Michael Shaughnessy was born in New York, NY about 1840. He enlisted in Company A, 2nd U.S. Cavalry by Captain Robertson at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on August 7, 1861. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’11” tall, with gray eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He listed his occupation as laborer. Private Shaughnessy remained at Fort Leavenworth awaiting the arrival his company, which had already been ordered east from Fort Kearny, Nebraska. It arrived November 22nd and reached Cantonment Holt near the Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. by rail on November 29th. Shaughnessy spent the wint ..read more

George Newton Hollister was born in Hartford, Connecticut on September 27, 1843. During his childhood he moved with his family to St. Anthony, Minnesota. George answered his state’s first call for volunteers at the outbreak of the Civil War. Captain George Morgan enlisted him as a private into Company E, 1st Minnesota Infantry at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on April 29, 1861. He served through all of the regiment’s engagements during the next year and a half. He remained unwounded after 1st Bull Run and Antietam, where the regiment suffered 20% and 28% casualties respectively. After the battle of ..read more

I spent a lot of time with the 1st U.S. Cavalry this year, so it only seems fitting to highlight their year 160 years ago. They are the only regular regiment of the Reserve Brigade without a published history, so I have been cobbling one together for them. January found the majority of the regiment finally closing on Camp Sprague in Washington, D.C. Companies A, B, F and K arrived in December. By January 19th, Companies C and E arrived on the steam ship Sonora and Companies H and I on the steamship Light. The regiment’s field and staff was at its full strength of 4 officers and 14 enlisted men ..read more

George Newton Hollister was born in Hartford, Connecticut on September 27, 1843. During his childhood he moved with his family to St. Anthony, Minnesota. George answered his state’s first call for volunteers at the outbreak of the Civil War. Captain George Morgan enlisted him as a private into Company E, 1st Minnesota Infantry at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on April 29, 1861. He served through all of the regiment’s engagements during the next year and a half. He remained unwounded after 1st Bull Run and Antietam, where the regiment suffered 20% and 28% casualties respectively. After the battle of ..read more

Some Union soldiers fought to defend their homes as well. David Richwine was born in Cumberland, Pennsylvania in 1838. He worked as a laborer on the Sibe family farm near Monroe, Cumberland County by age 13, according to the 1850 census. He eventually became a miller in Carlisle, where he met Anna M. Hoffman. They married on December 12, 1858 in the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle. Reverend W.W. Eells performed the service. Their daughter, Mary Catherine, was born six months later. Like many of his neighbors, David joined a local militia unit at the outbreak of the Civil War. He enliste ..read more

Leroy S. Elbert was born in Logan County, Ohio on September 4, 1837. His parents moved to Iowa early in his childhood. His father, a prominent doctor, convinced Senator Andrew Hall to nominate Leroy to West Point from Iowa in January 1857. Leroy joined his class there on July 1, 1857. Elbert graduated  near the bottom of the June class of 1861, only six places ahead of George Custer . He was assigned to the Regiment of Mounted Rifles as a brevet second lieutenant upon graduation, all vacancies in the regiment being full at the Adjutant General’s office. Due to the chaos caused by so many ..read more

Samuel J. Crockett was born in Baltimore, MD in January, 1837. His parents Hugh and Margaret were both Irish immigrants. The family moved to Cayuga County, NY in 1842, where his father was a farmer. Samuel was working as a school teacher near Chicago in Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois at the beginning of the Civil War. He initially enlisted as a private in Company B, 127th Illinois Infantry on September 5, 1862. He was discharged at Camp Douglas just a month later on October 15th for undisclosed reasons. Undeterred, he was enlisted into Company A, 1st U.S. Cavalry by Captain John Feilner ..read more