Regimental flag of the 5th New York Heavy Artillery

Regimental flag of the 5th New York Heavy Artillery

NPS

This unit was created from a consolidation of another unit called the Jackson Heavy, and the 5th New York was also called the 2nd Regiment Jackson Heavy. It was created in March of 1862. After garrison duty in New York and other cities, the regiment was broken up and distributed through the Union Army. Companies A and F fought in battles at and around Harper’s Ferry in late 1862. The regiment was reconstituted at Baltimore until February 1863, then it was reassigned piecemeal again. The 1st Battalion of the 5th New York fought with the Army of West Virginia, seeing action at New Market and Lynchburg. The 2nd Battalion fought in the Shenandoah valley as part of General Phillip Sheridan’s campaign, and the other regimental elements also saw service in that region. The regiments was mustered out of service in July 1865 after suffering 386 deaths of all causes during the war.

The flag used by the 5th New York Heavy Artillery generally fits the prescribed form for artillery regimental flags with one exception. The shield in the center in front of the crossed cannons is not an Army regulation decoration for an artillery flag. However, these non- standard designs were largely overlooked by the Army during the Civil War.