115th New York Infantry The 115th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment , nicknamed the " Iron Hearted Regiment " , was a volunteer regiment recruited during the American Civil War from the counties of Fulton , Hamilton , Montgomery , and Saratoga , New York . Content . " " In writing the history of the 115th N . Y Volunteer Infantry , we record the acts of a noble body of men , whose deeds are already written in blood , and inscribed high up in the roll of fame . Ths regiment was raised in the counties of : Saratoga , Montgomery , Fulton , and Hamilton , and mustered into the United States service on the 26th day of August , 1862 , by Capt . Edgerton , U . S . A . , at Fonda the place of rendezvous of the regiment . The field staff and captains were as follows " ( Beers , 1878 ) " CAPTAINS : OFFICERS of the 115th NY Vol . Regiment . With the above officers , together with a full complement of lieutenants and ten hundred and forty enlisted men , the regiment broke camp at Fonda on the 29th day of August , and was forwarded to the seat of war as soon as possible , arriving at Dandy Hook , Md . on the Baltimore and Ohio R . R . , on the 1st of Sept , where the regiment was furnished with arms , but very little ammunition . It then moved on to Harper ' s Ferry , Va . , where it was assigned to guard duty along the Shenandoah Valley R . R . , with Headquarters at Charlestown , Va . The regiment performed guard duty faithfully , until a few days before the surrender of Harper ' s Ferry , when it and others were ordered to concentrate at that place . On the way to the Ferry James English , a member of Co . D , was wounded in the hand , by the accidental discharge of a musket , necessitating amputation at the wrist ; he was the first man wounded in the regiment . On arriving at , or near Harper ' s Ferry , the regiment was encamped on Bolivar Heights , in the rear of the village . From this point it performed picket duty , and while so engaged , John Hubbard , of Co . A , was wounded by a guerrilla . On the 12th , Companies E and A were ordered to report to Col . Tom Ford , in command of Maryland Heights , and upon doing so , were ordered to proceed up the Potomac , to the old " John Brown " school - house , and form a skirmish line from the river as far up the mountain as possible , the left resting on the river . Early the next morning the two companies were ordered back to Ford ' s headquarters , and from there to Elk Ridge , at the Lookout , on the highest peak of the mountain . Here for the first time members of the 115th regiment met the enemy in deadly combat . After several hours fighting , and holding their position , the two companies were ordered to evacuate the place , and report to Gen . Miles ' headquarters , which they did very reluctantly , and not until they had received the third order . Company E had one man wounded . About this time Company K moved up , and , in a few minutes its captain was carried to the rear , having been wounded in the thigh by a minie - ball . Upon nearing the foot of the mountain , at what was known as Maryland Heights , Companies E and A met the remainder of the regiment , who congratulated them upon their safe return . The regiment returned to camp on Bolivar Heights . The troops were kept moving to and fro until the morning of the I5th , when General Miles made one of the most cowardly and disgraceful surrenders recorded in the annals of American history . Eleven thousand men , armed and equipped in the best style , with plenty of ammunition , holding one of the most defensible positions in the United States , were ignominiously surrendered , instead of aiding to surround Lee ' s , Longstreet ' s , Hill ' s and Jackson ' s corps where there was no possible way of escape . Thus the Union army was reduced , and eleven thousand as good fighting men as ever shouldered a musket were doomed to bear the taunts of their enemies , at home and abroad , as " Harper ' s Ferry cowards . " But every regiment that was obliged to participate in that farce , and whose honor was sold by the commanding officer , has , upon bloody fields , won bright laurels , and vindicated its soldierly character . By the good graces of the rebel generals , who had the captured army as an " elephant on their hands , " the prisoners were paroled the next day , and allowed to depart in peace , which they did with sorrowing hearts . The regiment returned to Annapolis , Maryland , and thence went to Chicago , where it went into camp on the Cook county fair ground , which was called " Camp Tyler , " after the general in command of the troops around the city . During the stay of the 115th in Chicago its duties