5th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union)

Brief History
The 5th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry was organized at Columbus, Kentucky, December, 1861 to February, 1862. The regiment mustered in at Camp Sandidge, Gallatin, Tennessee, March 31, 1862, with 789 men and fought in all early engagements in Tennessee. Their soldierly conduct won the esteem of the Commanding General. The regiment mustered out May 3, 1865.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 5th Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 28 June 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 5th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry, (accessed 28 June 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.


 * Company A - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
 * Company B - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company C – Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company D - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company E - Many men mustered in from Company E - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company F - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company G - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
 * Company H - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 * Company I - Many men mustered in from Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky.
 * Company K - Many men mustered in from Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.

The records for this Regiment's Companies are from the book, Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky, Vol. 1-1861-1866.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,654 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Kentucky in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Kentucky in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Kentucky, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.