Origins
The "United States Regiment of Dragoons" was organized by an Act of Congress approved 2 March 1833. It became the "First Regiment of Dragoons" when the Second Dragoons were raised in 1836. With the outbreak of the Civil War and the War Department's desire to redesignate and reorganize its mounted units, its designation was changed to "First Regiment of Cavalry" by another Act of Congress on 3 August 1861. Its Headquarters were initially established at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Missouri. In the spring of 1855 two new regiments of cavalry, the First and Second Cavalry were authorized. One of these was named “The First Cavalry Regiment”, under the command of Lt. Col. Edwin Vose Sumner, the first regular American military unit to bear that name. Sumner was previously with the First Dragoons.
The regiment was initially organized as:
- Headquarters: Jefferson Barracks, Missouri: 4 March 1833
- Troop A: Nashville, Tennessee: 12 August 1833
- Troop B: Sacketts Harbor, New York: 29 July 1833
- Troop C: Louisville, Kentucky: June 1833
- Troop D: Cincinnati, Ohio: 25 July 1833
- Troop E: New York, New York: 29 June 1833
- Troop F: Jefferson Barracks: 5 December 1833
- Troop G: Jefferson Barracks: 16 January 1834
- Troop H: Jefferson Barracks: 2 March 1834
The first order announcing appointments in the regiment was dated 5 March 1833, and gave the names of the colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, four captains and four lieutenants, stating that the organization of the regiment would be perfected by the selection of officers from the "Battalion of Rangers." In June 1834, the regiment filled its complement of officers, many of whom later became noted Civil War generals:
- Colonel: Henry Dodge (transferred from the Battalion of Mounted Rangers)
- Lieutenant Colonel: Stephen W. Kearny (transferred from the 3rd Infantry Regiment)
- Major: Richard B. Mason.
- Captains: Clifton Wharton, E. V. Sumner, Eustace Trenor, David Hunter, Lemuel Ford, Nathan Boone (a son of Daniel Boone), J. B. Browne, Jesse Bean, Matthew Duncan and David Perkins.
- First Lieutenants: Philip St. George Cooke (transferred from the 6th Infantry Regiment), S. W. Moore, A. Van Buren, J. F. Izard, Jefferson Davis (transferred from the 1st Infantry Regiment), L. P. Lupton, Thomas Swords, T. B. Wheelock, J. W. Hamilton (adjutant), B. D. Moore, and C. F. M. Noland.
- Second Lieutenants: James Allen, Theophilus H. Holmes, J. H. K. Burgwin, J. S. Van Derveer, J. W. Shaumburg, Enoch Steen, James Clyman, J. L. Watson, and B. A. Terrett.
- Brevet Second Lieutenants: William Eustis, G. W. McClure, L. B. Northrop, G. P. Kingsbury, J. M. Bowman, Asbury Ury, A. G. Edwards and T. J. McKean.
- First Lieutenant Jefferson Davis was the first adjutant, but resigned the staff position 4 February 1834, and was assigned to Company A.
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