1st Regiment, New York Engineers

Brief History
This regiment was organized under Col. Edward W. Serrell at New York City and accepted by the State September 27, 1861. The regiment, commanded by Col. James F. Hall, was honorably discharged and mustered out by Companies A, C, G and I at Hilton Head, S. C., the other companies June 30, 1865, at Richmond, Virginia. The 1st Regiment Engineers was also know as "Serrell's Engineer's"; Engineer's And Artisans; New York Volunteer Corps of Engineers. Designated 1st Regiment of Engineers: June 30, 1865.

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" was organized in New York City

Company "B" was organized in New York City

Company "C" was organized in Athens, Hundon and Cooperstown, Newark County, New Jersey and in Pennsylvania

Company "D" was organized in New York City

Company "E" was organized in Kingstone, Pennsylvania; Newark County, New Jersey; Sing Sing, Poughkeepsie, New York City and Ulster County.

Company "F" was organized in New York City, New York County, Brooklyn, Rochester, Canandaigua and Newark, New Jersey.

Company "G" was organized in New York City, Canandaigua County and Otsego County.

Company "H" was organized in New York City. Also recruited men from New Jersey.

Company "I" was organized in New York City, Newburgh, Schuyler's Falls, Mooers Fork, Goshen, Saranac, Piermorat, Plattsburgh, Centreville and Ellenburgh.

Company "K" was orgainzed in New York City and New Jersey, at Newton, Dover, Paterson, Morristown, Stanhope and Rockaway

Company "L" was organized in New York City

Company "M" was orgainzed in New York City and Brooklyn, Tompkinsville, Kingston and Tarrytown

They mustered in by companies as follows:


 * Companies "A," "B," "C," "D" and "E" October 11, 1861.
 * Company "G" December 2, 1861.
 * Company "K" December 3, 1861.
 * Company "I" December 13, 1861.
 * Company "F" January, 1862.
 * Company "H" February 19, 1862.

Companies went into the field as follows:


 * Companies "A" to "E" left state for Annapolis, Maryland, October 2, 1861.
 * Companies "G," "I" and "K" left State for Port Royal, South Carolina, December 14, 1861.
 * Companies "F" and "H" left State for Port Royal, South Carolina, February, 1862
 * Companies "L" and "M" in the field April, 1864.

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.


 * Davenport, John I. Official documents relating to a "Chaplain's campaign (not) with General Butler,'but in New York. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)


 * 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. 


 * Hudson, Henry Norman; Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin). A chaplain's campaign with Gen. Butler and General Butler's campaign on the Hudson. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) and


 * New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Unit History Project : New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center 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,


 * United States. Army. New York Engineer Regiment, 1st. Roster of the First Regiment N.Y. Veteran Vol. Engineers' : mustered into the U.S. service, Oct. 10th, 1861, mustered out of the U.S. service, June 30th, 1865 (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)