106th Infantry Regiment

Nickname: St. Lawrence County Regiment

Mustered in: August 27, 1862
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.
June 30, 1862, Gen. Schuyler F. Judd received authority to recruit this regiment; it was organized under Colonel Judd and his successor, Col. Edward C. James, at Ogdensburg, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years August 27, 1862. June 2, 1865, the men not to be mustered out with the regiment were ordered to be transferred to the 49th Infantry; the order was, however, revoked.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Oswegatchie; B at Morristown; C at Oswegatchie, DePeyster and Macomb; D at Ogdensburg; E at Potsdam; F at Massena, Brasher and Louisville; G at Madrid and Stockholm; H at Malone and Lawrence; I at Malone and Ogdensburg; and K at Canton, Colton and Edwards.
The regiment left the State August 28, 1862; served in the Railroad Division, 8th Corps, Middle Department, from August, 1862; in West Virginia, Department of the Ohio, in September, 1862; in Railroad Division, District of West Virginia, from October, 1862; in 1st Brigade, Railroad Division, 8th Corps, Defenses of the Upper Potomac, Middle Department, from January, 1863; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Corps, from March, 1863; in 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 3d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from July 10, 1863; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Corps, from April, 1864; and it was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Maj. Edward M. Paine, June 22, 1865, near Washington, D. C.; the men ordered to be transferred to the 49th Infantry were, under Lieut-Col. Alvah W. Briggs, mustered out and honorably discharged June 27, 1865.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 8 officers, 77 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 49 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 4 officers, 163 enlisted men; total, 14 officers, 289 enlisted men; aggregate, 303; of whom 52 enlisted men 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. 
One Hundred and Sixth Infantry.—Cols., Schuyler F. Judd, Edward C. James, Frederick E. Embrick, Lewis F. Barney, Andrew N. McDonald; Lieut.-Cols., Edward C. James, Fred. E. Embrick,, Charles Townsend, Andrew N. McDonald, Henry C. Allen, A. W. Briggs; Majs., Charles Townsend, Andrew N. McDonald, Edward M. Paine, Henry C. Allen, William P. Huxford. This was a St. Lawrence county regiment, organized at Ogdensburg, and there mustered into the U. S. service for three years Aug. 27, 1862. It left the state the following day and during its long period of service established a reputation for itself which entitles it to rank among the three hundred fighting regiments of the war. It took part in the following battles: Fairmount and Martinsburg, W. Va.; Culpeper, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna river, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor first assault on Petersburg, and the Weldon railroad, Va.; Monocacy, Md., Charlestown, W. Va., Opequan, Fisher's hill, Cedar Creek, Va.; fall of Petersburg, Sailor's creek, and was present at Wapping heights, siege of Petersburg, Hatcher's run and Appomattox. After leaving the state it served first in the railroad division, 8th corps, Middle Department, and was then ordered to New creek, W. Va. The following is quoted from Col. Fox's account of the regiment: "Companies D and F were captured, April 29, 1863, at Fairmount, W. Va., where they defended a railroad bridge for several hours against a large force of Confederates. The captured men were immediately released on parole. The regiment left North mountain, June 13, 1863, and, with the other troops in that vicinity, retired before the advance of Lee's army. It joined the Army of the Potomac, July 10, 1863, while near Frederick, Md., and with other new material was organized as the 3d division (Carr's) of the 3d corps. This division was transferred in March, 1864, to the 6th corps, and its command given to Gen. Ricketts. While in the 6th corps the regiment saw hard service and almost continuous fighting. At Cold Harbor it lost 23 killed, 88 wounded, and 23 missing,—Lieut.-Col. Charles Townsend and 3 other officers being among the killed. The corps was ordered soon afterward to Maryland, where, at the battle of Monocacy, the regiment sustained another severe loss. It was actively engaged in the Shenandoah Valley, in all the battles of the corps, and then, returning to Petersburg, participated in the final campaign. At Spottsylvania the casualties in the regiment aggregated 6 killed and 32 wounded; at the Opequan, 6 killed, 45 wounded, and 3 missing; and at Cedar creek, 8 killed and 45 wounded. Gen. Ricketts was wounded at Cedar creek, after which the division was commanded by Gen. Seymour." The regiment was mustered out at Washington, D. C., June 22 and 27, 1865. During its term of service it lost 10 officers and 27 men killed and died of wounds; 4 officers and 166 men died of disease, accident, etc., a total of 307, of whom 52 men died in prison. The total enrollment was 1,367, of whom 10 per cent. were killed in action.

