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64th
Pennsylvania Regiment, 4th PA Cavalry
Online Books
64th
Pennsylvania Regiment, 4th PA Cavalry Soldier Roster - History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers, 1861-5, Volume 2 by Samuel P Bates, 1869
View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Sixty-Fourth Regiment / Fourth Cavalry. — Cols., David
Campbell, James H. Childs, James K. Kerr, George H. Covode, S. B. M.
Young; Lieut-Cols., James H. Childs, James K. Kerr, William E. Doster,
S. B. M. Young, George H. Covode, Alexander P. Duncan; Majs., James K.
Kerr, William E. Doster, James H. Trimble, George H. Covode, William M.
Biddle, S. B. M. Young, Alexander P. Duncan, James T. Peale, R. A.
Robison, William B. Mays, D. C. Phillips, Robert J. Phipps, N. J.
Horrell, John C. Paul. The 64th regiment of the line, known as the 4th
cavalry, was recruited in Sept. and Oct., 1861, and rendezvoused at Camp
Curtin, but was soon after transferred to camp in the vicinity of the
soldier's home, Washington, D. C, where the men were mustered into the
U. S. service for three years. Co. A was raised in Northampton county,
B, E and G in Allegheny, C and D in Westmoreland and Indiana, H, I, K
and L in Venango, F in Lebanon and M in Luzerne. Col. Campbell had
previously commanded the 12th infantry and was an experienced militia
officer. The winter at Washington was spent in perfecting the command in
drill and discipline. On March 12, Col. Campbell resigned to take
command of the 5th cavalry, and Lieut.-Col. Childs succeeded him. It was
with difficulty the command was maintained intact as the cavalry arm of
the service was not then in favor. In May, 1862, it joined McDowell's
column on the Rappahannock and was assigned to McCall's division, Pa.
reserves. Soon after it moved with its division by transport to the
support of McClellan on the Peninsula, arriving at White House on June
24, where one battalion under Lieut.-Col. Kerr was detached and ordered
to Yorktown, remaining there until the close of the Peninsular campaign.
The balance of the regiment proceeded to the front, arriving in time to
participate in the famous Seven Days' battles of McClellan's army. The
4th suffered a loss of a few men during the night attack by the enemy on
July 31, at Harrison's landing. Moving via Williamsburg to Yorktown it
was joined by Kerr's battalion and proceeded thence to Washington, but
was too late to share in the second Bull Run fight. It was active at
Antietam, where the regiment lost its colonel, temporarily in command of
the brigade on that day. Col. Childs was succeeded in command by
Lieut.-Col. Kerr. While encamped on the Potomac, near Hancock, in the
early fall a battalion under Capt. Duncan, crossed the river and made a
sudden descent on the headquarters of the enemy's picket reserve at
Hedgesville, capturing 3 officers and 20 men and winning praise from
high quarters for its dashing exploit. The regiment rode with Gen.
Pleasonton in his pursuit of Stuart; was engaged in numerous skirmishes
while the army moved from Harper's Ferry to Warrenton; and was part of
the rear-guard when Burnside moved to Falmouth. During the battle of
Fredericksburg it guarded the fords above the town on the north bank of
the river. It shared in the "Mud March" in Jan., 1863, and then went
into winter quarters at Potomac Creek Station. It had two squadrons
engaged at the battle of Kelly's ford, the first real cavalry victory of
the war. It then skirmished at Rapidan Station and Ely's ford ; was in
reserve with its division at Chancellorsville ; was only lightly engaged
at Brandy Station ; still as a part of the 2nd brigade, 2nd cavalry
division, it embarked on the Gettysburg campaign, being engaged at
Middleburg and Upperville, and arriving on the field of Gettysburg on
the morning of July 2. On the 5th it engaged in the pursuit of Lee,
frequently skirmishing with his rear-guard. In the campaign of maneuvres
which followed the march into Virginia, it was briskly engaged at
Shepherdstown and suffered a heavy loss at Jeffersonton, losing in
killed, wounded and prisoners about 200 men out of 375 in action. Many
of the men captured here subsequently died in Andersonville prison. It
was again sharply engaged at Bristoe Station in October and had its
final skirmish of the campaign at Beverly Ford. It did not share in the
Mine Run campaign, being posted for 4 months along the line of the
Orange & Alexandria railroad. During the winter more than two-thirds of
the men reenlisted for three years, but the veteran furlough was long
delayed. Detachment after detachment of raw recruits were received and
when the regiment entered on the Wilderness campaign in May the 4th was
a veteran regiment only in name, less than 20 of the original enlisted
men being present for duty. It participated in Sheridan's raid on
Richmond, in which it was active at Yellow tavern and supported King's
battery in the battle inside the outer line of intrenchments before
Richmond. On rejoining the army at the North Anna river its ranks were
swelled by returning veterans and recruits, making it the largest
regiment in the corps. It was active at Haw's shop, and was present at
Cold Harbor. It saw much hard service during Sheridan's second raid,
being heavily engaged at Trevilian Station and again at St. Mary's
Church, where the 4th lost 87 men, and Col. Covode was mortally wounded,
dying in the enemy's hands, though his body was afterward recovered by a
party under Capt. Parke. Crossing the James, the 4th was almost
constantly employed during the rest of the summer in skirmishing,
marching and picket duty. It was engaged with Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry at
Second swamp in July, and was again engaged in August on the Jerusalem
plank road. Subsequently it was in the advance upon the Boydton plank
road in October, and in December at Hatcher's run it assisted in
capturing a fort and 200 prisoners, 3 cannon and numerous stores. It
shared in the raid on the Weldon railroad in December and went into
winter quarters on its return. It took part in the engagement at
Hatcher's run in Feb., 1865. In the final campaign of that year, under
Lieut.-Col. Duncan, it had its full share, marching and fighting almost
constantly. It suffered some loss at Dinwiddie Court House and in the
action at Farmville. On the morning of Lee's surrender, Gregg's division
had cut off a body of the enemy's cavalry, but further operations were
stopped by the news of Lee's capitulation. The regiment returned after
the surrender to Petersburg, proceeding thence to North Carolina, but
soon returned to Virginia and was permanently stationed at Lynchburg,
Lieut.-Col. Duncan being made provost-marshal of a district embracing
nine counties. On July 1 it was mustered out at Lynchburg and soon
returned to Pittsburg, where it was finally discharged. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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