The 1st Dragoon Regiment was born on March 2nd, 1833,
when Congress merged the Mounted Rangers with the cadre of the let
Dragoons. On that date also, the United States Cavalry was born.
U.S. Dragoons 1st Regiment 1834
The uniform of the let Regiment of Dragoons is described as follows:
Dark blue double breasted coat, gilt buttons, blue-grey trousers, yellow stripes along outside trouser seams. Black shako (similar to British Lt. Dragoon), silver eagle in front just below a silver star. The cords were gold, pompom was white and the silver star was centred Just below it. The Dragoons wore black ankle boots, silver spurs and a sabre and musketoon. The uniform was completed by a yellow sash around the waist, black belts, black silk socks and white gloves.
Officers wore the same type uniform, insignia of rank on epaulettes and repeated on forward corner of collar. Officers scabbard was black ending in gilt tip, sabre hilt was gilt. The sabre hilt was wound about with gold or silver cords with drooping rope hanging from the guard.
Troopers sabre hilt and scabbard were all black with yellow ropes wound about as for officers.
Organisation (circa 1850)
Regiments were divided into three squadrons of four troops each. The Regiment was commanded by a Colonel, second-in-command was a Lieutenant-Colonel. Three Majors commanded the squadrons and 1 Captain, 1 1st Lieutenant and 1 2nd Lieutenant commanded each troop. Regimental strength varied from 900 to 1,200 men.
In 1855, the Western Military forces consisted of 126 companies of infantry and five regiments of Horse. These regiments were:
- 1st Dragoons
2nd Dragoons
Mounted Rifles
1st Cavalry
2nd Cavalry
The only major differences between the various types was in name and dress, not in function. The only difference in dress between the Cavalry, Mounted Rifles and Dragoons was that the Dragoon wore a double breasted coat. Trim on the costs also differed; Dragoon trim was orange, Mounted Rifle trim was green and Cavalry trim was yellow.
1861
In 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War, the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was authorised. At this time also, the mounted arm was reorganised and all regiments were designated Cavalry.
lst Dragoons became the 1st Cavalry, 2nd Dragoons became the 2nd Cavalry, Mounted Rifles became the 3rd Cavalry, 1st Cavalry become the 4th Cavalry, 2nd Cavalry became the 5th Cavalry, and the 3rd Cavalry became the 6th Cavalry.
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© Copyright 1972 by Donald Featherstone.
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