1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, USV

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Contents 1 Overview 2 Full Dyer's Regimental History 3 Primary Resources 4 CivilWarWiki Related Pages 5 Further reading 6 On the Web

Mustered In: October 1862

Commanded by: George E. Spencer

Equipped With: Springfield or Enfield rifles

Mustered Out: October 20, 1865

Casualties:

• Killed and mortally wounded: 5 officers, 482 enlisted men
• Died of disease: 1 officers, 13 enlisted men
• Wounded: 2 officers, 450 enlisted men
• Captured or missing: 0 officers, 0 enlisted men
• Total: 10 officers, 1000 enlisted men

Overview

The 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment recruited from southern loyalists that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 1st Alabama Cavalry was raised from Alabama Unionists at Huntsville, Alabama and Memphis, Tennessee in October, 1862 after Federal troops occupied the area. It was attached to the XVI Corps in various divisions until November 1864, when it became part of the XV Corps. During this time, its duties mostly consisted of scouting, raiding, reconnaissance, flank guard, and providing screening to the infantry while on the march. The regiment was commanded by Colonel George E. Spencer from September 11, 1863 till July 5, 1865.

The regiment was selected by Major General William T. Sherman to be his escort as he began his march to the sea. It was assigned to the Third Division of the Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi in January 1865. It fought at the battles of Monroe's Crossroads and Bentonville and was present at the surrender of the Army of Tennessee at the Bennett Place. It was sent to the District of Northern Alabama, Department of the Cumberland in June 1865.

The regiment was mustered out of service at Huntsville, Alabama on October 20, 1865, with only 397 men present. Out of the 2,066 men who served in the unit during the course of the war, 345 were killed in action, died in prison, of disease or other non-battle causes, 88 were captured, and 279 deserted, with no accurate count of the number of wounded.

Full Dyer's Regimental History

1st Alabama Calvary

• Organized at Huntsville, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn., October, 1862.
• Attached to Cavalry Brigade, District of Corinth, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of Tennessee, January to March, 1863.
• Cavalry Brigade, District of Corinth, 2nd Division, 16th Army Corps, to June, 1863.

• 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 16th Army Corps, to August, 1863.

• 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to April, 1864.

• Cavalry 4th Division, 16th Army Corps, to May, 1864.

• Headquarters 16th Army Corps to September, 1864.

• Unattached 15th Army Corps to November, 1864.

• Unattached 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to January, 1865.

• 3rd Brigade, Kilpatrick's 3rd Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to June, 1865.

• District Northern Alabama, Dept. of the Cumberland, to October, 1865.

Service

• Duty in District of Corinth, Miss., till June, 1863.
  • Action at Cherokee Station, Ala., December 12, 1862.
  • Chewalla, Tenn., January 20, 1863.
  • Tuscumbia, Ala., February 22.
  • Bear Creek March 3.
  • Carroll County (Cos. "H" and "L") April 4.
  • Glendale April 14.
  • Dodge's Expedition to North Alabama April 15-May 8.
    • Barton's Station April 16-17.
    • Dickson, Great Bear Creek, Cherokee Station and Lundy's Lane April 17.
    • Rock Cut, near Tuscumbia, April 22.
    • Tuscumbia April 23.
    • Town Creek April 28.
  • Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., May 2-8.
    • King's Creek, near Tupelo, May 5.
• Burnsville, Miss., June 11.
• Ripley Aug. 3.
• Vincent's Cross Roads and Bay Springs, Ala., October 26.
• Operations on Memphis & Charleston R. R. November 3-5.
  • Colliersville, Tenn., November 3.
  • Moscow, Miss., November 4.
• Camp Davies, Miss., November 22 (Detachment).
• Operations on Memphis & Charleston R. R. against Lee's attack November 28-December 10.
  • Molino November 28.
  • Wolf River Bridge December 4.
• Expedition toward Tuscumbia, Ala., December 9-24.
  • Jack's Creek December 24.
• Expedition from Memphis to Wyatt's, Miss., February 6-18, 1864 (Detachment).
  • Coldwater Ferry February 8.
  • Near Senatobia February 8-9.
  • Wyatt's February 13.
• Operations against Forrest, in West Tennessee and Kentucky, February 16-April 14.
• Reconnoissance down Tennessee River to Triana April 12-16 (Detachment).
• Decatur, Ala., April 17.
• Atlanta Campaign May to September.
  • Movements on Dalton May 5-9.
  • Snake Creek Gap May 10-12.
  • Battle of Resaca May 13-15.
  • Rome Cross Roads May 16.
  • Battles about Dallas May 25-June 5.
  • Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2.
  • Nickajack Creek July 2-5.
  • Chattahoochee River July 6-17.
  • Cove Springs July 8.
  • Expedition to Centre, Ala., July 11-13.
  • Decatur July 19-22.
  • Battle of Atlanta July 22.
  • Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25.
  • Scout to Cedar Bluff, Ala., July 28-29.
  • Expedition from Rome to Jacksonville, Ala., August 11-15.
  • Buchanan August 15.
  • Coreysville August 20.
  • Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30.
  • Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1.
• Bolensville September 3.
• Rome September 6.
• Reconnoissance from Rome on Cave Springs Road October 12-13.
• March to the sea November 15-December 10.
  • Ball's Ferry, Oconee River, November 24-25.
  • Waynesboro November 27-29.
  • Briar Creek December 4.
  • Little Ogeechee River December 4.
  • Siege of Savannah December 10-21.
• Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865.
  • River's Bridge, S.C., February 7.
  • Williston February 8.
  • Near White Post February 8.
  • Aiken February 11.
  • Gunther's Bridge February 14.
  • Rockingham, N. C., March 7.
  • Monroe's Cross Roads March 10.
  • Averysboro, Taylor's Hole Creek, March 16.
  • Battle of Bentonville March 19-21.
  • Faisson's Depot March 30-31.
  • Roachland April 1.
  • Mt. Pleasant April 11.
  • Occupation of Raleigh April 13.
  • Bennett's House April 26.
  • Surrender of Johnston and his Army.
• Ordered to Dept. of the Cumberland May.
• Duty in District of Northern Alabama and at Huntsville, Ala., until October.
• Mustered out October 20, 1865.

Regimental History Source: A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion - Frederick H. Dyer, 1908. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923.

Primary Resources

CivilWarWiki Related Pages

• List of Alabama Union Regiments
• Alabama Civil War Confederate Units
• Alabama in the American Civil War

Further reading

• Hoole, Wm. Stanley Alabama Tories - The First Alabama Cavalry, U.S.A., 1862-1865. Confederate Publishing Company, Inc. (1960), and reprint edition (Confederate Centennial Studies, #16). Broadfoot Publishing Company (2000) ASIN: B000VA5EKA.

On the Web

http://www.1stalabamacavalryusv.com/

http://www.swannco.net/1st_Ala_Cav/

Portions of this document are extracted from Wikipedia:1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment (Union) and as such all text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Some content, where noted, may be copyright protected.