1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Pennsylvania

“15th Pennsylvania Reserves”

The First Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment lost 9 officers and 87 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 104 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. The regiment is honored by two monuments at Gettysburg.

The Pennsylvania Reserves were 15 regiments that were recruited in early 1861. Refused by the War Department as they were in excess of Pennsylvania’s quota, Governor Curtin decided they would be armed and trained at state expense. The War Department soon realized they were needed and assigned them standard designations when they were accepted into Federal service. But the men preferred to be known by their original name: the Pennsylvania Reserves. See more about the Pennsylvania Reserves.

1861
July – August Companies A – G organized as 44th Volunteers at Camp Curtin, Pa., and mustered into State service
July 30 Company L organized as an Independent Company and on duty at Baltimore
August Moved to Camp Jones, near Washington, D.C. and attached to the Pennsylvania Reserves Division. Companies H, I and K organized at Camp Wilkins, Pittsburgh and joined Regiment at Washington.
August 5 Company M organized as an Independent Company at Baltimore, Md.
September 14 George D. Bayard was promoted to colonel.
September 27 Captain Jacob Higgins of Company G was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
October 3 Company M on eastern shore of Maryland under Lockwood picketing and scouting
October 20 Reconnaissance to Leesburg, Va.; Reconnaissance to Hunter’s Mills (Detachment).
November 26-27 Expedition to Dranesville
November 27 Action at Dranesville. Colonel Bayard was lightly wounded and two enlisted men were killed.
December 6 Expedition to Gunnell’s Farm
December 20 Action at Dranesville (Cos. C, D, E, H and I)
December At Camp Pierpont
1862
January 2 Lieutenant Colonel Higgins resigned in anticipation of an adverse report from a Board of Examination. He would become the colonel of the 125th Pennsylvania Infantry.
January 7 Company L and M join Regiment. Attached to McCall’s Division, Army of the Potomac.
March Attached to Cavalry, McDowell’s 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 10-15 Advance on Manassas, Va.
April 9-17 McDowell’s advance to Falmouth. Attached to Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade, Dept. of the Rappahannock
April 17-19 Reconnaissance to Falmouth
April 19 Falmouth
April 28 Colonel Bayard was promoted to brigadier general.
May 5 Owen Jones was promoted to colonel.
May 13 Rappahannock River (Cos. F, G, H, L and M)
June 1-2 Strasburg and Staunton Road
June 3 Mount Jackson
June 5 New Market
June 6 Harrisonburg
June 8
Battle of Cross Keys
June 9 Harrisonburg
June 26 Attached to Bayard’s Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Army Corps, Army of Virginia
June-July Scouting on the Rappahannock
July 22-24 Reconnaissance to James City
July 23 Skirmish at Madison Court House
August 8 Slaughter House
August 9
Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 16 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 20 Stevensburg, Raccoon Ford and Brandy Station
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 22-30 Special duty at General Pope’s Headquarters
August 28 Thoroughfare Gap (Cos. I and M). Gainesville
August 29-30
Second Battle of Bull Run
August 31 Germantown
August 31 Centreville and Chantilly
September 1 Chantilly
September 2 Fairfax Court House
September Attached to Bayard’s Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac
September 16-17 Battle of Antietam
September 29 Scout to Warrenton
October 31 Aldie and Mountsville
November 4 Salem, New Baltimore and Thoroughfare Gap
November 6 Warrenton
November 7-9 Rappahannock Station
December 12-15 Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.
December Picket near King George Court House
1863
January Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January 29 Colonel Jones resigned. John P. Taylor was promoted to colonel.
February 22 Co. H at Headquarters of 6th Corps
February – April Picket duty from Falmouth to Port Conway
April 26-May 8 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 26 Oak Grove
May 1 Rapidan Station
May 1-5 Company H was at Chancellorsville
May 27-April 8 Stoneman’s Raid
June Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 9
Battle of Brandy Station

The regiment was commanded by Colonel John P. Taylor until he took over the brigade with the wounding of Colonel Wyndham. Lieutenant Colonel David Gardner then took over the regiment.
June 17 Aldie
June 28 Special duty at Corps Headquarters
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Col. John P. Taylor. It brought 344 men to the field and suffered two men missing.

