18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment

Between December 20, 1860, and February 1, 1861, seven southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when local militia attacked United States troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. This is considered the beginning of the American Civil War. Four additional states seceded during the next three months. Without Bryan, the regiment had its first mounted drill on December 25. Beginning January 1863, the regiment was attached to Colonel Percy Wyndham's Cavalry Brigade for the defense of Washington. Camp for the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry was moved to Virginia on January 1, 1863, and settled a week later on the Little River Turnpike about from Fairfax Courthouse. ==Early action==

Historian Robert W. Black observes "the 18th Pennsylvania would become a fine regiment", but "in January 1863, it was a collection of civilians in uniform, poorly equipped and armed." Their first scouting task was on January 11, when a portion of the regiment went on a late-night patrol with the 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment, which was loyal to the Union. On January 18, Mosby captured 11 pickets from the regiment. A few days letter, he sent a few of the captured men back to the regiment with a message that said the regiment needs to be better equipped and armed because it did not currently pay to capture them. The recruits for those companies were from the Philadelphia area. When the two companies were added, the regiment became part of Colonel Richard Butler Price's Independent Cavalry Brigade, XXII Army Corps, Department of Washington. On March 1, Gowen was discharged, and the regiment's new lieutenant colonel was William Penn Brinton, who was promoted from captain in the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. The regiment continued to show its inexperience on March 1 when Major Joseph Gilmore led 200 men on a westward reconnaissance toward Aldie, Virginia. Gilmore did not follow all of his orders, and mistook some men from the 1st Vermont Cavalry for enemy soldiers. He turned his command and fled at full speed from the Vermont cavalry—which caused him to be court-martialed. In April, the regiment became part of the Third Brigade, Brigadier General Julius Stahel's Cavalry Division, XXII Army Corps. Bryan joined the regiment on May 3—bringing experience and training from West Point and the regular army. Burnside carbines were issued on June 21—an inferior weapon but an improvement over the Merrill carbines originally issued. ==Gettysburg Campaign==

The Army of the Potomac, including its two cavalry divisions, moved northward from Fredericksburg, Virginia, toward Frederick, Maryland, crossing the Potomac River on June 25 and 26, 1863. Stahal's cavalry division (including the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry) was detached from defending Washington so that it could join the Army of the Potomac and help defend Pennsylvania from an invasion by General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment began moving north on June 25. Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth commanded the First Brigade, and Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer commanded the Second Brigade—which consisted of regiments from Michigan. Major General Joseph Hooker was relieved of command, at his request, of the Army of the Potomac, and he was replaced by Major General George Meade. Brinton commanded the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Its mission was to prevent Confederate cavalry under the command of Major General James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart from joining the rest of Lee's army. On June 30 the division proceeded to the small town of Hanover, Pennsylvania. Kilpatrick, his staff, and his bodyguards (one company from the 1st Ohio Cavalry Regiment) led the division. They were followed by Custer's Second Brigade, the artillery, and then the First Brigade. Farnsworth rode at the front of the First Brigade with the 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment. The 1st West Virginia and 5th New York Cavalry Regiments followed them. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment had rear guard duty. The extreme rear guard consisted of 40 men from CompanyL and CompanyM led by Lieutenant Henry C. Potter, and they were about behind the main portion of the regiment. A small group of "less than a dozen" men, led by Captain Thadeus Freeland of CompanyE, protected the right flank as it moved a few miles east of the road to Hanover. Not far from Gitt's Mill, Freeland's men and an enemy scouting party from the 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment spotted each other, and a long-range shot killed one of the Confederates—the first casualty of the Battle of Hanover. Freeland and his men rode toward the regiment to warn of the danger, but instead found more men from the 