5th New York Cavalry Regiment

The 5th New York Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 5th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry and nicknamed the "1st Ira Harris Guards", was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment had a good fighting reputation, and had important roles in the Battle of Hanover and the Battle of the Wilderness. It was present at nearly 175 battles and skirmishes, including Gettysburg, Opequon, and Cedar Creek. A majority of its fighting was in Virginia.

The regiment was formed in New York City by Othniel De Forest. Training began in New York before the regiment moved to Annapolis, Maryland. John Hammond and Abram H. Krom provided much of the unit's on-field leadership. Both began as captains and finished their military careers as commander of the regiment. The regiment was originally involved with the defense of Washington, and subsequently served in the Army of the Potomac and then the Army of the Shenandoah.

The regiment had 8 officers and 93 men killed or mortally wounded. Disease killed 3 more officers and 222 more enlisted men. Among the prisons where captured members of the regiment were kept were Libby Prison in Richmond and Andersonville Prison in Georgia. The regiment was commanded by eight different men, although two were in command for only a few days. The Medal of Honor was awarded to six of the regiment's soldiers.

## Formation and organization

Between December 20, 1860, and February 1, 1861, seven southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when American troops were attacked at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. This is considered the beginning of the American Civil War. Four additional states, including Virginia, seceded during the next three months.

`Othniel De Forest, of New York City, began recruiting for a federal volunteer regiment of cavalry during July 1861. The regiment was originally called the Ira Harris Guard in honor of the senator from Albany, New York. It was named 5th New York Cavalry on November 14, 1861. The regiment's battle flag was blue with "painted inscriptions and a semi-elliptical red shield in the center" inscribed with "5th." Companies were mustered in from August through October 1861.  Additional names used for regiment include Ira Harris Cavalry, First Ira Harris Guard, and De Forest Cavalry. Many of the men were from New York City, but Allegany, Essex, Orange, Tioga, and Wyoming counties also contributed. A few men were from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.`

De Forest was the original colonel and regimental commander, and his October 1861 command included 50 officers and 1,064 enlisted men. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Johnstone was second in command. Major Philip G. Vought commanded the First Battalion, while Major James Davidson and Major George H. Gardner commanded the Second and Third Battalions, respectively. Training began at Camp Scott in Staten Island. Two of the regiment's three battalions received horses during October. On November 18, the regiment moved by train to Baltimore, where the Third Battalion received its horses and equipment. On November 25, the regiment marched to Annapolis. They established a winter quarters camp nearby (Camp Harris) where more drills were conducted.

## Early action

On March 31, 1862, the regiment was ordered to join the V Corps under the command of General Nathaniel P. Banks. They were assigned to cavalry commanded by Brigadier General John Porter Hatch in the Department of the Shenandoah. On May 2, the regiment had its first fight and suffered its first loss of personnel. Company A was scouting between Harrisonburg and Port Republic when it found the camp of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. In the skirmish that followed, Private John Beaumont was captured.

By April, the regiment was well equipped. Captain John Hammond believed that they were one of the best–armed cavalry regiments in the field. Arms included Colt pistols, Ames sabers, and a single-shot cavalry rifle. Any poor–quality horses had been replaced, and saddles were McClellan saddles.

On May 3, the regiment reported to Hatch at Harrisonburg, Virginia. A few days later, they were sent to New Market, Virginia. On May 6, they encountered Confederate cavalry led by Colonel Turner Ashby. The 5th New York charged with sabers drawn and drove off their enemy while inflicting 8 killed or wounded and capturing 7. This success helped to establish the good reputation of the regiment. The press said that the regiment "made a good report of themselves" and quoted a prisoner as saying the regiment "fought like devils". The regiment had its first soldier killed in action—Private Asahel A. Spencer of Company E. An additional soldier was wounded.

### Jackson's trap

On May 15, the regiment began operations in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. After some skirmishes, Banks settled the V Corps (including the 5th New York Cavalry) in Strasburg, Virginia. Banks also stationed about 1,000 infantry men 10 miles (16 km) east at Front Royal under the command of Colonel John R. Kenly. On May 23, Banks sent Company B and Company D from the 5th New York Cavalry to Front Royal to fulfill an overdue request from Kenly for cavalry. This small cavalry force numbered about 100, and was under the command of Major Vought. Banks was unaware that Kenly was about to be attacked by a force that outnumbered him by 20 to 1.

Vought's men arrived at Front Royal about one hour after Kenly was attacked by a division under the command of General Richard S. Ewell that was sent to reinforce Jackson's "Stonewall Brigade". Jackson was also nearby. After about two hours of fighting and the approach of enemy cavalry, Kenly and Vought began a retreat north, with Vought's cavalry as the rear guard. Vought's men were outnumbered, nearly surrounded, and suffered numerous casualties in the retreat. Kenly and Vought retreated north just past Cedarville, attempting to fight off the 6th Virginia Cavalry. Fewer than 100 of Kenly's original force escaped, and Kenly was wounded and captured. The result of the fighting at Front Royal and Cedarville was lopsided: Kenly's force had an estimated 904 casualties, while the Confederates had 56.

After receiving dispatches from Vought, Banks realized that Jackson was trying to position his army between Banks and Winchester, which would isolate Banks and cut his supply line. Thus, both forces raced to Winchester—Banks to escape and Jackson to trap Banks. Colonel De Forest and six companies were assigned rear guard duty plus the additional task of destroying any supplies that could not be salvaged. After De Forest began moving north, he discovered that his command and additional soldiers had their route on the Shenandoah Pike blocked by Confederate troops, which caused them to be separated from Banks' main force. De Forest used mountain roads west of the pike to evade the Confederates, and eventually reunited a battery and 32 wagons of supplies with Banks at Williamsport—a retreat of 84 miles (135 km) that ended in the relative safety of Maryland.

While De Forest moved north on the mountain roads, Banks was attacked several times on the Valley Pike while hurrying to Winchester. His outnumbered army was soundly defeated at Winchester on May 25, and he escaped across the Potomac River mostly because Jackson's men and horses were exhausted from the chase. During the three days from May 23 through May 25, the 5th New York Cavalry suffered 38 casualties at Front Royal, 6 at Middletown, 7 at Newtown-Crossroads, and 10 at Winchester. One major resigned a few days later. Eventually it was discovered that Confederate spy Belle Boyd played an important role in Banks' defeat by providing information to her side from inside Union lines.

### Back to Virginia

By the end of May, the regiment was back in Virginia, and during June it became part of the II Corps, Army of Virginia. On July 1, another major resigned. The regiment's most prominent actions of July and August in terms of casualties were at Barnett's Ford and Orange Court House. On July 18, Company A had 1 officer and 22 enlisted men captured, plus 1 wounded, while on picket at Barnett's Ford. At Orange Court House, brigade commander General Samuel W. Crawford sent the regiment at a slow pace into a seemingly empty town—only to have it ambushed by Confederates under cover. Colonel De Forest was harassed by a dozen Confederates, but was saved by bugler Conrad Bohrer of Company I who fell and died from a saber wound after his horse was shot. A flanking party of three companies commanded by Captain Hammond charged into town from the opposite end and drove the Confederates away. The regiment captured 47 men from the 7th Virginia Cavalry, including its commanding officer. Casualties for the regiment were 1 officer wounded, 2 enlisted men killed, 9 enlisted men wounded, and 11 enlisted men captured.

