3D Armored Cavalry Regiment (United States) - Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

In April 1898, the Regiment was assembled at Camp Thomas, Georgia in Chickamauga National Park and assigned to a brigade in a provisional cavalry division.

On 13 May 1898, the Regiment arrived in Tampa, Florida. On 8 June, the Regiment, minus four troops, embarked, dismounted, on the transport Rio Grande for Cuba. The four troops that were left in camp in Tampa took care of the animals and Regimental property and instructed recruits. The Regiment landed at Daiquiri, Cuba.

One of the Army‘s objectives was to seize the Cuban positions on the high ground around the landward side of the city of Santiago, a Cuban seaport. This would force the Spanish warships in the harbor to sail out to face the U.S. Navy. The cavalry division, of which the Regiment was a part, was one of three divisions assigned the mission of assaulting these hills, known as the San Juan Heights. The 3d Cavalry was one of five regular U.S. Cavalry Regiments engaged there.

Three troops of 3rd Squadron crossed over Kettle Hill and on to the Spanish positions around what was known as the San Juan House. Troop B advanced to the enemy‘s line at the San Juan Blockhouse (different from the San Juan House) where the Regiment‘s U.S. Flag, carried by Sergeant Bartholomew Mulhern of Troop E, was the first to be raised at the point of victory. 2nd Squadron, held in reserve on Kettle Hill, joined the 3rd Squadron on San Juan Hill that evening. The Regiment stayed in Cuba until 6 and 7 August when they sailed for Montauk Point, New York.

The 3d Cavalry‘s casualties were three Troopers killed, six officers and forty-six Troopers wounded. 1LT John W. Heard, Regimental Quartermaster, was awarded a Medal of Honor for most distinguished gallantry in action and Certificates of Merit were awarded to five Troopers. These certificates were the forerunner of the Silver Star Medal. The 3d Cavalry did not remain together for very long. In February and March 1899, two troops were assigned to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, two troops to Jefferson Barracks, four troops and the band to Fort Myer, Virginia, while the remainder of the Regiment stayed at Fort Ethan Allen.

OLD BILL

In 1898, The American artist Frederick Remington was visiting the camp of the 3d U.S. Cavalry in Tampa, Florida, where the Regiment was preparing for the invasion of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. During his visit, Remington‘s attention was drawn to one of the troop‘s NCOs. Sergeant John Lannen struck the artist as the epitome of the cavalryman and he made several rough sketches of Lannen. From those rough sketches Remington later executed the now famous drawing portraying a trooper astride his mount with a carbine cradled in his arm, depicted in the reference. At some point in the past this drawing became known as Old Bill, and today it is universally recognized as the symbol of mobile warfare in the United States Army. This drawing represents a Trooper, a unit, and a branch of service.