131st Infantry Regiment

Nickname: First Regiment, Metropolitan Guard

Mustered in: September 6, 1862
Mustered out: July 26, 1865

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

Colonel Charles S. Turnbull received, July 12, 1862, authority to raise this regiment in New York city as one of the Metropolitan Brigade; it was organized in New York city, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years September 6, 1862.
The companies were recruited under the auspices of the metropolitan police, in New York city; but a portion of Company K came from Smithtown.
The regiment left the State September 14, 1862; it served in the Middle Department, 8th Corps, at Annapolis, Md., from September 20, 1862; at New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., from November, 1862; in the 1st Brigade, Grover's Division, Department of the Gulf, from December, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 19th Corps, from March, 1863; in the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 19th Corps, from March, 1864; in the defenses of New Orleans, from May, 1864; in the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 19th Corps, from June, 1864; with the 10th Corps, Army of the James, from July 21-31, 1864; with the Army of the Shenandoah, from October, 1864; in the 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Corps, from April 2, 1865; and, commanded by Col. Nicholas W. Day, it was honorably discharged and mustered out July 26, 1865, at Savannah, Ga.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 49 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 33 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 107 enlisted men; total, 5 officers, 189 enlisted men; aggregate, 194; of whom 8 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

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. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908. volume II. 

One Hundred and Thirty-first Infantry.—Cols., Charles S. Turn-bull, Nicholas W. Day; Lieut.-Cols., Charles C. Nott, Nicholas W. Day, W. M. Rexford; Majs., Nicholas W. Day, W. M. Rexford, Aug. C. Tate, Albert Stearns. This regiment, known as the 1st regiment, Metropolitan Guard, was recruited in New York city under the auspices of the Metropolitan police, and was mustered into the U. S. service for three years on Sept. 6, 1862. The 7th N. Y. militia furnished a large number of its officers. It left the state on Sept. 14, proceeded to Annapolis, Md., and shortly after sailed for Louisiana as part of the Banks expedition. On its arrival at New Orleans it was assigned to the 1st brigade, Grover's division, Department of the Gulf, and after the formation of the 19th corps, to the 1st brigade, 4th (Grover's) division, of that corps. It sustained its first loss—3 wounded—in April, 1863, at Irish bend, and was engaged without loss at Vermillion bayou on the 17th. The following month the investment of Port Hudson was completed and the 131st participated most honorably throughout the siege of that stronghold, in which its losses aggregated 21 killed, 88 wounded and 1.0 missing, most of its losses being sustained in the assaults of May 27 and June 14. After the surrender of Port Hudson it was engaged for several months in post and garrison duty, and in various expeditions and reconnoissances. It lost 55 men killed, wounded and missing at Bayou La Fourche, and was again engaged at Vermillion bayou in October, and at Carrion Crow bayou, but meeting with no loss. In the summer of 1864 it left the Department of the Gulf and joined Gen. Butler's Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred. Shortly after it joined the Army of the Shenandoah under Gen. Sheridan and participated in his brilliant campaign in the Valley. In Grover's division, 19th corps, it lost heavily at the battle of the Opequan, where its casualties amounted to 10 killed and 64 wounded. It was only slightly engaged at Fisher's hill, but at Cedar creek it again suffered severely, losing 33 killed and wounded. It subsequently went to North Carolina, where it was attached to the l0th corps, and in May, 1865, it was ordered to Augusta, Ga. The following month it moved to Savannah, Ga., and was there mustered out, under Col. Day, July 26, 1865. The regiment traveled over 10,000 miles by land and water and returned to the state with only 240 out of 1,000 men with which it entered the service. It lost by death 2 officers and 82 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded; 3 officers and 107 enlisted men died of disease and other causes; total deaths, 194.

131stFlankMarker2005.0001.jpg

131st Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Flank Markers | Civil War

These silk flank markers, reportedly manufactured by Tiffany & Company, were presented to the 131st Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry by Horace Day at…

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131stInfMarker1995.3696.jpg

131st Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Flank Markers | Civil War

The 131st Regiment, or “First Regiment, Metropolitan Guard,” mustered into service for three years on September 6, 1862. These blue silk flank markers…

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NYSMM Online Resources

Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (pdf)
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (spreadsheet)

Muster Roll

Unit Roster

Newspaper Clippings

Search the Museum catalog for this unit

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Other Resources

This is meant to be a comprehensive list. If, however, you know of a resource that is not listed below, please send an email to ng.ny.nyarng.list.historians@army.mil with the name of the resource and where it is located. This can include photographs, letters, articles and other non-book materials. Also, if you have any materials in your possession that you would like to donate, the museum is always looking for items specific to New York's military heritage. Thank you.