were about the same as those of troops in garrison , but the men were allowed rather more liberties than regular soldiers on duty . While at Chicago , the weather being very bad most of the time , and the men not on fatigue duty enough to give them healthy exercise , malarial fever caused the death of quite a number . About the 20th of November , 1862 , the regiment was ordered to proceed to Washington . The capital was reached about the 23d , and at the same time the soldiers of the 115th were exchanged and marched over to Arlington Heights . There they were supposed to go into winter quarters , but by the time quarters were built the regiment was ordered out again , and kept in motion between Arlington , Fairfax , Hunter ' s creek , Alexandria and Yorktown , where it embarked on the steamer " Matanzas , " January 23d , 1863 , and arrived at Hilton Head , S . C . , Department of the South , about the 26th of January . Here the regiment was divided into detachments for post , camp and outpost duty . Companies E and D were detailed to garrison Battery Mitchell , an outpost on Scull creek . Company B was stationed at , Saybrook , and other companies at different points on and around Hilton Head Island , until the 28th of May , when the different detachments were relieved and the regiment was again a unit at Hilton Head . On the 2d of June , Companies E and B were , by order of General Chatfield , detailed for special field duty , and went with other troops up May river , S . C . , and burned the town of Bluffton . About the 27th of June , the regiment was moved to the city of Beaufort , S . C . , some twelve miles up Beaufort river , where it went into camp . After remaining here a while and suffering severely from malaria , incident to the dull routine life of the camp , the regiment was again divided into detachments and sent to do outpost and picket duty on Beaufort , Port Royal and other islands adjacent to them . On the 20th of December , the regiment embarked on transports for the old camp at Hilton Head , where it was attached to Gen . T . Seymour ' s " ill - starred " Florida expedition . The force left Hilton Head on the 5 th of February , 1864 , reached Jacksonville on the evening of the 7th , and occupied the city without opposition . During the night of the 8th the expedition reached Camp Finnegan , about twelve miles from Jacksonville , capturing a battery of six guns , a quantity of small arms , etc . , and a large amount of provisions , upon which the boys feasted until next day , when , with well filled haversacks , they moved towards Tallahassee , reaching and occupying Baldwin without opposition , and reaching Barber ' s Plantation during the night . The next day the troops advanced to Sanderson ' s Station , where they burned the railroad depot filled with corn , and several resin and turpentine manufactories , and tore up considerable railroad track , burning ties and other property belonging to the rebels . By order of Gen . Seymour , the army fell back to Barber ' s Plantation and remained there until the 19th . During this time the 115th , a part of the 4th Massachusetts cavalry and a section of the 3d R . I . Flying Artillery were ordered to proceed to Callahan , a station on the Fernandina and Cedar Keys railroad , and capture whatever they might find , which was one pony , seven bushels of sweet potatoes , and one or two Florida hogs , of the kind that need to have knots tied in their tails to prevent their getting through cracks . Returning to camp , weary , footsore and hungry , the boys of the 115th were allowed to rest about one day , when the whole command broke camp early on the morning of the 20th , for the disastrous field of Olustee , known by the rebels as Ocean Pond . Upon arriving on the field the order of battle was formed , with the 115th on the extreme right of the infantry line , and the troops ordered to move forward , which they did with a steadiness that showed the 15 , 000 rebels that they had work to do . Upon arriving on a rise of ground between where the line was formed and the rebel position , the advancing force received a murderous fire , at which the colored troops on the extreme left broke very badly . The white troops upon the left began to double up on the 115th , but order was soon restored . About this time the rebels made a charge upon the Union right , which was repulsed by the115th , who sent the enemy back over their works with heavy loss . The combat continued to rage with fury until the supply of ammunition on both sides gave out , and , night coming on , both parties were willing to call it a drawn battle ; but Gen . Seymour , by ordering a retreat , gave the rebels