Civil War: Sixtieth Regiment, Third Cavalry, History and Roster, Delaware Co., PA Copyright(c) 2003 by Cyndie Enfinger http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ******************************************************** Source: History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, by Henry Graham Ashmead, L. H. Everts & Co., 1884, pp. 124-126. Sixtieth Regiment (Third Cavalry).-Early in July, 1861, Capt. William L. Laws recruited a company of cavalry in Delaware County, opening a station in Chester for that purpose. The men were enlisted for three years, and as the regiment was the first of that arm of the service to organize for a lengthened period or duty, so it is believed that Capt. Law’s men were the first in the State willing to enroll for three years. Pennsylvania’s quota being filled at the time, Col. William H. Young obtained permission to raise a regiment in any part of the country, which should be known at Young’s Light Kentucky Cavalry. Law’s company, for some reason, was not accepted as a whole in this regiment, the greater number of the men being assigned to Company I, under Capt. William K. Grant, and the remainder distributed among the other companies. Subsequently the regiment, which was entirely recruited in Pennsylvania, excepting Company D (from Washington City), was credited to this State, and the Governor Curtin requested Col. Young’s resignation. On Oct. 31, 1861, he appointed William W. Averill, an officer of the Fifth United States Cavalry, in Young’s stead. At first the new commander was very unpopular with the men because of the strict discipline to which he subjected the regiment, it under Young having been very loose, but its subsequent honorable story was largely the outgrowth of the stringent measures then adopted. During the winter and spring of 1862 it was constantly in the advance, and was the first Union force to enter the works at Manassas and ascertain that the enemy had abandoned the fortification there. In the Peninsular campaign it was constantly in service, such as is demanded from “the eyes of the army,” and in the change of base, during the week of battles, the men were almost constantly in the saddle, covering the flanks of the columns. At Antietam it rendered efficient service, and when the army, in October, crossed into Virginia it covered the right flank, which brought it constantly in collision with Stuart’s and Hampton’s command, and finally driving the latter into their hiding-places in the Blue Ridge. On March 16th it encountered Fitz-Hugh Lee and Stuart’s cavalry at Kelley’s Ford, and there taught the enemy that the Northern cavalry, which they heretofore had ridiculed, was able to cope with the best horsemen of the Confederate army and defeat them. Previous to the battle of Chancellorsville the Sixtieth Regiment rode in the noted raid which traversed the country in Lee’s rear, and for a time severed the railroad communication with Richmond. On the 19th of June, 1863, it took part in Buford’s and Gregg’s attack on Stuart, between Culpeper Court-House and Beverly Ford, in which the latter, after a five-hours’ fight, was so signally defeated that for a time it compelled a delay in the proposed invasion of Pennsylvania. And two weeks later it was in the engagement at Aldie, which resulted in cutting off from Lee the whole of Stuart’s command, so that the former was deprived of the greater part of his cavalry until after the battle of Gettysburg. On the 2d of July, at that battle, the Sixtieth Regiment sustained the charge of Hampton’s division in the latter’s attempt to gain the rear of the Union army, and, although it was driven back by weight of numbers, when Custer came to its assistance it rallied and joined in the charge, in which the enemy was defeated with heavy loss. It took part in the action at Old Antietam Forge, on the 10th of July, as well as that at Shepherdstown, on the 16th of the same month. It led the brave charge near Culpeper Court-House, on September 13th, and was complimented in a general order for valor. On October 14th it was engaged at Bristoe Station, and on the 15th, when the cavalry covered the army wagon-train of seventy miles, the Sixtieth was the rear-guard and sustained the attack of Gordon’s division and repulsed it, holding its ground for over two hours before it was supported. Once again, for this brave deed, Gen. Buford issued an order commendatory of the skill and valor it displayed. On the 26th, at New Hope Church, dismounting, it, with the First Massachusetts, sustained the charge of the Stonewall Brigade, maintaining its position for two hours, until Sykes’ regulars had time to advance to its support. During the Wilderness campaign with Grant it was constantly in service, and when Grant and Meade crossed the James on pontoon bridges, the Sixtieth acted as the escort. Its story in the engagements preceding the surrender of Lee is part of the history of those days of battle, and when, on the 3d of April, Grant and Meade entered Petersburg, it formed part of the escort to the generals. When Lee surrendered, the Sixtieth Regiment was in the advance between the lines of battle of the two armies. It was subsequently mustered out of service at Richmond on Aug. 7, 1865. COMPANY A James Phillips, private, must. in Sept. 15, 1862; captured; disch. by G. O. May 28, 1865. COMPANY I Matthias Cooper, sergt., must. in Aug. 16, 1861; pro. to corp. Feb. 1862; to sergt. Aug. 1863; must. out with company Aug. 24, 1864. William Hadfield, sergt., must. in Aug. 17, 1861; pro. from corp. April, 1863; must. out with company. George Phillips, sergt., must. in Aug. 17, 1861; pro. to corp. 1863; to sergt. July 1863; must. out with company. Edward Crowther, sergt., must. in Aug. 17, 1861; pro. to corp. 1863; to