5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (August 2013) |
| 5th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Cavalry | |
|---|---|
| Active | January 9, 1864-October 31, 1865 |
| Disbanded | October 31, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
The 5th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Cavalry (or 5th Regiment, Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored)) was a cavalry regiment from Massachusetts, that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It has not to be confused with the 5th United States Colored Cavalry.
Service
The regiment was organized from January 9-May 5, at Camp Meigs, Readville. From May 12, 1864, it served dismounted and equipped as infantry until the end of war.
Detailed service
The regiment fought at Baylor's Farm during the Second Battle of Petersburg and the Siege of Petersburg.
Casualties
The regiment lost 123 enlisted men; 7 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded, 116 enlisted men died of disease.
Commanders
- Colonel Henry S. Russell (March 7-June 14, 1864; wounded at Baylor's Farm)
- Major Henry Pickering Bowditch (June 14-September 30, 1864)
- Colonel Henry S. Russell (September 30, 1864-February 14, 1865; resigned)
- Colonel Charles Francis Adams, Jr. (February 14-August 1, 1865)
- Colonel Samuel Chamberlain (August 1-October 31, 1865; regiment mustered out)
Notable soldiers and officers
- Private Prince Romerson (c. 1840–1872), a Native Hawaiian soldier from the Kingdom of Hawaii who also fought as a Buffalo Soldier.[1]
- Joshua Dunbar, the father of renowned American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar, served as a volunteer soldier in both the 5th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Volunteer Cavalry and the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment.
See also
Notes
- ^ McCunn, Ruthanne Lum (2015). "Prince Romerson". In Shively, Carol A. (ed.). Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Civil War. Washington, D. C.: National Park Service. pp. 142–145. ISBN 978-1-59091-167-9. OCLC 904731668.
References
- Cox, Christopher (2013). History of Massachusetts Civil War Regiments: Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry. Raleigh, NC: Lulu Publishing. ISBN 978-1-304-46992-2. OCLC 897834743.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Dyer, Frederick H. (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 1. Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Company. p. 1240. OCLC 8697590.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Massachusetts. Adjutant General's Office (1933). Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War. Vol. VI. Norwood, MA: Printed at the Norwood Press. OCLC 11485612.