1st Vermont Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Vermont

The 1st Vermont Volunteer Cavalry Regiment lost 10 officers and 124 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 4 officers and 200 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

It is honored by two monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield.

From the main monument: “Took part in the battles of Gettysburg, Wilderness, Yellow Tavern, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Waynesboro, Five Forks, Appomattox Station and 67 other battles and engagements. Aggregate 2297 officers and men. Killed and mortally wounded in action 102; died of disease and by accidents 123; died in Confederate prisons 172 – total 397. Total wounded in action 275.”

1861
Organized at Burlington under the command of Colonel Lemuel B. Platt and Lieutenant Colonel George B. Kellogg
November 19 Mustered in
December 14 Left State for Washington, D.C.
December 25 Moved to Annapolis, Md. and duty there
1862
January 9-10 Moved to Washington, D. C. Attached to Banks’ Division, Army of the Potomac
March 12-13 To Rockville, Md., and Edward’s Ferry. Attached to Hatch’s Cavalry Brigade, Banks’ 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
March 28 Moved to Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.
April 1 To Middletown
April 4 Assigned to Department of the Shenandoah, Hatch’s Cavalry Command
April 16 Advanced up the Valley past Strasburg and Edinburg, opposed by Ashby’s Confederate cavalry.
April 17 Advanced to Mt. Jackson with the 5th Ohio Infantry.
April 27 McGaheysville (Companies A, D and K)
May 7 Somerville Heights (Company B)
May 15-June 17 Operations in Shenandoah Valley
May 24 Middletown
May 25
Battle of Winchester
May 25-26 Retreat to Williamsport
June 18-19 Near Winchester; attached to Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of Virginia
June 29-30 Reconnaissance from Front Royal to Luray
June 30 Luray Court House
July 12 Culpeper Court House
July 17 Gordonsville
August 2 and 13 Orange Court House
August 16-September 2 Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 21-23 Fords of the Rappahannock
August 21 Kelly’s Ford
September 1 Liberty Bridge; attached to Price’s Cavalry Brigade, Defenses of Washington, and 22nd Army Corps
September 5 Aquia Creek
September 15 Conrad’s Ferry
September 21 Orange Court House
September 22 Ashby’s Gap
September 29 Company L organized at St. Albans
October Duty in the Defenses of Washington
November 8 Warrenton
December 28 Annandale
December 30 Company M organized at Burlington
1863
January 9 Fairfax Court House
February 6, 9, 13 and 14 Dranesville
February 16 Goose Creek
February 19 Leesburg
March 2 Aldie
March 17 Herndon Station
April 1 Broad Run, Dranesville
May 11, 23 and 31 Warrenton
April Attached to 3rd Brigade, Stahel’s Cavalry Division, 22nd Army Corps
May 30 Near Greenwich
June Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
June 30 Littleton and Hanover, Pa.
July 2 Hunterstown
July 3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Addison W. Preston. It brought 687 men to the field, losing 13 killed, 25 wounded and 27 missing.

From the Slyder Field monument: 

In the Gettysburg campaign this regiment fought Stuart’s Cavalry at Hanover, Pa. June 3d, and at Hunterstown July 2d; and on this field July 3, led by Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth, who fell near this spot, charged through the First Texas Infantry and to the line of Law’s Brigade, receiving the fire of five Confederate regiments and two batteries, and losing 67 men.

From the monument on Confederate Avenue:

At 5 p.m. July 3 the 2nd Battalion 1st Vermont Cavalry led by Major William Wells, General Farnsworth commanding the brigade riding by his side crossed Plum Run near this point charging over stone walls amid rocks and through woods till they encountered five regiments of Law’s Confederate Brigade near the spot where the regimental monument stands.

The 1st Battalion and part of the 3rd Lt. Col. A.W. Preston commanding were ordered to the lane and struck Law’s Brigade in the flank. The onset was terrific sabres and bayonets revolvers and muskets being freely used after a struggle the hill was carried by the 1st Vermont and the prisoners captured sent to the rear.

The three battalions united soon came under the fire of the 4th Alabama Infantry and presently of the 9th Georgia Infantry finding no exit to the south they turned to the east and charged the 15th Alabama Infantry which answered a summons to surrender by a destructive musketry fire. Those unhurt escaping mostly to the south.

This memorial signalizes the valor of the officers and the men of the First Vermont Cavalry who here paid to the nation the uttermost tribute of devotion.
July 4 Monterey Gap
July 5 Smithburg, Md.,
July 6 Hagerstown
July 8 Boonsboro
July 11-13 Hagerstown
July 14 Falling Water
August Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac
August 25 King George Court House
September 1 Lamb’s Creek Church
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 21-23 Reconnaissance across the Rapidan
September 26 Richard’s Ford
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 10 James City and Bethesda Church
October 11 Brandy Station and near Culpeper
October 14 and 19 Gainesville
October 17-18 Groveton
October 19 Catlett’s Station and Buckland’s Mills
November 4 Falmouth
November 7-8 Advance to the Rappahannock
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 28-March 4 Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond
March 1 Fortifications of Richmond and near Atlee’s
March 2 Old Church
May-June Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 4 Near Chancellorsville
May 5 Craig’s Meeting House
May 5-7 Wilderness (Company M)
May 5-6 & May 7-8 Todd’s Tavern
May 8 Alsop’s Farm, Spotsylvania
May 9-24
Sheridan’s Raid from Todd’s Tavern to James River
May 9 North Anna River
May 11
Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern
May 12 Brook Church or Richmond Fortifications
May 26-28 Line of the Pamunkey
May 27 Demonstration on Little River
May 27 Salem Church
May 28-31 On line of the Totopotomoy
May 30 Ashland
May 31 Mechump’s Creek
May 31-June 1 Cold Harbor
June 1 Ashland
June 2 Gaines’ Mill and Totopotomoy
June 3 Haw’s Shop
June 3 Sumner’s Upper Bridge
June 4 Salem Church
June 12 White Oak Swamp
June 13 Riddell’s Shop
June 15 Malvern Hill
June 22-30 Wilson’s Raid on South Side & Danville Railroad
June 22 Ream’s Station
June 23 Near Nottaway Court House
June 23 Black and White Station
June 25 Staunton Bridge or Roanoke Station
June 28-29 Sappony Church or Stony Creek
June 29 Ream’s Station
July-August Siege of Petersburg
August 7-November 28
Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
August 17 Winchester
August 25 Kearneysville
September 7 Near Brucetown and Winchester
September 19-20
Third Battle of Winchester (Battle of Opequan) and Near Cedarville
September 21 Front Royal
September 22 Milford
September 22 Fisher’s Hill
September 29 Waynesboro
October 7 Columbia Furnace and Back Road, near Strasburg
October 8-9
Tom’s Brook, “Woodstock Races”
October 9 Mount Olive
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
November 10 Near Kernstown
November 12 Newtown and Cedar Creek
November 22 Rude’s Hill, near Mt. Jackson
December 19-22 Expedition to Lacy Springs
December 21 Lacy Springs
1865
February 27-March 25 Sheridan’s Raid
March 2 Waynesboro
March 2 Occupation of Staunton
March 3 Occupation of Charlottesville
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31 Dinwiddie Court House
April 1
Five Forks
April 2 Scott’s Corners
April 3 Namozine Church
April 6
Sailor’s Creek
April 8 Appomattox Station
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 24-29 Expedition to Danville
May 10-15 March to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June to August Frontier duty at Champlain, N.Y.
November 18 Non-Veterans mustered out
August 9 Regiment mustered out