9th Cavalry Timeline Pt. 2
1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900
Bibliography and References
1880
January 12, 1880 (New Mexico) on the Rio Percho, Troops B, C, D, F, H and M, under Major Morrow, were again engaged, losing one man
January 17, 1880 (New Mexico) in the San Mateo Mountains, Troops B, C, F, H and M, under Major Morrow, were again engaged, losing one officer (Lieutenant French) killed, and one man wounded
January 30, 1880 (New Mexico) in Caballo Mountains, detachment of Troops B and M, under Captain Rucker, loss 3 men wounded
February 3, 1880 (New Mexico) in the San Andreas Mountains, Troops B, C, F, H and M, under Major Morrow, were engaged, losing 4 men wounded
February 28 and again on April 5, 1880 (New Mexico) in the San Andreas Mountains, Lieutenant Confine with Troop A was engaged, losing one man and one citizen wounded
April 6, 1880 (New Mexico) in the mountains, Troops A, D, F and G, under Captain Carroll, were engaged, Captain Carroll and 6 men being severely wounded
April 7, 1880 (New Mexico) Major Morrow with Troops H and L continued this affair
May 14, 1880 (New Mexico) near old Fort Tolerosa, Sergeant Jordan with 25 men repulsed a force of more than a hundred Indians under Victorio. 1 Medal of Honor resulted from this action.
June 5, 1880 (New Mexico) Cook’s Canon, Troop L, loss 2 men
May, 1880 (New Mexico) in the San Francisco Mountains, Troop C and detachment scouts, 2 men killed and one wounded.
June 11 and 12, 1880 (New Mexico) near Fort Cummings, Troop B
September 1, 1880 (New Mexico) in the Sacramento Mountains, 11 men of Troop G, 2 men wounded
February and again in April, 1881 (New Mexico) A detachment under Lieutenant Maney, 15th Infantry, was engaged in southern New Mexico, one man wounded;
July 25 1881 (New Mexico)at White Sands 20 men of Troop L were engaged
July 26 1881 (New Mexico) in the San Andreas 20 men of Troop L were engaged
August 3 1881 (New Mexico) At Santa Minica 20 men of Troop L were engaged.
August 12, 1881 (New Mexico) in Carizo Canon, 19 men of Troop K, under Captain Parker, 2 men killed. 1 Medal of Honor resulted from this action.
August 1881 (New Mexico) in the San Mateo Mountains, detachments of Troops B and H, under Lieutenant Taylor engaged
August 16, 1881 (New Mexico)Cuchillo Negro Mountains, Troop I, Lieutenant Valois, 2 men wounded. 3 Medals of Honor were awarded as a result of this engagement.
August 19, 1881 (New Mexico)At Cavilare Pass, detachment of Troops B and H, Lieutenant Smith, 3 men and one citizen killed, 3 men wounded. 1 Medal of Honor resulted from this action.
October 4, 1881 (New Mexico) in the Dragoon Mountains, Troops F and H, 3 men wounded
1883 Cavalry Companies officially designated as Troops
1884 Black chaplains assigned to the four regiments of Buffalo Soldiers
1883-85 (Kansas) 9th Cavalry HQ stationed at Fort Riley, with portions of the regiment assigned to Fort Sill, Fort Supply, and Fort Reno in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
That November the headquarters of the 9th was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas, with portions of the regiment assigned to Fort Sill, Fort Supply, and Fort Reno in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Over the next four years, the troopers were primarily concerned with the unpleasant task of evicting white settlers known as "Boomers," who were attempting to settle on Indian land. The 9th's unpopular duty continued until the regiment was transferred to Wyoming in June of 1885. From here companies were stationed at Fort Robinson and Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, and Fort Duchesne, Utah. In 1891 the 9th was called on to assist in subduing the Sioux in what became known as the Ghost Dance Campaign. Once rulers of the northern plains, the Sioux were desolate and poverty stricken on their North and South Dakota reservations. In 1889 word spread of a messiah - a Paiute named Wovoka - who had seen through a vision that the ghosts of Plains Indians would return, bringing with them the buffalo herds slaughtered by the whites. The new "religion" swept through the Indians, alarming Dr. D. F. Royer, the newly appointed agent at the Pine Ridge reservation. Royer over-reacted, pleading for troops to protect him and his staff. By the end of November, one-half of the U.S. Army was concentrated on or near the reservations. The Army's show of force was intended to scare the Sioux into submission. However, many Indians, fearing a massacre, bolted from the reservations and fled into the Badlands. The subsequent actions of the Army to pacify and return the Sioux to their reservations culminated in the massacre of 146 men, women, and children at Wounded Knee on December 29th. The 9th played no role in the slaughter. This was to be their last campaign on the frontier.
