7th New York Militia The 7th Regiment of the New York Militia aka the " Silk Stocking " regiment , ( due to the disproportionate number of its members who were part of New York City ' s social elite ) , was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War . The 7th Militia was a pre - war New York Militia unit that was mustered into federal service for the Civil War . Creation . The regiment , located in New York City , ( companies , A , B , C and D ) , was organized during the furore created by the firing of British at American vessels off Sandy Hook in April 1806 , as the 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th companies . On 25 June 1861 they were officially reorganized by the state as part of the uniformed militia of the state , and attached to the First Brigade of the Battalion of Artillery commanded by Maj . Andrew Sitcher . On 5 April 1807 , the battalion became the 2nd Battalion , 3rd Regiment of Artillery , New York State Militia . When war with England became imminent in 1807 , these four companies , with other volunteers , were temporarily organized as a regiment , commanded by Col . Peter Curtenius , and remained thus detached until 20 April 1809 . In 1812 the battalion became the 2nd Battalion , 11th Regiment of Artillery , New York State Militia . In 1812 - 14 the regiment was deployed in the harbor forts of New York . On 25 August 1824 , the battalion was named " Battalion of National Guards " ( its distinctive name until , in 1862 , the legislature appropriated it for the uniformed militia ) in tribute to the Marquis de Lafayette . Gray uniforms were adopted and the intention to become a regiment was declared . In December 1824 , the fifth company was organized , and Captain Stevens ' company , of the 11th New York Artillery , transferred to it as the sixth company . In January 1825 , the battalion was transferred to the 2nd New York Artillery . On 1 October 1825 , the battalion was detached and organized as a separate and independent battalion , and during the month the seventh company was organized . On 4 May 1826 , the organization of the eighth company was completed , and 7 May , the battalion was organized into a regiment , the 27th Artillery . 17 April 1838 , a troop of cavalry was admitted to the regiment , which , in 1861 , became the ninth company . In 1843 , the state furnished the regiment with arms , it having heretofore provided them itself . On 27 July , the designation of the regiment was changed to 7th Regiment . In 1847 the regiment was redesignated the 7th Regiment of Infantry ( National Guard ) , New York State Militia ( 7th New York Militia ) . In April 1849 , an engineer corps was organized , which was revived and reorganized 1 March 1855 . A tenth company , Company K , was organized 29 March 1860 . The regiment was frequently ordered to hold itself ready for service , and did active service for the United States , the state and New York City , as follows : United States service from 15 September to 15 December 1812 ; from 2 September to 2 December 1814 ; in support of state or municipal authority : execution of James Reynolds , 19 November 1825 ; at the Election Riots , 10 April 1834 ; Abolition Riot , 11 to 12 July 1834 ; Great Conflagration in New York city , 17 December 1835 ; Stevedore Riot , 24 February 1836 ; Flour Riots , 6 February and 6 March 1837 ; Anti - rent War , 9 to 10 December 1839 ; Croton Water Riot , 22 to 23 April 1840 ; fire in New York city , 19 to 21 July 1845 ; Astor Place Riot , 10 , 12 and 14 May 1849 ; Police Riot , 16 June 1857 ; Dead Rabbits Riot , 5 July 1857 ; Quarantine War , 3 September 1858 ; preserving order at camp of Spinola Brigade , 12 to 19 September 1862 ; Draft Riots , July 1863 ; Orange Riots , July 1871 ; Labor Riots , July 1877 ; Motormen ' s Strike , Brooklyn , January 1895 , and at strike , Croton Dam , April 1900 ; service in the War of the Rebellion . Civil War . After organizing and brief training , the regiment , commanded by Colonel Marshall Lefferts , left New York City for Washington , D . C . , on special call of President Abraham Lincoln on April 19 , 1861 , arriving in Annapolis Junction , Maryland , and opening communications with Washington April 24 – 25 . There it was mustered in the service of the United States for thirty days , 26 April 1861 ; it served at Washington and was mustered out at New York city , 3 June 1861 . 25 May 1862 , the regiment , still commanded by Col . Lefferts , again left the state , and was mustered in the United States service at Camp Hamilton , Va . , 29 May 1862 , for three months , from 26 May 1862 . It served most of this time at Baltimore , Md . , and was mustered out of the United States service , 5 September 1862 , at New York City . 16 June 1863 , it again re - entered the United States service , and was mustered in at New York City , for thirty days . It left the state on the 17th , under the command of Colonel Lefferts , served at Baltimore , and Frederick , Md . , in the 2d Separate Brigade , Middle Department , 8th Corps , and was mustered out of the United States service , 20 July 1863 , at New York City . In its service , in 1861 , it lost one enlisted man , accidentally killed , and it took part in : The advance into Virginia , 24 May 1861 , and the New York City Riot 16 July 1863 . The regiment was housed in the Capitol Buildings at Washington from April 25 – May 2 , and was mustered into Federal service on April 26 , serving duty at Camp Cameron , Meridian Hill , Georgetown Heights , from May 2 – 23 . After occupation of Arlington Heights , Virginia , May 24 – 26 , it assisted in building Fort Runyon and was mustered out at New York City on June 3 , 1861 . The regiment was again mustered in for three months ' service on May 25 , 1862 . It left New York City for Baltimore , Maryland , on May 26 , and then was attached to Dix ' s Command , Middle Department , to July 1862 . Then , it was assigned to the 8th Army Corps , Middle Department , to September 1862 . It was in camp at Stewart ' s Hill , Baltimore , from May 28 to June 5 , and duty at Fort Federal Hill from June 6 to August 28 . The regiment mustered out in New York City on September 5 , 1862 . Once again , the regiment was mustered in , this time for thirty days ' service starting June 16 , 1863 , and departed for Baltimore on June 17 . It was attached to Morris ' Brigade , 8th Army Corps , Middle Department , to July 7 , and then to the 3rd Division , 3rd Army Corps , Army of the Potomac , to July 15 . It was on duty at Fort Federal Hill and provost duty in Baltimore from June 18 to July 5 before being ordered to Frederick , Maryland , on July 5 , and picket and outpost duty there until July 14 . It reached New York City on July 16 . The 7th was on duty during the New York Draft Riots from July 16 – 21 . The regiment mustered out for good on July 21 , 1863 . The Headquarters of the 7th was the Seventh Regiment Armory One noteworthy member of the regiment , who left a body of paintings of the regiment ' s service , was Sanford Robinson Gifford ; another was Rufus King , Jr . who was awarded the Medal of Honor . Also a member during the spring 1861 deployment to Washington was Robert Gould Shaw , later commander of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry . In 1917 the regiment was called into federal service and redesignated the 107th Infantry Regiment . Frank Buckles may have served with the regiment in 1922 - 23 .