The 13th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The regiment was originally designated 12th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, but was changed by order of Governor

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

on December 31, 1863.

Service

The 13th Tennessee Cavalry was organized at Strawberry Plains, Gallatin and

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and mustered in for a three-year enlistment under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

John K. Miller. Nine companies mustered in at Strawberry Plains on October 28 and November 8, 1863. The regiment was attached to District of Columbus, Kentucky, 6th Division, XVI Corps,

Department of the Tennessee The Army of the Tennessee was a Union Army, Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. A 2005 study of the army states that it "was present at most of the great battles that became turning points ...

, to November 1863. District of North Central Kentucky,

Department of the Ohio The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River. 1st Department 1861–1862 Gene ...

, to January 1864. District of Nashville, Tennessee,

Department of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

, to April 1864. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creatio ...

, to October 1864. 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, November 1864. District of East Tennessee to March 1865. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of East Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to July 1865. Cavalry Brigade, District of East Tennessee, to September 1865. The 13th Tennessee Cavalry mustered out of service at

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

, Tennessee, on September 5, 1865.

Detailed service

Duty in District of Columbus, Ky., and at Camp Nelson, Ky., until January 1864. Duty in District of Nashville and on Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, and at Bull's Gap, Tenn., until September 1864. Rogersville August 21, 1864. Pursuit to Greenville August 21–23. Blue Springs August 23. Park's Gap, Greenville, September 4. Morgan killed. Gillem's Expedition from eastern Tennessee toward southwest Virginia September 20-October 17. Rheatown September 28. Watauga River September 29. Carter's Station September 30-October 1. Operations in eastern Tennessee October 10–28. Greenville October 12. Bull's Gap October 16. Clinch Mountain October 18. Clinch Valley near Sneedsville October 21. Near Memphis October 25. Mossy Creek and Panther Gap October 27. Morristown and Russellville October 28. Operations against Breckenridge's advance into eastern Tennessee November 4–17. Russellville November 11. Bull's Gap November 11–13. Russellville November 14. Strawberry Plains November 16–17. Flat Creek November 17. Stoneman's Saltsville Raid December 10–29. Big Creek near Rogersville December 12. Kingsport December 13. Glade Springs December 15. Marion and capture of Wytheville December 16. Mt. Airy December 17. Engagement near Marion December 17–18. Capture and destruction of Saltville, Va., December 20–21. Duty in eastern Tennessee until March 1865. Stoneman's Expedition from eastern Tennessee into southwest Virginia and western North Carolina March 21-April 25. Wytheville April 6. Shallow Ford and near Mocksville April 11. Salisbury April 12. Catawba River near Morgantown April 17. Swannanoa Gap, N.C., April 20. Near Hendersonville April 23. Duty in District of East Tennessee until September.

Commanders

* Colonel John K. Miller

Notable members

* Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Randum Butler -

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from Tennessee (1867–1875, 1887–1889) * Sergeant Andrew Campbell, Company G - shot and killed Confederate Brigadier General

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825September 4, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. In April 1862, he raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, fought at Shiloh, and then launched a costly raid in Kentucky, which encouraged Br ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Daniel Ellis, Company A - "pilot" of east Tennessee Unionist refugees

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Ellis, Daniel. ''Thrilling Adventures of Daniel Ellis: The Great Union Guide of East Tennessee, for a Period of Nearly Four Years During the Great Southern Rebellion'' (New York: Harper & Bros.), 1867. * Scott, Samuel W. and Samuel P. Angel. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links