10th Infantry Regiment
Civil War
National Guard Zouaves; McChesney Zouaves

Mustered in: November 23,1861.
Mustered out: June 27, 1865

The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.
This regiment, Col. Waters W. McChesney, was accepted and designated by the State May 15, 1861. It was organized in New York city, and the companies were mustered in the service of the United States for two years: A and B, April 27; C, D, E, F, G and H, April 30; I and K, May 2 and 7, 1861, respectively. At the expiration of its term of service the three years' men were formed into a battalion of four companies - A, B, C and D-under Maj. George F. Harper, and May 7, 1863, the regiment, under Col. John E. Bendix, was honorably discharged and mustered out at New York city, while the battalion continued in service. Companies E and F, mustered in the United States service for three years, joined the battalion in April, 1864. June 15, 1865, Companies Land M, 8th N. Y. Volunteer Artillery, became, by transfer, Companies H and G of the battalion, a Company I was formed of the men of Companies B, C and E, and a Company K of the men of Companies A, D and F, 8th N. Y. Volunteer Artillery, not mustered out with their regiment; a few of the men of these last six companies were also transferred to the original six companies of the battalion. June 20, 1865, Company F received, by transfer, 15 men of the 16th N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry.
The companies were recruited principally: A- the original National Guard Zouaves -I and K at New York city; B in Troy; C-the Volunteer State Zouaves-D, E, G and H in New York city; F-Morgan State Zouaves-in Brooklyn; second Companies E and F in New York city.
The regiment left the State, June 6, 1861, and served at and near Fort Monroe, Va., from June 7, 1861; at Norfolk, Va., 7th Corps, from May, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from June 7, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Corps, from September 24, 1862; as Provost Guard of General Sumner's Grand Division, Army of the Potomac, from December 7, 1862; in 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from December 26, 1862; the battalion as Provost Guard, 3d Division, 2d Corps, from April 27, 1863; with 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Corps, from June, 1863; and in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 2d Corps, from March, 1864. The regiment, commanded by Col. Joel B. Baker, was honorably discharged and mustered out, June 30, 1865, at Munson's Hill, Va.
During its service it lost by death, killed in action, 4 officers, 77 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 47 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 86 enlisted men; total, 9 officers, 210 enlisted men; aggregate. 219.

The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908.
Tenth Infantry.—Cols., Walter W. McChesney, John E. Bendix, Joseph Yeamans, George F. Hopper; Lieut.-Cols., Alexander B. Elder, John W. Marshall, George F. Hopper, Anthony L. Woods; Majs., John W. Marshall, John Missing, George F. Hopper, Anthony L. Woods, Charles W. Cowtan. The l0th, the National Zouaves, was recruited in New York city and Brooklyn and mustered into the U. S. service, April 27 and 30 and May 2 and 7, 1861, for two years. From Sandy Hook, where it was encamped, the regiment embarked for Fortress Monroe on June 5, and was ordered to join the reserve during the battle of Big Bethel. Headquarters were established at Camp Hamilton, near Fortress Monroe, and here the regiment was stationed until the opening of the campaign on the Peninsula the following year. In May, 1862, the l0th moved to Norfolk and Portsmouth and on June 7, was attached to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, 5th corps, which it joined at Bottom's bridge on the Chickahominy. It was active in the Seven Days' battles, encamped at Harrison's Landing until late in August, when it returned to Newport News, whence it was ordered to Manassas and fought bravely in the second Bull Run, losing 115 men in killed, wounded and missing. At South mountain and Antietam, it was held in reserve; was in action at Shepherdstown, after which it was assigned to the 3d brigade, 3d division, 2nd corps, with which it fought at Fredericksburg, where almost one-half of the members of the regiment who went into action were killed, wounded or missing. A portion of the winter was spent in the performance of guard duty at headquarters and the original two years members not reenlisted were mustered out at New York on May 7, 1863. The remainder of the regiment was consolidated into a battalion of four companies, to which were later added two companies of new recruits and the veterans of the 8th N. Y. artillery. The battalion was made provost guard of the 3d division, 2nd corps and in March, 1864, was attached to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, 2nd corps. It was active at the Wilderness, where the loss was 95 members, at Spottsylvania, Laurel hill, the North Anna river, Totopotomy and Cold Harbor. It then served during the long siege of Petersburg, being engaged in the early assaults on the works there, at the Weldon railroad, Deep Bottom, Strawberry plains, Reams' station, the Boydton road, Hatcher's run. White Oak road, and in the final assault on the fortifications, April 2, 1865. In the pursuit which followed the evacuation, the l0th was in line with its brigade and performed guard duty near Richmond until the welcome orders to return home. The 10th was mustered out at Munson's hill, Va., June 30, 1865. During its term of service, it lost 130 by death from wounds and 89 by death from accident, imprisonment or disease.

