1st Regiment, Michigan Cavalry

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, Michigan Cavalry was organized at Detroit, Michigan, August 21 to September 6, 1861. It was mustered in September 13, 1861. This regiment became part of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade along with the 5th, 6th, and 7th Michigan Cavalry Regiments. The Regiment was mustered out: March 10, 1866. The 1st Regiment, Michigan Cavalry mustered out in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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


 * 1st Regiment Cavalry at The Civil War Archive.
 * 1st Regiment Michigan Cavalry at Wikipedia.
 * 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry gives unit history, battles, and casualties. This regiment became part of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade.

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. If you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.


 * 1st Michigan Cavalry Rosters at Michigan in the Civil War, MIGenWeb.

Companies and general counties of enlistment:
 * Companies A, C, G, H, K - men from Wayne County
 * Company B - men from Marquette County
 * Company D - men from Clinton County
 * Company E - men from Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan and Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio
 * Company F - men from Lapeer County
 * Company I - men from Kalamazoo County
 * Company L - men from Macomb County
 * Company M - men from Cass and Kalamazoo Counties
 * Unassigned Company - men from Wayne County

See Rosters, as there were men from many different Counties in these Companies

Regimental History and Roster

 * Personal recollections of cavalryman with Custer's Michigan cavalry brigade in the civil war. By James Harvey Kidd . Ionia, Mich.: Sentinel printing company, 1908. Online at: Internet Archive

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 ‘Michigan 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.


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


 * Longacre, Edward G. "Custer and his Wolverines: the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, 1861-1865" (Cambridge, Massachusetts. Da Capo, 2004)..


 * Michigan. Adjutant General's Office and George H. Turner. Record of service of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865; First Cavalry. (Lansing, Michigan. Adjutant General's-Department, 1905) 206 pages. (*).