5th Regiment, New York Cavalry

Brief History
The 5th Regiment, New York Cavalry Regiment recruited at New York City as Ira Harris Cavalry. Designated Ira Harris Guard October 16, 1861, and 5th New York Cavalry November 14, 1861. The Companies mustered in as follows: "A" August 15, "B" August 21, "C" September 3, "D" October 1, "E" October 7, "F" September 21, "G" October 9, "H" October 28, "I," "K," "L" and "M" October 31, 1861 and mustered out July 19, 1865. .

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 5th Regiment Cavalry -"1st Ira Harris' Guard", (accessed 27 July 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.

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.


 * Beaudry, Louis Napoleon. Historic records of the Fifth New York Cavalry, First Ira Harris Guard : its organization, marches, raids, scouts, engagements and general services, during the rebellion of 1861-1865, with observations of the author by the way, giving sketches of the armies of the Potomac and of the Shenandoah, also interesting accounts of prison life and of the Secret Service. Complete lists of its officers and men. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) and Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988)


 * 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,


 * 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,