Unit

Federal Regiment

4th New York Infantry

"First Scott Life Guard"
Organized: New York City, NY; mustered in 5/2/1861
Disbanded/Mustered out: New York Ciity, NY 5/25/1863

Commanding Officer:
  LCol. John D. McGregor

Members of Interest:
  Pvt. Patrick Hughes, Co. K, WIA 9/17
  2nd Lt. Henry K. Chapman, Co. C, MWIA 9/17
  Capt. John S. Downs, Co. B, KIA 9/17

Statistics for Maryland Campaign
  Initial Strength: 540
  Killed in Action (KIA): 44
  Wounded (WIA): 142
  Missing in Action (MIA): 1
  Losses, % of Initial Strength: 34.6%

Maps Showing this Unit:
   Detail Map #6: French's Division Hits the Sunken Road
   Detail Map #7: Richardson's Division Attacks the Sunken Road

Battlefield Tablets for this Unit:
   Tablet #35: Second Army Corps - 15 Sep, 7 AM to 15 Sep, 8 PM
   Tablet #115: Second Army Corps - 15 Sep, 9 AM to 17 Sep, 7 AM
   Tablet #40: French's Division, Second Army Corps - 17 Sep, 8 AM to 17 Sep, 2 PM
   Tablet #121: Army of the Potomac - 17 Sep, 8 AM to 17 Sep, 6 PM
   Tablet #116, cont: Second Army Corps - 17 Sep, 9 AM to 17 Sep, 12 PM
   Tablet #43: Weber's Brigade, French's Division - 17 Sep, 9 AM to 17 Sep, 12 PM

This Regiment's Chain of Command:
  Army - Army of the Potomac
  Corps - Second (II) Army Corps
  Division - 3rd Division, II Corps
  Brigade - 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps

History of the Unit:
The Fourth was one of the first units organized at the outset of the Civil War. Most of the men were recruited in New York City proper, except for Company E, from Brooklyn. The 4th were nicknamed the First Scott Life Guard in honor of hero-General Winfield Scott, and began their Federal service in early May 1861 for a term of two years.

The regiment was on rear-echelon duty at Newport News (Va - June and July 1861), around Baltimore (Md - to June 1862), and at Suffolk (Va - to September) before seeing their first action on the Maryland Campaign.

In the Antietam Campaign:
The Fourth was at the left front of the Brigade as they first struck the strong Confederate position in the Sunken Road about 9am on 17 September.

The remainder of the War:
They were in combat again at Fredericksburg in December, and were present, though not engaged, at Chancellorsville in May 1863.

The troops mustered out and were honorably discharged May 25, 1863 at New York City at the end of their agreed-upon term of service.

References, Sources, and other Notes:
Fundamental unit history from Phisterer1, with more at the NY State Military Museum.

Notes

1 Phisterer, Frederick, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 6 volumes, Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1909-12, Vol. 2, pg. 1738 [AotW citation 824]

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