June of 1885 (Kansas) 9th Cavalry transferred to Wyoming. From here companies were stationed at Fort Robinson and Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, and Fort Duchesne, Utah
26 August 1886 (Utah) Major Frederick Benteen, riding at the head of B and E Troops halted at a site in eastern Utah Territory, near the intersection of the Du Chesne and Uinta rivers. Benteen and the troops had traveled a total of 650 miles, part of the distance by train, the rest on horseback, from Fort McKinney, Wyoming Territory, to help build and garrison a new Army post to be called Fort Du Chesne. Following the construction of the new fort, they were transferred between Fort Du Chesne, Utah, and Fort Robinson / Fort Niobrara, Nebraska where they provided protection for work crews building the trans-continental railroads
November 5, 1887 (Montana) Crow Agency, Troops D and H
1890
February 18, 1890 (Arizona) A 9th Cavalry detachment escorting a payroll was ambushed. 1 Medal of Honor resulted from this action.
December 30, 1890 (South Dakota) Troop D, under Captain Loud, was attacked while escorting a wagon train near Pine Ridge Agency, losing one man killed. Later in the same day Troops D, F, I and K, under Major Henry, were engaged near the Drexel Mission with no casualties. 1 Medal of Honor was recieved as a result of this action.
08 June 1898 (Cuba) Elements of the 9th Cavalry Regiment traveled from Fort Robinson, Nebraska to Tampa, Florida and embarked for Baiquiri and Siboney, Cuba.
1 July 1898 (Cuba) One of the first units to go ashore, the 9th Cavalry fought as dismounted infantry alongside the Rough Riders of Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt at the Battle of Santiago in the gallant fight for San Juan Hill
1900
1903 (California) The Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to patrol the National Parks in California, including Yosemite, General Grant, Sequoia and the Presidio. Captain Charles Young, the third black West Point graduate, was named Acting Superintendent of Sequoia National Park. He was in the 9th Cavalry stationed at the Presidio. The Buffalo Soldiers continued to patrol the parks until the National Park Service was created in 1916.
May 3, 1903 (California) The 9th Cavalry, which served with Theodore Roosevelt in Cuba, was designated as his Honor Guard escort during a rare visit, as President, to the Presidio. This was the first time black regular cavalry soldiers had served as an escort for a President of the United States
"May 3, 1903: Promptly at 2:30 PM a train arrives at the Third and Townsend Street Terminal of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Masses of humanity cheer and factory whistles blow all anticipating the arrival of the distinguished guest. San Francisco mayor Schmitz and M.H. De Young, chairman of the welcoming committee, greet the visitor with short speeches. Already 15 minutes behind schedule, the guest and entourage march into Third Street, where the crowd erupts, eagerly pressing against the wire cable barrier strung along the street. Lining the street, and flanking several carriages, set two troops of soldiers on horseback. The soldiers appear not in resplendent dress uniforms, but seemingly in their normal working clothes fatigue dress, pillbox-style caps, and white canvas leggings. The command forward is given -- the clattering hooves of the cavalry escort mixed with the rumbling wheels of the carriages is almost drowned out by the enthusiastic crowd and the Army Band's lively tune as the party travels up Third Street.
