Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-22
THE SECOND CAVALRY
Brilliant History of tina Eas
nous Regiment
WAS ORGANIZED IN $3.50
FIRST SAW SERVICE AG
THE SEMINOLES.
Fought in the Mexican, Civil, n0ra.5
and Spanish Wars-Its Dis.
tinguished officers.

One of the distinctive features of the, L3xfss
tary service of foreign nations is the pr!d9
of officers of the various regiments i'll tho
glory of the organization to which they arc
attached. Some of the old regiments OF
England and Germany have traditions
which extend back beyond the history Of q
mere century and are preserved as the moss
sacred memories of the soldiery of these,
respective countries. Most of the military
history of some of the nations has been
preserved through the history of the regi-'
ments or separate corps that have par
ticipated in it's battles, shared in its vic
tories and defeats 1t is through the pri-
vate histories of some of these regiments
that most of the general history of nation
is secured and compiled What a pic
turesque illustration of the nobility of the
soldier would have been lost to history but
for the preservation in poetry of the charge
of the Light Brigade at Balaklava and how
much the story of the battle of Waterloo
would have lost If historians had failed to
note the action of the Old Guard in the last
grand effort of Napoleon to retrieve the
errors of that disastrous day. So 1t will be
found throughout Europe. The Life Guards
of England, the various organizations of
FuSfleers that are carried on the rolls of
the British army, the Swiss Guard of the
Roman pope. the Chasseurs DAfrique of
rance anu many OlneT organizations have
tons lives the history Of their corps to the
minutest detail and have it today ready tor
recitation to any stranger that visits there
mess or gives the least opportunity for it's
recital. The story of many q campaign I'm
every CLINE is to be heard in the mess room
and barrack of the soldiery the world over
instances, many of them, that contain ele-
ments of daring, courage and romance that
put to blush the best efforts of the most
imaginative novelist, and yet are fact IN
every detail.
The American Army.
Through the comparatively short stretch
of time that covers the history of the
United States army the soldiers of America
have seen much hard campaigning and
have participated in as many battles as any
other nation. 1t would be perfectly true to
say that in the last seventy-five years the
American army has done more fighting real
hghting than any other soldier on the face
OF the earth and has come out of 1t with
more honor to himself and to the organiza-
ton to which he belongs. In the organfza-
ton of the army of the United States there
are certain elements which would seem to
destroy or TO act as a negative influence TO
any effort that could be made to preserve
the history of a separate regiment or COM
pany, troop or battery. There have been
80 many changes. The designation of reei-
ments has changed, the very organization
oI Ihe company, troop battery has
changed. The troops companies and batter
les have been shifted and the officers have
been shifted from one regiment to another
and from one troop to another until the
regiments seem to have lost their identity
except for tactical purposes But despite
these combating influences there is not
regiment or battery in the service of the
United States that has not IT'S history writ
ten in the hearts of some of its men who
treasure 1t and preserve 1T with the utmost
care and take great pleasure in telling 1t to
any person who appears anxious to know
The American soldier is not a talkative in
dividual az a general rule, and 1t is rather
hard to make him tell things of himself or
his command. Within the last few months
however, The Star has been able to secure
partial history of one of the organizations
which has been stationed in the vicinity of
the District for some time past, and which
has on more than one occasion shown itself
to be one of the most gallant commands In
the service.
The Old Dragons.
The vagaries of the life of the regiments