15th Regiment, New York Cavalry

Brief History
The 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry was organized at Syracuse, N. Y., and mustered in as follows: Companies "A," "B," "C" August 8; "D," "F," "G," August 26; "E" August 15; "H" September 5; "K" October 15; "I" November 30, 1863; "L" January 20, and "M" January 24, 1864. Left State for Washington, D. C. Companies "A" to "G" September, 1863. "H" and "K" October, 1863. "I" November, 1863, and "L" and "M" January, 1864. The regiment consolidated with 6th New York Cavalry June 17, 1865, to form 2nd Regiment Provisional Cavalry. .

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 15th Regiment Cavalry, (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.

Company A – Principally recruited in Onondaga County and Madison County.

Company B – Principally recruited in Onondaga County andOswego County Oswego County.

Company C – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, Ontario County, Wayne County, and Yates County.

Company D – Principally recruit in Onondaga County.

Company E – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, Genesee County, Niagara County, and  Monroe County.

Company F – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, Genesee County, Niagara County, and Monroe County.

Company G – Principally recruited in Onondaga County and Tompkins County.

Company H – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, and Tompkins County.

Company I – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, Oswego County, and Tompkins County.

Company K – Principally recruited in Onondaga County, Tompkins County,  and Oneida County.

Company L – Principally recruited in Chemung County, Sullivan County, Orange County, Allegany County, Chautauqua County and Suffolk County.

Company M – Principally recruited in Chemung County, Oneida County, Orange County, Clinton County and Ulster 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.


 * 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 Center 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.


 * Norton, Chauncey S. The red neck ties, or, History of the Fifteenth New York Volunteer Cavalry : containing a record of the battles, skirmishes, marches, etc., that the regiment participated in from its organization in August, 1863, to the time of its discharge in August 1865. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) and (Washington [District of Columbia] : Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1976),


 * 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,