6th New York Cavalry Regiment explained
The 6th New York Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 6th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry and nicknamed the "2nd Ira Harris Guards", was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The majority of its fighting was in Virginia as part of the Army of the Potomac.
Service
The regiment was organized as the 2nd Ira Harris Guard in New York City between September 12 and December 19, 1861, initially under the special authority of the War Department. Before completing its organization, the regiment was transferred to the state of New York and numbered as the 6th Regiment, New York Volunteer Cavalry on November 20. Thomas Devin, captain of a militia cavalry company, had been appointed colonel of the regiment two days earlier.
Companies were mustered in as follows: "A" September 12, "B" September 27, "D" September 28, "C" September 29, "E" October 3. "F" and "G" October 24, "H" October 28, "I" November 2, "L" November 6, "K" and "M" December 19, 1861. Left State for York, Pa., December 23, 1861, and duty there till March, 1862. Ordered to Washington, D. C., March, 1862, and duty in the Defences of that city (8 Cos.) till July 23, 1862. (Cos. "D" and "K" served detached with 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, March, 1862, to July, 1863, and Cos. "F" and "H" served detached with 4th Army Corps March, 1862, to August, 1863, and in the Defences of Washington, D. C., 22nd Army Corps, to October, 1863.) Regiment attached to Military District of Washington, D. C., March to July, 1862. 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, August to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, Pleasanton's Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, to February, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to July, 1865. (Co. "A" detached with 6th Army Corps, September, 1862. Cos. "B" and "C" with 9th Army Corps, January and February, 1863. Co. "A" with 22nd Army Corps July and August, 1863.
Detailed service
The 6th New York Volunteer Cavalry's detailed service is as follows (NOTE - Battles are Bolded, Italicized; campaigns are Italicized):
1861
- Duty in the Defences of Washington (8 Cos.) till July 23, 1862.
1862
- Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 5-May 4 (Cos. "D" and "K").
- Battle of Williamsburg May 5 (Cos. "D" and "K").
- Battle of Seven Pines May 31-June 1 (Co. "K").
- Seven Days Battles before Richmond June 25-July 1 (Cos. "D," "F," "H," "K").
- Regiment moved to Warrenton, Va., July 23-26.
- Scout and outpost duty on the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers at Barnett's Ford, Va., July and August.
- Orange Court House August 14.
- Culpeper Road August 19.
- Barnett's Ford August 26.
- Kelly's Ford August 30.
- Williamsburg September 9.
- Near Hyattstown September 9-10.
- Frederick City September 12.
- South Mountain September 14.
- Battle of Antietam September 16-17.
- Lovettsville October 3.
- Reconnaissance to Smithville, W. Va., October 16-17.
- Kearneysville October 16.
- Charlestown October 16-17.
- Near Lovettsville October 21.
- Near Wheatland October 21.
- Snickersville October 22.
- Union and Bloomfield November 2-3.
- Ashby's Gap November 3.
- Upperville November 3.
- Waterloo Bridge November 7.
- Ellis Ford December 1.
- Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.
- Roconnaissance from Yorktown December 11-15 (Detachment).
- Matthews County Court House December 12.
- Buena Vista December 13.
- Wood's Cross Roads December 14.
1863
- Expedition from Yorktown to West Point and White House (Detachment) January 7-9, 1863 .
- Pamunkey River January 8. Expedition to Gloucester Court House (Detachment) April 7.
- Fort Magruder (Detachment). April 11
- Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
- Germania and Richard's Fords April 29.
- Crook's Run April 29.
- Spotsylvania Court House April 30.
- Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5.
- West Point (Detachment) May 7.
- Gettysburg Campaign June 3 - July 24
- Warwick River June 5.
- Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9.
- Upperville June 21.
- Middleburg June 22.
- Haymarket June 24-25.
- Dix's Peninsula Campaign (3rd Battalion) June 24-July 7.
- Expedition from White House to Bottom's Bridge (3rd Battalion) July 1-7.
- Crump's or Baltimore Cross Roads (3rd Battalion) July 2.
- Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3.
- Williamsport July 6.
- Battle of Boonsboro July 8.
- Benovola or Beaver Creek, Md., July 9.
- Battle of Funkstown July 10-13.
- Falling Waters July 14.
- Manassas Gap July 21-22.
- Battle of Manassas Gap July 23.
- Barbee's Crossroads July 25.
- Kelly's Ford July 31-August 1.
- Brandy Station August 1-3.
- Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17.
- Culpeper Court House September 13.
- Raccoon Ford September 14-15 and 19.
- Reconnaissance across the Rapidan September 21-23.
- Jack's Shop, Madison Court House, September 22.
- Bristoe Campaign October 9 - 22.
- Raccoon and Morton's Fords October 10.
- Kelly's Ford and Stevensburg October 11.
- Brandy Station or Fleetwood October 12.
- Battle of Bristoe Station October 14.
- Oak Hill October 15.
- Culpeper October 17-18.
- Bealeton October 24-26.
- Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.
- Muddy Run November 8.
- Battle of Mine Run November 26-December 2.
- Parker's Store November 29.
1864
- Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864.
- Barnett's Ford February 6-7.
- Kilpatrick's Raid on Richmond February 28-March 4.
- Near Taylorstown, Beaver Dam Station, Frederick's Hall and South Anna Bridge February 29.
- Defences of Richmond March 1.
- Aylett's March 2.
- Kings and Queens Court House March 3.
- Carrollton's Store March 11.
- Overland Campaign May-June.
- Siege of Petersburg June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865
- White House or St. Peter's Church June 21.
- Black Creek or Tunstall's Station June 21.
- Jones' Bridge June 23.
- Charles City Court House June 23.
- Before Petersburg June 26-July 30.
- First Battle of Deep Bottom July 27-28.
- Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28.
- Berryville August 10 and 13.
- Toll Gate near White Post and Newtown August 11.
- Front Royal August 11.
- Cedar Creek August 12.
- Cedarville, Guard Hill or Front Royal and Crooked Run August 16.
- Charlestown August 21.
- Kearneyville and near Shephardstown August 25.
- Leetown and Smithfield August 28.
- Smithfield Crossing Opequan August 29.
- Battle of Berryville September 3.
- Bunker Hill September 13.
- Sevier's Ford, Opequan Creek, September 15.
- Third Battle of Winchester September 19.
- Middletown and Strasburg September 20.
- Battle of Fisher's Hill September 21.
- Near Edenburg September 23.
- Mt. Jackson September 23-24.
- New Market September 24.
- Port Republic September 26-27.
- Waynesboro September 29.
- Mt. Crawford October 2.
- Battle of Tom's Brook, "Woodstock Races" October 8-9.
- Hupp's Hill near Strasburg October 14.
- Battle of Cedar Creek October 19.
- Woodstock October 20.
- Near Kernstown November 11.
- Newtown November 12.
- Hood's Hill November 22.
- Expedition from Winchester into Faquier and Loudoun Counties November 28-December 3.
- Expedition to Gordonsville December 19-28.
- Jack's Shop near Gordonsville December 23.
1865
- Siege of Petersburg June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865
- Levettsville January 18, 1865.
- Sheridan's Raid from Winchester February 27-March 25.
- Waynesboro March 2.
- Occupation of Staunton March 2.
- Charlottesville March 3.
- Goochland Court House March 11.
- Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9.
- Expedition to Danville April 23-29.
- Moved to Washington, D. C., May.
- Grand Review May 23.
The regiment was consolidated with the 15th New York Cavalry on June 17 to form the 2nd New York Provisional Cavalry Regiment.
Casualties and losses
Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 72 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 133 Enlisted men by disease. Total 214.
See also
References
- Book: Adjutant-General's Office of New York State . Annual Report of the Adjutant-General, Part 2 . The Argus Company . 1869 . Albany, NY . 6315612 .
- Book: Adjutant-General's Office of New York State. Annual report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1894 Volume II . James B. Lyon, State Printer . 1895 . Albany, NY . 6315612 .
