Historical Sketch:
The Pennsylvania 20th Cavalry Regiment, the 181st regiment, from the counties of Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Dauphin, Cumberland, Union and the city of Philadelphia, was recruited in June and July, 1863. Seven companies were mustered into the U. S. service for six months and five companies were emergency militia, called into being at the time of Lee's invasion of the state. A regimental organization was effected in July. During the invasion, it served by detachments on scout and picket duty at the fords of the Susquehanna and along the roads leading towards Carlisle, York and Marysville. On July 7, it left Camp Couch, Harrisburg, where it had rendezvoused, and moved to Greencastle, whence it proceeded to Falling Waters and engaged in picketing the shores of the Potomac for a number of weeks. The emergency companies returned to Harrisburg, and their place was largely taken by six months' men. In August it moved to Sir John's run in West Virginia, and did railroad guard duty in the direction of Winchester, Cos. F and I being posted at Berkeley Springs, D and E at Bloomery gap, A and H at Great Cacapon Station and C at Hancock. The other five companies were on detached service at Philadelphia, Reading and Pottsville and did not rejoin the command until the final muster out. In November it moved to Springfield, whence two companies made a reconnoissance nearly 100 miles to the south, engaging and defeating a part of Imboden's command, and taking a number of prisoners. On Dec. 24 it was ordered to Harrisburg and was there mustered out on Jan. 7, 1864.
The Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 22 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 100 Enlisted men by disease. Total 128.
OFFICERS:
Col., John E. Wynkoop;
Lieut. -Col., William Rotch Wister;
Majs., Samuel W. Comly, J. Harry Thorp, Robert W. Douglass.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Dept. West Virginia, to August, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Shenandoah, to February, 1865, and Army Potomac to June, 1865.
SERVICE:
Sigel's Expedition to New Market, Va.; April 30-May 16, 1864. Rude's Hill and New Market May 14. Battle of New Market May 15. Hunter's Expedition to Lynchburg May 26-July 1. Harrisonburg June 4. Piedmont, Mt. Crawford, June 5. Occupation of Staunton June 6. Staunton June 10. Midway June 11. Cedar Creek June 12. Piney River near Amherst C. H. June 12. Near Glasgow June 14. Lynchburg June 17-18. Retreat to Kanawha Valley, thence to Parkersburg and Martinsburg June 19-July 15. Catawba Mountains and about Salem June 21. Martinsburg July 17. Snicker's Ferry July 17-18. Ashby's Gap and Berry's Ford July 19. Ashby's Gap July 21. Near Kernstown July 23. Kernstown, Winchester, July 24. Bunker Hill and Martinsburg July 25. Ordered to Harper's Ferry July 30. Duty at Halltown, Pleasant Valley and Cumberland, Md., until December. Expedition from Winchester to Gordonsville December 19-28. Madison C. H. December 21. Liberty Mills December 22. Near Gordonsville December 23. Sheridan's Expedition from Winchester February 27-March 25. Swoope's Depot and Staunton March 2. Waynesboro March 2. Goochland C. H. March 11. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie C. H. 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 C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. March to Washington, D.C., May. Grand Review May 23. Consolidated with 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry June 17, 1865, to form 1st Provisional Cavalry.
Roster:
The Roster of this unit contains the names of 2463 men.
Field and Staff Officers-Dauphin County and Philadelphia County
Company A - Dauphin County, Cumberland County, and Berks County
Company B - Harrisburg, Dauphin County
Company C - Philadelphia County and Dauphin County
Company D - Philadelphia County and Lancaster County
Company E - Dauphin County, Philadelphia County and Mifflin County
Company F - Philadelphia County
Company G - Philadelphia County and Dauphin County
Company H - Philadelphia County, Dauphin County, and Lancaster County
Company I - Philadelphia County and Lancaster County
Company K - Dauphin County and Lancaster County
Company L - Philadelphia County
Company M - Philadelphia County and Chester County
Source:
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1 Bibliography:
Barcousky, Len. Civil War Pittsburgh: Forge of the Union. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013. ISBN 9781626190818.
Blair, William and William Pencak, editors. Making and Remaking Pennsylvania's Civil War. University Park, Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press, 2004.
Fox, Arthur B. Our Honored Dead: Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, in the American Civil War. Chicora, Pennsylvania: Mechling Bookbindery, 2008.
Fox, Arthur B. Pittsburgh During the American Civil War 1860–1865. Chicora, Pennsylvania: Mechling Bookbindery, 2002.
Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. Southern Revenge: Civil War History of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, 1989.
Miller, William J. The Training of an Army: Camp Curtin and the North's Civil War. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: White Mane, 1990.
Sandou, Robert M. Deserter County: Civil War Opposition in the Pennsylvania Appalachians. Fordham University Press, 2009.
Skinner, George W., ed. Pennsylvania at Chickamauga and Chattanooga: Ceremonies at the Dedication of the Monuments Erected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Wm. Stanley Ray, State Printer, 1897.
Taylor, Frank H. Philadelphia in the Civil War. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The City, 1913.
Wingert, Cooper H. Harrisburg and the Civil War: Defending the Keystone of the Union. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013. ISBN 9781626190412.
Young, Ronald C. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the Civil War. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: published by the author, 2003.
Historical Sketch: