11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment
Fort
Irwin, California
Historical
Review
By
Neil C. Morrison
Museum Director
NTC & 11TH ACR Museum
TAKING COMMAND
When a
new Commander takes possession of the Regimental Color, he has assumed the full
responsibility of that Color and all that it implies as the essence of the
Regiment.
Grant of Arms
By authority of the
Secretary of War the Institute of Heraldry United States Army who gives grants, has assigned unto
the 11th Cavalry Regiment the arms following.
Blazon
Shield Or within an orle sable in chief two
bolos saltirewise gules hilted azure and in base a cactus proper.
Crest
On
a wreath of colors or and sable a horse’s head erased sable.
Motto Allons.
Symbolism:
Organized in 1901 the regiment
Saw service in the Philippines,
which is indicated by then
crossed bolos with red
blades and blue hilts.
The regiment’s excellent service on the
Mexican border in 1916 is represented by the cactus.
The regimental colors black and yellow, are
shown by the shield and the black border within the edge and by the color of
the crest.
Under the provisions of AR 600-40, Par. 46: the
blazonry and description of arms here given having been registered and recorded
in the Institute of Heraldry, United States Army are affirmed from this date
and hereafter may borne, shown and advanced by the 11th Cavalry
Regiment as safe property of said arms.
In testimony whereof this Grant of Arms is given under
my hand at the Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army, Camron Station, in the City of
Alexandria in the Commonwealth of Virginia this the twenty fifth day of the
August in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty one and in
the independence
of the United States of American one hundred and forty five.
The line,
“…United States Army are affirmed from this date and hereafter may borne, shown
and advanced by the 11th Cavalry Regiment as safe property of said
arms.” Indicates the strong value placed up
this symbol of the Regiment.
Likewise, it was traditional that all new troopers to
the Regiment would, by his own hand, sew his first shoulder insignia (patch)
onto his uniform.
This represents his attachment of the Regiment’s insignia and a personal
affirmation of honor and devotion to protect that symbol as “safe
property”. This insignia (patch) is
provided for you, so that you too will attach your first patch, Sir!
History of the
11th Cavalry – 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 11th
CAVALRY
2 February 1901
After attaining victory in the
Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States found itself with the new
task of Territorial Administration. In
large part, the job fell to the regular Army.
Found to be undermanned for the mission, Congress increased the standing
army by five infantry and five cavalry Regiments. Thus, on 2 February 1901, the 11th Cavalry
Regiment was the first of five newly formed cavalry regiments. The 12th, 13th, 14th and the 15th Cavalry
Regiments followed.
On 11
March 1901, the first recruits of the new Regiment reported for
training at Fort Myer, Virginia. A combat tested veteran of the Civil War, who
also gave distinguished service in the Spanish-American War, was tasked with
raising the Regiment and serving as its first commanding officer. The 11th Cavalry was exceptionally fortunate
in having the standard set by such an experienced and resourceful officer as
Colonel Francis Moore; FIRST COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
“I have 400 men who have
never seen a horse, I have 400 horses who have never seen a man, and I have 15
Officers who have never seen a man or a horse.”
First training report
rendered by the Major of the 3d Squadron,
15th Cavalry,
as it was being organized on Mindanao, Philippine Islands,
in 1901. This sentiment was fully
shared throughout the newly formed 11th, 12th, 13th,
14th and 15th Cavalry regiments.
THE FIRST UNIFORM
The headgear is referred to as a "campaign
hat." It resembled a fedora with a crease down the middle of the
crown. The shirt was made of dark blue
chambray and the trousers were a buff-colored khaki with canvas leggings over
low cut boots. A dark blue coat was used
for dress occasions while a khaki coat was issued for field use. When mounted, the trooper wore brass rowel
spurs and gauntlets (riding gloves). His
holstered .38 caliber double action Colt revolver hung opposite a Model 1860
Light Cavalry Saber on a canvas "Mills" belt that held double rows of
cartridges for his rifle. Slung from his
saddle was a tin cup, a flat circular canteen, a blue blanket, and the famous
smokeless powder Krag-Jorgensen magazine fed carbine.
The typical soldier began his day with
"Stable Call" at 0500 hrs.
