Matthew C. Butler entered the army of the Confederate States of America as a cavalry captain in Hampton's Legion on June 12, 1861, fought during the First Battle
of Bull Run, and was promoted to major on July 21. He participated in the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, and saw combat in the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, where
he "fought gallantly." Promoted to colonel of the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry on August 22, he took part in Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Antietam, Monocacy Bridge
, and the Chambersburg Raid. He also fought during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign. On June 9 he lost his right foot near Stevensburg, Virginia, in an action that was a
part of the Battle of Brandy Station.
After recovering from his injury, Butler was promoted to brigadier general on September 1, 1863, succeeding Major General Wade Hampton III to brigade command.
He led cavalry at the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, and the Battle of Trevilian Station. On September 27, 1864, he was promoted to
the rank of major general. During the Carolinas Campaign in early 1865, he led the rear guard of Lieutenant General William J. Hardee's army in South Carolina.
On March 10, 1865, Butler led his unit in the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads under Hampton's command.[10] He ended the war as a division commander under Hampton,
surrendering to the Union Army at Bennett Place on April 26. He was paroled on May 1, pardoned on October 27, and allowed to go home to Edgefield.
The 6th Regiment of the SC Cavalry was originally called the 16th Battalion South Carolina Partisan Rangers - Aiken's Regiment, the 1st Reg. South Carolina Partisan
Rangers, and Aiken's 1st Regiment South Carolina Partisan Rangers. It was a part of the state militia troops. The men were formally mustered into Confederate service
as the 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry on July 23, 1862. The 6th South Carolina Cavalry was then organized in January 1863, using the 16th Battalion as its nucleus.
Some of the men were from Columbia, including several students from The Citadel Academy. The 6th Cavalry saw action at Willstown and Pon Pon River in South Carolina,
and then moved to Virginia with about 1,000 men and was assigned to the Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. Assigned to General Matthew C. Butler's brigade,
the regiment participated in the Wilderness and Cold Harbor operations and in various conflicts south of the James River. Later, it was engaged in the Carolinas Campaign
assigned to Logan's Brigade.
The depleted regiment surrendered with the Army of Tennessee at Bennett Place in North Carolina.