1st New York Cavalry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 1st New York Cavalry Regiment

“Lincoln Cavalry”

The 1st New York Cavalry Regiment lost 5 officers and 43 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded during the American Civil War. It lost 1 officer and 119 enlisted men to disease, of whom 44 enlisted men were in Confederate prisons. The regiment fought in over 230 battles and skirmishes

1861
May-July Organized at New York City, originally under the authority of Colonel Carl Schurz. After Schurz was made Minister to Spain, authority was given on June 15 to Colonel Andrew T. McReynolds of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Captain in the Regular Army. Nine companies were recruited in New York City, 4 of these being composed of Germans, Hungarians and Poles. Company C was recruited at Philadelphia, Company F at Syracuse, and Company K at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
July 16 –
August 31		 The 1st New York Cavalry Regiment was mustered into three years Federal service by company over a six week period.
July 31-
September 7		 Left New York by Detachments for Washington, D.C. under the command of Colonel Andrew T. McReynolds, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Von Schickfuss and Majors Charles Ogle, Alonzo Adams and August Haurand.
August-March Duty In the Defenses of Washington, D.C. attached to Defenses of Washington and Alexandria
August 7 Company C, under Captain William Boyd, crossed the Potomac to Alexandria, the first volunteer cavalry to take the field.
August 18

Skirmish at Pohick Church

Company C under Captain William Boyd did a scout to Accotink. Private Jacob Erwin was killed, the first Union volunteer cavalryman to die in the Civil War.
September 3 The Grand Rapids, Michigan Company (Company K) joined the regiment in Washington
September 10 Company M arrived from New York, completing the organization of the regiment’s 12 companies.
October 4 Attached to Franklin’s and Heintzelman’s Divisions, Army of the Potomac
October 10 Moved aross the Potomac and into camp near Ball’s Cross Roads
November 12 Companies B, C and G were sent on reconnaissance to Pohick Church and Accotink River, and Company G to Opequan.
November 27 Fairfax Court House (Companies C and F)
December 2 Annandale Church
December 13 Private William Johnson of Company D was executed in front of the regiment for attempted desertion to the enemy, the first such execution in the Army of the Potomac.
1862
March 9

Sangster’s Station

Lieutenant Harry B. Hidden of Company H was killed in the opening skirmish of General Kearney’s advance up the Orange & Alexandria Railroad.
March 10 Burke Station
March 24 Attached to Cavalry, 1st Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac
April Transferred to 1st Division, Department of the Rappahannock
April 5-May 4

Peninsula Campaign

Moved to the Virginia Peninsula for the Siege of Yorktown. Attached to Cavalry, 6th Corps, Army of the Potomac. Company E was detached as escort to wagon trains on the Peninsula.
May 7 West Point
May 22 Mechanicsville
May 27 Hanover Court House
May 31-June 1 Fair Oaks
June 13 Hanover Court House
June 25 Oak Grove
June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond
June 26

Mechanicsville
June 27

Gaines Mill and Garnett’s Farm
June 28

Garnett’s and Golding’s Farms
June 29

Savage Station and Willis Church
June 30

White Oak Swamp, Glendale and Malvern Cliff
July 1

Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor
July 2 Crew’s Farm, Carter’s Hill
July 3 Gum Run Swamp
July 8 Assigned to 1st Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac
July 9 Long Bridge Road
July 31 Harrison’s Landing
August 20 Stevensburg, Raccoon Ford and Brandy Station
September Attached to 4th Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac. Colonel Andrew McReynolds took command of the brigade as secior Colonel, and Major Alonzo Adams took command of the regiment.
September 6 Cacapon Bridge, Maryland, and Seneca Creek
September 9-10 Hyattstown
September 12 Frederick City
September 13-15 Emmettsburg
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

Major Alonzo Adams commanded the regiment while Colonel Andrew McReynolds commanded the brigade.
September 19

Williamsport
September 20 Near Shepherdstown
October Attached to Averill’s Cavalry Command, 8th Corps, Middle Department.
October 2 and 4 Blue’s Gap, West Virginia.
October 2 Hanging Rock
October 4