On August 24 and 25, the regiment was involved in the First Battle of Rappahannock Station. Private John Tribe of Company G was later awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism in this battle at Waterloo Bridge where he helped destroy the bridge while under enemy fire. On August 27, three companies were detached as the escort of General Samuel P. Heintzelman, while the remaining portion of the regiment became the escort of General John Pope, commander of the Army of Virginia. On the next day, one of the companies was made escort for General Banks. As Pope's escort, seven companies of the regiment were present at the Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as the Battle of Second Manassas). Casualties were low for the regiment—one killed and one captured.

## Defense of Washington

In September 1862, the regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C., as part of Wyndham's Cavalry Brigade. This corresponds closely to the time Colonel De Forest was relieved of command of the regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Johnstone is listed as taking command of the regiment on September 10, 1862. Major Washington Wheeler, who had received his commission as major in July, resigned on September 26. Captain Hammond replaced Wheeler, receiving his commission as major on October 10 effective September 26.

Much of the regiment's time in the autumn of 1862 was spent scouting or on picket duty between Washington, D.C., and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although Johnstone led an October 8 expedition that did not meet any opposition, the regiment was often led in the field by Major Hammond or Captain Abram Krom. One of the more successful endeavors happened on November 29 at Snicker's Ferry when Krom led the regiment as it drove away Confederate snipers harassing the regiment as it attempted to cross the Shenandoah River. After a pursuit of 3 miles (4.8 km), Krom discovered Confederate camps. With the assistance of reinforcements, the Confederates were defeated and numerous men and supplies were captured—including 3 officers, 32 enlisted men, 60 horses, 50 head of cattle, wagons, and ambulances.

Turnover continued with the regiment's top officers. Major Gardner resigned November 1—the last of the three original battalion commanders to leave the regiment. First Lieutenant (and battalion adjutant) William P. Bacon was commissioned major on November 25 to rank from November 1. Another major, William Pratt (who had replaced Major Davidson less than a year earlier), resigned January 30, 1863. He was replaced by Captain Amos White who was promoted to major on February 5 to rank from February 2. In February, the regiment became part of Price's Independent Cavalry Brigade, XXII Army Corps, Department of Washington.

### Mosby

By 1863, much of the regiment's fighting was against guerrilla warriors known as Mosby's Rangers, who were under the command of John S. Mosby. The regiment considered Mosby's force "very formidable", and a strong picket line was necessary around the Union lines near Washington. Late at night on March 9, Mosby conducted a raid at Fairfax Courthouse that was intended to capture Colonel Percy Wyndham and horses. Mosby captured numerous sleeping soldiers and horses, but Wyndham had already left for Washington. Johnstone was in temporary command of Wyndham's brigade, and was staying in town at a private residence. Also stationed in town was Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. The sleeping Stoughton was captured—as was Captain Augustus J. Barker of the 5th New York Cavalry, who had been temporarily assigned to Wyndham's brigade staff. Mosby, with his prisoners and extra horses, rode by the house where Johnstone was staying. Johnstone, awakened by the noise of the horses, yelled out the window—wanting to know why so much cavalry was moving around late at night. After some laughter, Mosby's men entered the house and attempted to capture Johnstone. Johnstone's wife fought his would-be captors while he escaped from the house and hid "nude by accident" under an outhouse. Only Johnstone's uniforms were captured. This was Mosby's most famous raid.

In April, the regiment became part of the Third Brigade, Stahel's Cavalry Division, XXII Army Corps. On May 3, the 5th New York faced Mosby again—this time at Warrenton Junction. About 40 men from the regiment, led by Major Hammond, surprised Mosby's men after they had surprised a detachment of about 100 men from the 1st (West) Virginia Cavalry. Most of Mosby's prisoners were rescued, and Mosby had significant losses. Hammond's leadership was complimented by Mosby himself, who wrote when discussing a different skirmish with the 6th Michigan Cavalry that if they had "followed the example of Major Hammond with the 5th New York, at Warrenton Junction, and charged us when we were in disorder and scattered over the field, that would in all probability have been my last day as a partisan commander". Captain Krom's courage and fighting ability at Warrenton Junction were complimented in a New York newspaper that said he was wounded in the leg and face, and his horse killed, yet he "used his sabre with terrible effect upon the enemy".

## Gettysburg Campaign

Major Hammond replaced Johnstone as regiment commander on June 1 according to the regimental historian. In early June, Stahel's cavalry division was detached from defending Washington so that it could help the Army of the Potomac defend the northern states from an invasion by Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. On June 21 the division began moving west, and crossed the Potomac River into Maryland on June 25. The entire Union army force was reorganized on June 28, and Stahel's division (including the 5th New York Cavalry) became the 3rd Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick was named the new division's commander. The First Brigade consisted of the following cavalry regiments: 1st Vermont, 1st (West) Virginia, 18th Pennsylvania, and 5th New York. Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth commanded the brigade as a replacement for De Forest, who was ill. Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer commanded the Second Brigade, which consisted of regiments from Michigan. At his request, General Joseph Hooker was relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac, and he was replaced by General George Meade.

### Battle of Hanover

Kilpatrick's division was detached eastward as the army moved from Frederick, Maryland, to Pennsylvania. Most of the division had already passed through the small town of Hanover, Pennsylvania, when the regiment in the rear, the 18th Pennsylvania, was attacked by a large cavalry force under the command of General James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart. Major Hammond was commanding the 5th New York, which was ahead of the 18th Pennsylvania and already in the streets of the town, while portions of the 18th Pennsylvania had not yet entered.

The attack began with an artillery shot, and soon Union soldiers faced first the 13th Virginia Cavalry, then a battalion from the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry, and finally the 9th Virginia Cavalry. Hammond responded with "his accustomed coolness" and led the resistance (which included a charge with sabers drawn) until Farnsworth and Kilpatrick arrived. After close fighting, the Confederates withdrew to the cover of their artillery in the hills. The streets were full of dead and wounded men and horses. Kilpatrick directed a counterattack by portions of Farnsworth's First Brigade and Custer's Second Brigade. The 5th New York's Private Thomas Burke of Company A captured the flag of the 13th Virginia Cavalry while capturing and disarming two Confederates, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his action. The counterattack silenced the Confederate big guns, and Stuart's men were driven toward Lee's army. The 5th New York had one officer killed and one officer wounded. Casualties for enlisted men were more numerous: 4 killed, 29 wounded, and 18 became prisoners. This June 30 battle became known as the Battle of Hanover, and casualties for all participants on both sides totaled to 228.

### Battle of Gettysburg

On July 1, Farnsworth's Brigade was in the Abbottstown-Berlin-Rosetown area of Pennsylvania. It chased enemy cavalry and captured several prisoners. On July 2, the division moved closer to Gettysburg, and was on the extreme right side of the entire Union army—close to New Oxford and Hunterstown. On July 3, the First Brigade moved to the left wing of the army, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from Gettysburg near a hill known as Little Round Top. The 5th New York was assigned to protect an artillery battery, while the remaining portion of the brigade made two charges against infantry. Farnsworth was killed in the second charge, and at least one cavalry leader was critical of Kilpatrick's decision to have a mounted charge in terrain that was not ideal for cavalry. This three-day battle became known as the Battle of Gettysburg, and nearly 94,000 Union soldiers fought against over 71,000 Confederate soldiers. Casualties for all participants totaled to about 51,000—the highest for any single battle in the American Civil War.

### Battle of Williamsport

After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's army retreated toward Virginia. Several battles and skirmishes occurred as Meade's army pursued Lee. The 5th New York Cavalry suffered significant casualties on July 6 in the Battle of Williamsport (also known as Battle of Hagerstown) in Hagerstown, Maryland, (near the road to Williamsport) as part of Meade's attempt to prevent the escape of Lee's army. Working with the 1st Vermont Cavalry, the two regiments were flanked on both sides and outnumbered. Eventually the two regiments were driven back. Hammond's report estimated that the regiment had about 100 men missing or wounded, and the number of fatalities was unknown. Regimental historian Boudrye later wrote that the regiment had 2 officers wounded and 3 officers captured, plus enlisted men casualties of 3 killed, 8 wounded, and 54 captured.

