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5th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment

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5th Pennsylvania Cavalry
The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911) (14762590602).jpg
Cameron Dragoons at Darbytown Road, October 29, 1864
ActiveJuly 1861 to August 16, 1865
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnion
BranchCavalry
EngagementsSeven Days Battles (Companies I & K)
Siege of Petersburg
First Battle of Petersburg
First Battle of Deep Bottom (detachment)
Appomattox Campaign
Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Battle of Appomattox Court House
Union veteran Peter D. Helms, bugler of Co. D, 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. From the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Union veteran Peter D. Helms, bugler of Co. D, 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. From the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

The 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry (65th Volunteers / "Cameron Dragoons") was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

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Cavalry

Cavalry

Historically, cavalry are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in the roles of reconnaissance, screening, and skirmishing in many armies, or as heavy cavalry for decisive shock attacks in other armies. An individual soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations depending on era and tactics, such as cavalryman, horseman, trooper, cataphract, knight, drabant, hussar, uhlan, mamluk, cuirassier, lancer, dragoon, or horse archer. The designation of cavalry was not usually given to any military forces that used other animals for mounts, such as camels or elephants. Infantry who moved on horseback, but dismounted to fight on foot, were known in the early 17th to the early 18th century as dragoons, a class of mounted infantry which in most armies later evolved into standard cavalry while retaining their historic designation.

Regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.

Union Army

Union Army

During the American Civil War, the United States Army, the land force that fought to preserve the collective Union of the states, was often referred to as the Union Army, the Federal Army or the Northern Army. It proved essential to the restoration and preservation of the United States as a working, viable republic.

American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter formed by states that had seceded. The central cause of the war was the dispute over whether slavery would be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prevented from doing so, which was widely believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.

Service

The 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania beginning in July 1861 as the "65th Volunteers" and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Max Friedman.

The regiment was attached to Smith's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March 1862. Unattached, IV Corps, Army of the Potomac, to December 1862. West's Advance Brigade, IV Corps, Department of Virginia, to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, IV Corps, Department of Virginia, to July 1863. Wistar's Brigade, Yorktown, Virginia, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to August 1863. U.S. Forces, Portsmouth, Virginia, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to December 1863. District Currituck, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to January 1864. Heckman's Division, XVIII Corps, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to April 1864. 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, Army of the James, to May 1864. 1st Brigade, Kautz's Cavalry Division, Department of Virginia and North Carolina, to April 1865. Cavalry Brigade, Department of Virginia, to July 1865. Richmond, Virginia, District Henrico, Department of Virginia, to August 1865.

The 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry mustered out August 7, 1865 and was discharged August 16, 1865 at Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. It is one of the most historically significant cities in the United States and served as the nation's capital until 1800. Philadelphia is the nation's sixth-largest city with a population of 1,603,797 as of the 2020 census. Since 1854, the city has been coextensive with Philadelphia County, the most populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the Delaware Valley, the nation's seventh-largest and one of the world's largest metropolitan regions with 6.245 million residents. Philadelphia is known for its extensive contributions to American history, especially the American Revolution, and for its contemporary influence in business and industry, culture, sports, and music.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Pennsylvania borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West Virginia to its southwest, Ohio to its west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to its northwest, New York state to its north, and the Delaware River and New Jersey to its east.

Colonel (United States)

Colonel (United States)

A colonel in the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, is the most senior field-grade military officer rank, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. Colonel is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the other uniformed services. By law, an officer previously required at least 22 years of cumulative service and a minimum of three years as a lieutenant colonel before being promoted to colonel. With the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, military services now have the authorization to directly commission new officers up to the rank of colonel. The pay grade for colonel is O-6.

Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in April.

IV Corps (Union Army)

IV Corps (Union Army)

There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865.

Department of Virginia and North Carolina

Department of Virginia and North Carolina

The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departments: the Department of Virginia and the Department of North Carolina. In 1865 the two departments were once again separated.

XVIII Corps (Union Army)

XVIII Corps (Union Army)

XVIII Corps was a North Carolina corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Army of the James

Army of the James

The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.