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, which quickly surrounded the Pennsylvanians and captured them without firing a shot. When Potter and his men were about from Hanover, they found their path to town blocked by the same group of about 60 Confederates who demanded their surrender. Potter's men responded by firing at the enemy soldiers and charging through them toward town. They were followed by the enemy force and came upon the rest of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry—dismounted and mingling with the locals. Lieutenant Samuel H. Tresonthick was the only officer in the rear. Most of the division had already passed through the town, but ahead of the 18th Pennsylvania was the 5th New York Cavalry, which was also enjoying refreshments and greetings provided by the locals. Soon the Confederates fired an artillery shot into town, and Union soldiers faced attacks from the 13th Virginia Cavalry, a battalion from the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment, and finally the 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment. Most of the Union fighters in the streets were from the 18th Pennsylvania and 5th New York Cavalry Regiments. After close-quarter fighting, the Confederates withdrew to the cover of their artillery in the hills. The streets were full of dead and wounded men and horses. Kilpatrick directed a counterattack by portions of Farnsworth's First Brigade and Custer's Second Brigade. The counterattack silenced the Confederate big guns, and Stuart's men were driven away in this inconclusive battle. Casualties for all participants on both sides totaled to 228. On July 2, the division moved closer to Gettysburg, and was on the right side of the entire Union army—close to New Oxford and Hunterstown. Late in the afternoon, the brigade was ordered to make mounted charges through rocky and wooded terrain. Although this charge by the 1st Vermont Cavalry is often described as a single charge, it was really a series of charges that were able to cross the rebel skirmish line before being repulsed. Farnsworth was killed, and at least one cavalry leader was critical of Kilpatrick's decision to order a mounted charge in terrain that was not ideal for cavalry. After the charges, the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry returned to the open field and formed a dismounted skirmish line. About 166,000 soldiers fought in "the bloodiest single battle of the entire war"—with casualties in this Union victory estimated to be 23,000 for the Union force and 28,000 for the Confederates. The healthy part of Lee's army used a southwestern route to Williamsport that went through mountainous terrain. Kilpatrick's division, after receiving reinforcements at Emmitsburg, Maryland, was part of the Union pursuit. As Meade's army pursued Lee, several battles and skirmishes occurred—including a fight by Kilpatrick's division in the mountains at Monterey Pass where a Confederate wagon train was captured. Both portions of Lee's army, the wagon train of wounded men and the healthy soldiers, needed to pass through Hagerstown, Maryland, on their separate routes to Williamsport. The Battle of Williamsport, also known as Battle of Hagerstown, was part of Meade's attempt to prevent Lee's escape. Dahlgren took command and was wounded in the leg, which eventually required an amputation. CompaniesL and M, led by Captain Enos J. Pennypacker, also made charges into town. Pennypacker's horse was killed and he was severely wounded, and Lieutenants William L. Laws and Henry C. Potter were among the men captured. Losses for the regiment were eight killed, 19 wounded, and 71 missing. Lee's army crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and Falling Waters on July 14. The Army of the Potomac eventually crossed back to Virginia, and the headquarters of the 3rd Division was established near Warrenton. ==Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns==

For the rest of the summer of 1863, the regiment spent its time in Virginia and was involved in picket duty, scouting, and a few skirmishes. The regiment's horses were gradually replenished. In August, the 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment was added to the First Brigade while the 1st Vermont Cavalry moved to Custer's Second Brigade, and Brigadier General Henry E. Davies Jr. became commander of the First Brigade. The Army of the Potomac's Bristoe campaign began October 9 and was fought against the Army of Northern Virginia. Several of the battles in this campaign were near railroad stations belonging to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, including the Battle of Bristoe Station and the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station. Van Voorhis was seriously wounded, ultimately losing an arm, and was captured along with three other officers and 32 enlisted men. Casualties for the regiment were one killed, three wounded, and 53 missing for a total of 57 of the brigade's 119 casualties listed by the brigade