124th New York Infantry Regiment

124th New York Infantry Regiment
124th New York Infantry Regiment
Active	September 5, 1862 to June 3, 1865
Disbanded	June 3, 1865
Allegiance	United States ; Union
Branch	United States Army ; Union Army
Type	Infantry
Nickname(s)	The Orange Blossoms
Engagements	Battle of Fredericksburg ; Battle of Chancellorsville ; Battle of Gettysburg ; Battle of the Wilderness ; Battle of Cold Harbor ; Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Commanders
Colonel	Augustus van Horne Ellis
Colonel	Francis M Cummins
Lt Colonel	Charles H Weygant

Last updated November 16, 2023

The 124th New York Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms, was a volunteer regiment from Orange County, New York, during the American Civil War. Formed in Goshen during the summer of 1862, The unit was officially mustered into United States Service on September 5, 1862, by Col. Augustus van Horne Ellis, the regiment was made up of volunteers from the surrounding towns and a core of veterans from the 71st New York State Militia.

Organization

Volunteers were recruited by town and the 10 companies of the regiment were organized by region:

A Company: Newburgh, Cornwall, Chester, and Goshen
B Company: Goshen, Warwick, Florida, and Newburgh
C Company: Goshen, Cornwall, Newburgh, Monroe, and New Windsor
D Company: Warwick and Goshen
E Company: Goshen, Crawford, Otisville, Wallkill, Newburgh, Bullville, New Windsor, Mount Hope, and Port Jervis
F Company: Port Jervis and Deerpark, New York
G Company: Washingtonville, Blooming Grove, New Windsor, Monroe, Newburgh, Craigville, and Chester
H Company: Montgomery, Walden, and Goshen
I Company: Newburgh and New Windsor
K Company: Wallkill, Middletown, and Newburgh^[1]

Campaigns

The Orange Blossoms' first major engagement was at the Battle of Fredericksburg, in December 1862. Thomas W. Bradley, an Orange Blossom and future United States Representative, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Colonel Ellis was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg, at Houck's Ridge. Three other officers and 31 enlisted men from the regiment also died during the battle.

The Orange Blossoms also took part in the Overland Campaign, taking losses in the Battle of the Wilderness, the Battle of Cold Harbor, and the Spotsylvania Court House. In June 1864 they were at the Siege of Petersburg. In 1865 they fought in the Appomattox Campaign, and were present during the Confederate surrender at the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse.

Legacy

The 124th has two monuments at Gettysburg; one near the site where Colonel Ellis fell, and one at the unit's location during the defense of Cemetery Ridge.
"The Orange Blossom Monument" stands on a pedestal in the middle of Main Street in Goshen. The main statue in the monument, called "The Standard Bearer,"^[2] was designed by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson and dedicated on September 5, 1907.^[3]
Stephen Crane, who lived in Port Jervis between ages 6–11 and continued to have strong family ties to that area as an adult, is thought to have possibly interacted with Port Jervis area veterans of 124th whose experiences may have influenced his most famous work, The Red Badge of Courage , which is known to depict a fictionalized version of the Battle of Chancellorsville.^{[ citation needed ]}

Related Research Articles

Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798.

The 116th Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It formed a part of the Irish Brigade.

The John R. Hays House is located on Maple Street in Walden, New York. Hayes, a prominent local businessman of the late 19th century and officer in the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, built it in a Second Empire style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustus van Horne Ellis</span> American lawyer

Augustus van Horne Ellis was an American lawyer, sea captain, and soldier. He was a brevet brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War, and was killed in action at the Battle of Gettysburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas W. Bradley</span> American politician

Thomas Wilson Bradley was a United States Representative from New York and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.

The 5th Michigan Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Michigan that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered into federal service in August 1861 and served in the Eastern Theater. It fought in all the major battles of the Army of the Potomac, including Seven Pines, the Seven Days Battles, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Appomattox. The regiment was mustered out in June 1865.

The 59th New York Infantry Regiment was a regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. As part of the Second Corps of the Army of the Potomac, it played a significant role in battles such as Antietam and Gettysburg.

