General Alfred Gibbs

    Commander First New York Dragoons

    The Dragoons

    DRAGOONS MONUMENT Erected 1903 The monument to the First New York Dragoons is one of the most prominent landmarks in Letchworth Park as it stands at the top of the hill north of Glen Iris Inn. On the east side of the river at present day Parade Grounds picnic area men came to form a unit of volunteers for Civil War service. After they were organized the unit was transferred by rail to Washington D.C. where it was further trained and outfitted.

    The First New York Dragoons – Historical Overview

    (SOURCE: New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center)
    • Mustered in as 130th Regiment of Infantry: September 2, 1862
    • Converted to Cavalry: July 28,1863
    • Designated 19th Regiment of Cavalry: August 11, 1863
    • Designated 1st Regiment of Dragoons: September 10, 1863.
    • Mustered out: June 30

    The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

    First New York Dragoons Leadership Team

    • Col. Alfred Gibbs, Col. Thomas J. Thorp
    • Lieut.- Col. Rufus Scott;
    • Majs., Rufus Scott, Jacob W. Knapp, Howard M. Smith.

    July 25, 1862, Col. William S. Fullerton, succeeded by Col. Alfred Gibbs, received authority to recruit a regiment of infantry — the 130th — in the counties of Allegany, Livingston and Wyoming. It was organized at Portage, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years, on the 2d of September, 1862.

    It was converted, July 28, 1863, into a regiment of cavalry, and August 11, 1863, designated the 19th Regiment of Cavalry; this designation was changed September 10, 1863, to 1st Regiment of Dragoons.

    The companies were recruited from Allegany, Livingston, and Wyoming counties. The towns are:

    • A at Castile, Gainesville, Pike, Portage, Perry and Genesee Falls
    • B at Dansville, Mt. Morris, Portage, Groveland, Scottsburg and Leicester
    • C at Attica, Eagle, Colesville, Bennington, Arcade, China, Oramel, Sheldon, Java and Portageville
    • D at Middleburg, Warsaw, Wyoming, Perry, Covington and Wethersfield
    • E at Wellsville, Andover and Independence
    • F at Portageville, Oramel, Hume and Centreville
    • G at Angelica, Lima, Genesee Falls, Conesus, Livonia and Springwater
    • H at Birdsall, Almont, Oramel, Amity, Genesee Falls, Portageville, Belmont, Ward and Alfred
    • I at Nunda, Grove, Burns, Portage and Belfort
    • K at Dansville and Genesee Falls.

    The regiment (ten companies) left the State September 6, 1862, and served at:

    • Suffolk, Va., from September 13, 1862; in Terry’s Brigade, Peck’s, later Corcoran’s, Division,
    • 7th Corps, from March, 1863; in 1st Brigade, 1st Division,
    • 7th Corps, from June, 1863; in the Army of the Potomac, from July, 1863;
    • The Reserve Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry, Army of Potomac, from August, 1863;
      in the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Potomac, from. September, 1864;
    • The Army of the Shenandoah, from October, 1864;
    • The Army of the Potomac, from March, 1865.

    Mustered Out of Service

    The Regiment was mustered out and honorably discharged, commanded by Col. Thomas J. Thorp, June 30, 1865, at Cloud’s Mills, Va.

    Casualties

    Killed in action:

    • 3 officers
    • 88 enlisted men

    Wounded while in action:

    • 1 officer
    • 39 enlisted men

    Soldiers lost to disease and other causes:

    • 1 officer
    • 142 enlisted men

    Breakdown by designation:

    • 5 officers
    • 269 enlisted men

    Combined Total:

    274 Dragoons lost

    Important Note – The Author’s Heritage

    Finally, there were 36 enlisted men who died died in the hands of the enemy, of which was my realities Levi Davis Green (aka. L.D.Green) and the reason for my discovery of the First New York Dragoons and my exploration of Alfred Gibbs. I will post an entire section of Levi and Marvin Green (Levi’s brother) and I have hopes that everyone will become aware of the contribution of these two men.