First Michigan Cavalry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Michigan > First Michigan Cavalry Regiment

The First Michigan Cavalry Regiment lost 14 officers and 150 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 officers and 244 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

From the Michigan Cavalry Brigade’s monument at Gettysburg:

1st Michigan Cavalry Regiment Mustered in at Detroit, Mich. Sep 13, 1861. Mustered out at Salt Lake City, Utah, Mar. 10, 1866. Total enrollment 3244 officers and men. Killed 10 officers 92 men. Died of wounds 5 officers 46 men. Died of disease 5 officers 246 men. Total casualties 404. Participated in 67 skirmishes and general engagements from Winchester, Va., Mar. 23, 1862 to Appomattox Va. April 9, 1865.

1861
August 21 to
September 6		 The First Michigan Cavalry Regiment was organized at Detroit, Michigan under the command of Colonal Thornton Fleming Brodhead. Brodhead had served as a captain with the U.S. Regulars in the Mexican War and as a Michigan State Senator.
September 13 The regiment was mustered in to Federal service.
September 29 Left Michigan for Washington, D.C.; Attached to Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac
December Attached to Cavalry, Banks’ Division, Army of the Potomac
1862
February 25-
May 6		 Operations in Loudoun County, Va.
February 27 Occupation of Loudoun Heights
March 6 Berryville (Detachment)
March 8 Capture of Leesburg
March 12 Reconnaissance to Snicker’s Gap
March 23

Battle of Winchester
March Attached to Hatch’s Cavalry Command, Banks’ 5th Corps
March 27 Strasburg
April 1-2 Advance from Strasburg to Woodstock and Edenburg
April 1 Salem and Woodstock
April 1-2 Edenburg
April 2 Thoroughfare Gap
April 3 Greenwich
April 4 Catlett’s Station
April 5 Warrenton
April 7 Columbia Furnace
April 11 White Plains
April 14 Rectortown, Piedmont
April 17 Mt. Jackson and New Market
April, 1862 Assigned to Hatch’s Cavalry Brigade, Department of the Shenandoah
April 27 McGaheysville
May 15 Linden
June, 1862 Assigned to Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of Virginia
May 15-June 17

Operations in the Shenandoah Valley
May 24 Middletown
May 24-26 Retreat to Williamsport
May 25 Winchester
June 7-8 Expedition from Gainesville
June 24 Milford
June 26 Strasburg Pike
June 29-30 Reconnaissance to Front Royal
June 30 Luray
July 12 Culpeper Court House
July 15 Orange Court House
July 17 Reconnaissance to Madison Court House
August 2 Reconnaissance to Orange Court House under Crawford
August 9

Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 13 Reconnaissance to Orange Court House
August 16 Reconnaissance to Louisa Court House
August 16 –
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 30

Second Bull Run (Second Manassas) and Lewis Ford

Colonel Thornton Fleming Brodhead was mortally wounded.
September Unassigned, Alexandria, Va.
September Assigned to Price’s Cavalry Brigade, Military District of Washington. Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D C.
September 5 At mouth of Monocacy
November 25 Company “D” served detached as Provost Guard at Alexandria
November 28-30 Reconnaissance to Berryville
November 30 Snicker’s Ferry, Berryville
1863
January 8-10 Expedition to Catlett’s and Rappahannock Station
January 9 Brentsville
February 14 Near Union Mills (Detachment)
February Assigned to 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington
March Assigned to 1st Brigade, Stahel’s Cavalry Division, 22nd Corps
June Company “D” returned from detachment as Provost Guard at Alexandria
June 30

Battle of Hanover, Pennsylvnia
July 2

Battle of Hunterstown
July 3

Battle of Gettysburg

The First Michigan Cavalry Regiment is honored with the other regiments of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade on a monument on the East Cavalry Battlefield at Gettysburg.

From the monument at Gettysburg:

This monument marks the field where the Michigan Cavalry Brigade under its gallant leader General George A. Custer rendered signal and distinguished service in assisting to defeat the further advance of a numerically superior force under the Confederate General J. E. B. Stuart which in conjunction with Pickett’s Charge upon the centre, attempted to turn the right flank of the Union Army at that critical hour of conflict upon the afternoon of July 3rd, 1863.

