2nd Cavalry Regiment
Civil War
Harris Light Cavalry; Seventh United States; New York State Cavalry

History
The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.

Mustered in: August 9 to October 8,1861
Mustered out: June 5, 1865

July 25, 1861, Co1. J. Mansfield Davies received authority from the War Department to recruit a regiment of cavalry. He recruited this regiment and organized it at Scarsdale; it was mustered in the service of the United States for three years, between August 9 and October 8, 1861. It was originally known as the Harris Light Cavalry; the War Department designated it, October 26, 1861, the 7th Regiment of Cavalry in the service of the United States, but when the regiment was turned over to the State as one of the State organizations, it was numbered the 2d Regiment of N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry. At the expiration of its term' of service those entitled thereto were discharged and August 29, 1864, the regiment was consolidated into a battalion of four companies, A, B, C and D, and, composed of veterans and recruits, retained in the service. In September and October, 1864, eight new companies joined, raising the battalion to a regimental organization again; these companies had been recruited for a service of one year.

The companies were recruited principally: A at New York city, Hartford, Conn., and Newton, N. J.; B at Newton and Deckertown, N. J., and at Newburgh, Troy, Watertown and Port Jervis; C and D Connecticut Squadron at Hartford, Conn.; E at New York city, Troy, Fort Edward and Cambridge; F at Covington, Ind., Fairhaven, Vt., Troy and Richfield Springs; G at New York city, Newburgh and Fort Edward; H at Chambersburg, Ind.; I at Lafayette, Ind.; K at Scranton, Pa., Hampton, Newark and Rockaway, N. J.. New York city, Troy and Richfield Springs; L at New York city, Hudson, Troy, Fort Ann, Fort Edward and Litchfield; and M at New York city, Newburgh Plattsburgh and Port Henry. The companies raised in 1864 were recruited principally: E Ticonderoga Cavalry Company-at Plattsburgh and Ticonderoga; F at Elmira and Syracuse; G and H at Manlius, Rochester, Elbridge, Onondaga, Syracuse, Cicero, Pompey, DeWitt, Chenango, Spafford, Lafayette, Albany, Salina, Skaneateles and Geddes; I at Hart's Island, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Jamaica, Tarrytown and Albany; K at Mt. Morris, Goshen, Farmington, Poughkeepsie, Avon, Hopewell and Elmira; Land M at New York city and Brooklyn.

The regiment left the State in September and October, 1861, and served in McDowell's Division, Army of the Potomac, from October, 1861; with the 3d Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1862; with King's Division, Department Rappahannock, from May, 1862; in Cavalry Brigade, 2d Division, 3d Corps, Army of Virginia, from June, 1862; in Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac, from September, 1862 (Companies A and B, I and K, in 3d Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac, in September and October, 1862); in Gregg's Cavalry Brigade, Army of the Potomac, from December 15, 1862; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, from February II, 1863 (a battalion with 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps, on the Peninsula, Va., from May to July, 1863); in 2d Brigade, 2d Division, Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, from June 14, 1863; in the 1st Brigade, 3d Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, from August 12, 1863; Cavalry, Army of the Shenandoah, from October, 1864, and with the Army of the Potomac from March, 1865. Commanded by Co1. Alanson M. Randol, Companies E, F, G, H, I and K were mustered out June 5, 1865, and the remainder of the regiment, June 23, 1865, at Alexandria, Va.

During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 7 officers, 67 enlisted men; died of wounds received in action, 2 officers, 47 enlisted men; died of disease and other causes, 3 officers, 246 enlisted men; total, 12 officers, 360 enlisted men; aggregate, 372; of whom 1 officer and 106 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.