1st Regiment of New York Volunteers

1st Regiment of New York Volunteers, for service in California and during the war with Mexico, was raised in 1846 during the Mexican–American War by Jonathan D. Stevenson. Accepted by the United States Army in August 1846, the 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers was transported around Cape Horn to California, where it served as garrisons in Yerba Buena, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego. Elements of the Volunteers under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Stanton Burton were involved in operations of the Pacific Coast Campaign in Baja California, captured and garrisoned towns there, fighting in the Battle of La Paz, Siege of La Paz and defeated local forces at the Skirmish of Todos Santos after the peace was negotiated in 1848. The Regiment was then evacuated from Baja California and disbanded in California on August, September and October 1848.^[1]^[2]

History

It was originally formed as the 7th Regiment of New York Volunteers upon the request of President James K. Polk by New York State Legislator Jonathan D. Stevenson. Secretary of War William L. Marcy directed Stevenson that the regiment should be composed of unmarried men, of good habits and varied pursuits, and such as would be likely to remain in California or adjoining territory at the close of the war.

The New York Legion departed New York 27 September 1846 aboard five ships, including the Susan Drew, LooChoo, and Thos H Perkins. Arriving in San Francisco 19 March 1847, companies D, E, G, and I were transported by store-ship to the California Capital Monterey. From this post, companies of the regiment were deployed by ship to lower California where they participated in the battles of La Paz, and the final Skirmish of Todos Santos. It is said of Co. D "This Company was without doubt the last command of American troops to leave the soil of Mexico after the close of the Mexican War."^[3] During the regiments tour of service in California portions of the regiment were dispatched throughout California in search of Indian horse-thieves. Much of the 1st New York was disbanded in early 1848.

Many names

It was formed as the 7th Regiment New York Volunteers
and has been commonly referred to in New York as the California Guard or the California Regiment.
Since the 7th New York Volunteers was composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery the regiment was also called the New York Legion.
Finally, it was re-designated in early 1848 by the War Department as the 1st Regiment New York Volunteers, for service in California and during the war with Mexico, and is now also called the 1st New York Legion.
However, this fact was not well known outside of California and thus another regiment formed in New York by Colonel Ward B. Burnett at which point it served in Mexico as the 1st Regiment New York Volunteers during the war but was re-designated by the War Department as the 2nd Regiment of New York Volunteers, during the war with Mexico.

Field officers

Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson
Lt. Colonel Henry S. Burton, (1st Lt. U.S. 3rd Artillery Regiment)
Major James A. Hardie (2nd Lt., U.S. 3rd Artillery Regiment

Staff officers

Surgeon, Alexander Perry.
Asst. Surgeon, Robert Murray.
Asst. Surgeon, William C. Parker.
Captain William G. Marcy, Commissary.
Adjutants
- First Lieutenant Henry C. Matsell. (Relinquished staff position to command his Company B, March 1847.)
- First Lieutenant John C. Bonnycastle, (From March 22, 1847; appointed to U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment June 1848.)
- Captain Joseph L. Folsom, Asst. Quartermaster.

Non-commissioned staff

Sergeant-Major, Alexander C. McDonald.
Quarter-master Sergeant, Stephen Harris.
Quarter-master Sergeant, George G. Belt.
Quarter-master Sergeant, James C. Low.

Sutler's Department

Sutler, Samuel W. Haight.
Clerk, James C. L. Wadsworth.

Company A

Captain, Seymour G. Steele.
First Lieutenant, George S. Penrose. Acting commissary and quartermaster.
Second Lieutenant, Charles Benjamin Young
Second Lieutenant, George Francis Lemon, (Post Adjutant)
Sergeant, Sherman O. Houghton.
Sergeant, Walter Chipman.
Sergeant, Edward Irwin.

Company B

Captain, James M. Turner (did not go to California)
First Lieutenant, Henry C. Matsell, (Former Adjutant, commanded Company B from March 1847.)
Second Lieutenant, Thomas E. Ketchum
Second Lieutenant, E. Gould Buffum
Sergeant, James Stayton
Sergeant, Charles C. Scott.
Sergeant, John Wilt.
Sergeant, Charles Richardson.
Sergeant, James D. Denniston.

