154th NY Volunteer Infantry - Chancellorsville VA
N 38° 18.596 W 077° 39.976
18S E 266877 N 4243567
A monument was erected to the Hardtack Regiment who bravely tried to hold the Union line during the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.
Waymark Code: WMEKYX
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/11/2012
Views: 5
The 154th New York Infantry Regiment, also known as the Hardtack Regiment, was formed in September 1862. They left immediately for Washington, D.C. and then marched into Virginia. In May 1863, they were with the 11th Corps encamped at Chancellorsville, VA on the right flank of the Union army who had formed a horseshoe around Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate troops. On the evening of May 2, Gen. Stonewall Jackson surprised the Federals who thought Lee's troops were in retreat, with an
attack on their right flank
. The 154th NY were with Col Buschbeck's brigade and formed a defensive line to stop the Confederate onslaught, but were quickly overrun. 42 men were killed, 71 were wounded, and 115 were captured.
In August 1995, descendants of the Hardtack Regiment erected a monument at Chancellorsville near where the 154th fought. It was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1996.
Front inscription:
154TH NEW YORK STATE VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
1ST BRIGADE, 2ND DIVISION, 11TH
"THE HARDTACK REGIMENT"
ANCHOR OF THE BUSCHBECK LINE
NEAR DOWDALL'S TAVERN
BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE
MAY 2, 1863
Back inscription:
590 PRESENT FOR DUTY
240 KILLED, WOUNDED AND CAPTURED
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE REGIMENT
BY ITS DESCENDANTS
MAY 1996
Dowdall's Tavern was the HQ of the 11th Corps commander, Gen. Oliver Howard. It stood in the field near the monument, but no longer exists.
The monument is located on the side of eastbound Germanna Hwy/Rt. 3* west of Fredericksburg.
*Waymark note: Rt. 3 can be a busy highway. There is no pull-off or easy access to the monument. This is a rare instance where a drive-by photo/visit may be preferable and safer.
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