Battles and Casualties Table from Phisterer

Historical Sketch from the 3rd Annual Report of the Bureau of Military Statistics

Monument at Gettysburg

Civil War Newspaper Clippings

10th Infantry Battle Flag

10th Infantry Regimental Flag

Tierney, Henry CDV

Unit Roster

Further Reading
This is meant to be a comprehensive list. If, however, you know of a resource that is not listed below, please send an email to int-historians@ng.army.mil with the name of the resource and where it is located. This can include photographs, letters, articles and other non-book materials. Also, if you have any materials in your possession that you would like to donate, the museum is always looking for items specific to New York's military heritage. Thank you.

Baker, Joel B. and Naomi B. Baker. Letters home, Joel B. Baker : a collection of "letters home" from the Civil War written by Colonel Joel B. Baker and compiled by his great-grandaughter, Naomi B. Baker. [Delevan, NY: N.B. Baker]; Lockport, NY: C.W. Baker Agency [distributor], 1996.

Civil War Military Service Record of Rufus Farnsworth of New York.
Description: 9 sheets ; 23 x 35 cm.
Abstract: Includes: Military Service Record of Lieut., Rufus Farnsworth, Co. F. 10th N.Y. Inf.; War Department Record and Pension Division no. 443,727 dated June 14, 1891; Genearl Affidavit; Affidavit that the Claimant has not Remarried, and that She is without other Means of Support than Her Daily Labor; Declaration of Widows Pension; Secondary Proof of Marriage; Office of the Department of Health, a Transcript from the Record of Deaths in the City of Brooklyn (WC298-786).
Located at Sons of Revolution, State of California.

Cowtan, Charles W. Services of the Tenth New York volunteers (National zouaves) in the War of the rebellion, by Charles W. Cowtan, late Adjutant of the Regiment. . . . New York, Charles H. Ludwig, 1882. 459, ( 1) p. front. (illus.), plates (5 maps, 3 fold.).
Available online at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ik0IAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Thank you to Bill Burgess for pointing out that this book is online.

Hopper, George. The George Hopper papers, 1860-1892.
Description: 1 box.
Abstract: Contains the following types of materials: correspondence, and clippings. Contains information pertaining to the following war and time period: Civil War. Contains information pertaining to the following military unit and organization: 10th New York Volunteers. General description of the collection: The Alfred K. Schroeder papers contain chiefly his letters written mainly to his uncle and letters received from other family members. It also contains the casualty list of the 10th New York Volunteers and pre-war letters describing the secession crisis.
Located at the US Army Military History Institute.

McAfee, Michael J. "10th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment ('National Zouaves'), 1861-1865." Military Collector & Historian. 29 :4 (Winter 1977) 179-181.

Poor, Walter S. Correspondence, 1861 Apr.-1865 Sep.
Description: 1 box (98 items)
Abstract: Letters sent, 1861 Apr.-1865 Sep., by Union soldier Walter Stone Poor to his sister, Mary S. Poor, and his friend (later, brother-in-law), George W. Fox, secretary of the American Unitarian Association, Boston. Poor writes of his experiences and sentiments while serving with the 10th New York Volunteers in Virginia, then as an officer with 1st New York Mounted Rifles, his opinions and abolitionist convictions, his views on the performance of army officals and his fellow soldiers, engagements with the enemy, life in the army, taking of prisoners, etc.; as well as personal matters and family affairs. In addition to the original letters, the Society has photocoppies of typed transcipts of the Poor correspondence.
Located at the New York Historical Society.
There is a photo of Walter Stone Poor at Bowdin College in Maine.

Twenty-fifth anniversary of the muster into the service of the United States of the Tenth Regiment of New York Volunteer Infantry (National Zouaves). New York: C.H. Ludwig, Printer, 1886.

Waud, Alfred R. Warrens Brigade overpowered by Longstreets advance.
Description: 1 drawing on green paper : pencil and Chinese white ; 15.3 x 33.2 cm. (sheet).
Located online at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3g09832 [link opens new window].

Items in the museum collection are in bold.

Back to Civil War Infantry Regiments