Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

73rd Regiment of the New York State Volunteers records

Call Number

MS 670.19

Date

1861-1868 (bulk 1862-1864), inclusive

Creator

Extent

0.417 Linear feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

This collection contains documents related to the 73rd Regiment of the New York State Volunteers during the American Civil War. The documents in the collection include muster rolls, various forms, and correspondence. The 73rd Regiment was also known as the 2nd Fire Zouaves, or the 4th Regiment, Excelsior Brigade. The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.

Historical Note

The 73rd Regiment of New York State Volunteers was an infantry regiment of the Union Army recruited primarily from New York City. Due to its large number of recruits from the New York fire department, the regiment was also known as the 2nd Fire Zouaves. In 1862 the regiment was assigned as the 4th Regiment of Gen. Sickles' Excelsior brigade. The regiment participated in many major Civil War battles, including Gettysburg, where it is honored with a monument.

Mustered in: 1861

Mustered out: June 29, 1865

Total enrollment: 1,326

Total losses: 229 (153 from wounds; 76 from accident, imprisonment, or disease)

Major engagements: Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Williamsburg, Battle of Seven Pines, Battle of Glendale, Battle of Malvern Hill, Seven Days Battles, Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Bristoe Station, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spottsylvania Court House

Colonels: William R. Brewster, Michael W. Burns, James Fairman

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains documents related to the 73rd Regiment of the New York State Volunteers during the American Civil War. The documents in the collection include muster rolls, forms, certificates, and correspondence. The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.

The majority of the forms and correspondence in the collection deal with Ordnance and Ordnance stores, including Receipts for Issues, Invoices of Stores, Certificates of Destroyed or Abandoned Stores, Quarterly Returns, and documents concerning the settlement of Returns.

The collection includes certificates of appointment and of discharge. The majority of the certificates of appointment are for Michael W. Burns, who commanded the 73rd Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg and was appointed Colonel in 1864.

Assorted documents and correspondence in the collection include letters to Michael W. Burns, a stock certificate, a copy of an address by Gen. Sickles, a mock proclamation, and a program for a show by The Libby Prison Minstrels.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as the 73rd Regiment of the New York State Volunteers records, MS 670.19, The New-York Historical Society.

Provenance

Purchased from R. McCollough in 1938.

Related Material at the New-York Historical Society

The N-YHS Library's collection also contains an Orderly Book for the 73rd New York State Volunteer Infantry and a broadside dedicated to the 2nd Fire Zouaves.

Additionally, the library has an extensive collection of Civil War materials, which can be searched using the online catalog.

References

Stone Sentinels. "73th New York Infantry Regiment." Accessed July 18, 2012. http://www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/NY/73NY.php
National Park Service. "Gettysburg: The Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg." Accessed July 18, 2012. http://www.nps.gov/gett/historyculture/aop-orderofbattle.htm
National Park Service. "Civil War: 73rd Regiment, New York Infantry." Accessed July 18, 2012. http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UNY0073RI
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, Wis: Federal Pub. Co, 1908.

Collection processed by

Audrey Belanger

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:47:18 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024