PA Civil War > Regiments > 159th

159th Pennsylvania Regiment - 14th Cavalry

Recruited in Allegheny county, Fayette county, Armstrong county, Washington county, Lawrence county, Erie county, Warren county, and from the city of Philadelphia,


159th PA Regiment Soldier Biographies




159th PA Regiment Companies




159th PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at Pittsburg, Philadelphia and Erie October and November, 1862.
  • Moved to Hagerstown, Md., November 24, 1862,
  • Thence to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., December 28.
  • Attached to Defences Upper Potomac, 8th Army Corps,
  • Middle Department, to March, 1863.
  • 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Corps, March, 1863.
  • 4th Separate Brigade, 8th Corps, to June, 1863.
  • Averill's 4th Separate Brigade, Dept. West Virginia, to December, 1863.
  • 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Dept. West Virginia, to April, 1864.
  • 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to June, 1864.
  • 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to August, 1864.
  • 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Shenandoah,
  • Middle Military Division, August, 1864.
  • 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, West Virginia, to April, 1865.
  • 1st Separate Brigade, 22nd Corps, Dept. of Washington, to June, 1865. Dept. of Missouri to August, 1865.
    Service & Battles - 1863
  • Picket and outpost duty in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, W. Va., till May, 1863.
  • Scout to Leesburg March 15 and April 21-24, 1863.
  • Ordered to Grafton, W. Va., May, 1863, and
  • duty protecting Phillippi, Beverly and Webster till July.
  • Forced march to relief of Beverly July 2-3.
  • Huttonsville July 4.
  • Moved to Webster, thence to Cumberland, Md., and to
  • Williamsport, Md., July 5-14, and join Army of the Potomac.
  • Advance to Martinsburg July 15.
  • Martinsburg and Hedgesville July 18-19.
  • McConnellsburg, Pa., July 30.
  • Averill's Raid from Winchester through Hardy, Pendleton,
  • Highland, Bath, Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties, W. Va., August 1-31.
  • Newtown August 2.
  • Moorefield and Cacapon Mountain August 6 (Detachment).
  • Salt Works, near Franklin, August 19.
  • Jackson River August 25. Rocky Gap, near White Sulphur Springs, August 26-27.
  • Hedgesville October 15 (Detachment).
  • Averill's Raid against Lewisburg and
  • the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad November 1-17.
  • Cackletown November 4.
  • Mill Point November 5.
  • Droop Mountain November 6.
  • Averill's Raid from New Creek to Salem,
  • on Virginia & Tennessee Railroad, December 8-25.
  • Marling's Bottom Bridge December 11.
  • Gatewood's December 12.
  • Descent upon Salem December 16.
  • Scott's or Barber's Creek December 19.
  • Jackson River, near Covington, December 19.
    Service & Battles - 1864
  • Winchester March 22 and April 8, 1864.
  • Sigel's Expedition from Martinsburg to New Market, April 23-May 16 (Detachment).
  • Averill's Raid on Virginia & Tennessee Railroad May 5-19.
  • Grassy Lick, Cove Mountain, near Wytheville, May 10.
  • New River Bridge May 10.
  • New Market May 15 (Detachment).
  • Hunter's Expedition to Lynchburg May 26-July 1.
  • Piedmont, Mount Crawford, June 5.
  • Occupation of Staunton June 6.
  • (Detachment with Sigel rejoined Regiment at Staunton.)
  • Lexington June 11.
  • Scout around Lynchburg June 13-15.
  • Near Buchanan June 13.
  • New London June 16.
  • Diamond Hill June 17.
  • Lynchburg June 17-18.
  • Liberty June 19.
  • Buford's Gap June 20.
  • Catawba Mountains and about Salem June 21.
  • Liberty June 22.
  • Moved to the Shenandoah Valley July.
  • Buckton July 17.
  • Stephenson's Depot July 20.
  • Newtown July 22. Kernstown, Winchester, July 24.
  • Near Martinsburg July 25.
  • Hagerstown July 29.
  • Hancock, Md., July 31.
  • Antietam Ford August 4.
  • Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to November.
  • Near Moorefield August 7.
  • Williamsport, Md., August 26.
  • Martinsburg August 31.
  • Bunker Hill September 2-3.
  • Winchester September 5.
  • Darkesville September 10.
  • Bunker Hill September 13.
  • Near Berryville September 14.
  • Opequan, Winchester, September 19.
  • Fisher's Hill September 22.
  • Mount Jackson September 23-24.
  • Forest Hill or Timberville September 24.
  • Brown's Gap September 26.
  • Weyer's Cave September 26-27.
  • Mount Jackson October 3 (Detachment).
  • Battle of Cedar Creek October 19.
  • Dry Run October 23 (Detachment).
  • Milford October 25-26.
  • Cedar Creek November 8.
  • Nineveh November 12.
  • Rude's Hill November 23.
  • Snicker's Gap November 30.
  • Millwood December 17 (Detachment).
  • Expedition from Winchester to Gordonsville December 19-28.
  • Madison Court House December 21.
  • Liberty Mills December 22.
  • Near Gordonsville December 23.
    Service & Battles - 1865
  • At Winchester till April, 1865.
  • Expedition into Loudoun County February 18-19 (Detachment).
  • Expedition to Ashby's Gap February 19.
  • Operations in the valley till April 20.
  • Ordered to Washington, D.C., April 20, and duty there till June.
  • Grand Review May 28-24.
  • Moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., June, and duty
  • in the District of the Plains till August.
  • Mustered out August 24, 1865.
    Regimental Losses
  • Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 97 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 296 Enlisted men by disease. Total 395.



159th PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • KERR, THOMAS R. Captain, Company C, 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 24 April 1843, Ireland. Citation: At Moorfield, W. Va., 7 August 1864. After being most desperately wounded, he captured the colors of the 8th Virginia Cavalry (C.S.A.). Date of Issue: 13 June 1894.

  • SCHOONMAKER, JAMES M. Colonel, 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Entered service at: Maryland. Born: 30 June 1842, Pittsburgh, Pa. Citation: At Winchester, Va., 19 September 1864. At a critical period, gallantly led a cavalry charge against the left of the enemy's line of battle, drove the enemy out of his works, and captured many prisoners. Date of Issue: 19 May 1899.