5th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 5th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. It was a part of the famed Michigan Brigade
, commanded for a time by Brigadier General
George Armstrong Custer
.
, 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
. Over the next month, the 5th Michigan Cavalry took part in a several major battles, including the Battle of Hanover
on June 30, the Battle of Gettysburg
from July 1 to July 3, and the Battle of Williamsport
from July 6 to July 14. The regiment then participated in a series of smaller engagements followed by the Battle of Mine Run
from November 26 to December 2.
Early in 1864 came the Battle of Morton's Ford
, on February 6 and 7, and three months later the Overland Campaign
began. The 5th Michigan saw action in several battles of this campaign, including the Battle of the Wilderness
on May 6 and 7, the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
from May 28 to 31, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
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 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
. 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 regiment was moved to Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
, 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
.
fatalities.
served as commander of the 5th Michigan Cavalry beginning in February 1863; he later became the Governor of Michigan
, U.S. Secretary of War
, and a U.S. Senator
. Among the initial officers of the regiment was William d'Alton Mann
, a future newspaper and magazine publisher. Future United States Representative
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
, Private John A. Huff of Company E shot and mortally wounded the general.
Three men earned the Medal of Honor
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
at Winchester, Virginia
, on September 19, 1864.
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...
. It was a part of the famed Michigan Brigade
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 latter half of the American Civil War...
, commanded for a time by Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
.
Service
Organized in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, the 5th Michigan Cavalry was mustered into service on August 30, 1862, and left for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 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
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...
. Over the next month, the 5th Michigan Cavalry took part in a several major battles, including the Battle of Hanover
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....
on June 30, the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
from July 1 to July 3, and the Battle of Williamsport
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....
from July 6 to July 14. The regiment then participated in a series of smaller engagements followed by the Battle of Mine Run
Battle of Mine Run
The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run Campaign , was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War....
from November 26 to December 2.
Early in 1864 came the Battle of Morton's Ford
Battle of Morton's Ford
The Battle of Morton's Ford was a battle of the American Civil War, fought February 6–7, 1864.To distract attention from a planned cavalry-infantry raid up the Virginia Peninsula on Richmond, the Union Army of the Potomac forced several crossings of the Rapidan River on February 6, 1864. A II...
, on February 6 and 7, and three months later the Overland Campaign
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, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
began. The 5th Michigan saw action in several battles of this campaign, including the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
on May 6 and 7, the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was a battle fought May 28–30, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E...
from May 28 to 31, and the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
from May 31 to June 1. After the First Battle of Deep Bottom
First Battle of Deep Bottom
The First Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, or Gravel Hill, was fought July 27–29, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil War. A Union force under Maj. Gens. Winfield S....
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 Opequon
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
, Fisher's Hill
Battle of Fisher's Hill
The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Fisher's Hill is located near Strasburg, Virginia....
, and Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
. The next spring, in late March and early April 1865, the regiment took part in a series of battles of the Appomattox Campaign
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
: at Dinwiddie Court House
Battle of Dinwiddie Court House
The Battle of Dinwiddie Court House was a minor engagement in the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War that was the immediate prelude to the decisive Battle of Five Forks. On March 29, 1865, with the Cavalry Corps and the II and V Corps of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan...
, Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle, sometimes referred to as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," pitted Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan against...
, Sayler's Creek
Battle of Sayler's Creek
-External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
, Appomattox Station
Battle of Appomattox Station
The Battle of Appomattox Station was fought April 8, 1865, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George Armstrong Custer's Union cavalry, en route to Appomattox Station, clashed with the reserve artillery of the Confederate Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, under...
, and finally Appomattox Court House, which ended with the surrender of the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. After participating in one last expedition, the regiment headed to Washington in May, where it took part in the Grand Review of the Armies
Grand Review of the Armies
The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in Washington, D.C., on May 23 and May 24, 1865, following the close of the American Civil War...
.
The regiment was moved to Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 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
1st Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was a part of the famed Michigan Brigade, commanded for a time by Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer.-Service:...
.
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 466fatalities.
Notable soldiers
Russell A. AlgerRussell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was the 20th Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...
served as commander of the 5th Michigan Cavalry beginning in February 1863; he later became the Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
, U.S. Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
, and a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Among the initial officers of the regiment was William d'Alton Mann
William d'Alton Mann
William d'Alton Mann was an American Civil War soldier, businessman, and newspaper and magazine publisher....
, a future newspaper and magazine publisher. Future United States Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Michigan Jonas H. McGowan
Jonas H. McGowan
Jonas Hartzell McGowan was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.McGowan was born in Smith Township, Ohio . He was the eighth of ten children of Samuel and Susan McGowan. His paternal -Irish ancestors had fled religious persecution and settled in Pennsylvania...
served in the 5th until November 1862, when he accepted a captaincy in the 9th Michigan Cavalry
9th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
The 9th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry was an cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.The Ninth Cavalry began its organization in the fall of 1862, at Coldwater, under the direction of Colonel James L. David, of Trenton, who had been Quartermaster of the 1st...
. A 5th Michigan cavalryman was responsible for the death of Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
; during the Battle of Yellow Tavern
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 the Army of the Potomac to conduct a raid on Richmond, Virginia, and challenge legendary Confederate cavalry...
, Private John A. Huff of Company E shot and mortally wounded the general.
Three men earned 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...
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
Gabriel Cole
Gabriel Cole was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during the Battle of Opequon more commonly called the Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia on September 19, 1864.-Medal of Honor citation:“The President of the United States of...
of Company I and Sergeant Henry M. Fox
Henry M. Fox
Henry M. Fox was a Union soldier during the American Civil War, and a Medal of Honor recipient.He enlisted in company M, 5th Michigan Cavalry on August 12, 1862, at Coldwater, Michigan for a period of three years....
of Company M, received the medal for capturing battle flags during the Battle of Opequon
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
at Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, on September 19, 1864.