New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865 (Phisterer)

Color portrait of Frederick Phisterer in a military uniform.
Frederick Phisterer (from Volume 1)

New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865 (third edition): This six-volume set, compiled by Frederick Phisterer, provides detailed information on various aspects of New York State's role in the Civil War and is an important resource for conducting research into New York State regiments during the Civil War.  Each regimental history in this set includes information on when and where a regiment was recruited, the names of its officers, the battles in which the regiment participated, and the casualties suffered.

The six digital volumes match the physical volumes. The Table of Contents below indicates in which volume(s) each section can be found.

  • Introductory materials [Volume 1]
  • Part 1 - In the State [Volume 1]
  • Part 2 - In the Field. A list of battles and engagements in which NY regiments participated, and the casualties suffered. [Volume 1]
  • Part 3 - Roll of Honor. A list of brevet commissions, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and officers who died in service. [Volume 1]
  • Part 4 - Registers and Sketches of Organizations. "The names and a concise record of the officers" of each regiment.
    • Militia and National Guard [Volume 1]
    • N.Y. Volunteer Troops
      • Brigades [Volume 1]
      • Regiments, Battalions, etc.
        • Cavalry [Volume 1, Volume 2]
        • Artillery [Volume 2]
        • Engineers [Volume 2]
        • Sharpshooters [Volume 2]
        • Infantry [Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4]
    • Organizations not completed or not accepted [Volume 4]
    • U.S. Colored Troops [Volume 4]
    • United States veteran reserve corps and veteran volunteers [Volume 4]
    • General and staff officers [Volume 4]
    • United States volunteers and volunteer navy [Volume 4]
    • United States regular army, regular navy and marine corps [Volume 4]
  • Appendices [Volume 5]
  • Indices [Volume 6]
    • Index of Synonyms (pages 9-22),
    • Index of Battles (pages 25-43),
    • Index of Subjects (pages 47-64)
    • Index of Names (pages 67-376)

Illustrations:

  • Colonel Frederick Phisterer - Volume 1, virtual page 1
  • Bombardment of Fort Sumter - Volume 1, virtual page 328
  • Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac - Volume 2, virtual page 2
  • General George B. McClellan - Volume 2, virtual page 373
  • Battle of Fredericksburg - Volume 3, virtual page 1
  • Rear Admiral Porter's Flotilla - Volume 3, virtual page 72
  • Battle of Gettysburg - Volume 3, virtual page 290
  • Storming of Missionary Ridge - Volume 4, virtual page 1
  • Battle of Atlanta - Volume 4, virtual page 196
  • General Philip H. Sheridan - Volume 5, virtual page 1
  • Surrender of General Lee - Volume 5, virtual page 94

Searching for Individuals

If you are looking for an individual, it's usually best to start with the names index in Volume 6.

Note: New York in the War of the Rebellion lists only officers. However, the Registers of New York Regiments in the War of the Rebellion from the Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York (1893-1905) have supplementary volumes that contain registers of both officers and enlisted men for each NY volunteer regiment or battery.

Searching for Regiments

If you are looking for a regiment or other military unit, you can start with the appropriate section (cavalry, infantry, etc.) of the "Registers and Sketches of Organizations." Also check the Index of Subjects in Volume 6, since the unit may have been mentioned in multiple places.

If you only have a regimental nickname (Irish Regiment, Howe's Rifles, Troy Regiment, etc.), use the Index of Synonyms in Volume 6 to first find the official name of the unit.

Last Updated: September 19, 2022