Richard Henry Rush was an American cavalry colonel of English origin who led the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment throughout the early and middle battles of 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 ...

Biography

Early years

Rush was born on 14 January 1825 at

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

as the grandson of

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, ...

and while his father was the minister of the Court of St. James.< At some point, Rush immigrated to

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 ...

and then entered the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

before graduating 26th out of 59 on the Class of 1846. He then served in the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...

as a Brevet 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd United States Artillery. After the war, Rush was stationed at

Fort Columbus A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in 1848 and later at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

from 1848 to 1849 and 1850. From 10 December 1850 to 5 November 1852, he was a part of the Coast Survey and from 1852 to 1854, he was stationed at

Fort McHenry Fort McHenry is a historical American coastal pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack b ...

. However Rush resigned on 1 July 1854 and wouldn't re-enlist until the start of the

American Civil War

After the outbreak of the American Civil War, Rush was promoted to Colonel on 27 July 1861 and was authorized by

Andrew Gregg Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the crea ...

to muster the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment from Montgomery County and

Berks County Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River ...

with a term of three years. The unit saw its first fighting at the Skirmish of Hanley's Bridge. It went on to participate in the battles of Hanover Court House,

Gaines's Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles ( Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the incon ...

, White Oak Swamp,

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the American ...

, South Mountain,

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 ...

, Stoneman's 1863 raid, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg with their most distinguished service at 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 ...

.NPS
Loosbrock, p. 272; Kennedy, p. 204; Salmon, pp. 194, 198; Eicher, p. 492.

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 ...

commented on the unit stating: "They are the eyes and ears of my army." Rush was

seconded In deliberative bodies a second to a proposed motion is an indication that there is at least one person besides the mover that is interested in seeing the motion come before the meeting. It does not necessarily indicate that the seconder favors th ...

to the Provost Marshal General's Bureau from 10 May – 10 November 1863. There he helped to organize the

Veteran Reserve Corps The Veteran Reserve Corps (originally the Invalid Corps) was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers (or former soldiers) to perform lig ...

and afterwards, from 10 November – 20 December 1863, the Rock Island Prison. Rush was then made President of a Board for Examination of Officers from 3 January – 20 March 1864 but due to his term expiring, he resigned from the Army on 1 July 1864. Nothing is known about Rush's life after the American Civil War besides his death date at 17 October 1893 and his burial at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Richard Henry 1825 births 1893 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Military personnel from London United States Military Academy alumni English emigrants to the United States