From the main regimental monument:

Mustered in July-Sept. 1861 Re-enlisted Jan-Feb. 1864. Consolidated with the 6 and 17 Penna. Cavalry to form the 2 Provisional Penna. Cavalry June 17, 1865. Mustered out August 7, 1865.

At the opening of the artillery fire on the afternoon of July 3 the Regiment was in line to the left and rear of this position with orders from General Meade to “charge the assaulting column should it succeed in breaking the infantry line in front.

Present at Gettysburg 30 officers and 388 men. Total enrollment 1500. Killed and died of wounds, officers 8, men 37; Wounded, officers 22, men 256; Died of disease etc., officers 2, men 106; Captured or missing, officers 4, men 102. Total casualties 537.

From the monument to Company H:

Arrived on field with Sixth Corps Headquarters July 2, 1863. Killed – 1 man.

Detached from Regiment since Feb. 1863 on special assignment at Headquarters of Sixth Army Corps.

Capt. Wm. S. Craft commanding.
July 4 Emmettsburg, Md.
July 5-10 Guarding Reserve Artillery
July 5-10 Companies A and B advance for 6th Army Corps from Gettysburg to Hagerstown, Md.
July 10 Old Antietam Forge, near Leitersburg
July 14 Near Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.
July 15-16 Shepherdstown
July-August Picket near Warrenton
August 5 Rixeyville and Muddy Run
August 9 Wilford’s Ford (Detachment)
August 15 Co. H returns from Headquarters of 6th Corps
September 6 Carter’s Run
September 10-11 Scout to Middleburg
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
September 13 Culpeper Court House
October 1 Near Auburn (Detachment)
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 12-13 Warrenton or White Sulphur Springs
October 14 Auburn and Bristoe; Brentsville
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock ; Rappahannock Bridge
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
November 27 New Hope Church
1864
January 1-4 Expedition to Turkey Run Station
February 17-18 Scout to Piedmont
May 4-June 12 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5- 8 Todd’s Tavern
May 8 Corbin’s Bridge
May 9-24 Sheridan’s Raid
May 9 New Castle and Davenport
May 9-10 North Anna River
May 11 Ashland; Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern
May 12 Brook’s Church, Richmond Fortifications
May 21 Milford Station
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28 Haw’s Shop
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
May 28-31 Cold Harbor
June 2 Sumner’s Upper Bridge
June 7-24 Sheridan’s Trevillian Raid
June 11-12 Trevillian Station
June 12 Newark or Mallory’s Cross Roads
June 21 White House or St. Peter’s Church; Black Creek or Tunstall’s Station
June 24 St. Mary’s Church; Hope Church
July Bellefield
July 12 Warwick Swamp
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James
July 28 Malvern Hill and Gaines Hill
July 30 Lee’s Mills
August 13-20 Demonstration north of James River
August 14 Gravel Hill
August 16 Malvern Hill
August 16-18 Strawberry Plains
August 23 Dinwiddie Road, near Ream’s Station
August 25 Ream’s Station
September 9 Old members mustered out under Colonel Taylor. Consolidated to a Battalion of five Companies.
September 17 Belcher’s Mills
September 29-October 2 Poplar Springs Church
September 30-October 1 Arthur’s Swamp
October 1 Charles City Cross Roads
October 27-28 Battle of Hatcher’s Run
November 7 Reconnaissance toward Stony Creek
December 1 Stony Creek Station
December 7-12 Hicksford Raid
December 9-10 Bellefield
1865
January 4 Hampton S. Thomas was promoted to colonel.
February 5-7 Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31 Dinwiddie Court House
April 1 Battle of Five Forks
April 5 Amelia Springs
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 7 Farmville
April 9 Appomattox Court House. Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 23-29 Expedition to Danville
May 23 Moved to Washington, D.C. Grand Review
June 17 Consolidated with 6th and 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry to form 2nd Provisional Cavalry