The 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 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 ...

that served in 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 ...

during 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 ...

Service

The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry was organized at

Camp Brigham Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

Readville Readville is part of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston. Readville's ZIP Code is 02136. It was called Dedham Low Plains from 1655 until it was renamed after the mill owner James Read in 1847. It was part of Dedham until 1867. It is served by ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

beginning September 3, 1861 and mustered in under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Robert Williams. The regiment was attached to the

Department of the South The Department of the South was a military department of the United States Army that existed in several iterations in the 19th century during and after the American Civil War. 1862–65 After the first 11 months of the American Civil War, startin ...

to April 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Department of the South, to August 1862. Companies A through H moved to Fort Monroe August 19, 1862, then moved to Washington, D.C., and joined Pleasanton's Cavalry,

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 ...

, at Tenallytown, September 3. Attached to Pleasanton's Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, to October 1862. Averill's Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April 1865. Four new companies (I, K, L, and M) were organized December 5. 1863 to January 14, 1864. Provost Marshal's Command, Army of the Potomac, to May 1865. Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, to June 1865. The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry mustered out of service on June 29, 1865 and was discharged at Readville on July 24, 1865.

Detailed service

1861

* Companies A, B, C, and D left Massachusetts for

Annapolis, Maryland 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 ...

, December 25, 1861, then moved to

Hilton Head, South Carolina Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of C ...

, February 1862, and joined the regiment. * Second Battalion left Massachusetts for New York December 27, and Third Battalion December 29 for the same point, then sailed for Hilton Head, S.C., January 13, arriving January 20, 1862. The men sailed on the steamships ''

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

'', ''Empire City'', and ''Marion'', and the horses sailed aboard ''

Star of the South The Star of the South, also known as 'Limar', is a diamond found in Brazil in July 1853. The diamond is cut into a cushion shape and weighs . The Star of the South is graded as a type IIa diamond, with a color grading of fancy light pinkish-br ...

,'' and ''Catawba''. Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., until May 1862.

1862

* Moved to Edisto Island, S.C., May (Companies E through M). * Operations on James Island, S.C., June 1–28. ** Action James Island June 8. **

Battle of Secessionville The Battle of Secessionville (or the First Battle of James Island) was fought on June 16, 1862, during the American Civil War. Confederate forces defeated the Union's only attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, by land. It's noted for ...

June 16 (Company H). * Evacuation of James Island and movement to Hilton Head June 28-July 7 * Antietam Campaign, September 4–20, Commanded by Captain

Caspar Crowninshield Caspar Crowninshield (October 23, 1837 – January 10, 1897) was a volunteer officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life and education Caspar Crowninshield was born into one of Boston's elite families.Parson, 48. The C ...

, Colonel

John F. Farnsworth John Franklin Farnsworth (March 27, 1820 – July 14, 1897) was a seven-term U.S. Representative from Illinois (1857-1861, 1863-1873) and a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded brigades in the Cavalry Corps fro ...

's 2nd Brigade, Brigadier General

Alfred Pleasonton Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gett ...

's Second Division of

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

Poolesville, Maryland Poolesville is a U.S. town in the western portion of Montgomery County, Maryland. The population was 5,742 at the 2020 United States Census. It is surrounded by (but is technically not part of) the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and is ...

, September 4–5. ** Sugar Loaf Mountain September 10–11. ** South Mountain September 14. **

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

September 16–17. **

Shepherdstown, Virginia Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Potomac River. Home to Shepherd University, the town's population was 1,734 at the time of the 2010 census. History 18t ...

, September 19. * Kearneysville, Shepherdstown, and Smithfield October 16–17. * Four companies with

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army ...

October 30-November 25. * Four companies near Hagerstown, Md., until November 16, then moved to Washington November 16–25, and duty there refitting until December 13, Bloomfield November 2–3. * Snicker's Gap November 3–4. * Markham Station November 4. * Manassas Gap November 5–6. * Reconnaissance to Grove Church December 1. *

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

, Va., December 12–15, commanded by Colonel Horace B. Sargent, Brigadier General

William W. Averell William Woods Averell (November 5, 1832 – February 3, 1900) was a career United States Army officer and a cavalry general in the American Civil War. He was the only Union general to achieve a major victory against the Confederates in the V ...

's Cavalry Brigade of Major General

Daniel Butterfield Daniel Adams Butterfield (October 31, 1831 – July 17, 1901) was a New York businessman, a Union general in the American Civil War, and Assistant Treasurer of the United States. After working for American Express, co-founded by his father, ...

, Army of the Potomac * Reconnaissance toward Warrenton December 21–22. * Expedition to Richard's and Ellis' Fords December 29–30.

