Id’d 1/6 Cased Ambrotype of Private Ezra D. Fenton Co. A 34th NY Infantry

Id’d 1/6 Cased Ambrotype of Private Ezra D. Fenton Co. A 34^th NY Infantry – This sixth plate ambrotype is housed in a full case and depicts a Union infantryman in a New York, enlisted man’s short jacket; the soldier has a cartridge box sling with an eagle breast plate, an SNY belt plate, with a cap box attached to his belt; tucked in his belt is what appears to be a M1849 Colt Pocket Model revolver, as well as a long-hilted, side-knife; the soldier’s low-crown, kepi or forage cap has a Company letter “A” and the regiment number “34” affixed to the front of the cap. When the image is removed, the following penciled inscription is written on the paper lining behind the image:

“Remember thy

Creator in the

Days of thy youth

H / M arriet Fenton”

This haunting admonition by a relative of Ezra Fenton, possibly his wife, Marietta Fenton, provides a window into Victorian perceptions of the so-called “good death”. Ezra Fenton, as a member of the 34^th NY, would see considerable action during his two-year service with the regiment; although he is listed as deserting in September 1861, research indicates that this was a mistaken enumeration due to Fenton’s failure to appear for a pre-enlistment physical; in actuality, as indicated by his application for a pension, Fenton would remain in the regiment until it was mustered out. During his course of service, Fenton would be with the regiment at: Ball’s Bluff, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, the Seven Day’s Campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The image remains in overall good condition, with one narrow emulsion scratch in Fenton’s face. The error in recording Fenton’s Company as Co. E was either a record keeping mistake or Fenton transferred early on in his enlistment, as all extant records indicate he was in Co. A.

Ezra Fenton

Residence was not listed; 20 years old.
Enlisted on 6/20/1861 at Addison, NY as a Priv.

On 6/23/1861, he mustered into “E” Co. New York 34th Infantry.
He was deserted on 9/20/1861 at Seneca Mills, MD

Organized: Albany, NY on 6/15/1861

Mustered out: 6/30/1863

NEW YORK THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. (Two Years) Thirty-fourth Infantry.-Cols., William La Due, James A. Suiter, Byron Laflin; Lieut.-Cols., James A. Suiter, Byron Laflin, John Beverly; Majs., Byron Laflin, Charles L. Brown, John Beverly, Wells Sponables. The 34th, the “Herkimer Regiment,'” was composed of five companies from Herkimer county, two from Steuben, one from Albany, one from Clinton and one from Essex county, and was mustered into the U. S. service at Albany June 15, 1861, for two years. It left the state for Washington on July 3; was quartered at Kalorama heights until July 28, when it moved to Seneca mills and was there assigned to Gen. Stone’s brigade. The regiment moved to Edwards ferry on Oct. 21, to Poolesville, Md., Oct. 23, and there established Camp McClellan, which was occupied until Feb. 24, 1862, when orders were received to move to Harper’s Ferry. From Oct. 15, 1861, the regiment served in the 2nd brigade of Stone’s division, which became in March, 1862, Sedgwick’s division 2nd corps, Army of the Potomac, and in May, 1862, the brigade became the 1st brigade, 2nd division, 2nd corps. The early part of March, 1862, was spent in camp at Berryville, Va., and later in the month the regiment moved to Washington, where it was ordered to the Peninsula. It shared in the siege of Yorktown; lost 97 members killed, wounded or missing at Fair Oaks, and again lost heavily during the Seven Days’ battles. It was then in camp at Harrison’s landing until Aug. 15, when it was ordered to Newport News, and there embarked for Acquia creek. Subsequently it returned to Alexandria and was again at the front during the Maryland campaign in September. At Antietam it lost 154 in killed, wounded and missing, of whom 41 were killed or mortally wounded over 13 per cent of the 311 engaged. On Nov. 21, 1862, the regiment arrived at Falmouth; participated in the battle of Fredericksburg; then went into winter quarters near Falmouth, shared in the “Mud March,” returned to camp and remained there until the Chancellorsville movement in the spring of 1863. In April the regiment moved to Banks’ ford; was active at Chancellorsville; re-turned home on June 9, and was mustered out at Albany June 30, 1863, the three years’ men having been transferred to the 82nd N. Y. infantry on June 8. The total enrollment of the regiment was 1,016 members, of whom 93 were killed in action or died of wounds during the term of service and 69 died from other causes.

34th New York Infantry Regiment

The 34th New York Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 90 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 68 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Antietam.

34th New York Infantry Regiment

The 34th New York Infantry Regiment, the “Herkimer Regiment”, was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

The regiment was organized in Albany, New York, on May 24, 1861,^[2] and was mustered in for a two-year enlistment on June 15, 1861; it was composed of five companies from Herkimer County, two from Steuben, one from Albany, one from Clinton and one from Essex County. Part of the 38th Militia entered this regiment on June 8, 1863; the regiment was mustered out of service on June 30, 1863, and those men who had signed three year enlistments were transferred to the 82nd New York.

34th New York Infantry monument at Antietam National Battlefield.