- Book: Ainsworth . Fred C. . Kirkley . Joseph W. . The War of the Rebellion : A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I – Volume XLIII . Government Printing Office . 1902 . Washington . 427057 .
- Book: Beyer . Walter F. . Keydel . Oscar F. . Deeds of Valor : from Records in the Archives of the United States Government ; How American Heroes Won the Medal of Honor ; History of our Recent Wars and Explorations, from Personal Reminiscences and Records of Officers and Enlisted Men who were Rewarded by Congress for Most Conspicuous Acts of Bravery on the Battle-field, on the High Seas and in Arctic Explorations Volume I . Perrien-Keydel Co. . 1907 . Detroit . 3898179 .
- Book: Davis . George B. . Perry . Leslie J. . Kirkley . Joseph W. . The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I Volume XL Part II Correspondence, Etc. . Government Printing Office . 1892 . Washington, DC . 427057 .
- Book: Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Dyer Pub. Co.. Des Moines, IA. 1908. B01BUFJ76Q.
- Book: Gallagher . Gary W. . The Wilderness Campaign: Military Campaigns of the Civil War . University of North Carolina Press . 2006 . Chapel Hill, NC . 1058127655 . 978-0-80783-589-0 .
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- Book: Phisterer, Frederic . New York in the War of Rebellion, 1861-1865 Vol. I Third Edition . Lyon . 1912 . Albany . 1359922 .
- Book: Pond, George E. . The Shenandoah Valley in 1864 . Charles Scribner's Sons . 1912 . New York . 13500039 .
- Book: Powell, William Henry . Officers of the Army and Navy (Volunteer) who Served in the Civil War . L. R. Hamersly & Co. . 1893 . Philadelphia, PA . 1105229179 .
- Book: Rhea, Gordon C. . The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864 . Louisiana State University Press . 2004 . Baton Rouge, LA . 70080406 . 978-0-80713-021-6 .
- Book: Rhodes, Charles D. . History of the Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac including that of the Army of Virginia (Pope's) and also the History of the Operations of the Federal Cavalry in West Virginia During the War . Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co. . 1900 . Kansas City, MO .
- Book: Schaff, Morris . The Battle of the Wilderness . Houghton Mifflin Company . 1910 . Boston and New York . 9780848811556 . 1041061236 .
- Book: Scott . Robert . The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I Volume XII Part I . Government Printing Office . 1885 . Washington, DC . 3888071 .
- Book: Scott . Robert . The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I Volume XXVII Part I . Government Printing Office . 1889 . Washington, DC . 191710879 .
- Book: Scott . Robert . The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I Volume XXIX Part I . Government Printing Office . 1890 . Washington, DC . 318422190 .
- Book: Scott . Robert N. . The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I Volume XXXIII Part I . Government Printing Office . 1891 . Washington, DC . 427057 . 978-0-91867-807-2 .
- Book: Sickles, Daniel E. . The Union Army; A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of Battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers Volume II . Federal Pub. Co. . 1908 . Madison, WI . 1473658 .
- Book: Starr, Stephen Z. . The Union Cavalry in the Civil War - Vol. 2 - The War in the East, from Gettysburg to Appomattox . Louisiana State University Press . 2007 . Baton Rouge . 4492585 .
- Book: Watson, Winslow C. . The Military and Civil History of the County of Essex, New York : and a General Survey of its Physical Geography, its Mines and Minerals, and Industrial Pursuits, Embracing an Account of the Northern Wilderness ; and also the Military Annals of the Fortresses of Crown Point and Ticonderoga . J. Munsell . 1869 . Albany, NY . 504 . 1744803 .
- Book: Wittenberg, Eric J. . Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions: Farnsworth's Charge, South Cavalry Field, and the Battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863 . Savas Beatie . 2011 . New York . 779472347 . 978-1-61121-071-2 .
- Book: Wittenberg . Eric J. . Petruzzi . J. David . Plenty of Blame to Go Around : Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg . Savas Beatie . 2006 . New York, NY . 759859025 .
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