51st Regiment, New York Infantry

Brief History
The 51st Regiment, New York Infantry was organized at New York City July 27 to October 23, 1861. Left State for Annapolis, Md., October 29. Attached to Reno's 2nd Brigade, Burnside's North Carolina Expeditionary Corps, to April, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Dept. of North Carolina, to July, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1863, Army of the Ohio to June, 1863, Army of the Tennessee to August, 1863, and Army of the Ohio, to September, 1863. District of North Central Kentucky, 1st Division, 23rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to February, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to May 26, 1864. Engineers, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, to July 2, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps, to July, 1865. The regiment mustered out July 25, 1865.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 51st Regiment Infantry "Shepard Rifles", (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.

This regiment was organized in New York City by the consolidation of the Scott and the Union Rifles with the Shepard Rifles.

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.


 * Fowler, Andrew L.Memoirs of the late Adjt. Andrew L. Fowler, of the 51st N.Y.V. : who fell at the battle of Antietam Bridge, September 17th, 1862. Comprising the funeral discourse, preached by the Rev. Dr. S.D. Burchard of the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church, N.Y. Letters of condolence by friends of the family, and abstracts of letters written by the Adjt. to his parents and friends. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)


 * 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).


 * 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, 


 * United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 51st (1861-1865). Quarter-century banquet of the 51st Regiment N.Y. Volunteers (Shepard Rifles) : 29th October, 1886. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)