The 3rd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry

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...

 that served 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...

.

Service

The 3rd Iowa Cavalry was organized at Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk, Iowa

Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...

and mustered in for three years of Federal service between August 30, and September 14, 1862.

The regiment was mustered out of Federal service on August 9, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

A total of 2165 men served in the 3rd Iowa at one time or another during its existence.
It suffered 5 officers and 79 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 4 officers and 230 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 318 fatalities.