Idell

We have this yen to follow the path our immigrant great grandfather followed when he came over in 1858. He started in upstate New York, St Lawrence County, enlisted in the Union Army in 1862. His army itinerary took him down into Virginia. We are thinking of starting in New York, doing our ancestral discovery mission, then checking out the Hudson Valley and a few other scenic spots and then continuing on south. We know of a military museum in Saratoga Springs that has much material on his regiment. We are also interested in discovering how immigrants of the time travelled in that part of New York. We are not envisioning an urban adventure but we would like a little fun along the way. We are thinking maximum 11 days. We have a pretty good idea of what we will do in Virginia, but upstate New York looks a little challenging for noobs to drive around in.

J62

Immigrating TO St. Lawrence county he would have either arrived via Montreal or NYC but actual immigration records from that time are sparse. If he came through Montreal, the Druin society has easy to search archives but it may be hit or miss. https://www.genealogiequebec.com/en/

As for getting around, by that time there were extensive railroad networks across the state. Canals were used for cargo, but passenger travel was by rail. I've come across several books that detail the history of railroads in upstate NY. Starting in the early 1830s there were already railroads popping up in various sections of the state (incl some of the first in the nation). By the 1850s they were wide spread, often with competing lines in the same area. If you are interested in some of that early RR history I can dig up the titles. The Saratoga Springs public library has a history room, but I think it's currently closed due to covid. It's a stones throw from the military history museum. They do have some copies of many history books available for loan but the collection in the history room is more extensiive. (sspl.org). And yes, that history museum has good info about NY regiments that served in the civil war, and it's fun to see names in print. I'll ask a buddy of mine if there is anything you can do ahead of time to make your visit more productive.

There is also a lot of earlier military history in the region, dating back to the French & Indian war of the mid 1700s (eg Lake George region), and revolutionary war (Saratoga Battlefield). If you need recommendations, let me know.

J62

The St. Lawrence County historical association website shows info about the Civil War, the NY 60th Inffantry Regiment, including names, bios, photos, and other information.
St Lawrence County Historical Association

J62

NY State has posted a lot of info online about the different regiments. Here's detail about the 60th, https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/unit-hist...antry-regiment

It has links to muster rolls, a short blurb on each member, etc.