The Civil War in the East

2nd New York Cavalry Regiment "Harris Light"

The regiment lost 9 officers and 112 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 officer and 235 enlisted men to disease, a total of 357. It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.

 

Timeline of the Second New York Cavalry Regiment "Harris Light"

August 9 -
October 8, 1861

Organized by order War Department

October 26

Regiment designated 7th United States Cavalry. This being in excess of number provided for by Act of Congress, Regiment was designated 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry or "Harris Light Cavalry."

September 18

Left New York for Washington, D.C. under Colonel J. Mansfield Davies, Lieutenant Colonel Judson Kilpatrick, and Majors Henry Davies, Alfred Duffie and Otto Harhaus.

September-March

Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C. Attached to McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac

March, 1862

Assigned to King's 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

March 10-16

Advance on Manassas, Va.

April 3-18

Advance on Falmouth, Va.

April 17 and 19

Falmouth

May 5

Near Fredericksburg

May 11

Bowling Green Road

June

Assigned to Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Corps, Army of Virginia

July 4

Flipper's Orchard

July 19-20

Expedition from Fredericksburg to Hanover Junction

July 20

Beaver Dam Station

July 22-24

Reconnaissance to James City

July 23

Mt. Camel Church

August 5-8

Expedition to Frederick's Hall Station

August 5

Thornburg or Massaponax Church

August 8

Orange Court House

August 9

Battle of Cedar Mountain

August 16-
September 2

Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 18

Near Rapidan Station

August 20

Brandy Station

August 21-23

Fords of the Rappahannock

August 21

Kelly's Ford

August 22

Catlett's Station

August 23

Culpeper and Waterloo Bridge

August 24

Sulphur Springs

August 26

Manassas Junction

August 28

Thoroughfare Gap

August 29

Groveton

August 30

Bull Run

August 31

Germantown, Centreville and Chantilly

September 1

Little River Turnpike

September

Attached to Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac
Companies A, B, I and K with 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac until October

September 14

South Mountain, Md.

September 17

Goose Creek. Six Companies in action at Leesburg.

September 16-19

Reconnaissance to Leesburg

September 29

Warrenton

October 5

Dumfries

October

Hazel River

October 31

Aldie and Mountsville

November 3

Sudley Church

November 4

New Baltimore, Salem, Warrenton and Upperville

November 8-9

Rappahannock Station

November 25

Aldie

December 7

Stafford Court House

December 12-15

Fredericksburg

December 15

Assigned to Gregg's Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac

February 11, 1863

Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac

April 14

Rappahannock Station

April 16

Warrenton

April 19

Rappahannock Station

April 27-May 8

Stoneman's Raid

May 2

Louisa Court House

May 3

Ashland and Hanover Station

May 4

Glen Allen

May 5

Aylett's

May

King and Queen Court House

May 6

Centreville

May 10

Morrisville

May 19-20

Expedition from Gloucester into Matthews County (Detachment)

June 1

Falmouth

June 3

Brandy Station

June 9

Beverly Ford and Brandy Station

June 14

The main part of the regiment was assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.

 

A battalion at Yorktown, Va., was attached to 4th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to July, 1863, and tnen to King's Division, 22nd Army Corps, to August, 1863.

June 17

Aldie

June 19

Middleburg

June 21

Upperville

June 24-July 7

The detached battalion took part in Dix's Peninsula Campaign assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia

June 28

Rockville, Md.

June 29

Cooksville

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded during the Gettysburg campaign by Lieutenant Colonel Otto Harhaus and brought 264 men to the campaign.

 

From the monument: "This Regiment was engaged in the battles and skirmishes of the Cavalry Corps until the Brigade reached Hanover Junction, June 30, 1863, when it was moved hastily to Manchester, to guard trains against rumored movements of the enemy, and picketed the surrounding country. July 4th Joined 3rd Division in pursuit of the enemy and participated in the Cavalry engagements until the enemy retreated into Virginia."

