1861
July 24th - Colonel Henry Moore received authority from the War Department to recruit a regiment of infantry.
July 27th - Colonel Wesley Merritt with the Imperial Zouaves, an incomplete organization, recruited under authority from War Department formed its nucleus. The Forty-seventh New York, also known as the Washington Grays, had been recruited, primarily in New York City and Brooklyn,and a few men came from Dutchess County. between July and September 1861. Following its muster into Federal service, the regiment was sent to the vicinity of Washington, where it remained in camp for several months. Soon, however, the New Yorkers were transferred to the South Carolina coastal islands, recently captured by a Union expedition under General Thomas W. Sherman.
September 14th - The State authorities gave it its numerical designation "47th", and it was, on the same day, mustered into service with six hundred and ninety-nine officers and enlisted men, in East New York.
September 19th - The Unit left the State for Annapolis, Maryland. And served in Viele's, 1st, Brigade, T.W. Sherman's Expeditionary Corps.
(For most of the next two years the 47th served in the Carolina's.)
November 7th / 8th - Reconnaissance on to Hilton Head, S.C.
October 21st / November 7th - Expedition to Port Royal, S.C.
November 7th - Capture of Forts Wagner and Beauregard, Port Royal Harbor, S.C.
November 7th / 8th - Reconnaissance on to Hilton Head, S.C.
1862
(The Grays remained in South Carolina throughout 1862 and 1863)
January 1st - Action, Port Royal Ferry, Coosaw River, S.C.
February 6th - Reconnaissance to the Wright River, S.C.
February 11th / April 11th - Siege operations against Fort Pulaski, Ga.
April 10th / 11th - Bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski,Ga.
June 1st / 28th - Expedition to James Island, S.C.
June 10th - Action on James Island.
June 16th - Battle of Secessionville
June 28th / July 7th - Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head, S. C.
December - Hilton Head, S. C.
1863
Till April - Hilton Head, S. C.
July 18th / September 7th - Siege operations against Forts Wagner and Gregg, Morris Island, S.C.
August 17th / 23rd - Bombardment of Fort Sumter and Charleston, S.C.
Till December - Operations against Charleston, S.C. and duty on Folly Island, S. C.
1864
Till February - Hilton Head, S. C.
February 5th / 7th - Expedition to Jacksonville, Florida.
February 7th - Occupation of Jacksonville, Florida.
February 7th / 22nd - Expedition into Central Florida. At the time of the Florida expedition, the unit was considered a veteran regiment.
February 20th - Battle of Olustee (Ocean Pond), Florida At Olustee the Forty-seventh, along with the rest of Barton's Brigade, was in the heaviest of the fighting, losing 313 men, the highest total of any Union regiment.
March 10th - Occupation of Palatka, Florida.
April - Duty at Jacksonville, Florida.
April 22nd / 28th - Moved to Gloucester Point, Va
May 4th / 28th - Butler's Operations on the South Side of the James River and against Petersburg and Richmond, Va.
May 7th - Action on Port Walthall Junction, Chester Station, Richmond & Petersburg, Va.
May 12th / 14th - Operations against Proctor's Creek and Fort Darling, Va.
May 14th / 16th - Battle of Drury's Bluff, Va.
May 16th / 28th - Operations on the Bermuda Hundred Front, Va.
May 28th / June 1st - Moved to White House, thence to Cold Harbor, Va.
June 1st / 12th - Battles about Cold Harbor.
June 15th / 18th - Moved to Petersburg, Va.
June 16th to December 7th - Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond, Va
August 13th / 20th - Demonstrations on north side of James River, Va.
August 14th / 18th - Engagements at Strawberry Plains, Fussell's Mills, Bailey's Creek, Deep Run, Charles City Cross Roads, New Market Road, White's Tavern, Four Mile Creek and Deep Bottom, Va.
September 29th / 30th - Engagements at Chaffin's Farm, Fort Harrison, Fort Gilmer, New Market Heights and Laurel Hill, Va.
October 27th / 28th - Engagement, Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road near Richmond, Va.
December 7th / 25th - Expedition from Fort Monroe, Va. to Fort Fisher, N.C.
1865
January 3rd / 15th - Second expedition from Fort Monroe, Va. to Fort Fisher, N.C.
January 15th - Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, N.C.
February 11th / 12th - Cape Fear entrenchments, N.C.
February 11th - Action near Sugar Loaf Battery, N.C.
February 18th / 20th - Action and capture of Fort Anderson, N.C.
February 22nd - Capture of Wilmington, N.C.
March 1st / April 26th - Campaign of the Carolinas.
March 6th / 21st - Advance on Kingston and Goldsborough, N.C.
April 9th / 14th - Advance on Raleigh, N.C.
April 26th - Surrender, Bennett's House, Durham Station, N.C.
April / August - Surrender of Johnston and his army. Duty at Raleigh and in the Dept. of N.C.
August 30th - Mustered out
Like almost all Civil War units the Forty-Seventh New York Infantry was often known by an alternate designation derived from the name of its commanding officer, the Forty-Seventh's were:
Henry Moore's Infantry
James L. Fraser's Infantry
Christopher R. Macdonald's Infantry
Pierre C. Kane's Infantry
George B. Van Brunt's Infantry
Albert B. Nicholson's Infantry
Joseph M. McDonald's Infantry
Daniel Lloyd's Infantry
David A. Allen's Infantry
Edward Eddy, Jr.'s Infantry
Frank A. Butt's Infantry
In addition to those names, the regiment was sometimes know by its nickname, or local designation "The Washington Grays"