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269:. Kilpatrick's objectives for the daring raid were to free Federal prisoners of war, cut supply lines, and create panic among the Confederate civilians and government officials. Carrying only rations for two days, the troopers were expected to live off the land by foraging for food. Kilpatrick's men severed all the rail lines between Richmond and the Army of Northern Virginia, but did not enter Richmond or free the prisoners.
437:. Despite the fact that their term of enlistment had expired, the remaining men were kept in the service until March 10, 1866, when they were finally mustered out and allowed to return home to Michigan. Some men elected to stay on the frontier and enlist in Custer's 7th U.S. Cavalry; a few former members of the Michigan Brigade fought at the
203:, the brigade fought in piecemeal fashion, with the 5th and 6th serving as dismounted skirmishers near the John Rummel farm on the left of the battlefield, while first the 7th and then the 1st Michigan charged into a growing mounted melee in the center. Custer's cry of "Come on, you Wolverines!" became the rallying cry of the brigade.
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on May 28. There, due to the heavily wooded terrain, Custer dismounted the brigade and deployed in a long, double-ranked line of battle, as if they were infantrymen. However, Custer inspired his men by staying mounted as he led them forward, waving his hat in full view of the enemy. Some of the
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On
September 26, Custer was promoted to divisional command and Colonel James H. Kidd of the 6th Michigan assumed direct command of the Michigan Brigade. The brigade spent the rest of the year in the Valley, engaging in a series of running fights with Confederate cavalry, including the decisive
422:, 2,300 strong but with only 600 horses. There, the 5th Michigan was formally mustered out of the service, as well as portions of the other three regiments whose enlistments had expired, in all half the brigade. The remaining troopers saw subsequent duty in the
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On
February 27, General Sheridan commenced a major movement against Early's remaining forces in the Valley and his communications and supply lines. The Michigan Brigade participated in an engagement at Louisa Court House against enemy cavalry under
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Confederate infantry mistook a Union shift in position for a retreat and charged after them, only to run into Custer's men, who captured eighty
Confederates. Forty-one Michigan cavalrymen fell in the attack, but their enthusiastic charge caused
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During the balance of 1863, the
Michigan Brigade performed scouting and patrol duty, as well as screening the flanks of the Army of the Potomac. The brigade again engaged in a series of fights with
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and seized the train depot and a large cache of supplies. However, subsequent enemy movements left the
Michigan Brigade nearly surrounded, and Custer had to fight his way out of the encirclement.
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on April 6. They were among the troops that finally blocked Lee's planned escape route, precipitating the surrender of the Army of
Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.
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from
Gettysburg, Custer's men maintained a series of skirmishes and encounters with the Confederate rear guard, fighting another battle at Falling Waters as the last of
364:'s final push to break Lee's entrenchments. The Michigan Brigade arrived at White House, landing in time to participate in some of the final engagements of the
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on June 30, 1863. There, Custer's men were deployed as a strong advance skirmish line south of town. Two days later, on July 2, the brigade participated in the
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on April 1. They were active in the pursuit of Lee's retreating army following the fall of
Richmond and again engaged the Confederates at the
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on June 11 and 12, the brigade was heavily engaged. Custer maneuvered into a position in the rear of (and between) two
Confederate
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In late 1865, the remnants of the much depleted brigade were consolidated into the 1st
Michigan Veteran Cavalry and served in the
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448:, and many men returned to Gettysburg for the 25th Anniversary commemorations. A few returned in 1913 for the 50th Anniversary.
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A modern non-profit group calling itself the Michigan Cavalry Brigade Association serves as living historians and reenactors.
188:, where one of the Wolverines, Norville Churchill, rescued a fallen Custer, who was pinned in the road under his slain horse.
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in the District of the Plains, Department of Missouri. Using railroads and a series of riverboats, the brigade arrived at
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395:. However, Johnston surrendered before Sheridan arrived. The Michigan Brigade returned to Washington, D.C., for the
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Under the command of Colonel Peter Stagg, the Michigan Brigade was part of Sheridan's force that rode southward to
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328:, also near Winchester, where it captured three Confederate battle flags. The brigade was again in action at the
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145:, the 1st Michigan Cavalry and Battery M, 2nd United States Artillery were added to the brigade in central
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324:, on August 11, as well as in numerous other small engagements through September, when it fought at the
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Most veterans of the Michigan Brigade were active in various fraternal organizations such as the
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The larger brigade was assigned to the newly promoted Custer, who assumed command near
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Immediately after the review, the Michigan Brigade received orders to serve in the
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Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General George Armstrong Custer
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176:. The Michigan Brigade saw its first combat action as an entity at the
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105:. After the war, several men associated with the brigade joined the
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Not long afterward, following Early's final crushing defeat at the
265:'s large 5,000-man cavalry raid on the Confederacy's capital city,
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Custer and His Wolverines: The Michigan Cavalry Brigade, 1861-1865
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The Michigan Cavalry Brigade was created on December 12, 1862, at
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It originally consisted of the 5th, 6th and 7th Michigan Cavalry
37:
33:
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360:, Sheridan's force was reassigned to the Richmond area to help
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391:'s army in its quest to defeat another Confederate army under
516:. Lincoln, Nebraska, The University of Nebraska Press, 1990.
