Organized as Curtis Horse by order of General Fremont.

Cos. "A," "B," "C" and "D" organized at Omaha, Neb., September 14 to November 13, 1861; "E" at Dubuque, Ia.

; "F" in Missouri, as Fremont Hussars, October 25, 1861; "H" at Benton Barracks, Mo., December 28, 1861; "G," "I" and "K" as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Independent Companies, Minnesota Cavalry, at Fort Snelling, Minn., October 29 to December 20, 1861; "L" as Naughton's Irish Dragoons at Jefferson City, Mo., and "M" as Osage Rifles at St. Louis, Mo., November 1, 1861.

Expedition to destroy railroad bridge over Tennessee River February 14–16.

1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to August, 1863.

3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Cumberland, to November, 1863.

1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Cumberland, to April, 1864.

1st Brigade, 3rd Division Cavalry Corps, Cumberland, to November, 1864.

2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Wilson's Cavalry Corps, to June, 1865.

Garrison duty at Forts Henry and Heiman until February 5, 1863.

Moved toward Nashville, Tenn., repairing roads and erecting telegraph lines April 3–6.

Cumberland Iron Works, Fort Donelson, February 3, 1863.

Moved to Fort Donelson February 5, and duty there until June 5.

Destruction of Bridge, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, February 15.

Moved to McMinnsville September 6–8, and operating against Guerillas until October.

Expedition from Maysville to Whitesburg and Decatur November 14–17, 1863, to destroy boats on the Tennessee River.

Outpost duty on line of the Tennessee River, from south of Huntsville to Bellefonte November and December.

Companies "G," "I" and "K" detached February 25, 1864, and designated Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry.

Rousseau's Opelika Raid from Decatur on West Point & Montgomery Railroad July 10–22.

Ten Island Ford, Coosa River, July 14.

Chehaw Station, West Point & Montgomery Railroad July 18.

McCook's Raid on Atlanta & West Point Railroad July 27–31.

Sweetwater and Noyes Creek, near Powder Springs October 1–3.

A total of 1625 men served in the 5th Iowa at one time or another during its existence.

[1] It suffered 7 officers and 58 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 2 officers and 179 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 246 fatalities.