The 1st Delaware Cavalry Battalion was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Raised in late 1862, the 1st Delaware Cavalry Battalion was initially to be raised as the 1st Delaware Cavalry Regiment, but was reduced to a battalion due to the inability of the state to fill a cavalry regiment to full strength. It served on provost duty in Maryland and Delaware from 1863 to early 1864, and fought in the action at

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

known as

Corbit's Charge Corbit's Charge was a skirmish fought on June 29, 1863 in Westminster, Maryland, Westminster, MD, during the American Civil War between the cavalry commanded by Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and two companies of the 1st Delaware Cavalry Regimen ...

during the Gettysburg Campaign. It participated in the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...

in June 1864, then returned to Maryland after the Confederate cavalry raid of

Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commissio ...

. It remained there for the remainder of the war, and was mustered out after its end.

History

The first attempts to raise cavalry units for active service in Delaware were made by Napoleon Bonaparte Knight, who was authorized to raise a battalion of four companies on 13 August 1862. Delaware politician

George P. Fisher George Purnell Fisher (October 13, 1817 – February 10, 1899) was Attorney General of Delaware, Secretary of State of Delaware, a United States representative from Delaware and an United States federal judge, Associate Justice of the Supreme Co ...

was commissioned by the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * Dep ...

to raise a 1,200-man cavalry regiment, including Knight's battalion, on 9 September. Due to the small population of the state, the regiment could not be expanded to the projected strength, with only seven understrength companies out of a typical ten being raised. It ultimately served as a four-company battalion. Between late 1862 and early 1863 it trained at Camp Smithers near Wilmington at

Brandywine Hundred Brandywine Hundred (also known as North Wilmington) is an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. It is located to the north and northeast of the city of Wilmington. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the ...

The regiment was organized at Wilmington on 20 January 1863, attached to the 1st Separate Brigade of

VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...

in the

Middle Department The Middle Department was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Middle Atlantic states. The department was created on March 22, 1862 by the Ad ...

. It mustered in with a strength of 568, including 24 officers. The 1st Delaware Cavalry served at Wilmington until June, when it transferred to the Cavalry Reserve of the Defenses of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. The regiment was on provost duty in and near Baltimore for the next year, and elements of it fought in the action at Westminster (

) on 28 June; this was its first combat. It was transferred to the 3rd Separate Brigade of the corps in October, and returned to the Cavalry Reserve in December. Companies A and D remained in the District of Delaware until December, while Companies D and E remained in that state until March 1864, after which Company E was stationed at Havre de Grace in April. The regiment transferred back to the 3rd Separate Brigade in March, and was ordered to join the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

to fight in the

on 15 May. Upon reporting to the army on 5 June, the regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

. It fought in the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

between 5 and 12 June and the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

between 17 June and 10 July. During the latter, it participated in the

Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, also known as the First Battle of the Weldon Railroad, was a battle of the American Civil War fought June 21–23, 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia, Petersburg, Virginia in the American Civil War, Virginia. It ...

between 22 and 23 June and the

First Battle of Ream's Station The First Battle of Ream's Station was fought on June 29, 1864, during the Wilson–Kautz Raid of the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. William Mahone and Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee defeated Union cavalry raiding Confederate ...

on 29 June. With VI Corps, the regiment moved north to Baltimore and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in pursuit of Confederate cavalry commander

between 10 and 12 July, guarding the corps Artillery Brigade. On 14 July the regiment, excluding Company A, was ordered to Baltimore, where it rejoined the 1st Separate Brigade of VIII Corps. Company A remained with the Army of the Potomac to guard the VI Corps Reserve Artillery until rejoining the regiment in September. The regiment served on picket and outpost duty along the line of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

, and guarded fords of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

between Georgetown and Point of Rocks until November, when it briefly returned to Delaware for the

United States presidential election The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dire ...

. Operating in Montgomery County between 7 and 11 October, the regiment continued to serve on the Upper Potomac and on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio. By March 1865, the regimental headquarters was at Monocacy Junction with detachments at Baltimore and

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, among others. In mid-April its detachments helped in the search for the

Booth Booth may refer to: People * Booth (surname) * Booth (given name) Fictional characters * August Wayne Booth, from the television series ''Once Upon A Time'' *Cliff Booth, a supporting character of the 2019 film ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' ...

conspirators, one of whom,

George Atzerodt George Andrew Atzerodt (June 12, 1835 – July 7, 1865) was a German American repairman, Confederate sympathizer, and conspirator with John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln. He was assigned to assassinat ...

, was captured by a squad led by Sergeant Zachariah W. Gimmell on 20 April, and brought to the Relay House camp. The detachments at Relay House were mustered out on 6 June, followed by those at Baltimore on 30 June. During its service, the regiment lost two enlisted men killed in action, while two officers and 47 enlisted men died of disease. It mustered out with a strength of 363, including eleven officers.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * (Papers of the Historical Society of Delaware, LXII) *{{Cite book, title=Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg, last1=Wittenberg, first1=Eric J, last2=Petruzzi, first2=J. David, publisher=Savas Beatie, year=2006, isbn=1-932714-20-0, location=New York

External links

1st Delaware Cavalry clothing books and volunteer service records
at The Civil War in Delaware

Military units and formations established in 1863 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union Army from Delaware