April 2024

Dragoon Base is THE social networking site for the Second Cavalry Association. It is also an immediate source of information concerning the Association and the active Regiment. The Association will also use Dragoon Base as one of the vehicles for event registration and management. Ultimately, we would like to see the entire membership of the Association registered on Dragoon Base. Please click the button to the right to be taken directly to the site.

Thoughts from the President

Next year at this time we will be meeting in Nashville for our next reunion. Our host Jeff Davidson is putting together a great agenda for us. More details in the fall. In the meantime, I hope that you will mark your calendars to be in Nashville from 3-6 April 2025.

When we started planning for the Regiment’s 23 May 2024 birthday celebration (again, thanks to CSM(R) Dwayne Parrish for this great idea), among my goals was to raise awareness for the many places the Regiment has called home. I immediately thought of K Trooper Butch Page, who passionately advocated for Kansas City for the site of our 2019 Reunion. Butch pointed us not only to the fabulous WWI Museum and the Harry Truman Library, but to Ft. Scott as well. C and K Companies were stationed at Ft. Scott on the eve of the Civil War.

Here are several photos from that day at Ft. Scott.

The 2^nd Dragoons at Fort Jesup, Louisiana 1842-1846

After seven years of combat in the longest conflict against Native Americans that the United States Army would ever fight, the troops of the 2^nd Regiment of United States Dragoons received the orders they had been waiting for. Their combat tour in the 2^nd Seminole War, fought in the swamps of Florida, was finally ending. Soon, a new chapter in the history of the regiment would begin, and as regimental historian Theophilus F. Rodenbough recorded: “If the “Second” acquired a reputation for courage and endurance in Florida, its early proficiency in drill and its proverbially good discipline was gained at “Jesup”.”[1]

Fort Jesup was founded by Lieutenant Colonel and future President Zachary Taylor in 1822 and was located halfway between the Red and Sabine Rivers in northwest Louisiana. Built a day’s march from the international boundary with Mexico at the Sabine River (since Texas was still part of Mexico at this time), the posts missions were to guard and protect the international boundary, protect settlers moving into the region, and to bring law and order to western Louisiana which had been a Neutral Ground between Spain and the United States from 1806-1821. Since neither government were allowed to station troops or law enforcement officials in the region, this “No Man’s Land” had become a haven for outlaws who either preyed on travelers passing through the region or committed crimes in the United States or Spanish Texas then fled to the Neutral Ground to hide. Soldiers from the fort built a series of roads connecting military posts in Arkansas and Oklahoma, which were also used by settlers moving west. During the 1836 Texas Revolution, Fort Jesup was made the headquarters of the Western Department of the Army with the arrival of Major General Edmund P. Gaines and his staff, and the 6^th US Infantry was sent to reinforce the 3^rd US Infantry already stationed there. During the conflict, the United States was officially neutral, but many soldiers deserted to join the Texas cause. At least three Fort Jesup soldiers died at the Alamo, a dozen or more were killed in the massacre at Goliad, and a large number fought at the Battle of San Jacinto which won Texas it’s independence. Fort Jesup soldiers served among many Texas Army units, including in the Texas Regular Army Infantry and Artillery. General Sam Houston gave both units credit for the Texas victory, even though the Texas Army was outnumbered. After the war, many of the soldiers returned to the United States Army and were reinstated to their former ranks and companies. Those who stayed in Texas were required to return their US Army issued muskets.[2]      

Fort Jesup was one of the larger posts west of the Mississippi River and covered an area of 16,902 acres, roughly three miles in every direction from the flag staff. By the time the 2^nd Dragoons left in 1845, there were over one hundred buildings at the fort (in an era when most forts only had twenty or thirty buildings). Because of the size of the post, there were no walls around the perimeter. The fort was laid out as a large rectangle with officer’s quarters on the north side of the Parade Ground, enlisted soldier’s barracks on the south and east side and the administrative buildings on the west side. The post hospital was to the south of the enlisted barracks.