The 73rd New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of Union Army in the American Civil War. The regiment was organized in New York City in May 1861, originally under the designation the Fourth Excelsior Regiment, as a Zouave regiment, known for its unusual dress and drill style. The uniform worn by this regiment consisted of a dark blue chasseur jacket with light blue trim and light blue trefoils on each sleeve, sky blue chasseur trousers with two white stripes down each leg, brown leather gaiters, a light blue kepi with a dark blue band and dark blue piping, and a red Zouave fez with a blue tassel as a fatigue cap. Drawn from the ranks of the city's many volunteer fire companies, the unit was known alternately as the Second Fire Zouaves, after the 11th New York was known as the First Fire Zouaves, and they were also known as the Excelsior Zouaves. Some of the men wore the brass letters "E Z" on the bands of their kepis. Many artists have depicted this regiment also with red shirts with the collar sticking out over the jacket creating a "red collar."

The 121st New York Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the "Onesers" or "Upton's Regulars", was a volunteer regiment recruited during the American Civil War from Otsego County and Herkimer County, New York. The Hon. Richard Franchot was appointed colonel of the regiment and authorized to establish his headquarters at Richfield Springs, Otsego County. He proceeded without delay to organize the regiment, and on August 23, 1862, the regiment was mustered into the service of the Union Army. The command at that time consisted of 39 officers and 946 enlisted men. The 121st Regiment proceeded to Washington, arriving there on the morning of September 3, and was assigned provisionally to a brigade under Colonel Gibson with headquarters at Fort Lincoln.

The 140th New York Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that was created on September 13, 1862, for the Union Army during the American Civil War. From January 1864 they wore a Zouave uniform.

The 67th New York Infantry Regiment was a regiment of the Union Army, which was raised in the city of Brooklyn in 1861 at the beginning of the American Civil War.

The 64th New York Infantry Regiment, the "First Cattaraugus Regiment", was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 72nd New York Infantry Regiment was one of five infantry regiments formed by former U.S. Congressman Daniel Sickles and established as part of the Excelsior Brigade which fought with the Union Army during multiple key engagements of the American Civil War, including the Chancellorsville Campaign in Virginia, the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and the Overland Campaign. Leaders from the 72nd New York recruited men from New Jersey, as well as from cities and small towns across the State of New York.

The 148th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 108th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 120th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 107th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 12th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 49th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment, officially known as the 2nd Regiment, New York Volunteer Cavalry, was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served with the Army of the Potomac and fought in Stoneman's 1863 raid, the Wilson–Kautz Raid, and the Battle of Appomattox Station.

References

↑ Weygant, Charles H. (1877). History of the One Hundred Twenty-Fourth Regiment, N.Y.S.V. Newburgh, NY: Journal Print House. pp. 17–29. ISBN 096737703X.
↑ "The Standard Bearer, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
↑ Gregg, George F. (1908). "16". In Headley, Russel (ed.). The History of Orange County, New York. Middletown, New York: Van Deusen and Elms. p. 237 . Retrieved 16 December 2016.

History
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
"The 124th New York State Volunteers 'Orange Blossoms' Co. H". Archived from the original on 2009-10-27. - Modern-day 124th reenactors
"The 124th New York State Volunteers 'Orange Blossoms' Co. B". - Modern-day 124th reenactors

External links

New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center - Civil War - 124th Infantry Regiment History, photographs, table of battles and casualties, monument at Gettysburg, and battle flag for the 124th New York Infantry Regiment.
History of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, N.Y.S.V. (1877) at the Internet Archive

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Weygant, Charles H. (1877). History of the One Hundred Twenty-Fourth Regiment, N.Y.S.V. Newburgh, NY: Journal Print House. pp. 17–29. ISBN 096737703X.

[2] "The Standard Bearer, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 16 December 2016.

[3] Gregg, George F. (1908). "16". In Headley, Russel (ed.). The History of Orange County, New York. Middletown, New York: Van Deusen and Elms. p. 237 . Retrieved 16 December 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]