On July 9, De Forest reported for duty, and took command of the First Brigade. Kilpatrick moved the division to Hagerstown, and the regiment took no casualties in a skirmish there on July 11. Lee's army crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and Falling Waters on July 14. The Army of the Potomac eventually crossed back to Virginia, and the headquarters of the 3rd Division was established near Warrenton. The regiment's next skirmish was at Ashby's Gap in Virginia on July 26.

## Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns

A letter written August 14 from Hammond states that Johnstone took command of the regiment on the previous day (August 13, 1863), and complained that Johnstone had "avoided all the labor, dangers and privations of the regiment for nearly three-fourths of a year". The same letter noted that Colonel De Forest had been arrested and taken to New York. Johnstone was in a foul mood when he returned to the regiment, threatening arrest for anyone hostile to him. By September 3, Johnstone himself was under arrest and did not return. Hammond was back in command, and the regiment's three battalion leaders were Major White, Captain Krom, and Major Bacon. From September until the end of the year, the regiment was present for 19 actions. Sometime in the latter half of the year the regiment became equipped with seven-shot Spencer carbines.

For the Bristoe Virginia Campaign beginning October 10, the regiment was in the First Brigade of Kilpatrick's 3rd Division. The brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Henry E. Davies Jr. After some early successes, portions of Kilpatrick's brigade were partially surrounded on October 19 in the Battle of Buckland Mills. The regimental historian believed that without the brigade's skill and daring the "entire command would have been annihilated". The Union cavalry escaped, and the 5th New York Cavalry was involved in fighting off attacking infantry. An October 21 report by Davies mentioned Hammond and White for "distinguished gallantry" at James City, Brandy Station, and New Baltimore—and Lieutenant Theodore A. Boice was mentioned for two scouting missions that obtained much valuable information at Thoroughfare Gap and Aldie.

The Mine Run Campaign began November 26. In this campaign, the regiment was still part of the First Brigade of the 3rd Division, but General George A. Custer was the division commander. Davies remained in command of the brigade, and Hammond commanded the regiment. The regiment faced artillery duels and cold, wet weather. Private Loron F. Packard of Company G was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing a soldier from three Confederates at Raccoon Ford on November 27. In Davies' December 3 report, he praised the 5th New York's Captain Krom, whose battalion held off the enemy at Raccoon Ford for six days.

## Dahlgren raid

On December 3, 1863, the regiment set up camp near Stevensburg, Virginia. Hammond and Krom went to New York for recruiting, and Krom was promoted to major on December 5. Lieutenant Boice was promoted to captain on December 20. Hammond and Krom did not return until mid-March, but they brought 500 new recruits. On March 24, Hammond received his commission as lieutenant colonel.

While Hammond and Krom were gone, cavalry detachments from the 2nd New York, 5th New York, 1st Vermont, 1st Maine, and 5th Michigan departed Stevensburg, Virginia, on February 28, 1864, for a special mission. This force was under the command of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren and consisted of 400 men. The detachment from the 5th New York was 40 men from companies I and K, and they were commanded by Lieutenant Henry A. D. Merritt. The plan was for Kilpatrick's main Union force to attack Richmond from the north as a diversion, while Dahlgren's command approached from the south. Dahlgren's goal was to liberate prisoners in several prisons (including Libby Prison), destroy mills and warehouses, destroy railroad communications, and capture artillery at Frederick Hall Station on the Virginia Central Railroad. The mission failed and Dahlgren was killed. Of the 40 men from the 5th New York, 14 were captured—and 5 of those captured eventually died at the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia. Merritt was among the captured. He escaped from a South Carolina prison on November 28, 1864. This failed mission became known as Kilpatrick's Raid or Dahlgren's Raid. There was some controversy over some papers allegedly found on Dahlgren’s body that discussed killing Jefferson Davis and burning Richmond. However, both Meade and Kilpatrick said nothing like that was "authorized, sanctioned, or approved".

## Grant's Overland Campaign

During March, Ulysses S. Grant became commander of all Union armed forces. Although Grant decided not to replace Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac, he kept his headquarters with Meade's and provided direction. Philip Sheridan was appointed commander of Meade's cavalry corps. Kilpatrick was assigned to a larger command out west, and he was replaced as commander of Sheridan's 3rd Division by General James H. Wilson. Colonel John B. McIntosh replaced Davies as commander of the cavalry division's First Brigade—which consisted of the 18th Pennsylvania, 1st Connecticut, 2nd New York, and 5th New York cavalries.

### Battle of the Wilderness

The 5th New York Cavalry fought in the early stage of the Battle of the Wilderness. On May 3, the Army of the Potomac received orders to be ready to move at midnight. On the next day, the cavalry moved on the Plank Road toward Chancellorsville, just beyond Wilderness Tavern. The regiment, commanded by Hammond, was detached from Wilson's division with orders to proceed down the Orange Plank Road to Parker's Store and establish a picket line to guard the approach from Mine Run (west). At 5:00 am on May 5, the remainder of the division proceeded southward. Hammond was instructed to patrol the area until relieved by Gouverneur K. Warren's infantry. While most of the regiment began cooking breakfast at Parker's Store, Company I probed west and discovered Confederate infantry. The company's captain sent for, and received, reinforcements. In dismounted skirmishing, the Union cavalrymen were driven back toward Parker's Store. It was soon discovered that they were fighting an entire infantry corps under the command of A. P. Hill.

Hammond's total force consisted of only about 500 men. Hammond understood that the dense woods and the large infantry force made fighting on horseback inadvisable. Thus, the command fought dismounted and spread out as a skirmish line while utilizing their Spencer repeating rifles. The regiment slowly retreated east toward and beyond Parker's Store near the Orange Plank Road. The danger for Meade's army was that if Hill could take control of the intersection of Orange Plank and Brock roads, Warren's V Corps would have large enemy forces on two sides, and General Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps could get isolated from the rest of Meade's army. Hammond was eventually pushed back to the point where Orange Plank Road intersects with Brock Road, but was relieved by infantry from the VI Corps under the command of General George W. Getty. The exhausted 5th New York was nearly out of ammunition and sent about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the rear of the Union front line where it could recuperate and resupply. The regiment had fought a desperate engagement and held off a larger force for five hours—but suffered significant casualties. Confederate prisoners believed they had been fighting an entire brigade. The Battle of the Wilderness continued through May 7 and finished as a draw. Casualties for both armies combined are estimated to be 28,800, including the deaths of Union generals Alexander Hays and James S. Wadsworth—and three Confederate generals. Combined casualties totaled to the fourth highest of any battle in the Civil War.

### Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

For the next two weeks, the fighting shifted southeast toward Spotsylvania Court House. On May 7, the regiment guarded Germania Plank Road. Hammond was ordered by General John Sedgwick to take command of all cavalry on that road, which included the 5th New York, 22nd New York, and 2nd Ohio. Two days later, Sedgwick was killed elsewhere by a sharpshooter. On May 17, Meade sent Hammond 1,200 reinforcements and Hammond's command skirmished along the Po River. Casualties for the regiment from May 7 through May 17 were 7, including 1 officer captured. Although casualties for the regiment were few, this battle's combined casualties were the third highest in the American Civil War.

