What Happened With the 87th New York's Officers When They Consolidated With the 40th New York?

When the 87th New York Infantry was absorbed into the 40th New York Infantry I was surprised to see that only the enlisted men became a part of the 40th.  Why were the 87th's officer not brought over as well.  I had seen somewhere else that the 87th's officers were discharged from the Army at that time.

Did something happen.  I know I've read in one place that the 87th was consolidated because of heavy losses.  Looking at their casualties, I can't see that they had that many enough to require consolidation.

So, what gives.

Just like Thomas Aumack's service and wounding/possible illness is a question, so is this.

What Happened?  --Old Secesh

40th New York Infantry-- Part 1: 'The Mozart Regiment' A Regiment of Three States

From Wikipedia.

Also known as the  "Mozart Regiment" and "Constitution Guard."

During the war, this regiment had the second highest number of casualties in the Union Army, only behind the famed 69th New York Infantry out of the Irish Brigade.

They were mustered in  to service at Yonkers, New York, on June 27, 1861, sponsored by the Union Defense Committee of New York City by special  authority of the War Department.  Originally the regiment  was to be raised as the United States Constitution Guard by Col. John S. Cocks of the 2nd New York, but that organization was not completed.

With additional sponsorship by the Mozart Hall Committee, it adopted the name Mozart Regiment.  despite being a New York regiment, only the original Constitution Guard group were New Yorkers.

The regiment was completed by taking four Massachusetts companies and two from Pennsylvania.

On September  6, 1862, the 40th New York absorbed the enlisted men of the 87th New York Infantry Regiment.  Thomas Aumack was in the 87th New York.

--Old Secesh

Thomas Aumack Most Likely Was Discharged from Service Because of Diarrhea

I came across this list of soldiers in the 87th New York Infantry at the dmna.ny.gov site.

THOMAS B. AUMACK

Age, 18 years.

Enlisted at Brooklyn to serve three years.

Mustered in as a private in Co. C, November 5, 1861.

Discharged for chronic diarrhoea, September 23, 1862, at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

This seems to be the best account of why Thomas Aumack was not with the 87th or 40th New York Infantry regiments at the Battle of Antietam.  He probably had contracted the diarrhea in August or early September which ended his Army career.

--Old Secesh

40th New York Infantry Regiment and It's Connection to Mozart Hall

No, it wasn't a dedication to any sort of classical music.

I went to several sources of information on the 40th New York Volunteer Infantry and found out it was called the Mozart Regiment because of sponsorship by the Mozart Hall Committee of New York.

Mozart Hall was what Canterbury Hall in New York City was sometimes called.  This building was home of entertainment, but it was also  a gathering place for anti-Tammany Hall forces in the city.

The building was three stories high and m 40 feet by 125 feet deep.  The concerts there were described as a bit bawdy.  Newspapers in the city described the place as having the "prettiest waiter girls in town" and "a nightly disgrace to Broadway and the adjacent streets

A suspicious fire entirely burned the  building in the early morning hours of March 24, 1861.  It began among stage scenery.  A fire marshal had an investigation and determined it was caused by an incendiary device.

Go figure.

Who did it.  Upstanding citizens alarmed by the edifice's seedy reputation or, perhaps even Tammany Hall?

What Do You Think?  --Old Secesh

87th New York Infantry-- Part 6: Why the Regiment Was Consolidated with the 40th New York

The Civil War in the East site says that the regiment lost one officer and 22 men killed or mortally wounded during the war and 26 enlisted men died of disease.

Due to heavy losses, the regiment was consolidated with the 40th New York Infantry Regiment.  The officers of the 87th were mustered out.  I find this a bit strange that the officers were mustered out.  Plus, figuring the regiment might well have had 1000 men, I did not find the casualties to be that high.

Not sure what happened here.

--Old Secesh