18th Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry (163rd Volunteers)

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment (also known as the 163rd Pennsylvania Volunteers) was organized at Pittsburgh and Harrisburg between October and December 1862. Green County was the source of recruits for three companies, while additional recruits came from elsewhere in the state. Companies L and M were late additions to the regiment, and were originally meant to be part of a 19th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Recruits for these two companies were mostly from the Philadelphia area.

The Regiment was present for 50 battles, beginning with the Battle of Hanover in Pennsylvania on June 30, 1863, and ending with a skirmish at Rude's Hill in Virginia during March 1865. A majority of its fighting was in Virginia, although its first major battle was in Pennsylvania's Gettysburg campaign. It was consolidated with the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment on June 24, 1865, to form the 3rd Provisional Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment.

The regiment served in the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Shenandoah. Among major battles where it saw action were the Battle of the Wilderness, the Third Battle of Winchester, and the Battle of Cedar Creek. It had five officers and 55 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. Disease killed two more officers and 232 enlisted men. Captured members of the regiment were kept in Libby Prison in Richmond and Andersonville Prison in Georgia, among others. OFFICERS:

Colonel Timothy M. Bryan

Colonel Theophilus F. Rodenbough

Lieutenant Colonel William P. Brinton

Major John W. Phillips

ASSIGNMENTS:
Attached to Wyndham's Cavalry Brigade, Defenses of Washington, to February, 1863. Price's Independent Cavalry Brigade, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington, to April, 1863. 3rd Brigade, Stahel's Cavalry Division, 22nd Corps, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac, to August, 1864, and Army Shenandoah to February, 1865. Cavalry Brigade, Army Shenandoah, to June, 1865. SERVICE:
Duty at Bladensburg and Germantown and in the Defenses of Washington until June, 1863. Skirmishes at Chantilly, Va., February 10 and 26, 1863. Scout from Centreville to Falmouth, Va., February 27-28. Left Fairfax C. H. with Stahel's Division to join Army Potomac, June 25, 1863. Hanover, Pa., June 30. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Hunterstown July 2. Monterey Gap July 4. Smithburg, Md., July 5. Williamsport July 6. Hagerstown July 6. Boonsboro July 8. Hagerstown July 11-13. Falling Water July 14. Battle Mountain near Newby's Cross Roads July 24. Expedition to Port Conway September 1-3. Lamb's Creek September 1. Advance to the Rapidan September 13-17. Culpeper C. H. and Brandy Station September 13. Rapidan Station September 13-14. Reconnaissance across the Rapidan September 21-23. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. James City and Bethesda Church October 10. Near Culpeper October 11. Near Warrenton and Brandy Station October 11. Gainesville October 14. Groveton October 17-18. Gainesville, New Baltimore, Buckland's Mills and Haymarket October 19. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. (Cos. "B," "H" at Headquarters, 5th Corps, and at Rappahannock Station November 7. Rejoined Regiment November 19.) Germania Ford November 18. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Morton's Ford November 26. Near Ely's Ford January 13, 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7. Kilpatrick's Raid on Richmond February 28-March 4. Fortifications of Richmond March 1. Rapidan Campaign May-June. Wilderness May 5-7. Craig's Meeting House May 5. Todd's Tavern May 5-6. Alsop's Farm May 8. Sheridan's Raid to James River May 9-24. North Anna River May 9-10. Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11. Brook's Church or Richmond fortifications May 12. Strawberry Hills May 12. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Demonstration on Little River May 27. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Hanover C. H. May 30. Mechump's Creek May 31. Cold Harbor May 31-June 1. Totopotomoy and Gaines' Mill June 2. Salem Church and Haw's Shop June 2. Haw's Shop June 3. Old Church June 10. Bethesda Church June 11. Long Bridge June 12. Smith's Store near St. Mary's Church June 15. Siege of Petersburg June to August. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. (Co. "B" at Headquarters, 6th Corps, June 25-July 16.) White Oak Swamp July 14. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Winchester August 15 and 17. Near Charlestown August 21-22. Limestone Ridge September 1. Abraham's Creek near Winchester September 13. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Near Cedarville September 20. Front Royal September 21. Milford September 22. Waynesboro September 29. Near Brock's Gap October 6. Tom's Brook October 8-9. Cedar Creek October 13. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Cedar Creek November 11. Newtown or Middletown November 12. Rude's Hill near Mt. Jackson November 22. Expedition to Lacy Springs December 19-22. Duty at and near Winchester until May, 1865. Scout to Edenburg March 17-19. At Cumberland, Md., to June. Consolidated with 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry June 24, 1865, to form 3rd Provisional Cavalry. Roster:
The Roster of this unit contains the names of 3602 men.

Company A - Allegheny County and Beaver County

Company B - Crawford County and Dauphin County

Company C - Allegheny County and Indiana County

Company D - Titusville, Crawford County

Company E - Many men erolled in Harrisburg, Dauphin County

Company F - Pittsburg, Allegheny County

Company G - Allegheny County and Elk County

Company H - Allegheny County and Philadelphia County

Company I - Allegheny County, Philadelphia County, and Lycoming County

Company K - Somerset County and Cambria County

Company L - Philadelphia County

Company M - Philadelphia County

Sources:

The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1

FamilySearch.org

Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer

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.

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Young, Ronald C. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the Civil War. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: published by the author, 2003.