34th New York Infantry Regiment "Herkimer Regiment"

Organized at Albany, N.Y. Enlisted under President Lincoln's Call, issued April 15, 1861 to serve two years.

May 1

Mustered into the State service under Colonel Wiliam La Due, Lieutenant Colonel James Suiter and Major Byron Laflin

June 15

Mustered into United States service for two years

July 3

Left State for Washington, D. C. by rail through New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore

July 5

At Washington. Served in the Defences of Washingto

July 7

Moved to Kalorama Heights

July 21

Exchanged U. S. Model 1842 muskets for Enfield rifles

July 28 - 29

To Great Falls. Major Laflin and Companies B and G detached on picket

July 31

To Senaca Mills. Established Camp Jackson and picketed 17 iles of the Potomac River and C&O Canal.

August 4

Attached to Stone's Brigade, Division of the Potomac for outpost duty on the Upper Potomac

September 1

Private William R. Bailey mortally wounded at Seneca Mills, Md.

September 16

Private Oliver P. Darling killed at Seneca Mills, Md.

October

Attached to Gorman's 2nd Brigade, Stone's (Sedgwick's) Division, Army of the Potomac

October 4

Lieutenant James R. Carr died at Seneca Mills

October 21-24

Operations on the Potomac

The regiment crossed the Potomac at Edwards Ferry on scow boats and helped the wounded from Ball's Bluff.

October 22

Near Edwards Ferry

October 23

Recrossed to Maryland and established Camp McClellan at Poolsville

February 24 - 27

Marched to Harpers Ferry

March 3

To Bolivar Heights

March 9

To Charlestown

March 10

To Berryville

March 11

Picketed road to Winchester, then returned to camp

March 13

To Winchester to support General Shields' attack, but arrived after the engagement ended and the regiment returned to Berryville

March 14

To Camp Sedgwick, Charlestown

March 15

Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

March 20

Colonel Le Due resigns. Lt. Colonel Suiter promoted to colonel, Major Laflin to lieutenant colonel, Captain Charles L. Brown of Company G promoted to major

March 22

Crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry on pontoon bridge and boarded train at Sandy Hook for Washington

March 23

Reached Washington and quartered near the capitol

March 26

Left Washington for Alexandria

March 29

Embarked on the transport Richard Willing

March 31

Arrived Fortress Monroe, Va.

April 1

Landed at Hampton

April 4

At Big Bethel

April 5

At Winne's Mills

April 5 - May 4

Siege of Yorktown

May 4

The regiment was first into the enely's works at Winne's Mills

May 5

Marched to Yorktown and occupied a former Confederate camp

May 7

Embarked on schooner William for West Point

May 9

Marched to Eltham on the Pamunkey River

May 15

Marched to New Kent Court House

May 18

To Cumberland Landing

May 21

To Bottom's Bridge

May 23

To Tyler's House

May 24

Tyler House

Private Nicholas Moses of Company H mortally wounded

May 31-June 1

Battle of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks

The regiment was engaged for almost three hours, losing 29 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Captain Wells Sponable, 4 other officers and 60 enlisted men wounded and 3 enlisted men missing or captured

June 16

Private Richard Mosher of Company G was killed at White House

June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond

June 27

Skirmished with enemy

June 28

Moved to Peach Orchard

June 29

Peach Orchard and Savage Station

June 30

White Oak Swamp and Glendale

Colonel Suiter took command of the brigade. The regiment supported batteries for two hours before being detached from the brigade and moved to the support of General Kearney at Glendale, where it was engaged for an hour. It lost 5 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenants William S. Walton and Emerson Northrup and 18 enlisted men wounded amd 1 officer and 34 enlisted men captured.

July 1

Malvern Hill

Major Brown and Sergeant George Morse of Company K were mortally wounde.