Cacapon Bridge and Hanging Rock

Captain William Boyd of Company C led a charge which broke Imboden’s cavalry.
October 6 North River Mills, South Branch and Cacapon Bridge
October 10 White’s Ford
October 17 Hanging Rock
October 18 South Branch
October 27 Springfield
October 29 North River Mills
October 29 French’s Store
November Attached to Defenses Upper Potomac, 8th Corps, Middle Department.
November 4 Occoquan Ferry
November 5 Pughstown
November 6 Lockhart’s Gap and Paw Paw Tunnel
November 9 Moorefield, South Fork Potomac (Detachment)
November 10 Romney Bridge
November 15 Near Springfield
November 22 and December 4 Near Winchester
December 11 Darkesville
December 12 Bunker Hill
December 25 Charlestown
1863
January Attached to Milroy’s Command, Winchester, Virginia, 8th Corps, Middle Department
January 7 Woodstock
January 17 Newtown and Strasburg
January 26 Devil’s Hole
February Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 8th Corps, then 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 8th Corps
February 6 Millwood
February 9 Near Winchester
February 15 Woodstock
February 26 Kernstown and Strasburg
April 13 Snicker’s Ferry, Berry’s Ferry and Front Royal
April 14 Paris
April 17 Mansfield
April 21 Millwood
April 27 Moorefield
May 4-9 Scout in Hampshire County, West Virginia
May 12-14 Scout from Snicker’s Ferry
May 13 Upperville
May 13 Middleburg
May 16 Berry’s Ferry
May 28 Upperville
June 5 Berryville
June 8 Piedmont
June 9 Goose Creek
June 13 Near White Post and Millwood, Berryville and Bunker Hill, and Opequan Creek, near Winchester
June 14 Martinsburg
June 14-15 Winchester
June 15-July 1 Milroy’s retreat
June 15 Williamsport, Maryland
June 16 Hancock
June 20 and 22 Greencastle, Pennsylvania
June 23 Shippensburg
June 23 Near Harper’s Ferry
June 25 Cashtown
June 25-26 Carlisle. Attached to Pierce’s Brigade, Department of the Susquehanna
June 26-27 Harper’s Ferry
June 27 Near Kingston
June 29 McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, Hancock, Maryland, Keedysville, near Kingston
June 30 Near Arendtsville
July 1 Near Fayette and near Carlisle
July 2 Near McConnellsburg
July 3 Near Bendersville, Quaker Vale and Falling Water
July 4 Cranstown and Frederick City
July 5

Greencastle, Pennsylvania

A detachment of 100 men of the regiment operating with a similar sized detachment of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry captured 700 prisoners, two 12-pounder howitzers and 108 wagons at Cunningham Cross Roads.
July 6 Waynesboro, Waterloo
July 8 Antietam Creek
July 10 Williamsport
July 12 Sharpsburg
July 14 Bendersville
July 16 Pine Grove Furnace
July 17 Shepherdstown
July 22 Mount Rock
July 23 Martinsburg and Shepherdstown
August Atached to McReynolds’ Cavalry Brigade, Department of West Virginia
August 14 Bull Run Mountain and near Winchester
August 21 Smithfield
August 22 Berryville
September 1 Leesburg
September 2-23 Expedition from Martinsburg
September 2 Bloomer’s Gap
September 5 Middletown
September 9 Near Winchester
September 15-16 Smithfield
September 19 Strasburg and Smithfield
October 14 Back Creek Valley
October 15 Hedgesville
October 17 Berryville
October 18 Charlestown
October 27 Summit Point
October 31 Winchester
November 6 Newtown
November 15-18

Expedition to New Market

Attached to Cavalry Brigade, 1st Division, Army of West Virginia
November 16 Woodstock and Edenburg, Mt. Jackson
November 17 Middletown
November 18 Edenburg
December 10-24 Wells’ Demonstration from Kanawha Valley
December 12 Mt. Jackson
December 13 Near Strasburg
December 15 Harrisonburg
December 20 Mt. Jackson
1864
January 1 The regiment reenlisted at the end of their three year enlistments.
January 23-25 Scout to Woodstock. Virginia.
January 23 Newtown and Woodstock
February 2 Mechanicsburg Gap
February 4 Moorefield
February 8 Front Royal
February 10 Charlestown
February 11 Moorefield
February 20 Upperville
February 28-
March 1

Custer’s Raid into Albemarle County (Detachment)
February 29 Near Charlottesville
March 1 Stannardsville
March 10 Cablestown
April Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of West Virginia
April 19-20 Winchester
April 24 Near Middletown and New Market (Detachment)
April 30-May 16

