9th Pennsylvania Cavalry The 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment was a Union Army cavalry regiment that participated in the American Civil War . It was one of the most respected Union volunteer cavalry units in the war . History . The regiment was organized August 29 , 1861 , at Camp Cameron near Harrisburg . It was composed of 12 companies , mostly recruited from the counties of south - central and southeast Pennsylvania . Its officers were Col . Edward C . Williams , Lt . Col . Thomas C . James and Maj . Thomas Jefferson Jordan . Williams was a famous soldier in central Pennsylvania , a bookbinder from Harrisburg who had been a hero in the Mexican - American War . James had served as Captain of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry , a militia unit active since before the Revolutionary War . He brought a great knowledge of cavalry organization and tactics . Jordan served until the end of the war , attaining the rank of Brevet Brigadier General . The original officers of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry were politically appointed , but many had previous military experience . After recruitment and initial training , the regiment was sent to Kentucky , where it was assigned to the Department of the Cumberland and given additional training . In March , it was ordered into Tennessee , where it fought several battles over the next few months with John Hunt Morgan ' s Confederate cavalry , capturing hundreds of his men , including his second - in - command and his quartermaster . After the Battle of Richmond on August 30 , 1862 , it covered the retreat of the Union Army of Kentucky along with the 9th Kentucky Cavalry . Being assigned to the Army of the Ohio , it saw only some skirmishing at the Battle of Perryville on October 8 , 1862 . Near the end of January 1863 , Colonel Williams resigned his commission and Lieutenant Colonel James died , leaving Major Jordan in command of the 9th . During the Chickamauga campaign during the late summer of 1863 , the regiment fought in several skirmishes and captured part of the advance guard of Lt . Gen . James Longstreet ' s corps . During the Battle of Chickamauga , it guarded the right flank of the Union army , and , after the rout of the Union left wing , continued fighting with Thomas . In April 1864 , the regiment re - enlisted and was given a furlough so it could return to Pennsylvania to recruit more men . The 9th helped defeat Morgan during another of his raids into Kentucky and in September fought Joseph Wheeler ' s raid into Tennessee . After this , it joined Sherman in his march to the sea and later in his march through the Carolinas , fighting several times with Wheeler , including at the Battle of Griswoldville . During this time , Colonel Jordan was promoted to brigadier general and Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel was promoted to command of the regiment . On April 17 , 1865 , the 9th served as part of the escort who traveled with General Sherman to meet General Johnston at the Bennett Farm near Durham Station . After the surrender of General Joseph E . Johnston ' s army at the Bennett Place in North Carolina , the 9th was mustered out at Lexington , Kentucky , and finally disbanded at Harrisburg , Pennsylvania . The 9th fought against the famous Confederate leaders Forrest , Wheeler and Morgan , among others . Even early in the war when Confederate cavalry was normally superior to most Union forces , the regiment won most of its encounters with the enemy . An 1866 account reports the regimental casualties during the 1864 March to The Sea :