4th Michigan Cavalry Regiment was a

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

fighting in the western front as part of the Army of the Cumberland. It was noted as being the regiment that captured the fleeing

President of the Confederate States of America The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate A ...

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

, as the Confederacy collapsed in the spring of 1865.

Service

The regiment was organized at

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, and mustered in on August 29, 1862, under the command of Colonel Robert Horatio George Minty of

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

, Michigan, Lieutenant Colonel of the 3rd Michigan Cavalry Division. Regimental staff included Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Dudley Pritchard of

Allegan, Michigan Allegan ( ) is a city and the county seat of Allegan County, Michigan Its population was 5,222 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located southwest of Grand Rapids and northwest of Kalamazoo, both via US 131. It lies within All ...

, Major Josiah B. Park of

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

, Major William H. Dickinson of

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, Major Horace Gray of Grosse Ile, Surgeon George W. Fish of

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

, Assistant Surgeon John H. Bacon of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

, Adjutant Joseph W. Huston of Paw Paw, Quartermaster Walter C. Arthur of Detroit, Quartermaster Chauncey C. Douglass of Grand Rapids and Commissary Edwin H. Porter of

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

. Among the men who served in the 4th Michigan Cavalry was James Vernor, Sr., who after the war became a well-known pharmacist and the developer of Vernor's Ginger Ale. Another early recruit was future Michigan politician Levi T. Griffin. After training and drilling, it left the state with an enrollment of 1,233 officers and men on September 26, 1862, for duty in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. It saw its first engagement at

Stanford, Kentucky Stanford is a home rule-class city in Lincoln County, Kentucky, United States. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,487 at the 2010 census and an estimated 3,686 in 2018. It is the ...

, fighting the forces of Confederate General John Morgan, attached to the 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army, Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed ...

until November 1862. Other assignments during the war included: *1st 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, 2nd Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. *2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, to November, 1863. *1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, to November 1864. *1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Wilson's Cavalry Corps,

Military Division of Mississippi A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable ...

, to November 1864. *2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division of Mississippi, to July 1865. The 4th Michigan Cavalry fought alongside the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, the 4th United States Cavalry and the Chicago Board of Trade Battery as part of Colonel Minty's Sabre Brigade for much of the war. These units fought at Murfreesboro, Stones River, Shelbyville, Reed's Bridge, Chickamauga, Noonday Creek, Atlanta, Kilpatrick Raid and Selma. The 4th Michigan Cavalry was involved in the capture of

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, on April 20, 1865, along with Col.

Henry Harnden Henry Harnden (March 4, 1823March 17, 1900) was an Americans, American sailor, Republican Party (United States), Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and led the Wisconsin ...

and the

1st Wisconsin Cavalry The 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment was a volunteer cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment is most notable as one of two cavalry regiments credited with the final capture of Confederate presid ...

. Subsequently, a detachment of the regiment participated in the pursuit and capture of Jefferson Davis at

Irwinville, Georgia Irwinville is an unincorporated community in Irwin County, Georgia, United States. Irwinville was founded as "Irwinsville" in 1831 as the seat for the newly formed Irwin County. The community was named for Georgia governor Jared Irwin. It was ...

, on May 10. Among the troopers credited with playing a key role in identifying and capturing Davis were George Munger and Andrew Bee and

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

Baxter B. Bennett who secured possession of Jeff Davis (Jefferson Davis) spurs. The spurs were kept in his possession for many years until a family member donated them to a museum in Michigan, which transferred the spurs to the Jefferson Davis collection. Also involved in the capture of Davis was Corporal John William Bowles of Company M. The 4th was assigned to routine duty at Macon and then 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 ...

, until the end of June. The regiment mustered out on July 1, 1865.

Casualties

The initial strength of the regiment was 1,233. During its term of service the regiment gained 984 troops, for a total of 2,217 men. Of that number, 3 officers and 48 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded in battle, and 2 officers and 341 enlisted men perished from disease. George Hiscock was a member of Company B, and the oldest man to enlist at the age of 36. He died on June 23, 1864, from disease, and is buried in Chattanooga, TN.

References

*''The Life and Times of General B. D. Pritchard'' by James J. Green (Allegan: Allegan County Historical Society, 1979)
''Harper's Weekly'' (27 May 1865)''Michigan History Magazine'' (May/June 2000)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, 004th

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 ...

1862 establishments in Michigan Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

Service

Casualties

See also

References

Notes