The Fourth Alabama Painting by Don Troiani

Army of Northeastern Virginia

Major I N Palmer

Major I N Palmer, commanding United States Battalion Cavalry

United States Battalion Cavalry

MAJOR I N PALMER
Second United States Cavalry

First United States Cavalry

Company A: First Lt. T H McCormick
Brevet Captain & Assistant Adjutant General A V Colburn commanded a squadron of Companies A and E, on 21 July, 1861. First Lieutenant T H McCormick commanding the company on 21 July, 1861, as Captain S D Sturgis was promoted to major, 1st United States Cavalry, on 3 May, 1861.
Assignment: First Brigade, Second Division, Army of Norteastern Virginia.
Company E: Second Lt. L'Hommedieu
Brevet Captain & Assistant Adjutant General A V Colburn commanded a squadron of Companies A and E, on 21 July, 1861. Second Lieutenant L'Hommedieu commanded the company as Captain J B McIntyre was on a leave of absense and First Lieutenant S W Stockton was attached to the staff of Colonel D Hunter as aide-de-camp on 21 July, 1861. Captain W N R Beall resigned his commission in the United States Army and was appointed as a captain of cavalry in the Confederate Army.
Assignment: First Brigade, Second Division, Army of of Norteastern Virginia.

The 1st United States Cavalry was initially kept on the frontier until other units were established to protect settlers and townsfolk from Indian raids. Companies F, G, H and K, under Colonel J Sedgewick, remained at Fort Wise until October 1861. Captain S D Sturgis evacuated Fort Smith, Arkansas, on 23 April, 1861, with Companies D and E to join Lieutenant Colonel W H Emory at the regiments headquarters, Fort Washita, Indian Territory, commanding Companies A, B, C and I. Companies A, B, C, D, E, and I were ordered to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel W H Emory and arrived on 31 May, 1861. Captain S D Sturgis was promoted to major on 3 May, 1861, and Lieutenant Colonel W H Emory resigned his commission on 9 May and was reappointed lieutenant colonel, 6th United States Cavalry on 14 May, 1861. On 29 May, 1861, two companies were ordered from Fort Wise to Fort Kearney, Nebraska, to hold hostile Indians in that region in check and Colonel J Sedgewick was ordered to Fort Leavenworth. On 22 June, 1861, Major General G McCellan requested Companies A and E, 1st United States Cavalry, to serve as his personal escort and were ordered to Washington D. C. in late July, 1861. During June 1861 Companies B, C, D and I served in Missouri under the command of Major S D Sturgis.

Second United States Cavalry

Company B: CAPT. J E HARRISON
Assignment: First Brigade, Second Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia.
Company E: CAPT. W W LOWE
Assignment: Escort to Colonel S P Heintzelman, Third Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia.
Company G: CAPT. R N EAGLE
First Lieutenant T Drummond commanding on 21 July, 1861.
Assignment: First Brigade, Second Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia.
Company I: CAPT. A G BRACKETT
Assignment: Escort to Brigadier General I McDowell commanding Army of Northeastern Virginia.

On 31 March, 1861, Companies D and H left 'Camp Cooper', Texas, and arrived in Washington D. C. on 14 April, 1861. Companies A, C, F and K, under the command of Colonel G H Thomas, 2nd United States cavalry, were ordered to report to Major General R Patterson at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on 1 June, 1861. Companies B, D, E, G, H and I were at Washington D. C. guarding the White House and the Treasury buildings. On 23 May, 1861, Companies G and I were ordered across the Potomac and assisted in the capture of Alexandria and Arlington Heights. At the beginning of the Bull Run campaign Company B was stationed at Fort Corcoran, Company E at Alexandria and Company I and G at Arlington. Companies D and H remained on duty at Washington D. C. Companies D, Captain W P Chambliss, and H, Captain K Garrard, 2nd United States Cavalry, remained in Washington D. C. guarding the Treasury building and served in the defenses of the city on 21 July, 1861.

Second United States Dragoons

Company K Second United States Dragoons: CAPT. F C ARMSTRONG
Assignment: Escort to Colonel D Hunter, Second Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia.
Companies C and K were stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in January 1861. Company K was ordered to Washington D. C. arriving in early July, 1861, and was stationed at Arlington Heights. Company C left Fort Leavenworth on 11 June, 1861, under the command of First Lieutenant C E Farrand, 1st United States Infantry, arriving at Springfield, Missouri, on 6 August. Company A was stationed at Fort Kearny, Nebraska, Companies D and F at Fort Laramie, Nebraska, Companies G and I, under the command of Brevet Major H H Sibley, at Taos, New Mexico, and Companies B, E and H at 'Camp Floyd', Fort Crittenden, Utah. All companies except Companies C, G and I, arrived at Cantonment Holt, Washington D. C., on or before 23 December, 1861.

