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12th New
York Cavalry
Online Books:
12th New York Cavalry Soldier
Roster - Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York For the Year
1893, Volume 3 View the Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Twelfth New York Cavalry. — Col. James W. Savage; Lieut. -Col., Philip G. Vought; Majs., J. Ward Gaspar, Rowland R. West, Floyd Clarkson, Rodney M. Taylor. The 12th
cavalry, known as the 3d Ira Harris Guard, was organized at New York city to serve for
three years. The companies of which it was composed were recruited in the counties of New
York, Columbia, Albany, Rensselaer, Clinton, Franklin, Oswego, Onondaga and Erie, and were
mustered into the U. S. service from Nov. 19 to 24, 1863. A howitzer section, manned by
members of the regiment, was attached during the year 1864. The regiment left the state by
detachments from May to Dec, 1863, and proceeded to North Carolina, where it spent its
entire term of service, forming part of the 18th corps under command of Maj. -Gen. J. G.
Foster. In the final campaign in 1865, it was assigned to the provisional corps, and from
April, 1865, was with the 23d corps, commanded by Maj. -Gen. Schofield. In July, 1863, it
shared in Gen. Foster's raid to Tarboro, meeting with a loss of 4 killed, 14 wounded and
25 missing. It also sustained some losses in the engagements near Washington, N. C., in
August. It assisted in repelling the enemy's attack on New Berne in Feb., 1864, and
participated in the defense of Plymouth in April, where it sustained its heaviest loss, 8
killed and mortally wounded, 11 wounded and 102 captured. Many of the men captured
subsequently perished in the prison pen at Andersonville. During the remainder of the year
1864 the regiment took part in numerous raids throughout the state and was often in
action, meeting with some loss. In March, 1865, the 12th led the advance of Schofield's
column, which was moving to join the forces of Gen. Sherman and fought gallantly in the
three days' battle at Wise's Forks, where it lost 62 men killed, wounded and missing. It
skirmished almost continuously from Kinston to Goldsboro, its total losses in the campaign
of the Carolinas being 134 killed, wounded and missing. After Johnston's surrender the
regiment was employed in guard duty in the region about the Tar river until July 19, 1865,
when it was mustered out at Raleigh, N. C. It lost while in service 3 officers and 36 men
killed and mortally wounded; 5 officers and 178 men died of disease, accidents, in prison,
etc., a total of 222. It sustained unusually heavy losses by death in Confederate prisons,
1 officer and 84 enlisted men dying in the hands of the enemy. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2
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