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New York State Adjutant General's Office Special Orders


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series consists of bound special orders issued by the Adjutant General and commanding officers of specific military units (usually divisions). Unlike general orders, which deal with the State's military system as a whole, special orders deal with specific units and individuals. The orders in this series also reflect the activities of State Militia, volunteer and National Guard units during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, World War II, and various catastrophes and disturbances.
Creator:
Title:
Adjutant General's Office special orders
Quantity:

93.3 cubic feet

Quantity:

343 volume(s)

Inclusive Dates:
1855-1975
Series Number:
14405

Arrangement

Chronological by year, then numerical by order number.

Administrative History

Chapter 25 of the Laws of 1786 required "that there shall be an adjutant general of the militia whose duty shall be to distribute all orders from the commander in chief..." In addition to this duty the statute outlined several other functions to be the responsibility of the adjutant general.

The special orders begin in 1855, and no prior special orders are known to exist. Special Orders are not to be confused with General Orders which are also issued through the Adjutant General's Office. General Orders deal with the State's military system as a whole whereas the special orders deal with specific units and individuals.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of bound special orders issued by the Adjutant General and commanding officers of specific military units (usually divisions).

14405-84: These special orders deal with numerous topics pertaining to New York State militia and later National Guard units between 1855 and 1946. Included are orders dealing with re-assignment of regiments to brigades and divisions; formation and assignment of companies (including names of commanding officers); revocation of previously issued special orders; promotions and demotions; issuance of arms, uniforms, equipment, and accoutrements to units and training institutions; courts martial and appeals; details for special occasions (e.g. Lincoln's funeral train arrival, capture of Richmond); territory from which volunteer regiments were to be recruited; inspection of troops; discharges; training exercises; transfer of personnel; issuance of regulations; and grants or suspension of leaves of absence. The orders also reflect the activities of State Militia, volunteer and National Guard units during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, World War II, and various catastrophes and disturbances. Boxes 1-83 consist of Special Orders, and boxes 84-115 consist of Special Orders, Headquarters, National Guard.

14405-85: These special orders date between 1861 and 1865 only and pertain mainly to the recruitment and enrollment of men into the volunteer army. In addition, these special orders were issued solely by the Adjutant General's Office whereas the special orders accessioned in 1984 were issued by this official as well as by regimental commanders and other state militia officers.

The special orders issued under General Order 13 deal mainly with the preliminary mustering in of individual companies organized in response to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers to serve for two years. These special orders usually provide order number; date of order; site where company assembled; names of men desired by the company for captain, lieutenant, and ensign; and name of officer detailed for the inspection and mustering of the company as well as supervising the election of the company's officers (these include captain, lieutenant, ensign, four sergeants, and four corporals).

Special orders issued under General Order 78 pertain to President Lincoln's second call for an additional 25,000 volunteers from New York State to serve for three years or during the war. Data contained in these special orders includes: unit number and/or synonym (sometimes); names of men nominated by the company for 1st lieutenant and captain; date of company's acceptance; and name of Commandant of Depot of Volunteers where company was mustered.

The special orders relating to General Orders 52 (1862); 20, 34, 110, 126 (1863); and 131 (1864) are essentially authorizations issued by the Adjutant General's Office to qualified individuals for the enrollment of volunteers. Special orders issued under General Order 52 provide number of order; date; name of person authorized to enroll volunteers; residence (city or county); term of enlistment for volunteers; and occasionally, name of unit to which person authorized to enroll volunteers will be attached. Special orders issued under General Order 126 contain the same information but always include the unit to which the enrolling office will be attached. Special orders issued under General Order 20, pertaining to the enrollment of volunteers already in the service or to enlistments (new recruits) for a term of three years or during the war, also contain the same information.

Special orders issued under General Order 34 pertain to the recruitment of companies for the infantry which were to be sent to regiments in the field that had less than the prescribed number of company organizations. These orders provide date and special order number; name of enrolling officer; residence (city or county); area in which authorized to recruit; number of days by which troops are to be recruited; and unit to which they are to be attached.

Alternate Formats Available

Items Online

Special orders relating to the progression of President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train through Albany have been digitized and are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

New York State Archives Digital Collections

Adjutant General's Office special orders, 1855-1975

Related Material

14403 General Orders

14404 Letter Orders and

A0172 Certificates of appointment and general and special orders, contain additional Adjutant General's orders.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Volume list.

