1st Maine Cavalry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Maine > 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment

This 1st Maine Volunteer Cavalry Regiment lost the greatest number killed in action of any cavalry regiment in the army: 15 officers and 159 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded. In addition, 3 officers and 341 enlisted men died of disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

1861
November 5 The 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment was organized at Augusta and mustered in under the command of Colonel John Goddard.
1862
March 1 Colonel Goddard resigned due to financial problems at home. Major Samuel H. Allen was promoted to colonel.
March 14-19 Companies A, D, E and F moved to Washington, D.C.
March 19-24 Companies B, I, H and M moved to Washington, D.C.
March 19-28 Companies C, G, K and L moved to Washington, D.C.
March – July Companies C, D, F, G, I, K & L
March Moved to Warrenton and attached to Hatch’s Cavalry Command, Banks’ 5th Army Corps
April 16 Reconnaissance to the Rappahannock (Co. C) and to Liberty Church (Detachment) attached to the Department of the Shenandoah
May 4-5 Reconnaissance to Culpeper Court House
May 5 Brandy Station
May 9 Major Calvin S. Douty was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
May 25 Join McDowell at Manassas Junction, attached to Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade, Dept. of the Rappahannock
July 2 Milford
July 3 Winchester
July 5 Sperryville
July 10 –
May 15		 Companies A, B, E, H & M
May 19 Ordered to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va. and attached to Miles’ Railroad Brigade for guard duty along Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
May 15-June 17 Moved to Strasburg and operations in the Shenandoah Valley attached to Hatch’s Cavalry Brigade, Banks’ 5th Army Corps, and Dept. of the Shenandoah
May 21 Action at Woodstock
May 22 Strasburg (Companies H & M)
May 24 Middletown
May 25

Battle of Winchester
May 25-26 Retreat to Williamsport
June 3 Winchester
June 24 Milford
June 26 Attached to Army of Virginia, 3rd Corps, Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade
June 29-30 Reconnaissance to Front Royal
June 30 Luray
July 10 Regiment recombined
July Regiment scouted on the Rappahannock attached to Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade, Army of Virginia
July 22-24 Reconnaissance to James City
August 7 Slaughter House
August 8 Robinson River
August 9

Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 16-
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 20 Stevensburg, Raccoon Ford and Brandy Station
August 20 Beverly Ford
August 21-23

Fords of the Rappahannock
August 24-25

Rappahannock Station
August 27 Sulphur Springs
August 28

Thoroughfare Gap
August 29

Groveton (Brawner’s Farm)
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)
August 31 Mountsville, Centerville, Chantilly and Germantown
September 1

Battle of Chantilly
September Attached to Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac
September 7 & 12 Frederick, Maryland. Most of the regiment was assigned in Frederick as Provost Guard.
September 14

Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

Company G under Captain Zebulon B. Blethen served with the Ninth Corps and Companies H and M under Captain George Summat were with Fifth Corps, all serving as as headquarter orderlies and escort duty. The remaining companies of the regiment were not at Antietam, but remained around Frederick as Provosr Guard.
November 2 At Frederick
October 24 Manassas Junction
October 30 Middleburg
October 31 Aldie
November 4 Salem, New Baltimore and near Warrenton
November 7-9 Rappahannock Station
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
December 28 Dumfries
1863
January 5 Colonel Allen was discharged for disability due to chronic asthma.
January 20-24
“Mud March”
Febrary Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 26 Lieutenant Colonel Douty was promoted to colonel.
April 14

Rappahannock Bridge
April 29-May 8

Stoneman’s Raid
April 29

Kelly’s Ford
May 1-2 Louisa Court House
May 3 South Anna Bridge near Ashland
May 10 Bealton
May 20-26 Operations on Northern Neck (Detachment)
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, then 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps
June 9

Battle of Brandy Station

Commanded by Colonel Calvin S. Douty.
June 17
Aldie

Colonel Douty was killed by a gunshot wound to the side.
June 18-19 Middleburg
June 21 Upperville
June 30

Battle of Hanover, Pennsylvania
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The 1st Maine Cavalry was commanded by Colonel Charles Henry Smith. It brought 438 men to the field, losing 1 killed and 4 wounded.
July 5 Steven’s Furnace
July 11 Hagerstown
July 12 Funkstown, Md.
July 14 Shephardstown and near Harper’s Ferry
July 15 Halltown and Charlestown
July 16 Shephardstown
July 24 Charles H. Smith was promoted to colonel with rank effective to June 17.
August 5 Little Washington
August 15 Beverly Ford
September 6 Brandy Station
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
September 13 Culpeper Court House and Hazel River
September 14 Raccoon Ford
September 20 Culpeper
September 21-22 White’s Ford
October 9

Bristoe Campaign

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps
October 12 Gaines’ Cross Roads
October 12-13 Warrenton or White Sulphur Springs
October 14 Auburn and Bristoe
October 14 St. Stephen’s Church
October 15 Blackburn’s Ford
October 20 Culpeper
October 22 Near Bealton
October 22 Rappahannock Crossing
October 23

Rappahannock Station
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign
November 26 Morton’s Ford
November 27 New Hope Church
November 29 Parker’s Store
December 21-23 Expedition to Luray
1864
January 1-4 Reconnaissance to Front Royal
January 3 Near Salem (Detachment)
February 28-
March 4		 Kilpatrick’s Raid to Richmond
February 29 Beaver Dam Station
March 1 Fortifications of Richmond and Brook’s Turnpike
March 2 Old Church and Near Tunstall Station
May 3-June 15

Rapidan Campaign
May 5-6 Todd’s Tavern
May 6-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 7-8

Battle of Todd’s Tavern
May 9-24

Sheridan’s Raid
May 9-10

North Anna River
May 11

Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern
May 11 Diamond Hill
May 12 Brook Church or Fortifications of Richmond and Meadow Bridge
May 17 Jones’ Bridge
May 18 Haxall’s Landing
May 20 Milford
May 28 Haw’s Shop
May 29-30 Old Church
May 31-June 1

Cold Harbor
June 1-7 About Cold Harbor
June 2 Sumner’s Upper Bridge and McGee’s Mills
June 7-24

Sheridan’s Trevillian Raid
June 8 Elliott’s Mills
June 11-12

Trevillian Station
June 21

Black Creek, Tunstall Station
June 21 White House, St. Peter’s Church
June 24 St. Mary’s Church
June 28 Second Swamp
June

Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond
July 12 Warwick Swamp and Lee’s Mill
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
July 28 New Market
July 29 Malvern Hill
July 30 Lee’s Mills
August 9 Near Sycamore Church
August 14 Gravel Hill
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains
August 16 Deep Run
August 18 Nelson’s Farm
August 23-25

Reams Station
August 23 Dinwiddie Road near Ream’s Station
September 2 Yellow Tavern
September 15 Stony Creek Station
September 17 Belcher’s Mills
September 18 Lee’s Mills
September 26 Vaughan Road
September 29 Wyatt’s Farm
September 29-October 1 Poplar Springs Church
October 1 Vaughan and Duncan Road
October Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road or Hatcher’s Run
November 4 Old members mustered out
December 1 Stony Creek Station
December 7-11 Bellefield Raid
December 9-10 Bellefield
1865
February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 28-
April 9

Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31

Dinwiddie Court House
April 1

Battle of Five Forks
April 3 Namozine Church and Jettersville
April 5 Fame’s Cross Roads and Amelia Springs
April 6

Sailor’s Creek and Deatonville Road
April 7 Briery Creek and Farmville
April 8

Appomattox Station
April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
August Duty at Petersburg and in the Department of Virginia
August 1 Mustered out