Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-11-20
The New York VOlunteers-lS46,
 IS4S.

The origin and design of the New York regiment of volunteers raised by Col. Stevenson in lS46 is graphically narrated by Hubert Howe Bancroft ID his fifth volume of the history of Cali fornls. One of tEe conditions of enlist meut was that the term should be for one year or during the war; another stipulation was that the volunteers should be discharged at the termination of the war without being returned home from wherever they might be serving, provided 1t was in the then terri tory of the United States. IL was deem ed but remotely possible that the men would arrive on the Pacific cosst ID time for the con luest of California. but they might be utIiized in garrison duty dur ing the miutary occupation of the cOun- try, and they would certainly serve ss 6 nucleus for the americanizatiOn of the new province, either bY remaining at the close of the war as settlers, or m case of unlooked-for happenings by be- Ing disbanded m Oregon to return as immigrants to await or hasten the oper- ations of manifest destiny. No volun-
 
 all regarded themselves ss immigrants -adveLturers bound for a dI tant land of many charms. The regiment was al most exclusively made up of young un- married men, whose chief motive for en- listment was the hope of bettering their condition in & new country; many were attracted solely by love of adventure, and but for the ice would as readily have gone to the North Pole.
 One of he most amusing incidents of the voyage around Cape Horn Is related n, Gsnta,se lrtbS.. D. .ss-.Its.ss .Se ssis as. had laid in a store of poultry ss & con- sideration of being permitted to join the officers mess, but subsequently be ch-nged hls mind with view to sell his chickeIs. The officers refused to pur- chase, but the men were not averse to stealing, and the CsptaIn's speculation was not a prof able one. On reaching Rio JaneIro, to the quartermsster ser geant's wife had been born daughter, and at her christening as Ats California Harris, minister Wis Indul. ed ID some comparisons between the event and the recent christening of royal bBntlIng of tne Brazilian nation" Tor the Da- triotic pleasantly the government was thought to be contemplating an order that every American vessel must quit the port. No such order, however. wss issued. and consequently the New York volunteers did not appear with fixed bayonets ID the streets of Rio.
 Soon after their arrival m California the gold fever began tO rage, and every opportunity was siezed upon by the vol unteer- to dessTt ard bic away to the gold fields in ql, st of fortune. A nun Der afterwards achieved notoriety ss crlminais ending theIr career ID prison or on the gsllows, while a greater nun Der reached in their western homes en- viable positions ID military and political
 life As predicted at the outset they were never called upon to face a military foe. the war being ended on theIr Brrl- val at San Francisco, they were after the lspse of a few months mustered out of the service. Col. SteveI soIi. the old est man m the regiment at a starting WAS still resident and federal office holder in San Franciscp in 1885; while not few of the members of the regi- ment hold positions of honor ID CslitoE- nis and elsewhere.