commander. Despite the casualties, Davies said the charge by the brigade was "most successful" and "repulsed the rebels". He also praised Van Voorhis for "gallantly charging at the head of his regiment at Brandy Station." On November 18 most of the regiment went on a scouting mission towards the Rapidan River. While the regiment was away, their camp was attacked. Pickets, a small camp guard, and sick men were the only defenders. A regimental flag, 49 men, the assistant surgeon, horses, wagons, and all of the camp equipment were captured. The Army of the Potomac's Mine Run campaign began November 26 and continued fighting against the Army of Northern Virginia. General Pleasonton continued to command the cavalry corps, but there were a few changes that affected the 18th Pennsylvania. While Davies still commanded the First Brigade, Custer now commanded the 3rd Division, and Bryan took over field command of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry. On November 26, the regiment fought dismounted near Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan River. Fighting continued in early December, including artillery duels. On December 11, the regiment went to winter quarters at Stevensburg, Virginia. ==Grant's Overland Campaign==

During March 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant became commander of all Union armed forces. Wilson's 3rd Division led the way, with the First Brigade on the army's right and the Second Brigade on the left. Bryan (18th Pennsylvania Cavalry) commanded the First Brigade (including the 18th Pennsylvania) while Colonel George H. Chapman commanded the Second. After crossing the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford, the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry led the advance all the way to Wilderness Tavern. At 5:00am on May 5, the brigade began moving south toward Catharpin Road, leaving the 5th New York Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Hammond and armed with repeating rifles, to guard a western approach on Orange Plank Road. Hammond soon discovered that he was facing an entire infantry corps under the command of Lieutenant General A. P. Hill. Wilson continued south and then moved west on the Catharpin Road with Chapman's brigade leading and Bryan's brigade, without the 5th New York Cavalry, bringing up the rear. Just beyond Craig's Meeting House, Chapman encountered about 1,000 men under the command of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas L. Rosser. Chapman's brigade, led by the 1st Vermont Cavalry, was able to push Rosser back about until Rosser outflanked him and caused a retreat. With Hill's infantry on the Orange Plank Road on Wilson's north side and Rosser's cavalry occupying the Catharpin Road on his south side, Wilson was in danger of having his entire division captured. He discovered a wagon track north of a road called Roberson's Run that led east and began a retreat with Chapman leading and Bryan in the rear. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Brinton, again protected the rear and was ordered to hold for one half hour before attempting to rejoin Wilson. After crossing the Po River, the wagon track led to Catharpin Road and Wilson was barely able to get his command on the road to the safety of Todd's Tavern. When Brinton and the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry arrived at the same intersection, they found it occupied by dismounted Confederate cavalry. Darlington and the First Battalion charged but were driven back by crossfire. Sheridan's raid For the next two weeks, the fighting shifted southeast to Spotsylvania Court House. On the morning of the May 10, the division was awakened by enemy artillery, and pickets led by Captain Marshall S. Kingsland of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry intercepted enemy attackers. Stuart was mortally wounded in fighting against Custer's Brigade. Merritt's 1st Division captured the bridge and drove the enemy back. Fighting renewed at Mechanicsville for a few hours, but the Confederates were driven away and Sheridan's force camped near New Bridge that evening. Over the next few days, Sheridan moved by White Oak Swamp to Malvern Hills where they were accidentally shelled for a brief time by Union gunboats on the James River. On May 15 and 16 they camped at Haxall's Landing on the James River. On May 17, they moved north toward the Pamunkey River. The regiment was not involved in fighting for the next 10 days as they moved north. Sheridan reported on May 20 that he found "little subsistence and forage" at White House landing (on the river) and wanted "ammunition first and supplies of all kinds". By May 27, the brigade had already returned to Grant; camped at Butler's Bridge on the North Anna River, and was rejoined by the 5th New York Cavalry. During May, Wilson relieved Bryan from command of the 18th Pennsylvania because he "failed to act swiftly enough" in a small fight with Major