20th Regiment Cavalry, NY Volunteers
Civil War Newspaper Clippings

Letter from Capt. Stewart's Company.
NORFOLK, April 11, 1864.
EDITORS DEMOCRAT: GENTS:—We, the subscribers, U. S. soldiers of the McClellan Cavalry (20th N. Y. Cavalry,) are from Yates County; we enlisted in the months of July, August and September last. We have been informed that our names have been used since to help fill the County quota under the last call, and understanding that the Board of Supervisors had passed a Resolution to pay every man used for said purpose a County Bounty, and raised a fund for the same, we applied for the bounty, but have been refused it by the Board.—We have seen in one of our village papers a letter written by one of them, that they did not think we were entitled to it because we enlisted before the passage of the Resolution, and that we had got all we contracted for. We did at the time we enlisted; but we did not contract to serve in this war and thereby release these Supervisors or any other citizens from the burdens of the last draft, and as long as we have been used in that capacity, we think it no more than right that they should pay us the same as others they have obtained to fill the quota and save themselves from a conscription. We make this statement so that the citizens of our County may judge whether we have been treated fairly in this matter.
Sergt. Charles E. Hyatt, Belle Isle. Richmond, Va.
Sergt. Peter Cane, " "
Sergt. Geo. D. Ingles, Norfolk, Va.,
Sergt. Joseph Leslie,
Sergt. Patrick Brennan,
Corp'l George Leonard,
Private George Smalley,
Private Augustus McKinney,
Private John W. Austin,
Private Samuel Whitehead,
Private Arthur R. Weare,
Private Myron H. Watrous,
Private Melvin Brown,
Private William Kinney,
Private Fred M. Klice.

NY EXPRESS MO...
ARRIVAL OF THE TWENTIETH NEW YOURK CAVALRY.--
The Twentieth New York Cavalry arrived here, unannounced, Saturday morning, at five o'clock. The Citizens' Committee, by accident, heard of the arrival and at once made arrangements to feed the boys. After partaking of a substantial meal they left for Sacketts Harbor, where the regiment was organized in September, 1860, under Colonel N. B. Lord, formerly Colonel of the Thirty-fifth Infantry, and who resigned his commission April 1, 1865. The Twentieth Cavalry, originally consisted of twelve companies, numbering twelve hundred men, and now returns nine hundred and seventy-five, having, during its term of service, received some two hundred and fifty recruits into its ranks.
The regiment was, at its commencement, assigned to outpost duty near Norfolk and Portsmouth up to December 5, 1864, during which time it often came into collision with bands of Rebel gurrillas, doing some good service. It also succeeded in capturing about five hundred horses from the Rebels at different times. It was afterwards assigned to the Army of the James, near Aikin's Landing. Co. G went along with the cavalry brigade, under General Custer, against General Lee, and participated in all the battles under that General until the surrender of the Rebel army. The remaining portion of the regiment was the first cavalry regiment to enter Richmond after its evacuation, and following on the Lynchburg canal, succeeded in capturing about four hundred prisoners of Lee's retreating army, a great many of whom were officers. Colonel Evans assisted the Provost Marshal of Richmond in the patroling of prisoners and presenting the oath of allegiance.

Capt. Carter and his Company—No officer is entitled to more praise, in raising troops for the McClellan Cavalry, than is Capt. Carter of Carthage. He has raised a full Company of as good a class of men as can be found anywhere, in about two weeks time. We do not wish to detract from the merits of any of the recruiting officers.--Capts. Smith, Carpenter, Gates, Cudworth, O'Harrio and others have done remarkably well, but because of a better territory to work in or some other cause, Capt. Carter was the first to secure a full company. He is entitled to and receives much praise for his speedy success. He is still continuing his efforts to get more men, and will not cease until the regiment is full.

MCCLELLAN'S CAVALRY.
It was expected that five companies would be mustered in last Saturday, and the men were on hand at the Harbor, but the mustering officer was sick and unable to be there. Col. Lord paraded the men and made a short speech to them, explaining the cause of the disappointment. All who desired a furlough then received one to the first of September. Most of them took a furlough, and "scattered" for the purpose of enlisting each at least one comrade before the draft. All enlisted in this "crack" Regiment are to repair to Sackets Harbor on the 1st of September, when they will certainly be mustered in and receive a portion of their bounty.
A word as to the material of this Regiment. We saw them paraded on Saturday last, five hundred strong. It would be difficult to select five hundred men better qualified, physically, to make good cavalrymen, than those we saw on Saturday.--Should the remainder of the Regiment be composed of as equally good material, and we have no doubt it will, we shall look for a brilliant carreer for the McClellan Cavalry. This Regiment numbers now about 700 enlisted men, and we have no doubt, by the 1st of September, it can muster 1,000 strong.
The companies organized are:
Co. A. Capt. Charles F. Smith, 96 men.
" B. Capt. John O'Harra, 95 "
" C. Capt. John Cudworth, 91 "
" D. Capt. Jacob S. Gates, 93 "
" E. Capt. Norris M. Carter, 87 "

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