Draw the Sword

Polish Legion

Location: Howard Avenue

Order of Battle: 11th Corps, 3d Division, 2d Brigade

Number Engaged: 222; 2 killed, 15 wounded, 3 missing

Commander: Lt. Col. August Otto

Raised: New York City at the Turtle Bay Brewery

Monument Specifications: Obelisk stands on a pedestal and rough-hewn, tiered base. Crescent corps insignia appear on the upper front and rear sides of the obelisk. Engaged columns flank the sides of the pedestal. A relief of the New York state seal is affixed to the lower front of the obelisk. The monument marks the general position held by two companies of the 58th New York Infantry on July 1, 1863. In June 1939, the monument was damaged by lightning and repaired.

Dedication Date: July 2, 1888.

Sculptor/Artist/Company: New England Monument Company, fabricator.

Other Monuments and Memorials: None.

Supplemental Materials: After Action Report of Capt. Emil Koenig (will open a pop up window).

Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:

Organized at New York City August to November, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., November 7, 1861. Attached to Bohlen’s Brigade, Blenker’s Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Blenker’s 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Blenker’s Division, Dept. of the Mountains, to June, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1863, and Army of the Cumberland to April, 1864. Unattached, 4th Division, 20th Army Corps, Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Defenses of Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. Stevenson, Ala., District of North Alabama, Dept. of the Cumberland, to July, 1865. District of Nashville, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to October, 1865.

SERVICE.–Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., until April, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10. Movement to Winchester, Va., April 5-18. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley until June. Battle of Cross Keys June 8. Duty at Sperryville July 7 to August 8. Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 20-23. Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until November 1. Movement to Centreville, Va., November 1-18. March to Fredericksburg, Va., December 9-16. “Mud March” January 20-24, 1863. At Stafford Court House, Va., until April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Duty along Orange & Alexandria Railroad until September. Movement to Bridgeport, Ala., September 24-October 3. Operations in Lookout Valley, Tenn., October 19-27. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn., October 28-29. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23. Tunnel Hill November 24-25. Mission Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 17. Garrison duty at Bridgeport, Ala., and guard duty along Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad until February, 1865. Garrison and guard duty at Stevenson, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn., until October, 1865. Mustered out October 1, 1865. Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 28 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 60 Enlisted men by disease. Total 95.