The Communities of New York and the Civil War: The Recruiting Areas of the New York Civil War Regiments

Compiled by C. E. DORNBUSCH from Phisterer's New York in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865. Published by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, 1962. Used with permission.

The Communities of New York and the Civil War: The Recruiting Areas of New York Civil War Regiments is a basic listing of the geographic areas in which New York State’s Civil War regiments and Artillery: batteries were raised. This list is arranged by county. Under each county, its cities, townships and villages are listed alphabetically. The number after each community is its 1860 population as reported by the 1860 Federal census.

Each community’s contribution to New York State’s regiments and Artillery: batteries is reported by arm of service in the following order: Artillery: , Cavalry, Engineers, Infantry and Mounted Rifles.

The numbers following the arm of service identify the regiments or batteries, and the letters the companies. For instance, “Artillery: 7LM” indicates companies L and M of the 7th Regiment of Artillery: . Union infantry regiments were composed of 10 companies, while heavy Artillery: and cavalry regiments generally each had 12 companies. The companies were lettered in alphabetical order, A-K or A-M, with the letter “J” omitted. (The letter “J” was omitted as it looked too much like the letter “I” when handwritten). A dash linking two company letters indicates that the intervening letters are included. An (M) indicates a New York National Guard regiment.

You can find the city by choosing the appropriate County. If you are unsure what county the city is in you can use this City Index.

Albany Oneida
Allegany Onondaga
Broome Ontario
Cattaraugus Orange
Cayuga Orleans
Chautauqua Oswego
Chemung Otsego
Chenango Putnam
Clinton Queens
Columbia Rensselaer
Cortland Richmond (Staten Island)
Delaware Rockland
Dutchess Saint Lawrence
Erie Saratoga
Essex Schenectady
Franklin Schoharie
Fulton Schuyler
Genesee Seneca
Greene Steuben
Hamilton Suffolk
Herkimer Sullivan
Jefferson Tioga
Kings Tompkins
Lewis Ulster
Livingston Warren
Long Island Washington
Madison Wayne
Monroe Westchester
Montgomery Wyoming
New York Yates
Niagara  
Indian Reservations  
From outside the State