From the category archives:

Enlisted Men

George Henneberg: Immigrant Bugler and Deserter

October 16, 2011

Kearny to Adj. Gen. Jones, January 27, 1839, Letter Book 410 Sir By the last mail received your instruction of the 8th Inst. to send George Henneburg one of the Principal Musicians of the 2d Dragoons, to Jefferson Barracks that he may be sent over there to join his Regiment in Florida, & for the [...]

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Soldier’s Story of Those Who Deserted Ft. Tejon For Gold

April 29, 2010

From the journal of soldier William Antes: Arrived at Fort Tejon California on the 25th of June, 1855-we reached our destination-For Tejon, California. Here we encamped near company”A” first US Dragoons which we had come to join. In a few days we were joined to that company making it members 126 men. Our horses were [...]

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Army Drunk: “Long May You Live To Ride a Horse.”

March 10, 2010

Lt. Berry, 4th Infy, USMA 1841 to Lt. Love. It appears possible that while writing these letters Berry may have been drunk, stringing together his words, which have been separated here for ease of reading: Jefferson Barracks Mo Jan 18th 1843 My Dear John What with parties and every other thing of that kind I have [...]

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Bill Collecting and Other Gossip 1848

December 24, 2009

Trooper Philip Welsh has run up a sizable bill with the post sutler and the merchant asked Welsh’s company commander Captain Burgwin to extract payment. Unfortunately, the commanding officer died in battle at Taos. The sutler has requested that Lt. John Love find out whether the soldier paid the bill. Philip Welsh stayed in the [...]

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Inspection Report and Muster Roll, Ft. Tejon 28 February 1859

September 24, 2009

Joseph Mansfield’s Inspection Report of Fort Tejon Los Angeles, California 5 March 1859 Bvt. Major Irwin W. McDowell, Asst. Adjt. Genl. – Head Quarters Army Sir: On the 18th February ulto., I left San Francisco, in the Overland mail coach, for Fort Tejon,  and reached there at daybreak of the 21st ulto. , and have [...]

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The 1854 March of Dragoon Recruits

May 11, 2009

                     The 1854 Overland March of Dragoon Recruits On June 1, 1854, a column under the command of Lt. Colonel E. J. Steptoe, consisting of 77 supply wagons, 2 companies of 3d Artillery and 90 much needed recruits for the 1st Dragoons out in California, left Ft. Leavenworth by way of the Overland Trail.  Major [...]

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Muster Roll Company F, 30 April 1855

May 10, 2009

1st Sgt. Thomas Fitzsimmons NY 20 Jan. 1851; Reduced to the ranks and transferred to Co. K Sgt. Hugh Cameron NY 4 Mar. 1851 DS Burgwin Sgt. James Arthur Ft. Mass. 20 Aug. 1853 Re-enlisted; reduced to the ranks; sent to G Compy. Sgt. Charles Hamish Ft. Mass. 21 Aug. 1853 Re-enlisted Corp. Robert Walsh [...]

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Recruitment Advertisement 1833

April 27, 2009

The army would routinely place advertisements for recruits in newspapers. One of the first advertisements for recruits for in the newly formed Regiment of Dragoons was placed by Capt. Nathan Boone on October 26, 1833, in the Jeffersonian Republican. It read as follows: The undersigned being anxious to make up his Company of United States [...]

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Letters Home: Mathias Baker

February 22, 2009

Mathias Baker ran off from his prosperous New York home and joined the 1st Dragoons in 1845. He accompanied Stephen W. Kearny to Santa Fe in 1846. Returning to Ft. Leavenworth with Lt. John Love to rebuild the company, he writes of the trek back to the states. Baker accompanied Love to New Mexico in [...]

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Dragoon Buglers

August 24, 2008

Dragoon Buglers–a work in progress By George Stammerjohan and Will Gorenfeld See also infra: Langford Peel, Paddy Graydon and Aaron Stevens. 1. Michael I. Considine He was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1834 and emigrated to the United States in 1854. The former clerk, by training, could not find work in New York City and [...]

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