64:, the Michigan Brigade fought in every major campaign of the
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486:. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Combined Publishing, 1997.
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In February 1864, the Michigan Brigade participated in
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Custer's Official Report for the Battle of Gettysburg.
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Custer's Official Report for the Battle of Gettysburg
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1865
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Units and formations of the Union Army from Michigan
474:, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
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585:Colonel Kidd's official report for Cedar Creek.
316:, then threatened by a Confederate force under
109:and later fought again under Custer in the
195:, the Michigan Brigade was posted east of
276:in May, the Michigan men were engaged in
199:along the Hanover Road on July 3. On the
149:as part of a major reorganization of the
94:The brigade first gained fame during the
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125:Organization and the Gettysburg Campaign
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697:1862 establishments in Washington, D.C.
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320:. The Michigan Brigade was engaged at
258:was assigned to the Michigan Brigade.
218:. The skirmishing continued well into
632:Michigan Cavalry Brigade Association
141:. During the early part of the 1863
472:of the Union and Confederate Armies
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677:1865 disestablishments in Michigan
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168:Michigan Cavalry Brigade Monument
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336:victory over Jubal Early at the
692:1862 establishments in Michigan
542:History of the Michigan Brigade
137:, under the command of General
87:Advance of Custer's Brigade by
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230:Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns
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308:In July, the brigade rode to
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44:during the later half of the
687:Military history of Michigan
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238:'s Confederates during the
214:'s army slipped across the
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596:Michigan in the Civil War.
446:Grand Army of the Republic
397:Grand Review of the Armies
383:, and then proceeded into
206:During the retreat of the
652:Michigan in the Civil War
439:Battle of Little Big Horn
285:relatively inexperienced
280:'s raid, fighting at the
208:Army of Northern Virginia
107:7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment
647:Michigan Cavalry Brigade
614:Michigan Cavalry Brigade
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463:The War of the Rebellion
374:Battle of Sayler's Creek
26:Michigan Cavalry Brigade
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330:Battle of Fisher's Hill
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103:George Armstrong Custer
20:, sometimes called the
512:Urwin, Gregory J. W.,
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78:Appomattox Court House
482:Longacre, Edward G.,
468:a Compilation of the
460:U.S. War Department,
403:Western frontier duty
338:Battle of Cedar Creek
186:Battle of Hunterstown
174:Westminster, Maryland
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381:Petersburg, Virginia
370:Battle of Five Forks
358:Battle of Waynesboro
322:Winchester, Virginia
294:'s men to withdraw.
282:Battle of Haw's Shop
193:Battle of Gettysburg
72:in July 1863 to the
70:Battle of Gettysburg
62:7th Michigan Cavalry
58:6th Michigan Cavalry
54:5th Michigan Cavalry
50:1st Michigan Cavalry
366:Army of the Potomac
256:1st Vermont Cavalry
242:and the subsequent
151:Army of the Potomac
143:Gettysburg Campaign
96:Gettysburg Campaign
66:Army of the Potomac
619:2008-05-10 at the
601:2008-05-09 at the
547:2008-09-24 at the
393:Joseph E. Johnston
389:William T. Sherman
278:Philip H. Sheridan
267:Richmond, Virginia
191:At the subsequent
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157:by its commander,
139:Joseph T. Copeland
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46:American Civil War
563:, August 8, 1863.
501:, August 8, 1863.
435:Montana Territory
426:in the forces of
326:Battle of Opequon
314:Shenandoah Valley
299:Trevilian Station
274:Overland Campaign
263:Judson Kilpatrick
244:Mine Run Campaign
178:Battle of Hanover
159:Alfred Pleasonton
100:Brigadier General
40:in the volunteer
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667:Michigan Brigade
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470:Official Records
430:until December.
424:Dakota Territory
416:Fort Leavenworth
368:, including the
362:Ulysses S. Grant
351:Thomas L. Rosser
312:en route to the
310:Washington, D.C.
254:For a time, the
240:Bristoe Campaign
131:Washington, D.C.
30:Custer's Brigade
18:Michigan Brigade
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80:in April 1865.
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428:Patrick Connor
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385:North Carolina
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318:Jubal A. Early
287:South Carolina
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182:Pennsylvania
180:in southern
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399:on May 23.
272:During the
89:Alfred Waud
74:Confederate
661:Categories
455:References
387:to assist
224:Amissville
197:Gettysburg
42:Union Army
22:Wolverines
303:divisions
201:third day
135:regiments
68:from the
617:Archived
599:Archived
545:Archived
412:frontier
220:Virginia
147:Maryland
114:frontier
111:Old West
32:, was a
409:Western
38:cavalry
34:brigade
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420:Kansas
24:, the
529:Notes
518:ISBN
488:ISBN
344:1865
250:1864
60:and
16:The
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28:or
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
