New York State Adjutant General's Office Abstracts of Muster Rolls for National Guard and Naval Militia Units Mustered into…

Numerical by unit number and therein alphabetical by name.

The Spanish-American War was waged between Spain and the United States in the spring and summer of 1898. The major consequences of the defeat of Spain were the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, and the Mariana Islands. American victory made the United States a colonial power with political interests in Far Eastern affairs. The United States also annexed the Republic of Hawaii as a territory before the peace treaty was signed.

The governor, designated by all New York constitutions as commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces, was authorized to appoint an adjutant general by constitutions of 1821 and 1846 to supervise the militia and all military establishments of the state. In 1862 (Chapter 477) the organized militia was officially designated as the National Guard of the State of New York.

Additional information relating to the role and activities of the New York State National Guard in the Spanish American War can be found in The Annual Report of Adjutant General of the State of New York For The Year 1898, Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Company, Albany, 1899 (available at the New York State Library).

These records were created by the Adjutant General's Office to document the military service of individual members of the New York State National Guard and Naval Militia who served in the Spanish-American War. Each abstract consists of one page, with printed headings and manuscript information grouped under three sections. The first section contains information about the individual's enlistment and includes: name; age; date of enlistment; place of enlistment; duration of enlistment; date mustered into federal service; place mustered into federal service; grade; and company and regiment.

The second section contains information on how, when, and at what grade the individual left the organization and an explanation for the departure. Information in the third section is frequently brief and sometimes not completed. It includes: remarks (e.g., commissions, promotions, dates of absences, sicknesses, death, character, fines, court-martials, confinements to guard house or hospital, furlough, forfeitures of pay, and issues of clothing); age in years; physical description (height, complexion, eyes, hair); place of birth; occupation; residence; marital status; and name and address of next of kin.

Sources of some data elements are indicated in the margin by the initials "M.I.R." for Mustering In Report, "M.R." for Muster Report, and "M.O.R." for Mustering Out Report. Dates of some reports are sometimes included. Some abstracts have additional documents attached such as special discharge, transfer or travel orders. Letters postdating the original entry which affect later corrections (such as rank or spelling of name) to the individual's records are also sometimes attached.

B0809Series B0809, Abstracts of Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and China Relief Expedition military and naval service, and

B0636Series B0636, Register of payments made to Spanish-American War volunteers, contain related records.

Index to New York in the Spanish-American War, a three-volume set issued as part of the Adjutant General's 1900 Annual Report, contains unit information for the soldiers found in this series.

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