The 5th Michigan 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 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 a part of the famed

Michigan Brigade The Michigan Brigade, sometimes called the Wolverines, the Michigan Cavalry Brigade or Custer's Brigade, was a brigade of cavalry in the volunteer Union Army during the later half of the American Civil War. Composed primarily of the 1st Michigan ...

, commanded for a time by Brigadier General

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

Service

Organized in Detroit, Michigan, the 5th Michigan Cavalry was mustered into service on August 30, 1862, and left for Washington, D.C., on December 4 of that year. The regiment served in the defenses of the capital until June 1863, when it joined the Cavalry Corps of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

. Over the next month, the 5th Michigan Cavalry took part in several major battles, including the

Battle of Hanover The Battle of Hanover took place on June 30, 1863, in Hanover in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry, which was riding north to ...

on June 30, the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

from July 1 to July 3, and the

Battle of Williamsport The Battle of Williamsport, also known as the Battle of Hagerstown or Falling Waters, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It is not to be confuse ...

from July 6 to July 14. The regiment then participated in a series of smaller engagements followed by the

Battle of Mine Run The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

from November 26 to December 2. Early in 1864 came the

Battle of Morton's Ford A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, on February 6 and 7, and three months later the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

began. The 5th Michigan saw action in several battles of this campaign, including the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

on May 6 and 7, the

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was fought in Hanover County, Virginia on May 28–30, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland ...

from May 28 to 31, and the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

from May 31 to June 1. After the First Battle of Deep Bottom on July 27 and 28, the unit was ordered back towards Washington, D.C., to take part in Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign from August to October. The 5th Michigan saw action in the Battles of Trevilian Station, Opequon, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. The next spring, in late March and early April 1865, the regiment took part in a series of battles of the Appomattox Campaign: at Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, Sayler's Creek, Appomattox Station, and finally Appomattox Court House, which ended with the surrender of the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

. After participating in one last expedition, the regiment headed to Washington in May, where it took part in the

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in th ...

. The regiment was moved to

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, on June 1 before being mustered out of service on June 23, 1865. Veterans and recruits were transferred to the 1st Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 6 officers and 135 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 322 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 466 fatalities.

Notable soldiers

Russell A. Alger served as commander of the 5th Michigan Cavalry beginning in February 1863; he later became the

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

U.S. Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the C ...

, and a

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

. Among the initial officers of the regiment was

William d'Alton Mann William d'Alton Mann (September 27, 1839 – May 17, 1920) was a Union officer in the American Civil War, a businessman, and a newspaper and magazine publisher. Early life He was born in Sandusky, Ohio on September 27, 1839. Career During the ...

, a future newspaper and magazine publisher. Future

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...

from Michigan Jonas H. McGowan served in the 5th until November 1862, when he accepted a captaincy in the 9th Michigan Cavalry. A 5th Michigan cavalryman was responsible for the death of Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart; during the

Battle of Yellow Tavern The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought on May 11, 1864, as part of the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan was detached from Grant's Army of the Potomac to conduct a raid on Richmond ...

, Private John A. Huff of Company E shot and mortally wounded the general. Lieutenant Colonel Edward Merwin Lee was brevetted Brigadier General and later became the first

Secretary of State of Wyoming The secretary of state of Wyoming is the Secretary of State (U.S. state government), state secretary of state of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is a constitutional office, established under the Constitution of Wyoming, state constitution. Wyoming ...

. Noah Ferry (of the

Ferry Family The Ferrys were a prominent Michigan and Utah family between the early 19th Century to the early 20th Century. See also * Thomas W. White (born 1805), Thomas W. White, Michigan Politician who was William Montague Ferry's Brother in-law. * Dana ...

) served as a Major in Michigan's 5th Cavalry. He was killed at the

. Three men earned the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

while serving with the 5th Michigan Cavalry. Captain Smith H. Hastings of Company M was awarded the medal for his actions during an engagement in Newby's Crossroads, Virginia, on July 24, 1863. Two enlisted men, Corporal Gabriel Cole of Company I and Sergeant Henry M. Fox of Company M, received the medal for capturing battle flags during the

Battle of Opequon The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confede ...

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the northwesternmost Administrative divisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Virginia, Frederi ...

, on September 19, 1864. Crawley P. Dake raised a company of volunteers for the 5th Michigan Cavalry. He was later a U.S Marshal in the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

from 1878 to 1882 noted for introducing new techniques and helping to improve working relationships between law enforcement officers. He was noted for his creativity and ability for deputizing civilian posses after the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passed.

Notes

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References

The Civil War Archive

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 ...

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