36th Infantry Regiment

Nickname: Washington Volunteers

Mustered in: June 17, 1861
Mustered out: July 15, 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. Charles H. Innes, was accepted by the State May 23, 1861; organized at New York city, and there mustered in the service of the United States for two years between June 17 and July 4, 1861. Five companies of an offered organization — the New York British Volunteers — ordered to join this regiment failed to comply with the orders. June 30, 1863, the three years' men of the regiment were transferred to the 65th Infantry.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Buffalo; B at Newburgh; I at Brooklyn and New York city, and the others, C, D, E, F, G, H and K at New York city.
The regiment left the State July 12, 1861; served at and near Washington, D. C., from July 14, 1861; in Couch's Brigade, Division of Potomac, from August 4, 1861; in same brigade, Buell's Division, Army of the Potomac, from October 15, 1861; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March 13, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from June, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September, 1862; in 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from December, 1862; and was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Col. Wm. H. Browne, July 15, 1863, at New York city.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 21 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 15 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 5 officers, 27 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 63 enlisted men; aggregate, 68; of whom 1 enlisted man died in the hands of the enemy.

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.

nt, imprisonment or disease, out of a total enrollment of 1,250. Thirty-sixth Infantry.—Cols., Charles H. Innes, William H. Brown; Lieut.-Cols., Thomas J. Lord, Daniel E. Hungerford, James Walsh; Majs., Nathaniel Finch, James A. Raney, Elihu J. Faxon, J. Townsend Daniel. The 36th, the "Washington Volunteers" was organized at New York city and contained eight companies from that city, one from Buffalo and one from Newburg. It was mustered into the U. S. service at New York city July 4, 1861, for two years, to date from June 11, and left the state July 12 for Washington, where it went into camp at Meridian hill, until Aug. 6, when it was ordered to Brightwood, assigned to Couch's brigade and employed in construction work at Fort Massachusetts, in which vicinity it remained until March 13, 1862. It then became a part of the 3d brigade, 1st division, 4th corps, with which it served until June, when it was attached to the 1st brigade of the same division. It embarked for Fortress Monroe on March 26, 1862; participated in the siege of Yorktown; the battles of Lee's mill and Fair Oaks, losing in the latter 48 in killed, wounded and missing; and went through the Seven Days' battles. At Malvern hill the regiment was first ordered to support the 1st N. Y. battery and later made a brilliant charge, capturing 65 prisoners and the colors of the I4th N. C., for which the command received high praise from the commanding officers. The loss during the battle of Malvern hill was 143 in killed, wounded and missing. Camp was occupied at Harrison's landing until Aug. 16, when the regiment was ordered to Alexandria and a detachment of the 36th sent to Chantilly, where it was in action Sept. 1. The regiment was reunited at Antietam as part of Couch's division, and served with the 1st brigade, 3d division, 6th corps, until December, when it became a part of the 2nd brigade of the same division. ' It was active during the battle of Fredericksburg; then went into camp at Falmouth; joined in the "Mud March" in Jan., 1863; returned to Falmouth for the remainder of the winter; joined in the assault on Marye's heights in May, making a successful charge with the flying division on the 3d and engaging at Salem heights on the 4th. It again returned to camp at Falmouth, but in June proceeded by arduous marches to Poolesville, Md., from which place it started home early in July and was mustered out at New York city, July 15, 1863. The total loss of the regiment during its term of service was 37 who died of wounds and 31 from other causes.

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Other Resources

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 ng.ny.nyarng.list.historians@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.

Alcott, Kevin. History of the 36th NYSV ("The Washington Volunteers") http://36thny.org/History1.htm

Dalton, John Call. Memorial of Edward B. Dalton, M.D. New York: 1872.

Miles, William R. Letters, 1861-1865, to Alfred H. Andrews.
Description: 33 items.
Abstract: Letters written mostly by William R. Miles, serving with the 36th Regiment, New York Infantry (Volunteers) in various places in the South, to his friend Alfred H. Andrews in West Meriden, Conn. Folder 1: Jan. 7, 1861 to Aug. 24, 1862. Folder 2: Sept. 26, 1862 to Sept. 21, 1865.
Located at Brown University

Lindsay, Charles Seton. Some of our yesterdays : a civil war memoir. [Iowa City, IA] Lindsay Holdings, LLC, 2017.

Murphy, Ignatious I. Life of Colonel Daniel E. Hungerford. Hartford: Press of Case, Lockwood & Brainard, 1891.

A Statement of the Movement of the 36th Regt. N.Y.V. [Author unknown.]
Thank you to Michael Mueller for the transcription.

 

Unit bibliograhy from the Army Heritage Center

Items in the museum collection are in bold.