Field held from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

1st Mich.; killed 10 men, wounded 6 officers 37 men, missing 20 men.
5th Mich.; killed 1 officer 7 men, wounded 1 officer 29 men, missing 18 men.
6th Mich.; killed 1 man, wounded 2 officers 24 men, missing 1 man.
7th Mich.; killed 13 men, wounded 4 officers 44 men, missing 39 men.
Total casualties 257.
July 4

Fairfield Gap (Monterey Pass)
July 5

Smithburg
July 6

Hagerstown and Williamsport, Md.
July 8

Boonsboro
July 11-13

Hagerstown
July 14
Falling Waters
July 20 Ashby’s Gap
July 24 Battle Mountain, near Newby’s Cross Roads
July 25 Barbee’s Cross Roads
August 24 King George Court House
September 1-3 Expedition to Port Conway
September 1 Lamb’s Creek Church, near Port Conway
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
September 13 Stevensburg and Pony Mountain
September 13 Culpeper Court House
September 14-16 Somerville Ford
September 21-23 Reconnaissance across the Rapidan
September 21-22 White’s Ford
September 23 Robertson’s Ford and near Liberty Mills
October 8-22

Bristoe Campaign
October 8-9-10 James City
October 10 Bethesda Church
October 11 Near Culpeper and Brandy Station
October 14 Gainesville
October 17-18 Groveton
October 19 Gainesville, Catlett’s Station and Buckland’s Mills
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26 –
October 2

Mine Run Campaign
November 26 Morton’s Ford
November 26-27 Raccoon Ford
October 13 to
December 29		 Four new Companies were organized
December 21 The First Michigan Cavalry Regiment was absent on furlough
1864
February 1 Returned to Camp Stoneman, D.C. and duty there
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
February 15 The regiment consolidated to 8 Companies
February 28-March 4

Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond
March 1 Fortifications of Richmond
March, 1864 Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 3-June 24

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-6 Todd’s Tavern
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 6

The Furnaces and Brock Road
May 7-8

Battle of Todd’s Tavern
May 9-24

Sheridan’s Raid to James River
May 9

Beaver Dam Station
May 11

Yellow Tavern
May 12 Meadow Bridge
May 21

Hanover Court House
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 27 Dabney’s Ferry, Hanovertown Ferry, Hanovertown and Crump’s Creek
May 28

Haw’s Shop and Aenon Church
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
May 30 Old Church and Mattadequin Creek
May 31-June 1

Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor
June 7-24

Sheridan’s Trevillian Raid
June 11-12

Trevillian Station
June 12 Newark, or Mallory’s Cross Roads
June 21 Black Creek, or Tunstall’s Station, and White House, or St. Peter’s Church
June 23 Jones’ Bridge
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James River
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
August, 1864 Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
August Ordered to Washington, D.C.
August 7-
November 28

Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
August 11 Winchester and Toll Gate near White Post
August 16 and 18 Cedarville, or Front Royal
August 23 Kearneysville
August 25 Near Kearneysville
August 25 Shephardstown
August 28 Leetown and Smithfield
August 29 Smithfield Crossing of the Opequan
September 4 Berryville
September 13 Locke’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 15 Sevier’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 19

Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)
September 21

Fisher’s Hill
September 22 Milford
September 24 Luray
September 26-28 Port Republic
October 2 Mt. Crawford
October 8 Luray Valley
October 8-9

Tom’s Brook
October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek
November 11 Near Kernstown
November 28-
December 3		 Expedition into Loudoun and Faquier Counties
December 2 Middleburg
December 19-28 Raid to Gordonsville
December 21 Madison Court House
December 22 Liberty Mills
December 23 Jack’s Shop, near Gordonsville
1865
February 13-17 Expedition from Edenburg to Little Fort Valley
February 27-
March 25

Sheridan’s Raid from Winchester
March 2 Occupation of Staunton
March 2 Waynesboro
March 8 Duguidsville
March 15 Hanover Court House
March, 1865 Attached to the Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31

Dinwiddie Court House
April 1

Battle of Five Forks
April 2 Scott’s Cross Roads
April 4 Tabernacle Church or Beaver Creek Pond
April 6

Sailor’s Creek
April 8

Appomattox Station
April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army
April 23-29 Expedition to Danville
May March to Washington
May 7 Colonel Charles H. Town died of consumption at his home in Dexter. Michigan.
May 23 Grand Review
June Assigned to the Dept. of Missouri
June 1 Moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
August District of the Plains, Dept. of Missouri
September District of Dakota, Dept. of Missouri
July – November

Powder River Expedition

Operations against Indians in District of the Plains and Dakota
December District of Utah, Dept. of Missouri; Duty in District of Utah
March 10 The First Michigan Cavalry Regiment mustered out at Salt lake City