Overview
The 4th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service), also known as the 1st German Cavalry, Dickel’s Mounted Rifles, and the Lincoln Greens, was a Union regiment organized in New York City. The regiment was mustered into United States service from August 10 to November 15, 1861, primarily recruiting from New York City and Brooklyn, with additional companies from Cleveland, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The unit served in the Eastern Theater and was noted for its participation in numerous engagements and for the diverse backgrounds of its recruits.
The regiment was attached to various commands throughout its service, including Blenker’s Division, the 5th Corps, the Mountain Department, and several cavalry brigades and divisions within the Army of Virginia and the Army of the Potomac. The 4th New York Cavalry was recognized for its frequent and active participation in major campaigns and battles, as well as for individual acts of gallantry.
Organization & Service
The 4th New York Cavalry was organized in New York City and mustered into federal service between August 10 and November 15, 1861, for a three-year term. Company K was mustered in on November 15, 1862; Company L in December 1862; and Company M on February 13, 1863. The regiment initially comprised eight companies and approximately 700 men when it left New York on August 29, 1861, joining Blenker’s Division.
Throughout 1862, the regiment was engaged in multiple operations, serving with the 5th Corps, the Mountain Department, and in the cavalry brigade of the 1st Corps, Army of Virginia. It participated in actions at Harrisonburg, Cross Keys, Port Republic, New Market, and during Pope’s Virginia Campaign, including the battles of Rapidan River, Waterloo Bridge, Bristoe Station, Salem and White Plains, Groveton, Bull Run, Centerville, Ashby’s Gap, Berryville, Snicker’s Gap, Charlestown, and Kellysville. The regiment notably opened the battle of Cross Keys and was credited with saving Schirmer’s Battery and killing Confederate General Ashby. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, it made a significant cavalry charge alongside the 2nd Michigan Cavalry.
In 1863, the 4th New York Cavalry served in the 1st and 2nd Brigades, 2nd Cavalry Division; the 1st Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division; and the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac. It was heavily engaged at Aldie, Upperville, Culpeper Court House, and Raccoon Ford, and participated in the pursuit of Lee’s army after Gettysburg and the Mine Run Campaign. In 1864, the regiment served with the Army of the Potomac, was briefly detached from the Cavalry Corps, and rejoined in late May. In October 1864, it became part of the Army of the Shenandoah, participating in the Wilderness Campaign, Sheridan’s Trevilian Raid, operations before Petersburg, and Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
During its service, the regiment was reorganized as a battalion of four companies (F, K, L, and M) after many original members reenlisted in 1863–64. On March 29, 1865, the battalion, under Major Edward Schwartz, was transferred to the 9th New York Cavalry as Companies B, E, and L. The remaining members were mustered out at Cloud’s Mills, Virginia, on July 17, 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
- Harrisonburg
- Cross Keys
- Port Republic
- New Market
- Pope’s Virginia Campaign (including Rapidan River, Waterloo Bridge, Bristoe Station, Salem and White Plains, Groveton, Bull Run, Centerville)
- Ashby’s Gap
- Berryville
- Snicker’s Gap
- Charlestown
- Kellysville
- Aldie
- Upperville
- Culpeper Court House
- Raccoon Ford
- Pursuit of Lee after Gettysburg
- Mine Run Campaign
- Wilderness Campaign
- Trevilian Station (Sheridan’s Raid)
- Operations before Petersburg
- Front Royal
- Opequan
- Fisher’s Hill
- Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Casualties
- Killed in action or died of wounds: 5 officers, 52 enlisted men
- Died of disease, accident, or other causes: 3 officers, 54 enlisted men
- Total deaths: 8 officers, 106 enlisted men
- Died in prison: 14 (included in totals above)
Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel Christian F. Dickel
- Colonel Louis P. Di Cesnola
- Lieutenant Colonel Ferrier Nazer
- Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Pruyn
- Lieutenant Colonel William R. Parnell
- Major Baron Anton Von Pueehelstein
- Major August Haurand
- Major Augustus Pruyn
- Major William R. Parnell
- Major Edward Schwartz
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 4th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service), including officers and enlisted men, is available for genealogical and historical research. This roster provides details on company assignments, enlistment dates, and service records.
To view the complete roster, visit the 4th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts
- New York State 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
- Contemporary regimental and state histories