Cavalerie

1898 · WRCAM54683 — Various places including Pennsylvania Virginia at sea New Jersey and Puerto Rico 1898. 171pp. with 342 photographs. Four large quarto photograph albums. Matching contemporary three-quarter crimson morocco and cloth front covers gilt. Minor shelf wear and some rubbing. Images in overall very good condition. An amazing assemblage of photographs documenting the Spanish-American War experiences of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry which was at that time the oldest volunteer military unit in continuous service to the United States. The photographs are arranged chronologically in four contemporary photo albums with the images occasionally annotated in a contemporary hand and including the identification of numerous members of the Troop. <br> <br> The first volume opens with images of Mt. Gretna Pennsylvania "where troops were sworn into U.S. service May 7th 1898 by Maj. Thompson U.S.A." The photographs record field exercises camp building and tent organization at Camp Hastings cavalry drills an image of "Capt. Groome reading the Articles of War to Troop June 1898" a "first arrival of government horses" several shots of men training and "throwing" their horses shooting practice "Capt. Groome assigning Government horses to Troopers" and various shots of the men at work and even some play. Over the course of the album the names of numerous soldiers are recorded below several of the photographs. <br> <br> The second album opens with several photographs of the Troop striking their tents in preparation for leaving Camp Hastings at Mt. Gretna headed for Camp Alger at Dunn Loring Virginia. Here the Troop was ordered to increase their enlistment numbers. At Camp Alger the Troop was also fitted out with federal supplies and assigned to the Second Army Corps commanded by Maj. Gen. William Graham who is pictured here. Other photographs capture the camp scene at Alger "the First Troop picket line" the Troop receiving their federal-issue khaki uniforms the Troop at roll call and some shots featuring African-American helpers. <br> <br> In late July the Troop was sent to Newport News and several photographs record their brief time there with about a dozen shots of their temporary camp. On July 28 1898 the Troop left Virginia on the transport ship MASSACHUSETTS bound for Puerto Rico. Several images here capture the frenetic loading of the troops and their horses onto the ship with the remaining half dozen or so shots recording the Troop's time on board. <br> <br> The third album picks up where the second left off with the First City Troop embarked on the transport ship MASSACHUSETTS headed for Guanica Puerto Rico. Shipboard activities captured here include a few shots of groups of men being showered with water hoses. Several shots record the arrival of the men in the port of Guanica where they encounter the hospital ship NUECES which reports of the news of the "surrender of Ponce." After the men disembark they pitch their camp around Cathedral Virgin del Carmen on August 5. The next day several photographs record the unloading of horses and stores in the harbor at Ponce. The remaining thirty-eight photographs in this volume record scenes in the interior of Puerto Rico and are the most heavily annotated of the four albums. The images record scenes from the "road from Port of Ponce to Ponce" several scenes capturing a market day in Ponce and recording numerous native islanders the Troop's "temporary camp about 2 miles beyond Ponce" the "Troop wagon leaving camp beyond Ponce to join wagon train for Guayama" on August 8 a shot of the Troop's wagon "on road to Guayama in a Porto Rico mudhole" images of the wagon train to Guayama with the H Troop 6th U.S. Cavalry the "Point of Advance Guard entering Guayama within the lines" the Troop itself "entering Guayama passing General Brooke's Headquarters" a "View of First Troop Phila. City Cavalry U.S.V. Camp at Arroyo August 10th to 6A.M. Aug. 13th 1898" with the last ten images recording the camp or the streets at Arroyo. <br> <br> The fourth album documents the Troop's voyage home to Philadelphia. This time they take passage on the transport ship MISSISSIPPI and about half of the images record their voyage on board. On Sept. 10 1898 they reach Jersey City in New York harbor where they camp for a short time before returning to camp in Pennsylvania where the album ends. A couple of months later all three officers and the ninety- eight enlisted men of the First City Troop were mustered out of federal service for the Spanish-American War. <br> <br> Originally founded in 1774 by twenty-eight Philadelphia patriots as the "Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia" the First Troop of Philadelphia Cavalry is the oldest mounted military unit operating in continuous service to the American republic being the first volunteer cavalry troop organized in defense of the colonies. Among the Troop's original founders was John Dunlap printer to Congress from 1778 to 1789 publisher of the first American daily newspaper and the first printer of the Declaration of Independence. Most of the earliest members were similarly notable professional men of Philadelphia. The Troop served with valor in the American Revolution the War of 1812 the Mexican- American War the Civil War the Spanish- American War and every major American war through the Korean War. <br> <br> The present albums present a unique and important visual record of the First City Troop's activities before during and on the way home from the Spanish-American War. hardcover books