The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry was a

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

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 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 ...

. They were known for their early use of 9-foot lances, and were called "Rush's Lancers."

History

The regiment was raised during August and September 1861 from companies raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Montgomery and Berks counties by Richard H. Rush, who had been authorized to do so by Governor Curtin. Rush was appointed

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 ...

of the regiment, with John H. M'Arthur as

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 ...

and C. Ross Smith and Robert Morris, Jr., as majors. At the suggestion of Maj. Gen.

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

, the men were armed with Austrian lances. After several weeks of training in Philadelphia, the regiment was transferred to Washington, D.C., where it was assigned to the Cavalry Division of 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 ...

The regiment served with the army during the Peninsula Campaign and Maryland Campaign, skirmishing many times but seeing no heavy fighting. During the

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 ...

, it served as the provost guard for the Center Grand Division, guarding the bridges to the grand division's rear. It was absent during the

Battle of Chancellorsville 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 ...

, participating instead in Stoneman's Raid. In the May 1863, the regiment was rearmed with

Sharps carbines Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, falling-block, breech-loading rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848 and ceasing production in 1881. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. By 1874 the rifle wa ...

and assigned to the Reserve Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. It fought in the Gettysburg Campaign and

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 ...

. During the

Battle of Brandy Station The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, aroun ...

in June 1863, the regiment (led by Major Robert Morris, Jr.) unsuccessfully charged the guns at St. James Church, suffering the greatest casualties of any regiment in the battle. Several Confederates later described the 6th's charge as the most "brilliant and glorious" cavalry charge of the war. (In many Civil War battles, cavalrymen typically dismounted once they reached an engagement and fought essentially as infantry. But in this battle, the surprise and chaos led to a mostly mounted fight.) The following year, it fought 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 ...

and Sheridan's Valley Campaign among the Valley Campaigns of 1864. In September, the regiment's original enlistments expired, and the unit was reorganized for an additional three years. Following the Appomattox Campaign, it was ordered to Washington, D.C., where it was consolidated with the

1st Pennsylvania Cavalry The 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry (14th Reserves / 44th Volunteers) was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves infantry division during the American Civil War. Service The 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry (Com ...

and 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry to form the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Cavalry. The combined regiment was sent to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, where it was mustered out in August 1865. The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry had one Medal of Honor Recipient: Captain

Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 - June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often unordinarily scaled b ...

, commander of Company F. During the

Battle of Trevillian Station The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Army, Union Lieutenant General (United States), Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States of America, Confeder ...

(June 11–12, 1864), Furness "Voluntarily carried a box of ammunition across an open space swept by the enemy's fire to the relief of an outpost whose ammunition had become almost exhausted, but which was thus enabled to hold its important position," according to the citation for the medal, awarded on October 20, 1899.

Reenactors

A group based in

Morrisville, New York Morrisville is a village in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 2,199 at the 2010 census. The village is named after its founder, Thomas Morris. The Village of Morrisville in the northwest part of the Town of Eaton on ...

portrays Company G.

Casualties

* Killed and mortally wounded: 7 officers, 71 enlisted men * Died of disease: 3 officers, 86 enlisted men * Total: 10 officers, 157 enlisted men

Today

In August 1861, members of First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, were mustered in and organized into companies C and E of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry for Federal service in the Civil War. Companies C and E were mustered out on 17 June 1865. The First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry (17 November 1774) is the oldest, continuously active Cavalry Troop in the US Army, currently serving as A TRP, 1st/104th CAV, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The Civil War campaign streamers of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry currently fly from A Troop's guidon along with streamers ranging from the American Revolution to World War II. The Troop recently served in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia (2002-3) and the Sinai (2008). Numerous artifacts of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry are currently housed in the Troop's private museum which is currently closed due to construction.

References

Pa-roots website

Reenactors website

{{Reflist

External links