Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-03-29

rapidity of movement, and the sacrifices made,
the expedition Is supposed to be wholly I'M
precedented." Whether or not 1t was UMPIRE
cedented. Is not known. 1t Is however, worthy
of mention that a command of cavalry. moving
as a large body, maintained a rate of march of
20 miles a day for SO long q period.
In the Mexican war the First Dragons
there had been a Second Regiment organized In
1838-took a glorious part Companies A and e
fought with Taylor In his vigorous campaign.
Company r escorted General Scott from Vera
Cruz to the City of Mexico. and was present
at the battle fought before that city. Companies
d and K, also saw service In Scott's line. The
remaining companies In the United States car
ried on as before the war, helping keep the
Indians under control up and Town the western
Mississippi valley.
The period from the close Of the Mexico war
to the outbreak of the war between the states
was In all respects similar to the period pre-
ceding the former contest. The dragons were
on Indian duty In the West. Headquarters were
moved to Fort Union, New Mexico Territory
In 1854, and with that as a base Of operations
companies of the command operated against
hostile Indians all the way from the Rio Grande
to the Canadian border on the one hand and
from the Mississippi to the Pacific on the other
Engagements with the Utah, Apache, Navajo
Spokane, and other Indians are recorded.
AT the outbreak Of the Civil war the designa
ton of the command was changed from 'First
Regiment of Dragons" to "First Regiment OF
Cavalry" without any change of internal or
ganization or shifting Of personnel other than
what was necessary for expansion to wal
strength.
During the latter part of 1861, the regiment
less Companies d and G, was transferred from
the Pacific coast to Washington. ID. O., to be
come a part Of the line of Union defenses around
that city. And while the regiment, minus Its tive
companies, was taking part In various tactica
movements around the Federal Capital, the two
companies left In the West were making history
In January. 1862, they acted as escort foi
General Candy; on February 10, Company [
engaged Confederate troops In a skirmish neal
Fort Craig the two companies took part In the
battle of Valverde on February 81 and Company
d took part In engagements at Pigeons Ranch
March 30; Albuquerque, April rs, and Peralto
April 27. In June. 1868, the two companies were
broken up, the officers and noncommissionet
officers being transferred to Carlisle Barracks
Pennsylvania. There the two units were reor
ganized and Joined the regiment at Camp Blu
ford, Maryland. October, 1863.
From this time until the end or the war, thu
First regiment was destined to see action OF
many fronts, tramp many miles up and dow
the valleys of Virginia, and finally to be presen
Mt the closing scene at Appomattox In April, 1865
1t was attached to Sherldan's famous ~cavalr,
corps which on the march and In the attacl
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 II
the following engagements: Beaver Dam sta
ton, Yellow Tavern, Meadow Bridge, Mechanics
vile. Tunstalls station, Hawe's Shop. and Oh,
Church. Other important engagements In whicl
the command took part were Cold Harbor. Pen
insula Campaign, Antietam, Chancellorsvlll
Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Peters
burg, and Appomattox.
After the surrender of both Lee and Johnston
the regiment returned to Washington, ~escortin,
General Sherman, and was present for the "Grea
Review" on May "a and rs. 1885,. when $500
of the victorious troops paraded through tn
streets of the city.
Almost Immediately thereafter the command
left for the South TO aid In the work Of recon
s~truction. taking station In the vicinity Of New
Orleans. There 1t remained until December, 1856