138th Regiment, New York Infantry

Brief History
The 138th regiment was organized at Auburn, Cayuga County, and mustered in September 8, 1862. Designation of Regiment changed to 9th New York Heavy Artillery December 9, 1862. This unit was also known as the Second Auburn Regiment; Second Cayuga Regiment; and Wayne County Regiment. The unit was mustered in under Col. Joseph Welling. It was converted into an artillery regiment December 9, 1862, and designated, December 19th, 1862, the 9th Regiment of Artillery.

The New York State Military Museumwebsite has a unit history project page for the 138th Infantry Regiment and to the 9th Artillery which contains the history of the regiment.

The Civil War in the Eastwebsite gives a timeline for the involvement of 138th New York Infantry Regiment in the war.

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.

See the Regiment Roster, for listing of individuals, their company and their involvement.

Company A - principally recruited from Red Creek, Huron, Wolcott and South Butler, all of Wayne County

Company B - principally recruited from Williamson, Ontario and Walworth, all of Wayne County

Company C - principally recruited from Conquest, Cato and Victory, all of Cayuga County

Company D - principally recruited from Lyons, Sodus, Huron, Rose and Galen, all of Wayne County

Company E - principally recruited from Venice, Scipio, Auburn, Moravia, Miles, Summerhill, Fleming and Montezuma, all in Cayuga County

Company F - principally recruited from Auburn, Owasco, Aurelius,Sennett, Niles and Mentz, all in Cayuga County; Geneva, Ontario County; and Lansing, Tompkins County

Company G - principally recruited from Wolcott, Savannah, Butler, Huron and Rose, all in Wayne County; and Sterling, Cayuga County

Company H - principally recruited from Galen, Butler, Savannah, Rose, all in Wayne County; and Victory, Cayuga County

Company I - principally recruited from Auburn, Owasco and Sennett, each in Cayuga County

Company K - principally recruited from Clyde, Ira, Lyons, Wolcott, Galen, Williamson and Ontario, all in Wayne County

Company L - principally recruited in Albany County

Company M - principally recruited from Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Alexander, Darien and Oakfield, all in Genesee County

Source Material

 * 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.


 * Frederick Henry Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co., 1908), as cited at [[*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)


 * 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, FHL book 974.7 M2p, FHL film 1486494-1486496


 * 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, FHL book 973 M2ua


 * Roe, Alfred Seelye. The Ninth New York Heavy Artillery : a history of its organization, services in the defenses of Washington, marches, camps, battles, and muster-out, with accounts of life in a rebel prison, personal experiences, names and addresses of surviving members, personal sketches, and a complete roster of the regiment, Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America,1992 (originally published: Worcester, MA. : A. S. Roe, 1899). Internet Archive FHL book 974.7 M2ro and FHL fiche 6083594 (8 fiche)


 * McDowell, Charles, Nancy Wager McDowell and Lisa Saunders. Ever true : a Union private and his wife : Civil War letters of Private Charles McDowell, New York Ninth Heavy Artillery, Westminster, Md. : Heritage Books, 2005. Other libraries with this book (See author's websitewith some text from book and many additional bits of information and links.)


 * 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regimentarticle on Wikipedia gives a brief history of the unit, including places served, battles fought, and commanders.


 * The 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regimenthas an historical webpage and descendants association.