Battle of Front Royal

Battle of Cross Keyes

The company supported the 1st Maryland Infantry (CSA)

Battle of Port Republic

Groveton Heights

Second Battle of Manassas

Maryland Campaign

Battle of Crampton’s Gap (South Mountain)

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

Covered the right flank of the army and the retreat to Boteler’s Ford.

From the marker for Munford’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

The 2nd and 12th Virginia Cavalry reached the field on September 16 and took position on the extreme right of the Army of Northern Virginia, to cover the lower crossing of the Antietam. The 7th Virginia took position, on the evening of the 16th, on the Hagerstown Pike, northwest of Sharpsburg. It joined the Brigade on the right on the 17th. The Brigade remained on the right until the close of the battle.

Expedition to Moorefield

Jones-Imboden Raid

Left Lacy Springs in the Shenandoah Valley and moved into West Virginia, which was in the process of becoming a state.

Gettysburg Campaign

The battalion was assigned to Fitz Lee’s Brigade of the Cavalry Division. It was temporarily commanded by Major Harry Gilmor.

Battle of Gettysburg

When the battalion reached Gettysburg companies B-E were ordered to support Caret’s and Pogue’s artillery batteries while Company A served on Provost duty in town. They were employed as couriers and to support artillery, and saw no mounted action.

Battle of Monterrey Pass

A company of the 1st Maryland Cavaly defended defended the Confederate wagon train of wounded in a confused action on a pitch black, rainy night when it was attacked by Kilpatrick’s Union Cavalry Division. Badly outnumbered, the Confederates held off the Union cavalry for several hours until overwhelmed and forced back at 3 a.m.

Battle of Hagerstown

The battalion fought Kilpatrick’s Cavalry again in the streets of Hagerstown until Confederate infantry from Iverson’s Brigade arrived to drive them back.

Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond

With only sixty men available, Johnson directed them to harass the rear and flanks of the Union raiders. After intercepting a courier from Union Colonel Ulrich Dalgren revealing his plans to attack Richmond Johnson launched an attack into the rear of Kilpatrick’s column, hoping the confusion would cover for his weak numbers. It worked, and Kilpatrick was unable to aid Dalgren, whose attack completely failed. Johnston kept up his harassing tactic until the next day when Wade Hampton arrived with his division of cavalry, drove Kilpatrick off and killed Dalgren.

South Anna Bridge

The battalion fought for six hours to defend the bridge. Colonel Ridgely Brown was killed by a stray bullet during a lull in the battle. Captain Warner G. Welsh took over the battalion.

Battle of Trevillian Station

The Battalion joined Hampton at Trevillion Station and fought on the right of the line. Custer broke through Hampton’s line, but General Rosser along with the 1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion drove him back to his own wagons,  avenging themselves for Pollard’s Farm.

Battle of Monocacy

Johnson’s Brigade, including the 1st Maryland Cavalry commanded by Captain Warner G. Welsh, guarded Early’s left flank until after the battle then made its way towards Baltimore as the first part of its movement to Point Lookout.

Skirmish at Westminster

Leading Johnson’s advance, Gilmor’s cavalry attacked Union cavalry in Westminster and drove them out. The main body of Johnson’s men drove Lew Wallace’s retreating troops from Monocacy into the Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore.They then turned south to destroy tracks and bridges along the Northern Central Railway. When they reached Timonium, north of Baltimore, Johnson divided his brigade.

Major Harry Gilmor of the 2nd Maryland Cavalry took a detachment of the 1st Maryland Cavalry and moved undetected across northern Baltimore County into Harford County at Jerusalem Mill. They captured horses and supplies there.

The other half of Johnson’s men, including the rest of the 1st Maryland Cavalry, turned south and headed toward Point Lookout Prison. On the way they burned the home of Maryland Governor Augustus Bradford. But before they had gone too far south it was discovered that the Federals knew about the plan and had taken steps to prevent it. The Point Lookout plan was abandoned.

