1st Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery

Brief History
The 1st Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery was organized at Auburn, New York and mustered in November 23, 1861. At the end of the war, the battery went to Washington, D. C., May 18-June 3, 1865 and had a Corps Review June 8th. The battery mustered out June 23, 1865.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Independent Battery Light Artillery, (accessed 1 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.

Thebattery was principally organized at Auburn in Cayuga County.

Regimental History and Roster

 * : the twenty-third anniversary of the battle, with a sketch of the battery from 1861-1865, by New York Artillery, Light. 1st Independent BatteryThe reunion of Cowan's Battery on the battle-field of Gettysburg, July 3rd, 1886, 1861-1865, Publisher [s.l. : s.n.], 1886, Online at:Internet Archive

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 Centerciting 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.


 * 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,