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106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | General Guide Flags | Civil War

A pair of silk general guide flags in the US National pattern with 35 embroidered stars in six horizontal rows of 6-6-6-5-6-6, semi-block numbers with…

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106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Guidon | Civil War

The New York State Battle Flag Collection includes 5 silk guidons attributed to the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry including the example seen…

106thInfGuidon2005.0137.jpg

106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Guidon | Civil War

The New York State Battle Flag Collection includes 5 silk guidons attributed to the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry including the example seen…

106thInfGuidon2005.0138.jpg

106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Guidon | Civil War

The New York State Battle Flag Collection includes 5 silk guidons attributed to the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry including the example seen…

106thInfGuidon2005.0139.jpg

106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Guidon | Civil War

The New York State Battle Flag Collection includes 5 silk guidons attributed to the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry including the example seen…

106thInfGuidon2005.0140.jpg

106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Guidon | Civil War

The New York State Battle Flag Collection includes 5 silk guidons attributed to the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry including the example seen…

106thInfRegColor2005.0010.jpg

106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Regimental Color | Civil War

Manufactured by Tiffany & Co. from New York City, the richly embroidered regimental color carried by the 106th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry includes…

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.

Bayne, James. "'We hope to march to Victory or to a glorious Death.'" Proud to Say I Am a Union Soldier: The Last Letters Home from Federal Soldiers Written During the Civil War, 1861-1865. Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2007. pp. 93-98.

Christian, Charles (compiler). Frederick Eugene Bullis Collection.

Creekman, Charles Todd. The 106th New York Volunteers : a Civil War heritage. C.T.:  Creekman, 1985. iv, 57 leaves : ill., 1 map ; 29 cm.

Droegemeyer, James R. He is our colonel and we are his soldiers" : when the 106th New York Volunteer Infantry came to Virginia (West Virginia). S.l. : s.n., 2007.
Thank you to Tim Snyder for pointing out this resource.

Griggs, B. B. B.B. Griggs papers, 1859-1865.
Chiefly correspondence, 1859-1865, to his sister, Emily M. Griggs, re Civil War, army experiences with the 109th N.Y. Infantry Regiment, possible teaching position for her in Roanoke County, Va.; 1859 fair week in Columbia, S.C.; selling and installing lightning rods, and supervising railroad work gangs in Tennessee and Georgia. Letter, 10 Nov. 1859, Columbia, S.C., to E.M. Griggs, re social activities in Columbia, S.C.; letter, Mar. 1860, to E.M. Griggs, re possible enlistment in the Texas Rangers or travel to Mexico; letter, 28 Sept. 1862, to friends at home, re camp life with the 109th N.Y. Infantry Regiment; letter, 19 May 1863, re the Battle of Fredricksburg, Va. 24 items.
Located at the University of South Carolina.

Keller, Helen. Potsdam Public Museum (Potsdam, N.Y.) Gallantry in the field : Potsdam and the Civil War. Potsdam, N.Y. Potsdam Public Museum, 1997.

La Forge, Abiel T. Abiel LaForge Letters and Diaries.
Abiel T. LaForge -- Residence was not listed; 19 years old. Enlisted on 10/1/1861 at Belmont, NY as a Private. On 10/7/1861 he mustered into "C" Co. NY 85th Infantry. He was discharged on 6/8/1864. Residence was not listed; 23 years old. Enlisted on 6/9/1864 at Cold Harbor, VA as a 1st Lieutenant.On 6/9/1864 he was commissioned into "F" Co. NY 106th Infantry. He was Mustered Out on 6/22/1865 at Washington, DC. Promotions: * Capt 2/4/1865 (As of Co. I). Intra Regimental Company Transfers: * 2/4/1865 from company F to company I 
Available online at the Allegany Historical Society.
Thank you to Ed Worman for pointing out this reference.