### Battle of Cold Harbor

On May 28, Hammond was promoted to colonel and Bacon was promoted to lieutenant colonel. The regiment fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor, which began May 31 and lasted through June 12. In this Confederate victory, the Union Army had about 12,000 casualties while the Confederates had about 4,000. On June 1, Wilson's 3rd Division (5th New York was in McIntosh's First Brigade) was at Ashland Station on the Virginia Central Railroad. Their objective was to destroy two railroad bridges that crossed the North Anna River. One brigade fought the enemy while the other brigade had demolition duty. The fighting was fierce and part of the First Brigade was temporarily surrounded before fighting its way to safety. In this portion of the battle, losses for both sides were heavy. Colonel Adison W. Preston of the 1st Vermont Cavalry (Second Brigade) was killed. For the 5th New York, Major White was seriously wounded, could not be moved, and became a prisoner of war. Colonel Hammond was shot in the leg, but the bullet hit his saber scabbard—causing him injury but no bullet wound. The trauma to his leg would bother him for the rest of his life. Sergeant William Murray of Company A escaped injury when his horse was decapitated from enemy fire. Casualties for the 5th New York at Ashland Station were 2 officers wounded and 3 captured, and 13 enlisted men wounded and 17 captured.

## Wilson-Kautz Raid

On June 20, Grant decided to "cut the enemy's lines of communication south", and the Wilson-Kautz Raid was conducted to accomplish this goal. On June 22, Wilson's cavalry division (including the 5th New York Cavalry), reinforced by portions of a division commanded by General August Kautz, began the raid using lesser-traveled roads to move south and west. Wilson was instructed to "avoid the observation of the enemy", and targets included the rail line that ran from Petersburg to Lynchburg and the Richmond and Danville Railroad. By June 26, the Union force advanced as far south and west as a bridge on the Staunton River near Roanoke Station, but was unsuccessful in capturing the bridge and could not continue southward along the rail line. In the return trip, Wilson's force lost two battles and found his path back to Union lines blocked by Confederate troops. In a desperate attempt to return to safety, artillery was spiked, supply wagons burned, and ambulances were abandoned with wounded that would become prisoners. A Confederate infantry attack caused half of Wilson's First Brigade (5th New York and 2nd Ohio) and Kautz to become separated from Wilson. Kautz and the two regiments fled cross country toward Petersburg. Many men moved in small groups and on foot.

### Post raid

After the Wilson-Kautz raid, some men did not reach the safety of Union lines until July 8. Hammond had been promoted to colonel on July 3. Describing the raid, he wrote "I never saw men and officers so completely worn out." He estimated that losses were 1,000 men, 2,000 horses, 14 artillery pieces, 27 wagons, 14 ambulances, and about 250 wounded that could not be moved and became prisoners. Better records later indicated that the failed 350-mile raid destroyed some railroad track but cost 1,445 casualties out of a force of 5,500 men. The 5th New York Cavalry had 92 enlisted men plus 2 officers captured in 7 skirmishes and battles. During that time, 4 enlisted men were killed and 7 wounded. The regiment rested and regrouped for several days in early July. Many men were sent to hospitals, and almost 100 men had no horse. The dismounted men were sent to a camp in the District of Columbia and eventually fought at Maryland Heights, Rockville, Toll Gate, Poolesville, Snicker's Ferry, and Kernstown. Beginning August 7, the main portion of the regiment fought in Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

## Sheridan

On August 12, Wilson's division (including the 5th New York Cavalry) was ordered to report to Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley. They proceeded on the next day through Leesburg and Snicker's Gap and reached Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah near Opequon Creek about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Winchester. They had travelled about 75 miles (121 km) in 22 hours. Although the regiment was in the Battle of Summit Point on August 21, it did not have multiple casualties until it had 5 killed and 14 wounded (including officers) in "furious fighting" at Kearneysville Station on August 25. Skirmishing for the next few weeks was at Berryville and Opequon Creek.

On August 30 Hammond relinquished command, and Lieutenant Colonel Bacon became commander of the regiment. Hammond was discharged on September 3 as he had completed his term of service. During his tenure, he had a bone in his right hand broken from a bullet and his right leg cracked above the ankle from a shot that hit his saber scabbard. Bacon commanded the regiment for only a short time, resigning effective September 12 (White was released from a Confederate prison on that day). This made Major Krom commander, and he would lead the regiment at Opequon. Although Major White was exchanged from Libby Prison on September 12 and promoted to lieutenant colonel on September 15, he did not take command of the regiment until he rejoined it in Winchester on December 19. Captain Boice was also promoted on September 15, becoming a major. In September and continuing until April 1865, Company K became the escort of General William H. Emory, commander of the XIX Corps.

### Opequon

The Battle of Opequon, also known as the Third Battle of Winchester, is considered the most important American Civil War battle in the Shenandoah Valley. Over 54,000 men (both sides together) participated in this Union victory on September 19, and casualties for both sides totaled to over 8,600. Confederate forces had two generals killed and several others wounded such as Fitzhugh Lee. Union forces has one general killed and several others wounded. The commander of the entire Union Army in this battle was Major General Philip Sheridan, and his cavalry was led by Major General Alfred T. A. Torbert. Brigadier General James H. Wilson led Torbert's 3rd Division. Brigadier General John B. McIntosh led Wilson's First Brigade until he was seriously wounded, and then it was led by Lieutenant Colonel George A. Purington. Both the 5th New York and 2nd New York cavalries were part of the First Brigade. The 2nd New York, followed by the 5th New York, led the initial advance in this battle. The 5th New York Cavalry made five charges, including four against infantry. General McIntosh led a dismounted charge and was wounded—causing his left leg to be amputated below the knee. Company C's Captain Charles J. Farley also needed his leg amputated after receiving a wound while rallying his men. Casualties for the regiment were 2 officers and 11 enlisted men wounded, and 2 enlisted men killed and 2 captured. After the main fight, the regiment spent the next few days pursuing Confederates while having few casualties.

### Battle of Tom's Brook

In early October, Wilson was replaced as division commander by General George Custer. The division retreated from the Dayton, Virginia, area—burning anything that could be used to help feed the Confederate Army. Enemy cavalry followed closely and harassed the rear guard. Sheridan grew tired and resentful of the aggressiveness of the enemy cavalry, and ordered Torbert to "whip the rebel cavalry or get whipped himself". Torbert used General Wesley Merritt's 1st Division to attack cavalry led by Lunsford L. Lomax and Custer's 3rd Division to attack Thomas L. Rosser. The attacks occurred on October 9 near Toms Brook. Custer led the 5th New York Cavalry in person in this highly successful attack. The Union victory was complete and caused a quick retreat by the Confederate forces—causing some to call this battle the "Woodstock Races". Headquarters wagons, supply wagons, ambulances, and 11 pieces of artillery were captured by the two Union divisions. Union casualties were around 50, while Confederate casualties were around 350.

### Battle of Cedar Creek

The Battle of Cedar Creek occurred on October 19 with over 47,000 participants. Early's Confederate army surprised Sheridan's army while Sheridan was away in Winchester. General George Crook's Union VIII Corps were surprised around 4:00 AM, and many of Crook's men were killed or captured while in their tents. General William H. Emory's XIX Corps was also driven back. Sheridan returned around 10:00 AM and rallied his army. Custer's 3rd Division attacked from Sheridan's right and prevented enemy cavalry from flanking the Union line. The First Brigade of Custer's 3rd Division was commanded by Colonel Alexander C. M. Pennington, and the 5th New York Cavalry (part of the First Brigade) was commanded by Major Krom. The 5th New York performed well in this battle, capturing 22 artillery pieces, 14 caissons, 24 wagons and ambulances, 83 sets of artillery harnesses, 75 sets of wagon harnesses, 98 horses, and 67 mules. Two men from the regiment captured battle flags. Sergeant David H. Scofield (the regiment's quartermaster) captured the flag of the 13th Virginia Infantry and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Corporal John Walsh of Company D recaptured the flag of the 15th New Jersey Infantry that the Confederates had captured earlier in the day and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The regiment spent the next month on reconnaissance and picket duty. Major Boice took command on October 20. The regiment became Sheridan's escort on December 1. On December 14 Sheridan was escorted to his new headquarters in Winchester. The regiment constructed its winter quarters. Boice was promoted to lieutenant colonel on January 27, 1865, replacing White who was promoted to colonel. Beginning February 27, Sheridan moved his army south along the Valley Pike.

