On June 19, 1863, Col. Newton B. Lord received authority to recruit this regiment, which received its numerical designation October 8, 1863, and was organized at Sackett's Harbor, where its companies were mustered in the service of the United States for three years. Col. Lord was previously with the New York 35th Regiment of Infantry, the "Jefferson County Regiment", which had seen action at Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg and was mustered out in June of 1863. According to Hamilton Child's "Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y.", published in 1890, Newton B. Lord, son of William, was born in Brownville, and by trade was a foundryman and machinist. He married Cornelia Stone of Milwaukee and they had four children. After the war, he spent time in Chile, S.A. where he was vice-president and manager of the North and South American Construction Company, the firm responsible for building railroads in that country.
The companies were mainly recruited in the following locations:
Company A (9/3/63) - Sackett's Harbor, Champion, Denmark, Pinckney and Wilma
Company B (9/3/63) - Sackett's Harbor, Brownville, Clayton, Dexter, Lyme, Philadelphia, Orwell and Watertown
Company C (9/3/63) - Antwerp, Alexandria, LeRay, Theresa and Watertown
Company D (9/3/63) - Cape Vincent, Clayton, Ellisburg, Mannsville, LaFargeville, Sackett's Harbor and Watertown
Company E (9/3/63) - Champion, Diana, Croghan and Wilna
Company F (9/3/63) - Copenhagen, Redwood and Syracuse
Company G (9/3/63) - Albany, Cape Vincent, Evan's Mill, Rome, Syracuse and Watertown
Company H (9/4/63) - Antwerp, DeKalb, Edwards, Fowler and Gouverneur
Company I (9/17/63) - Cape Vincent, Oswego, Rome, Sackett's Harbor, Syracuse and in St. Lawrence county
Company K (9/17/63) - Albany, Sandy Creek, Sackett's Harbor, Wilna and Watertown
Company L (9/22/63) - Norwich, Oswego, Penn Yan, Sackett's Harbor and Syracuse
Company M (9/23/63) - Sackett's Harbor, Albany, Herkimer, Norwich, Mannsville, Oswego, Rome, Theresa and Watertown
The regiment left the state on September 30, 1863, and served in the 22nd Corps from October, 1863 - Company F arrived in Portsmouth, Va. first and was soon joined by the rest of the regiment. The unit remained in the Department of Virginia until January, 1864, when it joined Heckman's Division, 18th Corps. It was involved in the defenses of Portsmouth in the District of East Virginia, Department of Virginia and North Carolina from April, 1864 and was with the 1st Brigade, Kautz's Division, Cavalry, Army of the James, from December 3, 1864.
Company D was at Ft. Pocahontas, Va., in Separate Brigade and was involved in the defenses of Bermuda, from January, 1865. Company F was at Ft. Powhattan, Va., and Company G was detailed to the 1st Brigade, Mackenzies Division of Cavalry from March of 1865. Company I was with the Provisional and 10th Corps in March of 1865.
The regiment was honorably discharged and mustered out under the command of Col. David M. Evans July 31, 1865, Companies E and H at Ft. Monroe, the other companies at Manchester, Va.
During its service it lost by death, killed in action, 6 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 1 enlisted man; of disease and other causes, 2 officers, 121 enlisted men; total, 2 officers, 128 enlisted men; aggregate, 130 of whom 15 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.
The regiment, or portions of it, took part in the following engagements:
Smithfield, Va. (2/1/64) 21 enlisted missing
Suffolk, Va. (2/20/64)
Currituck, Va. (4/23/64) 2 enlisted missing
Chuckatuck, Va. (6/6/64) 1 enlisted wounded
Wood's Mills Hill, Va. (6/24/64) 2 enlisted killed, 1 fatally wounded, 2 wounded, 2 missing
South Quay, Va. (7/3/64)
Winton, N.C. (7/29/64) one enlisted missing
Guiam's Ford, N.C. (8/12/64) 2 enlisted killed
Jamestown Island, Va. (9/3/64) 1 enlisted killed, 1 wounded
Murfree's Depot, Va. (10/16/64) 2 enlisted wounded
Before Petersburg and Richmond, Va. (12/64 - 4/65) 1 enlisted killed, 1 wounded
Debytown Road, Va. (1/13/65)
Williamsburg, Va. (2/11/65) 1 enlisted wounded
Appomattox Campaign (4/1-9/65) 3 enlisted wounded
The Appomatox Campaign consisted of Five Forks (April 1), Fall of Petersburg (April 2), Deep Creek (April 3 and 4), Rice's Station (April 6), Burke's Station (April 7) and Appomattox Court House (April 9).
The original battle flag was embroidered by the famous New York City firm of Tiffany and Company, and combines the New York state and Federal emblems. The nickname "McClellan Cavalry" appears on a banner across the top of the flag which was chosen by founder Colonel N.B. Lord (Lord is misspelled as Lorde on the flag) to honor General George B. McClellan. "Excelsior" (ever upward) had been the latin motto of New York state since 1778 and appears below the shield. "The UNION must and shall be perserved" appears on a banner across the bottom of the flag and was a familiar rallying cry of the Civil War.
LONSWAY, JOSEPH Rank and organization: Private, Company D, 20th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Murfrees Station, Va., 16 October 1864. Entered service at Sackett's Harbor on October 12, 1863 at 19 years of age. Birth: Clayton, N.Y. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: Volunteered to swim Blackwater River to get a large flat used as a ferry on other side; succeeded in getting the boat safely across, making it possible for a detachment to cross the river and take possession of the enemy's breastworks.
I have the complete enlisted muster rolls and bios for all the officers. E-mail me with requests, which I will answer promptly.
My 2nd Great Grandfather, Charles Byron Glass, enlisted in this unit out of Rutland, NY, in December, 1863. Many former 35th NYV Infantry troops, including Col. Lord and my relative's future brother-in-law, Byron See, formed a cadre of veterans that the 20th was built around.
I have several research requests out and should have additional information, as well as images, for future inclusion. I would appreciate any information available.
September 3, 1998