76th New York State Volunteers
"The Cortland Regiment"

The Seventy-Sixth Regiment, New York State Volunteers, was raised from the small towns and farms of central New York State. During its three years of existence it fought with the Army of the Potomac in most of the battles in the eastern theater of the war, from Fredericksburg to Petersburg. At the Battle of Gettysburg, the 76th was "first on the field", at the right flank of the entire army, and suffered terrible casualties as a result. The men of the regiment were mustered out or transferred to other regiments between July 1864 and January 1865, at which point the regiment ceased to exist.

About the 76th New York - entries from Fox's Losses,
Dyer's Compendium and Phisterer's New York in the War of Rebellion

76th NY Monument at Gettysburg

Articles and Other Material about the 76th New York

19th/early 20th Century Material

Letters from the 76th New York - pages of letters from soldiers in the 76th New York. This page also links to individual biographies of soldiers from the 76^th and other source material.
"Grip’s" Historical Souvenir of Cortland - articles on the 76^th New York and the Major Grover GAR Post
"The Departure of the Regiment from Cortland" - article from the Cortland Gazette and Banner, reporting the departure of the 76th New York from Camp Campbell in Cortland.
"The Departure of the Otsego Regiment" - article from the Cherry Valley Gazette, reporting the departure of the Cherry Valley companies, en route to join the Cortland companies in Albany.
"The Departure of the Cortland Regiment" - an article from the Gazette and Banner reporting the departure of the 76th from Albany.
A Report on the Charges against Colonel Green - a letter to the Gazette and Banner from a non-soldier "regimental correspondent" H.D.C., regarding the charges which resulted in the removal of the regiment's first Colonel in June 1862.
"Washington Correspondence" from the Wyoming County Mirror June 4, 1862, describing the 76th NY's encounter with escaped slaves.
"Losses at Bull Run" - an article from the Gazette and Banner after the Battle of Bull Run/Manassas. Regimental Quartermaster Uberto Burnham also wrote an account of Second Bull Run.
Colonel Wainwrights's report on South Mountain, from the Official Reports of the Civil War.
"Uberto Burnham Remembers South Mountain" - an article he wrote in 1928
"The Color Bearer of the 76th Regiment" - another view of South Mountain.
Major Grover's death notice and an account of the recovery of Major Grover's body and the aftermath of the battle of Gettysburg by Charles P. Cole, editor of the Cortland Gazette and Banner. See also Uberto Burnham's comments on this article and the state of the regiment after Gettysburg.
An exchange of letters about a new flag for the 76th New York
Cortland County in the Civil War Draft - an extract from the Official Reports - report from a draft officer.
The Execution of Winslow Allen: A letter from Uberto Burnham on the execution of Winslow Allen. (also the account from the regimental history)
The 76th NY at Gettysburg - three letters to National Tribune by C.W.Cook
The 76th New York - How it Opened the Fight on the First Day at Gettysburg - letter from M.M. Whitney in National Tribune
First Gun At Gettysburg: The Cannoneer Thinks It Useless Controversy, And Wants to Know Who Fired the Last Shot. - from the National Tribune, November 10, 1892
The 76th NY: It fought right beside the Old Iron Brigade - from the National Tribune, March 21, 1912
From the Rapidan to Groveton - article by Daniel M. Perry, Co. C
Arrival of the 76th N. Y. Volunteers - article from the January 19, 1862, New York Times

Modern Articles

"Wright or Wrong?" - readers of this website debate the uniform of a Civil War soldier.
Analysis of the Men of the 76th New York: by Town/County and by Age - by Conrad Bush
Regimental Reunions of the 76th New York Veterans - Article by Richard Palmer, plus photos.
First Days of the 76th Regiment, New York Volunteers - by Richard Palmer - traces the early history of the 76^th New York, through their departure from Cortland for Albany.
Cortland County's "Honest Ghost" - How Cortland "purchased" black soldiers to fill its draft quota. By Richard Palmer
"Lucius Davis meets General Doubleday" - by Richard Palmer
"Private Bruce Shipman and the Ambulance Corps of the 76th New York" by Robert J. Moore
"The 76th New York and the Navy" - by Brian Hogan, Conrad Bush and Mike Brown
"Truxton Doctor treated Mary Todd Lincoln" - by Richard Palmer
"The 76th New York Volunteers at the Wilderness" by Michael Ryan
Who was first at Gettysburg? by Jonathan Tracey

Pat Stepanek Photo

Artifacts

The Flags of the 76th NY
Civil War "dog tags" belonging to members of the 76^th NY.
Annual Reunion Ribbons, and ribbons from the 76th New York Veterans Association.
A backpack, belonging to a soldier from Co. B, 76th. NY.
Evert Oathout's Drum - used by a musician of the 76th NY.
Images of the 76th New York - Photographs of 76th NY soldiers and veterans.

Regimental Roster

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Notes:

Choose the letter above for information on soldiers from the 76^th NYSV whose last names begin with the letter.

The unit roster on this website is initially made up of information from the 1901 New York State Adjutant General's Report. The original source material may be found on the New York State Military Museum's website.

The files for each letter are being annotated with later or additional information about the soldiers, where known, and hyperlinked sub-pages are provided for each soldier for whom we have biographical information, pictures or additional documents.
Vicki Titus has prepared an index to the roster, listing the men by town of enlistment.