### Waynesboro

On March 2, Sheridan's 1st and 3rd divisions destroyed Early's Confederate army near Waynesboro, Virginia, in the Battle of Waynesboro. Most of Early's army was killed or captured, although Early evaded capture. Custer's 3rd Division did the fighting, and a large number of Confederates surrendered. All of Early's headquarters equipment and artillery were captured.

After the battle, the regiment was part of a force that escorted about 1,400 prisoners 100 miles north to Winchester. A few men from the regiment (orderlies and messengers) remained with Sheridan, while the 5th New York was joined by several of the depleted regiments and dismounted men. The Union force totaled to about 1,200 from the 1st and 3rd Divisions. Lieutenant Colonel Boice commanded the men from the 3rd Division, since Colonel White was on furlough.

During the trip north, the 5th New York was the rear guard. On March 7, near Rude's Hill, the rear guard was attacked by Rosser's cavalry. Boice led a counterattack that drove off the Confederates in hand-to-hand fighting. He fired everything in his revolver and "unhorsed six Rebel troopers" with the butt of his weapon. Bugler John Caitlin of Company A captured Rosser's chief bugler and kept his bugle as a souvenir of the war. Numerous Confederates were killed and 35 were captured. Sergeant Hiram S. Graves of the regiment's Company M was killed in action. The Union force and all prisoners arrived at Winchester on March 7. Here, they were under the command of General Hancock, who had temporary command of Union forces around Winchester.

## War's end

The regiment had no more casualties after the March 7 fight at Rude's Hill. Sergeant Graves was the last member of the regiment to be killed in action. On March 13, the regiment went on a reconnaissance mission to Berryville. This was the last combat patrol for the majority of the regiment. On April 9, Robert E. Lee unconditionally surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Grant. The surrender look place at the home of Wilmer and Virginia McLean in the small community of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. The majority of the regiment was in Winchester at the time of Lee's surrender, although a small number of men were escorts for Sheridan and Custer at Appomattox. Private John McEwan of Company L was one of the escorts, and he accompanied General Lee to the house where the first interview with General Grant was conducted before the surrender. In early May, the regiment went from Staunton to Lexington and captured former Virginia Governor John Letcher.

The regiment spent most of June in Winchester. On July 18, Colonel White, commanding the regiment, notified the regiment that it would leave on the next day to New York City to muster out. July 19 is the official muster out date for the 5th New York Cavalry. However, the regiment camped on Hart's Island in New York beginning July 20. On July 25, the first two battalions of the regiment (plus Company I of the Third Battalion) received their pay and departed for home. The rest of the Third Battalion received its pay on the next day, and the 5th New York Cavalry ceased to exist.

During the war, the regiment lost 8 officers and 93 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. Disease resulted in the death of 3 officers and 222 enlisted men. Over 500 enlisted men and 8 officers were captured. The regiment had more deaths at Confederate prisons, 99, than any other New York cavalry regiment. The Medal of Honor was awarded to six members of the regiment. A New York historian wrote that the 5th New York Cavalry "fought at Hanover, Pa., the first battle on free soil; it was the first Union regiment that crossed the Rapidan in Grant's campaign; it received the first shock at the battle of the Wilderness, and was the last to leave the field."

## See also

- List of New York Civil War units
- New York in the American Civil War

5th New York Cavalry in the American Civil War 1861–1865

Units and formations of the Union Army from New York (state)


Bart Simpson

Bartholomew Jojo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip, Life in Hell, but instead decided to create a new set of characters. While the rest of the characters were named after Groening's family members, Bart's name is an anagram of the word brat. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for two years, the Simpson family received its own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989. Bart has appeared in every Simpsons episode except "Four Great Women and a Manicure".

At ten years old, Bart is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge, and the brother of Lisa and Maggie. Bart's most prominent and popular character traits are his mischievousness, rebelliousness and disrespect for authority. Hallmarks of the character include his chalkboard gags in the opening sequence; his prank calls to Moe; and his catchphrases "Eat my shorts", "¡Ay, caramba!", "Don't have a cow, man!", and "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" However, with the exception of "¡Ay, caramba!", these hallmarks have been retired or are not often used. Bart has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons – including video games, The Simpsons Movie, The Simpsons Ride, commercials, and comic books – and inspired an entire line of merchandise.

In casting, Cartwright originally planned to audition for the role of Lisa, while Yeardley Smith tried out for Bart. Smith's voice was considered too high for a boy, so she was given the role of Lisa. Cartwright found Lisa uninteresting, so she instead auditioned for Bart, which she thought was a better role.

During the first two seasons of The Simpsons, Bart was the show's protagonist and "Bartmania" ensued, spawning Bart Simpson-themed merchandise touting his rebellious attitude and pride at underachieving, which caused many parents and educators to cast him as a bad role model for children. Around the third season, the role of the protagonist was taken over by his father, and series started to focus more on the family as a whole, though Bart still remains a prominent breakout character. Time named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, and he was named "entertainer of the year" in 1990 by Entertainment Weekly. Cartwright has won several awards for voicing Bart, including a Primetime Emmy Award in 1992 and an Annie Award in 1995. In 2000, Bart, along with the rest of his family, was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

## Role in The Simpsons

The Simpsons uses a floating timeline in which the characters do not age or age very little, and as such, the show is always assumed to be set in the current year. In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, though sometimes this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes. Bart's year of birth was stated in "I Married Marge" (season three, 1991) as being in the early 1980s. In "Simpsorama" (season 26, 2014) Bart states his birthday as February 23. He lived with his parents in the Lower East Side of Springfield until the Simpsons bought their first house. When Lisa was born, Bart was at first jealous of the attention she received, but he soon warmed to her when he discovered that "Bart" was her first word. Bart's first day of school was in the early 1990s. His initial enthusiasm was crushed by an uncaring teacher and Marge became worried that something was truly wrong with Bart. One day during recess, Bart met Milhouse and started entertaining him and other students with various gestures and rude words. Principal Skinner told him "you've just started school, and the path you choose now may be the one you follow for the rest of your life! Now, what do you say?" In his moment of truth, Bart responded, "eat my shorts". The episode "That '90s Show" (season nineteen, 2008) contradicted much of the backstory's time frame; for example, it was revealed that Homer and Marge were childless in the early 1990s.

Bart's hobbies include skateboarding, watching television (especially The Krusty the Clown Show which includes The Itchy & Scratchy Show), reading comic books (especially Radioactive Man), playing video games and generally causing mischief. His favorite movies are Jaws and the Star Wars Trilogy. For the duration of the series, Bart has attended Springfield Elementary School and has been in Edna Krabappel's fourth grade class. While he is too young to hold a full-time job, he has had occasional part-time jobs. He works as a bartender at Fat Tony's social club in "Bart the Murderer" (season three, 1991); as Krusty the Clown's assistant in "Bart Gets Famous" (season five, 1994); as a doorman in Springfield's burlesque house, the Maison Derrière, in "Bart After Dark" (season eight, 1996); and briefly owns his own factory in "Homer's Enemy" (season eight, 1997).

