Alfred Neafie
Papers, 1852-1947

SC22855

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Biographical Note:

Alfred Neafie was born in Walden, New York, on 8 January 1832, the fourth child of Cornelius and Rhoda Lynn Neafie. The Neafie family later removed to Ellenville, New York, to establish a cotton mill.  At the age of 19, Alfred Neafie made a well-documented journey from New York around South America's Cape Horn to California where he spent a two years prospecting for gold.  Returning home in 1854, he remained in Ellenville until the out break of the Civil War. He helped raise a militia comprised mostly of troops from Ulster County, New York, that was later organized in the Union Army as the 156th New York Regiment of Infantry. This regiment, known as the Mountain Legion, was involved in campaigns and battles at Port Hudson, Louisiana, Fisher's Hill, Winchester, and Cedar Creek, Virginia. Towards the end of the war and shortly thereafter, Neafie served as chief of Major General Couvier Grover's staff at Savannah, Georgia. During this time, he received, on behalf of General Grover, the surrender of Jefferson Davis. Neafie mustered in as a captain, was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and later was brevetted to colonel, and then brigadier general. After mustering out of service Neafie returned to Ellenville to work in the glass factory which was operated by his father-in-law, A. B. Preston.  During the 1870s, Neafie was part of a group of investors that reorganized the Ulster Knife Company. In 1879, he moved to Goshen, New York, where he conducted a successful real estate and insurance business. Neafie died in 1917.  He was married to Anne Preston, who bore three daughters, Jessie, Alice, and Ethel.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Alfred Neafie consist chiefly of materials related to his military service during the Civil War and his post-war endeavors to chronicle the history of the 156th New York Infantry Regiment. Included are many letters addressed his wife, Anne Preston Neafie, that provide details of his activities and experiences in the war. Of particular interest are the letter containing a  detailed account and a sketch map of the siege of Port Hudson in July 1863 and the letters and supporting documents related to his work as part of a military commission asked to provide information concerning a man on trial who was offered a million dollars to kill Lincoln. Neafie's papers relative to the history of the 156th Regiment include a chronology of battles and skirmishes, notes and writings on the regimental flag and song, and a printed story on the Battle of Cedar Creek.

These papers also include Neafie's detailed diary of his voyage from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn in the spring and summer of 1852, and in letters sent to his family discussing his subsequent adventures in California prospecting for gold. Neafie's post-war business ventures are documented, too, particularly his involvement with the Ellenville Glass Works and the Ulster Knife Company.     

Provenance Note:

This gift of papers related to the life and career of Alfred Neafie also included several three-dimensional artifacts that were transferred to the New York State Museum.  Also, broadsides and other printed materials found in these papers were removed and catalogued separately as part of the library's holdings.  Complete information regarding materials separated from the papers as well as the custodial history of the collection is found in the accession file.

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