Overview
The 1st New York Dragoons (originally organized as the 130th New York Infantry) served as a Union cavalry regiment during the American Civil War. Raised primarily from Allegany, Livingston, and Wyoming counties, the regiment was organized at Portage, New York, and mustered into United States service on September 2, 1862, for a three-year term. Initially serving as infantry, the unit was converted to mounted service in mid-1863 and became known as the 1st New York Dragoons. The regiment was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, for the duration of its mounted service and participated in numerous major campaigns and engagements in the Eastern Theater.
The 1st New York Dragoons earned distinction for discipline and combat effectiveness, suffering heavy losses in several actions. Three members—Corporal Chester B. Bowen, Commissary Sergeant Andrew J. Lorish, and Lieutenant William M. Winegar—received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action.
Organization & Service
The regiment was organized at Portage, New York, in the summer of 1862 as the 130th New York Infantry, with companies recruited from Allegany, Livingston, and Wyoming counties. It was mustered into service on September 2, 1862, and left the state on September 6, 1862. The unit served as infantry at Suffolk, Virginia, and with Keyes’ Corps on the Virginia Peninsula.
On July 28, 1863, the regiment was transferred to the mounted service. It was briefly designated the 19th New York Cavalry on August 11, 1863, but this was changed to the 1st New York Dragoons on September 10, 1863. Under the command of Colonel Alfred Gibbs, an experienced cavalry officer, the regiment was drilled in cavalry tactics and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac. Its first engagement as dragoons occurred near Manassas Junction in October 1863.
Throughout 1864, the regiment participated in the Overland Campaign, including the Battle of Todd’s Tavern in the Wilderness, where it suffered the heaviest loss of any cavalry regiment in a single action during the war. The Dragoons took part in Sheridan’s raid to the James River in May 1864, fought at Cold Harbor, and were heavily engaged at Trevilian Station. The regiment continued to serve with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley and was present during the Appomattox Campaign. The 1st New York Dragoons was mustered out and discharged under Colonel Thomas J. Thorp on June 30, 1865, at Cloud’s Mills, Virginia, after participating in approximately 65 battles and skirmishes.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Suffolk, Virginia (as 130th Infantry)
- Peninsula Campaign (Keyes’ Corps)
- Manassas Junction (October 1863)
- Overland Campaign (including Wilderness, Todd’s Tavern, May 1864)
- Sheridan’s Raid to the James River (May 1864)
- Cold Harbor (June 1864)
- Trevilian Station (June 1864)
- Shenandoah Valley Campaigns (1864)
- Appomattox Campaign (March–April 1865)
- Numerous skirmishes and minor engagements (totaling approximately 65 actions)
Casualties
- Killed or mortally wounded: 4 officers, 127 enlisted men
- Died of disease, accident, in prison, etc.: 1 officer, 142 enlisted men
- Total deaths: 274
The regiment’s loss in killed and mortally wounded was exceeded by only five cavalry regiments in the Union Army.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Alfred Gibbs
- Colonel Thomas J. Thorp
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Thorp
- Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Scott
- Major Rufus Scott
- Major Jacob W. Knapp
- Major Howard M. Smith
Key Medal of Honor recipients: Corporal Chester B. Bowen, Commissary Sergeant Andrew J. Lorish, Lieutenant William M. Winegar.
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 1st New York Dragoons, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. The roster provides details on each member’s rank, company, and service record.
To view the complete roster, visit the 1st New York Dragoons Regimental Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes 27, 33, 36, 40, 46
- New York State Adjutant General’s Report, Annual Reports for 1862–1865
- Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- Regimental histories and contemporary wartime reports