131st New York Volunteer Infantry, (1st Regiment, Metropolitan Guard) http://ny131st.tripod.com.

Aldis, William H., Jr. William H. Aldis papers, 1860-1864 (bulk 1862-1863).
Description:    1 folder (approximately 20 letters and papers), and 2 volumes
Abstract:    Letters to his wife Sarah, diary, daybook, and miscellaneous papers, 1860-1864. Aldis, a Sergeant Major, 131st New York State Volunteers, writes to his wife (and in his diary) of the regiment's camp life in Annapolis, a voyage to Baton Rouge, and of Louisiana campaigns, especially the campaign culminating in the battle of Port Hudson, in which he was killed June 14, 1863. The "daybook" in the collection contains the accounts of a Louisiana plantation, 1860. Its later entries are by Aldis, who apparently gained possession of it after an encounter with the Confederates and put it to his own use, listing guard duty. New York City directories indicate that Aldis' father was a policemen, which explains the fund raised by the Metropolitan Police to aid the younger man's widow. A list of subscribers to the fund is in these papers, and gives details of the soldier's death.
Located at the New York Historical Society.

Conrow, William E. et al. William E. Conrow papers, 1860-1867.
Description:    37 items (1 volume, 36 letters, housed in 2 folders)
Abstract:    The collection consists of a notebook kept by Conrow, with dated entries from December 24, 1860, to March 7, 1862, and thirty-six letters, mainly written to him by friends on active service during the Civil War. The notebook contains sporadic diary entries, including some discussing reactions in New York to the outbreak of the war. Other entries discuss travel to New England as a salesman for his employer; the book also includes miscellaneous personal and financial notes. Includes bookplate of Wilford Seymour Conrow. James E. McBeth letters to William E. Conrow concern the activities of: the 5th New York State Volunteers, April-July, 1862, Peninsular Campaign in Virginia; 131st New York State Volunteers, September 1862-September 1863, Louisiana; 2nd Louisiana Cavalry (Federal), December 1863-October 1864, Louisiana. John H. Francis letters to William E. Conrow concern the activities of the regiment in Virginia, before Petersburg and Richmond. William Lorch letters to William E. Conrow concern the activities of the 20th New York State Volunteer regiment in Virginia, including the battle of Savage Station and White Oak Swamp. There are also two 1867 letters from a cousin, Luke Conrow, discussing personal and family matters.
Located at the New York Historical Society.

Hawkins, William W. Regiment collection,1776-ca. 1900. 
Collection containing assorted military returns, personal and official correspondence, muster rolls, court martial documents, lists of officers, military orders, accounts, etc., 1776-ca. 1900, for various individual United States Army regiments; principally those from New York State, but including materials pertaining to regiments from other states, including Confederate Army regiments. Included are documents pertaining to the 1st New York Mounted Rifles, First New York Regiment of the Continental Army, 1st South Carolina Regiment, Confederate States of America (muster roll), 2nd New York State Artillery, 3rd New York State Artillery, 5th New York State Militia Regiment, Company D, the Washington Riflemen; 6th New York State National Guard; 7th New York Regiment; 9th New York State Artillery (company book); 9th New York State National Guard; 20th United States Colored Infantry; 26th New York State, Company C; 62nd New York State; 66th Illinois, Company G; 69th New York State Militia; 70th New York State; 74th United States Colored Infantry; 93rd New York State, including materials pertaining to the military career of Col. John S. Crocker and his regiment, and letters written by Corp. William W. Hawkins to his family; 131st New York. 
.8 linear ft. (2 boxes). 
Located at the New York Historical Society, New York, NY.

Houlihan, Raymond F. "A Yankee in the backwoods." Civil War Times Illustrated. 8 :9 January, 1970. 10-14.

Stearns, Albert. Reminiscences of the late war, by Captain Albert Stearns. Brooklyn: 1881.

Talmadge, Goyn. Christ in the storm: A discourse commemorative of Hubert H. Booth, private in Co. C., 131st regiment N.Y.V., a soldier who died on the passage from Savannah, returning from the war. Preached in the Reformed Dutch Church of Green Point, L.I., August 20th, 1865. New York, J.N. Stearns,  1866.

Tilden, Samuel J. Letter to Horatio Seymour, 1864 November 2.
Description:    1 page
Abstract:    Letter concerning Lieutenant Reed of Brooklyn, commanding Company A of the 131st Regiment. Tilden states that Reed desires a commission as Captain in one of the companies, and says he sees no reason Reed should not have it.
Located at the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections.

United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 131st. 131st New York Regiment, Company B morning reports, 1863-1864.
Description:    .1 linear foot (1 folder).
Located at the New York Public Library.

 

Unit bibliography from the Army Heritage Center

Items in the museum collection are in bold.