1st New York Mounted Rifles

United States Regiments & Batteries > New York > 1st New York Mounted Rifles

The First New York Mounted Rifles lost 2 officers and 30 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 124 enlisted men to disease and accidents during the Civil War.

1861
June The 1st New York Mounted Rifles organized under the authority of Captain Judson Kilpatrick at New York City as a squadron of two companies, A and B, for duty in the Department of Virginia.
July 30 Companies A and B left New York under the command of Captain Charles C. Dodge and mustered in at Fortress Monroe, Virginia for duty at Fortress Monroe and at Camp Hamilton, Virginia. Attached to District of Fortress Monroe, Department of Virginia
September 18 Company C was organized at Newburg, New York, and mustered in.
October 16 Company D was organized at Newburg, New York, and mustered in. Companies C & D were principally recruited at Monticello, Grahamville, Fallsburgh, Clayville, Middletown, Ellenville and Newburgh.
December 6 Companies C and D left New York for Norfork. Captain Charles C. Dodge was promoted to major.
1862
March 8-9
Action in Hampton Roads, Newport News between U.S.S. Monitor and C.S.S. Virginia
April 4
Howard’s Bridge

(Companies A and B)
April 5
Near Lee’s Mills

(Companies A and B)
May 10 Tranter’s Creek, Norfolk, Virginia
May 14

Suffolk, Virginia
May 27-31 Reconnaissance to Edenton, North Carolina
June – August Companies E – H were organized at New York City and mustered in.

  • Company E was primarily recruited at Troy, Albany, Fort Edward, Salem, Schenectady and New York City
  • Company F at Troy, Buffalo and New York City
  • Company G at Troy, Chatham and New York City
  • Company H at Troy, Buffalo, Mt. Pleasant, Syracuse, Tarrytown and New York City
June 30 Hertford, North Carolina
July Duty at Suffolk, Virginia assigned to Division at Suffolk, 7th Corps, Department of Virginia. Captain Benjamin F. Onderdonk was promoted to major.
July 10 Smithfield
August Companies E – H left state for Norfolk. Major Dodge was promoted to colonel.Companies I – M were organized at New York City and mustered in.

  • Company I was primarily recruited at Canaan, Carmel, Chatham, North Castleton and New York City
  • Company K at Buffalo, Charlton, Livonia, Richmond, Springwater, Victor and New York City;
  • Company L at Lenox, Oneida, Rome, Syracuse and Verona
  • Company M at Chatham, North Castle and New York City
August 13 Major Benjamin F. Onderdonk was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
September 4 South Mills
September 15 Zuni
September 19 Companies I – M left New York and joineded the regiment.
September 28 Blackwater
October 4 Blackwater near Zuni
October 20 and 25 Zuni
October 31 Near Franklin
November 3 Zuni
November 12 Providence Church
November 14 Blackwater Bridge and Zuni
November 15 Zuni Bridge
November 17 Near Carrsville
November 18 Franklin
November 25 Zuni
November 29 Colonel Charles C. Dodge was promoted to brigadier general. There were considerable difficulties between Dodge and Major General John Peck, Dodge’s commanding officer, and Major General John Dix, his Deparment commander. Neither wanted him in their commands.General Dix wrote to Secretary of War Stanton,  “This regiment (the 1st New York Mounted Rifles) has given me great trouble. It is known as “Dodge’s Rifles”. They have plundered in all direction, and since the first of October thirty-five have deserted to the enemy, from ten different companies, most of them from outposts, carrying away their horses, arms and equipment; a thing unprecedented in any Regiment in the service. “Dodge would not accept a command under anyone junior to him, and never received another command. He would resign from the army in protest in June of 1863.
December 7 South Quay
December 8 and 11-13 Zuni near Blackwater
December 12 Joyner’s Ford
December 22 Isle of Wight Court House
December 28 Providence Church Road
1863
January 9 Ely’s House near Providence Church
January 11 Burnt Ordinary
January 20 Jacksonville, North Carolina
January 30 Deserted House
February 7 Edenton, North Carolina
March 7-9 Reconnaissance from Suffolk
March 7 Chuckatuck
March 9 Near Windsor
March 31 Blackwater Bridge
April 11-May 4

