PA Civil War > Regiments > 70th

70th Pennsylvania Regiment, 6th Cavalry - Rush's Lancers

Recruited in Juniata County, Montgomery County, Mifflin County, Clinton County, Cameron County, Centre county, Clearfield county, Greene county, Dauphin county, Blair county, Fayette county, Washinton county, Allegheny county, Washington county, Berks county, Lebanon county, Lancaster county, PA.


70th PA Regiment Companies




70th PA Regiment Books

  • Rush's Lancers: The Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry in the Civil War
    Rush’s Lancers traces their history from George Washington’s personal body guard during the Revolutionary War. Many of the men of the Sixth Pennsylvania were the cream of Philadelphia society, including Richard H. Rush, grandson of Dr. Benjamin Rush. But it was their actions in battle, not their illustrious family histories, that distinguished Rush’s Lancers. The Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry left their mark on key battlefields, including Hanover Court House, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Brandy Station where they conducted one of the most famous charges of the war.

  • "We Have It Damn Hard Out Here": The Civil War Letters of Sergeant Thomas W. Smith, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry
    This is the story of Sgt. Thomas W. Smith's service in the Civil War - the greatest adventure of his life. It is also the story of his regiment, the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, known as Rush's Lancers, named both for the distinctive wooden lances they carried for the first two years of the war and for their first commanding officer, Col. Richard H. Rush. Tested in battle, this regiment ultimately proved to be one of the elite cavalry units on either side of the conflict.