General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, and Brinton became commander. Casualties for the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry for the period of May 22 through June 1 were two enlisted men killed, two officers and three enlisted men wounded, and three enlisted men captured or missing. Battle of Cold Harbor The regiment fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor, which began May 31 and lasted through June 12. In this Confederate victory, the Union Army had about 12,000 casualties while the Confederates had about 4,000. Much of this difference in casualties was caused by Union infantry assaults on well-entrenched enemy troops, especially on June 3. Around sundown, the 18th Pennsylvania led a dismounted advance that pushed the enemy out of the town. Brinton and Phillips were slightly wounded, and two captains were severely wounded. Brinton led the regiment and the 2nd Ohio Cavalry on a June 10 scout of Shady Grove Road, while the other half of the brigade probed Richmond Road. The brigade covered the rear of the army on June 12 and June 13. Most of the June 15 fighting was dismounted, and the regiment later learned that their action was "part of the attempt to deceive the enemy, to make him believe and think that the whole army was on the north side of the James River, and would attempt to reach Richmond from that direction." Casualties for the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry for the period of June 2 through June 15 were one officer and two enlisted men killed, one officer and 33 enlisted men wounded, and 28 enlisted men captured or missing, with most of the regiment's casualties for this period coming on June 15. The regiment moved to the rear of Major General Horatio Wright's VI Corps on June 22. On the next day, Wilson's division departed on what would become known as the Wilson–Kautz Raid, but the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry and 3rd New Jersey Cavalry remained behind and reported to Wright. During July, the regiment spent most of its time on picket duty. On August 5, the regiment moved to City Point and boarded a steamship destined for Alexandria, Virginia. A few days later, after their arrival in Alexandria, the regiment became armed with Spencer repeating rifles. They departed for the Shenandoah Valley on August 11. The rest of Wilson's division was also ordered to move to the Shenandoah Valley, and the division became part of Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. ==Shenandoah Valley==

On July 31, 1864, Grant decided to have Sheridan be his field commander to fight Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early in the Shenandoah Valley. On August 1, Sheridan was relieved of command from the Army of the Potomac, "but not from command of the cavalry as a corps organization." To satisfy the Lincoln administration's concern about Sheridan's young age, Grant intended to have Major General David Hunter be the head of an army that was the consolidation of four military districts, but have Sheridan be the leader in the field. On August 5, Grant ordered Hunter to "Concentrate all your available force without delay in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry....", and sent him more cavalrymen. Hunter asked to be relieved entirely, and his request was granted—putting Sheridan in command of the new army. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry arrived at Harper's Ferry on August 12. The regiment patrolled and skirmished on both sides of the Potomac River—including Charlestown, Bolivar Heights, and Shepherdstown in West Virginia; Berryville in Virginia; and Boonsboro and Sharpsburg in Maryland. Sheridan's army began with Wright's VI Corps and three cavalry divisions. The 18th Pennsylvania remained in the same chain of command, as part of McIntosh's First Brigade in Wilson's 3rd Division, and remained under Brinton's command. Third Battle of Winchester The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon, is considered by some historians to be the most important American Civil War battle in the Shenandoah Valley. A total of 54,000 men from both sides participated in this Union victory on September 19. Against Early's Army of the Valley, Sheridan had two divisions of cavalry, two infantry corps under Wright and Brigadier General William H. Emory (XIX Corps), and the Army of West Virginia, consisting of both infantry and cavalry, led by Brigadier General George Crook. Casualties for both sides totaled to over 8,600. The 18th Pennsylvania and 2nd Ohio Cavalries led the rest of the brigade across and joined the two New York regiments. Enemy pickets fled through a second group of pickets that belonged to the 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Three more North Carolina Confederate infantry regiments, the 5th, 20th, and 12th, held off the New Yorkers and caused them to retreat. McIntosh responded with artillery and an attack by the 18th Pennsylvania. The 18th Pennsylvania made mounted attacks on