Initial duty On May 24, the regiment boarded a
transport to reach the
Virginia Peninsula. The regiment camped for a few days near Hampton Bridge, then moved to Camp Butler, Newport News, and was attached to Pierce's brigade. The troops of the 5th led the force at the battle of Big Bethel on Monday, June 10. Captain
Judson Kilpatrick took Companies E and H in advance with Colonel Duryée following with the rest the command. The 5th lost 5 killed, 16 wounded (including Kilpatrick) and 2 missing. Immediately after the battle, the regiment began making scouting expeditions.
Railroad security On Friday, July 26, the regiment moved to
Baltimore, Maryland, to join
Dix's Division which was tasked with protecting the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in and out of Baltimore from Washington to Philadelphia. The 5th provided security within the city and built and
garrisoned an earthen fort at the summit of
Federal Hill. On Thursday, August 15, Maj. Davies resigned to take command of the
2nd New York Cavalry, and two days later, Capt. Hiram Duryea of Company was promoted as his replacement. On August 31, Duryée was promoted to
general rank, so
Gouverneur Kemble Warren took over command of the regiment. Duryea moved up to Lt. Colonel, and on September 3, Hull of Company A replaced Duryea as Major. At Federal Hill, the regiment guarded the railway and the city and continuously
drilled. The 5th's duty in Baltimore was marked by occasional clashes with pro-secessionist locals, patrolling the rail lines and yards, and improving the fort on Federal Hill. With the exception of a short expedition to the
Eastern Shore of Virginia, the regiment used this garrison time to continue honing its skill at its manual of arms and regimental field movements. For twenty-three days from Wednesday, November 13 to Thursday, December 5, six companies, A, B, C, D, E, F, of the 5th left Baltimore on the steamer
Pocahontas. They took part in an expedition south to the
Delmarva Peninsula into
Accomac and
Northampton Counties. The purpose was to reassert state and Federal control over those two counties where there had been reports of secessionist activity. Despite the many Unionists in the two counties, the secessionists, who were in a slight majority in Northampton County had been actively recruiting for the Confederate army and taking reprisals against Unionists. About three thousand militia had gathered to oppose any Federal advance (some were Unionists forced into ranks), and Gen. Dix intended to send a much larger force of 5,000 to intimidate them and give support to the local Unionists. The force landed above the state line on Wednesday, November 13, a proclamation calling on the militia to lay down their arms, promising protection for Unionists, and punishment for continued disloyal activities. On Sunday, November 17, the force crossed into Virginia. Within five days, all armed units melted away, and the 5th's companies and its colleagues in the force spread out to some of the towns to show the flag. The six companies returned to Fort Federal Hill on Thursday, December 5. The 5th remained in garrison over the new year and on Thursday, February 6, it received a garrison flag from an association of ladies of South Baltimore. The locals around the fort had warmed to the 5th and took pride in it. To maintain discipline, punishments in garrison were harsh and in February, six members of the regiment who were chronic violators of army regulations were paraded to the "Rogue's March," and sent off in chains to the
Washington Penitentiary and the military prison in the
Dry Tortugas.
The Peninsula campaign In preparation for his upcoming offensive in the
Peninsula campaign to capture
Richmond, Virginia, General
George McClellan ordered the regiment to join the
Army of the Potomac. McClellan said that, upon seeing the colorful New York regiment, "the Fifth is the best disciplined and soldierly regiment in the Army." After a farewell ceremony at the Fort on Friday evening, March 28, the 5th made ready to depart Baltimore. , in a sketch by
Thomas Nast. On Monday, March 31, 1862, the 5th sailed out of Baltimore, down the Chesapeake, and landed at Hampton Roads. Upon arrival, they were attached to
Sykes' Infantry (Reserve), Army of the Potomac. At the
Battle of Hanover Courthouse on May 27, 1862, the regiment played only a minor role. However, they fought in a more major role in the
Battle of Gaines' Mill of the
Seven Days Battles. As McClellan moved his base to the
James River on June 27, 1862, the regiment fought against
Gregg's South Carolina brigade. In a bayonet counterattack, the regiment defeated the initial Rebel attack driving back and routing two of the brigade's regiments.
The Virginia campaign In August 1862, the regiment fell under the control of General
John Pope. At the
Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as the Second Battle of Manassas), the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry regiment was forced to withstand the advancing forces of General
James Longstreet. In underestimating the size of the Confederate army, Pope ordered the regiment to support Hazlett's Battery. Longstreet's soldiers easily outnumbered the small regiment, met by the 5th Texas Vol. Of the famous
Texas Brigade's who elite soldiers accurate musket volleys quickly inflicted massive casualties in the regiment. In just 10 minutes of fighting, the 5th New York lost 332 men of the approximately 525 engaged. At least 119 of the casualties were killed outright or died of their wounds. The addition of two missing who were never accounted for would bring the death total to 121. It was the greatest battle fatality sustained by any Federal infantry unit in the war. The entire
Color Guard was killed, except for one man. The only officer to survive the battle was Captain
Cleveland Winslow. The regiment was effectively removed as a combat regiment, never again serving in the battle line.
The Maryland, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville campaigns Later, at the
Battle of Antietam, September 17, the unit was held in reserve. On December 15, the unit fought at the
Battle of Fredericksburg, covering the Union retreat. At the
Battle of Chancellorsville under
Joseph Hooker, the unit saw its final combat. It returned to New York on May 8, 1863, and was mustered out on the next day, its three years' men having been transferred to the
146th New York Infantry Regiment. During its term of service the Regiment had 2,164 men on its rolls, viz : two years' men, of original organization, 1,026, of whom 260 were with the regiment after the battle at Chancellorsville; recruits and volunteers on reorganization, 1,138, of whom 730 returned, including only about 100 of the original members of 1861. ==Affiliations, battle honors, detailed service, and casualties==