University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 1960 A Unit History of the Second Rhode Island Cavalry Donald Fisher Harrison University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Harrison, Donald Fisher, "A Unit History of the Second Rhode Island Cavalry" (1960). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1816. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1816 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A UNIT MISfORY OF THE 1862 .... 1863 ll'ASTER OP ARtS I lf lU$10nl' FJN:EVERSITY OF ImODE ISLAl:fD ABST.RAGT The Second Rhode ;eland .Cavalry was activated by a state e~eeutiv-e .order ove r Governor 8m1thts si gnature on August 31, 1862. It called for the t"ormation of one bat talion under the oommand_of tajor Augustus w• . Oorliss at Pr ovidence, Rhod e lsland . Volunteering went s~ well tJ1at on November 15, 1862, an additional or der wa.$ pu blished .fo?"ming a full si~ed :regiment . After tilli ng the ranks with men who were proeu:red for t he most part by hi gh bounties, the re giment lef t as soon as possible for action in the Department of the Gulf at New Orlean~, under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Sanks . Having arrived . in New Orleans) the re giment was as1'" signed various reconnaissance and patrol du.ties within one of the divisi ons in Banks' eommand.