New York State Bureau of Records of the War of the Rebellion Abstracts of Muster Rolls of Veteran Reserve Corps Troops from New…

Alphabetical by last name.

Laws of 1887 (Chapters 51, 247) 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 the 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."

Although the exact date of the collation of these records is unknown, they were probably produced between 1887 and 1907, 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.

The Veteran Reserve Corps was created on April 28, 1863 by General Order #105 issued by Acting Adjutant General Edward D. Townsend. Originally the Veteran Reserve Corps was called the Invalid Corps of the United States Army until March 18, 1864 when the name was officially changed to the Veteran Reserve Corps. This organization was composed of men unfit for regular duty in the field but who were healthy enough to perform prison guard, hospital, and military police duties. By carrying out these assignments, the federal government was able to release healthy men previously charged with these tasks for active field duty where replacements were needed. For a detailed account describing the history and duties of the Veteran Reserve Corps researchers should consult Gary L. Todd's "An Invalid Corps" which appeared in the December, 1985 issue of Civil War Times Illustrated. (A copy of this article is available at the Archives.)

This series consists of unbound printed abstracts which describe the military service of New York men who served in the Veteran Reserve Corps.

Individual abstracts provide the following information for each corps member: 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, deserted, etc.); in what grade; and explanation (usually cites place mustered out and authorizing general order). The abstracts also contain a section entitled "remarks" which usually provides information on the soldier's military service prior to being mustered into the Veteran Reserve Corps. Many of the abstracts contain categories providing physical descriptions of the man (eye and hair color, complexion, height, and age) but these are almost always never completed.

Microfilm is available at the New York State Archives.

Microfilm: 1 reel; 35 mm.

Collation date ca. 1887-1907.

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