Siege of Suffolk

Assigned to Cavalry, 7th Corps, Department of Virginia, 
April 11 South Quay Road
April 12-13 Edenton, Providence Church and Somerton Roads
April 15 Edenton Road
April 29 Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Onderdonk was promoted to colonel.
May 3 Providence Church Road, Chuckatuck and Reed’s Ferry
May 4 Lake Drummond
May 12 Blackwater Bridge
May 16 Near Suffolk and Cartsville
May 17 Scott’s Mills
May 18 Near Blackwater, Windsor Road
May 23 Antioch and Barber’s Cross Roads
May 31 Blackwater Bridge
June 8 South Mills
June 12 South Quay Road
July 5 Camden, North Carolina
July Assigned to Cavalry Brigade, U.S. Forces, Portsmouth, Virginia, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
July 12 and 22 Currituck
July 25-August 2
Raid to destroy railroad at Weldon
July 28 Jackson
August 11-19
Expedition from Portsmouth to Edenton, N. C.
August 15 Edenton
August 18 Pasquotank
August 26-29
Expedition from Williamsburg to Bottom’s Bridge
August 29 Barhamsville, Slatersville, New Kent Court House, Crump’s Cross Roads and Bottom’s Bridge
October 4-9
Expedition to Matthews County.

Assigned to U.S. Forces, Yorktown, Virginia, Deptartment of Virginia and North Carolina
November 8 Near Williamsburg
November 16 Charles City Cross Roads
December 12-14
Expedition to Charles City Court House
December 13 Charles City Court House
1864
January 19 New Kent Court House
January Attached to Cavalry Brigade and Wistar’s Division, 18th Corps, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
January 19-24 Scouting from Williamsburg
February 6-8
Wistar’s Expedition toward Richmond
February 7 Bottom’s Bridge
March 1-4
Expedition from Yorktown to New Kent Court House in aid of Kilpatrick
March 2 White House
March 9-12
Expedition into King and Queen County
March 9 Belleroy
March 10 Carlton’s Store
March 25 Matthews County Court House
April Attached to Army of the James
April 27-29
Expedition from Williamsburg
April 27 Twelve Mile Ordinary
April 28 Twelve Mile Ordinary
May 4-28

Butler’s operations on south side of James River and against Richmond and Petersburg
May 7 Chester Station, Port Walthall Junction
May 8-10 Swift Creek or Arrowfield Church
May 11 Proctor’s Creek
May 12-16
Operations against Fort Darling
May 12 Wier Bottom Church
May 14 Clover Hill Junction
May 14-16

Drury’s Bluff
May 16 Petersburg & Richmond Railroad
May 17 Bottom’s Church
May 18-26 Bermuda Hundred
June 2 Walthall Junction
June 5 West Point
June 8-10 Petersburg
June 15-18

Assaults on Petersburg
June 16 – March 27

Siege of Petersburg and Richmond
June 23 Deep Bottom
July Attached to Cavalry Brigade, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
July 11 Surrey Court House
July 19 Colonel Benjamin F. Onderdonk was dismissed for “drunkeness on duty” and other charges unbecoming of an officer.
July 21 Richmond & Petersburg Railroad
July 27-29 Deep Bottom
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains
September 8 Brevet Major Edwin Vose Sumner Jr., the son of Major General Edwin Sumter, was appointed colonel of the regiment.
September 16 Cox’s Mills
September 29-October 1

Chaffin’s Farm
October Attached to 3rd Brigade, Kautz’s Cavalry Division, Department of Virginia and North Carolina
October 13 and 16 Darbytown Road
October 27-28 Fair Oaks
December 21 Cone’s Creek
1865
February 5

White Oak Swamp
March 5-8 Expedition from Fort Monroe to Fredericksburg. Attached to Headquarters, Dept. of Virginia
March 11-13 Expedition from Fort Monroe into Westmoreland County
March 11 Williamsburg
March 12 Near Windsor
March 17 Near New Kent Court House
March 18 Seven Pines
March 19 White House
March 28-April 11 Expedition from Deep Bottom to near Weldon, North Carolina. Attached to District of Eastern Virginia, Dept. of Virginia
April 4 Weldon Railroad
April 5 Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
April 7 Somerton
April 17 Near Jackson
April-July Duty at Fredericksburg, Virginia.
July 21 The 1st New York Mounted Rifles consolidated to a battalion of seven companies, then merged with 3rd New York Cavalry to form the 4th New York Provisional Cavalry.