The 10th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was also known as the McChesney Zouaves or National Guard Zouaves.

Service

The 10th New York Volunteer Infantry, the National Zouaves or McChesney's Zouaves, was recruited in New York city and Brooklyn and mustered into federal service, April 27, 30, May 2, and 7, 1861, for a two-year enlistment. 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 regiment moved to Norfolk and Portsmouth and on June 7, was attached to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, V 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, II 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, II Corps and in March, 1864, was attached to the 3d brigade, 2nd division, II 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 Plank 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 10th was in line with its brigade and performed guard duty near Richmond until the welcome orders to return home. The regiment was mustered out at Munson's Hill, VA., June 30, 1865.

Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties

Organizational affiliation Attached to: Fortress Monroe and Camp Hamilton, Department of Virginia, to June, 1862 3rd Brigade 2nd Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac (AoP) to September, 1862 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to May, 1863 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to March, 1864 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, II Corps, to June, 1865

List of battles The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:

Battle of Tranter's Creek Seven Days Battles Battle of Gaines' Mill Battle of Malvern Hill Second Battle of Bull Run Battle of Antietam Battle of Shepherdstown Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Auburn II Battle of Bristoe Station Battle of Mine Run Battle of Morton's Ford Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Battle of North Anna Battle of Cold Harbor Second Battle of Petersburg Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road First Battle of Deep Bottom Second Battle of Ream's Station Battle of Boydton Plank Road Battle of Hatcher's Run Appomattox Campaign Battle of White Oak Road Battle of Petersburg III Battle of High Bridge Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

Detailed service

Detailed service is as follows:

1861 Left State for Fortress Monroe, June 6, 1861 Duty at Camp Hamilton, Va., till May, 1862

1862 Occupation of Norfolk and Portsmouth May 10 and duty there till June 7 Joined Army of the Potomac on the Peninsula Operations against Stuart June 13–15 Old Church June 13 Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1 Gaines Mill June 27 White Oak Swamp and Turkey Bend June 30 Malvern Hill July 1 At Harrison's Landing till August 16 Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16–28 Battle of Second Bull Run August 30 Battle of Antietam September 16–17 Shepherdstown Ford and Shepherdstown September 19–20 Movement to Falmouth October 29-November 19 Provost guard for Sumner's Grand Division December 7–24 Battle of Fredericksburg December 12–15

1863 Burnside's 2nd Campaign, "Mud March," January 20–24, 1863 At Falmouth till April 27 Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6 Provost Guard, 3rd Division, II Corps, April 27 to June 14 Battle of Chancellorsville May 1–5 Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 2–4 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13–17 Bristoe Campaign October 9–22 Auburn and Bristoe October 14 Blackburn's Ford October 15 Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7–8 Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2

1864 Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6–7, 1864 Morton's Ford February 6–7 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15 Battles of the Wilderness May 5–7 Spottsylvania May 8–12 Laurel Hill May 8 Po River May 10 Spottsylvania Court House May 12–21 Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12 North Anna River May 23–26 On line of the Pamunkey May 26–28 Totopotomoy May 28–31 Cold Harbor June 1–12 Before Petersburg June 16–18 Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865 Jerusalem Plank Road June 22–23, 1864 Demonstration north of the James July 27–29 Deep Bottom July 27–28 Mine Explosion July 30 (Reserve) Demonstration north of the James August 13–20 Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14–18 Ream's Station August 25 Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run October 27–28

1865 Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5–7 Watkins' House March 25 Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9 Crow's House March 31 Fall of Petersburg April 2 Sailor's Creek April 6 High Bridge, Farmville, April 7 Appomattox Court House April 9 Surrender of Lee and his army At Burkesville till May 2 March to Washington, D. C, May 2–12 Grand Review May 23 Mustered out June 30, 1865

Casualties During its term of service, it lost 130 by death from wounds and 89 by death from accident, imprisonment or disease.

Armament & uniforms Armament Soldiers in the 10th were armed with 713 National Armory (NA) and contract manufactured Model 1842 Springfield Muskets smoothbore muskets drawn from state arsenals. At some point in the fall of 1861, the regiment, like others in its division, exchanged the smoothbore muskets for newer Model 1861 Springfield rifled muskets at the Washington DC arsenal. By the end of the first full year of hard campaigning, the regimented returned 722 Model 1842 smoothbore percussion muskets to the Adjutant General. By theFredericksburg, the regiment reported the following survey result to U.S. War Department: A — 11 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) B — 46 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) C — 36 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) D — 38 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) E — 44 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) F — 59 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) G — 78 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) H — 18 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.); 18 Model 1841 Mississippi rifles, NA and contract, (.54 Cal.) I — 37 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.) K — 33 Springfield Rifled Muskets, model 1855, 1861, NA and contract, (.58 Cal.)

Shoulder Arms Gallery

Uniform The 10th New York wore a dark blue bound Zouave jacket trimmed in red with a red trefoil both sides of the front, and cuffs pointed/piped in red. A collar-less short-sleeved red vest piped in yellow was worn under the jacket, which was only fastened at the neck, with six brass buttons. The men wore a blue-tasseled red faz covered with a white turban. Instead of baggy Zouave trousers, narrower sky blue trousers with double red stripes on the outseam. Around the waist a royal sash trimmed in red was worn. The trousers were tucked into white canvas leggings.

Commanders Colonel Walter W. McChesney Colonel John E. Bendix Colonel Joseph Yeamans Colonel George F. Hopper

See also List of New York Civil War regiments

References Footnotes

Citations

Sources

External links New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center - Civil War - 10th Infantry Regiment History, photographs, table of battles and casualties, historical sketch, monument at Gettysburg, Civil War newspaper clippings, battle flag, and regimental flag for the 10th New York Infantry Regiment.