1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry was organized at Davenport August and September, 1861. It mustered out February 15, 1866. It then moved to Iowa February 19-March 12, and discharged March 16, 1866.

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


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 27 June 2012).
 * The Wikipedia article, 1st Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, (accessed 27 June 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 3,067 men on its roster for this unit. Roster. The above information is listed as 'UIA0001RC'.

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.

Company A - enrolled in Lee County and organized at Keokuk County.

Company B - the "Hawkeye Rangers," enrolled chiefly from Clinton County and Jackson County.

Company C - enrolled from Des Moines County, Louisa County, and Lee County.

Company D - enrolled from Warren County and Madison County.

Company E - organized in Henry County.

Company F - enrolled chiefly in Washington County and Johnson County.

Company G - known as the "Hardin Rangers," was enrolled from Hardin County, Dubuque County, Black Hawk County, Jones County, and Delaware County.

Company H - enrolled in Monroe County and Lucas County.

Company I - went from Wapello County and Keokuk County, with a few from Hancock County, Illinois.

Company K - or "Union Rangers," was enrolled in Clayton County, Allamakee County, and Winneshiek County.

The above information about companies and their counties is found in An Illustrated History of Monroe County, Iowa, (1896), Chapter 6,History of the First Iowa Cavalry

Regimental History and Roster

 * A history of the First regiment Iowa cavalry veteran volunteers. Also, a complete roster of the regiment. By Charles H Lothrop,. Lyons, Ia.,: Beers & Eaton, printers, 1890. 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 ‘Iowa 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.


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


 * Lothrop, Charles H. (Charles Henry). A History of the First Regiment Iowa Cavalry veteran volunteers: from its organization in 1861 to its muster out of the United States service in 1866. Also, a complete roster of the regiment. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1981), and (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993),.