## Character

### Creation

Matt Groening first conceived of Bart and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987, while waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called in to pitch a series of animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, and had intended to present an adaptation of his Life in Hell comic strip. When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights, Groening decided to go in another direction. He hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family, naming the characters after members of his own family. For the rebellious son, he substituted "Bart", an anagram of the word brat, for his own name, as he decided it would have been too obvious for him to have named the character 'Matt'. Bart's middle initial J is a "tribute" to animated characters such as Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, who received their middle initial from Jay Ward. According to the book Bart Simpson's Guide to Life, Bart's full middle name is "JoJo".

Bart had originally been envisioned as "a much milder, troubled youth given to existential angst who talks to himself", but the character was changed based on Cartwright's voice acting. Groening has credited several different figures with providing inspiration for Bart: Matt Groening's older brother Mark provided much of the motivation for Bart's attitude. Bart was conceived as an extreme version of the typical misbehaving child character, merging all of the extreme traits of characters such as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn into one person. Groening describes Bart as "what would happen if the son of Eddie Haskell [from Leave It to Beaver] got his own show". Groening has also said that he found the premise of Dennis the Menace disappointing and was inspired to create a character who was actually a menace.

Bart made his debut with the rest of the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night". In 1989, the shorts were adapted into The Simpsons, a half-hour series airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company. Bart and the Simpson family remained the main characters on this new show.

### Design

The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. The family was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings. Bart's original design, which appeared in the first shorts, had spikier hair, and the spikes were of different lengths. The number was later limited to nine spikes, all of the same size. At the time Groening was primarily drawing in black and "not thinking that [Bart] would eventually be drawn in color" gave him spikes which appear to be an extension of his head. The features of Bart's character design are generally not used in other characters; for example, no other characters in current episodes have Bart's spiky hairline, although several background characters in the first few seasons shared the trait.

The basic rectangular shape of Bart's head is described by director Mark Kirkland as a coffee can. Homer's head is also rectangular (with a dome on top), while spheres are used for Marge, Lisa, and Maggie. Different animators have different methods of drawing Bart. Former director Jeffrey Lynch starts off with a box, then adds the eyes, then the mouth, then the hair spikes, ear, and then the rest of the body. Matt Groening normally starts with the eyes, then the nose, and the rest of the outline of Bart's head. Many of the animators have trouble drawing Bart's spikes evenly; one trick they use is to draw one on the right, one on the left, one in the middle, then continue to add one in the middle of the blank space until there are nine. Originally, whenever Bart was to be drawn from an angle looking down so the top of his head was seen, Groening wanted there to be spikes along the outline of his head, and in the middle as well. Instead, Wes Archer and David Silverman drew him so that there was an outline of the spikes, then just a smooth patch in the middle because "it worked graphically". In "The Blue and the Gray", Bart (along with Lisa and Maggie) finally questions why his hair has no visible border to separate head from hair.

In the season seven (1995) episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", Bart (along with Homer) was computer-animated into a three-dimensional character for the first time for the "Homer3" segment of the episode. The computer animation was provided by Pacific Data Images. While designing the 3D model of the character, the animators did not know how they would show Bart's hair. They realized that there were vinyl Bart dolls in production and purchased one to use as a model.

### Voice

Bart's voice is provided by Nancy Cartwright, who voices several other child characters on The Simpsons, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and Kearney. While the roles of Homer and Marge were given to Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner because they were already a part of The Tracey Ullman Show cast, the producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high. Smith later recalled, "I always sounded too much like a girl. I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'" Smith was given the role of Lisa instead. On March 13, 1987, Nancy Cartwright went in to audition for the role of Lisa. After arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever". Matt Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot. Cartwright is the only one of the six main Simpsons cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show.

Cartwright's normal speaking voice is said to have "no obvious traces of Bart". The voice came naturally to Cartwright; prior to The Tracey Ullman Show, she had used elements of it in shows such as My Little Pony, Snorks, and Pound Puppies. Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform, saying, "Some characters take a little bit more effort, upper respiratory control, whatever it is technically. But Bart is easy to do. I can just slip into that without difficulty." She usually does five or six readings of every line in order to give the producers more to work with. In flashforward episodes, Cartwright still provides the voice of Bart. For "Lisa's Wedding" (season six, 1995), Bart's voice was electronically lowered.

Despite Bart's fame, Cartwright is rarely recognized in public. When she is recognized and asked to perform Bart's voice in front of children, Cartwright refuses as it "freaks [them] out". During the first season of The Simpsons, the Fox Network did not allow Cartwright to give interviews because they did not want to publicize that Bart was voiced by a woman.

Until 1998, Cartwright was paid \$30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing for casting of new voices. The dispute was resolved and Cartwright received \$125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid \$360,000 an episode. The dispute was resolved a month later, and Cartwright's pay rose to \$250,000 per episode. After salary renegotiations in 2008, the voice actors received approximately \$400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Cartwright and the other cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut to just over \$300,000 per episode.

### Hallmarks

In the opening sequence of many Simpsons episodes, the camera zooms in on Springfield Elementary School, where Bart can be seen writing lines on the chalkboard. The sentences, which changes from episode to episode, has become known as the "chalkboard gag". Chalkboard messages may involve political humor such as "The First Amendment does not cover burping", pop culture references such as "I can't see dead people", and meta-references such as "I am not a 32-year-old woman" and "Nobody reads these anymore". The animators are able to produce the chalkboard gags quickly and in some cases have changed them to fit current events. For example, the chalkboard gag for "Homer the Heretic" (season four, 1992) read, "I will not defame New Orleans." The gag had been written as an apology to the city for a controversial song in the previous week's episode, "A Streetcar Named Marge", which called the city a "home of pirates, drunks and whores". Many episodes do not feature a chalkboard gag because a shorter opening title sequence, where the chalkboard gags are cut, is used to make more room for story and plot development.

One of Bart's early hallmarks were his prank calls to Moe's Tavern owner Moe Szyslak in which Bart calls Moe and asks for a gag name. Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but rapidly realizes it is a prank call and (despite not knowing who actually made the call) angrily threatens Bart. These calls were based on a series of prank calls known as the Tube Bar recordings. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner Louis "Red" Deutsch, whose often profane responses inspired Moe's violent side. The prank calls debuted in "Homer's Odyssey" (season one, 1990), the third episode to air, but were included in "Some Enchanted Evening", the first episode of the series that was produced. As the series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe's angry response, so the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season but they have occasionally resurfaced on the show.

The catchphrase "Eat My Shorts" was an ad-lib by Cartwright in one of the original table readings, harking back to an incident when she was in high school. Cartwright was in the marching band at Fairmont High School, and one day while performing, the band chanted "Eat my shorts" rather than the usual "Fairmont West! Fairmont West!" It could also be an homage to The Breakfast Club, as John Bender says the phrase to Principal Vernon. John Bender would become the inspiration for another Matt Groening creation, Bender from Futurama. Bart's other catchphrases, "¡Ay, caramba!" came from a Portuguese flamenco dancer and "Don't have a cow!" had been around since the 1950s which derived from the British phrase "Don't have kittens"; both were featured on T-shirts manufactured during the production of the early seasons of The Simpsons. "Cowabunga" is also commonly associated with Bart, although it was mostly used on the show after it had been used as a slogan on the T-shirts. Reiss also stated the writers took the phrase from Chief Thunderthud on The Howdy Doody Show. The use of catchphrase-based humor was mocked in the episode "Bart Gets Famous" (season five, 1994) in which Bart lands a popular role on Krusty the Clown's show for saying the line "I didn't do it." The writers chose the phrase "I didn't do it" because they wanted a "lousy" phrase "to point out how really crummy things can become really popular".