Tasked with caring for his mount before addressing his own needs, the
Trooper rubbed down, fed and exercised his horse. Next came routine with which soldiers of
today can readily identify. This involved close order drill, athletics, guard
duty, and honing the skills of scouting and patrolling. Afternoons were devoted to mounted drill, one
of which was known as the "Monkey Drill." This maneuver required the Trooper to ride
bareback hands free while putting his horse through various maneuvers. The pay of the 11th Cavalry soldier in the
early 1900's was $13.00 a month for a six-day workweek. Sunday was a day off when Troopers received
mounted passes that permitted riding through the countryside.
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
(Philippine Campaign Medal)
By June 1901, the Regiment was fully
activated, although its three Squadrons were separated to posts in Missouri, Vermont and Virginia. Six months of intensive training culminated
with orders to depart for the Philippines to assist in putting down
the insurrection there. First Squadron
traveled overland and embarked out of San Francisco to Hawaii, Wake Island and then on to the Philippines. Second and Third Squadrons left by way of New York on the U.S.A.T. Buford*
(Army Transport Service), arriving in Manila after a sixty-one day
voyage which included passage through the Suez Canal.
[*General John Buford, 1848 - 1863, West
Point Class of 1848, Civil War US Cavalry commander. He led the Union forces in the epic 14-hour Battle of Brandy Station 9 June 1863. In
this, the largest cavalry action in the Western Hemisphere, the classic saber and
pistol clash involved a total of over 17,000 horse-mounted troopers. He fought the Confederate Cavalry to a draw
for the first time in the Civil War in an action that began the rise to
dominance of the Union horsemen. At Gettysburg, the battle that saw more
Americans die than any other in history, he dismounted his 2500 troopers and
held off a Confederate Division for over two hours until reinforcements
arrived. This action stopped the
Confederate advance and forced the battle onto ground of his own choosing.]
Future President William Howard Taft was the
First Civil Governor of the Philippines and his governorship of
the islands was a high mark in colonial administration for any nation. He had First Squadron dispatched to Samar, Second Squadron to Batangas Province, and Third Squadron to
northern Luzon.
Experiencing jungle warfare for the first time, the Regiment fought
dismounted. The name of Private Clarence L. Gibbs, KIA 4 March 1902, was the first to be placed on the 11th
Cavalry Roll of Honor.
By May 1902, working from satellite camps
attached to larger base camps, daily patrols of Troopers had swept the
countryside of guerrillas and the Regiment began the transition to garrison
operations. The tropical climate, illness and guerrilla warfare had depleted
the Regiment to one-third strength.
Orders home were issued in March 1904 and
within a month, the Regiment was scattered around the United States once more. HQ and Second Squadron were at Ft. Des
Moines, Iowa; First Squadron was assigned to the historic cavalry post at Ft.
Riley, Kansas; Third Squadron was split between Ft. Sheridan, Illinois and
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. It was not
until summer 1905 that the Regiment served together for the first time when it
was consolidated at Ft. Des Moines.
CUBAN PACIFICATION
(Army of Cuban Pacification Medal 1906-09)
The Cuban republic was established after the 1898
Spanish-American War. In 1901 the Platt
Amendment, a rider attached to the Army Appropriations Bill of 1901, stipulated
the conditions for U.S. intervention in Cuba that virtually made the
island an U.S. protectorate. Under the terms of this bill the United States established – and retains
to this day – a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
In mid-1906 Cuban internal
strife caused the United States to invoke the Platt
Amendment and send troops to the island nation in an attempt to restore
order. William Howard Taft, now
Secretary-of-War, sent his Philippine Insurrection veterans, the experienced 11th Cavalry Regiment under
the command of Colonel Earl D. Thomas, 2nd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
Pulled from its annual maneuvers at Fort Riley, Kansas, First Squadron returned
to Fort Des Moines while the balance of the
regiment left for Cuba by way of Newport News. The regiment arrived in Havana ahead of its horses on 16 October 1906 and set up base camp
outside the city. A storm with hurricane
force winds struck the next day, destroying the camp and battering the ships
still at sea so badly that over 200 mounts were killed. The troopers of the day quickly recovered and
assumed control of western Cuba. Regimental Headquarters was established in
Pinar del Rio after a 29 hour/110 mile
force march by Troop F. The mission of
the 11th Cavalry was to 'show the flag' by conducting mounted
patrols throughout the countryside between the villages. While in Cuba the regiment was joined
by its new commander, Colonel James Parker, 3rd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
"Galloping Jim" (the longest
serving Colonel) continued peacekeeping operations during the Regiment's
two-year stay, demonstrating to the natives that the US Army's Cavalry was
ready for any and all eventualities. Although
conflict is at times inevitable, the 11th Cavalry Regiment best serves the country
when it commands respect and thereby averts war through a show of
strength. This will be repeated time and
again throughout the history of the regiment.
