An excellent condition white silk reunion ribbon for the 1883 reunion of veterans of the 3^rd NY Cavalry held at Rochester, NY. The central motif is a charging light dragoon with sword pointing ahead framed by an ornate printed border with “1861 / 3d / New York Vet. Vol. / Cavalry” overhead and “REUNION / AT ROCHESTER, N.Y. / June 13, / 1883” in large and small block letters below. The printing is in black. The condition is excellent, with no holes or tears, just a stray thread or two at top and bottom. Please see our photos.

The regiment was extremely active, starting with a posting at Washington in 1861, then transfer to the Department of North Carolina and the 18^th Corps in April 1862 and lastly service in Kautz’s cavalry division in the Army of the James in the Petersburg and Richmond Campaign from Spring 1864. Phisterer lists more than 100 actions to their credit, Their losses were 3 officers and 29 men killed, another 19 men mortally wounded, and 138 officers and men wounded, who recovered to some degree. In July 1865 the regiment was consolidated into 8 companies and then into 5 that were then transferred into the 1^st NY Mounted Rifles. In September 1865 that regiment was redesignated the 4^th NY Provisional Cavalry, which in turn was discharged and mustered out of service Nov. 29, 1865, at Norfolk, Va.

This ribbon comes from the estate of Maurice Leyden, which came out about 1998 and most of which ended up in the Texas Civil War Museum. Phisterer gives his service record as part of the 3^rd NY Cavalry as follows: age 24 years; enrolled June 13, 186I, at Syracuse to serve three years; mustered in as Second Lieutenant, Company B, July 19, 186I; acting Adjutant, 3d Battalion, March, 1863; mustered in as First Lieutenant, Company C, June 12, 1863; captured in action, October 7, 1864, near Richmond, Va.; paroled, February 22, 1865; mustered in as Captain, Company B, to date April I, 1865; transferred to 1st Mounted Rifles, July 21, 1865; commissioned Second Lieutenant, December 4, 1861, with rank from July 30, 1861, original; First Lieutenant, June 29, 1863, with rank from June 12, 1863, vice Ebbs, promoted; Captain, December 22, 1864, with rank from October 10, 1864, vice Ebbs, promoted. His service with the 1^st NYMR and 4^th NY Prov. Cav. simply lists his transfer in on July 21,1865, and muster out Nov. 29. He received a postwar brevet to Major to date to March 13, 1865.

As a prisoner of war Leyden was incarcerated at Salisbury, Danville and Libby prisons.  Some of Leyden’s letters are available online and make interesting reading, as does the history of the regiment, also available in summary form online. His parole as a prisoner of war seems to have lasted from February until April, during which time he married. He had practiced dentistry before the war and returned to it afterward, along with manufacture of medical and dental instruments among other pursuits, including membership in the G.A.R. He died in 1906. Please see our other offerings for material from his estate.  [sr][ph:L]

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