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Cavalry in American History by Avi Heiligman
Forgotten Her es Cavalry in American History
By Avi Heiligman
General Casimir Pulaski Teddy Roosevelt with some of his Rough Riders General George A. Custer
Throughout history, many countries and empires have had soldiers mounted on horses. Usually called cavalry, they are sometimes referred to as dragoons, hussars, uhlans, lancers, and knights, among other terms, depending on the time in history and use in battle. The mobility and speed gained from being on horseback and attacking the enemy in large numbers gave an army and advantage over foot soldiers. Even after guns were invented, horseback soldiers were still seen on the field until the middle of the 20th century. Even today, there are cavalry units in use. The history behind the American units is quite fascinating.
In the early days of the United States, due to the high cost in maintaining a cavalry unit, the army only had horseback units during wartime. Mounted units were raised for the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
The first hero of cavalry in American history was Polish-born General Casimir Pulaski. He had been a cavalry officer in Poland and fought in several battles. The Russians took him captive during a battle, and he was released on the condition that he wouldn’t take up arms against the enemy. A while later, Pulaski rejoined the army but got caught up in the ever-changing political scene in Western Europe. Pulaski was forced to flee Poland after being accused of trying to overthrow the Polish king and spent a few years wandering around Europe. In 1777, he met American envoys, including Benjamin Franklin who was impressed with the cavalry officer. Franklin gave him high regards as he knew General Washington was looking for experienced cavalry officers, and soon Pulaski was off to fight in the American Revol ution.
At first, Pulaski wasn’t given a commission, but Washington allowed him to follow the army into battle. During the Battle of Brandywine, the Continental Army was forced to pull back and Pulaski, sensing the danger, was given permission to gather as many troops as he could, including the cavalry, to secure the retreat safely. His counterattack saved the cavalry, which at this time was only 400 strong, and also saved the life of General George Washington as the army was in a precarious position.
Congress then appointed Pulaski as brigadier general, and he went right to work reforming the cavalry. Soon he was able to raise his own unit headquartered in Baltimore called the Pulaski Cavalry Legion. There were a number of foreigners in the unit, and the legion was essential in the defense
of the southern front of the war.
General Pulaski was mortally wounded during the Siege of Savannah in 1779, and today he is widely recognized as the one who brought semblance and order to the mismanaged cavalry of the young nation.
It wasn’t until 1832 that Congress approved the formation of the Battalion of Mounted Rangers. A year later, the Regiment of Dragoons was raised, and they fought in the Indian and Mexican-American Wars. To protect the vast territory gained during the Mexican-American War, two cavalry regiments were added by Co ngress in 1855 to shield settlers from the dangers in the West. During the American Civil War, mounted units played a significant role in many of the battles and were able to cover long distances between outposts that the thinly stretched infantry units could not easily defend.
Cavalry units played a significant role during the Civil War. Regiments of cavalry were raised and were intended to be the eyes and ears of the army due to their quickness and mobility. Confederate General Lee had one of the best cavalry officers under his command, General J.E.B Stuart. Most of the Northern soldiers were city boys, but the Southern troops grew up on farms and were excellent horsemen. Stuart’s objective was to be the eyes and ears of the army and to hold off the Union cavalry should they be a threat to the infantry. Stuart had an impeccable record that was marred at the crucial Battle of Gettysburg. He left the main Confederate encampment exposed, and the Union cavalry under General John Buford held off a
A monument depicting General J.E.B Stuart on horseback A helicopter in the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade
big Confederate attack until infantry support came up from the rear.
Cavalry units were used extensively in the latter half of the 19th century during the conflicts with the Native Americans. Most notably, the 7th Cavalry Regiment under George Custer was decimated during the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. Large numbers of cavalry soldiers participated in the Spanish American War with future President Teddy Roosevelt leading his unit of Rough Riders to victory on San Juan Hill. The first Roughrider to die in battle was Trooper Jacob Wilbusky – a Jewish cowboy from Texas. The first man to the top of the heights was Jewish Corporal Irving Peixotto. Mounted units were present during World War I, and in the years leading up to World War II cavalry units transitioned from horses to mechanized forms of transport. Some horseback units did see action in the early part of World War II including an American cavalry charge by the U.S. Army’s Philippine Scouts (26th Cavalry Regiment) on the Bataan Peninsula in January 1942. The 10th Mountain Division’s horse cavalry troop made the last horse charge during the war while in Austria in early 1945.
Helicopter-borne troops, called air cavalry, were introduced during the Vietnam War. Today, the 1st Cavalry Division is still in active service and has horseback troops for ceremonial purposes. For all intents and purposes, the use of horses in combat is a thing of the past. However, cavalry units and the servicemembers associated with those units will always be remembered for their bravery and heroism in battle.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