Company C

Captain, John E. Brackett (former 2nd Lt. U.S. 2nd Artillery Regiment)
First Lieutenant, William R. Tremells, (Acting adjutant—died at sea off Cape Horn.)
First Lieutenant, Thomas J. Roach.
Second Lieutenant, Theron R. Perlee.
Second Lieutenant, Charles C. Anderson, (died at San Francisco September 13, 1847).
Second Lieutenant, George D. Brewerton, (Appointed to U.S. 1st Infantry Regiment.
Sergeant, Edmund P. Crosby.
Sergeant, William Johnson.
Sergeant, George Robinson.
Corp, Cushing, ( d. 11 January 1848 Sonoma, CA, born Boston, MA)

Company D

Captain, Henry M. Naglee (former 2nd Lt. U.S. 5th Infantry Regiment)
First Lieutenant, George A. Pendleton.
Second Lieutenant, Hiram W. Theall.
Second Lieutenant, Joseph C. Morehead.
Sergeant, Aaron Lyons.
Sergeant, William Roach.
Sergeant, Henry J. Wilson.

Company E

Captain, Nelson Taylor.
First Lieutenant, Edwards Williams.
Second Lieutenant, William E. Cuttrell.
Second Lieutenant, Thomas L. Vermeule.
Sergeant, John M. O'Neil.
Sergeant, Henry S. Morton.
Sergeant, James Maneis.
Sergeant, Abraham Van Riper.
Walgamuth Henry J. (Alt Spelling) Wohlgemouth Henry J.

Company F

Captain, Francis J. Lippitt.
First Lieutenant, Henry Storrow Carnes.
Second Lieutenant, William H. Weirick.
Second Lieutenant, John M. Huddart.
Sergeant, James Queen.
Sergeant, Thomas Hipwood.
Sergeant, James Mulvey.
Sergeant, John C. Pulis.

Company G

Captain, Matthew R. Stevenson (2nd Lt. U.S. 7th Infantry Regiment)
Second Lieutenant, John McHenry Hollingsworth. (May 1847)
Second Lieutenant, Jeremiah Sherwood.
Second Lieutenant, William H. Smith.
Sergeant, Walter Taylor.
Sergeant, William B. Travers.
Sergeant, James Mehan.
Sergeant, John Connell.
Sergeant, George Jackson.

Company H

Captain, John B. Frisbie.
First Lieutenant, Edward Gilbert, (Acting adjutant)
Second Lieutenant, John S. Day.
Sergeant, Eleazer Frisbie.
Sergeant, William Grow.
Sergeant, Henry A. Schoolcraft.
Sergeant, James Winne.
Private, George N. Cornwell
Felix Wierzbicki

Company I

Captain, William E. Shannon.
First Lieutenant, Henry Magee.
Second Lieutenant, Palmer B. Hewlett.
Sergeant, Joseph Evans.
Sergeant, Joshua S. Vincent.
Sergeant, B. Logan.

Company K

Captain, Kimball H. Dimmick.
First Lieutenant, George C. Hubbard.
Second Lieutenant, John S. Norris.
Second Lieutenant, Roderick M. Morrison.
Sergeant, Jackson Sellers.

References

THE WORKS HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT, VOLUME XXII. HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA, Vol. V. 1846-1848, THE HISTORY COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO, 1886. pp. 499-518

[1] Captain Jim Balance, Stevenson's Regiment: First Regiment of New York Volunteers, The California Military Museum

[2] William Hugh Robarts, "Mexican War veterans : a complete roster of the regular and volunteer troops in the war between the United States and Mexico, from 1846 to 1848 ; the volunteers are arranged by states, alphabetically", BRENTANO'S, (A. S. WITHERBEE & CO , Proprietors,; WASHINGTON, D. C., 1887. pp.64-65)

[3] FRANCIS D. CLARK, The first regiment of New York volunteers, commanded by Col. Jonathan D. Stevenson, in the Mexican war. Names of the members of the regiment during its term of service in Upper and Lower California, 1847-1848, with a record of all known survivors on the 15th day of April, 1882, and those known to have deceased, with other matters of interest pertaining to the organization and service of the regiment, GEO. S. EVANS & Co., PRINTERS, 38 CORTLANDT STREET, New York, 1882. p. 32

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