70th PA Regiment Organization, Service & Battles

    Organization
  • Organized at Philadelphia August to October, 1861.
  • Moved to Washington, D.C., December 10 to December 16, 1861.
  • Attached to Emory's Brigade, Cooke's Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Reserve, Army Potomac, to July, 1862. Command, Army Potomac, to April, 1862.
  • Emory's 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army Potomac, to August, 1862.
  • 3rd Brigade, Pleasanton's Cavalry Division, Army Potomac, to November, 1862.
  • Headquarters Left Grand Division, Army Potomac, to February, 1863.
  • Reserve Brigade, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863.
  • Reserve Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac, to August, 1864.
  • 3rd (Reserve) Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Shenandoah and Army Potomac, to June, 1865.
    Service & Battles - 1861
  • Provost duty in the Defences of Washington, D.C., till May, 1862.
    Service & Battles - 1862
  • Scout to Hunter's Mills March 19.
  • Moved to Fortress Monroe, thence to Yorktown, Va., May 3-5.
  • Reconnoissance to Mulberry Point, Va., May 7-8 (Detachment).
  • Reconnoissance to New Castle and Hanovertown Ferry May 22.
  • Reconnoissance to Hanover Court House May 24.
  • Charge on picket line with lances May 25 (Co. "C").
  • Hanover Court House May 27 (Co. "A").
  • Operations near Hanover Court House May 27-29.
  • Occupation of Ashland May 30.
  • Reconnoissance to Hanover Court House June 10-12.
  • Operations about White House against Stuart June 13-15.
  • Garlick's Landing, Pamunkey River, June 13.
  • Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
  • Beaver Dam Station June 26 (Cos. "B," "C," "G," "H").
  • Companies "A," "D," "I," "K" with Stoneman on retreat to White House and Williamsburg.
  • Gaines' Mill June 27.
  • Savage Station June 29 (Co. "F").
  • Glendale June 30.
  • White Oak Swamp June 30.
  • Company "F" Malvern Hill July 1.
  • Cos. "C" and "H" at Headquarters, 5th Corps.
  • Company "F" escort Heavy Artillery from Malvern Hill to Harrison's Landing.
  • Fall's Church September 2-4 (Cos. "C," "H").
  • South Mountain and near Jefferson, Md., September 13.
  • Crampton's Pass, South Mountain, September 14 (Cos. "B," "G," "I").
  • Antietam September 16-17 (Cos. "B," "G," "I").
  • Sharpsburg September 19.
  • Shepherdstown Ford September 19.
    Service & Battles - 1863
  • Co. "K" at Headquarters, 6th Corps, November, 1862, to February 24, 1863.
  • Bloomfield and Upperville November 2-3.
  • Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15.
  • Occoquan River December 19-20 (Cos. "B," "G").
  • "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863 (Cos. "A," "D," "E").
  • Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.
  • Stoneman's Raid April 29-May 8 (Co. "L").
  • Raccoon Ford April 30 (Detachment).
  • Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9.
  • Reconnoissance to Ashby's Gap June 14 (Co. "A").
  • Greencastle, Pa., June 20.
  • Upperville June 21.
  • Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Williamsport, Md., July 6.
  • Boonsborough July 8. Funkstown July 10-13. Aldie July 11.
  • Kelly's Ford July 31-August 1.
  • Brandy Station August 1.
  • Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17.
  • Bristoe Campaign October 9-22.
  • Manassas Junction October 17.
  • Bristoe Station October 18.
  • Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.
  • Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.
    Service & Battles - 1864
  • Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864.
  • Custer's Raid in Albemarle County February 28-March 1.
  • Near Charlottesville February 29.
  • Burton's Ford, Stannardsville, March 1.
  • Rapidan Campaign May and June.
  • Todd's Tavern May 7-8.
  • Sheridan's Raid to James River May 9-24.
  • Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11.
  • Meadow Bridge.
  • Richmond, May 12.
  • Mechanicsville May 12.
  • Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28.
  • Hanovertown Ferry and Hanovertown May 27.
  • Totopotomoy May 28-31.
  • Old Church May 30.
  • Mattadequin Creek May 30.
  • Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, May 31-June 1.
  • McClellan's Bridge June 2.
  • Haw's Shop June 4-5.
  • Sheridan's Trevillian Raid June 7-24.
  • Trevillian Station June 11-12.
  • Newark or Mallory's Cross Roads June 12.
  • White House or St. Peter's Church June 21.
  • Black Creek or Tunstall Station June 21.
  • Jones' Bridge June 23.
  • Siege of Petersburg July 3-30.
  • Demonstration north of James at Deep Bottom July 27-29.
  • Charles City Cross Roads July 27-28.
  • Malvern Hill July 28.
  • Shenandoah Valley Campaign August to November.
  • Near Stone Chapel August 10.
  • Toll Gate near White Post August 11, Near Newtown August 11.
  • Near Strasburg August 14.
  • Summit Point August 21.
  • Kearneysville August 25.
  • Leetown and Smithfield August 23.
  • Smithfield Crossing, Opequan, August 29.
  • Ordered to Pleasant Valley, Md., September 8, and to Hagerstown, November.
    Service & Battles - 1865
  • Sheridan's Raid from Winchester February 27-March 25, 1865.
  • Waynesboro March 2.
  • Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9.
  • Gravelly Run near Five Forks March 30.
  • Dinwiddie Court House March 30-31.
  • Five Forks April 1.
  • Scott's Cross Roads April 2.
  • Tabernacle Church or Beaver Pond Creek April 4.
  • Sailor's Creek April 6.
  • Appomattox Station April 8.
  • Appomattox Court House April 9.
  • Surrender of Lee and his army.
  • Expedition to Danville April 23-29.
  • March to Washington, D.C., May.
  • Grand Review May 23.
  • Consolidated with 1st PA Cavalry and 17th PA Cavalry June 17, 1865, to form 2nd Provisional Cavalry.
    Regimental Losses
  • Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 71 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 86 Enlisted men by disease. Total 167.



70th PA Regiment Medal of Honor Recipients

  • FURNESS, FRANK Captain, Company F, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth:------. Citation: At Trevilian Station, Va., 12 June 1864. Voluntarily carried a box of ammunition across an open space swept by the enemy's fire to the relief of an outpost whose ammunition had become almost exhausted, but which was thus enabled to hold its important position. Date of Issue: 20 October 1899