18th Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry (163rd Volunteers)

Brief History
This regiment was organized at Pittsburg and Harrisburg October to December, 1862. There was no muster out date given on the Soldiers and Sailors website It was consolidated with 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry June 24, 1865, to form 3rd Provisional Cavalry.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 18th Regiment Cavalry (163rd Volunteers), (accessed 12 September 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.

Field and Staff Officers - See Roster

Company A - Many men enrolled in Allegheny County and Beaver County - See Roster

Company B - Many men enrolled in Crawford County and Dauphin County - See Roster

Company C - Many men enrolled in Allegheny County and Indiana County - SeeRoster

Company D - Many men enrolled in Titusville, Crawford County - See Roster

Company E - Many men erolled in Harrisburg, Dauphin County - See Roster

Company F - Many men enrolled in Pittsburg, Allegheny County - See Roster

Company G - Many men enrolled in Allegheny County and Elk County - SeeRoster

Company H - Many men enrolled in Allegheny County and Philadelphia County - See Roster

Company I - Many men enrolled in Allegheny County, Philadelphia County, and Lycoming County - See Roster

Company K - Many men enrolled in Somerset County and Cambria County - See Roster

Company L - Many men enrolled in Philadelphia County - SeeRoster

Company M - Many men enrolled in Philadelphia County - See Roster

Unassigned men - SeeRoster

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,723 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 ‘Pennsylvania 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.


 * Pennsylvania in the Civil War describes many sources, specifically for Pennsylvania, 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.


 * PaRoots gives a history of this regiment, including its organization and battles fought. It also has a rosterfor each company in this regiment.


 * Theophilus F. Rodenbough, Henry C. Potter, William P. Seal, and Thomas J. Grier. "History of the Eighteenth Regiment of Cavalry, Pennsylvania Volunteers (163d Regiment of the Line) 1862-1865". (Salem, Mass: Higginson Book Co, 1998). . GoogleBooks.InternetArchives. Other Libraries.


 * United States. Army. Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, 18th, (1862-1865). History of the Eighteenth Regiment of Cavalry, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 163d Regiment of the line (1862-1865). (Washington [District of Columbia] : Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1988), and (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992),

Regimental History and Roster

 * History of the Eighteenth regiment of cavalry, Pennsylvania volunteers (163d regiment of the line) 1862-1865 ... comp. & ed. by the Publication committee of the regimental association, by Pennsylvania cavalry. 18th regt., 1862-1865; Rodenbough, Theophilus Francis, 1838-1912, comp; Grier, Thomas, Publisher New York [Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford co, 1909, Online at: