HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry was organized at Janesville, Wisconsin, on November 30, 1861, to January 31, 1862. It was mustered in January 28, 1862. It moved to St. Louis, Mo., March 26-28, 1862, and duty at Benton Barracks, Mo., until May 23. Moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., May 23-27.Companies "G" and "L" were mustered out October 26, 1865 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 61 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 147 Enlisted men by disease. Total 217.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Assigned to frontier and provost duty in Kansas until September, 1862. Company "D" at Atchison; Company "G" at Shawnee; Company "L" at Aubrey; Companies "B" and "H" at Fort Leavenworth; Companies "A," "E" and "K" at Leavenworth City. Companies "C," "F," "I" and "M" moved to Fort Scott, Kan., June 12-17. Company "C" stationed at Trading Post until August; Company "I" at Carthage until August, Action at Monticello August 5. Rocky Bluff August 7. Taberville August 11. Expedition to Montevallo August 14-24. Hickory Grove August 23. Regiment assembled at Fort Scott September. Attached to Solomon's 1st Brigade. Herron's 1st Division, Army of the Frontier, Dept. of Missouri, to November, 1862. Cavalry Command, Herron's Division, Army of the Frontier, to June, 1863. District of the Frontier, Dept. of Missouri, to December, 1863. 3rd Brigade, District of the Frontier, to January, 1864. Unassigned, District of the Frontier, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to April, 1864. Unassigned, Little Rock, Ark., 7th Army Corps, to September, 1864. 4th Brigade, Cavalry Division, 7th Army Corps, to February, 1865. Cavalry Brigade, Post of Little Rock, 7th Army Corps, to April, 1865. Unassigned, 1st Division, 7th Army Corps, to June, 1865. District of South Kansas, to September, 1865.
OFFICERS:
Colonel William Augustus Barstow (November 30, 1861 – March 4, 1865) was assigned provost marshal general of Kansas. He was detached in August 1863 to serve as president of a court martial and never rejoined the regiment. Before the war, he had been the 3rd Governor of Wisconsin.
Lt. Colonel Elias A. Calkins (August 1863 – February 14, 1865) was acting commander when Barstow was detached from the regiment.
Captain Edward R. Stevens commanded a detachment of the regiment at the Battle of Honey Springs
Captain Robert Carpenter commanded a detachment at the Battle of Westport
1st Lieutenant James B. Pond commanded a detachment at the Battle of Mine Creek.
Colonel Thomas Derry (March 9, 1865 – September 8, 1865) was commander of the reorganized regiment. Earlier, he had been captain of Co. L and major of the 1st battalion.
SERVICE:
Expedition from Fort Leavenworth to Independence August 12-14, 1862. (Cos. "I" and "M" at Fort Scott until May, 1863; also "C" and "G," December, 1862, to July, 1863; Co. "G" relieved and ordered to Regiment.) 1st and 3rd Battalions in Blount's Campaign in Missouri and Arkansas against Raines and Parsons September to December, 1862. Cross Hollows September 27-28. Newtonia September 30. Occupation of Newtonia October 4. Cane Hill November 28. Battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., December 7. Expedition over Boston Mountains to Van Buren, Ark., December 27-29. Dripping Springs December 28. Carthage, Mo., January 13, 1863. Moved to Forsythe, thence to Springfield, Mo. Duty there and at Drywood until June. Scouting in Southwest Counties of Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, and operating against Patty's, Livingston's and Quantrell's guerrillas, with numerous skirmishes in Barton, Jasper and Newton Counties. Action at Carrollton March 2. Yellville March 4. The Island March 30. Clapper's Saw Mill, near Crooked Creek, I. T., March 31 (Detachment). Jackson County April 2. Companies "B," "O," "H," "I" and "M" march to Fort Blount, C. N., as escort to train, May 14-30. Near Fort Gibson May 20 and 25, and near Fort Blount May 30. Regiment moved to Fort Blount June 20-July 5. Action at Cabin Creek July 1-2 (Co. "B"). Honey Springs July 17 and August 22. Perryville August 26. Marias Des Cygnes August 31. At Schuyleyville, C. N., until October· Expedition through Jackson, Cass, Johnson and Lafayette Counties September 8-23 (Cos. "B" and "L"). Choctaw Nation October 2. Baxter Springs October 6 (Cos. "C" and "I"). Fort Blair, Waldron, October 7. Choctaw Nation October 7. Waldron October 16. Clarksville October 28. Raid from Van Buren to Dallas November 12-22. Duty at Van Buren November, 1863, to March, 1864. Moved to Little Rock March 30-April 16. Veterans on furlough March 30-June 16, then moved to Little Rock via St. Louis, Memphis and Devall's Bluff June 16-July 27. Clarendon July 14 (Non-Veterans). Expedition from Little Rock to Little Red River August 6-16. Hickory Plains and Bull's Bayou August 7. Bull's Bayou and Jacksonport August 26. Pursuit of Shelby's forces August 28-September 7. Expedition from Little Rock to Fort Smith September 25-October 13 (Detachment). Clarksville September 28 and October 19. Expedition from Lewisburg to Benton November 2-3. Duty at Little Rock until April, 1865 (Cos. "B," "E," "G," "H," "I," "K" and "L"). Expedition up White River to Devall's Bluff December 13-15, 1864. Regiment reorganized into 5 Companies April 16, 1865. Moved to Duvall's Bluff April 21, and duty there until June 3. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., June 3, thence to Rolla and Springfield, Mo., and marched to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., July 18-August 3. Mustered out at Fort Leavenworth September 8, 1865. Companies "A," "C," "D," "F" and "M" served detached in District of the Border October, 1863, to January, 1864. In District of Kansas to September, 1864. District of South Kansas to April, 1865, and District of North Kansas to September, 1865, serving at different posts in Missouri and Kansas, Sub-District of Fort Scott, at Forts Insley, Mo., Hamer, Mo., Curtis, Mo., McKean, Mo., Pawnee Creek, Kan., etc. Arkansas Creek near Fort Larned November 13, 1863 (Detachment). Dogwood Creek May 16 (Co. "C"). Lane's Prairie, Marian County, May 26. Actions at Montevallo, Mo., June 12, 1864 (Detachment). Big North Fork Creek Mo., June 16 (Co. "C"). Near Dogwood July 7. Osage Mission, Kan., September 26. Operations against Price in Missouri and Arkansas September to November, 1864. Lexington October 19 (Detachment). Near Montevallo October 19. Little Blue October 21. Big Blue and State Line October 22. Westport October 23. Engagement at the Marmiton or Battle of Chariot October 25. Mine Creek, Little Osage River, October 25. Newtonia October 28. Drywood October 29. Company "A" changed to Company "K," Company "C" to Company "H," Company "D" to Company "I," and Company "M" to Company G," April 16, 1865. Companies "F" and "H" on expedition to explore country from Fort Riley, Kan., to Denver, Colo., Smoky Hill Route, March to July, 1865. Mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., September 29, 1865. Companies "G" and "L" mustered out October 26, 1865.
ROSTERS:
The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 2823 men.
Company A - Monroe County, Winnebago County, Dane County and La Crosse County
Company B - Winnebago County and Dane County
Company C - Green Lake County, Marquette County, Fond du lac County and Rock County
Company D - Waukesha County, Jefferson County, Richland County, Dane County and Milwaukee County
Company E - Most men from Rock County, many others from Columbia County and Jefferson County
Company F - Most men from Sauk County, many from Dane County and possibly Richland County as around 15 men were from the towns of Cazenovia and Excelsior, with no indication of whether their county was Sauk or Richland.
Company G - Grant County, Walworth County, Monroe County and around 15 men from Van Buren, Arkansas,
Company H - Portage County, Rock County, Dane County, Milwaukee County and Grant County,
Company I - Outagamie County and Oconto County
Company K - Jefferson County, Dodge County and Milwaukee County
Company L -Dane County, Walworth County and Rock County, and about 15 men from Arkansas
Company M - Grant County, Milwaukee County, Dane County and Crawford County, along with 5 men from Ft. Scott, Kansas
HISTORICAL NOTES: