The 7th Pennsylvania 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 ...

. The unit was frequently referred to as "80th Regiment".

Service

The 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at Camp Cameron in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, September through December 1861 and mustered in for a two-year enlistment on December 19, 1861, 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 ...

George C. Wynkoop. The regiment was recruited in Allegheny, Berks,

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

Centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, Clinton,

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

, Dauphin, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour,

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

, Schuylkill and Tioga counties. The regiment served unattached,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen. Do ...

, to March 1862. Negley's 7th Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio (1st Battalion). Post of Nashville, Tennessee, Department of Ohio (2nd Battalion). 23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio (3rd Battalion), to September 1862. Cavalry, 8th Division, Army of the Ohio (1st and 2nd Battalions), Unattached, Army of the Ohio (3rd Battalion), to November 1862. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Ohio, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

, to November 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to July 1865. The 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry mustered out of service at

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, on August 13, 1865.

Detailed service

Moved to Louisville, Ky., December 19, and ordered to Jeffersonville, Ind. Duty there until February 1862. 1st Battalion (Companies A, D, H, and I) sent to Columbia, Tenn. Expedition to Rodgersville May 13–14. Lamb's Ferry, Ala., May 14. Advance on Chattanooga June 1. Sweeden's Cove June 4. Chattanooga June 7–8. Occupation of Manchester July 1. Paris July 19. Raid on Louisville & Nashville Railroad August 19–23. Huntsville Road, near Gallatin, August 21. Brentwood September 19–20. Near Perryville October 6–7. Battle of Perryville, October 8. Expedition from Crab Orchard to Big Hill and Richmond October 21. 2nd Battalion (Companies C, E, F, and K), under Gen. Dumont, in garrison at Nashville, Tenn., and scouting in that vicinity until November. 3rd Battalion (Companies B, G, L, and M), in Duffield's Command, scouting in western and middle Tennessee. Lebanon and pursuit to Carthage May 5. Readyville June 7. Murfreesboro July 18. Sparta August 4–5 and 7. Regiment reunited in November 1862. Nashville November 5. Reconnaissance from Nashville to Franklin December 11–12. Wilson's Creek Pike December 11. Franklin December 12. Neal, Nashville December 24. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26–30. Lavergne December 26–27. Battle of Stones River December 30–31, 1862 and January 1–3, 1863. Overall's Creek December 31. Manchester Pike and Lytle's Creek January 5, 1863. Expedition to Franklin January 31-February 13. Unionville and Rover January 31. Murfreesboro February 7. Rover February 13. Expedition toward Columbia March 4–14. Unionville and Rover March 4. Chapel Hill March 5. Thompson's Station March 9. Rutherford Creek March 10–11. Snow Hill, Woodbury, April 3. Franklin April 10. Expedition to McMinnville April 20–30. Middletown May 21–22. Near Murfreesboro June 3. Operations on Edgeville Pike June 4. Marshall Knob June 4. Shelbyville Pike June 4. Scout on Middleton and Eagleville Pike June 10. Scout on Manchester Pike June 13. Expedition to Lebanon June 15–17. Lebanon June 16. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Guy's Gap or Fosterville and capture of Shelbyville June 27. Expedition to Huntsville July 13–22. Reconnaissance to Rock Island Ferry August 4–5. Sparta August 9. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River, and Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. Calfkiller River, Sparta, August 17. Battle of Chickamauga September 19–20. Rossville, Ga., September 21. Reenlisted at Huntsville, Ala., November 28, 1863. Atlanta Campaign May to September 1864. Demonstration on Rocky Faced Ridge May 8–11. Battle of Resaca May 14–15. Tanner's Bridge and Rome May 15. Near Dallas May 24. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Near Big Shanty June 9. Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. McAffee's Cross Roads June 11. Powder Springs June 20. Noonday Creek June 27. Line of Nickajack Creek July 2–5. Rottenwood Creek July 4. Rossville Ferry July 5. Line of the Chattahoochie July 6–17. Garrard's Raid on Covington July 22–24. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Garrard's Raid to South River July 27–31. Flat Rock Bridge July 28. Kilpatrick's Raid around Atlanta August 18–22. Flint River and Jonesborough August 19. Red Oak August 19. Lovejoy's Station August 20. Operations at Chattahoochie River Bridge August 26-September 2. Operations in northern Georgia and northern Alabama against Hood September 29-November 3. Carter Creek Station October 1. Near Columbia October 2. Near Lost Mountain October 4–7. New Hope Church October 5. Dallas October 7. Rome October 10–11. Narrows October 11. Coosaville Road, near Rome, October 13. Near Summerville October 18. Little River, Ala., October 20. Leesburg October 21. Ladiga, Terrapin Creek, October 28. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., to refit; duty there until December 28. March to Nashville, Tenn., December 28-January 8, 1865, thence to Gravelly Springs, Ala., January 25, and duty there until March. Wilson's Raid to Selma, Ala., and Macon, Ga., March 22-April 24. Selma April 2. Occupation of Montgomery April 12. Occupation of Macon April 20. Duty in Georgia and at Nashville, Tenn., until August.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 292 men during service; 8 officers and 94 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 5 officers and 185 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel George C. Wynkoop - discharged June 25, 1863, due to disability * Colonel William B. Sipes - promoted to colonel July 26, 1863; resigned November 30, 1864 * Colonel Charles Comly McCormick - promoted to colonel January 10, 1865 *

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 ...

James J. Seibert - commanded at the battle of Chickamauga *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

John E. Wynkoop - commanded 1st Battalion at the battle of Perryville and regiment at the battle of Stones River

Notable members

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Charles C. Davis Charles C. Davis (August 15, 1830 – January 20, 1909) was a United States Army Medal of Honor recipient, honored for his actions in command of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Battle of Hoover's Gap of the American Civil War. Biogra ...

, Company I -

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient, for action at Hoover's Gap

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * ''History and Roster of the Seventh Pa. Cavalry Veteran Volunteers'' (Pottsville, PA: Miners' Journal), 1904. * Lehman, B. B. ''Memoir of Major John L. Sherk: Late Surgeon of 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry'' (Lebanon, PA: Worth & Reinoehl, Printers), 1865. * * Thompson, Heber Samuel. ''Diary of Capt. Heber S. Thompson, Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, Pottsville, Pa., May to December, 1864'' (Pottsville, PA: s.n.), 1864. ;Attribution *

External links

7th Pennsylvania Cavalary - extensive writings and information

7th Pennsylvania Cavalry Map Tour - Sherman's 1864 Atlanta Campaign

7th Pennsylvania Cavalry Descendants Association - includes rosters, history, biographies, etc.
* {{Internet Archive, 01703598.3139.emory.edu, Sabre strokes of the Pennsylvania Dragoons, in the war of 1861-1865: interspersed with personal reminiscences (1884) Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union Army from Pennsylvania 1861 establishments in Pennsylvania