Detailed service

Moved to Washington, D.C., August 22, 1861. Duty in the Department of Washington, D.C., until May 8, 1862. Reconnaissance to Pohick Church, Va., December 18, 1861 (Companies C, F, and H). Flint Hill and Hunter's Mill February 7, 1862. Fairfax Court House February 6. Expedition to Vienna and Flint Hill February 22. Duty near Alexandria until May. Ordered to Yorktown, Va., May 8. Scouting about Gloucester Point May 10 (Companies A, B, E, and L). Scouting about Williamsburg May 12. Skirmishes at Mechanicsville May 23-24. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1 (Companies I and K). Savage Station June 29. White Oak Swamp Bridge June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. Reconnaissance from Yorktown to Gloucester, Matthews, and King and Queen Counties July 7-9 (Companies B, E, L, and M). Duty at Yorktown and Williamsburg until September 8, 1863. Williamsburg and Fort Magruder September 9, 1862. Reconnaissance from Yorktown to Gloucester, Matthews, King and Queen, and Middlesex Counties December 11-15. Reconnaissance to Burnt Ordinary December 17. Expedition to West Point and White House January 7-9, 1863 (detachment). Burnt Ordinary January 19. Near Olive Creek Church February 5 (Companies L and M). Williamsburg and Olive Branch Church February 7. Williamsburg March 23 and 29. Whittaker's Mills April 11. Reconnaissance through Gates County and down Chowan River June 5-13. Nine Mile Ordinary June 14. Diascund Bridge June 20. Dix's Peninsula Campaign June 24-July 8. Barnesville June 28. Baltimore Cross Roads June 29. Expedition from White House to Bottom's Bridge July 1-7. Baltimore Cross Roads July 1. Bottom's Bridge July 2. Expedition to Bottom's Bridge August 26-29. New Kent Court House August 28. Bottom's Bridge August 29. Ordered to Norfolk, Va., September 8, and duty about Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., until December. Companies C, D, F, H, and I at South Mills, N.C., September 13. Companies A, B, E, G, K, L, and M at Great Bridge. Expedition to Indiantown, N.C., September 15-20 (Company D). Near Kempsville September 15. Indiantown September 20. (Companies F and H at Drummond Lake September 15.) Companies C, F, H, and I advanced to Raleigh September 22; Companies A, B, L, and M to Currituck Court House September 23. Affair on Back Bay September 30 (detachment). Scout from Great Bridge to Indiantown, N.C., October 13 (detachment). Bingo Landing October 16-17 (detachment). Camden Court House October 17. Regiment assembled at Great Bridge October 20. Expedition from Norfolk to South Mills, Camden, etc., N.C., December 5-24. Duty at Yorktown and in District of the Currituck until May 1864. Wistar's Expedition toward Richmond February 6-8. Bottom's Bridge February 4. Ballahock on Bear Quarter Road and Deep Creek February 29-March 1. Ballahock Station near Dismal Swamp Canal March 1. Deep Creek March 2. Reconnaissance from Portsmouth to the Blackwater April 13-15 (detachment). Kautz's Raid on Petersburg & Weldon Railroad May 5-11. Birch Island Bridges May 5. Stony Creek Station and Jarrett's Station May 7. White's Bridge, Nottaway Creek, May 8. Nottaway Railroad Bridge May 8. Jarrett's Station May 8-9. Kautz's Raid on Richmond & Danville Railroad May 12-17. Coalfield Station May 13. Powhatan Station May 14. Belcher's Mills May 16. Petersburg June 9. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 1864 to April 1865. Roanoke Station June 20, 1864. Wilson's Raid on South Side & Danville Railroad June 22-July 2. Staunton River Bridge or Roanoke Station June 25. Sappony Church, Stony Creek, June 28-29. Ream's Station June 29. Demonstration north of the James at Deep Bottom July 27-29. Malvern Hill July 30. Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 29-30. Darbytown Road October 7-13 and December 10. Charles City Cross Roads October 26. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9, 1865. Dinwiddie Court House March 31. Five Forks April 1. Gravelly Ford on Hatcher's Run April 2. Near Amelia Court House April 4-5. Burkesville and Sailor's Creek April 6. Prince Edward's Court House April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Richmond, Va., and in District of Henrico, Department of Virginia, to August.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 293 men during service; 1 officer and 76 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 6 officers and 210 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

  • Colonel Max Friedman - resigned March 9, 1862
  • Colonel David Campbell - resigned October 16, 1862
  • Colonel Robert M. West

Source: "5th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 22nd), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Pennsylvania_Cavalry_Regiment.

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See also
References
  • Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908.
Attribution
  • Public Domain This article contains text from a text now in the public domain: Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Des Moines, IA: Dyer Publishing Co.

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