When the first five regiments of the 2^nd Dragoons arrived at Fort Jesup on January 14, 1842, they were greeted by a pleasant climate totally different from what they had been used to in the swamps of Florida. The temperatures averaged lows of 76 and highs of 96 during the summer with “cool and pleasant” evenings due to the “refreshing breezes which come in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico.” In fact, the fort was considered as one of the healthiest on the western frontier, not only by medical officers but the Inspector General as well. The dragoons would need a healthy post to recover at after their years of service in the tropical swamps of Florida, as post surgeon Dr. Nathan Jarvis would write in a letter that “my hospital is constantly fill’d with sick and broken down in Florida service.” At least three troopers died of diseases they picked up in Florida during the first two months the regiment was at Jesup, and one trooper took his own life.  The climate may have been pleasant; but the condition of the buildings of the fort would have been a disappointment. Like all other military posts of the late 1830’s and early 1840’s, Fort Jesup had seen its funding cut and garrison reduced during the Seminole War as men and materials were sent to the war zone instead of the frontier forts. For the past two years, Fort Jesup had only been garrisoned by one understrength company of infantry and there simply was too much repair work for the forty or so soldiers to keep up with as the humid climate of Louisiana quickly rotted the wooden buildings of the post, many of which were almost twenty years old. Colonel David E. Twiggs, who had served at Fort Jesup as a company commander in the 1820’s wrote that “I have never seen such a dilapidated post since I have been in the army and from no neglect of the Commg [sic] Officer but it appears the work of time.”  The troopers not only had to repair the posts buildings, but many other buildings would have to be constructed using soldier labor.  For almost two decades, Fort Jesup had been an infantry post, only needing a few dozen horses and oxen to take care of the transportation needs of the staff and supply departments of the post. Now there were several hundred horses with more on the way plus additional livestock that needed to be sheltered. So, not only did the Dragoons have to repair the fort’s buildings, but they also had to build stables for their horses and all the necessary barns and sheds to house the food and supplies to care for and maintain their mounts.  By 1845 Fort Jesup had “substantial quarters for officers and men, spacious parade and drill ground, and every convenience for comfort and amusement possible to procure on the frontier.”[3]

Once the major construction and repair work was completed, the Dragoons would have settled into the routines of daily life at a fronter fort. Although the exact times would have changed with the seasons, the soldier’s basic day on Monday through Saturday began at dawn with Reveille and the first roll call of the day. The first stable call was sounded after the first roll call, and the soldiers fed and watered their horses, and cleaned out the stables. Sick call was sounded at 7:10 for any ill troopers to report to the post surgeon for treatment. Breakfast call would have been sounded at 7:30 am. After breakfast, Fatigue call was sounded and all soldiers not on guard detail were assigned various tasks around the post. Duties included working on repair or construction projects, cutting wood for firewood or construction, hauling firewood, working at the post sawmill, cleaning around the post, unloading supplies, building or repairing roads, tending the post gardens or anything else needed to make the fort run smoothly.  Any solders who could be spared from fatigue duties would be called at 10:00 am for drill. While only a handful of soldiers at most frontier forts could be spared for drill and at most for only one or two days a week at most frontier posts, Fort Jesup was a large enough post that there were always sufficient soldiers to perform the necessary guard and fatigue duties and still have a large number available for drill. This helped lead to the professionalism and fighting spirt that the regiment would show in the Mexican War. Around 11:25 the second stable call would be sounded for all troopers to feed and care for their mounts. Lunch call was at 12:05, and after lunch the soldiers would again take part in either drill or fatigue duties. The third roll call would be held during the afternoon. The evening mess was scheduled at the company level, based on when work and drill details were completed. After the meal, soldiers would take time to clean gear, clean their barracks, and prepare for the evening retreat ceremony, which often included a formal dress parade and inspection. Before the companies assembled on the parade ground for retreat, the fourth roll call of the day would be conducted. After retreat, troopers would change out of their dress uniforms and into stable jackets for their final stable call of the day. Once all the stable duties were finished, tattoo was sounded and all soldiers not on guard duty or special leave were to report to their quarters for the night. Before the companies entered their quarters, the fifth and final roll call was conducted. [4]

