17th Infantry Regiment
Civil War
Westchester Chasseurs

History

Mustered in: May 28, 1861
Mustered out: June 2, 1863

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. Henry S. Lansing, was accepted by the State and numerically designated May 14, 1861; it was organized in New York city and there mustered in the United States service for two years May 28, 1861. The 18th State Militia furnished men for one company of this regiment. March 16, 1862, Company G was consolidated.
with Companies A, B, C and F, and replaced by Company A, 53d N. Y. Volunteers, first organization, transferred to the regiment. May 13, 1863, the three years' men of the regiment were detached from it and assigned to the Battalion of New York Volunteers, but June 23, 1863, transferred to the 146th N. Y. Volunteers.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Yonkers; B at Portchester; C at Morrisania; D and E at New York city; F at Sing Sing; G — Nyack Volunteers — at Nyack; H at Norwich; I at Newark, Arcadia and Sodus; K at Warsaw; and the second Company G at New York city.
The regiment left the State June 21, 1861; served at and near Washington, D. C., from June 23, 1861; at Fort Ellsworth, D. C., from August 4, 1861; in Butterfield's Brigade, Porter's Division, Army of the Potomac, from October 15, 1862; in same brigade and division, 3d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March 13, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from May, 1862, and was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Colonel Lansing, June 2, 1863, at New York city.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 3 officers, 26 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, II enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 45 enlisted men; total, 8 officers, 82 enlisted men; aggregate, 90.

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. volume II.
Seventeenth Infantry.—Cols., Henry S. Lansing, William T. C. Grower, Joel O. Martin, James Lake; Lieut.-Cols., Thomas Ford Morris, Nelson B. Bartram, Edward Jardine, Joel O. Martin, James Lake, Alexander S. Marshall; Majs., Charles A. Johnson, Nelson B; Bartram, William T. C. Grower, Joel O. Martin, Charles Hilbert, Alexander S. Marshall, James B. Homer. The I7th regiment—the "Westchester Chasseurs"—contained four companies from Westches-ter county, two from New York city, one from each of the counties of Rockland, Chenango, Wayne and Wyoming, and was mustered into the U. S. service at New York city, May 28, 1861, for a two years' term. It went into camp at Camp Washington, Staten Island, until June 21, when it left for Washington and was stationed at Fort Ellsworth near Alexandria. With the 2nd brigade, 5th division, which was held in reserve, the regiment was present at Bull Run. In September it was posted at Fairfax seminary; in October was ordered to Hall's hill, where it was assigned to Butterfield's brigade, 1st division, 3d corps, and established permanent winter quarters. In March, 1862, a company from the 53d N. Y. infantry was assigned to the I7th, and in May, the brigade became a part of the 1st division of the 5th provisional corps. In March the command moved to Fortress Monroe and after several reconnoitering expeditions proceeded to Yorktown, where it participated in the siege operations. It was not actively engaged in the ensuing battles of the Peninsular campaign and went into camp at Harrison's landing, whence it moved to Newport News and Manassas. At the second Bull Run the regiment made a valiant assault, in which it suffered the loss of 183 killed, wounded and missing, and after the battle the brigade was withdrawn to the vicinity of Washington, where it joined the army in the Maryland campaign, without being called into action. It reached Falmouth in Nov., 1862, where camp was established; the regiment was active at Fredericksburg and shared in the "Mud March," returning to complete the winter at Falmouth. It was held in reserve at Chancellorsville, the last engagement of the two years men, who were mustered out at New York city, May 22, 1863. During the two years' service, the regiment lost 42 men by death from wounds and 48 by death from other causes.

Battles and Casualties Table from Phisterer

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

Civil War Newspaper Clippings

17th Infantry Regimental Color

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.

"17th New York volunteer infantry, 3rd brigade "Westchester chausseurs" 1st div., 5th corp Army Potomac." Historical Wyoming XIV (Arcade, NY: 1960) 21-3.

Butterfield, Daniel. "Report of Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield, U. S. Army, commanding Third Brigade, of engagement May 27." The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series 1 - Volume 11 (Part I) Govt. Print. Off., Washington, 1884, p. 422-427.
Report submitted by Daniel Simon.  

Dearing, Gilbert H. Chronological history of the 17th regiment of N.Y. infantry volunteers. Sing Sing: Sunnyside print, co., 1894.

Dudley, Harwood A. History of Company "K" of the 17th regiment, N.Y.V., compiled by Major H. A. Dudley and Captain A. M. Whaley. [Warsaw?, n. d.].

Grower, William T. C. "Report of Maj. William T. C. Grower, Seventeenth New York Infantry, of the battle of Bull Run." The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, vol. 12, pt. 2. In Chapter XXIV, OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1880. p 478.
Report submitted by Daniel Simon.  

Hawks Interactive. "17th New York Infantry Regiment "Westchester Chasseurs."
Chronology of the unit.
Available online at: http://www.civilwarintheeast.com/USA/NY/NY017.php
Resource submitted by Daniel Simon.

Hennessy, John J. "Porter's Attack." In Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas. 1993. Reprint, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999.
Resource submitted by Daniel Simon.

"Miners Hill, Virginia. Review of 17th New York Inf. (vicinity, Falls Church) (Westchester Chosseurs).
Image located at the Library of Congress.
Digital copy available online at: www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003004791/PP/
Resource submitted by Daniel Simon.

"The Peninsula, Va. A 12-pdr. howitzer gun captured by Butterfield's Brigade near Hanover Court House, May 27, 1862."
Image located at the Library of Congress.
Digital copy available online at: www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/cwp/item/cwp2003000062/PP/
Resource submitted by Daniel Simon.

Traver, Albert D. Address at the burial services of the late George Sibbald Wilson, Adjutant of the 17th regt, N.Y.S.V., in St. Paul's church, Pough-keepsie, by Rev. A. D. Traver. [Poughkeepsie?]: Osbome & Otis, printers, 1863.

Westervelt, William B. Lights and shadows of army life, as seen by a private soldier, by Wm. B. Westervelt of the 27th N.Y. infantry and 17th N.Y. veteran zouaves. Marlboro: C. H. Cochrane, printer, 1886.

Yonkers in the rebellion of 1861-1865 : Including a history of the erection of the monument to honor the men of Yonkers who fought to Save the Union. [Yonkers] Yonkers Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Association, 1892.
Available online at: http://www.archive.org/details/yonkersinrebelli00atki

Items the museum holds are in bold.

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