New York Military Agency.

The origins of this agency can be traced back to the founding of an association on January 7, 1862 whose purpose was to afford relief to sick, wounded, and destitute New York State soldiers stationed in the Washington, D.C. area.

Recognizing the usefulness of such an organization, the state legislature appropriated $30,000 for transportation, care, and hospital supplies for sick and wounded New York State soldiers. Under authority of this act (Chapter 458, Laws of 1862) Governor Edwin D. Morgan appointed S. H. Swetland agent in charge of disbursing these funds.

In 1863 the legislature appropriated another $200,000 "to provide additional means of relief for the sick and wounded soldiers of the State of New York, in the United States service." In order to implement the provisions of this act, Governor Horatio Seymour directed the Adjutant-General to issue Special Order No. 204. This order directed the Board of Managers of the New York Soldiers' Depot (established in March, 1863 by Special Order No. 151) to control and supervised the disbursement of the $200,000 appropriation. The board appointed John F. Seymour as the state's general agent for the relief of New York soldiers. Under the authority conferred upon him, Seymour appointed agents at various cities including Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Norfolk, and Chattanooga. These agents were to visit all hospitals within their immediate area to ascertain the treatment of sick and wounded New York State soldiers; supply clothing and other wants not provided by the hospitals; correspond with the friends and relatives of soldiers when so requested; ascertain and forward to the main office at New York City the names of all New York soldiers in hospitals (and their regiments) along with a description of their wounds or sickness; and keep an office where soldiers or their friends or relatives might apply for assistance in obtaining furloughs, passes, discharges, transportation home, or back pay.

Between the middle of 1863 and April, 1865 the agents occupied themselves with the above duties. In fact, the usefulness of these branch offices (or agencies as they were known) prompted the opening of additional agencies in Alexandria, Fredricksburgh, Harrisburgh, New Orleans, Buffalo, Louisville, and Nashville. Eventually these agencies came to be collectively referred to as the New York Military Agency. However, with the end of the war and the mustering out of the volunteer forces, most of these agencies were closed.

Those agencies not closed by the end of 1865 (Washington, Albany, New York and Buffalo) now became involved with duties very different from their original tasks. Between 1866 and 1868, when the Albany and Washington offices were closed, these agencies became almost solely involved with the collection of claims of soldiers and sailors against the federal government.