Please send any corrections or additional information you may have to:
Mike Brown, Maj. Grover CWRT, 41 Creamery Rd., Richford NY 13835
or by e-mail to: wb2jwd@htva.net

Additional Sources of Information on the 76^th NY

The New York State Military Museum has several pages on the 76th NY:
- 76th New York Main Page
- The unit roster from the AG's report.
- a picture of the regimental flag.
- Civil War Clippings
- Gettysburg Monument
- Photos of Capt. Bartholomew, Maj. Grover, Cpl. Lake, Lt. VanSlyke
- Battles and Casualties from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1912
B. Conrad Bush has a great deal of transcribed information on members of the 76th NY. He is willing to share and would appreciate contributions from others. A list of material in his files is available.
Civil War in the East - 76th New York Timeline
New York Correction History Society has a page on the 76th New York's letters from Rikers Island
New York State in the Civil War - Sue Greenhagen's page at SUNY Morrisville. Includes pages on New York State Units including a page on the 76th NY, the GAR, a great deal of information and many useful links.
US Army Military History Institute ("Carlisle Barracks") has a web page listing resources on the 76th NY, as well as photographs in their files of approximately 20 members of the 76th NY, copies of which may be ordered. They have a search page for Civil War Units, as well as a page (experimental) for historical photographs. Where entries in the roster pages on this site indicate "Photo on file at Carlisle Barracks", they refer to the USMHI files.
Vertical File at Gettysburg National Military Park - see "Index to Regiment Files in the Vertical File Collection, Gettysburg National Military Park Library" - file number 6-NY76 76th New York Inf. Reg.
Another website on the 76th NY by Michael Burnett, part of GenWeb Ontario County.
There's a re-enactment group doing Company H of the 76^th NY (one of the Cherry Valley companies).
A 76th New York Volunteer Forum page - mostly for reenactors, it appears.

76th Marker on Culp's Hill, Gettysburg
Pat Stepanek Photo

Print Resources on the 76th NY

Smith, Abram P. History of the Seventy-sixth Regiment New York Volunteers, What It Indured and Accomplished, Containing Descriptions of Its Twenty-five Battles, Its Marches, Its Camp and Bivouac Scenes.... Syracuse, NY: Truair, Smith & Miles, l867. 429 pages. This book was republished in the 1980's, but the reprinting now appears to be out of print. (The biographies of officers linked to the roster files on this web site are taken from this book).
A PDF version of the Regimental History can be downloaded from the Archive.org website - note: it's 24MB, so it will take a while to download.
Note: the following sources have not been checked, but claim to have the regimental history available: "Mill Creek Mercantile" - "War Stuff Books", and Stan Clark Military Books, 915 Fairview Ave., Gettysburg , PA17325 , Email scmb@mail.wideopen.net
Murray, R.L. First on the Field: Cortland's 76th and Oswego's 147th New York State Volunteer Regiments at Gettysburg - Benedum Books, 13205 Younglove Road, Wolcott NY 14590 - ISBN 0-9646261-7-9-
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Dayton, OH: Morningside, 1979.
Proceedings of the 76th New York Infantry, at the dedication of the battle monument at Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1888; Cortland, N.Y. : Daily Message Print; Year: 1889; Description: 34 p. p.- Reproduction: Microfiche./ Bethesda, MD :/ University Publications of America,/ 1992./ 1 microfiche : negative. Entry: 19950630, Update: 19950630, Accession No: OCLC: 32739174
Monuments Commission for the Battlefields of Gettysburg and Chattanooga. Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg. Vol. 2. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon, 1900. See pp. 609-17 for a photo of the regimental monument at the Gettysburg National Military Park and addresses delivered at its dedication.
New York (State). Adjutant General's Office - Annual Report...for the Year 1901 - No. 29. Albany, NY: J.B. Lyon, 1902. See pages 181-422 for the alphabetical roster of the regiment. (The roster pages on this web site are based on this report).
Northrop, John W. Chronicles From the Diary of a War Prisoner in Andersonville and Other Military Prisons of the South in 1864. Wichita, KS: Wining, 1904. 228 pages.
Phisterer, Frederick, comp. New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. Vol. 4. Albany, NY: Weed and Parsons, 1890. See pp. 2796-2813 for a brief history of the regiment and a roster of officers.
New York State Archives - Grand Army of the Republic Papers, New York Department, 1866-1948 - There are 83 boxes of material on file. The following files are of special relevance to the 76th New York:
Records of the following GAR posts, named after members of the 76^th NY:
Post 98 - Lt. Col. Andrew J. Grover - Cortland - Chartered June 14, 1869. Box 41 Folder 3
Post 476 - 2d Lt. William H. Tarbell - McGrawville - April 26, 1884 to 1919 Box 68 Folder 9
Post 485 - Corporal Moses Tompkins - Middleburg - Chartered June 4, 1894.
Post 639 Private Harrison W. Owen - Virgil - Chartered Aug. 23, 1889. Box 33 Folder 4
Also:
Regimental History of the 76^th New York - 1896 - Box 26 Folder 25
Photos and Medals - Box 83

Links to Other Local Civil War Regimental Websites

MGCWRT member Kenneth Wooster of Cortland, NY, has a page for the following, mostly Onondaga County, units: 1st New York Light Artillery, Battery B; 10th New York Independent Battery; 12th New York Infantry; 12th New York Cavalry; 85th New York Infantry; 122nd New York Infantry; 149th New York Infantry and 185th New York Infantry
James River Publications Regimental History Page - a list of regimental histories from all states.
Florida Reenactors Online - has information on CW history, in addition to reenactor info.

Additional information or questions on the 76th or this website may be sent by e-mail to webmaster Mike Brown at wb2jwd@gmail.com or by mail at 41 Creamery Road, Richford NY 13835.

76th New York State Volunteers "The Cortland Regiment"