BTC Notes: A Regimental History: The One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth New York State Volunteers

Note: The BTC Notes series serves as a way to gather important information about a given source on the Siege of Petersburg like a book, article, essay, map, etc.

Subject: A Regimental History: The One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth New York State Volunteers by Ezra DeFreest Simons

Important Points:

Note:

• Earlier chapters do not discuss the Siege of Petersburg and were not consulted for the purposes of this research.

CHAPTER XIV. THE WILDERNESS.

• The 125th NY had a little over 300 men at the Wilderness on May 6.  Simons indicates all but 104 officers and men were sent to the left as skirmishers, while the remaining one-third (i.e. the 104 officers and men mentioned earlier) was placed in the battle line.  The regiment lost 34 men out of the 104 engaged.¹

• After the May 18, 1864 attack at Spotsylvania the 125th New York had 150 fewer men than when it started the campaign.  Given that slightly over 300 men were present at the Wilderness, it may be inferred that slightly over 150 officers and men remained.²

CHAPTER XV. PETERSBURG—DEEP BOTTOM—STRAWBERRY PLAINS.

• The 125th NY crossed the James River at 3 am on June 12, 1864 and reached Petersburg early on the morning of June 15, 1864.³

• The 125th NY was involved in the June 16, 1864 evening attack near the Shand farm at the Battle of Petersburg, losing 44 men killed and wounded.⁴

• On June 17, 1864, the 125th was in the skirmish line and had a good view of the Ninth Corps attacks.⁵

• On June 22, 1864, the 125th NY marched out of its breastworks and advanced at around 2 pm.  They were routed along with a good portion of the Second Corps by William Mahone’s division.⁶

• After the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, but no exact date given, the Second and Third Brigades of the First Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac were formed into a consolidated brigade.  As part of that consolidation, the 57th NY, 111th NY, 125th NY, and 126th NY were formed into a battalion under the command of Colonel Levin Crandell.⁷

• The 125th NY spent early July “in leveling earthworks in our rear, captured by us in the charges during June.”⁸

• The 125th NY participated in the first expedition to Deep Bottom in late July 1864.  They left camp between 4 and 5 pm on July 26, and reached Deep Bottom around 3 am on July 27. They were in the lines on July 27 bought saw no casualties.  They crossed south of the James on July 29 and reached camp again on the morning of July 30th at around 5 am.⁹

• The 125th NY also participated in the second expedition to Deep Bottom in mid-August 1864.  They marched to City Point on August 12 and were placed on transports.  They initially believed they were headed to Washington, D.C., but it was a ruse.  Instead, the 125th and the rest of the Second Corps were headed back to Deep Bottom.  The “Irish regiments” (presumably the NY regiments of the Irish Brigade” made a charge on August 12, 1864.  The brigade acted as skirmishers on August 14, 1864.  The regiment saw some heavy skirmishing on august 15.  Simons notes that the men referred to this set of actions as Strawberry Plains.¹⁰

CHAPTER XVI. REAM’s STATION – FORT STEADMAN – BOMBARDMENTS.

• The 125th NY was involved in the expedition to destroy the Weldon Railroad around Ream’s Station immediately after Second Deep Bottom.  They destroyed rails from August 22-24, 1864.  ¹¹

• The 125th NY participated in the Battle of Ream’s Station on August 25, 1864.  Simons writes that the fighting lasted from 1 pm until dark.  He mentions the final Confederate charge as occurring after 6 pm.  Without naming the regiment, Simons claims the troops first retreated on the left, “at a point occupied by a regiment only lately filled with new recruits”.  The 125th NY was on the skirmish line during the last charge per Simons.¹²

• In September 1864 the 25th NY was stationed in Fort Stedman.¹³

• In “the latter part of [1864]”, the 125th NY was placed at Fort Patrick Kelly.  They also were sent as part of the expedition sent to Hatcher’s Run in late October 1864, but did no fighting there or for the rest of 1864.¹⁴

• Colonel Crandell Levin resigned late in 1864 and left the front.  I am unsure if he was in command of the Consolidated Brigade at this time as the text does not explicitly state this.¹⁵

CHAPTER XVII. PROMOTIONS – APPROACHING THE END.

• No items worth mentioning.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE LAST CAMPAIGN.

• On March 29, 1865, the 125th NY marched towards and past Hatcher’s Run.  The 125th moved forward again on the 30th past their breastworks, but did no fighting.  There was some fighting to their left.  On March 31, the 125th did see some fighting, and despite the presence of numerous recruits in their brigade, Simons writes that the regiment did well that day.¹⁶

• The 125th NY entered the newly unoccupied Confederate earthworks southwest of Petersburg on April 2, 1865 at 8:55 am.    ¹⁷

• The 125th NY participated in the Battle of Sutherland Station on April 2, 1865.¹⁸

• The 125th NY participated in the Battle of Sailor’s Creek on April 6, 1865.¹⁹

• The 125th Ny crossed High Bridge on April 7, 1865 and was on the skirmish line on April 8, 1865.²⁰

Unit Strengths

• 125th NY, 3rd Brig, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: ~133 PFD on July 30, 1864.  Simons mentioned that out of 400 men available on May 4, 1864, and after receiving some reinforcements during the Overland Campaign, was now “smaller by two-thirds than at its beginning.”  One third of 400 is 133 or so men, so it can be assumed that as of July 30, 1864, the regiment had around than 133 men and officers PFD.²¹

Unit Armament

• None found in the text.

Unit Commanders:

• Lt Col Aaron B. Myer was in command of the 125th NY at the Wilderness.  Col Levin Crandell was returning from recruiting service.  Myer was killed at the battle and Captain George E. Lemon took his place. ²²

• Capt E.P. Jones was in command of the 125th NY at the Bloody Angle on May 12, 1864 and was killed in the charge.²³

• Col Crandell and several other officers returned from a recruiting trip on May 26, 1864.²⁴

• 125th NY, 3rd Brig, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: Col Levin Crandell (also spelled Crandall in some sources) was in command of the regiment at the Battle of Petersburg on the evening of June 16, 1864, and was placed in command of the four lead regiments of the brigade in an ad hoc battlefield arrangement.²⁵

• 125th NY, 3rd Brig, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: Col Levin Crandell (also spelled Crandall in some sources) was in command of the regiment at the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road on June 22, 1864.²⁶

• Consolidated Brigade, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: Col Levin Crandell was in command of the Consolidated Brigade during the Second Deep Bottom expedition in mid-August 1864.  No mention was made of the 125th NY’s commander in his absence.²⁷

• At the Second Battle of Ream’s Station on August 25, 1864, Col Crandell was Division officer of the day in charge of the picket line, Lt col Hyde was in command of the Consolidated Brigade, and Capt Joseph Egolf commanded the 125th NY.  Egolf was wounded and lost his arm.²⁸

• 125th NY, Consolidated Brig, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: Captain Nelson Penfield commanded the regiment after Ream’s Station.  Colonel Crandell commanded the Consolidated brigade. When did the Consolidated Brigade again return to being the 2nd and 3rd Brigades?²⁹

• 125th NY, 3rd Brig, 1st Div, Second Corps, AotP: Colonel Joseph Hyde commanded the 125th New York from late in 1864 through the last campaign of the war in 1865.³⁰

Other Information:

• A picture of Captain Joseph Egolf is on page 244.

• A picture of Captain Nelson Penfield is on page 250.

• A picture of Colonel Joseph Hyde is on page 261.

Sources: