128th New York Volunteer Infantry The 128th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment , nicknamed Old Steady , was a volunteer regiment from Dutchess County and Columbia County in upstate New York , during the American Civil War . Formed in Hudson , New York on September 5 , 1862 , by Col . David S . Cowles , the regiment was made up of volunteers from the surrounding towns and villages . Organization . Volunteers were recruited by town and the 11 companies of the regiment were organized by region : Campaigns . Organized at Camp Kelly on the fairgrounds in Hudson , New York ( a marker can be found today in the town indicating the location of the camp ) . The regiment was mustered into service on September 4 , 1862 and left for Washington D . C . September 5 , 1862 aboard the steamship " Oregon " which took them to New York City . From here the regiment rode aboard railroad cars to Baltimore . Camp Millington , where the regiment practiced drill , was set up just outside of Baltimore . The 128th ' s first attempt to engage the enemy took them on a rapid jaunt to Gettysburg in an effort to confront General J . E . B . Stuart ' s Confederates . This proved uneventful however as Stuart retreated upon learning of the Union Army ' s approach ; History would not be made in Pennsylvania until the following year . The regiment was attached to defenses of Washington D . C . and Baltimore , Maryland until December 1862 when the regiment boarded a ship , destination unknown , and headed south . The regiment soon learned they would be attached to General Nathaniel Banks ' Department of the Gulf whose ultimate goal would be to open the Mississippi River to the Union . While aboard the ship " Arago " , sickness and disease infested the ranks . After a stop at Fortress Monroe where the regiment witnessed some of the famous Union ships including the ironclad " Monitor " , the regiment made its way to New Orleans . The regiment was attached to the 1st Brigade , Sherman ' s Division , Department of the Gulf , until January , 1863 and saw duty at Camps Parapet and Chalmette until March 1863 . Their first true engagement with the rebels took place at Pontachoula on May 13 ; The soldiers confiscated Confederate wares including cotton bales and a small steamboat . The regiment moved to New Orleans , and thence to Port Hudson , Louisiana , May 21 – 23 . The regiment would then play a major part in the Siege of Port Hudson from May 24 through July 9 . This included skirmishing on Slaughter ' s Field on May 26 , followed by the major assaults on the parapets of Port Hudson on May 27 and June 14 . The regiment participated in the surrender of Port Hudson on July 9 . The 128th lost many men wounded and killed including their Colonel David S . Cowles . During this time they were part of the 1st Brigade , 2nd Division , 19th Army Corp , Department of the Gulf to July 1863 . After the siege of Port Hudson was over and the Union Army took full control of the Mississippi River , the regiment moved to Baton Rouge July 11 , thence to Donaldsonville July 15 . The regiment performed provost and guard duty there and at Baton Rouge until March 1864 . The 128th would then participate in the Red River Campaign from March 23 - May 22 . Initial duty placed them in the rear of the assault at Alexandria from March 25 - April 12 and Grand Ecore April 13 . The regiment then were swept up in the Union Army ' s retreat to Alexandria from April 21 – 26 . This included an engagement at Cane River Crossing on April 23 ; The regiment ' s new colonel , James Smith , would later be breveted general for bravery in this fight . Men then assisted with the construction of the famous dam needed to save the Union fleet of ships at Alexandria April 30 - May 10 . Once the fleet was rescued the army continued its retreat to Morganza Bend from May 13 – 20 . This would include two additional engagements at Mansura Plains on May 16 and at Atchafalaya on May 17 . The regiment then remained at Morganza Bend until July 3 as part of the 2nd Brigade , 1st Division , 19th Army Corp , to February 1864 and 3rd Brigade , 2nd Division , 19th Army Corp , Department of the Gulf , to July 1864 . From Morganza the men moved to New Orleans , and thence to Fortress Monroe , Virginia , and then quickly to Washington D . C . July 3 – 29 . The regiment then participated in General Phil Sheridan ' s Shenandoah Valley Campaign from August 7 - November 28 as part of the Army of the Shenandoah , Middle Military Division , to January 1865 . At this time they were starting on a campaign to stop Confederate General Jubal Early ' s pestering of Washington and also to lay waste to the Valley , then considered the " breadbasket " of the South . In the Valley , the 128th fought first at the Battle of Opequon or ( Third Winchester ) on September 19 , 1864 ; The Confederates were beaten and chased south " up " the valley . Several days later there was another major engagement at Fisher ' s Hill on September 22 , 1864 and again the Rebels were beaten and pursued still further south . The Union army gave chase for a considerable distance with the cavalry doing most of the fighting . When Sheridan felt the Confederates had been pushed sufficiently south and were no longer a threat , he then turned the army about and proceeded to carry out the second part of the plan ; To lay waste to the Valley . Moving north " down " the Valley , the Union troops burned crops , food , barns and anything that might be useful to the Confederate Army . The Rebels stayed close at their heels . When the Army reached the northern end of the Valley just over Cedar Creek , they encamped awaiting next steps from the leadership . Sheridan left the Army here while he went to Washington to discuss plans with General Grant . The 128th were encamped on the north side of Cedar Creek just off the main north - south route , the " Valley Pike " . Being in this position , the 128th were the regiment to have many men stationed as advanced pickets on the other side of Cedar Creek some distance out on the pike , guarding the approach . By now the Confederates were desperate , having lost two large battles and being seriously low on food and supplies as well as men of fighting capability . One of their top generals , John Brown Gordon made a trip to the top of a nearby mountain during the day and looking down had a birdseye view of the entire Union Army . From here he was able to devise a plan whereby the Confederates would leave behind everything that might make noise , and at night march around the base of the mountain , cross the Shenandoah and attack the Union army at first light . The rebels main attack fell on the left flank at approximately 5 : 00 a . m . with smaller thrusts at the center and on the right . It was a chilly and foggy morning , October 19 , 1864 ; The majority of the soldiers were still sleeping when the attack began to start the Battle of Cedar Creek . The 128th being on the Pike , were off to the right of the main attack . The loud shock of the assault on their left startled the pickets and left them wondering what was going on . Very shortly after this bullets started flying at them , and the men began to return fire but realizing they had no support and that they were quickly being cut - off from any chance of escape they ran for the bridge . Many of the men made it back across but a majority of them were caught . The fight continued on with the Confederates routing the Union Army in the morning attack . The Union troops retreated a mile or so and began to reform and regroup . The Confederates slowed their chase , taking time to stop and plunder the Union camps . Meanwhile , the Union General Sheridan , who ' d been asleep twenty miles north of Middletown and Cedar Creek in Winchester , gallantly raced to rejoin his army . Once there , Sheridan rallied his troops , attacked and retook the camps lost in the morning fight . The Confederates were routed and once again chased south on the Valley Pike . Unfortunately for those Union prisoners captured in the morning fighting , including the men of the 128th , the Union Army never caught up to them as they chased the fleeing rebels . After capture these prisoners were marched out right away and traveled nearly 90 miles to Staunton , Virginia . where they boarded trains for Richmond . There the men were taken to the infamous Libby Prison . For the most part , higher - ranking officers remained here and were shortly paroled while the men of the ranks were taken further south to Salisbury Prison in North Carolina . Here they remained for close to five months until February 22 , 1865 at which time they were released . Legacy . The 128th has a monument on the battlefield at Cedar Creek in Middletown , Virginia , in the location of their camp preceding the Battle of Cedar Creek . Additionally there is a monument to the regiment in Poughkeepsie , New York on Reservoir Square at S . Clinton St . and Cannon St .