Herkimer County Men of the 81st NY Volunteer Infantry, Company I
From "History of Herkimer County, New York" by F.W. Beers & Co., New York. 1879
Further information about this infantry regiment is in:
- Dyer, Frederick H. A, Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 2. Dayton,
OH: Morningside, 1979, pp. 1436-37
- New York State. Adjutant General's Office. Annual Report for the Year 1901, No. 30. Albany, NY: J.B. Lyon, 1902. pp. 1-246; alphabetical roster of enlisted men.
- Phisterer, Frederick, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Vol. 4. Albany, NY: Weed and Parsons, 1890, pp. 2877-97; history and roster of officers.
In the 81st regiment, which was made up principally of companies raised in the counties of Oswego and Oneida, were over 25 men from Herkimer county, who enlisted in Captain David B. White's company (I), namely: Sergeant Edward A. STIMSON, Herkimer; Corporal Luman KNAPP, Ilion; and the following private soldiers:
BAXTER, J. Mortimer
| Herkimer
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BERRY, James H.
| Ilion
|
CRAWFORD, John P.
| Fairfield
|
DISS, Leger Jr.
| Ilion
|
FERGUSON, William J.
| Middleville
|
HAMMERSLEY, Thomas
| Middleville
|
HARTER, Theodore
| Ilion
|
HOLT, George S.
| Middleville
|
LEFFLER, Adolph
| Ilion
|
MARDEN, William
| Ilion
|
MOORE, George F.
| Middleville
|
MORRIS, Byron B.
| Herkimer
|
PERRY, Jacob J.
| Herkimer
|
REESE, Ephraim
| Herkimer
|
REESE, William F.
| Herkimer
|
RUNGAN, Lyman
| Ilion
|
SHELL, David
| Herkimer
|
SMITH, Almon B.
| Gravesville
|
STEPHENSON, Morris
| Ilion
|
TSCHINHART, Theobald
| Ilion
|
WILDY, Harvey B.
| Ilion
|
WRIGHT, Henry E.
| Gravesville
|
YATES, George P.
| Jordanville
|
They left the State in March, 1862, and on the 1st of April disembarked at Fortress Monroe for the peninsular campaign. At the siege of Yorktown the 81st performed picket duty opposite Winn's Mills. It was at the battle of Seven Pines, in which engagement Major McAnerbly and 136 men were killed. The regiment was held in reserve during the battle of Malvern Hill, and while at Harrison's Landing performed outpost and picket duty. In December, 1862, it joined Major-General Forrest's command, and accompanied the expedition to South Carolina during the summer of 1863. In November, 1863, it was sent to Northwest Landing, Va., where it was successful in breaking up smuggling for a time. Its term of enlistment was three years. At the expiration of this term the original members (except veterans) were mustered out, and the organization, composed of veterans and recruits, retained in the service until August 31, 1865.
In the adjutant-general's report of 1868 honorable mention is made of the services of the 81st by publishing the list of battles in which the regiment distinguished itself. They were as follows: Yorktown, Seven Pines, Savage Station, Malvern Hill, Drury's Bluff, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Chapin's Farm, Fair Oaks and Williamsburg.
Our thanks to Bill McKerrow and the historians of the Newport Historical Center for providing this information, and to Maggie Coletta and her son Chris for their assistance in typing this and many of our other Civil War rosters.
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