The 52nd New York State Volunteers
Welcome to the homepage of the 52nd New York State Volunteer Regiment. The 52nd was an all-German regiment recruited entirely in New York City in the fall of 1861. By the time it mustered out in July of 1865, the regiment had participated in all of the major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, except for the battle of First Bull Run. The 52nd participated in some of the bloodiest fighting during the entire war, including such places as the Bloody Lane at Antietam, Maryes Heights at Fredericksburg, the Wheatfield at Gettysburg and the Mule Shoe at Spotsylvania.
The 52nd represents the most overlooked ethnic group of the Civil War. The Germans contributed about 175,000 men to the cause of the Union. New York alone had more than twenty units comprised entirely or with a large majority of Germans. Many other units would have had Germans in their ranks as well. Despite the bad reputation the Germans have because of the disaster at Chancellorsville and the first day of Gettysburg, they more than proved themselves on the field of battle. Though many of the German units in the Army of the Potomac served in the 11th Corps, two all-German units served in the 2nd Corps. These two regiments were the 7th NY and the 52nd NY. They both fought alongside many other famous units of the 2nd Corps, including the Irish Brigade, and earned the admiration and praise of many.
History of the 52nd New York
July 1861 to December 1862 January 1863 to December 1863
January 1864 to December 1864 January 1865 to July 1865
52nd NY from Dyer's Compendium Units that served with the 52nd NY
History of the 7th New York and Germans
7th New York & 7th New York Veterans 7th NY from Dyer's Compendium
German States in the 19th Century The Germans as Immigrants to the US
Pictures & Other Pages
52nd NY Monument Wheatfield and Stony Hill
52nd NY Regimental Color & Flank Markers 7th NY Veterans Flank Marker
52nd NY Reenactment Group Links Page
If you have any comments about the webpage, or questions or information on the 52nd New York, feel free to e-mail me at jason.longo@alumni.tufts.edu. I am always looking for new information on the 52nd, including pictures, letters, documents, stories or equipment that can be traced to them.
If you have any questions about the 52nd NY Reenactment Group, or are interested in joining, please e-mail us at 52nyreenactors@gmail.com