All soldiers would have spent time on guard duty on a rotating basis. How often they served, and the number of guards needed would vary based on the size of the garrison, but it averaged a couple of times a month. Troopers assigned this duty would serve for a twenty-four-hour period, divided into two hours on duty and four hours off duty, with a new detail posted at eight, ten, twelve and two o’clock during the day and night. Guards would assemble thirty minutes prior to the changing of the guard for inspection and instruction. Those guards on their four hours off (called the relief) would remain in the guardhouse ready to respond to any emergency, including acting as a fire brigade in case a fire broke out in the mostly wooden garrison. Troopers would wear their full-dress uniform for the entire twenty-four hours, they were on duty and during their four-hour break would “sleep in the leather” which meant they would keep their cartridge box, sword belt, and sword on while they slept with their carbines in easy reach.[5] 

Sunday was the only day of the week with a different schedule, as the only military duty on Sunday was the weekly inspection of the troops by the company officers and a formal parade and inspection by the regimental officers at 10:00 am. After the inspections, troopers not on guard detail or kitchen duty were allowed the rest of the day off. Some made use of the post chapel or post library, others spent time at the post sutler’s store (19^th century version of the post exchange), while others visited the many shops that were set up just outside the post which included “billiard tables, ninepin alleys, ball alleys, a theatre, and shops kept by the citizens [in] which liquors are sold to all who call for them, be they soldiers or citizens.” Alcohol had been part of the army rations until the 1830’s when it was replaced by coffee. Military regulations made it illegal for anyone to sell alcohol on the post (except the sutler who had to receive written permission from a soldier’s company commander before he could sell to any enlisted personnel). Several grog shops soon opened just outside the fort, but unlike other post commanders who had tried to prevent soldiers from drinking, Twiggs used it as a reward and gave free pass to soldiers with good behavior to the shops as long they did not drink to excess or cause trouble.[6]

The amount of food that an American soldier was provided as part of their ration was larger than any other army in the world and even more than some civilians would consume on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the quality of the food was sometimes questionable. Contractors would often cut corners to lower their costs and increase profits so food may not have been preserved well or packaged properly, leading to it spoiling faster. Delays in transportation caused by weather, low water levels or impassable roads could also lead to food going bad prematurely. Compounding the problem, the army did not have full time cooks at this time, instead each soldier spent one month as a cook and each day an additional soldier was detailed as an assistant cook. Often these soldiers did not know how to properly prepare food, let alone ensure its tastiness. If the men were on the march, they would divide in messes of six soldiers (who would also share a tent) and each mess would cook for themselves. Starting in 1820, the army daily ration consisted of:

¾ pound of pork or 1 ½ pounds of fresh or salted beef or 12 ounces of bacon

18 ounces of bread or 18 ounces of flour or 12 ounces of hard bread or 1 1/2 pounds of corn meal

1 gill of whiskey (until the 1830’s then it was replaced by a pound of coffee)

Also included and to be divided between every 100 soldiers was issued 4 pounds of soap, 1 ½ pounds of candles, 2 quarts of salt, 4 quarts of vinegar and 12 quarts of peas or beans.[7]

With the end of the Second Seminole War, the federal government began cutting military expenditures, and all of the regular army units created at the beginning of the war were on the chopping block including the 2^nd Dragoons. Rumors were ripe even before the regiment left Florida that they would soon be disbanded, but after a heated debate in Congress, it was decided that the regiment would be dismounted and converted into a rifle regiment. On March 13, 1843, General Order 22 was issued, and the designation of the regiment was officially changed to the United States Rifle Regiment. Horses that were in good shape were sent to the 1^st Dragoons, carbines and sabers were put into storage and the regiment soon began training with their new weapons. Their status as the only rifle regiment in the United States Army was little consolation to these gallant cavalrymen, but the officers and men took to their new mission with the professionalism the regiment was becoming famous for.[8]

