185th New York
Volunteer
Infantry

History and Campaigns

This regiment, Col. Edwin S. Jenney, was organized under State orders, dated August 26, 1864, at Syracuse, and there mustered in the service of the United States for one year; Companies A, B, C, D, E, G, H, and I September 19, 1864; Company F September 25, 1864; and K September 21, 1864. The few three years' men in the regiment were, May 30, 1865, transferred to the 5th Veteran Infantry.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Lysander and Syracuse; B at Syracuse and Salina; C at Syracuse; D at Syracuse, Salina, Otisco, Clay and Geddes; E at Homer, Cortlandville, Syracuse, Truxton and Taylor; F at Cortland, Syracuse, Virgil and Taylor; G at Marathon, Freetown, Willet and Cincinnatus; H at Syracuse, Spafford and Baldwinsville; I at Fabius, Syracuse and Baldwinsville; and K at Skaneateles and Syracuse.
The regiment left the State September 27, 1864; it served in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, and, commanded by Col. Gustavus Sniper, it was honorably discharged and mustered out May 30, 1865, near Washington, D.C.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 2 officers, 36 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 1 officer, 23 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 33 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 92 enlisted men; aggregate, 98; and it took part in the following engagements, etc.:

• Before Petersburg, Va. October 1, 1864 - April 2, 1865--1 enlisted man killed; 1 enlisted man wounded but recovered.
• Burgess Farm, Va. October 27-28, 1864--5 enlisted men wounded but recovered; 1 enlisted man missing.
• Hicksford Raid, Va. December 6-11, 1864--6 enlisted men missing.
• Hatcher's Run, Va. February 5-7, 1865--2 enlisted men killed; 1 officer and 9 enlisted men wounded but recovered; 1 officer and 3 enlisted men missing.
• Watkin's Farm, Va. March 25, 1865--no loss.
• Appomattox Campaign, Va. March 28 - April 9, 1865
  • Quaker Road, March 29, 1865--1 officer and 31 enlisted men killed; 1 officer and 22 enlisted men mortally wounded; 8 officers and 140 enlisted men wounded but recovered.
  • Gravelly Run, March 31, 1865--6 enlisted men wounded but recovered.
  • Five Forks, April 1, 1865--2 enlisted men killed; 1 enlisted man mortally wounded; 1 officer and 14 enlisted men wounded but recovered.
  • Fall of Petersburg, April 2, 1865--1 enlisted man wounded but recovered.
  • Appomatox Court House, April 9, 1865--1 officer killed.

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Officers of the Regiment

Co1one1s.

EDWIN SHERMAN JENNEY, from August 26, 1864, to February 3, 1865. Photograph
GUSTAVUS SNIPER, from February 3 to May 30, 1865. muster-in papers

Lieutenant-Colonels.

GUSTAVUS SNIPER, from September 23, 1864, to February 3, 1865. Photograph
THEODORE M. BARBER, from February 4 to may 30, 1865. Photograph

Majors.

JOHN LEO, from September 22 to December 3, 1864.
ROBERT P. BUSH, from January 1 to May 30, 1865.

Adjutant.

BYRON MUDGE, from September 13, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Quartermaster.

WILLIAM GILBERT, from September 8, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Surgeon.

CHARLES W. CRARY, from October 1, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Assistant Surgeons.

GILBERT L. NEWCOMB, from October 17, 1864, to May 30, 1865.
WILLIAM M. BRADFORD, from September 26, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Chaplain.

CHESTER W. HAWLEY, from November 19, 1864, to April 29, 1865.

Of Company A.

Captain:
STEPHEN O. HOWARD, from September 23, 1864, to May 29, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
EPHRAIM F. BAUDER, from September 2, 1864, to February 12, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
WILLIAM A. BROOKS, from December 12, 1864, to March 20, 1865.
HIRAM WIARD, from May 1 to 30, 1865.

Of Company B.

Captain:
JOHN LISTMAN, from September 17, 1864, to May 15, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
WILLIAM A. RAPP, from December 12, 1864, to May 20, 1865.

Second Lieutenant:
JOHN HERRON, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Of Company C.

Captains:
HENRY D. CARHART, from September 19 to December 4, 1864.
THEODORE M. BARBER, from January 9 to February 4, 1865.
EPHRAIM F. BAUDER, from February 12 to April 15, 1865.
WILLIAM A. RAPP, from May 20 to 30, 1865.

First Lieutenants:
JOHN T. HOSTLER, from September 19 to December 4, 1864.
F. AUGUSTUS SCHERMERHORN, from January 25 to May 19, 1865.
HENRY H. KELSEY, from May 15 to 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
CHARLES J. RECTOR, from December 12, 1864, to May 22, 1865.
WILLIAM H. HAMILTON, from April 27 to May 30, 1865.

Of Company D.

Captain:
DANIEL N. LATHROP, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenants:
THEODORE M. BARBER, from December 12, 1864, to January 9, 1865.
PEMBROKE PIERCE, from April 27 to May 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
HENRY L. KINGSLEY, from December 12, 1864, to March 30, 1865.
NORMAN W. SMITH, from April 27 to May 30, 1865.

Of Company E.

Captains:
ROBERT P. BUSH, from September 17, 1864, to January 1, 1865.
JOHN T. HOSTLER, from December 4, 1864, to June 2, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
HERBERT C. RORAPAUGH, from December 12, 1864, to May 15, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
PEMBROKE PIERCE, from September 19, 1864, to April 27, 1865.