By 1909, the political situation in Cuba was stable and the
regiment was recalled. In late February,
they began hurried preparations to embark out of Havana and return to the United States. The reason for the hasty departure became
apparent when, upon arriving once again in Newport News, Virginia on 1 March 1909, they were immediately ordered to Washington D.C. by train. Arriving in a severe blizzard, the troopers
of the 11th Cavalry Regiment nonetheless readied them selves for
the task at hand. The next day, 4 March 1909, the Blackhorse assumed a place of honor in
the inaugural parade of their old friend and now President, William Howard
Taft.
After the inauguration of President Taft, the
regiment settled into garrison life at its new home at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The reprieve was short lived however, as in
early 1911 the regiment was deployed to the Texas/Mexico border in response to Mexico's internal political
turmoil, which threatened to spill into the United States. This would prove to be the first of many
border postings for the 11th Cavalry.
The crisis soon eased and the regiment returned to Fort Oglethorpe in November.
LUDLOW MASSACRE
In May 1914, the 11th Cavalry
found itself on the go again, this time to Colorado. A violence-marred coal strike had culminated
in the so-called Ludlow Massacre in which several
miners along with two women and eleven children were killed in the small town
of Trinidad. Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison
dispatched the Regiment to perform the difficult and delicate task of restoring
order to a community torn by rioting in the wake of the massacre. It was even more frustrating for our troopers
considering many came from the coal mining villages of West Virginia and they knew what life
is like working under these conditions.
The troopers of the 11th Cavalry performed their sensitive
mission well, winning praise for their “poise, justness, absolute impartiality,
and effectiveness.” The Regiment
returned to Georgia in January 1915 for a
stay of a little over a year.
FOOD FOR MARCHING ORDER
The menu of the troops must not be
forgotten. In every game of chance,
there is always a possible element of disappointment, but there is neither
chance nor disappointment in the matter of meals for troops. They were dealt the inevitable
"government straight" consisting of canned baked beans, canned
tomatoes, canned corn bread ("Corned Willie"), coffee and
prunes. This may not sound so bad, but
it did get monotonous.
THE GREAT WAR
World War I began on 28 July 1914, one month
after the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne by a Serbian
terrorist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The United States was not immediately drawn
into "The Great War", as it was then known. American lives were lost however, during the
sinking of the British liners Lusitanian and Arabic in May and August of
1915. After hostile reactions from
American citizens and vehement protests from the U.S. Government, Germany announced the cessation
of unlimited submarine war. Meanwhile,
events much closer to home were commanding the attention of the 11th Cavalry.
PUNITIVE EXPEDITION
MEXICO - 1916
(Mexican Service Medal)
On 9
March 1916, the Mexican revolutionary "Pancho" Villa
raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico. President Woodrow Wilson ordered
Brigadier-General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing to lead a Punitive
Expedition into Mexico to destroy Villa's rebel
army. On 12 March the 11th Cavalry under
the command of James Locket (4th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) was ordered to report
to Pershing. The lead elements of the
Regiment moved out that very night.
A feature of railroad troop trains is their
ability for "rapid" transit.
At every station stop, a delegation of the Red Cross met the trains with
hot coffee and sweet smiles. At El Paso, Texas the 11th Cavalry was
ordered to go directly to Columbus, New Mexico to join the expedition
going into Mexico. Lieutenant-Colonel Henry T. Allen led First
Squadron as the forward element into that country.
The Provisional Squadron of the 11th Cavalry
was formed under the command of Major Robert L. Howze. On 10 April 1916, a Villista patrol engaged Major Howze’s
advance guard. In the ensuing battle,
the Regiment suffered its first casualties of the campaign with three wounded
and Private Kirby of Troop M killed.
Trooper Kirby was buried where he fell.
The Regiment had forced marched for 21 days over 571 miles. Two troops (companies) of the 10th Cavalry,
the "Buffalo Soldiers” reinforced the
Regiment at Parral. Cut off from their
base at Colonia Dublan, the squadron was sorely in need of re-supply. "Our animals were low in flesh. Officers had to watch their men to keep them
from eating part of the corn allowance of the horses."
THE LAST CHARGE
On 5 May
1916, the 11th Cavalry had the honor of making what proved
to be the last mounted charge in regular US Cavalry history. This would be the first of a number of
'lasts' the 11th would undertake in its career as a regular Army unit,
including the last forced march and the last mounted combat patrol. The account
of the 'Last Charge' was noted as follows: "The column advanced onto the
village to be found out by guards. The
bugler sounded and with guidon flying on high the charge began. The troopers entered Ojo Azules with pistols
firing, bugle sounding out orders, commands being screamed, and the thunder of
hoofs all putting fear into the hearts of the enemy." To the average trooper it was just, another
day of service to his country.
Howze's War
Diary
- 5 May 1916
5 May 1916 report to General Pershing:
"We made an over-night march to Ojo Azules, distance thirty-six miles.
Reached here at 5:45 a.m. unfortunately one-half
hour after daylight. We surprised Julia
Acosta, Cruz Domingues and Antonio Angel; jumped them. Had a running fight for two hours. Drove their bands into the hills between here
and Carichic. Killed forty-two verified
by officers; captured several and some fifty to seventy-one ponies and
mules. It is believed that we killed
Angel, although identification not completed.
We rescued a Carranza lieutenant and four soldiers just before they were
to be shot. We followed the enemy,
consisting of about 140, until our horses were wholly exhausted, but the chase
did not stop until the enemy’s left flank had been broken up entirely. In fact, those who escaped us did so as
individuals. Our discovery was by
Villista herd guards, which fired at our Indians, and alarmed the enemy, which
ran pell mell, firing at us in their flight.
The remarkable part is although the clothing of several of our men was
hit; not a single man was wounded, thanks to the utter surprise and confusion
of the enemy. We lost three or four
horses. It is needless to say that
officers and men behaved as would be expected."
The 11th Cavalry withdrew from Mexico on 5 February 1917; five days after Germany resumed a policy of
unrestricted submarine warfare against American shipping on 31 January.
THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM
International
Intrigue affects the 11th Cavalry
1
March 1917 saw the publication of a German memorandum proposing a
defensive alliance with Mexico in case of war between Germany and the United States with the proviso
"...that Mexico is to recover the lost
territory in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona..." which caused a
wave of American outrage. Alfred
Zimmerman, German Foreign Secretary, had sent the coded message on 19 January,
which also contained the suggestion that Mexico urge Japan to join the Central
Powers, to von Eckhardt, the German Minister to Mexico. British Naval Intelligence intercepted and
decoded it, giving a copy to the U.S. Ambassador to Britain on 24 February. After verification, it was released to the
press 1 March. At the time, the British
Navy had the German merchant fleet bottled up in the Gulf of California port of Santa Rosalia.
The United States’ declaration of war on Germany, enacted by Congress on 6 April 1917, found the Regiment pausing at Ft. Bliss, Texas as part of a provisional
First Cavalry Division. Due to the
threat outlined in the Zimmerman telegram and the proximity of the German
merchant fleet, a detachment of the 11th was stationed on the border at Camp
John Beacom in Calexico, California (nearest border crossing to the German
fleet) while another was stationed in the Campo area. These detachments continued border duty until
1920. Within a month new orders came and
Colonel James B. Irwin (6th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) led the remainder of the
Regiment back to Chickamauga Park, Georgia, near Ft. Oglethorpe. The next two years saw various elements of
the 11th Cavalry scattered throughout the South and West.
THE QUIET YEARS
On 9 July
1919, the main body of the Regiment departed Ft. Meyer, Virginia on a transcontinental
trek to a new duty station at the Presidio of Monterey, California. Second and Third Squadrons, whose troops had
been scattered throughout Georgia, Wyoming, and California, soon rejoined the
HQ. Here the Regiment remained for over
two decades, during the "Quiet Years."
Presidio duties included exercising horses on
the beaches of Monterey, extended war maneuvers
in the forests and deserts of California and summer training of
ROTC personnel at Fort Lewis, Washington. In the 1930's, running the Citizen's Military
Training Corps (CMTC) Program in Monterey was an additional
requirement. In the comparatively
genteel Army of the 1920's and 1930's, the Regiment's spare time was filled
with unit competitions in polo and horsemanship.
THE
GREAT PRESIDIO OIL FIRE
OF
1924
At
1000 hours on September 14, 1924, the 11th Cavalry once again
found itself in a fight. However, this
time there were no bullets involved. The
Presidio of Monterey was located right next to the
Tidewater-Associated Marine Terminal, an oil storage facility. One of the oil storage tanks had been struck
by lightning and set on fire. The fires
in the wooden oil storage tanks were soon found to be almost impossible to
