15th Cavalry Regiment
Civil War

History
The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

Left the State in detachments: September 1863 to January 1864
Consolidated with 6th regiment of cavalry and designated 2nd provisional regiment of cavalry, June 17, 1865

May 29, 1863, Col. Robert M. Richardson received authority to reorganize the I2th N. Y. Volunteer Infantry, discharged by reason of expiration of its term of service, as a regiment of cavalry. The regiment was organized at Syracuse for a service of three years, and the companies were mustered in the service of the United States at Syracuse, A, B and C August 8; D, F and G August 26; E August 15; H September 5; K October 15; at the Cavalry Depot, D. C., Company I November 30, 1863; and at Elmira, Companies L and M January 20, and 24, 1864, respectively.

The companies were recruited principally: A at Syracuse and Oneida; B at Syracuse and Oswego; C at Syracuse, Canandaigua, Geneva, Palmyra and Potter; D at Syracuse; E and F at Syracuse, Batavia, Lockport and Rochester; G at Syracuse, Ithaca and Caroline; H at Syracuse, Lysander, Ithaca and Otisco; I at Syracuse, Oswego, Lansing and Ithaca; K at Syracuse, Ithaca, Utica and Lansing; L at Elmira, Bloomingburgh, Goshen, Cuba, Chester, Port Jervis, Westfield, Dunkirk, Deerpark and Jamestown; and M at Elmira, Westmoreland, Newburgh, Ellenburgh, Whitestown, Oriskany, Vernon, Kingston and Utica.

Companies A, B, C and E left the State September 2, 1863; D, F and G later in September; H and K in October; I in November, 1863; and L and M in January, 1864; and the regiment served at Camp Stoneman, and in 22d Corps, Department of Washington, Va., from September, 1863; in the 2d Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry of West Virginia, from January, 1864; at Cumberland, Md., Remount Camp, from August 25 to October, 1864, and while there was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac; in the Army of the Shenandoah from October, 1864; with the Army of the Potomac from March, 1865.

June 17, 1865, the regiment, commanded by Col. John J. Coppinger, was consolidated with the 6th N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry, the consolidated force receiving the designation, 2d Provisional Regiment, N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry, the 15th Regiment being consolidated into four companies, which became Companies F, G, H and K of the new organization.

During its service, the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 3 officers, 18 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 19 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 4 officers, 126 enlisted men; total, 7 officers, 163 enlisted men; aggregate, 170; of whom 44 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.

Battles and Casualties Table from Phisterer

Civil War Newspaper Clippings

15th Cavalry Standard

Unit Roster

Further Reading
This is meant to be a comprehensive list. If, however, you know of a resource that is not listed below, please send an email to int-historians@ng.army.mil with the name of the resource and where it is located. This can include photographs, letters, articles and other non-book materials. Also, if you have any materials in your possession that you would like to donate, the museum is always looking for items specific to New York's military heritage. Thank you.

Hampton, Charles G. "Twelve months in Rebel prisons, by Charles G. Hampton, Captain 15th N.Y. cavalry (read March 3, 1898)." MOLLUS-Mich II 229-48.

Norton, Chauncey S. "The red neck ties;" or, history of the Fifteenth New York volunteer cavalry, containing a record of the battles, skirmishes, marches, etc., that the Regiment participated in from its organization in August, 1863, to the time of its discharge in August, 1865. Compiled and edited by Chauncey S. Norton. Ithaca: Journal book and job print, house, 1891.
Can be acessed online at http://archive.org/details/theredneckties01nort [link opens new window]

Back to Civil War Cavalry Units