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161st
Pennsylvania Regiment, 16th PA Cavalry
Online Books
161st
Pennsylvania Regiment, 16th PA Cavalry Soldier Roster - History of Pennsylvania
Volunteers, 1861-5, Volume 4 by Samuel P Bates, 1869
View Entire Book
| Regimental History |
| Sixteenth Cavalry. — Col., John Irvin Gregg; Lieut.
-Cols., Lorenzo D. Rodgers, John K. Robison; Majs., John K. Robison,
William A. West, William H. Fry, John Stroup, Seth T. Kennedy, Andrew F.
Swan, James C. Robinson, Adam J. Snyder, R. W. McDowell. The 16th
cavalry, the 161st regiment of the line, was recruited from the state at
large, rendezvoused at Camp Simmons, near Harrisburg, afterwards at Camp
McClellan, and was mustered into the U. S. service during September,
October and the first half of November, 1862, for three years. Col.
Gregg was an experienced officer, having served in the Mexican war,
afterwards in the 11th U. S. infantry, where he rose to the grade of
captain, and later in the state militia. On the outbreak of the
rebellion, he was made colonel of the 5th regiment of the reserve corps,
but accepted a commission in the 6th U. S. cavalry instead and served
with that regiment during the Peninsular and Maryland campaigns. On Nov.
30 the regiment proceeded to Camp Casey, near Bladensburg, Md., and on
Jan. 3, 1863, it joined the army of the Potomac at Falmouth, where it
was assigned to Averell's division of the cavalry corps. During the
winter it was engaged in severe picket and guard duty and first met the
enemy at Kelly's ford in March, 1863, where it met with a slight loss.
It shared in the various movements of its division prior to and during
the battle of Chancellorsville, but was not actively engaged. At Brandy
Station in May it guarded the trains and had no part in the fighting. On
June 11 it was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 2nd division, cavalry corps,
Col. J. Irvin Gregg commanding the brigade, Gen. David McM. Gregg the
division, and Gen. Pleasonton the corps. On May 16, 1863, Capt. Robison
was commissioned lieutenant-colonel and was in command of the regiment
during the Gettysburg campaign. On the march northward into Pennsylvania
it was engaged at Middleburg and Upperville. At Gettysburg it was only
lightly engaged, losing 2 killed and 4 wounded. After the battle it
followed in pursuit and was engaged at Halltown and Shepherdstown. In
the latter action it made several gallant charges and met with a loss of
24 killed, wounded and missing. In the fall campaign it skirmished at
Culpeper and was active at Jeffersonton, Auburn, and Bristoe Station, on
the retreat to Centerville. In the Mine Run campaign it was active on
the Fredericksburg plank road and at Parker's store. During the winter
of 1863-64 it participated in raids to Luray and Front Royal, and a
detachment of the command shared in Kilpatrick's raid from Stevensburg
to Richmond. On the opening of the spring campaign of 1864 it was active
at the Wilderness and Todd's tavern; shared in Sheridan's cavalry raid
to Richmond in May; and near the close of that month was heavily engaged
at Haw's shop, losing 4 killed and 20 wounded, Lieut.-Col. Robison being
among the latter. In June it moved with Sheridan in the expedition
towards Lynchburg; was heavily engaged at Trevilian Station in June; and
at Samaria Church, where it repelled repeated charges. During the rest
of the year it was engaged at Malvern hill, Strawberry Plains, losing 7
killed, 2 officers and 22 men wounded, out of less than 200 engaged, at
Six-mile house, Weldon railroad, at Reams' station, Poplar Spring
Church, Belcher's mills, Hatcher's run, where it lost 3 killed and 28
wounded, and on Dec. 1 it assisted in the capture of a fort, 3 guns and
a number of prisoners, at Stony Creek station on the Weldon railroad. It
shared in the Weldon railroad expedition without loss and then went into
winter quarters at Hancock's station. Early in Feb., 1865, it was
heavily engaged at Dabney's mill and on the opening of the final
campaign it met with severe loss at Dinwiddle Court House. The regiment
was incessantly active throughout the closing days of the war, being
engaged at Five Forks, Amelia springs, Sailor's creek and Farmville.
Upon the close of hostilities it was posted at Lynchburg to preserve
order and guard property and in August it moved to Richmond, Va., where
it was mustered out on the 11th. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 1
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