179th Regiment, New York Infantry

Brief History
The 179th Regiment, New York Infantry was organized at Elmira, N. Y., and mustered in by Companies as follows: Company "A" April 5, "B" April 13, "C" April 23, "D" May 11, "E" May 16, "F" May 25, "G" July 20, "H" September 13, and "K" September 15, 1864. They mustered out at Alexandria, Va., June 8, 1865.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 179th Regiment Infantry, (accessed 22 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.

See the Regiment Roster, for listing of individuals, their company and their involvement.

Company A - principally recruited from Elmira, Chemung County; Lockport,Niagara County; and Buffalo, Erie County

Company B - principally recruited from Elmira, Chemung County

Company C - principally recruited from Italy, Yates County; Hornellsville, Cohocton, Steuben County; Tyrone, Reading, Schuyler County; Dix,Oneida County; Niagara, Royalton, Niagara County; Butternuts, Otsego County; Andover, Allegany County; and Batavia, Genesee County

Company D - principally recruited from Ellicottville, Portville, Freedom, Carrolton, Conewango, Hinsdale, Cattaraugus County; Dunkirk, Clymer, Chautauqua County; Buffalo, Erie County; Onondaga, Onondaga County

Company E - principally recruited from Buffalo, Erie County; Hopewell and Phelps, Ontario County

Company F - principally recruited from Buffalo and Jerusalem, Erie County; Benton, Middlesex, Potter, Milo,Yates County; Southport, Suffolk County; Hornellsville, Steuben County; Warsaw, Wyoming County

Company G - principally recruited from Elmira, Chemung County and Buffalo, Erie County

Company H - principally recruited from Elmira, Horseheads, Chemung County; Niagara, Niagara County; Hornellsville and Bradford, Steuben County; Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County; Amity, Orange County; Chemung, Big Flats, Chemung County; Dansville, Livingston County;

Company I - principally recruited from Ithaca, Newfield, Danby and Caroline, all of Tompkins County

Company K - principally recruited from Sanford, Tioga, Candor,Tioga County; Vestal, Union, and Port Crane, Broome County;

Regimental History and Roster

 * History of the 179th Regiment N. Y. S. V. Rebellion of 1861-65, by New York Infantry. 179th regt., 1864-1865, Publisher [Ithaca, N. Y., E. D. Norton, printer], 1900, 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.


 * 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, 179th. History of the 179th Regiment N.Y.S.V. : rebellion of 1861-65. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) and (Washington [District of Columbia] : Filmed by the Library of Congress Photoduplication Service, 1988)


 * 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 (accessed March 2011)


 * 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). (accessed May 2011)


 * Hawks, Steve. The Civil War in the East. Database. (accessed May 2011)