2nd Massachusetts Cavalry

Regimental History and Service Record

Company "A" organized at San Francisco, Cal., December 10, 1862. Arrived at Readville, Mass., January 4, 1863. Companies "B," "C," "D," "G," "H," "I" and "K" organized at Camp Meigs, Readville, Mass. Companies "E," "F," "L" and "M" organized at San Francisco, Cal., February and March, 1863. Left San Francisco for Readville. Mass., March 21 and joined Regiment at Readville, Mass., as California Battalion April 16, 1863. Companies "A," "B," "C," "D" and "K" left Massachusetts for Baltimore, Md.; thence moved to Fortress Monroe, Va., February 12-18, 1863; thence moved to Gloucester Point, Va., February 19. Attached to Cavalry Command, 4th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia. Engaged in picket and outpost duty and scouting until July, 1863. Reconnaissance from Gloucester March 30. Expedition to Gloucester Court House April 7. Companies "A" and "B" moved to Williamsburg, Va., and reconnaissance to White House April 27-May 14. Expedition to King and Queen County May 6. Companies "C," "D" and "K" moved to West Point May 15 and duty there until June 1. Dix's Peninsula Campaign June 24-July 7. Expedition to South Anna Bridge June 23-28. Action at Hanovertown and South Anna Bridge June 26. Expedition from White House to South Anna River July 1-7. Expedition to Gloucester Court House July 25. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 27-29, and joined Regiment at Centreville, Va., August 6. Companies "E," "F," "G," "H," "I," "L" and "M" moved from Readville, Mass., to Washington, D.C., May 11-16, 1863. Attached to Casey's Provisional Troops, 22nd Corps, to August, 1863. King's Division, 22nd Corps, to September, 1863. Cavalry Brigade, 22nd Corps, to August, 1864. Reserve Cavalry Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, to September, 1864. 3rd (Reserve) Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Shenandoah and Army of the Potomac, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty at East Capital Hill, Defenses of Washington, D.C., until May 30, 1863, and at Camp Brightwood June 1-11. Moved to Poolesville, Md., June 23, and patrol duty in rear of the Army of the Potomac June 23-July 3. Brockville July 1. Scout near Dawsonville July 3-9. Reconnaissance to Ashby's Gap July 11-14. Action at Ashby's Gap July 12.

• July 13, 1863 - Skirmish near Rockville, Maryland
• Reconnaissance to Warrenton July 20-21.
• Skirmishes at Warrenton July 21 and 31.
• Operations about Fairfax Court House July 28-August 3.
• July 31, 1863 - Skirmish at Aldie, Virginia

Duty at Centreville, Va., operating against Moseby until October 6. Companies "C," "F," "G" and "I" detached at Muddy Branch September 15, 1863, to March 8, 1864. Warrenton Pike August 17. Coyle's Tavern, near Fairfax Court House, August 24.

• August 15-19, 1863 - Scout from Centreville to Aldie, Virginia

Expeditions from Centreville September 18-20 and October 2-5. Ordered to Fairfax Court House October 6, thence to Vienna October 9 and duty there until May 24, 1864. Scout to Gum Springs October 12-13, 1863. Near Annandale October 22. Tyson's Cross Roads November 14. Reconnaissance to Blue Ridge Mountains November 18-26. Picket attacks December 12-23. Affair at Germantown December 13 (Detachment). Scout from Vienna to Middleburg December 18-20. Skirmish with Moseby December 29. Near Ellis and Ely's Fords January 17, 1864. Ellis Ford January 26. Scout to Aldie February 4-6.

• February 5, 1864 - Skirmish at Aldie, Virginia

Near Circlesville February 21. Dranesville February 22. Scout to Farmwell February 25-26. Companies "B," "D," "E" and "M" relieve Companies "C," "F," "G" and "I" at Muddy Branch March 8. Expedition to Faquier and Loudoun Counties April --. Affair Leesburg April 19 (Detachment). Action with Moseby near Leesburg April 28. Scout to Upperville April 28-May 1. Patrol duty on Orange & Alexandria Railroad May --. Moved to Fall's Church May 24. Escort wounded from the Wilderness June 8-14. Point of Rocks July 5.

• July 6, 1864 - Action at Mt. Zion Church, Virginia

Frederick Pike July 7-8. Tennallytown July 10. Fort Reno July 11.

• July 11, 1864 Skirmish near Fort Stevens, District of Columbia
• July 11-July 12, 1864 - Skirmishes near Fort Reno, District of Columbia
• July 12, 1864 - Action at Fort Stevens, District of Columbia
• July 13, 1864 - Skirmish near Rockville, Maryland
• July 14, 1864 - Skirmish at Poolesville, Maryland

Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-28. Snicker's Gap July 17-18. At Rockville July 26-August 9. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to November. Shepherdstown August 10. White Post August 12. Strasburg August 15. Winchester August 17 and 18. Opequan Creek August 18. Near Opequan Creek August 19.

• August 19-21, 1864 - Skirmishes at Berryville, Virginia

Summit Point August 21. Charleston August 21-22. Halltown August 22-24. Summit Point August 25-27. Smithfield August 29. Berryville September 3-4. Berryville Pike September 4. Opequan Creek September 7. Locke's Ford, Opequan Creek, September 13. Sevier's Ford, Opequan Creek, September 15. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Front Royal and Snake Mountain September 20. Fisher's Hill September 21. Milford September 22, Mill's Ford September 23. Toll Gate, near Front Royal, September 23. Luray Valley September 24. Port Republic September 26-27. Rockfish Gap September 28. Waynesboro September 28, 29 and 30 and October 2. Mt. Crawford October 2. Tom's Brook, "Woodstock Races," October 8-9. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Guarding Winchester & Potomac Railroad November 3-28. Near Kernstown November 11. Expedition to Loudoun and Faquier Counties November 28-December 3. Expedition to Gordonsville December 19-28. Madison Court House December 20. Gordonsville December 23. Charlottesville December 24. At Camp Russell, near Winchester, January 1 to February 27, 1865. Sheridan's Raid to White House Landing February 27-May 25. Occupation of Staunton March 2. Waynesborough March 2. Duguidsville March 8. South Anna Bridge March 14. Destruction of Virginia Central Railroad and James River Canal. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. White Oak Road, near Five Forks, March 30. Dinwiddie Court House March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Scott's Cross Roads April 2. Tabernacle Church or Beaver Pond Creek April 4. Sailor's Creek April 6. Appomattox Station April 8. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. At Nottawny Station until April 19. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. Near Petersburg to May 10. March to Washington, D.C., May 10-16. Grand Review May 23. Near Cloud's Mills May 29-June 26, and at Fairfax Court House until July 20, Mustered out July 20, 1865.

Regimental Roster

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Regiment Statistical Information

• Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 82 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 138 Enlisted men by disease. Total 231.

Legacy

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Sources

• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. The Dyer Publishing Company (Des Moine, 1908). (Pages 763, 764, 920, 921, 947, 951, 990, 1238-1239)