Bart commonly appears nude in the show, although in every case only his buttocks are visible. In The Simpsons Movie (2007), Bart appears in a sequence where he is skateboarding while fully nude; several different items cover his genitalia, but for a brief moment his penis can be seen. The scene was one of the first worked on for the film, but the producers were nervous about the segment because they thought it would earn the movie an R rating. Despite this, the film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "Irreverent Humor Throughout". The scene was later included by Entertainment Weekly in their list of "30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes".

### Personality

Bart's character traits of rebelliousness and disrespect for authority have been compared to that of America's founding fathers, and he has been described as an updated version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, rolled into one. In his book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner describes Bart as a nihilist, a philosophical position that argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

Bart's rebellious attitude has made him a disruptive student at Springfield Elementary School, where he is an underachiever and proud of it. He is constantly at odds with his teacher Ms. Krabappel, Principal Skinner, and occasionally Groundskeeper Willie. Bart does poorly in school and is well aware of it, having once declared, "I am dumb, okay? Dumb as a post! Think I'm happy about it?" On one occasion, Lisa successfully proves that Bart is dumber than a hamster, although Bart ultimately outsmarts her. Bart's thoughts are often illogical; he once thought if he died and reincarnated as a butterfly, he would be able to burn the school down without being suspected, thinking that he would be able to hold a gas can as a butterfly. He has also thought if he wrote his name in wet cement, people who see it after it dries will wonder how he managed to write his name in solid cement. In "Separate Vocations" (season three, 1992), Bart becomes hall monitor and his grades go up, suggesting that he struggles mainly because he does not pay attention, not because he is stupid. This idea is reinforced in "Brother's Little Helper" (season eleven, 1999), in which it is revealed that Bart has attention deficit disorder. His lack of smarts can also be attributed to the hereditary "Simpson Gene", which affects the intelligence of most male members of the Simpson family. Although he gets into endless trouble and can be sadistic, shallow and selfish, Bart also exhibits many qualities of high integrity. He has, on a few occasions, helped Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel: In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" (season five, 1994), Bart accidentally got Skinner fired and befriended him outside the school environment. Bart missed having Skinner as an adversary and got him rehired, knowing that this would mean that the two could no longer be friends.

Due to Bart's mischievousness and Homer's often uncaring and incompetent behavior, the two have a turbulent, jaded, violent, and at times borderline sadistic relationship. Bart regularly addresses Homer by his first name instead of "Dad", while Homer in turn often refers to him as "the boy". Homer has a short temper and when enraged by Bart will strangle him on impulse in a cartoonishly violent manner. One of the original ideas for the show was that Homer would be "very angry" and oppressive toward Bart, but these characteristics were toned down somewhat as their characters were explored. Marge is a much more caring, understanding and nurturing parent than Homer, but she also refers to Bart as "a handful" and is often embarrassed by his antics. In "Marge Be Not Proud" (season seven, 1995), she felt she was mothering Bart too much and began acting more distant towards him after he was caught shoplifting. At the beginning of the episode, Bart protested at her over-mothering but as her attitude changed, he felt bad and made it up to her. Despite his attitude, Bart is sometimes willing to experience humiliation if it means pleasing his mom. Marge has expressed an understanding for her "special little guy" and has defended him on many occasions. She once said "I know Bart can be a handful, but I also know what he's like inside. He's got a spark. It's not a bad thing ... Of course, it makes him do bad things."

Bart shares a sibling rivalry with his younger sister, Lisa, but has a buddy-like relationship with his youngest sister Maggie, due to her infant state. While Bart has often hurt Lisa, and even fought her physically, the two are often very close. Bart cares for Lisa deeply and has always apologized for going too far. He also believes Lisa to be his superior when it comes to solving problems and frequently goes to her for advice. Bart is also highly protective of Lisa: When a bully destroys her box of cupcakes in "Bart the General" (season one, 1990), Bart immediately stands up for her.

Bart is portrayed as a popular cool boy and has many friends at school. Out of all of them his best friend is Milhouse Van Houten, although Bart has at times shown embarrassment about their friendship. Bart is a bad influence on Milhouse, and the two have been involved in a lot of mischief together. Because of this behavior, Milhouse's mother forbids Milhouse from playing with Bart in "Homer Defined" (season three, 1991). While at first he pretended that he did not care, Bart eventually realizes that he needs Milhouse, and Marge manages to convince Mrs. Van Houten to reconsider. Milhouse is a frequent target for local bullies Nelson Muntz and his friends Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney. At times, Bart also finds himself at the hands of their abuse. Despite being the more socially powerful of the two, Bart's social popularity has temporarily subsided various episodes either due to extreme embarrassment caused by his family or other people (or even himself) or an unfortunate coincidence. Milhouse describes their social standing as "Three and a half. We get beat up, but we get an explanation." While Bart and the bullies have been adversaries at times, with Bart once declaring war on Nelson, the school bullies actually like Bart for his ways and hang out with him at times, especially Nelson who eventually becomes close friends with him.

Bart is one of the biggest fans of children's television host Krusty the Clown. He once declared, "I've based my whole life on Krusty's teachings", and sleeps in a room filled with Krusty merchandise. He has helped the clown on many occasions, for example, foiling Sideshow Bob's attempt to frame Krusty for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted" (season one, 1990), reuniting Krusty with his estranged father in "Like Father, Like Clown". and helping Krusty return to the air with a comeback special and reignite his career in "Krusty Gets Kancelled". For his part, Krusty has remained largely ignorant of Bart's help and treats Bart with disinterest. One summer, Bart enthusiastically attended Kamp Krusty, which turned out to be a disaster, with Krusty nowhere to be seen. Bart keeps his hopes up by believing that Krusty would show up, but is soon pushed over the edge, and finally decides that he is sick of Krusty's shoddy merchandise and takes over the camp. Krusty immediately visits the camp in hopes of ending the conflict and manages to appease Bart. One of the original ideas for the series was that Bart worshiped a television clown but had no respect for his father, although this was never directly explored. Because of this original plan, Krusty's design is basically Homer in clown make-up. When Bart foiled Sideshow Bob's plans in "Krusty Gets Busted", it sparked a long-standing feud between the two. The writers decided to have Bob repeatedly return to get revenge on Bart. They took the idea of the Coyote chasing the Road Runner and depicted Bob as an intelligent person obsessed with catching a bratty boy. Bob has appeared in fourteen episodes, generally plotting various evil schemes which often have to do with getting revenge on Bart (and sometimes the entire Simpson family by proxy), but is always foiled in the end.

## Reception and cultural influence

### Bartmania

In 1990, Bart quickly became one of the most popular characters on television in what was termed "Bartmania". He became the most prevalent Simpsons character on memorabilia, such as T-shirts. In the early 1990s, millions of T-shirts featuring Bart were sold; as many as one million were sold on some days. Believing Bart to be a bad role model, several American public schools banned T-shirts featuring Bart next to captions such as "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" and "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')". The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated \$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales. The success of Bart Simpson merchandise inspired an entire line of black market counterfeit items, especially T-shirts. Some featured Bart announcing various slogans, others depicted redesigns of the character, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Bart, Air Simpson Bart, [and] RastaBart". Matt Groening generally did not object to bootleg merchandise, but took exception to a series of "Nazi Bart" shirts which depicted Bart in Nazi uniform or as a white power skinhead. 20th Century Fox sued the creator of the shirts, who eventually agreed to stop making them.

