond; F at Dickinson, Bangor, Moira, Brandon and Lawrence; G at Oswegatchie, Fort Covington, Bombay, Canton, Lisbon and Westville; H at Macomb, Burke, Bellmont, Constable and Brandon; I at Massena, Waddington, Potsdam, Pierrepont, Hammond, Madrid and Louisville; and K at Russell, Canton, Pierrepont, Ogdensburg and Lisbon.
The regiment left the State October 6, 1862; it served in the defenses of Washington . from October, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, Abercrombie's Division, 22d Corps, from February, 1863; in the 3d, Hughston's, Brigade, Gurney's Division, Department of Virginia, at Suffolk, Va., from April, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, Gordon's Division, 7th Corps, from May, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 4th Corps, from June, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 11th Corps, from July, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, Gordon's Division, 10th Corps, at Hilton Head, Folly and John's Islands, S. C., from August, 1863; in Schimmelpfenning's Division, 10th Corps, from January, 1864; in 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 10th Corps, from April, 1864; in 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 18th Corps, from May 30, 1864; in 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 10th Corps, from June 15, 1864; in same brigade and division of 24th Corps, from December, 1864; of the Provisional Corps, from March, 1865; of the 10th Corps, from April 2, 1865; and, commanded by Col. Albert M. Barney, it was honorably discharged and mustered out June 7, 1865, at Raleigh, N. C. 
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 2 officers, 68 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 59 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 160 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 287 enlisted men; aggregate, 293; of whom 14 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 Forty-second Infantry.—Cols., Roscius W. Jud-son, Newton M. Curtis, Albert M. Barney; Lieut.-Cols., Newton M. Curtis, Albert M. Barney, William A. Jones; Majs., Nathan G. Axtell, William A. Jones, William S. P. Garvin. This regiment, recruited in the counties of St. Lawrence and Franklin, rendezvoused at Ogdens-burg, and was there mustered into the U. S. service on Sept. 29, 1862, for three years. The regiment left for Washington on Oct. 6, where it was stationed until April of the. following year, when it was ordered to Suffolk, Va. During its long period of active service the 142nd gloriously earned its reputation as a fighting regiment. Col. Fox in his account of this organization, says: "It participated in the campaign of Gordon's division, up the Peninsula in June (1863), and in the Maryland march, soon after Gettysburg. From Warrenton, Va., the regiment went to Morris island, S. C., arriving there on Aug. 17, 1863. In the following May, the 142nd returned to Virginia and joined Butler's Army of the James, having been assigned to the 1st brigade, 2nd division (Turner's), l0th corps. While at Cold Harbor the division was attached for a short time to the 18th corps. The losses in the regiment at Drewry's bluff and Bermuda Hundred were 19 killed, 78 wounded and 22 missing; at Fort Harrison, 6 killed, 51 wounded and 10 missing; and at the Darbytown road, 8 killed, 90 wounded and 5 missing. In Dec., 1864, the l0th corps was merged in the newly-formed 24th corps, the regiment being placed in Curtis' (1st) brigade, Ames' (2nd) division. In the same month this division, including the 142nd, sailed with Butler on the first expedition against Fort Fisher, N. C. It landed there and when the brigade was recalled from its advance the regiment had secured a position near to and in rear of the fort—so near that Lieut. Walling had captured a battleflag which had been shot down from the parapets. A battalion of the enemy were captured by the 117th New York, and the whole opposition of the Confederates was so weak that the officers believed that the fort could have been taken then with small loss. The statements of Gen. Curtis and other officers were so positive on this point, that Gen. Grant was largely influenced by them in his decision to order a second attempt. In this second affair, which was successful, Gen. Curtis led the assault and fell seriously wounded, but survived to enjoy his honors as the 'Hero of Fort Fisher." In recognition of his services on this occasion he was commissioned by the secretary of war a brigadier-general of U. S. volunteers, and was later thanked by the people of his state in a joint resolution of the legislature. In the engagement at Fort Fisher in Dec. 1864, the 142nd lost 20 killed and wounded; in the. second attack, in Jan., 1865, it lost 79 killed and wounded. The regiment sustained no further losses in battle after Fort Fisher, but was present at the actions of Fort Anderson and Wilmington, N. C., and took part in the campaign of the Carolinas from March 1 to April 26. Under the command of Col. Barney, it was mustered out June 17, 1865, at Raleigh, N. C., and on the 27th the veterans and recruits were transferred to the 169th N. Y. Out of a total enrollment of 1,370 the 142nd lost during service 3 officers and 126 men killed and died of wounds; 2 officers and 161 men died of disease and other causes; total deaths, 292.

