During the Battle of Gettysburg, the 86th New York Infantry served as a member of Ward’s Brigade in Birney’s Division of the Third Corps, Army of the Potomac. The regiment was also known as the "Steuben Rangers" as Company I was recruited from Steuben County; not sure why the other nine companies didn't get a shout out and the chance to nick name the infantry. This regiment was organized at Elmira on November 23, 1861, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years. During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 9 officers, 92 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 5 officers, 67 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 151 enlisted men; total, 17 officers, 310 enlisted men; aggregate, 327; of whom 17 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
At Gettysburg, the infantry was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin L. Higgins (October 14, 1826 - November 19, 1891). Higgins was the chief engineer of the Syracuse fire department. He was wounded on July 2 (and during the Mine Run Campaign.) at which time Major Jacob H. Lansing (1824-1885) took over command. Higgins began his military career at age 31, (quite long in the tooth by today's standards), enrolling on August 19, 1861 at Syracuse, New York for a three year period, which he would come oh so close to reaching. He was mustered in as a captain for Company A of the 86th N.Y. Infantry November 12, 1861, as major on March 3, 1863 as lieutenant colonel on May 3, 1863 and finally as a full bird colonel on July 1, 1863. Due to his wounds received on the aforementioned campaigns, he was discharged for disability on June 25, 1864. All totaled, he spent 2 years, 10 months and 7 days in service missing his enrollment period by 1 month and 23 days. Under the collective command of Higgins and Lansing, the 86th brought 286 men to the Gettysburg battlefield and among them 11 were killed, 51 were wounded and 4 went missing.
The 86th New York Infantry Monument is located on the right or east side of Sickles Road while driving north. This is the first monument in Rose Woods after leaving 
Devil's Den and Houck's Ridge. While driving here, you would have passed the Ward's Brigade Tablet (MN481), which is 200 feet to the south, on the very edge of Rose Woods/Houck's Ridge. The road here is one way. Parking is available on the side of the road in intermittently enlarged shoulders. Take care to not park on anything remotely green looking as Park Police will happily ticket you. I visited this site on Monday, July 1, 2013 on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg @ 5:35 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 563 feet, ASL. As always, I used my trusty and oft abused Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: Granite monument with apex cap features a bronze relief depicting a woman praying over a dead or dying soldier. The relief contains the words: “I yield him unto his Country and to his God.” Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a granite shaft with an apex top set on a seven foot square rough hewn base. Overall height is 12.4 foot. The shaft has a polished face on the east and west and rough on the other sides.
The 86th New York Infantry Monument was dedicated on July 2, 1888 by the State of New York. The sculpture is composed of granite save for the bronze relief tablet which is amazing! Overall, the sculpture is approximately 12 feet 4 inches x 7 feet 3 inches². The monument was fabricated by Frederick & Field, a fabrication company responsible for many New York monuments at Gettysburg. There are inscriptions on the front and back which read:
(Front):86th New York
Infantry.
2d Brig. 1st Div.
3d Corps.
(Back):This Regiment
held this position
in the afternoon of
July 2d 1863.
————
Casualties;
Killed 11,
Wounded 51,
Missing 4.
The 86th New York Infantry Monument is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The monument is identified as structure number MN130-B.
From the Nomination Form:
Marks position of 86th New York Infantry on July 2, 1863 after falling back from original position & firing into oncoming enemy. 1 of 90 mns in Park to NY commands at Gettysburg. Located on E side of Sickles Ave N of Devil's Den & S of Ayres Ave.
Short Physical Description:
Mn & 2 flank markers. Rough hewn base, 7' square. Granite shaft w/ apex top. All 12'4". Shaft, polished E&W faces, others rough. Bronze relief, 2'1"x2'5", corps insignia & state seal on W face. Flank markers, 1'x1'x3', right shares w/ 124th NY.
Long Physical Description:
Monument that has two flanking markers. Monument is a granite shaft with an apex top set on a seven foot square rough hewn base. Overall height is 12.4 foot. The shaft has a polished face on the east and west and rough on the other sides. It contains a bronze relief, corps insignia, and state seal on the west. Designed and sculpted by S. J. O'Kelly. The flanking markers are one foot square. Located on the east side of Sickles Avenue north of the Devil's Den and south of Ayres Avenue.
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
SIRIS
3.
Stone Sentinels
4.
Virtual Gettysburg
5.
Draw the Sword
6.
Historical Marker Database
7.
New York State Military Museum
8.
Find a Grave