George Custer’s Michigan cavalry brigade won many accolades as a hard
fighting unit. However, many do not realize that this famous brigade ended its
service in the trans-Mississippi. From 1863 to April 1865, the 5th
Michigan Cavalry fought at such places as Gettysburg, Yellow Tavern, Cedar
Creek, Five Forks, and other notable eastern actions. Based on its distinguished combat record, William F. Fox included
the regiment in his list of “300 Fighting Regiments” found in Regimental Losses in the American Civil War,
1861-1865. After the 5th Michigan participated in the Grand
Review in May 1865, though, authorities ordered the unit to Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas. According to Frederick H. Dyer’s Compendium
of the War of the Rebellion, part of the 5th was mustered out
there, but some soldiers were transferred to the 1st Michigan
Cavalry that participated in the Powder River expedition into the Dakota Territory.
It must have been a bit shocking for these soldiers to make the transition to
campaigning in the far West.
For more information about the 5th Michigan Cavalry see the
following:
Michigan in the War: a roster of the regiment
Seeking Michigan: this website has digital images of a diary and
letters written by Darwin H. Babbitt plus photographs of the regiment’s flags
The following is William F. Fox’s sketch of the unit:
“Custer’s Brigade —Kilpatrick’s Division--Cavalry Corps, A. P.
（1) Col.
Joseph T. Copeland; Brig.-Gen.
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（3) Col.
Russell A. Alger; Bvt. Major-Gen.
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（2) Col.
Freeman Norvell.
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（4) Col.
Smith H. Hastings.
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Companies.
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killed and died of wounds.
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died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.
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Total Enrollment.
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|||||
Officers.
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Men.
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Total.
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Officers.
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Men.
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Total.
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|||
Field and Staff
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1
|
1
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23
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|||||
Company
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A
|
1
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17
|
18
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11
|
11
|
124
|
|
B
|
1
|
8
|
9
|
1
|
17
|
18
|
126
|
|
C
|
1
|
13
|
14
|
14
|
14
|
133
|
||
D
|
11
|
11
|
16
|
16
|
124
|
|||
E
|
11
|
11
|
29
|
29
|
137
|
|||
F
|
1
|
7
|
8
|
26
|
26
|
128
|
||
G
|
6
|
6
|
29
|
29
|
144
|
|||
H
|
15
|
15
|
1
|
15
|
16
|
135
|
||
I
|
1
|
10
|
11
|
18
|
18
|
115
|
||
K
|
11
|
11
|
1
|
13
|
14
|
130
|
||
L
|
7
|
7
|
15
|
15
|
129
|
|||
M
|
19
|
19
|
19
|
19
|
128
|
|||
Totals
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6
|
135
|
141
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3
|
222
|
225
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1,576
|
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Total of killed and wounded, 502; died in Confederate prisons
(previously included), 76.
Battles.
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K. & M. W.
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Battles.
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K. & M. W.
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Hanover, Pa., June 30, 1863
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1
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Berryville, Va., Aug. 19, 1864
|
15
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Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863
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15
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Shepherdstown, Va., Aug. 26, 1864
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4
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Cashtown, Md., July 5, 1863
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1
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Smithfield, Va., Aug. 29, 1864
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4
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Boonsboro, Md., July 8, 1863
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3
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Summit, Va., Sept. 5, 1864
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1
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Hagerstown, Md,, July 12, 1863
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1
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Opequon, Va., Sept. 19, 1864
|
10
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Newby's Cross Roads, July 24, 1863
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1
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Luray, Va., Sept. 24, 1864
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1
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Port Conway, Va., Sept. 1, 1863
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1
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Woodstock, Va., Oct. 8, 1864
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1
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Raccoon Ford, Va., Sept. 16, 1863
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1
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Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864
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4
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James City, Va., Oct. 10, 1863
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2
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Newtown, Va., Nov. 12, 1864
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3
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Brandy Station, Va., Oct. 12, 1863
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6
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Guerrillas, Va., Nov. 8, 1864
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1
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Buckland's Mills, Va., Oct. 19, 1863
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5
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Guerrillas, Va., Dec. 2, 1864
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2
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Gainesville, Va., Oct. 30, 1863
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1
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Salem, Va., Oct. 23, 1864
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1
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Morton's Ford, Va., Nov. 27, 1863
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2
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Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865
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1
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Todd’s Tavern, Va., May 6, 1864
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5
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Pursuit of Lee, April 4, 1865
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2
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Yellow Tavern, Va., May 11, 1864
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5
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On Picket, Va.
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1
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Hawes's Shop, Va., May 28, 1864
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15
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Place unknown
|
1
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Cold Harbor, Va., June 1, 1864
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2
|
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Trevilian Sta'n, Va., June 11, 1864
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21
|
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Front Royal, Va., Aug. 16, 1864
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1
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Notes.--Organized at Detroit in Aug. 1862, leaving the State on
December 4th with 1,144 officers and men. Proceeding directly to Washington it
joined the Michigan Brigade, then being formed, composed of the Fifth, Sixth
and Seventh Michigan Cavalry, to which the First Michigan Cavalry was
subsequently added. General Custer assumed command of the brigade while on its
march to Gettysburg, where it had its first opportunity to distinguish itself
under fire. The brigade sustained the heaviest loss at Gettysburg of any
cavalry brigade in that battle. The Fifth was commanded there by Colonel Alger,
who had served previously as a Major in the Second Michigan Cavalry, from which
he was promoted to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Sixth, and thence to the
Colonelcy of the Fifth; he was one of the ablest cavalry officers in the Army.
The loss of the Fifth at Gettysburg was 8 killed, 30 wounded, and 18 missing;
Major Noah H. Ferry was killed there. At Hawes's Shop, out of 151 engaged, 55
were killed or wounded. The regiment met its heaviest loss in the cavalry
affair at Trevilian Station, where in addition to the killed and wounded 136
were taken prisoners,--the regiment having charged too far through an opening
in the enemy's line, and being cut off front the brigade it was obliged to cut
its way out” (Fox, 377).
Great information. Were the 136 prisoners exchanged or released shortly after the Battle of Trevilian Station?
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answer to your question, but I suspect the answer could be found in one of Eric Wittenberg's books. He's really the expert on Union cavalry in the eastern theater, and I believe he has written or edited books about the Michigan brigade.
ReplyDeleteMany of the prisoners ended up at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Some were later exchanged, moved to other prisons when Gen. Sherman was marching through Georgia, or died at Andersonville.
ReplyDelete