1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment (Confederate)

For the Union army regiment of the same name, see 1st Louisiana Regiment Cavalry (Union).
1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment
Flag of Louisiana, 1861
ActiveSeptember 11, 1861 – May 5, 1865
Country Confederate States of America
Allegiance Louisiana
Branch Confederate States Army
TypeCavalry regiment
Size900 (initially)[1]
Organized atBaton Rouge, Louisiana
EngagementsAmerican Civil War[2]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Col. John S. Scott

The 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, also known as Scott's Cavalry Regiment, was a cavalry regiment from Louisiana that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Raised in 1861, it served in many battles of the Western Theater until the Confederate surrender in 1865.[3][4]

History

The 1st Louisiana Cavalry was organized at Baton Rouge on September 11, 1861.[5] During the Confederate invasion of Kentucky, the regiment was sent to Bowling Green and assigned to the command of General Albert Sidney Johnston. Following occupation duty over the winter, in April 1862 the 1st Louisiana fought at the Battle of Shiloh under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest and fought skirmishes in Alabama and Tennessee later that spring and summer.[6][5]

During the Confederate Heartland Offensive, the 1st Louisiana joined Confederate forces led by General Edmund Kirby Smith during his invasion of Kentucky. The regiment captured the state capitol of Frankfort on September 3, and fought at Mumfordville, Perryville, and Murfreesboro, but the Confederates were later forced to withdraw and did not regain control of Kentucky for the remainder of the war.[5]

The 1st Louisiana took part in further raids and skirmishes in Tennessee and Kentucky, and fought under General Forrest's cavalry corps at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, 1863.[6][5] In 1864 the regiment moved into Mississippi and Louisiana, launching unsuccessful attempts to dislodge occupying Union forces there. The remaining troops of the 1st Louisiana surrendered at Columbus, Mississippi at the end of the war.[6]

The commander of the regiment, Colonel John S. Scott, got into difficulties with his fellow officers and was court-martialed several times over the course of the war.[6] He was able to evade punishment until he was relieved of his command in March 1865 for unauthorized contraband trading.

Commanders

Commanders of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment:[5]

  • Col. John S. Scott, dismissed March 7, 1865.[5]
  • Lt. Col. J.O. Nixon

Organization

Companies of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment:[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Cardwell, Thomas C. "Condensed History of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, CSA". 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment CSA. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  2. ^ Cardwell, Thomas C. "Campaigns and Engagements". 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment CSA. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. ^ "1st Regiment, Louisiana Cavalry". National Park Service - Soldiers and Sailors System. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. ^ "1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment". Civil War Reference. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Bergeron, Arthur W. Jr. (1989). Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units 1861-1865. Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 39–41.
  6. ^ a b c d Bradley, Michael R. (2012). They Rode With Forrest. Gretna LA: Pelican Publishing Company. pp. 55–57.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.