Seal of the State of Ohio
History of the original Sixth Ohio Cavalry Regiment
When Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter April 12, 1861, hundreds of horsemen from the Western Reserve counties of Northeast Ohio took up the call.
Responding to President Lincoln's request, seventeen
hundred fifty-eight riders volunteered for duty with the Sixth Ohio Cavalry
Regiment. The Sixth Ohio was mustered into service between October 2 and December
12, 1861 at Camp Hutchison, in Warren, Ohio. The unit was then sent to Camp
Dennison where it acquired mounts and was ordered to join the Army of the Potomac.
The unit clashed with Confederate forces for the first time at Woodstock, Va, June 2, 1862. During the next 34 months, the Sixth would engage the enemy more than 50 times. The Ohio regiment's affiliation with the Army of the Potomac led to gallant service at the Second Battle of Manassas, Fredericksburg, Kelley's Ford (the first pure cavalry fight east of the Mississippi involving a battalion or more on each side), Gettysburg, Yellow Tavern, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, Five Forks and Sailor's Creek.
The troopers served under several Division and Brigade Commanders, including Colonel Alfred N. Duffie, Brigadier General William Woods Averell, Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg and Major
General George Crook. During the 1864 raid in Albemarle County, Va., the unit served under Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer.
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Colonel Duffie |
General Averell
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General Gregg
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General Crook |
General Custer |
General Kilpatrick |
The Sixth Ohio fought during the final days of the war at Appomattox Courthouse, and was present when General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. The Regiment was mustered out of service at Petersburg, Va., on August 7, 1865. This Regiment sustained heavy loss in officers and men during its eventful career.
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Troopers of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, 1864
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Regiment lost during service 5 Officers and 52 Enlisted men killed and mortally
wounded and 4 Officers and 177 Enlisted men by disease. Total 238.
A letter home from Dwight Henry Cory, Trooper of the 6th Ohio..
[note: This letter was heavily edited and punctuated apparently at a later date by a different hand in pencil. For example "Old Kill" is crossed out and Gen. Kilpatrick is written in it's place.
Possibly parts of this letter were used in a speech as all the personal information was crossed out. Also notice the spelling of "Antietam". Throughout this letter Libbie Braden is a female and Liberty Raymond (also referred to as Lib or Libbie) is a male. Dwight seldom used any punctuation in his letters except underlining. Some punctuation has occasionally been added for clarity but the letter was copied as written.]
Camp in the Woods near the
battlefield of Antiatam, MD
July 12th, Sunday, 1863
Dear Parents, Brothers & Sisters
I received four letters from home (and its vicinity) day before yesterday. One from Mother, one from Sylvia and one from John and Emily. One from Debra French and one from Libbie Braden. These all were read with great pleasure. What did you do on the 4th to celebrate the birthday of the U.S. We, the troops of Gen Kilpatrick's brigade, went over the mountain and took 1500 prisoners and 160 wagons loaded with all kinds of stores that they had taken in Pa, and about 100 wounded Rebs. We started in pursuit of the train, about four in the p.m. and rode all night and it rained and was very dark, but this didn't hinder our artillery from sending a shot through five or six wagons as they were going along the road. Then our men, mostly from our reg. charged among them and took the whole thing, including Gen. Jones who was dressed as a citizen. I tell you there is not a general in the whole service that stands higher in the estimation of Old Kill than ours. As an instance of this a short time ago a certain Reg. in our brig. was ordered to charge but some officers remonstrated that it wasn't safe. What! afraid are you? Send for one squadron of the 6th Ohio. They ain't afraid says old Kilpatrick, and this is the only gen. who ever led us in person. Yes, Mother I am very rugged and hearty, my weight is 158 only but I feel well, and the heat don't effect me as much as it would if I was more fleshy. In a word, I am down to my "fighting weight" and I try to do as you tell me in every thing for I am coming home some time if nothing happens and I don't want to be whipped when I get there for anything I have done or not done here. Yes John I knew you would be ashamed of your negligence when I put the matter before you in its true light. I have always been good to you and there is no reason why you should alight me now, but your good resolution fails and Emily is your next resort. Well Emily I am glad you went to see Libbie. If you did it on my account I will thank you and relieve you of the necessity when I get home. If you could see the letters that I receive from her, so kind and friendly and at the same time so reserved you would not wonder that I try to appreciate such friendship. I wish I could keep all the letters that I get here in the army, but they are so numerous that I can't and have to burn them after the tenth reading for fear the rebs or some one else may get hold of them. Not that I don't feel proud of every letter I get, but every one can't read them if I can help it. Those pictures where are they and echo across where and I fear that is all the answer I shall get too. Every letter received from home is a new source of happiness so let them be frequent and God will bless you.
Adieu kind friends
Dwight
