The 3rd Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 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 Tennessee Cavalry was organized at Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...

 and 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...

 and mustered in for a three year enlistment on January 27, 1863 under the command of Colonel

Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...

 William C. Pickens and saw action at the battle of Stones River before being officially mustered.

The regiment was attached to 4th Division, Center, XIV Corps, Department of the Cumberland, November 1862 to January 1863. Post of Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 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:...

, to August 1863. Post of Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to January 1864. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, XVI Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to April 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to June 1864. District of North Alabama, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to November 1864. 2nd Brigade, 6th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi and District Middle Tennessee, to August 1865.

The 3rd Tennessee Cavalry mustered out of service at 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 August 3, 1865.

Detailed service

Guard trains from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Tenn., January 2–3, 1863. Battle of Stones River January 3. Expedition to Franklin January 31-February 13. Middletown and Hover January 31. Rover February 13. At Camp Spear, Nashville, until June. Near Murfreesboro March 22. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Duty at Nashville until December 1863. Operations about Dandridge and Mossy Creek December 24–28. Expedition to Memphis, Tenn., December 28-January 4, 1864. Moved to Colliersville January 14. Smith's Expedition to Okolona, Miss., February 11–26. Pontotoc February 17. Okolona February 18. Egypt Station February 19. West Point February 20–21. Ivy's Hill or Okolona February 22. Near New Albany February 22. Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., February 27, and duty there until June. Duty on line of Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad and in the District of North Alabama about Decatur, Ala. until September. Operations in District of North Alabama June 24-August 20. Scout in Morgan and Lawrence Counties July (detachment). Expedition from Decatur to Courtland and Moulton and skirmish July 25–28. Courtland July 28. Summerville Road near Decatur August 6 (detachment). Near Pond Springs August 9. Expedition from Decatur to Moulton August 17–20. Near Antioch Church August 18–19. Florence September 10. Operations against Forrest September 16–25. Action at Athens September 23–24 (detachment), captured. Action at Sulphur Branch Trestle September 25 with most of the regiment captured. Duty on Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad until December. At Decatur, Pulaski and Nashville. Joined Brigade at Nashville, Tenn., December 13. Battle of Nashville December 15–16. On post duty at Nashville until August 1865.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 546 men during service; 2 officers and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 532 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

• Colonel William C. Pickens
• Major
  Major (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
  
   Benjamin Cunningham - commanded at the battle of Nashville

See also

• List of Tennessee Civil War units
• Tennessee in the Civil War
  Tennessee in the Civil War
  To a large extent, the American Civil War was fought in cities and farms of Tennessee; only Virginia saw more battles. Tennessee was the last of the Southern states to declare secession from the Union, but saw more than its share of the devastation resulting from years of warring armies...