1863

* Reconnaissance to Catlett's and Rappahannock Station January 8–10, 1863. * Elk Run, Catlett's Station, January 9. * Near Grove Church January 9. * Destruction of Rappahannock Bridge February 5. * Hartwood Church February 25. * Kelly's Ford March 17. * Bealeton March 17. *

Chancellorsville Campaign The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

, Stoneman's Raid, April 29-May 6. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel

Greely S. Curtis Greely Stevenson Curtis (November 21, 1830 – February 12, 1897) was a volunteer officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life and education Greely Stevenson Curtis was born November 21, 1830, at Boston, Massachusetts. ...

, Colonel Horace B Sargent's 1st Brigade, Brigadier General William W. Averell's 2nd Division, Brigadier General

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...

's Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac * Near Fayetteville June 3. * Kelly's Ford,

Brandy Station Brandy Station is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 191. Its original name was Brandy. The name Brandy S ...

, and Stevensburg June 9. *

Second Battle of Petersburg The Second Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Assault on Petersburg, was fought June 15–18, 1864, at the beginning of the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign (popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg). Union forces under Lieutenant General Ul ...

at Aldie (June 15–18). * Upperville June 21. *

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

July 2–3. Commanded by Colonel Horace B. Sargent, Colonel

John B. McIntosh John Baillie McIntosh (June 6, 1829 – June 29, 1888), although born in Florida, served as a Union Army brigadier general in the American Civil War. His brother, James M. McIntosh, served as a Confederate general until he was killed in the Ba ...

's 1st Brigade of Brigadier General

David McMurtrie Gregg David McMurtrie Gregg (April 10, 1833 – August 7, 1916) was an American farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Gregg was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He was the first cousin of futu ...

's Second Division The Second Brigade (2nd and 4th New York Cavalry,

6th Ohio Cavalry The 6th Ohio Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army, which was raised in ten counties in northeastern and north-central Ohio for service during the American Civil War. It served primarily in the Eastern Theater in several majo ...

, and

8th Pennsylvania Cavalry The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry (89th Volunteers) was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania beginning in August 1861 as the ...

) under Colonel

Pennock Huey Pennock Huey (March 1, 1828 – September 28, 1903) was an officer and cavalry brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Huey was the son of Jacob Huey, a farmer in Chester County, Pennsylvania known locall ...

was at Westminster, and not engaged in the battle of Major General Alfred Pleasonton's Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac * Emmetsburg July 4. * Williamsport July 6–7. * Near Harpers Ferry, W. Va., July 14. * Old Antietam Forge, near Leitersburg, July 10. * Jones' Cross Roads July 12. * Shepherdstown July 16. * Near Aldie July 31. * Scout to Hazel River August 4. * Rixeyville August 5. * Welford's Ford August 9. * Scout to Barbee's Cross Roads August 24. * Scout to Middleburg September 10–11. * Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13–17. ** Culpeper Court House September 13. ** Rapidan Station September 13–15. * Bristoe Campaign October 9–22. ** Warrenton (or White Sulphur Springs) October 12. ** Auburn and Bristoe October 14. ** Brentsville October 14. * Picket near Warrenton until November 22. *

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union A ...

November 26-December 2. ** New Hope Church November 27

1864

* Scout and picket duty at Warrenton until April 21, 1864. * Kilpatrick's Raid on Richmond February 28-March 4. * Fortifications of Richmond March 1. (Companies C and D assigned to Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, April 1864 to muster out.) *

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 ...

May–June. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel E. Chamberlain, Brigadier General Henry E. Davies, Jr.'s 1st Brigade, Brigadier General David M. Gregg's 2nd Division of MG

Philip H. Sheridan Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

's Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac ** Todd's Tavern May 5–6. ** Wilderness May 6–7. **

Battle of Todd's Tavern The Battle of Todd's Tavern was fought in Virginia during the American Civil War. The Battle of the Wilderness On May 4, 1864, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 122,000-man Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee's 66,000-man Army of Northern Virgini ...

May 7–8. ** Corbin's Bridge, Spotsylvania, May 8. ** Davenport Ford May 9. ** Sheridan's Raid to James River May 9–24. ** North Anna River May 9–10. ** Ground Squirrel Church, Ashland, and

Battle of Yellow Tavern The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought on May 11, 1864, as part of the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan was detached from Grant’s Army of the Potomac to conduct a raid on Richmond, ...

May 11. ** Brooks' Church, or Richmond Fortifications, May 12. ** Line of the Pamunkey May 26–28. ** Totopotomoy May 28–31. **

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 ...

May 31-June 1. ** About Cold Harbor June 1–7. ** Sumner's Upper Bridge June 2. ** Sheridan's Trevillian Raid June 7–24. ***

Trevilian Station The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Union cavalry under Maj. ...

June 11–12. *** Newark, or Mallory's Cross Roads, June 12. *** Black Creek, or Tunstall Station, and White House, or St. Peter's Church, June 21. ** St. Mary's Church June 24. * Camp at Prince George Court House June 27-July 13. * Weldon Railroad and Warwick Swamp July 12. At Lee's Mills until July 26. * Demonstration on north side of James River July 27–29. *

First Battle of Deep Bottom The First Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, or Gravel Hill, was fought July 27–29, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil ...

July 27–29. * Malvern Hill July 28. * Lee's Mills July 30. * Scouting duty until August 14. * Demonstration north of the James River August 14–18. * Gravel Hill August 14. * Strawberry Plains August 14–18. *

Battle of Globe Tavern The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the siege of Petersburg ...

(August 18–21). Commanded by Chamberlain, Colonel William Stedman's 1st Brigade, Gregg's 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac ** Charles City Cross Roads August 18. ** Weldon Railroad August 19–21. * Dinwiddie Road, near Ream's Station, August 23. * Ream's Station August 25. * Hawkinsville September 14. * Jerusalem Plank Road September 16. * Belcher's Mills September 17. * Poplar Grove Church September 29-October 2. * Davis' Farm September 30. * Arthur's Swamp September 30-October 1. * Vaughan Road October 1. (Veterans left the front for Massachusetts October 25, 1864.) *

Battle of Boydton Plank Road The Battle of the Boydton Plank Road (also known as Burgess Mill or First Hatcher's Run), fought on October 27–28, 1864, followed the successful Battle of Peebles's Farm in the siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War. It was a ...

(October 27–28, 1864), Hatcher's Run, Commanded by Chamberlain, Brigadier General Henry E. Davies's 1st Brigade, Gregg's 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac * At McCann's Station until November 18. * Reconnaissance toward Stony Creek November 7. * At Westbrook House until December 1. * Stony Creek Station December 1. * Bellefield Raid December 7–12. * Bellefield December 9–10.

1865

* At Westbrook House until March 17, 1865. * Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5–7. * Provost duty at City Point until April 2. * Appomattox campaign, March 29 – April 9 ** Company C commanded by Capt Edward A. Flint and Company D commanded by Captain Jamesserving in Provost Guard, Headquarters, Army of the Potomac ** Eight companies commanded by Maj John Tewksbury in Brevet Brigadier General

Charles H. T. Collis Charles Henry Tucker "Tucky" Collis (February 4, 1838 – May 11, 1902) was an Irish-American US Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the American Civil War. Life Collis was born in County Cork, Ireland, and immigra ...

's Independent Brigade, Headquarters, Army of the Potomac * Provost duty until May 27. * Duty in the defenses of Washington until June 26.

Detached Duty

Third Battalion (Companies I, K, L, and M) * Served duty in District of Beaufort, S.C., until August, 1862 Action at

Pocotaligo, South Carolina Pocotaligo is an unincorporated community located in northeastern Jasper County, South Carolina, United States, close to the border of Beaufort County. The community takes its name from the Pocotaligo River, a small tidal creek that separates J ...

, May 22, 1862 (detachment). * Patrol and guard duty and picketing Broad River. * Expedition to St. John's Bluff, Fla., September 30-October 13, 1862. * Expedition to Pocotaligo, S.C., October 21–23. * Pocotaligo Bridge October 21. * Caston and Frampton's Plantation October 22. * Attached to

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * X ...

, Department of the South. * Company M at Hilton Head, S.C., and outpost duty at Lawton's Plantation until August 1863. * A detachment of Company I served at Folly Island, S.C., until July 1863, and Morris Island, S.C., to August 1863. * The balance of Company I was on outpost duty at Hilton Head, S.C., June to August 1863. Third Battalion was permanently detached from the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry by S. C. 346, War Department, August 4, 1863, and designated Independent Battalion, Massachusetts Cavalry.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 239 men during service; 6 officers and 93 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 140 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Lieutenant Colonel Samuel E. Chamberlain *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

- commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg * Captain

- commanded at the Battle of Antietam * Colonel

Horace Binney Sargent Horace Binney Sargent (June 26, 1821 – January 8, 1908) was an American soldier and politician. Early life Sargent was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of Lucius Manlius Sargent (1786–1867), an author and temperance advoc ...

* Major John Tewksbury * Colonel Robert Williams * Lieutenant Charles V. Holt

Notes

References

* Allen, Stanton P. and H. G. Laskey. ''Down in Dixie: Life in a Cavalry Regiment in the War Days, from the Wilderness to Appomattox'' (Boston: Lothrop), 1893. * Bowditch, Henry I. ''Memorial f Nathaniel Bowditch, Lieutenant, First Massachusetts Cavalry, 1839-1863' (Boston: J. Wilson & Son), 1865.
Crowninshield, Benjamin W. and D. H. L. Gleason. ''A History of the First Regiment of Massachusetts Cavalry Volunteers'' (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co.), 1891.
* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

1st Massachusetts Cavalry monument at Gettysburg
Units and formations of the Union Army from Massachusetts 1861 establishments in Massachusetts Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865