Steuben County, New York
in the Civil War

The following is taken from Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Military Statistics of the State of New York, Albany: [The Bureau], (C. Wendell), 1866.

To Steuben county the attack on Sumter proved, indeed, a rude awakening of long slumbering patriotism, and to honor the flag dishonored by treason was the generous impulse of almost every heart. But the call by the President for 75,000 militia, found us all unprepared. However, public meetings were at once called; old drums, fifes and guns were got out ; cannon and church bells were brought into requisition; speeches, full of eloquence and patriotism, set before the people their country's danger and their country's need. And the great work of enlisting, organizing, equipping, drilling and changing a mass of citizens into a military force, was pushed so earnestly that before May 15th; we had furnished for the Twenty-third regiment Captain Todd's company, organized at Corning ; Captain Schlick's company, organized at Bath ; Captain Doty's company, organized at Hornellsville ; and a brass band for the regiment, organized at Hornellsville. Also, May 15th, Lieutenant Erwin's company, organized in part, at Painted Post, left for New York and joined the Sickles' Brigade, (company K, Seventy-fourth Regiment, N. Y. S. V.) And the President's subsequent call for 42,000 men, to serve three years, having been received, books were opened for volunteers in almost every town ; and the good work went bravely on. Capt. Elwell's Company, organized at Corning, joined the Thirty-fifth Regiment; N. Y. S. V., as company F, and arrived in Washington about the 15th day of July ; and although other organizations were as yet incomplete, they were more than commenced when the first Bull Run disaster stunned, and then nerved the people of the county to higher resolve and nobler action.

See also The Communites of New York in the Civil War