Of Company F.

Captain:
JOHN W. STROWBRIDGE, from September 7, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
ANDREW J. LYMAN, from September 7, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
HARRISON GIVENS, from December 12 to 28, 1864.
DANIEL L. BAKER, from May 22 to 30, 1865.

Of Company G.

Captain:
ALBERN H. BARBER, from September 23, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenants:
HIRAM CLARK, from December 12, 1864, to April 9, 1865.
F. AUGUSTUS SCHERMERHORN, from May 19 to 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
DANIEL MINIER, from September 13, 1864, to March 29, 1865.
JOHN H. ISAACS, from February 12 to May 30, 1865.

Of Company H.

Captain:
DAVID CRYSLER, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenants:
STEPHEN S. JORDAN, from December 12, 1864, to February 27, 1865.
JEROME C. GATES, from April 24 to May 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenant:
CHARLES J. RECTOR, from May 22 to 30, 1865.

Of Company I.

Captain:
JARED T. ABBOTT, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
H. WADSWORTH CLARKE, from March 1 to May 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
JACOB M. DORAN, from December 12, 1864, to February 27, 1865.
ALBERT A. ABBOTT, from April 27 to May 30, 1865.

Of Company K.

Captain:
ABRAM H. SPORE, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

First Lieutenant:
LEWIS S. EDGAR, from December 12, 1864, to May 30, 1865.

Second Lieutenants:
LEWIS S. EDGAR, from September 19 to December 4, 1864.
JEROME C. GATES, from January 15 to April 24, 1865.
JOAH W. MERCER, from may 22 to 30, 1865.

Officers who were Commissioned or Appointed, but did not Serve in the Grades Named.

MERCER, JOAH W., as First Lieutenant.
MINIER, DANIEL, as First Lieutenant.
PHILLIPS, CYRUS A., as First Lieutenant.
WALLACE, THOMAS S., as First Lieutenant.
BREMAN, FREDERICK H., as Second Lieutenant.
HITCHCOCK, STEPHEN R., as Second Lieutenant.
SCHERMERHORN, F. AUGUSTUS, as Second Lieutenant.
SMITH, B. HERMAN, as Second Lieutenant.
WINSLOW, WARREN L., as Second Lieutenant.

Medal of Honor Awarded by the President to

EVERSON, ADELBERT, Private, Company D, for capture of flag at Five Forks, Va. April 1, 1865.

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Sources

• The paragraphs on history and campaigns were copied from pages 4058-4059 of New York in the War of the Rebellion, by Phisterer. (The list of battles and of casualties has been paraphrased in its presentation.)
• The list of officers of the regiment was copied from pages 4059-4061 of Phisterer.

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Additional Information

In Print:

• Clayton, W. W. The History of Onondaga County, New York. Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Company, 1878. 430 p. This book has a history of the 185th on pages 127-134 and has a roster of the regiment on pages 410-411.
• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Dayton, OH: Morningside, 1979. Page 1470 contains a concise summary of the regiment's service.
• New York (State) Adjutant-General's Office Annual Report for the Year 1905. Serial No. 42. Albany, NY: Brandow Printing Company, State Legislature Printers, 1906. An alphabetical roster of the regiment is presented on pages 555-667.
• Phisterer, Frederick, compiler. New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. Vol. 5. Albany, NY: Weed and Parsons, 1890. See pages 4058-4066 for a brief history of the regiment, a list of engagements, a roster of the officers, and the records of the officers. (All but the records of the officers has been copied above.)

Online:

• Roster of Company I (with 1888 addresses) from the Veteran's Column of Fayetteville's "Weekly Recorder" newspaper, April 19, 1888.
• USAMHI holdings Go to this site, choose "185inf.doc" to download to your computer an MSWord file listing the material held by USAMHI.
• An account of the German members of the 185th from the book Geschichte der Deutschen in Syracuse und Onondaga County.

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Contributions from Correspondents

• An article from the Marathon [NY] Mirror, May 13, 1865 contributed by Charles E. Bunnell of La Plata, Maryland, whose great-grandfather, Charles Arnold Bunnell, was in the 185th and was killed March 29, 1865.
• A letter from Charles A. Bunnell, dated November 30, 1864, to his brother William H. Bunnell of Marathon, NY. Contributed by Charles E. Bunnell of La Plata, Maryland.
• A letter from Captain Albern H. Barber, dated April 19, 1865, to William H. Bunnell of Marathon, NY. Contributed by Charles E. Bunnell of La Plata, Maryland.
• A letter from Chaplain Chester W. Hawley, dated April 16, 1865, to William H. Bunnell of Marathon, NY. Contributed by Charles E. Bunnell of La Plata, Maryland.
• Two newspaper pieces relating tales of the 185th, contributed by Charles E. Bunnell of La Plata, Maryland.

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© Kenneth Jennings Wooster
All rights reserved.
27 Abdallah Avenue
Cortland, New York 13045-3302
File created: November 29, 1998.
File modified: April 25, 1999; March 30, 2000; June 14, 2000; February 21, 2001; March 30, 2001; December 8, 2001; January 12, 2002; September 5, 2002; December 15, 2002; December 28, 2002; January 1, 2003; June 13, 2006.

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