Presented by Daniel R. Weinfeld

This engaging presentation tells the story of the men who served in the 6th New York Heavy Artillery, known as The Westchester Regiment.

In the summer of 1862, with the Union war effort faltering, President Lincoln called for “300,000 more” volunteers. New York State organized its recruiting regionally, with Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties uniting to enlist 1,400 men. Initially organized as infantry, the unit was redesignated as the 6th New York Heavy Artillery and posted to Baltimore and Harpers Ferry.

Known to its men as “Big Six,” the regiment spent its first ten months on guard duty before being transferred to the Army of the Potomac after Gettysburg. Under the youthful command of Col. John Howard Kitching, the regiment saw its first combat in May 1864 with Gen. G.K. Warren’s 5th Corps, enduring months of fierce fighting that culminated in the breakthrough at Petersburg in April 1865.

Drawing from soldiers’ own words, the talk will highlight:

• Ambitious but inexperienced officers

• Young men seeking adventure

• Older volunteers concerned for families back home

• Westchester County’s complex attitudes toward the war’s aims

Though largely forgotten today, Big Six’s service reflected both strong commitment to Union victory and the era’s ambivalence toward emancipation and civil rights for Black Americans. After 34 months, the veterans returned home, leading community organizations and holding reunions for decades.

About the Speaker:
Daniel R. Weinfeld is an attorney in Hartsdale, NY, and the author of The Jackson County War: Reconstruction and Resistance in Post-Civil War Florida and editor of After War Times: An African American Childhood in Reconstruction-Era Florida. His work has appeared in the Florida Historical Quarterly and Southern Jewish History. He serves on the Board of the Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters and co-directs the Dan Sickles Civil War Roundtable.

Contact: danweinfeld@gmail.com