1st Maryland Cavalry , U . S . A . " This unit is not to be confused with the 1st Regiment Maryland Volunteer Cavalry " . Originally organized as the 1st Potomac Home Brigade Cavalry , " Cole ' s Cavalry " was formed under the guidance of Henry A . Cole ( from Frederick , Maryland ) . There are also references to it being designated as Cole ' s 1st Volunteer Maryland Cavalry . The unit , a battalion , originally consisted of four companies , A , B , C & D and was initially enlisted between August 10 and November 27 , 1861 . Organization and History . Company A was made - up of men mostly from Frederick , Maryland and the surrounding area and was initially commanded by Cole ; B was recruited from the western part of Maryland ( Hagerstown , Clear Spring , Cumberland , etc . ) and was commanded by Capt . William Firey ; C was recruited primarily from Emmitsburg , Maryland and Gettysburg , Pennsylvania and was commanded by Capt . John Horner ; and D was made - up of men mostly from Baltimore City and Howard County , Maryland , and was commanded by Capt . Pearce K . Curll . Company B served , through March 1863 , independent of the battalion , mostly in West Virginia , western Maryland , and the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley . The company was present in action as South Branch Bridge , West Virginia ( October 26 , 1861 ) and at the Battle of Kernstown March 22 , 1862 ) , and spent much of 1862 in the area of Romney , West Virginia on duty as a scouting force . They were in action again at Grass Lick , West Virginia on April 23 , 1862 , and at Wardensville , West Virginia on May 7 , 1862 . The company regularly served along with Colonel Andrew Thomas McReynolds ’ Cavalry [ the 1st New York " Lincoln " Cavalry ] . It joined General Jacob Dolson Cox ’ s Brigade in pursuit of J . E . B . Stuart , during his October 1862 raid into Pennsylvania . For the balance of the year , through early 1863 , the company operated along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and around Martinsburg , West Virginia . Companies A , C , and D of the battalion served initially as an unattached unit of the Dept . of West Virginia , to January , 1862 , and were later in the service of Frederick W . Lander ' s Division . The list of engagements for these three companies is extensive and includes , Hancock , Md . ( January 5 – 6 , 1862 ) , Bloomery Gap ( February 14 , 1862 ) , the advance on Winchester ( March 2 – 12 ) , Martinsburg , West Virginia ( March 3 , 1862 ) , Bunker Hill ( this was just Co . A ) , West Virginia ( March 5 , 1862 ) , action between Bunker Hill and Winchester ( March 7 , 1862 ) , Stephenson ' s Depot ( March 7 – 8 ) , Winchester ( March 12 , 1862 ) , Kernstown ( March 22 , 1862 ) , Winchester ( March 23 , 1862 ) , Edinburg , Va . ( April 1 ) , and Charles Town , West Virginia ( May 28 ) . On paper , the companies were consolidated into a Battalion on August 1 , 1862 , and designated as Cole ' s Battalion , Potomac Home Brigade Cavalry , Capt . Henry Cole receiving the rank of major . At that time , with Cole ' s promotion , Lt . George W . F . Vernon was raised to command of Company A , with the rank of captain . Despite the consolidation , Company B continued to operate independently of the battalion through March 1863 . Meanwhile , Cole ' s Battalion continued to see regular and active service , participating in action at the Battle of Mile Hill , Leesburg , Va . , September 2 , 1862 ; Edwards ' Ferry , Md . , September 4 ; Monocacy Creek September 4 ; Reconnaissance to Lovettsville September 4 ; Maryland Heights and siege of Harper ' s Ferry , West Virginia September 12 – 14 ( when the battalion led the way in cutting through enemy lines and evading capture ) . During the escape from Harpers Ferry , Cole ' s Battalion encountered and captured Confederate Gen . James Longstreet ' s ammunition train at Sharpsburg , Maryland on September 15 . The battalion participated in harassing Gen . J . E . B . Stuart in his raid into Pennsylvania and engaged portions of the Confederate cavalry force at Hyattstown , Md . on October 12 . After that , the battalion saw action at Charles Town , November 14 ; Berryville , December 1 ; Charles Town , December 2 ; Winchester , December 5 ; Halltown , December 20 . After Company B rejoined the battalion on March 21 , 1863 , at Kearneysville , West Virginia , the battalion , for the first time a complete force , participated later that spring at Charles Town , May 16 ; Berryville , June 13 ; Martinsburg , June 14 ; Winchester , June 15 ( Co . B ) ; Williamsport , June 15 ; Catoctin Creek , June 17 ; Frederick , Md . , June 21 ; Sharpsburg , July ; Fountain Dale , Pa . , July ; Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , July 1 – 3 ; near Emmittsburg , July 4 ; Falling Waters , July 6 ; Harper ' s Ferry , July 6 ; Smithfield , August 23 . In August ( 26th ) and September ( 12th - 16th ) , the battalion sent scouts into Loudoun County , Virginia . The list of actions continues with Catoctin Mountain , September 14 ; Loudoun Valley , Va . , September 25 ; Loudoun Valley and Summit Point , October 7 ; Charles Town , October 7 ( Co . B ) ; Snickersville , Leesburg , Rector ' s Cross Roads and Bloomfield , September 14 ; Upperville , September 25 ; Berryville , October 18 ; near Annandale , October 22 ; expedition from Charles Town to New Market , November 15 – 18 ; Mt . Jackson , November 16 ; Ashby ' s Gap , November ; Upperville , December 10 ; Edinburg , December 17 ; New Market , December 18 ; Harrisonburg and Staunton , December 21 . In 1864 , action against John S . Mosby ' s Rangers continued , the battalion engaging them at Rectortown , January 1 , 1864 . In the dark morning hours and freezing cold temperatures of January 10 , 1864 , Mosby attempted to make an attack upon the camp of Cole ' s Battalion at the Battle of Loudoun Heights and was soundly defeated in the effort . Following this action , the battalion was engaged at Romney , Moorefield , and Mechanicsville Gap , February 4 . On February 13 , 1864 , many members of the battalion reenlisted prior to going into action again at Upperville / Blackley ' s Grove on February 20 . The battalion was increased to a full regiment with the action of eight new companies , E , F , G , H , I , K , L , and M . Organized at Baltimore and Frederick from February 9 to April 23 , 1864 , elements of the new regiment participated in Gen . Franz Sigel ' s expedition from Martinsburg , W . Va . , to New Market , Va . , on April 30 - May 16 , and saw action at the Battle of New Market , May 13 – 15 . After recovering from the defeat at New Market , the regiment participated next in Gen . David Hunter ' s expedition to Lynchburg May 26 - July 1 , participating in action at Harrisonburg , June 3 and the Battle of Piedmont , June 5 . After the occupation of Staunton on June 6 , the regiment participated in action at Tye River , June 12 ; Lexington , June 13 ; Buckhannon , June 14 ; the Battle of Lynchburg , June 17 – 18 ; and the Catawba Mountains and near Salem , Va . , June 21 . Once back in the normal operating area around Martinsburg , the command saw action at Leetown and Shepardstown , July 3 ( Detachment ) ; Keedysville , July 5 ; Frederick , Md . , July 11 – 12 ; Maryland Heights , Brownsville , Crampton ' s Gap and Herndon July - - - ; Purcelleville , July 16 ; Snicker ' s Ferry , July 17 – 18 ; Ashby ' s Gap and Winchester , July 19 ; Kernstown , July 23 – 24 ; Winchester , Bunker Hill , and Martinsburg , July 25 ; Snicker ' s Gap , July 25 ; Falling Waters , July 26 ; Hagerstown , July 29 – 30 ; Keedysville , August 5 ; Winchester , August 17 ; Opequan Creek , August 18 , 19 and 20 ; near Berryville , August 21 ; near Charles Town , August 21 – 22 ; Antietam , August 22 ; Williamsport , August 26 ; Summit Point , August 30 ; White Post , September 3 ; Winchester , September 19 ; Fisher ' s Hill , September 22 ; and the Battle of Cedar Creek , October 19 . Following the defeat of Jubal Early in the Shenandoah Valley , Cole ' s Regiment served on duty in West Virginia , operating against Mosby and guarding Baltimore & Ohio Railroad until June , 1865 . Cole ' s Regiment was mustered out on June 28 , 1865 . In the course of its service , the regiment lost 2 officers and 45 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded , 2 officers and 120 enlisted men by disease .