Bart became so associated with Fox that, when bidding in 1993 to show pro football, the network had to assure the NFL and reporters that the character would not announce games. Due to the show's success, over the summer of 1990 Fox decided to switch The Simpsons' timeslot so that it would move from 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday night to the same time on Thursday, where it would compete with The Cosby Show on NBC, the number one show at the time. Through the summer, several news outlets published stories about the supposed "Bill vs. Bart" rivalry. The August 31, 1990 issue of Entertainment Weekly featured a picture of Bill Cosby wearing a Bart Simpson T-shirt. "Bart Gets an 'F' (season two, 1990) was the first episode to air against The Cosby Show, and it received a lower Nielsen rating, tying for eighth behind The Cosby Show, which had an 18.5 rating. The rating is based on the number of household televisions that were tuned into the show, but Nielsen Media Research estimated that 33.6 million viewers watched the episode, making it the number one show in terms of actual viewers that week. At the time, it was the most watched episode in the history of the Fox Network, and it is still the highest rated episode in the history of The Simpsons. Because of his popularity, Bart was often the most promoted member of the Simpson family in advertisements for the show, even for episodes in which he was not involved in the main plot.

Bart was described as "television's king of 1990", "television's brightest new star" and an "undiminished smash". Entertainment Weekly named Bart the "entertainer of the year" for 1990, writing that "Bart has proved to be a rebel who's also a good kid, a terror who's easily terrorized, and a flake who astonishes us, and himself, with serious displays of fortitude." In the United States congressional, senatorial and gubernatorial elections of 1990, Bart was one of the most popular write-in candidates, and in many areas was second only to Mickey Mouse amongst fictional characters. In the 1990 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Bart made his debut as one of the giant helium-filled balloons for which the parade is known. The Bart Simpson balloon has appeared at every parade since. This was referenced in The Simpsons in the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", which aired the same day as the parade, where Homer tells Bart, "If you start building a balloon for every flash-in-the-pan cartoon character, you turn the parade into a farce!" Meanwhile, behind and unbeknownst to him, the television briefly shows a Bart Simpson balloon.

The album The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released in September 1990 and was a success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and becoming certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The first single from the album was the pop rap song "Do the Bartman", performed by Nancy Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by Bryan Loren, a friend of Michael Jackson. Jackson was a fan of The Simpsons, especially Bart, and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show. Jackson eventually guest starred in the episode "Stark Raving Dad" (season three, 1991) under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. While the song was never officially released as a single in the United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom. In 1991 it was the number one song in the UK for three weeks from February 16 to March 9 and was the seventh best-selling song of the year. It sold half a million copies and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry on February 1, 1991.

### Bart as a role model

Bart's rebellious nature, which frequently resulted in no punishment for his misbehavior, led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. Robert Bianco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that "[Bart] outwits his parents and outtalks his teachers; in short, he's the child we wish we'd been, and fear our children will become." In schools, educators claimed that Bart was a "threat to learning" because of his "underachiever and proud of it" attitude and negative attitude regarding his education. Others described him as "egotistical, aggressive and mean-spirited." In response to the criticism, James L. Brooks said, "I'm very wary of television where everybody is supposed to be a role model, you don't run across that many role models in real life. Why should television be full of them?"

In 1990 William Bennett, who at the time was drug czar of the United States, visited a drug treatment center in Pittsburgh and upon noticing a poster of Bart remarked, "You guys aren't watching The Simpsons, are you? That's not going to help you any." When a backlash over the comment ensued, Bennett apologized, claiming he "was just kidding" and saying "I'll sit down with the little spike head. We'll straighten this thing out." In a 1991 interview, Bill Cosby described Bart as a bad role model for children, calling him "angry, confused, frustrated". In response, Matt Groening said, "That sums up Bart, all right. Most people are in a struggle to be normal. He thinks normal is very boring, and does things that others just wished they dare do." On January 27, 1992, then-President George H. W. Bush said, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." The writers rushed out a tongue-in-cheek reply in the form of a short segment which aired three days later before a rerun of "Stark Raving Dad" in which Bart replied, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too."

Although there were many critics of the character, favorable comments came from several quarters. Columnist Erma Bombeck wrote, "Kids need to know that somewhere in this world is a contemporary who can pull off all the things they can only fantasize about, someone who can stick it to their parents once in a while and still be permitted to live." In 2003, Bart placed first in a poll of parents in the United Kingdom who were asked "which made-up character had the most influence" on children under 12 years old.

### Commendations

In 1998, Time named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. He was the only fictional character to make the list. He had previously appeared on the cover of the edition of December 31, 1990. He was also ranked No. 48 in TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" in 1996 and both he and Lisa ranked No. 11 in TV Guide's "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" in 2002. In 2022, Paste writers claimed that Bart is the 26th best cartoon character of all time.

At the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1992, Cartwright won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Bart in the season three episode "Separate Vocations". She shared the award with five other voice actors from The Simpsons. Various episodes in which Bart is strongly featured have been nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, including "Radio Bart" in 1992, "Future-Drama" in 2005, "The Haw-Hawed Couple" in 2006 and "Homer's Phobia", which won the award in 1997. In 1995, Cartwright won an Annie Award for "Voice Acting in the Field of Animation" for her portrayal of Bart in an episode. In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 2014 Bart Simpson became the second mascot of Russian football club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, wearing number 87 on his back (referring to the character's debut in 1987; the club's first mascot is a blue-maned lion).

### Merchandising

Alongside T-shirts, Bart has been included in various other The Simpsons-related merchandise, including air fresheners, baseball caps, bumper stickers, cardboard standups, refrigerator magnets, key rings, buttons, dolls, posters, figurines, clocks, soapstone carvings, Chia Pets, bowling balls and boxer shorts. The Bart Book, a book about Bart's personality and attributes, was released in 2004. Other books include Bart Simpson's Guide to Life. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer, which is not an official publication, includes a chapter analyzing Bart's character and comparing him to the "Nietzschean ideal".

Bart has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons. He has appeared in every one of The Simpsons video games, including Bart vs. the World, Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly, Bart vs. the Space Mutants, Bart's House of Weirdness, Bart vs. The Juggernauts, Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, Bart's Nightmare, Bart & the Beanstalk and The Simpsons Game, released in 2007. Alongside the television series, Bart regularly appears in issues of Simpsons Comics, which were first published on November 29, 1993, and are still issued monthly, and also has his own series called Bart Simpson Comics which have been released since 2000. Bart also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride, launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood. Bart appears as a playable character in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions, released via a "Fun Pack" packaged with a Gravity Sprinter accessory in November 2015.

Bart, and other The Simpsons characters, have appeared in numerous television commercials for Nestlé's Butterfinger candy bars from 1990 to 2001, with the slogan "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!" Lisa would occasionally advertise it too. Matt Groening would later say that the Butterfinger advertising campaign was a large part of the reason why Fox decided to pick up the half-hour show. The campaign was discontinued in 2001, much to the disappointment of Cartwright. Bart has also appeared in commercials for Burger King and Ramada Inn. In 2001, Kellogg's launched a brand of cereal called "Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch", which was available for a limited time. Before the half-hour series went on the air, Matt Groening pitched Bart as a spokesperson for Jell-O. He wanted Bart to sing "J-E-L-L-O", then burp the letter O. His belief was that kids would try to do it the next day, but he was rejected.

On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled a series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Bart and the four other members of the Simpson family. They are the first characters, other than Sesame Street characters, to receive this accolade while the show is still in production. The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009.

Fictional character from The Simpsons

Fictional characters from the 20th century

Fictional characters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Television characters introduced in 1987

Television controversies in the United States