Hudson and the Union Army

A week from Thursday, on November 9, Carl Whitbeck will be giving a talk titled "The 128th NY Regiment and Columbia County Contributions to the Union Army." The event takes place, in person only, at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Hudson Area Library. It is free and open to the public.

Colonel David S. Cowles

The 128th New York Infantry Regiment was a volunteer regiment from Columbia and Dutchess counties during the American Civil War. Formed in Hudson on September 5, 1862, by Colonel David S. Cowles, the regiment fought at the battle of Port Hudson in Louisiana and was part of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Over the course of the war, many of the regiment died or were taken prisoner and sent to the infamous Confederate Libby Prison. Colonel Cowles, who fought bravely with his men at Port Hudson, died in battle, along with many of his men. His remains, as well as others from the regiment, were repatriated to Hudson and were buried in a section of the Hudson City Cemetery dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic. 

Whitbeck, a local resident whose family has deep roots in the area, has long been a student of the 128th Regiment and has donated many historical documents of the regiment’s history and the Civil War to the Columbia County Historical Society. He will be sharing his research with us in this special talk.

As part of this special evening, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will be displaying the restored battle flag of the 128th Regiment.