Skirmishes at Magnolia and Towson

Gilmor’s command reached the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad railroad bridge over the Gunpowder River at Magnolia Station. It was defended by 70 men from the 159th Ohio Infantry Regiment. The detachment was driven off or captured. Gilmore’s men also captured two trains and the supplies they were carrying. After evacuating the passengers, they set fire to one of the trains and backed it over the railroad bridge, which was partially destroyied. They also tore down telegraph lines around the station. One of the passengers on the northbound train was Union Major General William B. Franklin, who was returning north on medical leave. He was taken as a prisoner of war, but escaped the next day.

Gilmor’s men returned west across Baltimore County, stopping to rest near Towson. A large cavalry detachment which had been sent out from Baltimore caught up with them there.Outnumbered two to one, Gilmor attacked and drove off the Federals, pursuing them to Govenstown. Gilmor claimed that if his men had not been so tired, he would have gone into Baltimore and captured the city.

On the way back west they burned the home of Maryland Governor Augustus Bradford.

Battle of Cool Spring (Snicker’s Ferry)

Union pursuers failed to force their way across the Shenandoah River at Snicker’s Ford, also known as Castleman’s Ferry.

Second Battle of Kernstown

Early turned on Union forces that were resting in camp south of Winchester after the Battle of Rutherford’s Farm. Thinking Early had been defeated and was leaving the Valley to rejoin Lee, two Union Corps were sent back towards Washington to reinforce Grant. Now Early had a superior force to the remaining Union Corps under Crook. After a day long battle the Union troops collapsed and withdrew to Harpers Ferry. Early’s men followed them north, capturing many supply wagons and men who had become separated from the commands.

Burning of Chambersburg

McCausland’s force continued into Chamberburg, only slightly delayed by a section of New York artillery that greeted them with a round of canister. Union Major General Darius Couch, commanding the Department of the Susquehanna, barely had time to pack up his headquarters and escape to the north.

The citizens of Chambersburg were unable to pay the ransom. There was no money in the town; it had all been removed. The Confederates, including the 1st Maryland Cavalry, looted everything of value including citizen’s watches, and burned all the public buildings and many private buildings in the town – a total of over 537 structures. Soldiers quickly became drunk. Individual citizens were forced to ransom their homes for anywhere from $150 to $750. An elderly black man died when Confederates kept forcing him back into his burning house. The house of the county school superintendent was burned after he was asked if he had ever taught black children and he answered “yes.”

There were Confederate casualties. Captain Caulder A. Bailey, the Adjutant of the 8th Virginia Cavalry, had become drunk and separated from his men and was killed by a group of citizens. Two Confederates died when they were locked in a store that they had set afire, and another was killed with a shotgun.

But many Confederates refused to take part. The town’s Masonic Lodge was spared, guarded by Southern Masons. Colonel William Peters of the 21st Virginia Cavalry refused to execute the order; he was placed under temporary arrest and was ordered to take his regiment out of town. Brigadier General Bradley Johnson would later say that McCausland’s men had “commited every crime known to man during that expedition.”

When the town was well in flames McCausland led he men west, where they would spend the night at McConnelsburg.

Battle of Folke’s Mill (Cumberland)

McCausland took his command South West from McConnelsburg to Hancock. He had hoped to try to ransom Hancock in the same way as Chambersburg. But Johnson, who commanded Maryland troops, vehemently argued that Hancock was not only a Maryland town, but it had been a Southern town throughout the war, sending recruits and supplies south into Virginia. Johnson ordered Gilmore to post his Maryland cavalry as guards on the buildings in Hancock and to shoot any of McCausland’s men who tried to burn them. Pursuing Union cavalry put an end to the argument and forced McCausland to continue west to Cumberland, where they hoped to destroy the shops of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Union Brigadier General Benjamin Kelly had rounded up a battery of artillery and three regiments of “100 days troops” – Ohio National Guard signed up for 100 days of Federal service – reinforced by a number of armed townfolk. As McCausland approached Cumberland Kelly’s artillery opened fire. McCausland brought up his own guns, and they exchanged fire for around three hours, with both sides suffering about 30 casualties each. McCausland’s position was on the grounds around Folke’s Mill, which gave its name to the battle. The Folke barn was struck by artillery, took fire, and burned to the ground with the whole year’s harvest. At around 8 p.m. McCausland withdrew to the southeast, heading for Old Town.

