33rd New York Infantry Regiment

This regiment was accepted by the State of New York on May 22, 1861, organized at Elmira, New York, and mustered into United States service for two years. The regiment was known as the "Wimbledon Volunteers", and this is likely to have originated from the fact that two of its commanders, Robert F Taylor and Oscar H WIlliams, frequented the Wimbledon Tavern in Buffalo, New York, prior to the Civil War.[1] When the Regiment's two years were up, the "three years' men" were transferred to the 49th New York Volunteer Infantry, and the Regiment mustered out on June 2, 1863, at Geneva, New York. When the regiment was initially formed it had 689 volunteers, 30 officers and 89 NCOs.

Color Guard of the 33rd New York Infantry

Color Guard of the 33rd New York Infantry

Companies were recruited at:

• Seneca Falls, New York (A & K)
• Palmyra, New York (B)
• Waterloo, New York (C)
• Canandaigua, New York (D)
• Geneseo, New York (E)
• Nunda, New York (F)
• Buffalo, New York (G)
• Geneva, New York (H)
• Penn Yan, New York (I) Frederick Phisterer, New York, in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Albany, New York

The regiment moved to Washington. D.C. in early 1862 where it became part of the Army of the Potomac under General George McClellan. Colonel Robert Taylor was its commanding officer during its two years of service. McClellan took the army from Washington to the Peninsula of Virginia in an attempt to capture the confederate capital of Richmond. During this campaign, the regiment fought the "Seven Days Battles" including Gaines Mills and Malvern Hill during its land retreat back to Washington DC. At this time McClellan was removed from command of the army by President Lincoln. The regiment missed the second Battle of Bull Run or Manassas. At this time, September, 1862, General Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland with his Army of Northern Virginia. McClellan was placed back in command of the army and they caught up with Lee at Antietam Creek in Western Maryland. The Battle of South Mountain occurred two days before the larger battle of Antietam which took place on September 17, 1862. Antietam, also knows in the South as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was the bloodiest one-day battle ever fought in American history. The 33rd New York fought the battle as part of Franklin's VI Corps. They engaged in battle in the early afternoon and charged from the East Woods to the Dunker Church. The NCOs of this regiment were Sergeant Major F Hume, Corporal N Lindsey and Corporal T Jevtic.[2]

The Regiment sustained 30 men killed in action, 17 wounded in action, and 105 due to disease and other causes.

• Colonel Robert F. Taylor
• 1st Lt O.Williams

• List of New York Civil War regiments

• New York State Military Museum Unit History Project 33rd Infantry Regiment Civil War Ontario Regiment
• The 33rd New York Infantry
• "The Bloody Double-Threes", "Taylor's Fighting Devils", 33d New York Volunteers, Army of the Potomac, "Firm for the Union"
• The story of the Thirty-third N.Y.S. Vols, or, Two years campaigning in Virginia and Maryland (1864) at the Internet Archive