Full Roster - 1st Kentucky Regimental Cavalry, U.S. Army
Unit Information
Col. Frank Wolford, 1st Ky. Cavalry. [Between 1860 and 1870] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/2018670112/.
The 1st Kentucky Cavalry was organized in the summer and fall of 1861 at Liberty (Casey County), Burkesville (Cumberland County), and Monticello (Wayne County), Kentucky (with training at Camp Dick Robinson). The regiment mustered into federal service on October 28, 1861, for a three-year enlistment under Colonel Frank Lane Wolford...
The men earned their "Wild Riders" nickname for their hard-riding, scouting, and guerrilla-fighting style. They were known for operating effectively as both cavalry and dismounted infantry, with a reputation for daring and independence (they even included an unusual Company J).
Key Service (1861–1865)
The regiment saw extensive action across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia:
Early campaigns — Fought at Camp Wildcat, Mill Springs (Logan's Cross Roads), and supported operations against Confederate forces in eastern Kentucky.
1862 — Participated in the pursuit of Braxton Bragg, fought at Perryville, and helped capture parts of John Hunt Morgan's raiders.
1863 — Took part in operations against Morgan (including elements at Buffington Island), raids in East Tennessee, and the Knoxville Campaign (including the Siege of Knoxville).
1864 — Joined the Atlanta Campaign, seeing action around Kennesaw Mountain, during Stoneman's raid, and other engagements before returning to Kentucky.
Later in the war, veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion that continued anti-guerrilla duty in Kentucky until final muster-out.
End of Service
The main regiment mustered out on December 31, 1864, with remaining elements serving until September 20, 1865, at places like Camp Nelson. During its service, it suffered 5 officers and 56 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, plus significant losses to disease.
The unit is remembered for its scouting prowess, rapid marches, and role in securing Union control in a deeply divided border state. A detailed contemporary account appears in the 1894 book The Wild Riders of the First Kentucky Cavalry by E. Tarrant. Historical markers, such as one in Liberty, Kentucky, also commemorate its contributions.
(Note: There was a separate Confederate 1st Kentucky Cavalry, but the Union regiment is the one commonly associated with the "1st Kentucky Cavalry" in U.S. Army records.) [1]
