7th New York Infantry Regiment's Civil War Historical Sketch
From The 3rd Annual Report Of The Bureau Of Military Statistics
SEVENTH REGIMENT INFANTRY, N. Y. S. V.
The Seventh Regiment Infantry, N. Y. S. V. or "Steuben Rangers," was organized in the city of New York in the spring of 1861.
Companies, where and by whom principally raised:
| Company A | New York | Capt. | Frederick A. H. Gaebel |
| B | do | do | Hermann Buecht |
| C | do | do | Charles Brestel |
| D | do | do | Emile Pfeiffer |
| E | do | do | Rudolphus Anselm |
| F | do | do | Louis Hocheimer |
| G | do | do | Sextus Louis Kapff |
| H | do | do | Jacob Schonleber |
| I | do | do | Charles Bethan |
| K | do | do | Edward Wratislan |
Companies E to K were accepted in the State service, under the act of April 16, 1861, on the 21st of April, and companies A to D the the 24th of April. The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States on the 23d of April. On the 26th of April it was accepted (Special Orders, 93) into the State service, and the election of the following officers confirmed, viz: John E. Bendix, Colonel; Edward Kapff, Lieutenant Colonel, and Casper Keller, Major. It was ordered to report to General Dix for duty, May 16, 1861 (Special Orders, 192); was furnished with 720 United States percussion muskets, model of 1842, calibre 69, on May 20, which were subsequently changed to Remington rifles; received 104 common and twenty wall tents May 23, and left the State. May 24, for Fortress Monroe. To assist in recruiting the regiment, the Union Defense Committee of New York expended the sum of $6,258. The expenditures by the State, up to the 15th of August, 1861, was $44,887.82, exclusive of subsistence and rations. The regiment on its arrival at Fortress Monroe, was sent to camp at Newport News where it remained for some months. It took part in the affair at Big Bethel, and, unfortunately, mistaking the Third New York for a regiment of the enemy, caused the death of one and wounding of several members of the latter regimeat, and by the delay occasioned by the collision, the object of the expedition was defeated. The manner in which this collision occurred is thus explained: A rear guard of the Seventh (170 men), with one field piece, was left at the junction of two roads, in the woods with the order to hold the position at all hazards, since hostile troops might be expected there to cut off the retreat of the main body. When the Third approached the junction, General Peirce and staff, and Colnel Townsend and staff led the advance, and were thought to be a troop of the enemy's cavalry, and as such were fired into.
The regiment was in the action at Antietam, and lost fifteen killed and forty-nine wounded.
By Special Orders, No. 201, May 6, 1863, authorization was issued to Col. B. Von Schenck to re-organize the regiment. It was accordingly re-organized, and was mustered out in June, 1865.
It was in the Third brigade, First Division, Second army corps after reorganization.
Taken from New York (State). Bureau of Military Statistics. 3rd Annual Report of the Bureau of Military Statistics. Albany: The Bureau, 1866, 90-91.