Lynch, John Wheaton. John Wheaton Lynch papers, 1860-1866
The collection contains letters John Wheaton Lynch wrote to his fiancee Elizabeth (Bessie) J. Mustin. The letters span from April 1860 to June 1865, shortly before their marriage. A large number of letters chronicle John's service in the 106th Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil War. The single letter from 1866 was written by Bessie to John, and a few letters to Bessie from others are mingled in with John's letters. Besides the letters, there are a few sketches and clippings that John sent to Bessie. 154 items.
Located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

MacLaughlin, Henry Connor, and James A. Hall. Walter King Hoover collection, 1810-1949, bulk 1861-1865
Documents, primarily from the Civil War, collected by Walter King Hoover. Includes slave bills of sale, 1810-1857, for Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia; correspondence by Union and Confederate soldiers; and military records. Prominent among Confederate correspondents is Major Henry Connor MacLaughlin (1833-1870) of Nashville, Tennessee, a member of the Vicksburg Light Artillery Regiment who saw action at the siege of Ft. Pickens and spent months as a prisoner of war at Camp Chase, Ohio. Seven letters of James A. Hall, 1862-1864, Quartermaster, 24th Alabama Infantry, describe activities near Murfreesboro, Tennessee and in the Atlanta campaign. Five letters of Thomas B. Hall of Montgomery, Ala. describe campaigns of Bragg's Army of Tennessee in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky in 1862. Twelve letters, 1864-1865, of Maj. D.H.C. Spence, District Commissary of Subsistence for West Tennessee, concern supplies for Confederate armies under Forrest and Hood. Correspondence of Union soldiers includes 13 letters (1862-1864) of James Beard, 142nd New York Volunteer Infantry, from camps in Virginia and near Charleston, S.C. Three letters of Amos Fisk, Co. I, 92nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry, describe activities in Middle Tennessee. Ten letters of Charles W. Sayer, 142nd New York Infantry, tell of his stay in army hospitals in Virginia and of regimental activities near Charleston, S.C., 1862-1864. Nine letters of Henry F. Sayer, 44th New York Infantry, also describe activities in Virginia, 1864-1865. Henry Sizeland's three letters in 1864 pertain to his regiment, the 20th New York Cavalry. Three letters of James Whiteford of the 106th New York Infantry give an account of the campaigns near North Mountain and Petersburg, Va., 1863-1864. Other military records includes hospital records for members of Co. A, 7th Rhode Island Infantry, 1863-1865, and quartermaster's records for Co. B, 22nd Virginia Infantry Battalion, CSA, 1864; 30th Virginia Infantry Regiment, CSA, 1862; 4th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, USA, 1865; and Co. A, 7th Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, USA, 1863-1865. 290 items. 
Located at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

"A Reminiscence of Cold Harbor." National Tribune, March 20, 1884.
Transcribed and annotated by Edward Worman.

Sunderland, Darwin. Sunderland family correspondence, 1837-1867
.25 linear feet. 
Located at Saint Lawrence University.

Thompson, Joseph Parrish. The Sergeant's memorial, by his father. New York: Anson D. F. Randolph, 1863.

Townsend, Charles. Letters (1861-1863). 
Letters sent to Townsend's family relating to his involvement in the fall of Harper's Ferry and subsequent investigation by the U.S. Army Court of Inquiry. 17 Items. 
Located at the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections.

United States Army. 106th New York Infantry Regiment. Letter book (1863-1865).
A bound volume containing copies of official letters written by Colonel Edward C. James and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Townsend. The content of their letters concern administrative, financial, and other business. 
Located at the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections.

Westcott, Truman, ca.1827. The letters between Truman Westcott and Sarah (Brown) Wetcott, 1862-1865. [Glenmont, NY] Published by Barbara Benware Burt, Benoit-Veillancourt Publications, 2000.

Whitford, James W. Letter (November 11, 1864)
Letter written at camp near Winchester, Virginia, in which Whitford described the action he had seen during the battle of Cedar Creek. 1 Item. 
Located at the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections.

Worman, Edward (compiler). One Hundred and Sixth Infantry, New York Volunteer Infantry casualties at Cold Harbor, June 1-12, 1864. Collated with NYSAG Report and newspaper lists.
Donated by Ed Worman.

 

Items in the museum collection are in bold.