The Fourth Alabama Painting by Don Troiani

McCunn's Reserve Brigade

First Sergeant W Bird Jr.

First Sergeant W Bird Jr., Company I, 37th New York Infantry

Thirty-seventh New York Infantry

COLONEL J H MCCUNN
Acting brigadier general, commanding a reserve brigade, acting as support to the Army of Northeastern Virginia, on 21 July, 1861.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL J BURKE
Commanding the regiment as Colonel J H McCunn was commanding a reserve brigade on 21 July, 1861.

MAJOR D C MINTON

Company A: CAPT. G RIERDON
Company B: CAPT. J T MAGUIRE
Company C: CAPT. M DORAN
Company D: CAPT. F J MCHUGH
Company E: CAPT. J KAVANAGH
Company F: CAPT. D O'CONNER
Company G: CAPT. M MURPHY
Company H: CAPT. L G HARMON
Company I: CAPT. W T CLARK
Company K: CAPT. J W JOHNSTON
Captain E W Peckham was discharged on 6 June, 1861 and not mustered with the regiment.

Sources

"The positions of the army at this juncture were as follows: General Tyler's division lay between Germantown and Centreville, Colonel Hunter's at Fairfax, on its line of march to Centreville; Colonel Miles's at Braddock's Cross Roads, and Heintzelman's around Fairfax. In this latter division was the Thirty-seventh New York (Irish Rifles), which, though not actually engaged at the battle of Bull Run, performed good service during the retreat, in guarding the stores and ammunition accumulated at Fairfax Station."

The Irish brigade and its campaigns: with some account of the Corcoran Legion, and Sketches of the Principle Officers, by David Power Conyngham

"Two companies each of the First and Second Regiments had been detached for special duty, while the Third Regiment had been detached temporarily from the Brigade and with the Fourth New Jersey Militia and Colonel J. H. McCunn's New York Regiment formed a provisional brigade under the command of Colonel McCunn, were posted at fairfax Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, as a reseve, the Third Regiment advancing to Burke's Station to guard ammunition and stores."

History of the First brigade, New Jersey volunteers from 1861 to 1865, compiled under the authorisation of Kearny's First New Jersey Brigade Society, by Camille Baquet, Second Lieutenant, Company A, First Regiment New Jersey Volunteers

"The services of the regiment were as follows: It was in reserve at the first battle of Manassas, retiring in excellent order from Fairfax Station to Alexandria, and guarding the trains of commissary, ordnance and Quartermaster's stores. Not a man recrossed the bridge into Washington after that disastrous battle, the regiment encamping near Bailey's Cross Roads, on the old Leesburg Turnpike."

New York in the War of Rebellion, 1861–1865 (Volume 3), by Frederick Phisterer

Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, Eighty-ninth session, 1866, volume 4, Nos. 61 to 85 inclusive, by New York Legislature Assembly

Notes

The 37th New York Infantry was mustered in the service of the United States, at New York City, for two years, on 6 (Company A) and 7 June, 1861. The three years' men of the regiment were consolidated into two companies, and these transferred, on 29 May, 1863, to the 40th New York Infantry as Companies I and K. The regiment was mustered out at New York City, on 22 June, 1863.

The 37th New York Infantry arrived in Washington D. C. on 24 June, 1861, and moved in the first advance on Manassas Junction. The regiment was in reserve retiring in excellent order from Fairfax Station to Alexandria, and guarding the trains of commissary, ordnance and Quartermaster's stores. The 37th New York Infantry, the 3rd New Jersey Infantry and part of the 4th New Jersey State Militia were stationed at Fairfax Station in a provisional brigade under Acting Brigadier General J H McCunn. McCunn's brigade was acting as support to the Army of Northeastern Virginia on 21 July, 1861. On 22 July, 1861, the 37th New York Infantry was assigned to garrison duty at Fort Ellsworth and during the autumn and winter furnished fatigue parties for Fort Lyon and other fortifications.

The Military District of the Potomac was established on 25 July, 1861 by consolidating the Military District of Washington and the Department of Northeastern Virginia and redesignated the Department of the Potomac on 15 August, 1861. The 37th New York Infantry was assigned to Brigadier General D Hunter's brigade, Army of the Potomac, on 4 August 1861.