The Washington times., 1924-09-16
MRS. COOLIDGE
TN ANNAPOLIS
FOR DAY
Motors With Mrs. Wilbur !;
Will Explore Naval
Academy
By JEAN ELIOT

CCOMPAN1ED Dy MrS. WlLDurI
~ wife Of the Secretary of the
IA Navy, Mrs. Coolidge left
Washington early this morning to
motor to Annapolis. The two ladies
will explore the Naval Academy
and have luncheon in Annapolis,
returning to town in the afternoon.
When President Coolidge goes to
Philadelphia on September 25 to
attend the exercises marking the
15Oth anniversary Of the first meet
ing of the Continental Congress in
Carpenters Hall, he will be escorted
by Philadelphia's famous City Troop
that is itself to observe its 15Oth
birthday in November.
The Troop of Light Horse"
pledged by twenty-eight gentlemen
to the service of the Colonies in
1774, is the oldest organization in
the country to maintain a continu.
Gus active military existence, and 1t
has engaged in every war in which
volunteer cavalry has served.
So that the man in the street,
who sees the brilliant cavalcade pass
by In uniforms as decorative as a
canvas by Meissonier, is making a
great mistake If he thinks that
these young aristocrats are paper
sports" playing at the business OF
being soldiers.
In the civil war the troop gave
sixty-four officers to the Union
army-a large number to come from
SO small a body, for up to the
time of the world war the total
membership of the organization
from the very beginning was only
1,130.
Detailing the history of this IA.
nous organization, the peer of the
Seventh Regiment of New York or
the Richmond Blues. a writer in
the Philadelphia Ledger says:
Escorted Washington to City
Tavern from Delaware Line.
"The custom of providing an es-
cort for Presidents began on April
20, 1889, when the First and Sec.
ond troops brought Washington on
his way from the Delaware line to
the City Tavern.
Washington was good friend of
the troop. He wrote of it in the
Revolution, in a letter preserved in
the archives:
"'Tho' composed of gentlemen of
4OIluIS, lASy nave SIlOWn d IlODlG
example of discipline and subordi.
nation, and in several actions have
shown a spirit Of bravery which
will ever be gratefully remembered
by me-
''In 1916, for Mexican border serv.
ice, the troop recruited a number Of
men without regard to social con.
siderations. The central organization
was maintained intact, however. In
January after six months of duty
on the international frontier the
troop came back, and virtually the
entire membership applied for per.
mission to attend the first officers
training camp at Fort Niagara.
Captain George c. Thayer en-.
listed 100 new men, and the troop
went to Camp Hancock, Ca, in
August, 1917. There 1t was reor.
ganized as part of the Twenty.
eighth Qron) Division.
Meanwhile, many men had re.
ceived commissions from Fort
Niagara and had entered various
branches of the services-a large
number in the Seventy-ninth
Division.
There were ninety.six such
officers.
"Of this number, fifty-nine served
overseas, and thirty-nine saw action.
Three fell at the front, three died
while on active service. Seven
others were wounded.
From the older group of non.
active troopers came thirty-five
officers for the army and three for
the navy.
''Of the group that Captain Thayer
AdHnd fn1.tTy.Vnin0
missioner officers, and nine OF
these lost their lives.
"All told, 242 men Of the troop
engaged in the war, and Of these
1873 were officers.
They were in the Meuse- Argonne
offensive from September, 1913, till
the armistice was signed. They
were in the fighting on the bloody
Vesle and in the offensive Of the
Argonne.
Their honors were numerous,
Among these were the Distinguished
Service Cross, three times; the Dis.
tinguished Service Medal, twice; the
Cross Of the Legion Of Honor, the
Orders of the Bath, Of st. Michael
and st. George, and the Croix de
Guerre.
The highest rank attained was
that given to Colonel John c,
Groome.
He was made deputy marshal
general in France, with the rank OF
lieutenant colonel. To him were as
signed the organization and com.
Inand of the military police through
out the American army.
Sixteen members became majors
and sixty reached the rank of cap.
tain. Among them will be found
the names of many of Philadelphia s
most prominent families.
No Tin Soldiers They, But
Most Gallant Trenchermen.
Such a record clearly shows that,
however fine they look on dress
parade, these are no "tin soldiers
ready to waiver and crumple at the
onset of a formidable foe.
They are not merely valiant
trenchermen at their annual ban.
quet or a composite fashion. plate
for the church service which they
attend once a year together.
AS a part Of the Pennsylvania
national guard, the troop holds it.
self in readiness to answer the cali
Of State or Nation and to CO.
operate with city and county au.
thorities.
Captain Clement Wood was elect.
ed in 1920 as the twenty.third to
hold the chief command. The troop
is abstemious in the matter of Of.
ficers. 1t has only four others
first lieutenant, second lieutenant,
cornet and first sergeant.