Full Unit History
45th KENTUCKY VOLUNTEER MOUNTED INFANTRY
Organized: Summer / Fall, 1863 Ashland, KY
Mustered In: 10/1/1863 – 1/1864
Mustered Out: By battalions/companies12/24/1864 - 2/14/1865 Catlettsburg, KY
Regimental History
REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
The 45th Kentucky was originally formulated as a one year, mounted infantry, regiment. Its period service was initially to have been local, along the Kentucky/Virginia border and within Kentucky’s eastern counties in the western theater of the American Civil War (ACW).
In 6/1864 the 45th led in the pursuit of raiding Rebel forces under Confed. Gen. John Hunt Morgan. That same month it was the leading regiment of the Union assaulting column during the fighting at Mt. Sterling, KY. This same period also saw the regiment participate in the second battle of Cynthiana, KY which saw the defeat and destruction of Hunt’s command. The engagement concluded twenty six days and nights of continuous during which the 45th enjoyed no halt as much as four hours.
10/1864 found the 45th as part of an unsuccessful Union attack on Saltville, VA. It then covered the Federal retreat. In November and December it was with Union Gen. Stoneman at the capture of Bristol, TN as well as Marion, Abington and Saltville, VA plus other actions of that campaign.
REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers killed or mortally wounded: 0; Officers died of disease, accidents, etc.:1; Enlisted men killed or mortally wounded: 10; Enlisted men died of disease, accidents, etc. 102.
Soldier History
SOLDIER:
Residence: Inf. Not Avail. Age: ca. 15 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: 11/1/1863 Mt. Sterling, KY Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: 2/4/1864
Mustered Out: 2/14/1865 Cattletsburg, KY
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
Family History
PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
Michael Cline was born ca. 1848. No specific birth date or month has been located in available documentation. The place of his birth was somewhere within the State of Ohio.
No information has been provided pertaining to Michael’s parentage. The same holds true for possible brothers and sisters.
In 1864 teenaged Michael enlisted in the U.S. Army. Without accessing his military service records, about all that can be said about his period of enlistment is that he survived the trials and tribulations of war, was discharged in 1865 and returned to civilian life.
Post-war, the first we learn of Michael comes from the 1885 where the Washington Territorial Auditor’s census tallied him in in or near the community of Chimacum located in Jefferson County.
Two years later, in 1887, the Washington Territorial Census found Michael still residing in Chimacum, but noted that he was married and had three children. All of the children had been birthed in WT between 1878 and 1886. Why his wife and children had not been previously enumerated is not known.
All that is documented about Mrs. Cline is that her name was Clara with a middle initial of E. Further, she had been born ca. 1857 in Michigan.
The Cline children as identified in 1887 were Diora/Dora (9), Clara (4) and Mary (1). A fourth daughter, Nellie, was added at later time. All were birthed in Washington Territory/State.
As of 1890 the Clines were residing in Port Townsend Jefferson County, WA. By that date Michael had noted his occupation as being “painter.”
In 1890 Michael applied for a U.S. Government disability pension based on his days of Civil War soldiering. Although the pension was awarded, without accessing his pension files the nature of his monthly stipend remains an unknown. Interestingly when making his application the former soldier noted that he had served in the military from 1863 to 1867, a period of three years and three months.
Michael Cline died on 10/28/1909 in Blaine Whatcom County, WA. Although he and Clara were then residing in South Bellingham Whatcom County, WA, he had reportedly gone to the former locale to visit married daughter Clara.
It was in daughter Clara’s home that Michael died Cause of death was carcinoma (cancer) of the liver which had taken a suddenly, and definitely, taken turn for the worse. He was/is buried in Bellingham’s Bayview Cemetery.
And wife Clara? Details of her passing and burial are not known.
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* The American Civil War Research Database shows surname as Kline. The same spelling reportedly appears in National Park Service listings.
** Created during the American Civil War (ACW) mounted infantry primarily differed from ACW cavalry in that they did not act as the “eyes and ears” of an army performing scouting duties then reporting back to the commander of a body of foot soldiers. Instead, as a precursor to today’s mechanized infantry units, the troops, for the most part, used their horses to rapidly move from one location to another before dismounting to fight. Armed with rifled muskets rather than carbines and pistols, mounted infantry possessed much more long-range fire power than did cavalry.
Posted: 12/7/2023
Updated:
Cemetery
Buried at BayView Cemetery Whatcom Co.
Row: SECTION I, Lot 627
Site: Grave 3-A