2nd Regiment, Rhode Island Cavalry

Brief History
The 2nd Regiment, Rhode Island Cavalry was organized at Providence, November 21, 1862. It was transferred to 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry January 14, 1864.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 2nd Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 6 November 2012.


 * The Wikipedia Article,2nd Regiment, Rhode Island Cavalry, (accessed28 March 2013).

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.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,004 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

For more information see Civil War Military Records - Rhode Island Historical Society (accessed 22 March 2013)

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 ‘Mississippi 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.


 * Rhode Island in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Mississippi, 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.


 * Sabre, G. E. (Gilbert E.). Nineteen months a prisoner of war : narrative of Lieutenant G. E. Sabre, Second Rhode Island Cavalry, of his experience in the war prisons and stockades of Morton, Mobile, Atlanta, Libby, Belle Island, Andersonville, Macon, Charleston, and Columbia, and his escape to the Union lines, to which is appended a list of officers confined at Columbia, during the winter of 1864 and 1865. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1991)

Internet sites
Wikipedia Article on 2nd Regiment, Rhode Island Cavalry (accessed 22 March 2013)

The Civil War Archive (accessed 22 March 2013

Brown's on the Civil War from Rhode Island (accessed 22 March 2013

Union Army Regimental History Index (accessed 22 March 2013)