2013 New York Consolidated Laws
MIL - Military
Article 1 - (1 - 24) THE MILITIA OF THE STATE
24 - Bureau of war records; completion and preservation of the records and relics; free inspection of the same and quarters in the capitol.

 
    § 24. Bureau  of  war  records;  completion  and  preservation  of the
  records and relics; free inspection of the  same  and  quarters  in  the
  capitol.  1.  The adjutant general shall cause the chief of staff of the
  state to establish and maintain as part of his office, a bureau  of  war
  records,  in  which  all  records  in his office relating to the wars in
  which the state participated, and relics shall be  kept.  The  chief  of
  staff  of  the state shall be the custodian of all such records, relics,
  colors, standards and battle flags of New York troops now  the  property
  of  the  state  or  in  its possession, or which the state may hereafter
  acquire  or  become   possessed   of.   The   adjutant   general,   upon
  recommendation  of  the  chief  of  staff, shall appoint a chief of this
  bureau, who shall hold office under his direction for six years.
    2. The chief of staff of the state by all reasonable ways  and  means,
  shall  complete such records and gather from every available source such
  colors, standards and battle flags as  were  borne  by  New  York  state
  troops  in the wars in which the state participated, and such statistics
  and historical information and relics as may  serve  to  perpetuate  the
  memory  and  heroic  deeds  of  the  soldiers of the state, and keep and
  carefully preserve the same in such bureau.
    3.  He  is  authorized  to  request  and  accept   from   incorporated
  associations  of  veterans  of  the  different regiments, statements and
  information duly authenticated by them,  descriptive  of  their  colors,
  standards  and  battle flags, together with the number and class of arms
  of the regiment, the date and place of muster into the  service  of  the
  state  and  also  into  the  service of the United States, the period of
  service, and the date and place of muster-out, the date of departure for
  the seat of war, and the various battles and engagements and  places  of
  service,  including  garrison  duty, the time of joining brigades, corps
  and armies, with the time and nature of the service, and  the  names  of
  colonels  of  such  regiments,  the  names  of  those  killed in action,
  including those who died of wounds, and the names of those who  died  of
  disease  during their period of service. He is further authorized to ask
  the cooperation and assistance of the  adjutant-general  of  the  United
  States,  and of the city, county and town authorities and officials, and
  of the Grand Army of the Republic,  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal
  Legion,  the  United  Spanish  War  Veterans,  the  American Legion, the
  Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Jewish War Veterans of the United  States,
  Inc.  ,  the  Catholic  War  Veterans,  Inc.  , the Italian American War
  Veterans of the  United  States,  Incorporated,  the  Polish  Legion  of
  American  Veterans,  Inc., and of other organizations and persons in the
  state of New  York  and  elsewhere  in  the  collection  of  such  other
  information,  relics,  memorials  and battle flags as is contemplated by
  this article, in order to make as  complete  as  possible  the  records,
  history  and  statistics of the patriotic service of the soldiers of the
  state during the wars in which the state participated.
    4. The chief of staff  of  the  state  is  directed  to  cause  to  be
  transcribed  and  kept  in books of record in such bureau the historical
  facts, information and statistics as provided above; and  is  authorized
  to  determine a convenient size for the volumes in which such statistics
  and historical data may be bound, and to  request  veteran  associations
  and  others  proposing to supply such historical data and information to
  furnish the same on printed or manuscript sheets of a  uniform  size  to
  correspond with the size of such volumes.
    5.  He  is  further authorized to provide locked and sealed cases with
  glass fronts, as nearly air-tight as practicable, in which shall be kept
  and displayed the colors, standards and battle  flags  above  mentioned,
  and  receive  placards  in  duplicate,  which incorporated in regimental
  veteran associations are privileged and empowered to  furnish  and  upon

  which  shall  be  inscribed  synopses  of the historical information and
  statistics herein provided to be furnished to such bureau by  regimental
  veteran  associations,  or  failing to receive such data and information
  from such veteran associations, for the preparation of such placards, he
  may  utilize  the  authentic  information which he may obtain from other
  sources, as herein provided, which placards shall be uniform in size and
  color and shall be attached to or conspicuously placed in  proximity  to
  the  colors,  standards  and  battle  flags  to which they refer. If any
  placard or inscription shall be lost, destroyed or removed, the chief of
  staff of the state shall at once replace it by duplicate of the original
  on file.
    The legislature shall annually make suitable appropriations to  enable
  the  adjutant  general  of the state to carry out the provisions of this
  section.
    6. a. The books, records, relics and other  property  in  such  bureau
  shall  be  open  for  inspection  and use, except the use of the colors,
  standards and battle flags, at such  reasonable  hours  and  under  such
  regulations as the chief of staff of the state may determine.
    b.  No property placed in such bureau for the purposes of this section
  shall be removed therefrom, or from the immediate custody and control of
  the chief of staff of the state, except as follows:
    (1) colors, standards, battle flags  and  guidons  received  from  the
  United  States  may  be  turned  over  by  the  chief of staff, with the
  approval of the governor, under such  conditions  as  the  governor  may
  prescribe,  to  active  organizations of the New York national guard and
  New York naval militia, representing  the  organizations  which  carried
  such  colors,  standards,  battle  flags and guidons while in the active
  military service of the United States;
    (2) the chief of staff of the state, subject to the  approval  of  the
  adjutant general, may lend any of the property placed in such bureau for
  the  purposes of this section to a public corporation or agency thereof;
  state institution or other  state  agency;  educational  corporation  or
  institution;  museum; or historical society under such conditions as the
  chief of staff may prescribe;
    (3) notwithstanding any other provision of law, the chief of staff  of
  the state, subject to the approval of the adjutant general, may destroy,
  sell  or  otherwise  permanently dispose of any property in such bureau,
  except books and records, provided he:
    (a) advises the state historian of the nature of the property;
    (b) certifies to the state historian that such property no longer  has
  sufficient  administrative,  historical or military value to warrant its
  retention; and
    (c) receives the consent of the state historian  to  the  destruction,
  sale or other permanent disposition of the property;
    (4) books and records in such bureau shall be disposed of or destroyed
  in accordance with the provisions of subdivision eleven of section 57.05
  of the arts and cultural affairs law.
    7.  The commissioner of general services is authorized and directed to
  provide suitable and convenient quarters in the capitol for  the  bureau
  of  war  records  whenever  the  adjutant general shall require and make
  demand therefor, and to properly fit up and prepare  the  same  for  the
  safe-keeping of such records, books and property, and for the display of
  such colors, standards, battle flags and relics which shall be known and
  maintained  as  the hall of military records. The several municipalities
  of the state may deposit their record books and papers relating  to  the
  wars  in  which  the  state participated in the archives of the hall for
  safe-keeping,  and  transcripts  therefrom   shall   be   furnished   on
  application by the chief officer of the municipality without cost to it.

  Officers  or  soldiers  may  deposit  therein  their  discharge  papers,
  descriptive lists, muster rolls  or  company  or  regimental  books  and
  papers for safe-keeping.