to understand that he abandoned the contest . Upon this occasion Gen . Seymour took occasion to publicly compliment the 115th , giving it the honor and praise of saving his little army from total annihilation , and naming it the " Ironhearted Regiment . " The regiment lost over one - half its number in killed , wounded and missing . Col . Sammons was wounded in the foot at the commencement of the battle . Capt . Vanderveer was mortally wounded , and died in a few days . Lieuts . Tompkins and Shaffer were killed , besides many of the best non - commissioned officers and men . On leaving Olustee the expedition retraced its steps toward Jacksonville , where the 115th did picket and camp duty until February 9 , when the force embarked on transports for Palatka , Fla . , about one hundred miles up the St . John ' s river from Jacksonville . Here the troops rested , and nothing of interest transpired . On the 4th of April they again embarked on transports for Hilton Head , S . C . , making a few hours ' stop at Jacksonville , and arriving at their destination on the evening of the 16th . On the 18th the regiment sailed for Gloucester Point , Va . , reaching that place on the 21st , and was attached to the 10th army corps . On May 4 it was attached to the Army of the James , under Gen . B . F . Butler . The army moved up the James river to Bermuda Hundred , and on the 7th of May the 115th participated and suffered severely in the ill - fated battle of Chesterfield Heights , Va . , losing about eighty in killed , wounded and missing , From this time to the 16th of May the regiment was marching , fighting , picketing , etc . On the morning of that day the disastrous battle of Drury ' s Bluff was fought . and the 115th regiment again brought into requisition under the immediate supervision of Gen . Adelbert Ames , who complimented it for its bravery and skillful movements , which saved Butler ' s army from total rout . On the 17th the regiment went into camp at Hatcher ' s Run . From this time it was on picket duty all the time to the 28th , when it marched to City Point , and embarked on board the steamer " De Molay , " for White House , Va . , landing there on the 31st , at 4 P . M . The 115th took up the line of march for Cold Harbor , Va . , reaching that place June 1 , at 3 : 30 , P . M . , and immediately , with the rest of the Brigade , charged the enemy ' s works , this regiment capturing two hundred and fifty men with their arms and equipment . Here the regiment was again complimented for bravery by Gen . Devens . From that time to the 12th , the regiment was under a continuous fire day and night . During the night of the 12th it marched for White House Landing , which place was reached at 6 A . M . , of the 13th . Next day the regiment embarked for City Point , landed at Powhattan , on the James , and marched the rest of the way . On the 23rd it moved up in front of Petersburgh , Va . From this time the regiment was in the trenches before Petersburgb , to July 29 , when Gen . Turner ' s division , to which the 115th was attached , moved to the left , to assist Burnside ' s 9th corps in the explosion of the mine , and charge upon the enemy ' s works . This occurred at 5 o ' clock , on the morning of the 30th of July . Here , again , the 115th displayed its courage and cool bravery by standing as a wall of fire between the advancing Rebels , and the partially demoralized 9th corps , and was again complimented by both Gens . Burnside and Turner . From Petersburgh the regiment marched to near City Point , and then to Bermuda Hundred , losing several men by sun stroke , as the weather was extremely hot , and the roads dry and dusty . Up to this time the regiment had been under fire for thirty seven days , and needed rest , which was had at Hatch ' s farm , until , on the evening of 13 August , the regiment broke camp and marched to Deep Bottom , on the north side of the James river , which was reached at 7 o ' clock , A . M . , on the 14th . That day and the next were occupied in marching and counter marching . On the 16th the enemy were found strongly posted at Charles City Court House , where fighting began at once and continued until the evening of the 18th , when the 115th was deployed and covered the retreat of the Union forces . In this affair the regiment lost eighty - four killed , wounded and missing . On the 20th it returned to the old camp at Bermuda , with only one hundred and twenty men fit for duty . Comparative rest was the happy lot of the decimated regiment until the 28th , when it marched to Petersburgh again and occupied the trenches in front of that city . The regiment had a little rest , doing only trench and camp