THE
A Modern Troop of Cavalry
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
HE other day there took place at
Fort D. near Marfa,
Tex., a ce which marked a
revolutionary tep in our military
i
Russell,
history. On n the parade ground
marched the oldest cavalry regiment
in the United States
“Dandy First,”
and troopers were to say
to their horses For this
was to be
its members were to replace their
mounts, the cavalry c¢
fast armored
As the proceeded across the parade
ground, swung int ine and dismounted, a hors
army, the
where the officers
farewell
egiment
‘mechanize
1argers,
notor cars
was led out 1e “front and center”
of honor, He was “Old Louie” 1
of the regiment,
the oldest
of 28 vear:
in every part of
rayed in funeral
ment's sorrow at
comrades,
At the ceren
der of the re 1
officers and men when
begin in earnest our prepars
which means farewell nu
a century this regiment, which it has been our
privilege to serve with, has contributed a con-
gpicuous part toward
stability of the nat
into existence
of a great
every crisis and
the First 3
and has been among
tection, defense and
“No other regiment
wealth of tradition, such ar
orable, bri liant
this hour farewell to our faithful, willing and
achievements
noble companions of march,
rison—our beloved horses. Patient, silent. de.
pendable comrades, carried the stand-
ards of the First Dragoons throu
heroie hardships and endu
maneuver and gar-
hey have
gh a century of
g accomplishments”
st tribute to a gal ent for.
It was a ju lant regin
giment has
as Colonel Austin said, “no other re
such a wealth ot Jradition, abundance
of honorable, brilliant Except for
"
various loosely organized “rangers the United
such an
achievements.”
States army had no regularly
ry arm of the service from the close of the
Revolution to 1533. In March 8 of that year
there was created by an act of congress “The
United States Regiment of Dragoons” and the
“Dandy First" traces its history in an unbroken
line back to that outfit,
The newly organized regiment was organized
and concentrated first at Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
Its first Ttommanding Henry
Dodge, who resigned his commission In 18368 to
become - governor of Wisconsin, The first regi-
mental adjutant was a young Mississippian. fresh
from West Point, named Lie ent. Jefferson Davis
destined for fame as the first and only president
of the Confederate States of
At that time larracks wag on the
“frontier” of this country and the five companies
of dragoons first recruited were soon dispatched
on the duty for which they were primarily ere
ated—to suppress tribes of marauding Indians,
In October, 1833, the five companies under Col
onel Dodge left Jefferson Barracks and set out
for Camp Jackson, Arkansas territory. There
they spent the winter, practically in sight of the
hostiles. In June, 1834, after having suffered
many hardships during the winter months, the
dragoons were sent out on the Pawnee éxped]
tion. The command remained in the field only
until September of that year, but In that short
time one-fourth of the officers and men died,
principally from fever,
For the ensuing winter, part of the regiment
was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kan, while the
remainder went into the Indian country on the
right bank of the Mississippl, near the mouth
of the Des Moines river. The following summer,
1835, the entire command was kept in the field.
As no engagements with the Indians are re.
corded, It is probable that all the marehings and
counter-marchings wgre done In the Interest of
exploration of our outlying territory to the west
of the Mississippi,
The whole of the regiment's service from its
organization until the outbreak of the Mexlean
war In 1846 was devoted to activities in the
Middle Southwest—alternately fighting Indians
and exploring the new territory, Outstanding
events fire recorded during those years, notable
for the results accomplished without bloodshed
and for the sustained endurance and hardihood
displayed by the soldiers. On May 18, 1838,
Colonel Kearney, with five companies, left Fort
Leavenworth and set out for South Pass in the
Rocky mountains. The command reached that
point and returned to Its starting place by Au.
gust 24 of the same year, having marched over
strange and generally hostile territory, about
2,000 miles In less than 100 days,
In reporting upon the expedition, Colonel
i sald: “In the length of the march, the
constituted eaval-
.
