Cyrus enlisted in Capt. Franklin B Long's Company G, 54th Regiment of Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers. He was a blackmsith by trade and left his wife Katharina and two sons, Henry and Josiah, to report for duty in Harrisburg.  He was promoted to 1st Sergeant on February 20, 1863 and to 2nd Lieutenant on December 14, 1864.

Co G, 54th Regiment left Camp Curtin (Harrisburg) in February 1862 and the unit was stationed in West Virginia through the early months of 1863.  The Company returned to the Cumberland, Maryland area in mid 1863 near the home of Cyrus in Garrett County, Maryland.  His son Henry walked (50 miles round trip) from his home to Cumberland to see his father stationed there.

Company G left Cumberland and returned to West Virginia and provided picket, scouting, and guard duty and engaged in several skirmishes with the enemy. In May 1864 the Company left for Southern Virginia to the Staunton and Lynchburg areas where they encountered Rebels. They Continued into Winchester and Harrisonburg Virginia where they were engaged in enemy combat. In early 1865 they marched and rode by train to Deep Bottom, Virginia, where they engaged in various enemy enounters near Petersburg in the Appomattox Campaign, which was forcing General Lee's troups to withdraw to the west.

On April 5 and 6, 1865, Company G, in company with the 123 Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and a squadron of the 4th Massachusetts Calvary advanced to High Bridge on the South Side Railroad where they met the enemy at the Battle of High Bridge over the Appomattox River. The bridge was a stategic route protected by the Confederates and was to be destroyed to delay the pursuit of the Union Army.  Union troops were counter attacked, separated and outnumbered at High Bridge and suffered heavy casualties.

General Lee's troops, hoever, were forced to continue to march west toward Appomattox Station. On  April 9, 1865, Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered.

Records show that Cyrus was buried on Major Watson's Farm, near the site of the battle, and his body was later moved to Poplar Grove National Cemetery, Grave 150, Petersburg, Virginia.

References: National Archives - Military Records
Army Official Records of the Union & Confederate Armies
History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, by Samuel P Bates, 1860

High Bridge Battlefield Museum