Source:New York, United States. New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900

Original data: Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts of New York State Volunteers, United States Sharpshooters, and United States Colored Troops [ca. 1861-1900]. (microfilm, 1185 rolls). Albany, New York: New York State Archives.

About New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900

(copied from website page)

This collection contains abstracts compiled from original muster rolls for New York State infantry units involved in the Civil War. The records have personal enlistment information and military service, as well as regiment engagements. The personal record and unit information makes the collection valuable to anyone with New York ancestors in the Civil War era.

A New York state law passed in 1863 required a record be made and preserved with pertinent information of every New Yorker who had volunteered for service. In 1876, New York authorized funds to copy the muster-out rolls, which is where this collection came from. It consists of 395 volumes and contains 550,000 records, which are contained on microfilm housed in the New York State Archives.

The beginning of each regiment record has information on the regiment including the commanding officers. In a few of the abstracts, a detailed history of the unit also appears. The abstracts are printed forms, which were completed by hand, so the regiment’s information will have to be browsed for or searched by regiment. Records may contain:

• Name
• Date of enlistment
• Age
• Place of enlistment
• Grade
• Company
• Regiment
• Reason for leaving
• Promotions
• Participation in engagements
• Wounds
• Physical appearance