page_title: 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment
section_title: Battle of the Wilderness
hierarchical_section_title: 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment / Grant's Overland Campaign / Battle of the Wilderness
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the initial positions in the Battle of the Wilderness of the American Civil War with the position of the 5th New York Cavalry commanded by John Hammond circled. Drawn in Adobe Illustrator CS5 by Hal Jespersen. Graphic source file is available at http://www.posix.com/CWmaps/
context_page_description: The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was present for 50 battles, beginning with the Battle of Hanover on June 30, 1863, and ending with a skirmish at Rude's Hill in March 1865. A majority of its fighting was in Virginia, although its first major battle was in Pennsylvania's Gettysburg campaign. It was consolidated with the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment on June 24, 1865, to form the 3rd Provisional Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment.
  The regiment was organized at Pittsburgh and Harrisburg between October and December 1862. Green County was the source of recruits for three companies, while additional recruits came from elsewhere in the state. Companies L and M were late additions to the regiment, and were originally meant to be part of a 19th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Recruits for these two companies were mostly from the Philadelphia area.
  The regiment served in the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Shenandoah. Among major battles where it saw action were the Battle of the Wilderness, the Third Battle of Winchester, and the Battle of Cedar Creek.
context_section_description: The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry fought on the first day of the Battle of the Wilderness with Brinton commanding the regiment. On May 3, the Army of the Potomac received orders to be ready to move at midnight. Wilson's 3rd Division led the way, with the First Brigade on the army's right and the Second Brigade on the left. Bryan (18th Pennsylvania Cavalry) commanded the First Brigade (including the 18th Pennsylvania) while Colonel George H. Chapman commanded the Second. After crossing the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford, the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry led the advance all the way to Wilderness Tavern. 
  At 5:00 am on May 5, the brigade began moving south toward Catharpin Road, leaving the 5th New York Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Hammond and armed with repeating rifles, to guard a western approach on Orange Plank Road. Hammond soon discovered that he was facing an entire infantry corps under the command of Lieutenant General A. P. Hill. Hammond was gradually pushed back beyond Parker's Store, causing Wilson to be cut off from the rest of the Union army.
  Wilson continued south and then moved west on the Catharpin Road with Chapman's brigade leading and Bryan's brigade, without the 5th New York Cavalry, bringing up the rear. Just beyond Craig's Meeting House, Chapman encountered about 1,000 men under the command of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas L. Rosser. Chapman's brigade, led by the 1st Vermont Cavalry, was able to push Rosser back about 2 miles (3.2 km) until Rosser outflanked him and caused a retreat. With Hill's infantry on the Orange Plank Road on Wilson's north side and Rosser's cavalry occupying the Catharpin Road on his south side, Wilson was in danger of having his entire division captured. He discovered a wagon track north of a road called Roberson's Run that led east and began a retreat with Chapman leading and Bryan in the rear. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Brinton, again protected the rear and was ordered to hold for one half hour before attempting to rejoin Wilson. After crossing the Po River, the wagon track led to Catharpin Road and Wilson was barely able to get his command on the road to the safety of Todd's Tavern.
  When Brinton and the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry arrived at the same intersection, they found it occupied by dismounted Confederate cavalry. Darlington and the First Battalion charged but were driven back by crossfire. The Second Battalion, commanded by Major John W. Phillips, also charged and was driven back. Both Phillips and Darlington were wounded, and Darlington's wound was severe enough that he had to be left with the enemy. The regiment nearly became surrounded by cavalry, infantry, and an artillery battery, and escaped through a pine thicket and across a swamp. It rejoined Wilson's division that evening, surprising those who believed the entire regiment had been captured. In addition to the two wounded majors, Captain Frederick Zarracher was captured, and 39 men were killed, wounded, or captured.
caption: Wilson leaves 5th New York Cavalry Regiment to guard Orange Plank Road
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