Overview
The 23rd New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) was a Union cavalry regiment from New York State during the American Civil War. The regiment was never fully organized; only two companies were raised, drawing recruits from New York City, Lancaster, Tonawanda, Aurora, Leroy, Colden, Pavilion, Bethany, Newstead, and Chicktawauga. These companies served in the Department of North Carolina and were known as the “Mix Cavalry.”
This unit served on the Union side and was attached to the 22nd Corps before being assigned to the 12th New York Cavalry in North Carolina. The companies were mustered into service between January and May 1863 for a three-year term.
Organization & Service
The 23rd New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) began organizing in early 1863, but the regiment was never completed. Only two companies were formed, under the command of Captains Emory Cummings and Alfred Spann. These companies were mustered into United States service between January and May 1863.
After organization, the companies departed New York for the Department of North Carolina, where they were attached to the 22nd Corps and subsequently to the 12th New York Cavalry. The companies served in North Carolina for the remainder of their term. On July 22, 1865, both companies were mustered out at Raleigh, North Carolina. The incomplete regiment was commonly referred to as the “Mix Cavalry.”
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
The two companies of the 23rd New York Cavalry served in the Department of North Carolina. Specific engagements or campaigns involving these companies are not detailed in available primary sources.
Casualties
- Enlisted men died of disease, accident, and other causes: 14
No further breakdown of casualties is available in primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Captain Emory Cummings
- Captain Alfred Spann
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 23rd New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service), including the names and details of enlisted men and officers in the two companies, is available for genealogical and historical research.
To view the complete roster, please visit the 23rd New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- New York State Adjutant General’s Report, Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1894, Vol. 4, pp. 1602–1603
- Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I