Book excerpt: Recruited primarily from the gentle farmlands of central New York, the men of the Twenty-Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry were among the first to answer their nation's call during the Civil War. Death soon wrapped its cold arms around the regiment, whose losses were great. More often than not the Twenty-Sixth was placed in difficult or impossible tactical situations, which resulted in their being forced to leave the field in disorder. They did their best. This work covers the regiment's entire two-year term of enlistment from May 1861 to May 1863. It draws upon numerous unpublished letters and diaries from the collections of individuals, private libraries and public institutions, as well as contemporary newspapers and obscure government documents. Appendices cover the order of command within campaigns and post assignments. Also included is a regimental roster listing the 1,182 men who served in the Twenty-Sixth.