July 4

Monterey Gap

July 5

Smithburg, Emmettsburg

July 6

Hagerstown and Williamsport

July 8

Boonsborough

July 9

Funkstown

July 10-13

Jones' Cross Roads

July 11-13

Hagerstown

July 14

Williamsport, Falling Waters

July 16

Berryville

July 27

Bristerburg

August 1

Assigned to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps

August 3

Fairfax

August 5

Thoroughfare Gap

August 12-14

Near Aldie

August 22

U.S. Ford

September 1-3

Expedition to Port Conway

September 1

Lamb's Creek

September 13-17

Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan

September 13

Culpeper Court House

September 14

Somerville Ford

September 16

Robertson's Ford

September 17

U.S. Ford

September 19

Culpeper

September 21

Madison Court House

September 21-22

White's Ford and Liberty Mills

September 27-28

Scout to Hazel River

October 2

Hazel Run

October 6

Hazel River

October 7

Culpeper

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

October 10

James City, Robertson's River and Bethesda Church

October 11

Near Culpeper

October 11-12

Brandy Station

October 14

Gainesville

October 17-18

Groveton

October 19

Haymarket, Buckland's Mills and New Baltimore

November 4

Catlett's Station

November 7-8

Advance to line of the Rappahannock

November 7

Stevensburg

November 15

Hartwood Church

November 18

Germania Ford

November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

November 26

Morton's Ford

November 27

New Hope Church

November 29

Robertson's Tavern

December 2

Germania Ford

December 5

Raccoon Ford

December 18

Somerville

January 12, 1864

Kelly's Ford

January 17

Ellis Ford

January 19

Stevensburg and Ely's Ford

February 28-
March 3

Kilpatrick's Raid to Richmond

February 29

Beaver Dam and Frederick's Hall Station and South Anna Bridge

March 1

Defenses of Richmond

March 2

Old Church and King and Queen; Near Walkertown (Detachment. Dahlgren killed)

March 3

Near Tunstall Station (Detachment) and New Kent Court House and Stevensville

March 11

Carrollton's Store

May-June

Rapidan Campaign

May 5

Craig's Meeting House

May 5-6

Todd's Tavern

May 6-7

Wilderness

May 8

Alsop's Farm, Spottsylvania

May 9-24

Sheridan's Raid to James River

May 9-10

North Anna River

May 11

Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern

May 12

Brooks' Church or fortifications of Richmond and Strawberry Hill

May 23

Polecat Station

May 26

Demonstration on Little River

May 28-31

Totopotomoy

May 29-30

Hanover Court House

May 31

Mechump's Creek

June 1-12

Cold Harbor

June 2

Totopotomoy and Gaines' Mill

June 3

Haw's Shop

June 3

Via's House

June 10-11

Old Church

June 11

Bethesda

June 12

Riddell's Shop and Long Bridge

June 14

Malvern Hill

June 15

Smith's Store near St. Mary's Church

June 22-30

Wilson's Raid to south side and Danville Railroad

June 23

Black and White Station and Notreway Court House

June 28

Sapponay Church or Stony Creek

June 29-30
and July 3

Ream's Station

August 7-November 28

Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division

August 17

Near Winchester

August 21

Summit Point, Charlestown

August 25

Near Kearneysville

September 2

Waynesboro

September 4

Berryville

September 9

Near Winchester

September 13

Abram's Creek

September 19

Battle of Opequan, Winchester

September 20

Near Cedarville

September 21

Fisher's Hill and Front Royal Pike

September 22

Milford

September 26

Staunton

September 29

Waynesboro

September 30

Mt. Crawford

October 2

Bridgewater and Woodstock

October 6

Brock's Gap

October 7

New Market

October 8

Fisher's Hill

October 8-9

Tom's Brook, "Woodstock Races"

October 13

Cedar Run

October 19 and November 7

Battle of Cedar Creek

November 12

Nineveh

November 22

Mt. Jackson

November 23

Hood's Hill

November 28-December 2

Expedition from Kernstown to Moorefield

December 3

Moorefield

December 19-22

Expedition to Lacy Springs

December 21

Lacy Springs and Mt. Jackson

February 27-
March 25, 1865

Sheridan's Raid from Winchester

March 2

Occupation of Staunton and Action at Waynesboro

March 3

Charlottesville

March 15

Ashland

March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

March 30-31

Dinwiddie Court House

April 1

Five Forks

April 2

Fall of Petersburg

April 3

Namozine Church

April 6

Sailor's Creek

April 8

Appomattox Station

April 9

Appomattox Court House. Surrender of Lee and his army.

April 23-29

Expedition to Danville

May

March to Washington, D.C.

May 23

Grand Review

June 5

Mustered out

June 23, 1865

Honorably discharged from service under Colonel Alanson M. Randol