1st Regiment, Connecticut Cavalry

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, Connecticut Cavalry was originally organized as a battalion of four companies at West Meriden. They were mustered in November 2, 1861. The regiment was mustered out at Washington, D.C., August 2, 1865, and left that city August 3 for New Haven, Connecticut where they were discharged.

For more information about the 1st Regiment, Connecticut Cavalry, see:


 * Regimental History - History of the First Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry, (accessed 9 Mar 2011). Connecticut Military Department
 * Men of the First Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry, (accessed 9 Mar 2011). Of the twelve Congressional Medals of Honor awarded to Connecticut troops from all branches of the service four went to men of the 1st Connecticut Cavalry.
 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 11 April 2012).

Companies in the 1st Regiment, Cavalry
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 4,096 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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. This regiment was composed of men from all parts of Connecticut, but most of the men in each unit resided in the following counties.

Company A

Company B was largely formed by men from New Haven County.

Company C was largely formed by men from New London County.

Company D was largely formed by men from Fairfield County.

Company E was largely formed by men from New Haven County.

Regimental History and Roster

 * Catalogue of the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th Regiments of Infantry, First Light Battery, and First Battalion of Cavalry, Connecticut Volunteers, 1861. By Connecticut. Adjutant-General's Office. Hartford, Conn: Press of Case, Lockwood & Co., 1862. Online at: Internet Archive

Company Rosters

 * Connecticut. Adjutant General's Office, Catalogue of Connecticut volunteer organizations, with additional enlistments and casualties to July 1, 1864, (Hartford, Connecticut : Case, Lockwood, 1864), page 70. Available Online at Internet Archive, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).  Also available at the FamilySearch Library,  or FS Library US/CAN Film 1550802.


 * Adjutant General's Office, Catalogue of Connecticut volunteer organizations : (infantry, cavalry, and artillery,) in the service of the United States, 1861-1865, with additional enlistments, casualties, &amp;c., &amp;c., and brief summaries, showing the operations and service of the several regiments and batteries, (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991), page 67. Includes index. Online at Internet Archive, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).  Also available at the FamilySearch Library,  or

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 ‘Connecticut 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.


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


 * Footnote.com, (accessed 2 Apr 2011). (A subscription website, but is available for use at the FamilySearch Library and some FamilySearch Centers). It has digital Civil War soldier service records and brief regiment histories (located at the bottom of some of the muster rolls).WorldCat, (accessed 2 Apr 2011).


 * The Civil War in the East, (accessed 9 Mar 2011). Timeline of the 1st Connecticut Cavalry


 * Soldiers of Waterbury, New Haven County, in the War For the Union, (accessed 9 Mar 2011). History of the Soldier's Monument in Waterbury, Conn.: to which is added a list of the soldiers and sailors who went from Waterbury to fight in the war for the Union.  Including:  Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K, L, M and Unassigned Recruits of the 1st Regiment, Connecticut Cavalry.


 * Connecticut. Adjutant General's Office, and United States. Army. Connecticut Cavalry Squadron, Battalion and Regiment, 1st (1863-1864),  The Connecticut Cavalry Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 containing the history and complete rosters of the First Squadron and of the First Regiment, C.C.V., (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991).  "Reprinted by permission of the Adjutant-General from The record of Connecticut men in the army and navy in the war of the rebellion, 1861-1865, published by order of the state in 1889".    Available at the FamilySearch Library,


 * Holmes, Theodore J. (Theodore James). A memorial of John S. Jameson : sergeant in the 1st Conn. Cavalry, who died at Andersonville, Ga. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991),


 * Tyler, Elnathan B. "Wooden nutmegs" at Bull Run : a humorous account of some of the exploits and experiences of the three months Connecticut brigade, and the part they bore in the national stampede. (Washington [District of Columbia] : Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1977),.


 * United States. War Department. Record and Pension Office. CONNECTICUT 1st Cavalry 1st Heavy Artillery 2nd Heavy Artillery 1st-3rd Independent Battery, Light Artillery 1st Infantry, 3 months, 1861-3rd Infantry 5th Infantry 6th Infantry. (Washington, District of Columbia : The National Archives, 1964),.