officer was Col
America,
Jefferson
& made,
Hy un
unpre
wort! y
ii i ma ‘ i 5 moving
IHMIY, i: i § ite march of
1 day for so long
Mexiean
id heen a
¥
from Vera
present
ig)
he
r
from the close of the Mexien war
withreak of the war between the states
respects similar to the period pre
former contest. The dragoons were
lian duty In the West, Headquarters were
Union, New Mexico Territory,
in 1804, and with that as a f
companies of the commar
hostile Indians all the way from the Rio Grande
to the Canadian border on tl one hand and
from the Mississippi to
to Fort
base. of operations,
operated against
» on the other,
ents with the Utah, Apache, Navalo,
Spokane, and other Indians are recorded,
At the outbreak of the Civil war the designa
tion of the command was changed from “First
Regiment of Dragoons™ to “First Regiment of
Cavalry,” without any change of internal or
ganization or shifting of personnel other than
what was necessary for expansion to war
strength.
During the latter part of 1541, the regiment,
less Companies D and G. was transferred from
the Pacific coast to Washington, DD. C., to be.
come a part of the line of Unlon defenses around
that city. And while the regiment, minus its two
companies, was taking part in varions tactical
movements around the Federal Capital, the two
companies left in the West were making history.
In January, 1862, they acted as escort for
General Canby: on February 19, Company D
engaged Confederate troops in a skirmish near
Fort Craig: the two companies took part in the
battle of Valverde on February 21; and Company
D took part in engagements at Pigeon's Ranch,
March 80: Albuquerque. April 25, and Peralto,
April 27. In June, 18G3, the two companies were
broken up, the officers and noncommissioned
officers being transferred to Carlisle Barracks,
Pennsylvania. There the two units were reor-
ganized and joined the reziment at Camp Bu-
ford, Maryland, October, 1863,
From this time until the end of the war, the
First regiment was destined to see action on
many fronts, tramp many miles up and down
the valleys of Virginia, and finally to be present
at the closing scene at Appomattox In April, 1865,
It was attached to Sheridan's famous eavalry
corps which on the march and In the attack
was second only to Jackson's In point of swift.
ness,
When “Little Phil” swung around Richmond
the First cavalry was with him, taking part In
the following engagements: Beaver Dam sta
tion, Yellow Tavern, Meadow Bridge, Mechanics.
ville, Tunstall's station, Hawe's Shop, and Old
Church, Other Important engagements in which
the command took part were Cold Harbor, Pen.
insula Campaign, Antietam, Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Peters.
burg, and Appomattox,
After the surrender of both Lee and Johnston,
the regiment returned to Washington, escorting
General Sherman, and was present for the “Great
Review” on May 24 and 205, 1865, when 65,000
of the victorious troops paraded through the
streets of the city,
Almost immediately thereafter the command
left for the South to ald In the work of recon
struction, taking station in the vicinity of New
Orleans, There it remained unt! December, 1865,
when It left
Panama, ook station
Francisco January
for Californi
same
elween
ments were
of red
oxta
¥ f »
appear fron
there
and horse can g through and
on wen other meat are hlocked
an is helpless In a fog. for Instance
Nor can fhorcmzhly effective reconnalssanes he
accomplished
exceedingly
without the al the horse in
mountainous terrain, All this would
indicate the
military purposes and that me 4 troops, In
retention of the horse for some
smaller numbers, will be avallabl or scouting
at any rate
In the broader field of tact
however, the
newer mechanical weapons The speeding ar
mored car, for ground reconnaissance, ean cover
much greator distances in quicker time,
usefulness,
horse cannot compet with the
With the development of more effective weng
ons, the horse hax Jost its “shock power” in
operating against either mounted or dismounted
enemies, There are too many
matic riflee and quick firing
permit such close contact, and the horse
a larger target than the Wan on foot Gas,
too, is a potent weapon against the horse,
too expensive to completely cover an animal
with gasproof cloth and there are gases now
which inflict deep burns at the s!
