Research


New York State Bureau of Military Statistics Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Military or Naval Service During the Civil War


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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:
In 1863, the State Legislature mandated that the Bureau of Military Statistics collect and preserve an "authentic sketch of every person from this State who has volunteered into the service of the general government" since April 15, 1861. The six volumes that comprise this series were compiled in partial fullment of that directive. The volumes contain both military and civil information on New York men mustered into federal military or naval service during the Civil War.
Creator:
Title:
Registers of officers and enlisted men mustered into federal military or naval service during the Civil War
Quantity:

4.2 cubic feet

Quantity:

6 volume(s)

Inclusive Dates:
1861-1865
Series Number:
A0389

Arrangement

This series is organized into three subseries: 1. Volunteers Now in Service; 2. Volunteers Who Have Been in Service; 3. Volunteers Who Have Died While in Service. Within each subseries, arrangement is alphabetical by county, then alphabetical by city, town, or village, then numeric by ward number within cities. Some information on Rensselaer County is found at the very beginning of Volume 3 with the bulk found in its proper alphabetical slot later in that volume.

Administrative History

The Bureau of Military Statistics was originally established within the Adjutant General's Office pursuant to Special Order No. 866 issued on December 20, 1862 by the Adjutant General. The legislature recognized this action by appropriating $6000 in order to allow the bureau to fulfill its mandated duties as defined in Chapter 113 of the Laws of 1863. Chief among these included the collection and preservation of an "authentic sketch of every person from this State who has volunteered into the service of the general government" since April 15, 1861. The volumes that comprise this series were compiled in partial fullment of that directive.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of six folio sized volumes providing both military and civil information on New York men mustered into federal military or naval service during the Civil War. Much of the information contained in this series was compiled from questionnaires mailed by the bureau to the soldiers themselves, friends, relatives, medical officers in charge of United States hospitals, and local officials. This data collection process was most likely carried out sometime between 1863 and 1867. The data was then arranged into three categories: 1) New York Volunteers in Service; 2) New York Volunteers Formerly In Service; and 3) New York Volunteers, Deceased. These categories constitute the three subseries into which the series is arranged.

Alternate Formats Available

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.

Items Online

High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

The entire series is digitized (from microfilm) and is available to New York State residents for free on Ancestry.com New York. You must sign up for a free account to access these records without a paid subscription. To learn more, go to How to Use Ancestry.com New York

Ancestry.com

Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Service, 1861-1865 on Ancestry.com

New York State Archives Digital Collections

Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Military or Naval Service During the Civil War in Digital Collections

Related Material

13774Series 13774 New York State Adjutant General's Office Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War contains related records.

13775 New York State Adjutant General's Office Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts contains related records.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this series.

Access Terms

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

Detailed Description

Subseries 1: Volunteers Now in Service

Physical Description:
2.1 cubic feet (3 volumes)

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries contains information on soldiers who were still in federal service when the data was collected. The precise title of this subseries is "Return of Officers and Enlisted Men Who Are Now in the Military or Naval Service." Information provided includes: name, age, and color; place of birth; marital status; trade or occupation; voter and citizenship status; literacy; regiment first entered; date originally entered service; length of first enlistment; first rank; promotions and transfers; re-enlistment; length of unexpired term as of June 1, 1865; present regiment and rank; whether or not drafted; substitute or representative recruit; and remarks. The remarks usually refer to wounds received, resignation dates, mustering out dates, hospitalizations, desertions, or if incarcerated as a prisoner of war.

  

Contents Volume

Accretion: A0389-78
Albany County - Jefferson County 1
Kings County - Orleans County (pages 185-211) 2
Rensselaer County (pages 2-54); Orleans County (pages 212-412) - Queens County; Rensselaer County (pages 56-66) - Yates County 3

Subseries 2: Volunteers Who Have Been in Service

Physical Description:
1.4 cubic feet (2 volumes)

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries deals with soldiers who were formerly in federal service. The exact title of this subseries is "Return of Officers and Enlisted Men Who Have Been in the Military or Naval Service." Information provided includes: county and town (or city and ward number); name, age, and color; place of birth; marital status; trade or occupation; voting and citizenship status; literacy; regiment first entered; date originally entered service; first rank; promotions, transfers, etc.; months in service; manner in which separated from service (discharged on expiration of term, resigned, or otherwise); physical health (good or permanently impaired); loss of fingers (right or left hand); loss of hand (right or left); loss of arm (right or left); loss of foot (right or left); loss of leg (right or left); other wounds; and remarks. The remarks usually refer to reasons for discharge, where wounded or taken prisoner, place of imprisonment, or health problems.

  

Contents Box Volume Roll

Accretion: A0389-78
Albany County - Montgomery County 4 4 5
New York County - Yates County 5 5 5

Subseries 3: Volunteers Who Have Died While in Service

Physical Description:
0.7 cubic feet (1 volume)

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries pertains to soldiers who died while in federal service during the war. Its exact title is "Deaths of Officers and Enlisted Men Which Have Occured While in the Military or Naval Service of the United States, or From Wounds or Disease Acquired in Said Service since April 1861, Reported by the Families to Which the Deceased Belonged When at Home." This subseries provides the following: county, town, village, or city (and ward number); name; age at time of death; marital status; citizen or alien upon enlistment; date entered service; regiment first entered; original rank; regiment to which he belonged at the time of death; rank at time of death; status upon entering service (volunteer, drafted, substitute, representative, or colored); promotions while in service; date and place of death; manner of death (died after leaving service, died while a prisoner of war, killed in battle, died of wounds received in battle, killed by accident, died of accidental wounds, died of sickness acquired in service, died of sickness not acquired in service, and unknown); surviving friends (includes widows, parents, dependent parents, children, dependent sisters, and unknown); body sent to friends for burial; place of burial; and remarks. The remarks usually refer to a description of soldier's death, moral character, medals received, number of battles in which participated, date captured, etc.

  

Contents Box Volume Roll

Accretion: A0389-78
Albany County - Yates County 6 6 7