New York National Guard

3 North Chestnut Street, Dr. Isaac Reeve House. Officers and men of the Tenth New York Infantry of the Guard.

The first soldiers from the New York National Guard arrived in New Paltz in February of 1917. Transporting supplies of various kinds was a big problem as all of the roads were drifted deep with snow and the men were obliged to cover distances of two or three miles to get to and from their duty posts. That February, the weather was unusually cold, and for an entire week the thermometer registered between zero and 22 degrees below zero, with a biting northwest wind blowing constantly.

At first, the Tenth New York Guard was encamped right in the heart of the village of New Paltz, on the corner of Main St. and North Chestnut Street, where the United States Post Office stands today. In May of 1917, a much more suitable camp was established along the banks of the Wallkill River on the site of the old Normal School (Town and Country Apartments occupy this property as of 2023). The soldiers stationed in the village were either a part of the Regimental Headquarters Company, the Supply Company, or a hospital detachment. A regimental hospital was located in a residence near the encampment. One of the notable features of the Regiment's tour at New Paltz was the organization and development of a band. A number of young men from Ulster County were recruited by the adjutant and added to the force by the Bandmaster, Lt. Herman Silverstein. This band became famed as the best in the Army of Occupation.