Accretion 14405-84 has alphabetical name index at the fore of each volume.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.

Access Terms

Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
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Detailed Description

Dates Contents Box Folder

Accretion: 14405-84
1855 Orders 1-198 1
1855 G.O.'s 9B, A-E; Orders 199-200 1
1856 Orders 1-102 1
1857 Orders 1-83 1
1857 Orders 84-189 2
1858 Orders 1-168 2
1858 Orders 169-226 2
1859 Orders 1-206 2
1860 Orders 1-30 2
1858-1862 Discharges 3
1860 Orders 31-212 3
1861 Orders 8-147 3
1861 Orders 148-417 4
1861 Orders 418-587 4
1862 Orders 1-103 4
1862 Orders 104-344 5
1862 Orders 345-613 5
1862 Orders 614-898 6
1863 Orders 1-468 6
1863 Orders 469-722 7
1863 Orders 723-974 7
1863 Orders 975-1000 8
1864 Orders 1-238 8
1864 Orders 239-506 8
1864 Orders 507-669 9
1865 Orders 1-134 9
1865 Orders 133-471 9
1865 Orders 472-481 10
1866 Orders 1-235 10
1862-1867 Discharges 10
1866 Orders 236-374 11
1867 Orders 1-127 11
1867 Orders 127-365 11
1867 Orders 366-432 12
1868 Orders 1-178 12
1868 Orders 179-834 12
1869 Orders 1-83 12
1867-1869 Discharges 13
1869 Orders 84-183 13
1870 Orders 1-180 13
1869-1870 Discharges 14
1870 Orders 181-200 14
1871 Orders 1-117 14
1872 Orders 1-136 14
1871-1872 Discharges 15
1873 Orders 1-144 15
1874 Orders 1-143 15
1872-1873 Discharges 16
1874 Orders 144-164 17
1875 Orders 1-185 17
1876 Orders 1-79 17
1876 Orders 80-175 18
1877 Orders 1-155 18
1874-1877 Discharges 19
1877 Orders 156-164 20
1878 Orders 1-214 20
1878 Orders 215-242 and 36 1/2 21
1879 Orders 1-190 21
1877-1879 Returns 21
1879 Orders 191-232 22
1880 Orders 1-127 22
1880 Orders 128-249 23
1881 Orders 1-200 23
1882 Orders 1-163 24
1883 Orders 1-146 25
1884 Orders 1-143 26
1885 Orders 1-113 26
1886 Orders 1-100 27
1887 Orders 1-113 27
1888 Orders 1-132 28
1889 Orders 1-117 28
1890 Orders 1-119 29
1891 Orders 1-108 29
1892 Orders 1-117 30
1893 Orders 1-178 30
1894 Orders 1-190 31
1895 Orders 1-173 31
1896 Orders 1-189 32
1897 Orders 1-183 33
1898 Orders 1-94 34
1898 Orders 95-225 34
1899 Orders 1-56 35
1900 Orders 1-70 35
1901 Orders 1-77 35
1902 Orders 1-64 35
1903 Orders 1-98 36
1904 Orders 1-130 36
1905 Orders 1-137 36
1906 Orders 1-191 36
1907 Orders 1-175 37
1908 Orders 1-219 37
1909 Orders 1-231 38
1910 Orders 1-276 38
1911 Orders 1-280 39
1912 Orders 1-307 40
1913 Orders 1-263 41
1914 Orders 1-209 41
1915 Orders 1-222 42
1916 Orders 1-148 42
1916 Orders 148-277 43
1917 Orders 1-100 44
1917 Orders 101-175 45
1917 Orders 176-327 46
1917 Index 46
1918 Orders 1-159 and Index 47
1918 Orders 160-316 including G.C.M.O.'s 1-12 48
1919 Orders 1-162 49
1919 Orders 163-297 including G.C.M.O.'s 1-3 49
1919 Index 50
1920 Orders 1-152 50
1920 Orders 153-304 51
1920 Index 51
1921 Orders 1-152 52
1921 Orders 153-297 53
1921 Index 53
1922 Orders 1-151 54
1922 Orders 152-301 54
1922 Index 55
1923 Orders 1-298 55
1923 Index 56
1924 Orders 1-287 56
1924 Index 57
1925 Orders 1-299 57
1925 Index 58
1926 Orders 1-100 and Index 58
1926 Orders 101-294 59
1927 Orders 1-100 and Index 59
1927 Orders 101-296 60
1928 Orders 1-294 61
1929 Orders 1-298 62
1930 Orders 1-296 63
1931 Orders 1-300 64
1932 Orders 1-300 65
1933 Orders 1-295 66
1934 Orders 1-296 67
1935 Orders 1-294 68
1936 Orders 1-288 69
1937 Orders 1-285 70
1938 Orders 1-284 71
1939 Orders 1-278 72
1940 Orders 1-152 and Index 73
1940 Orders 153-307 74
1941 Orders 1-300 75
1942 Orders 1-151 and Index 76
1942 Orders 152-301 77
1943 Orders 1-99 and Index 78
1943 Orders 100-294 79
1944 Orders 1-98 and Index 80
1944 Orders 99-203 81
1945 Orders 1-261 and Index 82
1946 Orders 1-266 83
1898 Orders 1-145 84
1899 Orders 1-135 84
1900 Orders 1-177 84
1901 Orders 1-253 85
1902 Orders 1-374 86
1903 Orders 1-339 87
1904 Orders 1-369 88
1905 Orders 1-317 89
1906 Orders 1-335 90
1907 Orders 1-402 91
1908 Orders 1-421 92
1909 Orders 1-337 93
1910 Orders 1-433 94
1911 Orders 1-398 95
1912 Orders 1-507 96
1913 Orders 1-492 97
1914 Orders 1-679 98
1915 Orders 1-755 99
1916 Orders 1-791 100
1917 Orders 1-608 100
1917 27th and 6th Division S.O.'s 100
1916 Orders 1-232 (6th Division) 101
1917 Orders 1-108, 501-785; Orders 1-217 (27th Division) 101
Orders 1-217 (27th Division) 101
1917 Orders 1-41 (H.Q.) 102 149
1918 Orders 1-191 (H.Q.) 102
1919 Orders 1-145 (H.Q.) 102 150
1920 Orders 1-180 (H.Q.) 102 151
1921 Orders 1-196 (H.Q.) 103 152
1922 Orders 1-129 (H.Q.) 103 153
Orders 1-126 (27th Division) 103
1923 Orders 1-169 (H.Q.) 104 154
Orders 1-49 (27th Division) 104
1924 Orders 1-159 (H.Q.) 104 155
Orders 1-40 (27th Division) 104
1925 Orders 1-123 (H.Q.) 104 156
Orders 1-42 (27th Division) 104
1926 Orders 1-148 (H.Q.) 105 157
Orders 1-50 (27th Division) 105
1927 Orders 1-169 (H.Q.) 105 158
Orders 1-57 (27th Division) 105
1928 Orders 1-239 (H.Q.) 105 159
Orders 1-39 (27th Division) 105
1929 Orders 1-248 (H.Q.) 106 160
Orders 1-43 (27th Division) 106
1930 Orders 1-238 (H.Q.) 106 161
Orders 1-25 (27th Division) 106
1931 Orders 1-250 (H.Q.) 107 162
Orders 1-9 (27th Division) 107
1932 Orders 1-223 (H.Q.) 107 163
1933 Orders 1-224 (H.Q.) 108 164
Orders 1-6 (27th Division) 108
1934 Orders 1-220 (H.Q.) 108 165
1935 Orders 1-244 (H.Q.) 109 166
Orders 1-20 (27th Division) 109
1936 Orders 1-244 (H.Q.) 109 167
1937 Orders 1-229 (H.Q.) 110 168
1938 Orders 1-243 (H.Q.) 110 169
1939 Orders 1-219 (H.Q.) 111 170
1940 Orders 1-257 (H.Q.) 111 171
Orders 1-30 (27th Division) 111
1941 Orders 1-34 (H.Q.) 111
1940 Orders 1-5 (H.Q.) 112 172
1941 Orders 1-122 (H.Q.) 112
1942 Orders 1-166 (H.Q.) 112 173
1943 Orders 1-177 (H.Q.) 112 174
1944 Orders 1-168 (H.Q.) 113 175
1945 Orders 1-204 (H.Q.) 113 176
1946 Orders 1-190 (H.Q.) 113 177
1916 Orders 1-295 (Camp Whitman) 114 178
1916 Orders 1-124 (2nd Division) 114 179
1915-1917 Orders: Quartermaster Corps 114 180
Roster and Orders 114
1917-1920 Orders: Naval Militia 115 182
Special Orders 115