182nd Pennsylvania Regiment, 21st PA Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (182nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Raised primarily in York, Adams, Lancaster, Franklin, Bedford, and Cambria counties, it was organized in the summer of 1863 and mustered into service at Camp Couch, Harrisburg. The regiment initially served as cavalry, later operating as both infantry and cavalry in the Eastern Theater. It participated in several major campaigns and engagements, including Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaign.

This unit is distinct from the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (Six Months’ Service).

Organization & Service

The 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized under the President’s call of June 15, 1863, for militia service. Companies were mustered into United States service from June 23 to August 10, 1863, for six months. After initial training and equipping at Camp Couch and Chambersburg, the regiment was assigned to various posts: several companies were sent to Pottsville, Scranton, Gettysburg, and Harper’s Ferry, performing duty in the Department of the Shenandoah through the fall and winter of 1863.

In February 1864, the regiment was reunited at Chambersburg and reorganized for three years’ service. Those not reenlisting for the long term were mustered out on February 20, 1864. The regiment was then filled with new recruits and prepared for extended service. In May 1864, it was ordered to Washington, D.C., where it was dismounted and equipped as infantry (except Company D, which remained on detached duty at Scranton). The regiment joined the Army of the Potomac at Cold Harbor, assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps. It participated in the battles of Cold Harbor and Petersburg, suffering significant casualties, including among its officers.

After further action at Jerusalem Plank Road, the regiment was under fire during the Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864) and fought at Six-Mile House on the Weldon Railroad in August. In September, it was transferred to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, and engaged at Peebles’ Farm and Poplar Spring Church. In October, the regiment moved to City Point, was remounted, and assigned to the 1st Brigade of General David McM. Gregg’s division. It saw action at Boydton Plank Road and Stony Creek Station, with Company F later detailed to 6th Corps headquarters.

The regiment participated in the Weldon Railroad expedition and the movement to Hatcher’s Run in February 1865. On March 1, it was transferred to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, under General J. Irvin Gregg. Nearly half the regiment was dismounted and sent to City Point, later joining the final assault on Petersburg. During the Appomattox Campaign, the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry was engaged at Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, Amelia Springs, Sailor’s Creek, Farmville, and on the Lynchburg Road at the time of Lee’s surrender. The regiment then moved to support General Sherman, returned to Petersburg after Johnston’s surrender, and performed provost guard duty in Virginia until mustering out at Lynchburg on July 8, 1865.

Research This Regiment Further

If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.

Engagements & Campaigns

  • Cold Harbor (June 1864)
  • Petersburg (June–July 1864)
  • Jerusalem Plank Road
  • Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864)
  • Six-Mile House, Weldon Railroad (August 1864)
  • Peebles’ Farm and Poplar Spring Church (September 1864)
  • Boydton Plank Road (October 1864)
  • Stony Creek Station (December 1864)
  • Weldon Railroad Expedition
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 1865)
  • Final Assault on Petersburg (April 1865)
  • Dinwiddie Court House
  • Five Forks
  • Amelia Springs
  • Sailor’s Creek
  • Farmville
  • Lynchburg Road (April 1865)

Casualties

  • Officers killed or died of wounds: 4
  • Officers died of disease: 1
  • Officers wounded: 14
  • Officers captured: 4
  • Enlisted men killed or died of wounds and disease: 147
  • Enlisted men wounded: 253

Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.

Field Officers & Commanders

  • Colonel William H. Boyd
  • Colonel Oliver B. Knowles
  • Lieutenant Colonel Richard F. Moson
  • Major John W. Jones
  • Major Charles F. Gillies
  • Major Oliver B. Knowles
  • Major Robert Bell
  • Major Richard Ryckman

Regimental Roster

The full roster of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides names, ranks, and additional service details as recorded in official sources.

To view the complete roster, visit the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry Regimental Roster page.

Sources & References

  • Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volumes XXXVI, XL, XLII, XLVI
  • Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
  • Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
  • Fox, William F., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
  • The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 1
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