6th Regiment South Carolina Cavalry
Encyclopedia
The 6th South Carolina Cavalry Regiment (also called Dixie Rangers, Aiken's Partisan Rangers and 1st Partisan Rangers) was a regiment
of cavalry
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. They were from the state of South Carolina and served at various times in both the Eastern
and Western
theaters.
troops. The men were formally mustered into Confederate service as the 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry on July 23, 1862. The 6th South Carolina Cavalry was then organized in January 1863, using the 16th Battalion as its nucleus.
Some of the men were from Columbia
, including several students from The Citadel Academy
. The 6th Cavalry saw action at Willstown and Pon Pon River in South Carolina, and then moved to Virginia with about 1,000 men and was assigned to the Cavalry Corps
of the Army of Northern Virginia
. Assigned to General Matthew C. Butler's brigade
, the regiment participated in the Wilderness
and Cold Harbor
operations and in various conflicts south of the James River
. Later, it was engaged in the Carolinas Campaign
assigned to Logan's Brigade.
The depleted regiment surrendered with the Army of Tennessee
at Bennett Place
in North Carolina
.
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...
of cavalry
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...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
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...
. They were from the state of South Carolina and served at various times in both the Eastern
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
and Western
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
theaters.
Organization and history
This unit was originally called the 16th Battalion South Carolina Partisan Rangers - Aiken's Regiment, the 1st Reg. South Carolina Partisan Rangers, and Aiken's 1st Regiment South Carolina Partisan Rangers. It was a part of the state militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
troops. The men were formally mustered into Confederate service as the 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry on July 23, 1862. The 6th South Carolina Cavalry was then organized in January 1863, using the 16th Battalion as its nucleus.
Some of the men were from Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, including several students from The Citadel Academy
The Citadel (military college)
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...
. The 6th Cavalry saw action at Willstown and Pon Pon River in South Carolina, and then moved to Virginia with about 1,000 men and was assigned to the Cavalry Corps
Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
The Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was the only organized cavalry corps in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Prior to the establishment of a formal corps, cavalry organization in the Confederacy consisted mostly of partisan ranger units and some battalions, a few...
of the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Assigned to General Matthew C. Butler's brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, the regiment participated in the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
and Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
operations and in various conflicts south of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
. Later, it was engaged in the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
assigned to Logan's Brigade.
The depleted regiment surrendered with the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
at Bennett Place
Bennett Place
Bennett Place, sometimes known as Bennett Farm, in Durham, North Carolina was the site of the largest surrender of Confederate soldiers ending the American Civil War, on April 26, 1865.-History:...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Notable battles
- Battle of the WildernessBattle of the WildernessThe Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
VA (5 - 6 May 1864) - Battle of Spotsylvania Court HouseBattle of Spotsylvania Court HouseThe Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
VA (8 - 21 May 1864) - Battle of North AnnaBattle of North AnnaThe Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the North Anna River in central Virginia, rather than a...
VA (23 - 26 May 1864) - Cold Harbor VA (1 - 3 June 1864)
- Siege of Petersburg, Virginia (June 1864 - April 1865)
- Battle of Vaughan RoadBattle of Vaughan RoadThe Battle of Vaughan Road, also spelled "Vaughn", was an American Civil War engagement between Confederate States Army and Union Army cavalry forces protecting the flank of the main Union attack on Confederate positions on the western end of the Confederate line on October 1, 1864 during the...
(1 October 1864) - Carolinas CampaignCarolinas CampaignThe Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
SC (February - April 1865) - Darlington, South Carolina (27 February 1865)
- Solomon's Grove (9 March 1865)
- Battle of Monroe's CrossroadsBattle of Monroe's Crossroads-References:* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.* * *...
(10 March 1865)
Original commissioned officers
- Colonel Hugh K. Aiken
- Lieutenant Colonel Lovick P. Miller
- Major T.B. Ferguson
- Captain Lewis Jones
- Captain James J. Gregg
- First Lieutenant Z. W. Carwile
- First Lieutenant John M. Ward
- First Lieutenant Alexander McQueen, from Chesterfield County
- Second Lieutenant John Bauskett
- Second Lieutenant J. J. Bunch
- Second Lieutenant Henry McIverHenry McIverHenry Douglas McIver was a soldier of fortune who fought for 18 countries.McIver spent first ten years of his life in Virginia, USA, and then he was sent to his uncle, General Donald Graham, to finish school and prepare for West Point. General Graham - an experienced warrior and adventurer -...
- Second Lieutenant Samuel W. Evans
Noncommissioned officers
- George W. Spencer, 1Sgt from Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County, South Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,768 people, 16,557 households, and 11,705 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 18,818 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
. Departed Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, after April 9, 1865 - Promoted 1st Lt. June 25, 1863 - John B. Strother, 2Sgt from Chesterfield County. Discharged, over conscript age, June 11, 1862
- Hugh Jr. Craig, 3Sgt from Chesterfield County. Departed Greensboro, NC after Apr 9, 1865 - Promoted 2Lt, June 25, 1863
- John H. McIver, 4Sgt from Chesterfield County. Transferred to staff as QuartermasterQuartermasterQuartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, May 1, 1862 - John E. Sellers, 5Sgt from Chesterfield County. Promoted to 1Sgt, June 25, 1863. Killed in action at Haw's ShopBattle of Haw's ShopThe Battle of Haw's Shop or Enon Church was fought on May 28, 1864, in Hanover County, Virginia, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E...
, Virginia - Thomas W. Bouchler, 1Cpl from Chesterfield County. Transferred to Colt's Battalion as SgtMaj in 1864
- Zacharhiah Jr Ellerbe, Cpl from Chesterfield County. Discharged, over conscript age, June 14, 1862
- Samuel H. Roberson, 3Cpl from Chesterfield County. Transferred to Aiken's Partisan Rangers, Dec 15, 1862
- Nevin S. Smith, 4Cpl from Chesterfield County. Departed Greensboro, North Carolina, after Apr 9, 1865
- William B. Sellers, Corporal, Chesterfield County. Enlisted June 1, 1863; captured on December 10, 1864, at Armstrong Mills, Virginia, and sent as a prisoner of warPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
to Point Lookout, MarylandPoint Lookout, MarylandPoint Lookout is a Maryland state park at the southern tip of St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River....
; released on June 19, 1865. Walked home to South Carolina
Further reading
The following manuscript may be found in the U.S. Army Military History Institute's archives:- Sheppard, James O. - CWMiscColl (SGM's letters, Mar 11, 1863 - May 7, 1864)