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Federal (USA)

Sergeant

Michael Lawless

(c. 1829 - 1864)

Home State: Massachusetts

Branch of Service: Cavalry

Unit: 2nd United States Cavalry, Companies E, F, H & K

Before Antietam

A 21 year old laborer, he enlisted in Troop I, First US Dragoons at Boston in December 1849, seeing duty in the West, and was discharged on 4 December 1854 at Fort Thorn on the Rio Grande in New Mexico Territory. He enlisted again, in the 2nd Dragoons, as a Private in Company H on 13 March 1855, and was promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant (dates not known). He reenlisted on 13 January 1860 at Camp Floyd, Utah Territory. The 2nd Dragoons were re-named the 2nd United States Cavalry in August 1861 and he was First Sergeant of Company H by September 1862.

On the Campaign

He was First Sergeant of his Company until news arrived 24 September that he'd been appointed 2nd Lieutenant on 17 July 1862.

The rest of the War

He saw action on Stoneman's Raid, and at Bevery Ford, Aldie, and Upperville, VA. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on 9 June 1863 and was again in combat at Gettysburg, Williamsport, Falling Waters, Boonsboro, and Manassas Gap during 1863. He was at Camp Buford in Washington DC to October 1863, and in Sheridan's Raids on Richmond in May and June 1864, "distinguished for his personal intrepidity in action." He was killed in action on 11 June 1864 at Trevallian Station, VA.

References & notes

Basic information from Caughey1, with additional service details from Heitman,2 Rodenbough,3 and the Registers.4

Birth

c. 1829; County Waterford, IRELAND

Death

06/11/1864; Trevallian Station, VA

Notes

1   Caughey, Don, Crossed Sabers, first accessed 07 February 2007, <http://crossedsabers.blogspot.com/>, Source page: /2011/04/2nd-us-cavalry-in-maryland-campaign.html  [AotW citation 2255]

2   Heitman, Francis Bernard, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903, 2 volumes, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1903, Vol. 1, pg. 618  [AotW citation 2265]

3   Rodenbough, Theophilus Francis, From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry, New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1875, pg. 478  [AotW citation 2266]

4   US Army, Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914, Washington, DC: National Archives, 1956, Vol. 48, p. 153, etc.  [AotW citation 30020]