Civil War - 28th Regiment

Basic History of the Regiment

This regiment, Col. Dudley Donnelly, was accepted by the State May 18, 1861;. organized at Albany, and there mustered in the service of the United States for two years May 22, 1861. Its three years' men were, in May, 1863, transferred to the 60th Infantry. The companies were recruited principally: A, B, C and K at Lockport; D at Medina; E at Canandaigua; F at Batavia; G at Albion; H at Monticello, and I at Niagara Falls.

The regiment left the State June 24, 1861; served at Washington, D. C., from June 27, 1861; in Butterfield's Brigade, Keim's Division, Patterson's Army, District of Pennsylvania, from July 8, 1861; in Stiles' Brigade, Banks' Division, Army of the Potomac, from October 15, 1861; in 1st Brigade, 1st, Williams', Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March 13, 1862; in same brigade and division, Department of Schenandoah, from May, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, Army of Virginia, from June 26, 1862; in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, I2th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September 12, 1862; and was honorably discharged and mustered out under Col. Edwin F. Brown, June 2, 1863, at Albany.

During its service, the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 50 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, I officer, 10 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 47 enlisted men; total, 2 officers, 167 enlisted men; aggregate, 109; of whom 2 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

Source: New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

A Valuable War Relic

A history of much interest to the 58th[sic - should be 28th] Regiment New York State Volunteers is thus related. At the battle of Cedar Mountain, in August, 1862, this regiment was in the thickest part of the fight, and the missiles of the enemy wrought sad havoc among its members. It was here that Col. Donnelly received his mortal wound; that Adjutant Sprout was killed, and that Capt. Bush, with many others, was taken prisoner. The colors of the regiment were also captured, but before delivering them to the rebels, a few souvenirs, such as starts and other pieced cut from the flag, were retained by members of the regiment, both as momentoes and for the purposes of future identification. Capt. Bush of Lockport has a star and a small piece of the flag which are prized by him as only an old soldier can value his country's emblem. Nothing was ever seen or heard of the colors by any of the members of the regiment from that memorable day until a short time since, when E. S. Brown, formerly Lieutenant Col. of the 28th at the time of the capture, while in Washington looking through the collection of colors recognized the old flag and aferwards identified it by fitting that portion which he had retained. The flag had been taken to Richmond, and with others was retaken at the fall of that city and conveyed to Washington. In behalf of the surviving members, Col. Brown made overtures to the Secretary of War for the return of the flag to them, and the request has been granted. At the next annual reunion of the veterans of the 28th, to be held in Lockport, May 22nd, the old flag will be unfurled and presented to them. It is needless to say the event will be a joyous one, and it would not be strange if the sight of its smoke begrimed folds should start a tear from many a brave soldier who had followed its beckonings into the jaws of death.

Source: Niagara County News, Youngstown, 10 Mar 1882

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