infantry breastworks. With Brinton gone, Phillips, commander of the Second Battalion, became the regiment's commander. Later in the day, McIntosh was seriously wounded leading a dismounted charge. His wound required amputation of his leg below the knee, and Lieutenant Colonel George A. Purington replaced him. Casualties for the regiment were seven men killed and 12 wounded, plus one officer captured. Tom's Brook On October 3, Custer took command of the 3rd Cavalry Division. The division continued destroying crops, barns, and mills in the valley as it moved north, which depleted the food and infrastructure used to supply the Confederate Army. During this time, the division was followed and harassed by Confederate cavalry. On October 9, the First Brigade (now led by Colonel Alexander Pennington) took the advance in an attack against enemy cavalry. At first met with "stubborn resistance", Custer sent the 18th Pennsylvania supported by two other regiments to turn the enemy's flank. On Custer's command, all regiments charged—resulting in the capture of all enemy artillery, wagons, and ambulances while the enemy fled. One soldier wrote "I never saw such a complete rout in my life." Custer reported "Never since the opening of this war had there been witnessed such a complete and decisive overthrow of the enemy's cavalry" and that a pursuit was made "vigorously for nearly twenty miles." Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek was fought on October 19, 1864. In this Union victory, Early's Confederate force surprised the Union Army at Cedar Creek, Virginia, and appeared to be destined for a victory until Sheridan arrived and rallied his troops. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry was assigned the task of supporting a battery that was exchanging fire with enemy artillery, and suffered some casualties when a shell burst directly over the regiment. On November 12, the regiment was involved in a skirmish at Cedar Creek. Enemy cavalry drove in Union pickets early in the morning and attacked near the Union camp. Pennington's First Brigade was sent to fight the attackers. Although the enemy soldiers were driven off, the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry became cut off from the brigade. Philips was commanding the regiment at the time, and Confederate cavalry under the command of Rosser captured him and 164 others. Phillips and Lieutenant Henry J. Blough were sent to Libby Prison in Richmond. Private Nathan Monz (CompanyD) and Private John L. Stall (CompanyE) were killed—the last two soldiers in the regiment to be killed in action. Pennington censured the regiment for its conduct in this action. The regiment was censured again and described as setting "a very bad example to the brigade" for its action near Mount Jackson on November 22, when it left rear guard duty and "was not to be found until after the brigade was relieved from duty". Winter camp For the next few weeks, the regiment camped near Winchester and performed picket duty and scouting tasks. A portion of the regiment went to Cedar Creek Valley to hunt bushwhackers. Darlington and Van Voorhis had now mustered out, and Phillips was in a Confederate prison. Captain William H. Page of CompanyL was promoted to major with an effective date of December 1, and twice-wounded Britton of CompanyF was promoted to major effective December 3. Brinton mustered out January 13, 1865. Sheridan had two divisions of cavalry and planned to join Grant near Richmond. The plan changed on March 2 when Sheridan's army approached Waynesboro, Virginia and found Early's Army of the Shenandoah. Custer's division did the fighting, and most of Early's army was killed or captured. All of Early's headquarters equipment and artillery were captured although Early himself evaded capture. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry's Third Battalion, commanded by Captain George W. Nieman, and the 5th New York Cavalry, were held in reserve in this battle. After the battle, the battalion was part of a force that escorted about 1,600 prisoners north to Winchester. On March 7 during the trip north, Rosser's cavalry attacked the Union force at Rude's Hill near Mount Jackson.{{#tag:ref|Boudrye spells Rude's Hill as "Rood's Hill". The historian for the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry spells it as "Rondes Hill". Pond wrote that the attack was "near Mount Jackson". A map at the Library of Congress uses the "Rude's Hill" spelling.{{cite web ==Conclusion==

For the next few weeks of 1865, the battalion camped at Kernstown near Winchester. On May 5 they were joined by some of their officers who returned from Confederate prisons. Colonel Theophilus F. Rodenbough joined the regiment on May 12 and took command. On July 20, the 18th and 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiments were combined and became the 3rd Provisional Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment—with an effective date retroactive to June 24.--> ==See also==