Battle of Oldtown (Green Spring)

McCausland hoped to cross the Potomac River at Oldtown. But Colonel Israel Stough had the 153rd Ohio Infantry Regiment behind the river, supported by a Railroad battery commanded by Captain Petrie of the Potomac Home Guard, an armed and armored train. There was also a strongly armed and protected blockhouse at the bridges.

Slough deployed his men between the Potomac and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. He repelled the first Confederate attack. But the 21st Virginia Cavalry built a bridge and crossed the canal, outflanking Stough, who withdrew to the blockhouse. The Confederate Baltimore Light Artillery put a shell though the boiler of the armored train’s locomotive with its first shot and disabled one of the train’s guns with its second. Its third scattered the infantry of the Potomac Home Brigade into the woods, leaving Stoughton and his Ohionans unsupported in the blockhouse.

There was an hour and a half standoff until Johnson sent a message under a flag of truce demanding a surrender. Stough asked for and received generous terms – immediate parole with all personal equipment except weapons. Johnson agreed and the Ohioans surrendered.

The Confederates crossed the river and headed to Springfield, West Virginia, where they rested until the 4th.

Battle of Moorefield

At first light Averell’s advance brigade launched a saber charge on Johnson’s sleeping men on the north side of the river. Many of the Confederates simply ran for it, leaving weapons, horses and sometimes boots behind. Averill sent his second brigade charging across the river into McCausland’s camp. Although some of McCausland’s men had a few moments warning, the unprepared men were no match for the Northern troopers with their repeating rifles and revolvers.

McCausland’s two brigades dispersed into the hills, leaving their loot from Chambersburg behind. The scattered Confederates made their way in little groups and individuals back to Early’s main army.

The Confederates lost at least 13 men killed and 60 wounded, along with 38 officers and 377 enlisted men captured. Four cannon and 400 horses were also lost. Averill lost 2 officers and 9 enlisted men killed, 18 men wounded, and 13 captured.

McCausland and Johnson, with bad blood already between them from Chambersburg and the incident at Hancock, accused each other of negligence and demanded courts martial, although none ever happened.

Third Battle of Winchester

Battle of Fisher’s Hill

The regiment charged dismounted Federal cavalry and suffered heavy casualties. Lieutenant Colonel Gustavus Dorsey was wounded.

Battle of Tom’s Brook

Appomattox Campaign

Returned in Richmond and continued south to Petersburg, where they went into camp for the night.

Battle of High Bridge and Farmville.

Assisted General Munford in his rear guard action near Farmville.

Appomattox Court House

Munford led his brigade past the army and took the lead into Appomattox Court House, where they skirmished with the advancing Federals. Large numbers of Union cavalry approached Munford’s front, driving back the Confederate skirmishers.

Colonel Dorsey ordered the 1st Maryland to launch a saber charge, driving the Federals back, then launched a second when they again tried to advance. William C. Price fell mortally wounded during this charge. He would be the last man of the 1st Maryland Cavalry to die in the Civil War. In a few minutes a Federal officer rode up with a white flag. General Lee was about to surrender his army.

A council of war was held. The Confederate infantry and artillery had no hope of escaping the trap, but the cavalry could slip through the lines and get away, possibly to join General Johnston’s army in North Carolina. The squadrons made their way through the lines without incident, then split up to forage and wait to see if they would try to reach Johnston.