A new monument to a Civil War regiment, the 111th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, was unveiled on August 22, 2026 in Lyons, N.Y.. This is officially the newest monument I have in this collection, at least until another monument is unveiled. Many of you know that there have been several new monuments completed over the last fifteen years since the start of the 150th Anniversary was commemorated beginning in 2011. If you know of any others that are planned, let me know on the Facebook page.
The monument is in Lyons Central Park, which has been the focus of the town’s celebrations for the last century and a half. The memorial is entitled “True Valor at Gettysburg” and it is designed to show three soldiers of the 111th New York fighting at that battle. Unfortunately, when it was unveiled in August, only one of the statues was completed. Luckily, it was mounted on the completed base. Hopefully the other two statues will be installed later this year.
The regiment was raised in Wayne County, of which Lyons is the county seat, as well as Cayuga County and two neighboring counties. Organized in 1862, the regiment was sent to Washington. In August of 1862 the regiment was assigned to Col. Dixon Miles command at Harper’s Ferry where the Union units surrendered during the Antietam Campaign. Like other regiments surrendered there, they were called the “Cowards of Harper’s Ferry.” A successful charge at the Wheatfield in Gettysburg changed how they were regarded.
At the start of the Battle of Gettysburg there were 390 in the ranks. Those who died numbered 58, wounded 177, missing 14, total casualties were 249. Throughout the war, the 111th suffered among the highest rate of casualties in the whole Union army.
On July 2, 1863 the 111th Regiment was part of Willard’s Brigade of the II Corps at the Wheatfield in Gettysburg. Seeing an attempt by the Confederates to outflank Willard, General Winfield Scott Hancock rode over to the 111th and ordered it “…to the right in great haste, to charge the rebel advance, which had broken through our lines on the right of the Third Brigade and had advanced between 20 and 30 rods beyond our lines, and was in the act of turning the right flank of the brigade.” At great cost in lives, the 111th did so and pushed the Confederates back. As they charged, the men of the 111th called out “Harper’s Ferry Cowards.”
When the other two statues are installed, this will be what it will look like:
The monument was created by Gary Casteel, the well-known Civil War sculptor of Gettysburg. It focuses on the color bearers of the regiment who were, one after another killed or mortally wounded during the charge. Two of the figures are still at the foundry and will be installed this Fall. Above is a sketch of the planned monument: The delay was caused by flooding near the foundry site in West Virginia.
Wayne County lies along Lake Ontario in the north. It was only settled by people of European background in 1789 when Revolutionary War veterans were given land in the county as a repayment for their service. The land had belonged to the Seneca and Cayuga Native American nations, but they were pushed out in the years following the Revolution. Wayne grew when the Erie Canal was opened. By the time of the Civil War, 47,700 people lived in the county.
In 1861, when the Civil War began, the Wayne Democratic Press on April 17, 1861 announced that the leaders of the Confederacy wanted to form two nations, “one slave and the other free.” The local newspapers referred to the adherents of the Confederacy as “Traitors.” Many of the clergy in the county called openly for men to join the army to keep the nation from breaking apart.
Reverend McHarg of Lyons told his congregation that he did not believe in the new doctrine that slavery was a divine institution. He said that treason should be dealt with by firmness and that Northerners should not respect slavery.
Nearly every village in the county had town halls where the people passed resolutions condemning the attack on Fort Sumter, criticizing the Rebels for not respecting the outcome of elections, and expressing extreme concern for the cutting off of Washington from the rest of the Union.
Young men responded by forming locally based companies, or placing existing militia companies like the Lyons Light Guard at the disposal of the Federal government. The Lyons company was the first unit from Wayne County to head for the theatre of war. Companies were then raised at Newark, Palmyra, and Clyde. Several men from Wayne County also joined companies being formed in Rochester and Cayuga County. By the Fall of 1861, county leaders began organizing a Wayne County regiment.
The principal at the school in Lyons put out a call to arms saying “all to whom human rights are dear will welcome us with extended arms…those who have fallen for the rights of man…how does posterity sing their praises…”
On July 19, 1862, Wayne County was permitted to raise the 111th New York Infantry. It left New York on August 21, 1862 and was promptly moved to Harper’s Ferry after the defeat at the Second Bull Run. It, along with the whole Union forces at Harper’s Ferry, was surrendered a short while later. The 111th’s men were then paroled, and were placed in a parole camp at Camp Douglas, Chicago. In December 1862 the 111th was exchanged, allowing the regiment to fight battles again.
The monument’s base shows an involved history of the 111 New York Regiment with each battle inscribed into the base of it. It is across from older monuments to those who served in the Spanish American War, World War I and II, and other more modern wars.
The sculpture does an excellent job of rendering the clothes and accoutrements of the soldier.
In the front of the monument is the first base marker. It tells about the surrender at Harper’s Ferry and the time the unit spent at Camp Douglas waiting to be exchanged.
After the war, the Wayne County veterans organized six posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, the largest Civil War veterans organization in the North. In 1881 the posts formed the Wayne County Veteran Soldiers and Sailors Association. The first veterans encampment was held in Lyons in 1883 and the next year the encampment at Sodus on Lake Ontario attracted 10,000 people.
After the 111th was exchanged, it participated in the “Defense of Washington” in which six men died of disease and one man deserted. Next is the well-known part the regiment played at Gettysburg.
After the Battle of Gettysburg, the regiment was engaged in pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Bristoe Station saw the successful ambush by the Union II Corps of an attack by A.P. Hill on the rearguard of the Army of the Potomac.
Then there were the severe losses during the Overland Campaign. Sixty-three men were killed during the Battle of the Wilderness.
A week later, the regiment was at Spotsylvania where it suffered much less severely.
In spite of heavy losses, Ulysses S. Grant continued to pursue Robert E. Lee.
Many of these battles are not well-known by the public, yet each loss rendered a family without its soldier boy.
One of the worst battles of the Civil War was fought north of Richmond at Cold Harbor.
After the Army of the Potomac reached Richmond, it then fought battles for the control of Petersburg where railroads carried supplies to Robert E. Lee.
Some of the losses are recorded under the “Siege of Petersburg” while others are listed as individual battles.
Reams Station saw a successful attack by the Confederates on Gen. Hancock’s II Corps near Petersburg while Hancock’s men were tearing up railroad tracks.
The Union forces successfully defeated the Confederates at Sutherland Station, leading to Robert E. Lee abandoning Richmond.
The monument is attractive and it offers a lot of information about the regiment. In addition to the deaths in the regiment, it also tells you where men deserted, were wounded, or were captured, which I very rarely see on monuments.
There is a monument to the regiment at Gettysburg.
There are three flags from the unit at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga. Here is the guidon as taken by the museum:
If you are hungry, at the edge of the park is a tavern called Smoke N’ Griddle. They have fresh bar-b-que as well as standard pub fare. Because the tavern is only an hour from Buffalo, the wings are very good.
There is a bar, which offers full dining.
There are also a dozen tables for lunch or dinner. The tavern is open every day except Monday beginning at 11 AM. It is located at 32 William St. in Lyons.
Note: All color photos in this post were taken by Patrick Young except as noted.
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Sources:
Military History of Wayne County N.Y. The County in the Civil War by Lewis H. Clark published by Lewis H. Clark, et all in Sodus, N.Y. (1883)
