New York State Bureau of Records of the War of the Rebellion Abstracts of Muster Rolls of the 26th Regiment, U.S. Colored…

Alphabetical.

Laws of 1887 authorized the Adjutant General to "procure copies of all military records relating to New York volunteers in the war of the rebellion, not on file in his office, from the proper departments of the general government."

In addition, the Adjutant General was "to establish as part of his office a bureau of records of the war of rebellion, in which all records in his office relating to said war, and the records and relics of the bureau of military statistics shall be united and kept."

The 26th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops was organized at Riker's Island, New York harbor on February 27, 1864. The regiment's term of enlistment was three years. During its existence, the unit served in the Department of the East to March, 1864; the District of Beaufort, Department of the South to April, 1865; and at Port Royal, South Carolina until it was honorably discharged and mustered out on August 28, 1865.

This series consists of unbound printed abstracts describing the military service of New York men who served in the 26th Regiment, United States Colored Troops. Individual abstracts provide the following information: name; date and place of enlistment; age (in years); length of enlistment; date mustered in; grade; company and regiment; date left the organization; how (mustered out, discharged, deserted, etc.); in what grade; and explanation (usually left blank).

A section entitled "remarks" occasionally provides information concerning the payment of bounties, pre-service residence, or enlistment status (substitute). Finally, many of the abstracts contain physical descriptions of the men (eye and hair color, complexion, height, and age) as well as their place of birth and occupation.

Microform is available at the New York State Archives through interlibrary loan.

High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

13775 Civil War muster roll abstracts of New York State Volunteers, United States Sharpshooters, and United States Colored Troops contains records of the 20th and 31st U.S. Colored Troops.

A4143 Roster of Staff Officers and Enlisted Men of the 128th Regiment, New York Volunteers contains related records.

A4134 Historical notes on New York Volunteer regiments, contains related records.

An alphabetical name index, which includes New Yorkers who served in the 20th, 26th, and 31st U.S. Colored Troops, in New York State Volunteer units, and in the U.S. Sharpshooters, is available at the repository.

Collation date, circa 1887-1907.

Although the exact date of collation of these records is unknown, they were probably produced during the same period when the abstracts for men who served in New York Volunteer units, the United States Navy and Marine Corps, or State Militia were being compiled. According to annual reports submitted by the chief of the Bureau of Records of the War of the Rebellion to the Adjutant General, this was between 1887 and 1907. Furthermore, it is possible these abstracts should have been bound and included among the abstracts contained in series 13775, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts of New York State Volunteers, U.S. Sharpshooters, and U.S. Colored Troops. Series 13775 contains the abstracts of the 20th and 31st U.S. Colored Troops, which were the other two colored regiments in which New Yorkers served.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.