Luckly for the gallant horsemen, they would not remain foot soldiers very long. The decision to dismount the regiment was very unpopular with the War Department and assisted by the congressional delegations of Louisiana and Missouri, they began working to repeal the bill. On March 7, 1844, a new bill was passed by congress to remount the regiment. To say that there was never a happier group of soldiers would be an understatement. Every duty except for guard detail was canceled, and all other soldiers were given the rest of the day off to celebrate and were issued an extra gill of whisky for the occasion. The officers had a grand frolic and many of their wine cabinets were raided. As the celebration continued, the officers decided that they would do everything mounted. “No more foot degradation; hereafter we’ll do everything mounted! We’ll eat, drink, and sleep in the saddle; we’ll live mounted and die mounted!” Soon it was time for the evening gun to be fired, and several officers decided it should be a “mounted salute.” Captain Charles May and Captain John Graham both climbed on the canon, but as the two officers were trying push each other off, Captain Graham wound up too close to the “touch hole” so when the canon’s lanyard was pulled the hot gases set his pants on fire. Jumping off, he was quickly pushed to the ground as his fellow officers “helped” put him out. Captain Graham limped back to his quarters to change clothes and nurse his wounded pride.[9]

With the celebration over, it was time to return to duty and begin preparing for the regiment’s return to mounted status. Unfortunately, the new horses for the regiment arrived with no prior notification so not only were there none of the needed supplies to care for them but stables for them had not been built yet (since the old stables had been torn down when the regiment was dismounted). Stables were quickly built and soon the men were getting reconnected with their duties as cavalry. Colonel Twigs placed Lieutenant William J. Hardee, who had recently returned from an observation and training tour in France, in charge of training the officers and men. Hardee set about teaching the regiment the latest in European tactics, focusing on saber drill precision movements of squad and company formations. Hardee also had two squadrons outfitted with lances made at the post and drilled them to a point of near perfection. A visiting officer who saw the regiment at Fort Jesup wrote that the “compactness and precision of their alignment at a gallop…were equal to the performance of the best mounted troops in England or France.”[10]    

The training the regiment received and the professionalism they gained at Fort Jesup would soon be put to the test. In 1844, the Republic of Texas began negotiation to be annexed into the United States and Mexico threatened to invade Texas and declare war on the United States if Texas was added to the Union. At the request of the Texas Government, additional troops were sent to Fort Jesup and Brigadier General Zachary Taylor was placed in command of the troops. The Third Infantry was sent to reinforce Fort Jesup and the Fourth Infantry was stationed about a day’s march away at the river port of Grand Ecore. With the annexation of Texas, Taylor’s “Army of Observation” was ordered to move to the Texas sea port of Corpus Christi near the disputed border. The Third left Fort Jesup on July 7^th to march to Grand Ecore where they joined the Fourth infantry to travel down the Red River on river boats to New Orleans then traveled by sea to Corpus Christi. The Dragoons left Fort Jesup on July 25 on a herculean overland march through the summer heat of Texas. Traveling roughly 501.5 miles they “encountered difficulties on the route, and obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but nothing impeded our progress” and arrived at Corpus Christi on August 27, 1845, in good fighting order. In fact, as the regiment neared Corpus Christi they heard loud explosions from the direction of Taylor’s camp and fearing that the Mexican Army had launched a surprise attack, Twiggs ordered the regiment to prepare to counterattack the enemy and as they rushed to their countrymen’s aid, they soon discovered that they explosions were a Texas thunderstorm. Taylor was impressed by the regiments ability to shift from the column of march to lines of battle so quickly, especially after the long march the men had endured.   Within a few months the Dragoons would find themselves in the middle of another war and would demonstrate courage and professionalism throughout the two-year Mexican War, expanding their reputation as a hard fighting regiment. Their success on the battlefields of Mexico were in large part due to the training and instruction that the regiment received on the parade ground and drill fields of Fort Jesup. Not only were the enlisted soldiers well trained and drilled at Fort Jesup, but they had learned to have faith in their officers and NCO’s and would follow them into the thickest of firefights. The officer’s learned professionalism and an understanding of the latest tactics while under the watchful eye of William Hardee and David Twiggs and not only gained a high level of professionalism but had experience commanding and drilling large units, a rarity in the prewar army which had around eight thousand officers and men spread out over thousands of miles of seacoast and the frontier. The regiment’s time at Fort Jesup would have a lasting effect on the history of the Regiment, and many of the officers stationed at Fort Jesup would become generals on both sides during the Civil War.[11]

