8th Regiment, New York Cavalry

Brief History
The 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry mustered in November 23, 1861 and mustered out June 27, 1865.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 8th Regiment Cavalry "Rochester Regiment", (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 Monroe County, Yates County, and Ontario County.

Company B – Principally recruited in Monroe County and Livingston County.

Company C – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Tioga County, and Wayne County.

Company D – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Wayne County, and Ontario County.

Company E – Principally recruited in Monroe County and Niagara County.

Company F – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Oswego County, Orleans County, and Tioga County.

Company G – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Ontario County, Seneca County, and Cayuga County.

Company H – Principally recruited in Monroe County and Genesee County.

Company I – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Clinton County, Oneida County, and Wayne County. 2nd Company I – Principally recruited in Erie County and Cayuga County.

Company K – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Genesee County, and Chenango County.

2nd Company K – Principally recruited in Monroe County. 3rd Company K – Principally recruited in Niagara County, Ontario County, Monroe County, and Erie County and New York City;

Company L – Principally recruited in Monroe County. 2nd Company L – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Cayuga County, Chemung County, Ontario County, Erie County, Broome County, Niagara County, Oswego County, and Onondaga County.

Company M – Principally recruited in Monroe County, Cayuga County, Chemung County, Ontario County, Erie County, Broome County,Niagara County, Oswego County, and Onondaga 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)


 * 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 citing Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912).


 * Norton, Henry. Deeds of daring, or, History of the Eighth N.Y. Volunteer Cavalry : containing a complete record of the battles, skirmishes, marches, etc., that the gallant Eighth New York Cavalry participated in, from its organization in November, 1861, to the close of the rebellion in. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) and (Washington [District of Columbia] : Library of Congress, Photo duplication Service, 1975)


 * Norton, Henry.A sketch of the 8th N.Y. Cavalry : unwritten history of the rebellion. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)


 * 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,


 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. New York Department (Rochester, New York). History of Monroe (New York) soldiery, 1861-1865. (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994)


 * 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,