duty until the 28th of September , when it broke camp and marched to the north side of the James . On the 29th the 115th participated in the capture of two redoubts on Chafin ' s farm , known by some as Spring Hill . Here the losses of the regiment were very severe , among the dead being the loved and lamented Capt . W . H . McKittrick , of Co . C . During this engagement in charges , counter charges , victories and repulses , the enemy lost three times the number that the 115th did . From this time to October 27 , the regiment was doing picket duty most of the time . On that day a reconnaissance was made in force on the Darbytown road , in front of Richmond , the 115th taking a prominent part in charging the rebel works , and losing quite heavily . Among the number killed was Sergeant lde of Company F . , the idol of his comrades . Returning to camp , the regiment had five days comparative rest . On the 8th of December , the 115th embarked on board the propeller " Haze , " and participated in the abortive attempt to capture Fort Fisher , N . C . In the afternoon of December 30 , the regiment debarked at Jones ' Landing , on the James river , Va . , and just after dark was again in the old camp on Chafin ' s farm . On January 4 , 1865 , the 115th again embarked on board the Propeller " DeMolay , " on its second expedition against the keystone of the confederacy . The whole force was under command of Gen . Alfred H . Terry . The troops landed at Flay Pond battery , a short distance north of Fort Fisher , on the 13th at 9 A . M . The115th lost but two or three men in landing . At 3 P . M . of the 15th , the grand charge was made upon the fort , the 115th bearing a noble part in its capture , and being again complimented by General Terry , also by Gen . Ames , who knew something of its fighting qualities while in the army of the James . The loss to the regiment was about 70 , and among the killed was Lieut . S . S . Olney , of Co . F . , whose loss to the regiment and company could not be made good . At about 8 o ' clock , on the morning of the 16th , one of the magazines of the fort exploded , killing and wounding more of this regiment than the fighting of the day before . From this time to the surrender of Johnson ' s rebel army , the 115th was continually employed in fighting , marching , picket and guard duty , until it reached Raleigh , N . C . , where it was assigned to " safe guard " duty in the city , from April 23 to June 17 , when it was mustered out of service . On the 19th , the regiment left Raleigh for Albany , N . Y . , where it was paid off by Paymaster C . F . Davis , on 6 July 1865 , there being something less than two hundred of the original members . Upon leaving the U . S . Service , the men quietly returned to their homes and former vocations , and today the old 115th N . Y . Volunteer Infantry is represented in nearly every State in the Union , and almost every calling in life . However humble or exalted they may now be , if you speak of the camp , the bivouac , the fatigue , the march , the picket , the fight , and the camp fires of years gone by , their eyes will kindle , and at the fireside they fight their battles o ' er and o ' er , until one could almost hear the roar of musketry , and the bursting of shells . But we must stop , for we can add nothing to the laurels already wreathed around the brow of one of the best of our country ' s defenders , the 115th Regiment , New York Volunteer Infantry . It only remains to add the following list of battles which were participated in by the regiment , or a part of it . Battles Engaged in by the 115th NY Volunteer Infantry . " BATTLE DATE " The 115th brought out of the war six flags , which Col . Sammons , in behalf of the regiment , presented to the State . The national ensign , a gift of the ladies of the XVth Senatorial district , Aug . 20 , 1862 , showed service , the staff and three - fifths of the flag being gone . The regimental banner , presented by the State authorities while the regiment was at Fonda , of silk , with eagle and shield in the center , the national motto in a scroll beneath , and thirty - four stars in the field above , bearing the inscription , " 115th N . Y . Vol . Regiment Infantry , " came out rent in the center and torn from side to side . A second and similar regimental banner survived in better condition , and with it was a new national flag inscribed with the names of the regiment ' s battles ; also two guidons of bunting . These flags were turned over to the adjutant general . They are represented by Lieut . - Col . N . J . Johnson , and are carried by Sergt . James English , who lost an arm while supporting them in the field .