Colonel—Byron Lafflin
Lieutenant-Colonel—John Beverley
Major—Wells Sponable

STAFF

Adjutant—John Kirk.
Quartermaster—Nathan Easterbrooks
Surgeon—B. F. Manley
Assistant-Surgeon—J. Hurley Miller
Chaplain—S. Franklin Schoonmaker
LINE
Co. A — Captain. B H. Warford; First Lieutenant, R. L. Brown; Second Lieutenant, John Oathout
Co. B — Captain Irving D. Clark; First Lieutenant, Francis N. Usher; Second Lieutenant, William Burns
Co. C — Captain, Thomas Corcoran; First Lieutenant, Simeon P. McIntyre
Co. D — Captain, John O. Scott; First Lieutenant, vacant; Second Lieutenant, Byron Coats
Co. E — Captain, Henry Baldwin; First Lieutenant, Henry T. Sanford; Second Lieutenant, Melville S. Dunn
Co. F — Captain, Charles Riley; First Lieutenant, William Van Valkenburgh; Second Lieutenant, B. F. Minor
Co. G — Captain, Joy P. Johnson; First Lieutenant, John Morey; Second Lieutenant, A. Rounds
Co. H — Captain, William S. Walton; First Lieutenant, vacant; Second Lieutenant, William Kirk
Co. I — Captain, Eugene B. Larrowe; First Lieutenant, A. T. Atwood; Second Lieutenant, Orrin W. Beach
Co. K — Captain, Emerson S. Northup; First Lieutenant, James McCormick; Second Lieutenant, Lewis. M. Chapin

The companies were recruited principally:

• A at West Troy;
• B at Little Falls;
• C at Graysvilleand Norway;
• D at Champlain;
• E at Addison;
• F and G at Herkimer;
• H at Crown Point;
• I at Hammondsport, and
• K at Salisbury.

During the Battle of Antietam, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade (Willis A. Gorman commanding), 2nd Division (John Sedgwick commanding), II Corps (Edwin V. Sumner commanding).

At 7:30 on the morning of September 17, 1862, the Thirty-fourth Regiment left camp near Keedysville, crossed the Antietam Creek and marched westward into the East Woods, now extinct. Facing Westward being on the extreme left of Brigade line it emerged from the East Woods and soon became heavily engaged with the Confederate forces in its front. Crossing the open field and the Hagerstown Pike, it entered the West Woods, now also extinct, the line extending North and South of the Dunkard Church. The left of the Regiment being unprotected was in danger of being enveloped by the enemy, and a hasty retreat became necessary; the Regiment reforming near the East Woods with its organization intact. In a very brief time 43 men had been killed and 74 wounded, the killed being 13 percent of all engaged.

The regiment lost 14 men killed or wounded at Fredericksburg and an additional 18 men captured.

On May 1, 1863, the day prior to the Battle of Chancellorsville, six companies of the regiment mutinied and refused to fight on the grounds that their two year enlistment terms had expired, although in fact this was still almost two months away. Brig. Gen John Gibbon, who commanded the division that the 34th New York was in, brought up the 15th Massachusetts and gave them orders to shoot the men of the 34th New York if they wouldn’t fight. The regiment reformed and served dutifully during the Second Battle of Fredericksburg two days later. On June 30, the 34th New York mustered out and the two year men went home, the remaining companies, who had signed up for three years of service, being transferred to the 82nd New York Infantry.

Total strength and casualties

The total enrollment of the regiment was 1,016 members, of whom 93 were killed in action or died of wounds during the term of service and 69 died from other causes. During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 65 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 26 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 1 officer, 67 enlisted men; total, 4 officers, 158 enlisted men; aggregate, 162.

Commanders

• ColonelWilliam LaDew
• Colonel James A. Suiter
• Colonel Byron Laflin

34th Regiment, New York Infantry

Overview:

Organized at Albany, N. Y., and mustered in June 15, 1861. Left State for Washington, D. C., July 3, 1861. Attached to Stone’s Brigade, Division of the Potomac, to October, 1861. German’s 2nd Brigade, Stone’s (Sedgwick’s) Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863.

Service:

Outpost duty on the Upper Potomac till March, 1862. Reneca Mills, Md., September 1 and 16, 1861. Operations on the Potomac October 21-24. Near Edwards Ferry October 22. Moved to Harper’s Ferry February, 1862; thence to Charlestown and Berryville, Va., March 12-15. Moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., March 22-April 1. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Battle of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Peach Orchard and Savage Station June 29. White Oak Swamp and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. Duty at Harrison’s Landing till August 16. Movement to Newport News, thence to Centreville August 16-29. Cover Pope’s retreat from Bull Run August 31-September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. Moved to Harper’s Ferry September 22, and duty there till October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 20. Battle of Antietam, Va., December 12-15. “Mud March” January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth till April. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin’s Crossing April 29-May 2. Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks’ Ford May 4. Three years men transferred to 82nd New York Infantry June 8, 1863. Mustered out June 30, 1863, expiration of term.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 90 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 68 Enlisted men by disease. Total 162.

Predecessor unit:

NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS

14th REGIMENT STATE MILITIA INFANTRY.-(“14th BROOKLYN.”)
(See 34th Regiment Infantry.)