1st Battalion, New York Sharpshooters

Brief History
Major W. S. Rowland received, October 10, 1862, authority from the War Department to recruit a regiment of sharpshooters in the States of New York and Pennsylvania; the regimental organization failed and only a battalion was recruited, which was finally organized consisted of four companies, the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th;

The 1st Battalion, New York Sharpshooters mustered in by companies. It mustered out 6th, 7th and 8th Companies July 10, 1865, 9th Company August 5, 1863.

The New York State Military Museum website has a unit history project page for the 1st Battalion, New York Sharpshooters.

The Civil War in the East website gives a timeline for the involvement of 1st New York Battalion Sharpshooters 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.

The regimental organization failed and only a battalion was recruited, which consisted of four companies, the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th.

6th Company - Flank Company, 108th N. Y. Volunteers: This company was organized and recruited at Rochester, under Capt. Abijah C. Gray and principally recruited from Ulster County.

7th Company- Company L, 112th N. Y. Volunteers: This company, Capt. Joseph S. Arnold, was organized at Jamestown. It was recruited principally at Ellicott, Kiantone, Busti, Ellington, Ellery, Carroll and Jamestown and principally recruited from Chautauqua County. The company was commanded by Capt. Clinton Perry.

8th Company - This company was recruited by Capt. Edward G. Robison, at Buffalo, Hudson and Chatham; the men enlisted by Lieut. M. P. Pierce, at Buffalo, Hanover and Aurora and principally recruited from Erie County.

9th Company - Recruited by Capt. Thomas S. Bradley, at Albany, Hudson, Canaan, Hinsdale and New Lebanon, and organized at Camp New Dorp, S. I. and principally recruited from Albany County.

10th Company - Capt. Charles M. White, was originally intended for a service of nine months, and organized January 13, 1863; April 21, 1863, the term of service was changed to three years; the company was, however, not completed, and the men enlisted were, June 9, 1863, transferred to the 9th Company, the Enfants Perdus. and the 178th N. Y. Volunteers. The officers recruiting for the company were Lieuts. Ernest Blackmere and Frank A. Tease.

The following information is from Civil War in the East and the New York Museum and Veterans Center.

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.


 * Bennett, John. No Word of Them: First Battalion New York Sharpshooters, 1862-1865. (S.l.) : lulu.com, ©2007. This book gives histories of each company.


 * 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).


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


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


 * 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,