1st Regiment, New York State Militia

Brief History
The Legislature by act approved April 16, 1861, authorized the organization of thirty-eight regiments of volunteer militia for a service of two years. These organizations were eventually all accepted by the United States government, although objections were raised, first that men were wanted for three months only and later that men were wanted for three years. The officers of these thirty-eight regiments were, under the Militia Laws of the State these regiments were referred to as "Militia" (and after April 1862 as National Guard).

The armed and uniformed portion of the militia of the State was, at the breaking out of the war, known as the "Militia" An act of the Legislature, approved April 23, 1862, changed this designation to "National Guard," which is still the designation of the armed, uniformed and organized military force of the State. 

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.

Regimental History and Roster

 * History of Company F, 1st regiment, R.I. volunteers, during the spring and summer of 1861. By Charles H. Clarke. Newport, R.I. : B.W. Pearce, 1891. Online at: Internet Archive

Source Material

 * 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,