The 1st 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 ...

. It was also known as 1st East Tennessee Cavalry. The regiment was organized and was nominally commanded by

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...

, the second son of Tennessee politician and

Southern Unionist In the United States, Southern Unionists were white Southerners living in the Confederate States of America and the Southern Border States opposed to secession. Many fought for the Union during the Civil War. These people are also referred t ...

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 ...

, but in truth the regimental commander was James P. Brownlow, the second son of

Parson Brownlow William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow (August 29, 1805April 29, 1877) was an American newspaper publisher, Methodist minister, book author, prisoner of war, lecturer, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and ...

Service

The 1st Tennessee Cavalry was organized in November 1862 at

Camp Dennison Camp Dennison was a military recruiting, training, and medical post for the United States Army during the American Civil War. It was located near Cincinnati, Ohio, not far from the Ohio River. The camp was named for Cincinnati native William ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, by mounting the 4th Tennessee Volunteer Regiment. It was 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 ...

Robert Johnson. The regiment was attached to: * Camp Dennison, Ohio, to December 1862 * Reserve Brigade, Cavalry Division,

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 January 1863. * 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, to November 1864. * 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to January 1865. * District Middle Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to June 1865. The 1st Tennessee Cavalry mustered out of service at

Nashville, Tennessee 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 ...

during April and June 1865. Circa February 1863, the ''New York Times'' reported:

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 356 men during service; 4 officers and 56 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 293 enlisted men died of disease or accident.

Commanders

* Colonel

- resigned May 31, 1864, due to "illness" (alcoholism) * Colonel James P. Brownlow - commanded at the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...

as lieutenant colonel; he was promoted immediately following Johnson's resignation; per the regimental history, "a promotion he well-deserved, since he was the real commander" * Lieutenant Colonel Calvin M. Dyer - commanded at the

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 18 ...

; commissioned a lieutenant by Johnson, promoted to major in early 1863 and then to lieutenant colonel upon Johnson's resignation

Regimental flag

On December 6, 1862, the occasion of the organization of the 1st Tennessee as cavalry (rather than

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

), Col. Johnson and Major William B. Tracy presented their soldiers with a "splendid flag" inscribed with the words ''For Chattanooga, Knoxville and Greeneville'', "indicating the determination of the regiment to assist in driving the rebels out of Tennessee, and redeeming the State." The 34-star American flag, also inscribed ''Johnson's 1st Tennessee Cavalry'' and "bound round the edge with yellow silk fringe," was produced by Hamlin of Cincinnati, "the prince of military furnishers in the West." The Civil War diary of a soldier named John Coffee Williamson reported this flag, or a successor to it, was captured on September 1, 1864, along with Jim Brownlow breaking both legs. However, the regiment mustered out under that flag and the regimental history includes a photo of a very-warworn regimental flag with little more than the fringed border surviving, and reports that Col. Brownlow's mother had it in her possession and donated it to the fraternal organization of veterans of the regiment. Major Tracy, who came from Chattanooga, was deemed, by Parson Brownlow, to be a schemer who was "keeping up...bad feelings." Tracy later resigned, dated June 22, 1863, after a practical joke went sideways and he garnered the enmity of the men.

References

Sources

* * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Wiefering, Edna. ''Tennessee Union Soldiers'' Vol. 1 (Cleveland, TN: Cleveland Public Library), 1996. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

1st Tennessee Cavalry living history organization

* ttps://cmdc.knoxlib.org/digital/collection/p15136coll4/id/5926 Lt. Col. Calvin Dyer Civil War photo album - 23 portraits- The men were in the 1st Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment in the Union Army Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union army from Tennessee 1865 disestablishments in Tennessee 1862 establishments in Ohio