The Civil War in the East

18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment (163rd Volunteers)

 

The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment lost 5 officers and 55 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 232 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

 

It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg. From the monument: "Participated with the armies of the Potomac and Shenandoah in 51 battles, and out of a total enrollment of 2020, lost in killed, died, wounded and prisoners 668, of whom 131 died in the hands of the enemy while prisoners of war."

Monument to the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment at Gettysburg

1862

August to December

Organized at Pittsburgh and Harrisburg

December 8

Left State for Washington, D.C. Duty at Bladensburg and Germantown and in the Defenses of Washington attached to Wyndham's Cavalry Brigade, Defenses of Washington

1863

February 10 & 26

Skirmishes at Chantilly, Va. Attached to Price's Independent Cavalry Brigade, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington

February 27-28

Scout from Centreville to Falmouth, Va.

April

Attached to 3rd Brigade, Stahel's Cavalry Division, 22nd Corps

June 25

Left Fairfax C. H. with Stahel's Division to join Army Potomac. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac

June 30

Hanover, Pa.

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Lieutenant Colonel William Penn Brinton.

 

From the monument: "The Regiment participated in the cavalry fights at Hanover June 30th and Hunterstown July 2d 1863. On July 3d occupied this position, and in the afternoon charged with the brigade upon the enemy's infantry behind the stone wall to the north of this point on the outer edge of the woods. Present at Gettysburg 599 officers and men. Killed 2 men, wounded 4 men, captured or missing 8 men."

July 2

Hunterstown

July 4

Monterey Gap

July 5

Smithburg, Md.

July 6

Williamsport and Hagerstown

July 8

Boonsboro

July 11-13

Hagerstown

July 14

Falling Water

July 24

Battle Mountain near Newby's Cross Roads

September 1-3

Expedition to Port Conway

September 1

Lamb's Creek

September 13-17

Advance to the Rapidan

September 13

Culpeper C. H. and Brandy Station

September 13-14

Rapidan Station

September 21-23

Reconnaissance across the Rapidan

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

October 10

James City and Bethesda Church

October 11

Near Culpeper and near Warrenton and Brandy Station

October 14

Gainesville

October 17-18

Groveton

October 19

Gainesville, New Baltimore, Buckland's Mills and Haymarket

November 7-8

Advance to line of the Rappahannock (Companies B & H at Headquarters, 5th Corps, and at Rappahannock Station November 7. Rejoined Regiment November 19.)

November 18

Germania Ford

November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

November 26

Morton's Ford

1864

January 13

Near Ely's Ford

February 6-7

Demonstration on the Rapidan

February 28-March 4

Kilpatrick's Raid on Richmond

March 1

Fortifications of Richmond

May-June

Rapidan Campaign

May 5-7

Wilderness

May 5

Craig's Meeting House

May 5-6

Todd's Tavern

May 8

Alsop's Farm

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

Brook's Church or Richmond fortifications, Strawberry Hills

May 26-28

Line of the Pamunkey

May 27

Demonstration on Little River

May 28-31

Totopotomoy

May 30

Hanover C. H.

May 31

Mechump's Creek

May 31-June 1

Cold Harbor

June 2

Totopotomoy and Gaines' Mill, Salem Church and Haw's Shop

June 3

Haw's Shop

June 10

Old Church

June 11

Bethesda Church

June 12

Long Bridge

June 15

Smith's Store near St. Mary's Church

June to August

Siege of Petersburg

June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road

June 25-July 16

Company B at Headquarters, 6th Corps

July 14

White Oak Swamp

August 7-November 28

Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Attached to Army of the Shenandoah, Cavalry Corps, 3rd Cavalry Division

August 15 and 17

Winchester

August 21-22

Near Charlestown

September 1

Limestone Ridge

September 13

Abraham's Creek near Winchester

September 19

Battle of Opequan, Winchester

September 20

Near Cedarville

September 21

Front Royal

September 22

Milford

September 29

Waynesboro

October 6

Near Brock's Gap

October 8-9

Tom's Brook

October 13

Cedar Creek

October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek

November 11

Cedar Creek

November 12

Newtown or Middletown

November 22

Rude's Hill near Mt. Jackson

December 19-22

Expedition to Lacy Springs

December

Duty at and near Winchester

1865

February

Attached to Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Shenandoah

March 17-19

Scout to Edenburg

March-June

At Cumberland, Md.

June 24

Consolidated with 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry to form 3rd Provisional Cavalry.