The 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Also known as the Cameron Rifles or the Second German Rifle Regiment, the men were mostly German immigrants. The 68th was disbanded in November 1865 and replaced by the 1st New York Infantry Regiment, which served until the end of the Civil War in 1865.
About 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in brief
The 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Also known as the Cameron Rifles or the Second German Rifle Regiment, the men were mostly German immigrants. Organized in July 1861, three months after the outbreak of war, the 68th saw service in the Eastern and Western theaters. As a part of the Army of the Potomac, it was initially assigned to the defenses of Washington, D. C. Later, the regiment was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley and fought at the Battle of Cross Keys. At Gettysburg, they saw battle on two of the three days and took heavy losses. The regiment marched to relieve the siege of Knoxville, and then spent the last year of the war on occupation duty in Tennessee and Georgia. The 68th was disbanded in November 1865 and replaced by the 1st New York Infantry Regiment, which served until the end of the Civil War in 1865. The men came mostly from Manhattan, and also from New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The officers were also German, and many had served in. the armies of Austria, Prussia, and other German states. In all, 1,020 men filled the ranks when the regiment had finished recruiting; three of the officers were captured by Confederate cavalry. In March 1862, the Army was again reorganized and Blenker’s brigade was merged into the II Corps, led by Maj. Gen. Edwin Vose Sumner. In November, the Regiment was shifted to Colonel Adolph von Steinwehr’s brigade and moved up to command the division.
They encamped at Hunter’s Chapel, Virginia, for the remainder of the winter. In May 1863, they fought in the battles of Wauhatchie and Missionary Ridge, assisting the Union victories there. In June, they joined the 10,000-man division of Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont’s Mountain Department against incursions by Confederate forces under Lt. General Stonewall Jackson. In July, they took part in the battle of Massanutten Mountain, where Jackson attacked the other half of the army, believing he was striking at the rear of the Union army. In August, they were moved to Winchester, Virginia. In September, they moved to Warrenton, where it came into contact with Confederate cavalry, and were taken prisoner by the Confederates. In October, they went on the march to Roach’s Mills, where they fought at Second Bull Run. In December, they marched to Winchester again and were moved into Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont’s Mountain Department, necessitating a march to Winchester. In February, they helped defend the western side of the Shenadoah Valley against incursion by Confederate incursions. In April, they defended the western part of that area against a Confederate force of 15,000, but in June, the Confederate forces joined the right side of Fré Mont’s force to converge on the left. On June 8, they attacked the Union columns separately and arranged to block the Union troops on the right.
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This page is based on the article 68th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 01, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