achine guns, auto-
artillery guns to
offers
ghtest exposure
Ever since the British launched the first land.
ships or “tanks™
to mislead spies) many
been looking toward a cavalry,
mounted on mechanical carrying
on its traditional roles of distant reconnaissance,
pursuit,
but covering more ground in less time, striking
with more force and power and with fewer risks
and greater protection than the horse offered.
military
mechanized
steeds, still
But the World war tanks were incapable of
carrying out such assignments, Some power they
enjoyed, but mobility, the prime essential of
cavalry, they lacked. The light tank, for in-
stance, manenvered across country at the rate
of three to four miles an hour. After ten miles
it ran out of gasoline, and, what wns even worse,
it usually had to go back to the shop for over
haul after a comparatively short trip. The heavy
tank, carrying the tremendous weight of 44
tons, lnmbered along at a maximnm rate of
five and a half miles an hour, and often bogged
down In Its own tracks
Today, however, the ordnance department has
given the American fighting forees a light ex.
perimental tank capable of operating on the
road at 20 miles an hour, across country at 18
miles an hour: 60 miles on one filling of gaso.
line, and more than 2000 miles before major
overhanl becomes necessary. And all this has
been accomplished without Increasing the ght
tank of seven and a half tons by a single pound.
Besides tanks and vehicles of {ts type, a
mechanized force calls for armored care, wheeled
vehicles armored and armed with machine guns
only. For long-distance reconnalssance, pa
trols and raids, such vehicles are held indigpen.
gable, and the time may not be far distant when
they will replace entirely that faithful compan.
fon of our troopers, the cavalry charger, who
helped push back the frontier in the conquest of
America.
(© by Western Newhpaper Usifon §
Fruit, Whether
Fruits have become more and more
necessinry to the
in recent years. Kven when the fresh
varieties are out of season many de.
lHelous Inexpensive desserts can be
made with -aaned or dried peaches
paars sand Here ure inter-
esting new which ure par
ticularly appetizing
well-balanced meal
apricots
recipes
Golden fruit tartlets, made with a
simple cracker crust and filled with
peaches tipped with #8 meringue, can
easily be prepared from the follow
ing recipe:
GOLDEN FRUIT
CRUST-
TARTLETS
In or Out of Season
crumbled sugar cookies
6 portions
Sprinkle
over cream
APRICOT MERINGUE
1
ners
CUSTARD PIE,
CRUST 1 cup roda crac
i& cup butter
1 thep. sugar
FILLING ard filling
ned apricot
juice
hites, stiffly beaten
Mix cracker crumbs with softened
butter and sugar and press in an
even layer against bottom and sides
for 10
Pour
iprieat
of a buttered pie plate, Bake
hot oven (425°F)
into pie shell To
minutes in a
custard
pulp add sugar and lemon
with stiffly besten egg
whites and spread on top of custard
(AF) for 15-20
meringue is
juice
Combine
# glow oven
minutes or
browned, Mak
wy the
ick of
in her
1.6507
ticks
iIatinum
winds
re are
us jewel
inum and
onds and
i her system
e bowel action
ds take NR daily.
corrective, Mild,
Cra
TR RE
ok relief for acd indiges
y. Only 0c.
“TUMS"™ “
mn, hea
Anyone can take
not upset the stomach.
rapidity with which
without any ill effects.
Handkerchiefs Direct From Factory with
for men, boys,
two half-dak. differ.
eallont quality,
per dos. same Initial:
Shipman St. Newark, New Jersey.
PAIRED $1.50, Send it to us Ly ional: ex.
pert mechanics will repair and
plate same day received
EYE AILMENT?
‘or the small sum of only 18e¢ will send
on a formula for obdinary eve aliments,
he preparation of which will e228 vou but
a few cents and will positively relleve
«eh ordinary eve aliments as Granulated
Bye Lida Inflamed Tearing, Red, Strained,
Weak, Twitching and Breitated Eves,
TREE (
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