The 124th New York State Volunteers was one of the great fighting regiments of the Civil War. In this thorough history, the author has used letters, diary entries, and remembrances, many of them previously unpublished, to present a view of the war as the men in the ranks saw it. At Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Petersburg, and many more battles, the “Orange Blossoms” earned a reputation for sacrifice and bravery, eloquently put into words by Private Henry Howell. As he lay wounded, he described the charge that broke the Confederate line at Spotsylvania—“everyone was borne irresistibly forward. There was no such thing as fail.” The book includes a roster of all who served in the regiment and numerous photos of individuals.

Charles J. LaRocca is a retired high school and college level history teacher who founded a student research and reenactment group based on the 124th New York (named by the State of New York “An Historic Military Command,” the only Civil War group so designated). He has published articles and two books and lives in Montgomery, New York.

Charles J. LaRocca
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 406
Bibliographic Info: 85 photos, 8 maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6697-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9095-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix

Preface      1

1. “But alas! our Country calls”: July 1–September 6, 1862      3

2. “To learn us our duty”: September 6–October 16, 1862      20

3. “The Romance of the thing is all gone and the sad Realities of Ware Begin to Aper”: October 16–December 17, 1862      38

4. “Who would be a soldier?”: December 18, 1862–April 25, 1863      54

5. “Our men fought like tigers!”: April 26–May 4, 1863      70

6. “We done our duty”: May 5–June 14, 1863      98

7. “Wee Will Whip the Rebels yet”: June 10–July 1, 1863      117

8. “We stood there like veterans without giving an inch”: July 2–5, 1863      129

9. “Tell them my voice is still for war”: July 4–October 10, 1863      153

10. “The poor boys … have suffered as I could not describe to you”: October 10–December 3, 1863      171

11. “I am spared to enjoy the pleasure of life another winter in my log cabin”: December 3, 1863–May 1, 1864      188

12. “All at once we heard that cussed Rebel yell”: May 3–6, 1864      209

13. “There was no such thing as fail”: May 7–12, 1864      233

14. “I think that we will whip them very bad with the help of God”: May 13–June 14, 1864      259

15. “I think Grant is going to wind the thing up”: Petersburg to Appomattox, June 14, 1864–April 9, 1865      281

Epilogue: “This Regiment of Heroes”      310

Regimental Roster      317

List of Abbreviations      372

Chapter Notes      372

Bibliography      386

Index      390

“meticulous research…LaRocca…has written a fast-paced, well-constructed narrative laced with a wonderful assortment of first-hand accounts, most previously unpublished, along with 85 contemporary photographs, primarily unpublished soldier photographs…highly recommended”—Civil War News; “a very good addition”—The NYMAS Review; “wealth of source materials…Well written…excellent”—Strategypage.com.