It was formed in 1861 as the Philadelphia Light Cavalry and the 70th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers by Richard H. Rush who also served as colonel from 1861 to 1862.

At the request of Major General George B. McClellan, the regiment was equipped with lances which prompted the unit to be known as "Rush's Lancers."

The regiment served in many of the key battles in the Eastern theater of the American Civil War and were mustered out in August 1865.

[1] At the Battle of Hanover Court House they captured a company of infantry from North Carolina[16] and served as scouts and couriers.

[18][19] Rush left the regiment for sick leave on April 25, 1863, due to a relapse of malaria contracted during the Mexican-American War.

[20] The regiment was assigned to the Reserve Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division under brigadier general John Buford and fought in the Battle of Brandy Station in June 1863.

)[24][25][26] The hard fighting at the battle forced Confederate officers to state that "Brandy Station made the Federal Cavalry".

[9] In 1864, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Shenandoah[27] and fought in the Overland Campaign and in the Battle of Trevilian Station under general Philip Sheridan.

[29] The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry had one Medal of Honor Recipient: Captain Frank Furness, commander of Company F.[30] On June 12, 1864, during the Battle of Trevilian Station, Furness "Voluntarily carried a box of ammunition across an open space swept by the enemy's fire to the relief of an outpost whose ammunition had become almost exhausted, but which was thus enabled to hold its important position," according to the citation for the medal, awarded on October 20, 1899.

The second monument is dedicated to companies E & I of the regiment and represents their placement on the left flank of the Union Army at Emmittsburg Pike.