Captain John Beverly of Company K promoted to major

July 2

Retired to Harrison's Landing

July - August

Duty at Harrison's Landing

August 4

Reconnoissance to Malvern Hll

The regiment lost one killed and three wounded

August 16-29

Movement to Newport News

August 23

Embarked on the steamer Mississippi with the 15th Massachusetts and the 1st Minnesota

August 25

Landed at Alexandria and encamped at Fort Corcoran

August 27

To the Chain Bridge and Fort Ethan Allan

August 30-
September 1

Cover Pope's retreat from Bull Run

September 1

At Centerville, formed rear guard of Pope's retreat

September 4

Recrossed the Potomac on Chain Bridge and camped at Tennallytown

September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

September 7

Left camp

September 8

Through Rockville

September 9

To Middleburg

September 10

To Clarksburg

September 12

To Urbana

September 13

To Frederick City and Turner's Pass

September 14

At Middletown, picketing Crampton's Gap

September 15

To Keedysville

September 16

Camped one and half miles west of Keedysville and was ordered to cook four days rations and prepare 40 rounds of ammunition

September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

Commanded by Colonel James A. Suiter, the regiment was detached from Sedgwick's Division and was temporarily attached to Crawford's Brigade in an attack toward the Dunker Church. Lieutenant Clarence Hill and 45 men were killed or motally wounded, Lieutenant Armineas Rounds, 1 other officer and 96 enlisted men were wounded and Lieutenant John Kirk and 9 enlisted men missing or captured out of 311 men engaged.

From the monument:
At 7:30 on the morning of September 17, 1862, the Thirty-fourth Regiment left camp near Keedysville, crossed the Antietam Creek and marched westward into the East Woods, now extinct. Facing Westward being on the extreme left of Brigade line it emerged from the East Woods and soon became heavily engaged with the Confederate forces in its front. Crossing the open field and the Hagerstown Pike, it entered the West Woods, now also extinct, the line extending North and South of the Dunkard Church. The left of the Regiment being unprotected was in danger of being enveloped by the enemy, and a hasty retreat became necessary; the Regiment reforming near the East Woods with its organization intact. In a very brief time 43 men had been killed and 74 wounded, the killed being 13 percent of all engaged.

Composition of the Regiment at the time of this Battle
Colonel James A. Suiter
Lieutenant Colonel Byron Laflin
Major John Beverly
Adjutant George W. Thompson
Quartermaster Nathan Easterbrook, Jr.
Surgeon Socretes N. Sherman
Asst. Surgeon Edward S. Walker
Chaplain John B. Van Petten

September 21

Moved to Harper's Ferry

September 22

Forded the Potomac at Sandy Hook and marched to Bolivar Heights

October 29

Crossed the Shenandoah and Loudon Heights

October 31

To Hillsborough

November 1

To Woodgrove

November 2

Engagement at Snicker's Gap.

November 3

To Upperville

November 4

To Paris Reconnoissance with cavalry through Ashby's Gap.

November 5

Picketed the Paris/Piedmont-Upperville/Barbers road junction

November 6

To Rectortown

November 7 - 9

To Warrenton

November 21

Reached Falmouth and went into camp

December 11

The regiment led the division in crossing the Rappahannock by pontoon boat and clearing Fredericksburg f the enemy

December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

Lieutenant Albert Ransom and 6 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 8 enlisted men wounded, and 18 enlisted men missing or captured

January 20-24

"Mud March"

January 22

Colonel Suiter resigns. Lt. Colonel Laflin promoted to colonel, Major Bevely promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Wells Sponable of Company B promoted to major

February-April

At Falmouth

April 16

Tents were turned in and 8 days rations prepared

April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

April 29-May 2

Operations at Franklin's Crossing

April 28

Moved to near Lacy House

May 3

Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg

May 3-4

Salem Heights

The regiment lost 2 enlisted men wounded and 1 missing

May 4

Banks' Ford

May 6

Returned to camp

June 8, 1863

Three years men transferred to 82nd New York Infantry

June 9

Moved by train to Aquia Creek and embarked for Washington

June 10

Left Washington by train

June 12

Arrived Albany and quartered in the Industrial School barracks

June 27

Public reception at Little Falls

June 28

Returned to Albany

June 30

Mustered out at Albany, expiration of term, under Colonel Laflin, Lt. Colonel Beverly and Major Sponable