15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry
Encyclopedia
The 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry was a volunteer cavalry
regiment
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
. It was first assigned to the Army of the Potomac
for the 1862 Maryland Campaign, skirmishing with Confederates near Hagerstown, and participating at Battle of Antietam
. It was then transferred to Kentucky, where it was remounted and assigned to the Army of the Cumberland
in Tennessee
and was present at the battles of Stones River
and Chickamauga
. Among those troopers later honored for gallantry at Stones River were John Tweedale
and John Gregory Bourke
, who were among six men who eventually received the Medal of Honor
.
For the remainder of the war, the 15th remained in the Department of the Cumberland, performing garrison duties and occasionally participating in minor skirmishes and raids. It fought in the Knoxville Campaign
. In 1865, the regiment helped capture General Braxton Bragg
and his staff and pursued Confederate President
Jefferson Davis
.
The 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry was mustered out in Nashville, Tennessee
, on June 21, 1865 (although Company A was kept in the service until July 18).
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
The regiment was recruited from July to October 1862, with mustering in taking place at CarlisleCarlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. It was first assigned to the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
for the 1862 Maryland Campaign, skirmishing with Confederates near Hagerstown, and participating at Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. It was then transferred to Kentucky, where it was remounted and assigned to the Army of the Cumberland
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:...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and was present at the battles of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
and Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
. Among those troopers later honored for gallantry at Stones River were John Tweedale
John Tweedale
John Tweedale was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Stones River.-Post war:...
and John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory Bourke
John Gregory Bourke was a captain in the United States Army and a prolific diarist and postbellum author; he wrote several books about the American Old West, including ethnologies of its indigenous peoples. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while a cavalryman in the Union Army...
, who were among six men who eventually received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
For the remainder of the war, the 15th remained in the Department of the Cumberland, performing garrison duties and occasionally participating in minor skirmishes and raids. It fought in the Knoxville Campaign
Knoxville Campaign
The Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
. In 1865, the regiment helped capture General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
and his staff and pursued Confederate President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
.
The 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry was mustered out in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on June 21, 1865 (although Company A was kept in the service until July 18).
Casualties
Total losses during the war:- Killed and mortally wounded: 3 officers, 22 enlisted men
- Died of disease: 0 officers, 103 enlisted men
- Total casualties: 3 officers, 125 enlisted men