74th New York Infantry Regiment "5th Excelsior"

The 74th New Yprk Infantry Regiment lost 8 officers and 122 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 officers and 67 enlisted men to disease.

It is honored on the Excelsior Brigade monument at Gettysburg with its sister regiments from the brigade, the 70th, 71st, 72nd, and 73rd New York Infantry.

thumbnail for the monument to New York's Excelsior Brigade at Gettysburg

1861
Organized under authority of the War Department at Camp Scott, Staten Island, N.Y., as 5th Regiment, Sickles' Brigade. Companies A and B were recruited in part at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Company D at Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, and Company F in Pennsylvania, while the balance of the regiment was recruited in New York City and Long Island. Many of the members had been in the 15th New York State Militia Regiment.
August 20	Left State for Washington, D.C. under Colonel Charles K. Graham, Lietenant Colonel Charles H. Burtis and Major William B. Olmstead
September	Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C, attached to Sickles' Brigade, Division of the Potomac
September 15-October 2	Expedition to Lower Maryland
October	Assigned to Sickles' Brigade, Hooker's Division. Army of the Potomac
November 9	Expedition to Matthias Point
December 11	Designated 74th New York Infantry
1862
March 10	Advance on Manassas, Va. assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 18	Expedition from Dumfries to Fredericksburg, Va., and capture of stores
April 4	Reconnaissance from Liverpool Point to Stafford Court House and action at Stafford Court House
April	Ordered to the Virginia Peninsula
April 10	Colonel Graham discharged
April 10-May 4	Siege of Yorktown Private John Ford was mortally wounded.
April 19	Lt. Colonel Burtis promoted to colonel but not mustered
April 27	Major Olmstead discharged and became lieutenant colonel of the 2nd New York Infantry.
April 28	Captain George Quarterman of Copany C promoted to major
May 5	Battle of Williamsburg The regiment was commanded by Colonel Charles Burtis. It lost 49 men killed or mortally wounded, Major Quarterman, Lieutenant Lovell Purdy and 43 men wounded, and 1 officer and 47 men missing.
May 26	Colonel Graham re-mustered. Captain John Glass of Company A promoted to lieutenant colonel but not mustered
May 31-June 1	Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks The regiment lost 3 men killed or mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 16 men wounded.
June 23	Captain George Morey died of disease at division hospital near Bottom's Briadge, Virginia
June 25-July 1	Seven days before Richmond Lieutenant Thomas Burns and 7 men were killed or mortally wounded, 32 enlisted men were wounded, and 15 men missing in the week's fighting.
June 25	Battle of Oak Grove
June 29	Peach Orchard and Savage Station
June 30	White Oak Swamp and Glendale
July 1	Malvern Hill
August 5	Malvern Hill
July	At Harrison's Landing
August 16-26	Movement to Fortress Monroe, then to Centreville
August 26- September 2	Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 27	Action at Bristoe Station or Kettle Run Captain Edmund Harrison, Lieutenants Rudolph Anderson and Robert Andrews and 13 men were killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 17 men were wounded, and 15 men missing.
August 29	Battle of Groveton The regiment lost 8 men killed or mortally wounded.
August 30	Bull Run
September- November	Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.
September 18	Colonel Burtis discharged. Captain William Lounsbury of Company D promoted to lieutenant colonel
November 10-12	Operations on Orange & Alexandria Railroad
November 13-25	At Fairfax Station
December 12-15	Battle of Fredericksburg
December 19	Lt. Colonel Glass discharged for disability
December	At Falmouth
1863
January 20-24	"Mud March"
February	At Falmouth
February 5-7	Operations at Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church
March 15	Colonel Graham mustered out for promotion to brigadier general
April 10	Major Quarterman discharged for disability due to wounds
April 11	Captain Henry Alles of Company B promoted to major
April 27-May 6	Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5	Battle of Chancellorsville The regiment lost 5 men killed or mortally wounded, Lt. Colonel Lounsbury, Major Alles, 1 other officer and 17 men were wounded, and 15 men missing. Four members of the regiment earned the Medal of Honor. Sergeant Major Eugene Phillip Jacobson and Privates Felix Brannigan, Joseph Gion and Gotlieb Luty of Company A volunteered to advance on Confederate lines and bring back valuable information.
May 16	Lt. Colonel Thomas Holt of the 70th New York Infantry transferred in as colonel
June 11-July 24	Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3	Battle of Gettysburg The regimet was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Holt. Captain William Chester and 17 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, Captain Charles Summers, Lieutenants William Bullard, Frederick Garnett, 2 other officers and 63 enlisted men were wounded, and 3 men missing in fighting north of the Peach Orchard. From the monument: "On the afternoon of the 2nd of July 1863, the brigade of which this regiment formed a part, supported Car's Brigade in resisting the assault of the enemy along the line of Emmittsburg Road. On July 3rd, supported the left centre of the army."
July 5-24	Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 23	Wapping Heights Lieutenants Charles Preston and James Short and 2 enlisted men were killed and 7 men wounded.
August-October	Duty on the Rappahannock
August 9	Lt. Colonel Lounsbury mustered out
October 9-22	Bristoe Campaign
November 7-8	Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 7	Kelly's Ford
November 26- December 2	Mine Run Campaign
November 27	Payne's Farm The regiment lost 2 men killed or mortally wounded and 8 men wounded.
November 30	Colonel Thomas Holt returned to 70th New York Infantry as lieutenant colonel
December-May	Duty near Brandy Station
1864
February 6-7	Demonstration on the Rapidan
March	Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps
April 20	Captain Lovell Purdy of Company H promoted to major
May 3-June 15	Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River. Assigned to 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps.
May 5-7	Battle of the Wilderness The regiment lost 3 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 14 men wounded.
May 8-12	Spottsylvania
May 10	Po River Lieutenant Charles Dussuet and 3 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, Lieutenant Ira Terry and 10 enlisted men wounded, and 1 man missing.
May 12-21	Spottsylvania Court House
May 12	Assault on the Salient or "Bloody Angle"
May 19	Harris Farm or Fredericksburg Road
May 23-26	North Anna River The regiment lost 1 officer and 6 men wounded and 5 men missing.
May 26-28	On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31	Totopotomoy Lieutenant James Hill was wounded at Cold Harbor
June 1-12	Cold Harbor Captain Alexander McCune mortally wounded
June 16-19	Assault on Petersburg The regiment lost 2 men killed and Major Purdy and 7 men wounded.
June 16 - August 3	Siege of Petersburg
June 19	Company D mustered out before Petersburg
June 21	Company A mustered out
June 22-23	Jerusalem Plank Road, Weldon Railroad
June 26	Company B mustered out
June 28	Company G mustered out
July	Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps
July 6	Company C mustered out
July 27-29	Demonstration north of the James
July 27-28	Deep Bottom
August 3, 1864	Companies E, F, H, I and K mustered out unde Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lounsberry and Major Purdy. Veterans and Recruits transferred to 40th Regiment New York Infantry as Companies G and H.