Services Performed by the Invalid Corps – 11th Regiment

These posts are part of a larger series highlighting the contributions and accomplishments of the Invalid Corps/Veteran Reserve Corps during the Civil War. This post only captures some of the activities of individual regiments. Clearly, this is an area ripe for additional research.

11th Regiment

Organized at Elmira, N.Y., October 10, 1863, by consolidation of the 177th, 178th, 179th, 180th, 193rd, 213th, 214th, 215th, 218th and 219th Companies, 1st Battalion. Mustered out by detachments June 29 to November 23, 1865.

Commenced the official year in charge of rebel prisoners at Point Lookout, Md. Duties severe; men on guard every other day, and sometimes oftener; in shelter tents during part of the winter; weather unusually cold. Every day the regiment guarded hundreds of prisoners who were kept at work on the wharves and fortifications. Three companies guarded the shores of the Potomac and its light-houses, a portion of the men being used as mounted scouts and patrols; this detachment captured 50 blockade-running boats, 50 smugglers, 2 officers, and 1 man of Mosby’s command and a large number of Federal deserters. The garrison of Point Lookout at one time numbered only 650 men to guard 22,000 rebel prisoners. Between 18,000 and 20,000 prisoners were escorted to other posts by detachments of this regiment. Since the breaking up of the prison camp the Eleventh has performed guard and patrol duty at Washington and various other points in the Eastern States.

Reference:

The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies – https://archive.org/details/warrebellionaco17offigoog/page/n576