55th Regiment, New York Infantry

Brief History
The 55th Regiment, New York Infantry was organized at New York City and mustered in August 28, 1861. Left State for Washington, D. C., August 31, 1861. Duty at Fort Gaines, Md., September and October, 1861. Attached to Peck's Brigade, Buell's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Army Corps, to December, 1862. The regiment consolidated with 38th New York Infantry as Companies "G," "H," "I" and "K" December 21, 1862.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 55th Regiment Infantry "Garde De Lafayette", (accessed 9 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 Yates County

Company B - principally recruited in Yates County

Company C - principally recruited in Seneca County

Company D - principally recruited in Ontario County

Company E - principally recruited in Ontario County (Geneva) and Monroe County (Rushmore)

Company F - principally recruited Ontario County and Seneca County

Company G - principally recruited in Ontario County, Seneca County and Yates County

Company H - principally recruited in Ontario County

Company I - principally recruited in Seneca County

Company K - principally recruited in Ontario_County,_New_York

The companies were recruited principally: A and B in Yates County; C and I in Seneca County; D, Hand K in Ontario County; E at Geneva County and Rushville County, F in Ontario County and Seneca County; and G in Ontario County, Seneca County and Yates 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.


 * 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, 


 * 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).


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


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