He engaged in warfare with many Native American tribes, dealt with many types of renegades, and explored vast areas of uncharted territory from Texas to Arizona.

Union "horse soldiers" became cavalry troopers under this tough regimen and proven adept, dismounted and mounted on horseback, with their carbines, pistols, sabers and confident under their battle-proven leaders.

[8] On July 3, 1863, reports of a slow moving Confederate wagon train in the vicinity of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, attracted the attention of newly commissioned Union Brigadier General Wesley Merritt of the Reserve Brigade, First Division, Cavalry Corps.

Carpenter's troops and others threw back a mounted charge of the 7th Virginia Cavalry, just as the Confederate Chew's Battery unlimbered and opened fire on the Federal cavalrymen.

General "Grumble" Jones, outnumbering the Union forces by more than 2 to 1, pursued the retreating Federals for three miles to the Fairfield Gap, but was unable to eliminate his quarry.

Small groups of the 6th Cavalry," ... reformed several miles from the field of action by Lt. Louis H. Carpenter," harassed the Virginia troopers giving the impression of the vanguard of a much larger force.

[1] Private George Crawford Platt, later Sergeant, an Irish immigrant serving in Carpenter's Troop H, received the Medal of Honor on July 12, 1895, for his actions that day at Fairfield.

[1] He was then transferred the District of Kentucky, Department of Ohio and accepted a commission to lieutenant colonel of volunteers with the United States colored Troops.

The men were then in the field being led by Lieutenant Colonel James S. Brisbin under Brevet Major General Stephen G. Burbridge preparing for an attack on Saltville, Virginia.

[21] To many this was a war crime and Champ Ferguson, a captain of partisan rangers, was later found guilty of murdering 53 white and black soldiers at the Battle of Saltville, and on October 20, 1865, he was hanged until dead.

Non-commissioned officers were to be chosen from the ranks and with almost an entire regiment of recent ex-slaves, Carpenter found it difficult to find men literate enough to handle the tasks assigned to sergeants.

During the Battle of Marion, Division Commander Stephen G. Burbridge ordered the 5th USCC between two white units on the left flank of the Union line.

[25] Locals reported what had happened and the boasts of the Confederate guerrillas, led by Captain Dick Taylor, who had murdered or shot many of the Union soldiers after they had been captured.

[21][25] In mid February 1865, Colonel James F. Wade regimental commander of the 6th USCC was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers and moved to Division duties.

Carpenter was assigned to the newly formed Company H on July 21, 1867[n 2][33] and served with these original "Buffalo Soldiers" for thirteen years of near continuous conflict with the Native Americans in the southwest United States.

[35] On Carpenter's command, several massive volleys of aimed Spencer repeating rifles hit the front waves of the mounted Indians.

[33] On August 22 & 23, 1869, Carpenter and other troopers became involved in a fierce attack by Kiowa and Naconee Indians, who were focused on destroying the buildings and settlement on the Anadarko Reservation.

[38] Carpenter, with Troops H and L, patrolled the area aggressively and engaged several groups of warriors who were setting prairie fires upwind of the settlement at different points.

With a small hidden knife that was not found during two separate searches, he stabbed the driver (who survived), both falling out of the wagon, grabbed a soldier's unloaded carbine and was mortally wounded in his escape attempt.

[48] Colonel Grierson, commander of the 10th Cavalry, traversed the hot Chihuahuan Desert and then the narrow valleys of the Chinati Mountains, reaching Rattlesnake Springs on the morning of August 6, 1880.

With the hostile Apaches in their sights appearing ready to bolt, the soldiers did not wait and opened fire on their own initiative; Victorio's men scattered and withdrew out of carbine range.

Stunned by the presence of such a strong force but in desperate need of water, Victorio repeatedly charged the cavalrymen in attempts to reach the spring.

In the early light of day, Victorio saw a string of wagons rounding a mountain spur to the southeast and about eight miles distant, crawling onto the plain.

The Apache attack disintegrated as the warriors fled in confusion to the southwest to rejoin Victorio's main force as it moved deeper into the Carrizo Mountains.

— From August 30, 1878, to May 29, 1879, Carpenter, while holding the rank of captain in the Regular Army, but brevetted as a colonel in the 10th Cavalry, served as Commanding Officer of Fort Davis.

[n 5] Major Carpenter, then commanding officer of Fort Myer, was on duty with a contingent of soldiers at the bequest of William Crowninshield Endicott, the Secretary of War, for the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and its Blue & Gray reunions.

This school "formed the basis for practical instruction that enabled the officers and men who participated to study the duties of the soldier in garrison, in camp, and on the march.

Carpenter was appointed Military Governor of the province and remained in that capacity until June 12, 1899, when he was honorably discharged and reverted to his regular army rank of colonel.

[28][56] Colonel Carpenter was promoted on October 18, 1899, to brigadier general, Regular Army; he then retired the next day, at his own request, having served honorably for 38 years.

[1] Brigadier General Carpenter died on January 21, 1916, at his home on 2318 De Lancey Place in Philadelphia[3] and was buried in the family plot at Trinity Episcopal Church New Cemetery, Swedesboro, New Jersey.