4th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry
Encyclopedia
The 4th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry
regiment
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. This regiment was originally recruited as the 4th East Tennessee Cavalry.
and mustered in for a three year enlistment on February 9, 1863 at Nashville, Tennessee
under the command of Colonel
R. M. Edwards. Four companies were organized in Louisville, Kentucky
December 1862 through January 1863.
The regiment was attached to post of Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to January 1864. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, XVI Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to April 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland
, to June 1864. Districts of Nashville and North Alabama, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to December 1864. 1st Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to February 1865. 2nd Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, February 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to May 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Mississippi, to July 1865.
The 4th Tennessee Cavalry mustered out of service August 14, 1865 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. This regiment was originally recruited as the 4th East Tennessee Cavalry.
Service
The 4th Tennessee Cavalry was organized at Cumberland GapCumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
and mustered in for a three year enlistment on February 9, 1863 at Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
under the command of Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
R. M. Edwards. Four companies were organized in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
December 1862 through January 1863.
The regiment was attached to post of Nashville, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to January 1864. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, XVI Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to April 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
, to June 1864. Districts of Nashville and North Alabama, Department of the Cumberland, to October 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to December 1864. 1st Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to February 1865. 2nd Brigade, 7th Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, February 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to May 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Mississippi, to July 1865.
The 4th Tennessee Cavalry mustered out of service August 14, 1865 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Detailed service
Duty at Camp Spear, Nashville, Tenn., until August 1863. Green Hill June 14. Ordered to Carthage, Tenn., August 30. Duty there, at Murfreesboro and Nashville, Tenn., until December. Action at Friendship Church September 29. Expedition to Memphis, Tenn., December 28-January 4, 1864. Moved to Colliersville January 14. Smith's Expedition to Okolona, Miss., February 11–26. Coldwater February 11. Holly Springs February 12. Near Okolona February 18. West Point February 20–21. Prairie Station February 21. Okolona and Tallahatchie River February 22. Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., February 27, and duty there until June. Duty on line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad and in District of North Alabama until July. Decatur, Ala., June 1. (A detachment at Decatur, Ala., until October 1864.) Sand Mountain July. Rousseau's Raid from Decatur to West Point & Montgomery Railroad July 10–22. Near Coosa River July 13. Greenpoint and Ten Island Ford, Coosa River July 14. Opetika, Chehaw Station, and near Auburn July 18. Siege of Atlanta until August 5. Scouts to England Cove, Tenn., July 7–9 and July 12–18 (detachments). McCook's Raid on Atlanta & West Point Railroad July 27–31. Near Campbellton July 28. Lovejoy's Station July 29. Clear Creek and near Newnan July 31. Chattahoochie River July 31. Ordered to Decatur, Ala., August 5. Near Pond Springs, Ala., August 9 (detachment). Expedition from Decatur to Moulton August 17–20. Near Pond Springs August 18–19 (detachment). Rousseau's pursuit of Wheeler September 1–8. Operations against Forrest in eastern Tennessee September 16-October 10. Action at Pulaski September 26–27. At Nashville, Tenn., until December. Action at Owen's Cross Roads December 1. Demonstration on Murfreesboro December 5–7. Wilkinson's Cross Roads near Murfreesboro December 7. Battle of Nashville December 15–16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17–28. Hollow Tree Gap, Franklin and West Harpeth River December 17. Franklin December 18. Rutherford Creek December 19. Lynnville December 23. Anthony's Hill December 25. Sugar Creek December 25–26. Hillsboro December 29. Near Leighton December 30. Narrows January 2, 1865. Thorn Hill January 3. At Gravelly Springs until February. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., thence to New Orleans, La., and Mobile Bay, Ala., February 11-March 23. Campaign against Mobile and its defenses March 26-April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13–25. Ordered to Mobile April 27. Expedition from Spring Hill, Ala., to Baton Rouge May 8–22. Ordered to Nashville, Tenn., May 27. Garrison duty at Johnsonville until July.Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 234 men during service; 1 officer and 24 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 205 enlisted men died of disease.Commanders
- Colonel R. M. Edwards
- Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
Jacob Montgomery ThornburghJacob Montgomery ThornburghJacob Montgomery Thornburgh was an American attorney and politician who represented Tennessee's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1879...
- commanded at the battle of Nashville
See also
- List of Tennessee Civil War units
- Tennessee in the Civil WarTennessee in the Civil WarTo a large extent, the American Civil War was fought in cities and farms of Tennessee; only Virginia saw more battles. Tennessee was the last of the Southern states to declare secession from the Union, but saw more than its share of the devastation resulting from years of warring armies...