NYSMM Online Resources

Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (pdf)
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (spreadsheet)

Muster Roll

Unit Roster

Newspaper Clippings
 

Search the Museum catalog for this unit

Click Here

Other Resources

This is meant to be a comprehensive list. If, however, you know of a resource that is not listed below, please send an email to ng.ny.nyarng.list.historians@army.mil with the name of the resource and where it is located. This can include photographs, letters, articles and other non-book materials. Also, if you have any materials in your possession that you would like to donate, the museum is always looking for items specific to New York's military heritage. Thank you.

Allen, Stehpen R. "An Uncommon Act of Valor: The William H. Walling Story."
Posted here with permission.

Alverson, Schuyler. 142nd infantry regiment, New York State Volunteers (1862-1865). S.l. : s.n.,1998. 15 p. ; 29 cm. 
Located at the Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802.

Beard, James. Civil War Miscellaneous Collection. 
(Enlisted mans' letters, Oct 13, 1862-Jun 3, 1865; Brief unit history).
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

Beard, James. LeighColl Bk 20: 34 
(Enlisted man's letter, Apr 8, 1865?) 
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

Brown, Jane Margaret Winfree, et al. Henry C. Hoar Memorial Collection, 1861-1887.
9 items ; 31 cm. or smaller.
Manuscripts purchased in memory of Henry C. Hoar. Include letters, 1861, written to Jane Margaret (Winfree) Brown by Catherine Virginia Winfree concerning the coming of the Civil War and by Virginia A. Brown Winfree concerning the evacuation of Hampton which bears letter of C.V. Winfree concerning the vulnerability of the Peninsula; letters, 1861-1863, from Civil War soldiers such as John Willcox Brown of the Fourth Battalion of Volunteers concerning duty near Norfolk, John Thompson Brown of Richmond Howitzers describing Battle of Big Bethel, A.B. Tuttle of 142nd New York Regiment describing military movements in James City Co., Va., John H.B. Jenkins (of 40th New York) describing Battle of Williamsburg; letter, 1886, of Harrison Holt Riddleburger concerning Northwestern Literary and Historical Society; and letter, 1887, of Charles Triplett O'Ferrall concerning a speech on education.
Located at the College of William & Mary.

Curtis, Newton M. (N. Martin) "The Capture of Fort Fisher." Civil War papers : read before the Commandery of the state of Massachusetts, military order of the loyal legion of the United States, Volume I. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Pub. Co. 52 1993. 299-327.

Curtis, Newton M. (N. Martin) "The Capture of Fort Fisher." Personal Recollections of the War of the Rebellion : Addresses Delivered Before the Commandery of the State of New York, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Third Series. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Pub. Co. 22 1992. 25-51.

Curtis, Newton Martin. "Hero of Fort Fisher." General Curtis' address before the Historical Society. [Utica: 1897].

Dalzell, William. William Dalzell letters,1862-1863. 
The collection consists of 52 letters written by William Dalzell to his wife Lizzie from October 8, 1862-August 19, 1863. Dalzell's letters begin with his departure from New York State in October 1862. His regiment served in the area of Washington, D. C., and was stationed at fortifications at Suffolk, West Point, Yorktown, White House, Warrenton Junction, and Newport News, Virginia, and Folly Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. He describes camp life, pickets, hard marches, drills, inspections, raids on Southern farms for food, and confiscation of whiskey; he also recounted skirmishes with rebel forces, the capture of prisoners, and gunboat activity. He advises his wife on the management of their farm in his absence and sent money to pay debts, even though he was paid irregularly. He debates whether to stay in the army a month longer and then muster out (July 31, 1863), or to take a furlough of twenty days and stay through the winter. Shortly thereafter, he contracted typho-malarial fever (August 9, 1863); however, he made the trip on the America with his company from Newport News to Charleston, South Carolina. In his last letter, he mentions that he is very sick and has put in for a discharge (August 19, 1863); J. D. Ransom, Captain of his company, notified Dalzell's wife of his death in an addition to this letter, dated August 24, 1863. 
.25 linear ft. (1 box). 
Located at Emory University.

Fernandez, Victor M. Cultural awareness training program. [Massena, NY: Hispanic History Project, 1987?].

Hutchinson, Johnson. HaerleColl.
(Inventory of KIA enlisted man, Aug 12, 1864).
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

Hutchinson, William B. Civil War Miscellaneous Collection.
(Enlisted man's letters, Jun 21, 1863 & Apr 25, 1864).
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

