The Smith's Independent Cavalry Company
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Unit History
Smith's "Independent" Company of Cavalry was raised at Snow Hill in Worchester Clounty, Maryland, on October 16, 1862. The company's term of service was for a period of three years.
The company was recruited under the authority given to Captain G.W.P. smith by the Secretary of the Army "to raise a comapny for special duty on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, unless the exigencies of the service should require it to be attached to some regiment for general service."
The special assignment of Smith's Independent Cavalry was to patrol Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore in order to intercept and convescate supplies and recruits moving through this area to the Chesapeake Bay, where it was then smuggled into the Confederacy.
Since thousands of Marylanders and other sympathetic Northerns entered the Confederacy via this route, and thousands of tons of medical supplies and other items necessary to maintain a war time economy were smuggled into Virginia via the Eastern Shore, it is hard to speculate as to how successful Smith's Cavalry was. The fact that the unit was constantly snooping around must have reduced or at least slowed traffic down. One significant point though is that had much needed infantry been set aside to performe this same task, it would have required several regiments.
During it's term of service the unit was stationed at Snow Hill, Point Lookout, Newton, Eastville, Drummondtown, Salisbury, Relay House and Barnesville.
The company was never engaged and suffered no casualties. It was mustered out of service June 30, 1865.
Assignments
SERVICE.---On special duty on eastern shore of Maryland; stationed at Snow Hill, Newton, Point Lookout, Eastville, Drummondtown, Salisbury, Relay House and Barnesville until June, 1865. Mustered out June 30, 1865.
