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

June 23, 1863, Col. Morgan H. Chrysler received authority to reorganize the 30th N. Y. Volunteer Infantry, then discharged by reason of the expiration of its term of service, as a regiment of cavalry —the Empire Light Cavalry. July 20, 1863, this designation was changed to 2d Regiment Veteran Cavalry. The regiment was organized at Saratoga Springs, and the companies were mustered in the service of the United States for three years, at Saratoga: A August 15; B and F August 26; C September 9; D and E September 8; G and H October 10 and 16, respectively; I and K November 10; L December 3, 1865; and at the Cavalry Depot, D. C.; Company M December 30, 1863.

They were recruited principally: A at Glens Falls; B at Albany, Amsterdam and Sche-nectady; C at Saratoga; D at Saratoga, Salem, Schroon, Shushan and Whitehall; E at Glens Falls, Albany, Port Henry and Troy; F at Saratoga and Whitehall; G at Saratoga, Glens Falls, Addison, Bath and Schenectady; H at Hoosick Falls, Malone and Plattsburg; I at Albany, Chatham, Saratoga and Valatie; K at Glenville, Granville, Moriah, Johns-burgh, Queensbury, Saratoga and Stony Creek; L at Saratoga, Granville, Chesterfield, Jay,. Fort Ann, Northumberland and Wilton; and M at New York city.

The regiment left the State in detachments, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H in October; I and K in November; L and M in December, 1863, and served in the Department of Washington, D. C, 22d Corps; in the Department of the Gulf from February 16, 1864, in 5th Cavalry Brigade, 19th Corps; in the 4th Cavalry Brigade, 19th Corps, from June, 1864; in the 1st Cavalry Brigade, 19th Corps, from September, 1864; in the Separate Brigade, Cavalry of the Reserve, 19th Corps, from November, 1864; in the 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department Gulf, from March, 1865; and commanded by Colonel Chrysler, was honorably discharged and mustered out, November 8, 1865, at Talladega, Ala.

During its service it lost by death, killed in action, 2 officers, 10 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 3 officers, 20 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 215 enlisted men; total, 8 officers, 245 enlisted men; aggregate, 253; of whom 7 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy. The large number of men reported drowned is owing to the loss at the foundering of the steamer North America off the coast of Florida December 22, 1864.

The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers, Volume II: New York, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908.

Second Veteran Cavalry.—Col.. Morgan H. Chrysler; Lieut. -Cols., Morgan H. Chrysler, Asa L. Gurney; Majs., Duncan Cameron, Edward Van Voast, John S. Fassett. This regiment, known as the Empire Light Cavalry, was largely composed of veterans of the 30th N. Y. infantry. Col. Chrysler having been authorized on June 23, 1863, to reorganize the 30th, which had been discharged by reason of the expiration of its term of service, as a cavalry regiment. The veteran regiment was organized at Saratoga Springs, its companies being chiefly recruited in the counties of Saratoga, Schenectady, Montgomery, Clinton, Essex, Warren, Albany. Rensselaer and Columbia. It was mustered into the U. S. service at Saratoga from Aug. 15 to Dec. 30, 1863, for three years, and left the state by detachments from August to December. It was stationed at Washington during the ensuing winter, whence it embarked for New Orleans, and there joined the Department of the Gulf. Its entire term New York Regiments 203 of service was spent in the South, where it formed part of Arnold's cavalry division, 19th corps. Assigned to the 5th cavalry brigade, it took part in Banks' Red River campaign, in which it was 18 times in action and suffered a loss of TJ killed, wounded and missing. It was assigned to the 4th cavalry brigade on its return and through June, July and August was engaged in a number of raids and scouting expeditions, meeting with some losses. In the fall, attached to the 1st cavalry brigade, it was active at St. Francisville, Bayou Sara and Fausse river. La., and in November, attached to the separate brigade, cavalry reserve, it skirmished at Clinton, Liberty creek and Pascagoula, Miss., at state line, and at McLeod's mills. La., where it lost 11 killed and wounded. Its last active service was with the 1st brigade, cavalry division, in March and April, 1865, at College Hill, Pine Barren creek, Cotton creek and Bluff Springs, Fla.; Pollard, Fort Blakely, Mt. Pleasant and Whistler's station, Ala. Under command of Col. Chrysler, it was mustered out and discharged at Talladega, Ala., Nov. 8, 1865, having lost 5 officers and 30 men killed and mortally wounded; 3 officers and 215 men died of disease and other causes, the heavy mortality from disease being due to the long service of the regiment in the South. It lost in addition a number of men by the foundering of the steamer North America off the coast of Florida in Dec, 1864.Second Veteran Cavalry.—Col.. Morgan H. Chrysler; Lieut. -Cols., Morgan H. Chrysler, Asa L. Gurney; Majs., Duncan Cameron, Edward Van Voast, John S. Fassett. This regiment, known as the Empire Light Cavalry, was largely composed of veterans of the 30th N. Y. infantry. Col. Chrysler having been authorized on June 23, 1863, to reorganize the 30th, which had been discharged by reason of the expiration of its term of service, as a cavalry regiment. The veteran regiment was organized at Saratoga Springs, its companies being chiefly recruited in the counties of Saratoga, Schenectady, Montgomery, Clinton, Essex, Warren, Albany. Rensselaer and Columbia. It was mustered into the U. S. service at Saratoga from Aug. 15 to Dec. 30, 1863, for three years, and left the state by detachments from August to December. It was stationed at Washington during the ensuing winter, whence it embarked for New Orleans, and there joined the Department of the Gulf. Its entire term New York Regiments 203 of service was spent in the South, where it formed part of Arnold's cavalry division, 19th corps. Assigned to the 5th cavalry brigade, it took part in Banks' Red River campaign, in which it was 18 times in action and suffered a loss of TJ killed, wounded and missing. It was assigned to the 4th cavalry brigade on its return and through June, July and August was engaged in a number of raids and scouting expeditions, meeting with some losses. In the fall, attached to the 1st cavalry brigade, it was active at St. Francisville, Bayou Sara and Fausse river. La., and in November, attached to the separate brigade, cavalry reserve, it skirmished at Clinton, Liberty creek and Pascagoula, Miss., at state line, and at McLeod's mills. La., where it lost 11 killed and wounded. Its last active service was with the 1st brigade, cavalry division, in March and April, 1865, at College Hill, Pine Barren creek, Cotton creek and Bluff Springs, Fla.; Pollard, Fort Blakely, Mt. Pleasant and Whistler's station, Ala. Under command of Col. Chrysler, it was mustered out and discharged at Talladega, Ala., Nov. 8, 1865, having lost 5 officers and 30 men killed and mortally wounded; 3 officers and 215 men died of disease and other causes, the heavy mortality from disease being due to the long service of the regiment in the South. It lost in addition a number of men by the foundering of the steamer North America off the coast of Florida in Dec, 1864.