Today, a portion of Fort Jesup is owned and operated by Louisiana Office of State Parks and is open to the public. Because of the important role Fort Jesup played in American History, the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated by Congress as a National Historical Landmark, the highest designation that Congress can bestow on a historical property. Fort Jesup State Historic Site has twenty acres of land containing the archaeological remains of about twenty buildings, a two-story museum housed in a reconstruction of one of the officer’s quarters built by the 2^nd Dragoons in the 1840’s and an original enlisted men’s kitchen and mess hall built ca 1837 and used by the Dragoons. In the museum are several artifacts related to the Dragoons including an original 1833 Dragoon saber and an 1830’s dress shako. The Friends of Fort Jesup have been working for several years to raise money to install new exhibits in the museum, expand the public programs at the site, purchase reproduction uniforms and equipment to use for Living History events and to create YouTube videos and documentary videos about the history of the fort and the regiments that served there. The Friends group is also raising money to purchase more artifacts related to the dragoons including pistols, sabers, carbines, saddles, leather gear and saddles. It is our hope that within a few years we will be able to install a larger exhibit to not only tell the story of the 2^nd Dragoons time at Fort Jesup but the to also share the importance of the regiment to American History. If you would like more information about visiting Fort Jesup or how to help preserve and improve the site, contact the Friends of Fort Jesup at [email protected].

About the Author:

Scott DeBose is the President of the Friends of Fort Jesup Historic Site, Inc. and the author of Fort Jesup: A History published by the History Press. His second book Louisiana’s No Man’s Land will be released this summer by the History Press. Mr. DeBose has been studying the history of Fort Jesup and the 2^nd Dragoons since 1995 when he began volunteering at the site, later becoming a staff member. During this time at Fort Jesup, he worked with the staff of the Reed Historical Holding Area on several projects while the regiment was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He lives in Many, Louisiana with his wife Courtney and his four children and is the Director of Bands at Many Junior High and High School.

Work Cited

DeBose, Scott, Fort Jesup: A History. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2022.

Hughes, Nathaniel C., General William J. Hardee: Old Reliable. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1965

Luecke, Barabara K. Feeding the Frontier Army 1775 – 1865. Eagan, Minnesota: Grenadier Publications. 1994

Oliva, Leo E. Fort Scott: Courage and Conflict on the Border. Topeka, KS: Kansas State Historical Society, 1996

Rodenbough, Theophilus, From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. 2000.

[1] Rodenbough, Everglade to Canyon 83

[2] DeBose, Fort Jesup 29 – 60, 71 – 82

[3] DeBose, Fort Jesup 101

[4] Oliva, Fort Scott, 55-56

[5] DeBose, Fort Jesup, 39

[6] Oliva, Fort Scott, 55-56, DeBose, Fort Jesup, 101

[7] Luecke, Feeding the Frontier Army, 5

[8] Rodenbough, Everglade to Canyon,

[9] Rodenbough, Everglade to Canyon,  85-86

[10] Hughes, Hardee, 23-24

[11] DeBose, Fort Jesup , 103-116

Department of Veteran Affairs 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report reviews what we know so far about suicide among veterans. Key emphasis was placed on year 2021 where an overall increase in numbers of suicide were seen among veterans and civilians. Rate of suicide was higher among veterans when compared to non-veterans. Age group most at risk is between 18-34 which is three times higher for veterans than non-veterans in the same age group. The highest predictor of suicide among veterans are Justice involved veterans. Rate of suicide among women veterans was twice the rate when compared to non-veteran women. When comparing veteran suicide rates, the rate of suicide increase was greater for women than for men.

