The Civil War Collection at Friedsam Library is centered on the Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey 154th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment collection donated in 2015. It also includes material related to other local regiments and general background information relating to the American Civil War.

Southwestern New York and north central Pennsylvania supplied members to all branches of the United States military and we hope to reflect their experiences as we build the collection.

The core of the collection will remain the 154th's files, photographs and memorabilia. The home page for that regiment is here.

A number of other New York regiments are found in the the Civil War Collection.

The 9th New York Cavalry is noted in material relating to George W. Andrews, Co. F, brother of Jerome Andrews of the 37th NYVI.

The 37th regiment includes a letter from Jerome Andrews, Co. I and articles written after the war by Marvin S. Cole, Co. H.

The 72nd regiment includes material relating to Electus W. Jones, Co. G.

The 94th and 105th NYVI are represented by our collection of Adrian Fay Letters.

The 154th NYVI, our largest collection.

The 164th regiment includes material relating to Col. John E. McMahon.

The 179th regiment includes material relating to Edson Andrews, Co. D.

The 188th regiment includes material relating to William Whitlock.

From Pennsylvania:

The 58th Pennsylvania Volunteers are represented by Augustus Wilson.

The United States Navy includes material relating to Com. William B. Cushing and E. Macomber and marine George H. Bandfield.

St. Bonaventure was represented in the war by three friars: Father Leo Titta da Saracena served with the 9th Connecticut Volunteers before becoming our sixth president. James Titta da Gambitelli served with the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry and Samuel Prezza served in an unknown unit.

Another part of our special collections has a relationship with the American Civil War. The Jim Bishop Collection contains Ambrose Bierce's top hat, a small memento of a Civil War soldier who went on to become a journalist and author of many short tales. Bierce wrote about his experiences in the war in his Phantoms of a blood-stained period (PS1097.A6 in our library collection). Jim Bishop, an admirer of Bierce, was also the author of The Day Lincoln Was Shot.

Col. Patrick Henry Jones, 154th Regt., N.Y.S. Vol. Inf. Object ID: 2013.22.9.0135

Our Collection policy may be found here.