This regiment, on the 7^th of November, 1863, joined in the advance of the Army of the Potomac, toward the Rappahannock. On the morning of the 26^th, it crossed the enemy’s rifle pits, near Morton’s Ford, and moving forward captured prisoners from the rear of the rebel column. It was employed on picket duty until the 28^th of February, when it started on the "Kilpatrick raid." On the afternoon of the 29^th, it arrived at Beaver Dam Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad, after a twenty hour’s march, and assisted in burning the station and destroying the track. Resuming the march, it arrived before Richmond on the afternoon of the next day, and while picket during the night was attacked by a superior force. After a desperate fight, being unsupported, it was oblige to retire, with a loss in missing of 44, among whom were its commanding officer, Lieut. Co. A. C. Lichfield, who was taken prisoner. Having reached Yorktown, the command moved from thence to Alexandria by transports, and marched to its former camp near Stevensburg. On the 17^th, the regiment, with its brigade, was transferred to the 1^st Cavalry Division, and moved its camp to near Culpepper. Entering the campaign of 1864, with the army of the Potomac, it cross the Rapidan on the 5^th of May , and on the 6^th and 7^th was engaged with the enemy’s cavalry, at Tood’s tavern, its loss in the action being three wounded. Marching on the 9^th, it took part with the cavalry under General Sheridan, in the movement on the enemy’s communications. It cross the South Anna River on the 10^th, and on the 11^th participated in the battle of Yellow Tavern, charging the rebel cavalry, and aiding in driving them from the field. The loss of the regiment in the engagement was 3 killed, 15 wounded, and 13 missing. Included in the former was Major Henry W. Granger, commanding the regiment. On the 12^th, the Seventh assisted in driving the enemy from Meadow Bridge, and later in the day, from their entrenchments near Mechanicsville, losing one man wounded. It arrived at Malvern Hill on the 14^th. Again joined the army at Milford. On the 27^th it engaged the rebel cavalry, charging and driving one their brigades several miles, captured 41 prisoners and many horses. It took part in the cavalry fight at Hawes’ Shop, on the 28^th, where its loss was 4 killed, 10 wounded and 3 missing. On the next day it was engaged in skirmishing at Baltimore Cross Roads, losing 2 wounded. On the 30^th it took part in an attack on thee enemy’s works at Cold Harbor. The rebel infantry attacking the command on the 1^st of June, it assisted in repelling their assaults and holding them in check until relieved by our infantry. Its casualties were 2 killed and 2 wounded. Taking part in the raid towards Gordonsville, the regiment was warmly engaged on the 11^th and 12^th of June, at Trevillian Station. On the former day, a few men of the regiment, recaptured from a larger force of rebels, a piece of artillery, that had been taken from the Union forces. The casualties during the two day’s engagement were 2 killed, 27 wounded and 48 missing. Returning to the White House, it thence moved to the James River and went into camp. On the 31^st of July, the regiment was ordered to proceed to Washington, and thence to the Shenandoah Valley. On the 11^th of August with the Sixth Michigan Cavalry, it repelled an assault of the enemy near Winchester. On the 16^th, it participated in the battle of Crooked Run, where , as they report, "One battalion charged a brigade of rebel cavalry, entirely routing them and capturing nearly 100 prisoners, many horses, equipments, etc." The casualties in this action were I killed, 11 wounded, and 7 missing. On the 25^th, it was in the advance in a reconnaissance to near Leetown. Becoming warmly engaged later in the day, near Shepardstown, it lost 4 wounded and 2 missing. The brigade having been cut off from the main command, it crossed the Potomac near Sharpsburg, and from thence returned, via Harper’s Ferry, to the south side of the river. Its division being attacked by infantry in force, on the 29^th, the regiment covered the retreat to Smithfield, losing two killed and 14 wounded. On the 3d of September, the regiment accompanied a reconnaissance to White Post, and on its return was shelled by the rebels, and lost one killed and three wounded. On the same day it made a reconnaissance to develop the force and position of the enemy, losing one man wounded. On the 19^th, it participated in the battle of Opequan Creek. Charging across Opequan Creek, and driving the enemy from its banks, it advanced to near Winchester, where it joined in the charge on the enemy’s forces, driving them through the town. The loss in the action was four killed, nineteen wounded, (among whom, and mortally, was Lieut. Col. Melvin Brewer, in command of the regiment,) and two missing. On the 24^th, the regiment was engaged near Luray, driving the enemy in confusion, and capturing 60 prisoners and a number of horses, its casualties being three wounded. On the 26^th, 27^th and 28^th, it was engaged in skirmishing with the enemy near Port Republic. It engaged the enemy on the 8^th of October, near Woodstock, and on the 9^th joined with the corps in routing the rebel cavalry under General Rosser. Its casualties were three wounded. On the 19^th of October, at Cedar Creek, the regiment was attacked while picket. The enemy, breaking through the infantry line on the left, struck the regiment in the rear. It succeeded, however, in making its escape, and during the remainder of the day was hotly engaged on the skirmish line until the final charge on the enemy was made, in which it participated. In this charge it captured 100 prisoners. Its loss was 4 wounded and 29 missing. It was encamped near Middleetown on the 31sst October, and was engaged in picket duty at Buck’s Ford, on the Shenandoah River.

The regiment was in the 1^st Brigade, 1^st Division, Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division. Its officers were as follows:

Name Rank Date

This regiment, on the 1^st of November, 1864, was with General Sheridan’s Army in the Shenandoah Valley, and lay at Camp Russell, near Winchester, Va./, making preparations to go into winter quarters, and engaged on picket duty, and in making reconnaissance until Feb. 27^th, 1865, when it broke camp and moved with the cavalry corps, towards Staunton, Va., being the commencement of Gerneral Sheridan’s celebrated raid to the James River. On the 8^th of March the regiment became engaged with a portion of Rosser’s Cavalry near Louisa Court House, assisted in routing the rebel force, and capturing the town, in which was destroyed a large amount of property along the line of the Lynchburg and Gordonsville Railroad, and in destroying and rendering useless thee locks, aqueduct and mills, on the line of the James River Canal. The command reached White House Landing on the 19^th of March, and soon after, with the cavalry corps, joined the Army of the Potomac and proceeded to the left of the line. On the 30^th of March, the regiment became engaged with the rebel cavalry, and assisted in driving them within their works at Five Forks. The 31^st of March and 1^st April it was engaged with the enemy at Five Forks and on the 2d at the South Side Railroad; on the 4^th, at Duck Pond Mills; on the 6^th, at the battle of the Ridge, or Sailor’s Creek, and on the 8^th and 9^th at Appomattox Court House. After the surrender of Lee, the regiment moved, with the cavalry corps, to Petersburg, Va., where it remained for a short time, and then went with the army into North Carolina. From thence it marched to Washington, D.C., and participated in the review of the Army of the Potomac on the 23d of May, and immediately thereafter with the Michigan Cavalry Brigade was ordered West, and proceeded by rail, via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and Ohio and Mississippi Rivers by steamer, to St. Louis, and thence by steamer via the Missouri River, to Fort Leavenworth, where it was ascertained that the destination of the regiment was across the Plains, to the Rocky Mountains, to operate against the hostile Indians in that section of the country, and orders were received to that effect.

These orders produced much justifiable dissatisfaction, indicating as they did that another arduous campaign was laid out for the regiment, which in consideration of its past long and faithful services, should have been spared it, especially as this campaign was for an object foreign to that for which it had entered the service--the suppression of the Southern Rebellion. But the regiment, remembering its noble record, and adhering to its former high degree of discipline and subordination, and having in view the honor of a State whose troops had never disgraced it, obeyed the orders and commenced its march across the Plains, reaching Camp Collins, seventy miles west of Denver City, and at the base of the Rocky Mountains, on the 26^th day of July, a distance of 700 miles from Fort Leavenworth. The regiment was immediately assigned to duty along the overland stage route, which was at that time so thoroughly invested by hostile Indians as to stop all coaches, mails and trains. The service rendered by it was valuable, although laborious, succeeding in re-establishing the transit of mails and passengers, and in giving protection to emigrants. About the first of November it was ordered to transfer all the men of the command whose term of service extended beyond the 1^st of March, 1866, to the 1^st Michigan Cavalry, and then report at Denver City for muster out. By this order, about 250 men were transferred, being mostly men who were recruited in the winter of 1864. On arriving at Denver City, the regiment was ordered to Fort Leavenworth for muster out. It started on the 7^th of November, reaching there in 26 days. Great injustice was done the regiment by this order, as it directed that all Government horses should be turned over to the Quartermaster Department at Denver. The command was consequently expected to march across the plains on foot, at a time when snow was upon the ground, and with only one wagon for each hundred men-insufficient to carry their rations for three days, and through a country with no settlements and almost entirely destitute of wood. A statement of the matter was made to Major General Upton, commanding at Denver, who declined to make any further provision for transportation. Permission was obtained to allow the men to hire their transportation in mule trains, of which there were several returning to Fort Leavenworth, and which the Government might have hired.

The men paid for this transportation $25 each, from their own private funds. At Fort Leavenworth the regiment was mustered out, the final papers made, and then was ordered to Michigan. It arrived at Jackson on the 20^th, and was paid off and disbanded on the 25^th of December.