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Unique Watercolor Portrait of Sergeant Thomas H. Sheehan, Company E, 17th New York Veteran Volunteer Zouaves – This finely crafted, watercolor portrait on paper remains in very good condition, exhibiting vibrant colors. The painting is signed at the lower right – “AKline 1878.” Affixed to the mat is an original, period, applied paper label identifying the subject as Sergeant Thomas H. Sheehan of Company E, 17th Regiment, N.Y.V.V.Z., First Brigade, Second Division, 14th Army Corps, listing his years of service: 1863, 1864, and 1865, as well. The portrait depicts Sheehan, attired in a full Zouave uniform, holding his rifle. Behind Sergeant Sheehan is a tent marked “17 Regt NYVVZ / Co E,” an American flag, and breastworks that incorporate cannons and cannonballs. Although the Sheehan’s body and extremities are hand painted, Sheehan’s head was cut from a war period CDV of the sergeant, then tinted and glued and positioned on the painted body. The portrait is contained in a fine, period, walnut frame, with original, period glass. You will note that in one picture we have attached, a watercolor of another U.S. Zouave (from Alamy Photos and now in the collection of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture) that a similar mode to that utilized with the Sheehan portrait, was also used in creating the image of the Va. Museum painting  of a zouave – the excising the head of the subject from a CDV and placing that photographic image on the artist-painted body.

Portrait measures as follows: 8½“ x 10“ (sight size;) 16 1/8” x 18 1/8” (frame size)

Thomas Sheehan

17th NY Infantry
( 3-years )

NEW YORK
SEVENTEENTH VETERAN INFANTRY

17th Infantry Regiment

Nickname: Westchester Chasseurs

Mustered in: May 28, 1861
Mustered out: June 2, 1863

THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM NEW YORK IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION, 3RD ED. FREDERICK PHISTERER. ALBANY: J. B. LYON COMPANY, 1912.

This regiment, Col. Henry S. Lansing, was accepted by the State and numerically designated May 14, 1861; it was organized in New York city and there mustered in the United States service for two years May 28, 1861. The 18th State Militia furnished men for one company of this regiment. March 16, 1862, Company G was consolidated.
with Companies A, B, C and F, and replaced by Company A, 53d N. Y. Volunteers, first organization, transferred to the regiment. May 13, 1863, the three years’ men of the regiment were detached from it and assigned to the Battalion of New York Volunteers, but June 23, 1863, transferred to the 146th N. Y. Volunteers.
The companies were recruited principally: A at Yonkers; B at Portchester; C at Morrisania; D and E at New York city; F at Sing Sing; G — Nyack Volunteers — at Nyack; H at Norwich; I at Newark, Arcadia and Sodus; K at Warsaw; and the second Company G at New York city.
The regiment left the State June 21, 1861; served at and near Washington, D. C., from June 23, 1861; at Fort Ellsworth, D. C., from August 4, 1861; in Butterfield’s Brigade, Porter’s Division, Army of the Potomac, from October 15, 1862; in same brigade and division, 3d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March 13, 1862; in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, from May, 1862, and was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Colonel Lansing, June 2, 1863, at New York city.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 3 officers, 26 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, II enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 45 enlisted men; total, 8 officers, 82 enlisted men; aggregate, 90.

THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM THE UNION ARMY: A HISTORY OF MILITARY AFFAIRS IN THE LOYAL STATES, 1861-65 — RECORDS OF THE REGIMENTS IN THE UNION ARMY — CYCLOPEDIA OF BATTLES — MEMOIRS OF COMMANDERS AND SOLDIERS. MADISON, WI: FEDERAL PUB. CO., 1908. VOLUME II.

Seventeenth Infantry.—Cols., Henry S. Lansing, William T. C. Grower, Joel O. Martin, James Lake; Lieut.-Cols., Thomas Ford Morris, Nelson B. Bartram, Edward Jardine, Joel O. Martin, James Lake, Alexander S. Marshall; Majs., Charles A. Johnson, Nelson B; Bartram, William T. C. Grower, Joel O. Martin, Charles Hilbert, Alexander S. Marshall, James B. Homer. The I7th regiment—the “Westchester Chasseurs”—contained four companies from Westches-ter county, two from New York city, one from each of the counties of Rockland, Chenango, Wayne and Wyoming, and was mustered into the U. S. service at New York city, May 28, 1861, for a two years’ term. It went into camp at Camp Washington, Staten Island, until June 21, when it left for Washington and was stationed at Fort Ellsworth near Alexandria. With the 2nd brigade, 5th division, which was held in reserve, the regiment was present at Bull Run. In September it was posted at Fairfax seminary; in October was ordered to Hall’s hill, where it was assigned to Butterfield’s brigade, 1st division, 3d corps, and established permanent winter quarters. In March, 1862, a company from the 53d N. Y. infantry was assigned to the I7th, and in May, the brigade became a part of the 1st division of the 5th provisional corps. In March the command moved to Fortress Monroe and after several reconnoitering expeditions proceeded to Yorktown, where it participated in the siege operations. It was not actively engaged in the ensuing battles of the Peninsular campaign and went into camp at Harrison’s landing, whence it moved to Newport News and Manassas. At the second Bull Run the regiment made a valiant assault, in which it suffered the loss of 183 killed, wounded and missing, and after the battle the brigade was withdrawn to the vicinity of Washington, where it joined the army in the Maryland campaign, without being called into action. It reached Falmouth in Nov., 1862, where camp was established; the regiment was active at Fredericksburg and shared in the “Mud March,” returning to complete the winter at Falmouth. It was held in reserve at Chancellorsville, the last engagement of the two years men, who were mustered out at New York city, May 22, 1863. During the two years’ service, the regiment lost 42 men by death from wounds and 48 by death from other causes.

The “Westchester Chasseurs” received their Regimental Colors on June 17, 1861, at Camp Washington, from the patriotic ladies of Westchester County. Painted in the center are the Arms of the State of New York. The regiment’s designation is painted above and below the Arms. The other side of the flag includes the Arms of the United States painted in the center with the same painted inscriptions. Metallic bullion fringe lines three sides.

17th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment

“Westchester Chasseurs”

The 17th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 5 officers and 32 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 37 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

UNION NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS

17th Regiment, New York Infantry

OVERVIEW:

Organized at New York City and mustered in for two years’ service May 28, 1861. Left State for Washington, D. C., June 21. Attached to Mansfield’s Command, Dept. of Washington, June to August, 1861. Garrison, Fort Ellsworth, Defences of Washington, to October, 1861. Butterfield’s Brigade, Porter’s Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, to June, 1863.

SERVICE:

Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15, 1862. Moved to the Peninsula, Va., March 22-24. Peninsula Campaign March to August. Warwick Road April 5. Siege of Yorktown April 5-May 4. Reconnoissance up the Pamunkey May 10. Battle of Hanover Court House May 27. Operations about Hanover Court House May 27-29. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Operations about White House Landing June 26-July 2. White House June 28. Duty at Harrison Landing till August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centreville August 16-28. Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia August 28-September 2. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. Shepherdstown September 19. Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., till October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Expedition to Richards’ and Ellis’ Fords, Rappahannock River, December 29-30. “Mud March” January 20-24, 1863. At Falmouth till April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Three years’ men detached May 13, 1863; assigned to a Battalion of New York Volunteers and on June 23, 1863, transferred to 146th Regiment New York Infantry. Regiment mustered out June 2, 1863.

Regiment lost during service 5 Officers and 32 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 37 Enlisted men by disease. Total 77.