The White House has a National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and has identified priority goals to intervene and prevent suicide among veterans and military service members. They are as follows:

           Priority Goal 1) Improve Lethal Means Safety: Focus on increasing time and space between a veteran or military service member in crisis and lethal means including firearms and medications.

           Priority Goal 2) Enhance Crisis Care and Facilitate Care Transitions: Focus on improving access to emergency crisis care and follow-up support.

           Priority Goal 3) Increase Access to and Delivery of Effective Care: Focus on providing access to evidence based mental health care and reducing barriers to accessing healthcare.

           Priority Goal 4) Address Upstream Risk and Protective Factors: Focus on efforts that prevent or minimize risk of a veteran experiencing a mental health crisis through public awareness and community involvement as a primary intervention tool.

           Priority Goal 5) Increase Research Coordination, Data Sharing, and Evaluation Efforts: Focus on investing resources in coordinated effort in suicide prevention strategies by integrating data from different agencies.

VA has suicide prevention initiatives in collaboration with other federal agencies as directed by the White House Initiative including Veteran Service Organizations (VSO), and community partners. In alignment with VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, VA also announced the SSG Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants where Congress authorized $174 million to be appropriated to community based programs that provide resources to Veterans and their families. This is a grant program where community organizations can apply for $750,000 each year which can be renewed from year to year for the duration of the grant for services they provide including suicide risk screening, mental health screening, education on suicide risk and prevention, peer support, VA Benefits assistance for eligible veterans and their families, transportation, financial planning, income support services, and legal services. This grant is part of the strategy to blend community efforts in the prevention of veteran suicide.

Overall, research has shown that veterans who do not access Veterans Health Administration or Veteran Benefit Administration are at an overall increased risk of suicide. Supporting recently separated veterans to access these services will have a positive impact as these services are designed to meet the unique needs of veterans who have served in any variety of situations. Also, community efforts and collaboration have filled the gap between what the healthcare provider does for medical needs and through proactive screening identifies socio-economic factors that need to be addressed and through social work can further assist veterans.

Remember, if you or someone you know needs peer support, you always have a family of Dragoons who are here, many of whom have been through similar situations. Contact us through our website. If you are in crisis, contact the veterans crisis line by dialing 988, then press 1, or send a text message to 838255, or visit your local urgent care center.

White House Strategy Reducing Military and Veteran Suicide (2021)

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2023/2023-National-Veteran-Suicide-Prevention-Annual-Report-FINAL-508.pdf

My fellow Dragoons:

A little bit above this note, there is a solicitation to join Dragoon Base, this isn’t just an attempt to get you to join the social media platform of the 2d Cavalry Association for its own sake. Hell, Facebook is an incredible waste of time, and it is not our intent to add to time-wasting impediments for your day.

Over the next several weeks, we will be putting out more and more information about the Regiment’s 188^th birthday.

You’ve all seen the T-shirts; we are in the process of and were unveiling a global, virtual celebration of our heritage. The details will be unveiled primarily on Dragoon Base.

I can tell you, that Paul will be in Mödlereuth, Tim in Gettysburg, Joe in South Carolina, I will be at West Point, the active Regiment will be in a few places in Europe, Jack will be hosting, Matt will be hosting, etc… It’s gonna be a big deal!

Standby for more information on the TBred and on Dragoon Base.

Dragoon for Life!