120th New York Infantry Regiment
The 120th New York Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The 120th New York Infantry was organized at Kingston, New York, and mustered in for three years service on August 22, 1862, under the command of Colonel George Henry Sharpe.The 120th New York Infantry mustered out of service June 3, 1865. Veterans and recruits whose enlistments had not expired were transferred to the 73rd New York Infantry.
Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties
Organizational affiliation
The regiment was attached to the following brigades:- Whipple's Brigade, Defenses of Washington, D.C., to October 1862
- 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, III Corps, Army of the Potomac, to December 1862
- 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, III Corps, to March 1864
- 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, II Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May 1864
- 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to July 1864
- 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps, to June 1865.
List of battles
The official list of battles in which the regiment bore a part:- Battle of Fredericksburg
- Battle of Chancellorsville
- Battle of Gettysburg
- Bristoe Campaign
- Mine Run Campaign
- Battle of the Wilderness
- Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
- Battle of Cold Harbor
- Siege of Petersburg
- Second Battle of Petersburg
- Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
- Second Battle of Deep Bottom
- Battle of Boydton Plank Road
- Battle of Fort Stedman
- Appomattox Campaign
- Battle of White Oak Road
- Battle of Sailor's Creek
- Battle of High Bridge
- Battle of Appomattox Court House
Detailed service
1862
- Left New York for Washington, D.C., August 24, 1862.
- Duty in the defenses of Washington, D. C., until November 1862.
- At Fairfax Station, Virginia, until November 25.
- Operations on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad November 10–12.
- Rappahannock Campaign December 1862 to June 1863.
- Battle of Fredericksburg, December 12–15, 1862.
- At Falmouth, Virginia, until April 1863.
Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 384 men during service: 11 officers and 140 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 179 enlisted men died of disease, and 51 died in Confederate prisons.Commanders
- Colonel George Henry Sharpe - commanded until assigned to Army of the Potomac Provost Office and Bureau of Military Information on February 9, 1863
- Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius D. Westbrook - took command on February 9, 1863 when Col. Sharpe was reassigned; Westbrook was wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863
- Major John R. Tappen - took command on July 2, 1863 when Lt. Col. Westbrook was wounded; Tappen was promoted to Lt. Col. on February 27, 1864 and mustered out on December 3, 1864
- Major Abram L. Lockwood - took command on December 3, 1864 when Lt. Col. Tappen mustered out; Lockwood was promoted to Lt. Col. on December 20, 1864