MacLaughlin, Henry Connor. et al. Walter King Hoover collection,1810-1949, bulk 1861-1865. 
Documents, primarily from the Civil War, collected by Walter King Hoover. Includes slave bills of sale, 1810-1857, for Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia; correspondence by Union and Confederate soldiers; and military records. Prominent among Confederate correspondents is Major Henry Connor MacLaughlin (1833-1870) of Nashville, Tennessee, a member of the Vicksburg Light Artillery Regiment who saw action at the siege of Ft. Pickens and spent months as a prisoner of war at Camp Chase, Ohio. Seven letters of James A. Hall, 1862-1864, Quartermaster, 24th Alabama Infantry, describe activities near Murfreesboro, Tennessee and in the Atlanta campaign. Five letters of Thomas B. Hall of Montgomery, Ala. describe campaigns of Bragg's Army of Tennessee in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky in 1862. Twelve letters, 1864-1865, of Maj. D.H.C. Spence, District Commissary of Subsistence for West Tennessee, concern supplies for Confederate armies under Forrest and Hood. Correspondence of Union soldiers includes 13 letters (1862-1864) of James Beard, 142nd New York Volunteer Infantry, from camps in Virginia and near Charleston, S.C. Three letters of Amos Fisk, Co. I, 92nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry, describe activities in Middle Tennessee. Ten letters of Charles W. Sayer, 142nd New York Infantry, tell of his stay in army hospitals in Virginia and of regimental activities near Charleston, S.C., 1862-1864. Nine letters of Henry F. Sayer, 44th New York Infantry, also describe activities in Virginia, 1864-1865. Henry Sizeland's three letters in 1864 pertain to his regiment, the 20th New York Cavalry. Three letters of James Whiteford of the 106th New York Infantry give an account of the campaigns near North Mountain and Petersburg, Va., 1863-1864. Other military records includes hospital records for members of Co. A, 7th Rhode Island Infantry, 1863-1865, and quartermaster's records for Co. B, 22nd Virginia Infantry Battalion, CSA, 1864; 30th Virginia Infantry Regiment, CSA, 1862; 4th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, USA, 1865; and Co. A, 7th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, USA, 1863-1865. 
290 items.
Located at Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Morehouse family. Morehouse family papers,1857-1926. 
The papers consist of two diaries and two folders of supporting biographical and genealogical material, including several photographs. One of the diaries was written by Franklin H. Morehouse and covers the year 1857. It contains entries describing farm life, including references to planting, harvesting, logging and the weather as well as entries on attending religious meetings. The other diary is that of Roderick D. Morehouse for the year 1865, which documents his life in the 142nd New York Infantry Regiment during the final months of the Civil War and his transition back to civilian life. 
4 folders. 
Located at the Vermont Historical Society.

Richmond, William H. Reminiscences,[ca. 1910]. 
Member of the 142nd Regiment, New York Infantry during the Civil War and later resident of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Civil War reminiscences, 1862-1865, describing enlistment, training, troop movements, camp life, and military engagements in Virginia and North Carolina. 1 v., 2 typescripts. 
Located at the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.

Russell B. Lowe Collection, 1861-1937. 
Draft notice, June 1864 for George Bosworth of Pitcairn, N.Y. Letter, Aug. 9, 1864, from Adam, a soldier in the 142nd New York Infantry at Bermuda Hundred, Va. to his wife, Ellen, in Morristown, N.Y. with some regimental and personal news, discusses family. Letter, July 28, 1865 from Julia Bebee in Black Hawk City, Colorado to "Aunt Ellen" and asking about Uncle Adam. Tells her history since having last seen them. Commission, June 1874, of Alfred D. Lowe to postmaster at Depauville, N.Y. Autograph album, 1861-1866, with signatures from people in many towns in New York. A pamphlet "Why should the Democratic Party be trusted with Power?", ca. 1880. News clipping, April 10, 1937, from the Watertown Daily Times re: Frank D. Lowe and his interest in family history and his book collection. 
7 items. 
Located at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Simmons, George. HaerleColl 
(Inventory of deceased enlisted man, Aug 24, 1864.
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

Soldier's power of attorney for election of 1864 : John Hackett, 1864 Oct. 24. Portsmouth, Virginia : John Hackett, 1864.
Description:    1 sheet (1 leaf) ; 32 cm + 1 envelope (11 x 24 cm)
Abstract:    Printed form, filled in and signed. "In pursuance of an Act of the Legislature of the State of New York, entitled 'An Act to enable the qualified electors of this State, absent therefrom in the Military Services of the United States, in the Army or Navy thereof to vote, ' Passed April 21st, 1864. Authorizes J.G.W. Cornell of Lansingburgh, New York, to cast a vote for John Hackett in the General Election while Hackett is stationed in Virginia with Company 28, 2d Battery, VRC, New York State Volunteers. Signed by John Hackett, witnessed by Reinhold [Peixoty], and endorsed by B.B. Keeler, Capt. 142nd NY Vols. Yellow envelope is printed with an affidavit signed by Hackett and Keeler.
Located at the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Walling, William H. William H. Walling Civil War Collection Materials relating to William H. Walling : 16th NY Vol. Infantry and 142nd NY Vol. Infantry.

Walling, William H. Civil War Miscellaneous Collection.
(COL's letters, Aug 4, 1863-Jun 1, 1865; Biog sketch).
Located at the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA.

 

Unit bibliography from the Army Heritage Center

Items in the museum collection are in bold.