Draw the Sword

Conkling Rifles

A Fighting 300 Regiment

Location: Doubleday Avenue

Order of Battle: 1st Corps, 2nd Division, 2nd Brigade

Number Engaged: 255; 12 killed, 36 wounded, 78 missing

Commander: Col. Charles Wheelock (1812-1865)

Raised: Herkimer, Lewis, and Oneida counties.

Monument Specifications: Marker stands on a tiered base and is topped with a Corps insignia disk bearing the number 97. A State Seal relief is affixed to the plinth in the front. It indicates the position occupied by the 97th New York Conkling Rifles when assisting the 104th New York in the repulse of the Confederates from the stone wall on the afternoon of July 1, 1863. Soon after, they counterattaked Iverson’s Confederate Brigade and captured 213 officers and men of the 20th North Carolina Infantry. The attack of Doles, Ramseur and O’Neal forced the Conkling Rifles to retreat to the town of Gettysburg.

Dedication Date: July 1, 1889.

Sculptor/Artist/Company: Frederick & Field, fabricator.

Other Monuments and Memorials: None.

Supplemental Materials: After Action Report of Col. Charles Wheelock (will open a pop up window).

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

Organized at Boonville, N.Y., and mustered in February 18, 1862. Left State for Washington, D.C., March 12, 1862. Attached to Wadsworth’s Command, Military District of Washington, to May, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, to May, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, to March, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to May, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, May 9-30, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Army Corps, to June 6, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 5th Army Corps, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.—Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until May, 1862. Expedition to Front Royal, Va., to intercept Jackson, May 28-June 1. Picket duty on the Shenandoah and at Front Royal to June 10. Duty at Catlett’s Station, Warrenton and Waterloo, Va., until August. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Fords of the Rappahannock August 21-23. Thoroughfare Gap August 28. Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of South Mountain September 14; Antietam September 16-17. Duty near Sharpsburg, Md., until October 30. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 19. At Brooks’ Station until December 10. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. At Falmouth and Belle Plains until April 27, 1863. “Mud March” January 20-24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations about Fitzhugh’s Crossing April 29-May 2. Battle of Chancellorsville May 2-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock and Rapidan until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. Jericho Ford May 23. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Bethesda Church June 1-3. White Oak Swamp June 13. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30, 1864 (Reserve). Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Reconnaissance toward Dinwiddie Court House September 15. Warren’s Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Sussex Court House December 10, Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Lewis Farm, near Gravelly Run, March 29. White Oak Road March 31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Washington, D.C., May 1-12. Grand Review May 23. Duty at Washington until July. Mustered out July 18, 1865. Regiment lost during service 12 Officers and 169 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 156 Enlisted men by disease. Total 338.