sergt. July, 1863; must. out with company. John Oaks, saddler, must. I Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Privates. James Aides, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; wounded in action Oct. 15, 1863; died, date unknown. William Bland, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. John Byram, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; must. out with company. William Brown, must. in Aug. 17, 1861. James W. Carroll, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; absent, sick, at muster out. William Campbell, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Michael Curran, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Joseph Cook, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; disch. on surg. certif.. May 30, 1862. Joseph Dalton, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Henry M. Fuller, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Eli Hamilton, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. William H. Martin, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; must. out with company. William Moore, must. in March 23, 1864; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864; To 65th Regt. P. V. June 6, 1865; veteran. James McGahey, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. W. McGinness, must. in Jan. 1, 1864; pro. to corp. battalion Sept. 18, 1864; to sergt. Co. M, Dec. 1, 1864; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864; to 65th Regt. P. V. June 6, 1865; veteran. William Quinn, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; disch. on surg. certif.. July 23, 1863. John Ramsey, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Thomas Schofield, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; must. out with company. Isaac E. Wilde, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; disch. Oct. 9, 1862. William T. West, must. in Aug. 17, 1861; captured Nov. 27, 1863; must. out June 21, 1865, exp. of term. COMPANY C Thomas Riley, private, must. in Aug. 1, 1861. COMPANY E George W. Rocas, bugler, must. in Jan. 1, 1864; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864; to 65th Regt. P. V. June 6, 1865; veteran. COMPANY F Alexander King, sergt., must. in Aug. 16, 1861; pro. to corp.; to sergt. Nov. 1, 1863; must. out with company. Oram Grigg, sergt., must. in Aug. 16, 1861; pro. to corp.; to sergt. March 25, 1864; must. out with company. James A. Parcels, corp., must. in Aug. 16, 1861; pro. to corp. May 1, 1864; must. out with company. James Rusk, bugler, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; must. out with company. Privates. George Booth, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; must. out with company. David A. Brown, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; veteran. Charles Dwight, must. in Jan. 1, 1864; pro. to corp. batt. May 1, 1865; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864; to 65th Regt. P. V. June 6, 1865; veteran. William Mason, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; disch., date unknown. John O’Brien, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; died at Philadelphia Oct. 25, 1863. Joseph L. Pedrick, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; disch., date unknown. William Ramsey, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; must. out with company. Samuel Shepherd, must. In Aug. 16, 1861; disch., date unknown. George Weigand, must. in Aug. 16, 1861; captured at Catlett’s Station, Va., Oct. 5, 1863; must. out Feb. 14, 1865, exp. of term. COMPANY K John A. Devers, 2d lieut., must. in Aug. 19, 1861; res. Dec. 5, 1861. Patrick Ford, sergt., must. in Jan. 1, 1864; pro. to corp. batt. Sept. 20, 1864; to sergt. Co. M Dec. 20, 1864; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864; to 65th Regt. P. V. June 6, 1865; veteran. Privates. John Armstrong, must. in Aug. 19, 1861. Thomas Dyson, must. in Aug. 19, 1861; must out with company. Allen Gartside, must. in Aug. 19, 1861; disch. on surg. certif. COMPANY M Abel Wright, 1st lieut., must. in Dec. 10, 1861; trans. from 2d lieut. Co. G to 1st lieut. March 14, 1861; to adjt. Sept. 17, 1862. John W. Ford, 2d lieut., must. in Aug. 16, 1861; trans. from 1st sergt. Co. E to 2d lieut. Sept. 8, 1862; to 1st lieut. Co. I May 1, 1863. Michael Donohue, q-m.-sergt., must. in Aug. 26, 1861; captured; must. out with company Aug. 24, 1864. Albert Bradbury, sergt., must. in Aug. 26, 1861; pro. from corp. to sergt.; to 2d lieut. Co. D May 1, 1863. Benjamin McDonald, sergt., must. In Aug. 26, 1861; died Sept. 12, 1861, of wounds received accidentally. Joseph A. Ford, corp., must. in Aug. 26, 1861; must. out with company. Abel Ford, corp., must. in Aug. 26, 1861; captured; disch. on surg. certif. Feb. 12, 1863. Robert Coppock, farrier, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; disch., date unknown. Privates. Thomas Broomall, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; trans. to batt. July 27, 1864. William Crozer, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; not on muster-out roll. Nehemiah Ford, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; disch. on surg. certif. Feb. 1, 1862. Samuel Gray, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; disch. on surg. certif. March 7, 1862. James McFadden, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; must. out with company. William McDonald, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; disch. on surg. certif. April 27, 1862. James Willis, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; captured, paroled; not on mus- ter-out roll. Thomas Donohue, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; captured, disch. June 12, 1862. Patrick Shenan, must. in Aug. 26, 1861; disch. on surg. certif. Jan. 12, 1862.