The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry (89th Volunteers) was a 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 conscript ...

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

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 ...

Service

The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

beginning in August 1861 as the "89th Volunteers" and mustered in for three years service 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 o ...

Ernest G. Chorman. The regiment was attached to Porter's Division,

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 Confede ...

, to March 1862. Unattached, IV Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April 1862. Blake's Brigade, Cavalry Reserve, Army of the Potomac, to July 1862. 2nd Brigade, Stoneman's Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, to September 1862. 2nd Brigade, Pleasanton's Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, to February 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to July 1865. The 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry ceased to exist on July 24, 1865, when it was consolidated with the

16th Pennsylvania Cavalry The 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry (161st Volunteers) was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania beginning in September 1862 as t ...

Detailed service

1861-1862

Left Pennsylvania for Washington, D.C., October 4, 1861. Duty at Arlington Heights, Va., defenses of Washington, D.C., until March 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 10-15. Moved to the Virginia Peninsula April.

Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

April 11-May 4. Baltimore Cross Roads, near New Kent Court House, May 13. Operations about Bottom's Bridge May 20-23. Reconnaissance toward Richmond and to Turkey Island Creek Bridge May 23. Savage Station May 24. Reconnaissance to Seven Pines May 24-27. Chickahominy May 24. Garnett's Farm and White Oak May 27. Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) May 31-June 1. Reconnaissance to White Oak Swamp June 22-23. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Bottom's Bridge June 28-29. Savage Station June 29. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. (Company A at the Headquarters of Gen. Porter; Company B at the Headquarters of Gen. McClellan; Company D at the Headquarters of Gen. P. St. G. Cooke.) Turkey Island Bridge July 20. Reconnaissance to Malvern Hill July 23. Retreat from the Peninsula and movement to Alexandria. Maryland Campaign September. Falls Church September 3-4. Sugar Loaf Mountain September 10-11. Frederick September 12. Middletown September 13. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. Boteller's Ford, Sharpsburg, Md., September 19. Shepherdstown Ford September 19. Amissville September 30. Reconnaissance from Sharpsburg to Shepherdstown and Martinsburg, W. Va., October 1 (3 companies). Philomont November 1-2. Castleman's Ferry, Upperville, Union, and Bloomfield November 2-3. Aldie and Ashby's Gap November 3. Markham Station November 4. Barbee's Cross Roads November 5. Waterloo Bridge November 7. Hazel River November 8. Newby's Cross Roads, near Amissville, November 10. Philomont November 19. Leed's Ferry and King George Court House December 2. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.

1863

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 ...

April 27-May 6. 1863. Richard's Ford and Barnett's Ford April 29. Ely's Ford Road April 30. Chancellorsville May 1-2. Salem Heights and Banks' Ford May 4. Aldie June 17. Middleburg June 19. Upperville June 21. Thoroughfare Gap June 25. Westminster, Md., June 30.

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 1-3. Monterey Gap July 4. Smithsburg July 5. Williamsport and Hagerstown, Md., July 6. Boonsboro July 8. Jones' Cross Roads, near Williamsport, July 10 and 13. Hagerstown July 10-13. St. James College July 11-12. Williamsport Road July 14. Shepherdstown July 16. Rixey's Ford September 2. Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Culpeper Court House September 13. Rapidan Station September 15-16. Robertson's River September 22. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Near Warrenton October 11. Warrenton or White Sulphur Springs October 12. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. St. Stephen's Church October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.

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 ...

November 26-December 2. New Hope Church November 27. Blind Ferry December 5. Raid to Luray Valley December 21-23. Regiment reenlisted December 31, 1863.

1864

Raid through Chester Gap January 1-4, 1864. Rapidan Campaign May-June 1864. Todd's Tavern May 5-8.

Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...

May 8-21. Sheridan's Raid to James River May 9-24. Matapony Church May 9.

North Anna River The North Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in central Virginia in the United States. ...

May 9-10. Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11. Brook Church or Fortifications of Richmond May 12. Haxall's Landing May 18. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28.

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was a battle fought in Hanover County, Virginia on May 28–30, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's O ...

May 28-31. Haw's Shop May 28.

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. Sumner's Upper Bridge June 2. Sheridan's Trevillian Raid June 7-24. Trevillian Station June 11-12. White House or St. Peter's Church June 21. Black Creek or Tunstall Station June 21. St. Mary's Church June 24. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 1864 to April 1865. Warwick Swamp July 12. Charles City Cross Roads July 15-16. Demonstration north of the James River at Deep Bottom July 27-29. Malvern Hill July 28. Warwick Swamp July 30. Demonstration north of the James River at Deep Bottom August 13-20. Gravel Hill August 14. Strawberry Plains and Deep Run August 14-18. Charles City Cross Roads August 16. Dinwiddie Road, near Ream's Station, August 23. Ream's Station August 25. Belcher's Mills September. 17. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 2. Arthur's Swamp September 30-October 1. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Reconnaissance to Stony Creek November 7. Stony Creek Station December 1. Bellefield Raid December 7-12.

1865

Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie Court House March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Paine's Cross Roads and Amelia Springs April 5. Battle of Sailor's Creek April 6. Farmville April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. Duty at Lynchburg and in the

Department of Virginia The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departme ...

until July.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 188 men during service; 5 officers and 55 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 126 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Ernest G. Chorman - resigned January 1862 * Colonel

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 fut ...

- promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

November 29, 1862 * 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 ...

- captured at Saint Mary's Church June 24, 1864; returned to the regiment after parole on December 9, 1864. Promoted to brevet brigadier general March 13, 1865. * Brevet Colonel Samuel Wilson - discharged October 17, 1864 * Colonel William A. Corrie - commanded the regiment during the Battle of Gettysburg while still at the rank of captain * Lieutenant Colonel Amos E. Griffiths - commanded at the Battle of Fredericksburg * Captain Peter Keenan - commanded at the Battle of Antietam

Notable members

* Commissary Sergeant John Galloway -

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 valo ...

recipient for action at the Battle of Cumberland Church * Private John M. Vanderslice, Company D - Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Hatcher's Run

References

* Carpenter, James Edward. ''A List of the Battles, Engagements, Actions and Important Skirmishes in Which the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry Participated During the War of 1861-1865'' (Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott's Print. House), 1886. * ''Ceremonies at Dedication of Monument of the Eighth Penna. Cavalry Regiment at Gettysburg, September 1, 1890: With Historical Sketch of the Regiment'' (S.l.: s.n.), 1890. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Huey, Pennock. ''A True History of the Charge of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry at Chancellorsville'' (Philadelphia: Porter & Coates), 1883. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

8th Pennsylvania Cavalry monument at Gettysburg
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