Research

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of unbound printed abstracts which partially describe the military service of "colored" New York enlisted men who were mustered into service but never assigned to either a federal or state unit.

The designation "unassigned" refers to men who were located at various recruiting depots and stations when recruiting was ceased by the federal government; men who were permanently assigned duty at these depots and stations; and men who deserted at the depots or stations before being assigned to a unit or en route to their unit.

Individual abstracts provide the following information: name; date and place of enlistment; age (in years); length of enlistment; date mustered in; grade; place of birth; occupation; eye and hair color; complexion; height; and Congressional District number. The form also contains a section dealing with how each man left his organization, but since these men were never assigned to a unit, this section always appears blank. Finally, the form contains a section entitled "remarks." These remarks usually consist of notations stating that the man was drafted ("conscript"), a substitute (in many cases the name and residence of the man for whom he was a substitute is supplied), enlisted, or deserted. The vast majority of the remarks state that the man was a substitute.