Civil War Service Abstracts

Abstracts of muster rolls of NYS Volunteer Units that served during the Civil War (Series 13775) are available on self-service microfilm.  The Archives does NOT have original muster rolls.  

Content varies, but abstracts generally provide: enlistment date; age; place of enlistment and for how long; date mustered in; grade; company; regiment; date left organization; reason for leaving (killed, discharged, deserted, etc.); in what grade; and "remarks."

"Remarks" may or may not include service details (reduced to private, deserted, temporarily assigned to special duty, etc.).  Sometimes, but not always, physical descriptors (height, eye color) are present.  Names of soldiers’ parents or spouses are not present.

Offsite researchers may print out and mail in a War Service Records Request Form to purchase a photocopy of an abstract. In addition, New York State residents may access the muster roll abstracts online through Ancestry.com New York.