159th Regiment, New York Infantry


159th New York Infantry Regiment, Reunion Photo 1884

Brief History

The 159th regiment, also known as the 2nd Dutchess and Columbia Regiment", was Organized at New York City and mustered in November 1, 1862 under Colonel Homer A. Nelson, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward L. Molineux and Major Gilbert A. Draper. The regiment were mustered out at Augusta, Georgia, October 23, 1865. [1][2][3]

For more information on the history of this unit, see:

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin

Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived, though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. If you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - principally recruited from Hudson, Greenport, New Lebanon, Livingston, Claverack and Ghent, all in Columbia County

Company B - principally recruited from Brooklyn, Kings County

Company C - principally recruited from Hudson, Taghkanick, Copake, Stockport, Livingston, Gallatin, Claverack, Stuyvesant and Germantown, all in Columbia County

Company D - principally recruited from Brooklyn, Kings County; Hudson and Ghent in Columbia County; and Fishkill, Dutchess County

Company E - principally recruited from Ghent, Claverack, Hudson, Copake, Livingston, Hillsdale, Greenport, Stuyvesant and Taghkanick, all in Columbia County; and Fishkill, Dutchess County

Company F - principally recruited from Brooklyn, Kings County; and Brookhaven, Suffolk County

Company G - principally recruited from Hudson, Kinderhook, Claverack, Stockport, Ghent, Chatham, Taghkanick, and New Lebanon, all in Columbia County; and Fishkill and Poughkeepsie of Dutchess County

Company H - principally recruited from Brooklyn, Kings County

Company I - principally recruited from Hudson, Gallatin, Livingston, and Taghkanick, all in Columbia County; Poughkeepsie and Pleasant Valley of Dutchess County ; the second Company G at Hudson, Columbia County

Company K - principally recruited from Brooklyn, Kings County

Regimental History and Roster

  • History of the 159th Regiment, N.Y.S.V, by Edward Duffy. New York : [s.n], 1890. Online at: Internet Archive
  • Regiment Roster at New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center lists individuals, their company and their involvement.

Other Sources

  • Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘New York in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).
  • National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.
  • New York in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for New York, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.
  • United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.

References

  1. Frederick Henry Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co., 1908), as cited at Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System (database on-line) at https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm (accessed 2010).
  2. New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. "Unit History Project : 159th Infantry Regiment” in New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center at http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/159thInf/159thInfMain.htm (accessed 22 December 2010) citing Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912).
  3. Hawks, Steve.The Civil War in the East. Database. http://www.civilwarintheeast.com/USA/NY/NY159.php (accessed 22 December 2010)