USA: C 2 US Cav about 1854-1861

[vcmt2008]

Can someone point me in the right direction, please?

My 2x grandfather's obituary states, "He spent the time between 1848 and 1854 in New York and Hoosac mountains.  He went south in 1854 and ran the blockade at Memphis, in 1861, coming north to Iowa and Illinois…."I recently came across a Pension application in Montana (where he moved in 1863 and died in 1905) that states he belonged to C 2 US Cav.  Presumably this is Company C, 2nd US Cavalry Regiment.

Union or Confederate?  I'm assuming the Union side, or he wouldn't be applying for a Pension, would he?  But didn't the Confederates "run the blockade?"

I'd like to find which state he enlisted in and any corresponding information about his time while in...  I've been unable to locate him in the 1860 Census, so this doesn't help...

Any information appreciated!

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[t mo]

hi
have you tried this site www.2nduscavalry.mysite.com/main.htm  they may be able to help .
regards
trevor

[vcmt2008]

Thanks for the link.  I've sent a query to them as well as one on their "vendo" list.  I'll update should anything develop...

[Sprutorch9]

Union side is correct.
The south would be shown as CSA (Confederate States of America)
Try contacting the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, DC. (There are also branch offices around the US). Check their website for info and request forms concerning Civil War records they have. They would have records concerning his Pension Application.
And it is possible that records for Confederate soldiers would be found there.
Anyone looking for Confederate records may encounter difficulties locating them since many southern states court houses were destroyed toward the end of the Civil War. You may want to check with Confederate Historical Societies or Museums in the soldiers home area.
A little hint: I don't remember which - but either the NARA or the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC can view a photo of a US Civil War soldier and tell by the uniform what his regiment, unit, etc would have been, which would help you to locate where he was from or to assist you in obtaining the Military and/or Pension records.