"These soldiers are members of the Ninth Cavalry, Third Squadron, Troops I and M, and their duty is both honorable and unique. They are serving as "Guard of Honor and Presidential Escort," for the distinguished guest is Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, and the troopers serving in this escort are "Buffalo Soldiers," black cavalry troopers. This is the first time that black cavalry soldiers have served as an escort of honor for a U.S. President." (Portraits in Black)
(The 9th Memorial Cavalry was honoured thus again, by serving as Honor Guard for President G. W. Bush on Memorial Day of 2001 in Mesa, Arizona)
1907 (West Point) a detachment of the 9th Cavalry was assigned to West Point to assist in Cadet riding instruction and mounted drill, which was conducted on the ground now called Buffalo Soldier Field, formerly known as the Cavalry Plain
1916 (Mexico) The 9th Cavalry Regiment returned to the United States to fight once again; this time with General John J. "BlackJack" Pershing in his Punitive Expedition against the Mexican rebel Pancho Villa. It was there that the regiment, along with the 7th Cavalry Regiment, took part in the last American cavalry charge of the modern era conducted against an armed enemy (until the war in Afghanistan)
World War One The 9th is scattered across the Western United States. Some men served in California as the first park rangers, other patrolled the border with Mexico from California to Texas.
01 March 1933 Assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Division.
10 October 1940 The Ninth Cavalry is relieved from the 3rd Cavalry Division, reassigned to the 2d Cavalry Division and prepared for overseas deployment.
1941 (Kansas)The 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments are formed into the 4th Cavalry Brigade, commanded by General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., at Camp Funston, Kansas.
August to October 1941 (Arkansas) The regiment trained in the Arkansas Maneuver Area then returned to Fort Riley.
July 1942 (Texas)Due to overcrowding at Fort Riley, the regiment transfers to Fort Clark, Texas, where it continues training for combat in Europe. The War Department decides a second cavalry division unnecessary for victory and directs the division to deploy to the Mediterranean theater and inactivate to provide replacements to critical logistical organizations.
31 January, 1944 (Virginia) The regiment embarks at Hampton Roads for North Africa
9 February, 1944, (North Africa) The 9th Cavalry arrives in North Africa
7 March, 1944 (North Africa) The horse cavalry regiments are disbanded. The 9th Cavalry is inactivated at Assi-ben Okba, Algeria, and the regiment's soldiers are transferred to support units. Men were offered the opportunity to volunteer for combat duty under the condition that they give up all rank. Many did and serve in the 92nd Infantry Division in Italy, and Germany
20 October 1950 Converted and redesignated as Company "A", 509th Tank Battalion; concurrently the 9th Cavalry relieved from the 2nd Cavalry Division.
01 November 1950 Activated at Camp Polk, Louisiana.
10 April 1956 Inactivated at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
15 October 1957 Redesignated as Troop "A", 9th Cavalry.
01 November 1957 Redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry; concurrently consolidated with 16th Reconnaissance Company (see annex); assigned to 1st Cavalry Division and activated in Korea.
01 September 1963 Reorganized and redesignated as 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry.
01 July 1965 Transferred (less personnel and equipment) from Korea to Fort Benning, Georgia and reorganized.
16 October 1986 Inactivated at Fort Hood, Texas and relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division.
16 March 1987 Assigned to the 9th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Lewis, Washington.
15 February 1991 Relieved from assignment to the 9th Infantry Division.
16 February 1991 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry reorganized as Troop "A", 9th Cavalry and assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade. (organic elements concurrently inactivated)
16 July 1992 Troop "A", 9th Cavalry relieved from assignment to the 199th Infantry Brigade.
16 December 1992 Reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. (organic elements concurrently activated)
In 1993 a memorial park was dedicated to honor the memory and contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers. The memorial is at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas, home of the original 10th Cavalry. The memorial was dedicated by General Colin Powell and on hand were many of the Buffalo Soldiers who had served in the Korean War, or World War II, and there was also James Morgan who had run away from home at a young age and joined the Army. He was with the Buffalo Soldiers (24th Infantry) when they took San Juan Hill, before Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders" arrived.
Other Units of the Buffalo Soldiers
1897- Missoula, Montana- a unit of black infantrymen set out on a grueling expedition to demonstrate a unique means of military transport--the bicycle. Black soldiers of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps will arrive in St. Louis, Missouri, after completing a 40-day bike ride.
