Sixth Michigan Cavalry Regiment

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

The Sixth Michigan Cavalry Regiment lost 7 officers and 128 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 251 enlisted men by disease during the Civil War.

From the monument to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade at Gettysburg:

Sixth Michigan Cavalry Regiment Mustered in at Grand Rapids, Mich. Oct. 13, 1862, Mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kas. Nov. 24, 1865.  Total enrollment 1624 Officers and men. Killed, 7 officers 35 men. Died of Wounds 18 men. Died of disease, 266 men. Total casualties 386. Participated in 56 skirmishes and general engagements from Hanover, Pa. June 30, 1863 to Appomattox, Va., April 9, 1865.

1862
May 28 –
October 13		 The Sixth Michigan Cavalry Regiment was organized at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
October 13 Mustered in and duty at Grand Rapids, Mich.
December 10 Left State for Washington, D.C. Attached to Provisional Cavalry Brigade, Casey’s Division, Military District of Washington. Duty in the Defenses of Washington D. C.
1863
February Assigned to Provisional Cavalry Brigade, Casey’s Division, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington
February 27-28 Scout from Centreville, Va., to Falmouth, Va.
March Attached to 1st Brigade, Stahel’s Cavalry Division, 22nd Corps
May 14 Marstellar’s Place, near Warrenton Junction
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 27-28 Reconnaissance up the Catoctin Valley
June 28 Occupation of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
June 30

Battle of Hanover, Pennsylvnia
July 2

Battle of Hunterstown
July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

From the monument on the East Cavalry Battlefield 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

Battle of Monterey Pass
July 5 Smithburg
July 6 Williamsburg and Hagerstown
July 8

Boonsboro
July 11-13

Hagerstown
July 14
Falling Waters
July 17, 18 & 20 Ashby’s Gap
July 20 Berry’s Ford
July 24 Battle Mountain, near Newby’s Cross Roads
August 24 King George Court House
September 1-3 Expedition to Port Conway
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
September 13 Culpeper Court House
September 14 Somerville Ford
September 14-16 Raccoon Ford
September 15 Somerville Ford
September 21-23 Reconnaissance across the Rapidan
September 21 Madison Court House
September 21-22 White’s Ford
September 23 Robertson’s Ford
October 8-22

Bristoe Campaign
October 8-10 James City
October 10 Bethesda Church
October 11 Near Culpeper and Brandy Station
October 14 Gainesville
October 15 Manassas Junction
October 17-18 Groveton
October 19 Gainesville, Catlett’s Station and Buckland’s Mills
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 8 Stevensburg
November 26-
December 2

Mine Run Campaign
November 26 Morton’s Ford
November 26-27 Raccoon Ford
1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan
February Companies “I” and “M” served detached from Regiment; see below for detail infformation
February 28-
March 4

Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond
March 1 Fortifications of Richmond
March Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 3 Companies I & M rejoin regiment after 14 months
May 3-June 24

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness
May 5-6 Todd’s Tavern
May 6

Brock Road and the Furnaces
May 7-8

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 and fortifications of Richmond
May 21

Hanover Court House
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 27 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 1 Bottom’s Bridge
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 26 Muddy Branch, Md (Detachment)
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James River
July 27-28

Deep Bottom
August 7-
November 28

Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Ordered to Washington, D. C. Assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
August 11 Tell Gate, near White Post and Winchester
August 16 Cedarville or Front Royal
August 25 Kearneysville and Shephardstown
August 28 Leetown and Smithfield
August 29 Smithfield Crossing, Opequan
September 4 Berryville
September 9 Charlestown
September 13 Locke’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 15 Sevier’s Ford, Opequan Creek
September 19

Battle of Winchester (Opequan)
September 21

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

Tom’s Brook “Woodstock Races”
October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek
November 7 Edenburg
November 11 Near Kernstown
November 28-
December 3		 Expedition into Loudoun and Faquier Counties
December 19-28 Raid to Gordonsville
December 21 Madison Court House
December 22 Liberty Mills
December 23 Near Gordonsville
1865
February 13-17 Expedition to Little Fort Valley
February 27-
March 25

Sheridan’s Raid from Winchester to James River
March 2 Occupation of Staunton and action at Waynesboro
March 8 Duguidsville
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 Pond Creek
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, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June 1 Moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; District of the Plains, Dept. of Missouri. Powder River Expedition and operations against Indians on the plains.
September Moved to District of Dakota, Department of Missouri
November 7 Consolidated with 1st Michigan Cavalry Regiment
November 24 The Sixth Michigan Cavalry Regiment mustered out

Timeline of detached companies I & M
1863
February Companies “I” and “M” served detached from Regiment; Attached to Jewett’s Corps of Observation. Guard and patrol duty along the Potomac to prevent blockade running across that river to Baltimore, Md. Stationed at and operating about Rockville, Great Falls, Edward’s Ferry, Poolesville and White’s Ford, Md
April 26 Skirmish at Oakland, Md. (Co. “I”)
June 10 Skirmish with Moseby at Seneca Mills, Md.
June-July

Gettysburg Campaign
July 3 Forced march during night from Fredericksburg
July 4

Action with Lee’s Bridge Guard at Falling Waters

A detachment of 140 men surprised and dispersed a much larger force guarding Lee’s Pontoon Bridge swinging on the Virginia side of the Potomac, capturing men and ammunition and completely destroying the pontoons and trains. General Lee admitted this delayed the retreat of his army back to Virginia for seven days.
July 7 Occupation of Harper’s Ferry; Attached to Well’s Brigade, Maryland Heights Division, Dept. of West Virginia. Operating from Harper’s Ferry and having almost continuous raids, expeditions and skirmishes in the Shenandoah Valley, Mechanicsville Gap and Moorefield Valley
July 14 Skirmish near Harper’s Ferry
July 15 Halltown
August 8 Waterford
October 18 Skirmishes at Charleston and on the Berryville Pike
November 13-18 Expedition from Charleston to near New Market
November 16 Skirmishes at Woodstock, Edenburg and Mt. Jackson
1864
January 27-February 7 Operations in Hampshire and Hardy Counties, W. Va.
February 2 Skirmishes near Romney
February 4 Moorefield
February 5 Smithfield
April 25 Ordered to rejoin Regiment in Army of the Potomac
May 3 Rejoined regiment