Sigel’s Expedition from Martinsburg to New Market
May 1 Upperville
May 6 Near Berryville
May 7 Upperville
May 9 Millwood
May 10 Brock’s Gap
May 13 Woodstock, Luray Gap and near New Market .
May 14 Rude’s Hill
May 14-15

Battle of New Market

The regiment lost 99 casualties.
May 15 Burnt Bridge
May 16 Paris
May 17 Salem
May 26-July 1

Hunter’s Raid to Lynchburg
May 26 New Market
May 31 Woodstock
June Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of West Virginia
June 2 Harrisonburg
June 5

Battle of Piedmont

The regiment lost 26 casualties.
June 6 Occupation of Staunton
June 8 Near Staunton
June 10 Waynesboro
June 13 Lexington
June 14 Buchanan
June 15 Colonel Andrew McReynolds muster out at the end of three years of service.
June 17 New London and Diamond Hill
June 17-18 Lynchburg
June 19 Liberty
June 20 Buford’s Gap
June 21 Catawba Mountains and Salem
June 26 Leetown
June 27 Charlestown and Big Sewell Mountain
July Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of West Virginia
July 3 Leetown and Martinsburg
July 5 Williamsport
July 8 Frederick City
July 9 Ashby’s Gap
July 14 White’s Ford
July 15 Harper’s Ferry, Lovettsville and Hillsboro
July 16 Purcellville
July 17-18 White’s Ford and Snicker’s Ferry
July 18-19 Ashby’s Gap
July 23 Near Kernstown
July 24

Second Battle of Kernstown
July 25 Bunker Hill and Martinsburg
July 27 Bloomer’s Gap. Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Adams was promoted to colonel.
August 7-
November 28

Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, Army of West Virginia.
August 7 Moorefield
August 15 Strasburg
August 16 Leetown and Berryville
August 19 Martinsburg
August 21 Charlestown
August 23 Bolivar Heights
August 24 Falling Waters
August 26 Halltown
August 26 Williamsport
August 31 Martinsburg
September 1 Stephenson’s Depot
September 1-3 Buckletown
September 2 Darkesville, near Bunker Hill, and Martinsburg
September 2-3 Bunker Hill
September 3 Darkesville
September 5 Stephenson’s Depot
September 10 Darkesville
September 13 Bunker Hill
September 14 Near Berryville
September 17 Burnt Factory
September 18 Martinsburg
September 19

Third Battle of Winchester (Opequan)

The regiment lost 63 casualties.
September 21 Strasburg
September 22

Fisher’s Hill
September 23 Woodstock
September 23-24 Mt. Jackson
September 24 Forest Hill or Timberville
September 25 Harrisonburg
September 26 Brown’s Gap
September 26-27 Weyer’s Cave
October 2-3 Luray Valley
October 5 Rapidan River
October 7 Big Springs
October 9 Milford
October 14 White Post
October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek
October 23 Dry Run
October 25-26 Milford
November 1 Rood’s Hill
November 12

Newtown and Nineveh

Colonel Alonzo Adams led a charge against Colonel Lumsford Lomax’s Confederate cavalry, capturing 200 prisoners and many battle flags.
November 22

Rude’s Hill

Colonel Adams was complimented on the field by General Powell for coolness and daring and for the discipline of the regiment when under fire.
December Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division and Army of the Potomac
December 9 Dicksville
December 19-28

Raid to Gordonsville
December 21 Liberty Mills
December 23 Jack’s Shop, near Gordonsville
December 27 Near Ashby’s Gap
1865
February 27 –
March 25

Sheridan’s Raid from Winchester
February 28 Mount Crawford
March 2

Battle of Waynesboro and Occupation of Staunton

A charge led by Lieutenant Colonel Jenyns B. Battersby scattered and dispersed the remnants of General Jubal Early’s Army of the Shenandoah.
March 12 Haydensville
March 15 Beaver Dam Station
March 23 White House
March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

Attached to Cavalry Corps, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jenyns B. Battersby.
March 29-31

Dinwiddie Court House
April 1

Five Forks
April 3

Namozine Church
April 4

Jettersville
April 5

Amelia Court House
April 5-6

Farmville
April 6

Sailor’s Creek
April 7 Stony Point
April 8

Appomattox Station
April 9

Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 23-29 Movement to North Carolina
May March to Washington, D.C
May 23 Grand Review
June 27 The 1st New York Cavalry Regiment mustered out and was honorably discharged from service at Alexandria, Virginia under the command of Colonel Alonzo Adams.