Smith's Company, Utah Cavalry (3 months, 1862) (Union)

United States   U.S. Military    U.S. Civil War    Utah     Utah Military    Utah in the Civil War    Smith's Company, Utah Cavalry (3 months, 1862) (Union)

Brief History
Smith's Company, Utah Cavalry was organized April 30, 1862 in response to a telegram sent to Brigham Young by Adjutant-General L. Thomas on April 28, 1862. Their purpose was to defend the telegraph lines and mail routes. Captain Lot Smith's Company was made up of Companies A and B of the First Cavalry, Utah Militia. Smith's Company had 106 men with 23 officers, 72 privates, and 11 teamsters who also did the same work as the privates. They were discharged August 14, 1862.

"Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer contains no history for this unit.

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.

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 ‘Utah 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.


 * Utah in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Utah, 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.


 * Fisher, Margaret M., Utah and the Civil War: Being the Story of the Part Played by the People of Utah in that Great Conflict, with Special Reference to the Lot Smith Expedition and the Robert T. Burton Expedition, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book, c1929). Has a roster of Lot Smith's company on pp. 28-30 . Other libraries with book (WorldCat)


 * United States. Adjutant General's Office, Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who Served in Organizations from the Territory of Utah: (Capt. Lot Smith's Company, Utah Calvary), (Washington [District of Columbia]: The National Archives, 1967). . NARA M692 roll 1.


 * Union Ex-Prisoners of War Roster, 1861-1865, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Utah State Archives and Records Service, [198-?]). . Includes name, regiment, company, prison and date captured, release date, rank and address to which they would return.