Research


Scope and Content Note

This series consists of bound volumes of abstracts of muster rolls of New York National Guardsmen who were mustered into federal service during the Mexican Punitive Campaign.

The governor, designated by all New York State Constitutions as commander-in-chief of the State's armed forces, was authorized to appoint an adjutant general by the constitutions of 1821 and 1846 to supervise the militia and all military establishments of the State. In 1862 (Chapter 477) the organized militia was officially designated as the National Guard of the State of New York. These records were created by the Adjutant General's Office to document the military service of individual members of the New York State National Guard who served in what is known as the Mexican Border Campaign of 1916.

Each abstract consists of one page, with printed headings and manuscript information grouped under three sections. The first section contains: name; age; date of enlistment or commission; home station (e.g. Peekskill, N.Y. or Buffalo, N.Y.); date mustered into federal service; grade; and company and regiment.

The second section contains information on how, when, and in what grade the individual left the organization and an explanation for the departure (e.g. transferred or mustered out). This section is sometimes blank.

Information in the third section is frequently brief and sometimes not supplied. It includes remarks (e.g. dates of promotions, absences, sicknesses, character, fines, courts-martial, confinements to guard house or hospital, furloughs, forfeitures of pay, case numbers, dates of enlistments, and dates of expired enlistments); age; physical description (height, complexion, eyes, hair); place of birth; occupation; residence; marital status; and name, relationship, and address of next of kin.