67th New York Volunteer Infantry-First Long Island Regiment-Brooklyn Phalanx-"Beecher's Pets"

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Joined
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Location
Long Island, NY
67th culps hill.JPG


The 67th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment marker on Culp's Hill Gettysburg.

The 67th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was recruited almost immediately after the attack on Fort Sumter. It was mustered into service on June 24, 1861. Three companies of the regiment drew from members of Henry Ward Beecher's Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights, earning the regiment the possibly derisive nickname "Beecher's Pets."

The 67th called itself "The First Long IslandRegiment" because seven of its ten companies came from the City of Brooklyn on Long Island. Three companies came from Upstate New York. Newspapers referred to the regiment as the "Brooklyn Phalanx."

According to New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

This regiment, Col. Julius W. Adams, was organized in Brooklyn, under special authority from the War Department; was mustered in the service of the United States for three years June 20 and 24, 1861, and received its State numerical designation August 19, 1861. At the expiration of its term of service those entitled to be discharged were ordered to Brooklyn June 20, 1864, and were there, under Col. Nelson Cross, mustered out July 4, 1864; those not entitled to be discharged were formed into a battalion of five companies, A, B, C, D and E.

The companies were recruited principally: A, B, E — Beecher's Pets — F, G, I and K at Brooklyn; C at Scio, Allegany county; D at Clyde, Wayne county; and H at Rochester.

The regiment left the State August 21, 1861; served in Graham's Brigade, Buell's, later Keyes', Division, Army of the Potomac, from August, 1861; in same, 2d, Brigade, 1st, Couch's, Division, 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1862; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September, 1862; in 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September 26, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from December, 1862; on Johnson's island, Lake Erie, Ohio, from January, 1864; in 4th Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from April 16, 1864, and the battalion of five companies, commanded by Capt. Henry C. Fisk, 65th Infantry, was, September 1, 1864, consolidated with the 65th Infantry, forming Companies A, B, D and E of the latter.

During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 5 officers, 68 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 37 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 75 enlisted men; total, 9 officers, 180 enlisted men; aggregate, 189; of whom 9 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
 
According to 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.

Sixty-seventh Infantry.—Cols., Julius W. Adams, Nelson Cross; Lieut.-Cols., Nelson Cross, George Foster, Henry L. Van Ness; Majs., P. Mark De Zeng, George Foster, Henry L. Van Ness, Charles O. Belden. The 67th, the 1st Long Island regiment, from Brooklyn, Allegany and Wayne counties and Rochester, was mustered into the U. S. service at Brooklyn, June 20 and 24, 1861, for three years, and left Brooklyn Aug. 21, 1861, for Washington. It was assigned to Graham's brigade, Buell's division, which became in March, 1862, the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 4th corps. The regiment was posted near Washington during the winter of 1861-62 and joined the general advance under McClellan to the Peninsula in March. It took part in the siege of Yorktown; was present at Williamsburg and at Fair Oaks, where 164 were killed or wounded and 6 reported missing. During the Seven Days' battles the division was employed in guarding trains until the battle of Malvern hill, when it was in the thick of the fight. In the battle of Antietam the regiment was not in an exposed position and in the reorganization in Sept., 1862, Couch's division became the 3d division, 6th corps, the regiment being assigned to the 3d brigade, with which it served until December, when it became a part of the 1st brigade. It was active at Fredericksburg, with slight loss, went into winter quarters near Falmouth, was engaged at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and continued south with the Army of the Potomac to Brandy Station. In Jan., 1864, the 67th was detached and sent to Johnson's island in charge of prisoners, but returned to the army in April, from which time it served in the 4th brigade of its old division, through Grant's spring campaign. At the Wilderness the loss of the command was 93 in killed, wounded and missing out of 270 engaged, and the remnant participated in the constant fighting which led up to Petersburg. On June 20, the original members not reenlisted left for Brooklyn, where they were mustered out and the veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion of five companies, which remained at the front bearing the regimental designation until Sept. 1, when they were consolidated with the 65th N. Y. With the 6th corps the battalion moved to Washington at the time of Early's raid; joined in the pursuit through the Shen-andoah Valley, returning to Petersburg for the last part of the siege. During its term of service the regiment lost 112 by death from wounds and 77 from other causes.
 
Name: Graham Sherret
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: New York
Regiment: 67th Regiment, New York Infantry
Company: K
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Corporal
Film Number: M551 roll 128
 
Name: Graham Sherret
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: New York
Regiment: 67th Regiment, New York Infantry
Company: K
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Corporal
Film Number: M551 roll 128
How did you come across Graham Sherret? I was just discussing him on Sunday with Damian Shiels at Irish in the American Civil War. Here is what Damian found out about him in the Widows Pension Files:

Graham Sherret and Isabella Milne had married in Brechin on 20th May 1853. Graham had been a mason at the time, and they were both living on the City Road in the town. Graham enlisted in the Union army on 24th June 1861, serving in Company K of the 67th New York Infantry. He was promoted to Corporal on 1st February 1863. Graham was shot in the head and mortally wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia on 6th May 1864. Isabella lived at 40 Union Street in Brechin when she was in receipt of her pension, which was $8 a month and was approved in 1865.

 
Previous thread by member @67th NY who had an ancestor in the regiment: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/67th-ny-volunteers-long-island-regiment-ggg-grandfather.90962/

beiseker_charles1.jpg
beiseker_charles.jpg

Charles Norton Beisker enlisted at the age of 22 years on June 25, 1861, at South Brothers Island, to serve three years. Mustering in as a private in Co. F, August 31, 1861; transferred to Co. A, June 19, 1864; to Co. E, July 4, 1864; and finally mustered out, August 31, 1864, at Charlestown, Va. (Source: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: For the Year 1901)
http://newyorkcivilwar.com/soldiers/beiseker_charles.html
 
Thanks for featuring the 67th Pat. As a Long Islander we visit this monument every trip to Gettysburg. I'm not sure the truth behind it but I was told later in the war one of two eastern LI company's joined the regiment, perhaps you could enlighten me on that.
 
Thanks for featuring the 67th Pat. As a Long Islander we visit this monument every trip to Gettysburg. I'm not sure the truth behind it but I was told later in the war one of two eastern LI company's joined the regiment, perhaps you could enlighten me on that.

Just glancing at the records, I don't see any full companies joining the regiment. In September 1864, it was consolidated with the 65th New York to, however.

Ryan
 
Just glancing at the records, I don't see any full companies joining the regiment. In September 1864, it was consolidated with the 65th New York to, however.

Ryan
Thanks for the info. Maybe this calls for a little research, it's hard to find due to Brooklyn being part of LI then, as it wasn't part of NYC yet other LI companies get lost.
 
Thanks for the info. Maybe this calls for a little research, it's hard to find due to Brooklyn being part of LI then, as it wasn't part of NYC yet other LI companies get lost.

It's possible that a group of replacements joined the regiment but I don't imagine it was very many as the reason that the 65th and 67th were consolidated was that they were both severely understrength. If there's a regimental history, that might answer the question (I didn't see one with a cursory search).

Ryan
 
Some clippings follow from the leading Brooklyn newspaper of the day, the Brooklyn Eagle. The paper was a Democratic one.
 
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