The Forgotten Regiment of Delaware County

While most Civil War regiments faced localized battles, the 144th New York Infantry famously spent their service defending the vital supply routes of the South Carolina coast rather than fighting on the front lines in Virginia.

Known as the Delaware County Regiment, these soldiers were tasked with the monotonous but critical job of occupying captured territory. They played a major role in the bombardment of Charleston, one of the most significant naval campaigns of the war. Their service proved that the Union effort required as many guards as it did field combatants to maintain control of the Atlantic seaboard. It is a rare glimpse into the logistical backbone that sustained the Union Army.