21st Regiment, New York Cavalry

Brief History
The 21st Regiment, New York Cavalry was organized at Troy, N. Y., and mustered in by Companies as follows: "A," "B," "C" and "D" August 28, 1868; "E" September 1, 1863; "F" September 18, 1863; "G" October 14, 1863; "H" October 15, 1863; "I" October 16, 1863; "K" November, and "L" December, 1863; "M" January, 1864. The regiment mustered out at Denver, Colo. Company "B" June 23, Company F" June 26, Company "G" June 29, Company "C" July 3, Company "E" July 5, Company "D" July 7 and Company "A" August 31, 1866..

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 21st Regiment Cavalry "Griswold Light Cavalry", (accessed 1 August 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County.

Company B – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County, Tompkins County, Chemung County and Oswego County.

Company C – Principally recruited in MonroeCounty and Rensselaer County.

Company D – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County and Oswego County.

Company E – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County.

Company F – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County and Albany County.

Company G – Principally recruited in Monroe County and Rensselaer County.

Company H – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County.

Company I – Principally recruited in Rensselaer County.

Company K – Principally recruited in Monroe County and Rensselaer County.

Company L – Principally recruited in Monroe County.

Company M – Principally recruited in Tompkins County.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘New York in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * New York in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for New York, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Bonnell, John C. Sabres in the Shenandoah : the 21st New York Cavalry, 1863-1866. (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania : Burd Street Press, c1996),


 * Frederick Henry Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co., 1908), as cited at Civil War Soldiers; Sailors System (database on-line)


 * Hawks, Steve.The Civil War in the East. Database.


 * New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs."Unit History Project : New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center citing Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912).


 * Phisterer, Frederick. New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865. Albany, New York : J.B. Lyon, 1912. Google Books, other libraries with this book,


 * Reed, Thomas J. (Thomas James). Tibbit's boys : a history of the 21st New York Cavalry. (New York, New York : University Press of America, c1997),


 * The Union Army;: a History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861-65, Records of the Regiments in the Union Army, Cyclopedia of Battles, Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers, (Reprint of original published: Madison, WI.: Federal Pub. Co., 1908). Other libraries with this book,