Independent Detachment of United States Army

Detachment: Second LT. J S Brisbin, First United States Dragoons
A detachment of recruits from Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, under the command of Second Lieutenant J S Brisbin, was ordered to Washington D.C. on 19 July, 1861. The recruits were to be attached to Light Company M, 2nd United States Artillery, the 3rd United States Infantry and the United States Cavalry at Washington D. C. but as Brigadier General J K Mansfield had gone to the front the detachment received arms and were ordered to Centreville. Unable to obtain orders the detachment marched to the battlefield.

Sources

"The first troop of the Second to tead the soil of Virginia was K (Armstrong's), which arrived early in July, and was stationed at Arlington Heights."

From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry, by Theophilus Francis Rodenbough

"The cavalry rejoined Palmer, and, on the morning of the 19th, Brakett's company was detailed as General McDowell's escort. Captain Lowe's company, of the 2nd Cavalry, was sent to Colonel Heintzelman, commanding a division; Captain Armstrong's company, of the 2nd Dragoons, to Colonel Hunter, also commanding a division; and the remaining four companies, under Major Palmer, were attached to Colonel Andrew Porter's brigade, of Hunter's division."

History of the United States cavalry: from the formation of the federal Government to the 1st of June, 1863, by Albert Gallatin Brackett

"These companies were chiefly employed during the battle of Bull Run as supports to batteries of artillery. Those with General Hunter's division crossed Bull Run at one of the upper fords and assisted in turning the enemy's left flank, which at half-past three o'clock p.m. had been forced back until the National troops had pocession of the Warrenton Pike leading from the stone bridge."

"He participated in the battle of Bull Run, where his company served as escort to General McDowell during the entire day, having been detailed for duty on the 19th." During the diastrous retreat his company, with the regular cavalry, constituted about all there was of a rear-guard, and by vigorous and intelligent action did much to restore order among the volunteers, who had been abandoned by their own appointed officers." Captain A G Brackett

"He reported to the adjutant-general of the army on 20th of July, and was selected by General Scott as a bearer of dispatches to General McDowell. He started at seven o'clock PM for Centreville, where he arrived about three o'clock PM of 21st, and having delivered his dispatches, reported for duty with his company at daybreak, and participated in the battle of Bull Run, where he was distinguished for gallant conduct." Second Lieutenant G A Custer

Across the continent with the Fifth Cavalry, by George Frederic Price

"I had one company of cavalry attached to my division, which was joined during the engagement by the cavalry of Colonel Hunter's division."

Report of Colonel S P Heintzelman, Seventeenth United States Infantry, commanding Third Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia

"I had one company of cavalry attached to my division, which was joined, during the engagement, by the cavalry of Colonel Hunter’s division. Major Palmer, who commanded them, was anxious to engage the enemy."

The CSA, and the Battle of Bull Run (A letter to an English friend), by J G Barnard

Of Duty Well and Faithfully Done: A history of the Regular Army in the Civil War, by Clayton R Newell and Charles R Shrader

The Army of the United States: Historical Sketches of Staff and Line with Portraits of Generals in Chief, by T F Rodenbough, Brevet Brigadier General, and W L Haskin, Major, First Artillery

Official Army Register for September 1861, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, 1 September, 1861

Notes

The United States Battalion Cavalry was temporarily organised with companies of the 1st and 2nd United States Cavalry and the 2nd United States Dragoons on 21 July, 1861. Second Lieutenant G A Custer served with Company G, 2nd United States Cavalry, on 21 July, 1861. Second Lieutenants J W Spangler, H McQuade and C B McClellen were assigned to the 3rd United States Cavalry and served with the battalion on 21 July, 1861. First Lieutenant J J Sweet, Company K, 2nd United States Cavalry, was attached to Colonel S P Heintzelman's staff as aide-de-camp and First Lieutenant S W Stockton, 1st United States Cavalry, was attached to Colonel D Hunter's staff as aide-de-camp.

The United States Cavalry regiments were reorganised by direction of the President into the following on 3 August, 1861: 1st United States Cavalry assigned the 4th United States Cavalry; 2nd United States Cavalry assigned the 5th United States Cavalry; 2nd United States Dragoons assigned the 2nd United States Cavalry.

The Military District of the Potomac was established on 25 July, 1861 by consolidating the Military District of Washington and the Department of Northeastern Virginia and redesignated the Department of the Potomac on 15 August, 1861. Company I, 2nd United States Cavalry was assigned to Brigadier General W T Sherman's brigade and Company G, 2nd United States Cavalry was assigned to Brigadier General P Kearney's brigade, Army of the Potomac in August 1861. Companies A and E, 1st United States Cavalry, were assigned as Provost Guard or City Guard, under the command of Colonel A Porter, 16th United States Infantry, on 30 July, 1861. Company K, 2nd United States Dragoons and Companies B and E, 2nd United States Cavalry were assigned to duty in the defenses of Washington.

Report

OFFICIAL REPORT NO.37: Series I, Volume 2 (S# 2), Chapter IX, p. 393
Major I N Palmer, Second United States Cavalry, commanding battalion of regular cavalry