New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1861 to 1865. The collection consists of Union service records of soldiers who served in the 1st New York Volunteer Engineers. The records include abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found in the following original records: • 2 For each military unit the service records are arranged alphabetically by the soldier's surname. The Military Unit field may also display the surname range (A-G) as found on the microfilm. This collection is a part of RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s - 1917, and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M2004. Index courtesy of fold3 (previously Footnote.com).

Service records were kept for each soldier. Those records, or their abstracts, were compiled into individual files. Each envelope/jacket contains information and cross references to original records relating to the soldier. Service record files which usually include the following:
 * A jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, his rank, and the unit in which he served
 * A card (or cards) with abstracts of entries from original muster rolls, returns, rosters, payrolls, appointment books, hospital registers, parole rolls, and inspection reports
 * The originals of any papers relating only to the particular soldier

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Jacket name
 * Soldier’s full name
 * Rank, company and regiment
 * Year(s) of service
 * Age (often estimated)
 * Military unit in which he served
 * Remarks regarding transfers, reassignments and desertions
 * Type of records in file
 * NARA publication number, title, and roll number

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the solider
 * The regiment in which the soldier served

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Town clerks' registers of men who served in the Civil War, ca. 1865-1867
 * Rolls of volunteers for Civil War, New York City, New York, 1863-1865
 * New York County. Substitute Committee, Substitute soldiers records, 1863-1864
 * Richard A. Wilt, New York soldiers in the Civil War : a roster of military officers and soldiers who served in New York Regiments in the Civil War as listed in the annual reports of the Adjutant General of the state of New York. 2 volumes. Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, Inc., c1999. FHL 974.7 M2wiL
 * C. E. Dornbusch, comp. The communities of New York and the Civil War : the recruiting areas of the New York Civil War regiments New York, New York : New York Public Library, 1962 FHL 974.7 M2dce

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865
 * United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Frederick Phisterer, New York in the war of the rebellion, 1861 to 1865 6 volumes, Albany, New York : J.B. Lyon Co. State Printers, 1912

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.