Statue of a dragoon on the Triumph Arc of the Louvres in Paris

Dragoon is the traditional name for a soldier trained to fight on foot but who transports himself on horseback, in use especially during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Look up dragoon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x1793, 149 KB) Statue de dragon sur larc de triomphe du Louvres Photograph by Rama File links The following pages link to this file: Dragoon ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x1793, 149 KB) Statue de dragon sur larc de triomphe du Louvres Photograph by Rama File links The following pages link to this file: Dragoon ... This article is about a military rank. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

History and use

The name derives probably from the dragoon's primary weapon, a carbine or short musket called the dragon. Dragon carbines are said to have been so-called because they "breathed fire" — a reference to the flames carbines emitted when fired. According to another theory, the name originated from the title of Dragon given to Guillaume de Gomiécourt, an 11th century French lord, by King Henry I of France, and from his son Raoul Dragon de Gomiécourt, who trained a group of soldiers to fight both from horse and foot. A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ... Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk. ... Henry I (French: Henri Ier) (May 4, 1008–August 4, 1060) was King of France from 1031 to 1060. ...

The creation of dragoons, although still not bearing that name, is now generally credited to Piero Strozzi, an Italian condottiero who fought for the King of France in the early 16th century. Piero Strozzi as Marshal of France. ... Condottieri (singular condottiero) were mercenary leaders employed by Italian city-states from the late Middle Ages until the mid-sixteenth century. ...

Dragoons were organized not in squadrons or troops like the cavalry, but in companies like the foot soldier, and their officers and non-commissioned officers bore infantry ranks. The flexibility of mounted infantry made dragoons a useful arm, especially when employed for what would now be termed "internal security work" against smugglers or civil unrest. The dragoon regiments were also cheaper to recruit and maintain than the notoriously expensive regiments of cavalry. When in the 17th century Gustav II Adolf introduced dragoons into the Swedish Army, he provided them with a sabre, an axe and a matchlock musket (an early firearm that employed a lit wick instead of a flint and steel or percussion cap to ignite the charge): many of the European armies henceforth imitated this all-purpose set of weaponry. A Squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or naval vessels. ... For the TV show, see F Troop. ... Standard NATO code for a friendly infantry company. ... In military organizations, a commissioned officer is a member of the service who derives authority directly from a sovereign power, and as such holds a commission from that power. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ... Gustav II Adolph Gustav II Adolph (December 9, 1594 - November 6, 1632) (also known as Gustav Adolph the Great, under the Latin name Gustavus Adolphus or the Swedish form Gustav II Adolf) was a King of Sweden. ...

However, dragoons were at a disadvantage when engaged against true cavalry, and constantly sought to raise their horsemanship, armament and social status to the levels of the latter. In most European armies "Dragoon" came to refer to medium cavalry by the time of the early wars of Frederick the Great, in the 1740s. Exceptionally the 30 regiments of Russian dragoons in existence by the Seven Years' War were still trained to fight as both dismounted musketeers and cavalry capable of engaging a mounted enemy in a melee. They also retained responsibilities for scouting and piquet duty which in the Prussian, French and other armies was passing to hussars and other light corps. Frederick the Great Frederick II of Prussia (Friedrich der Große, Frederick the Great, January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was the Hohenzollern king of Prussia 1740–86. ... Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Great Britain and its American Colonies Electorate of Hanover Iroquois Confederacy Kingdom of Portugal Electorate of Brunswick Electorate of Hesse-Kassel Philippines Archduchy of Austria Kingdom of France Empire of Russia Kingdom of Sweden Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Naples and... Polish Hussar Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ...

The term "to dragoon" dates from the earlier mounted infantry period. Dragoons were the most efficient and economical form of cavalry for police work and counter guerrilla warfare. “Guerrilla” redirects here. ...

From the late 18th century, some regiments started to be designated as Light Dragoons, who rode faster and lighter horses and carried lighter sabres. They were trained in reconnaissance, skirmishing and other work requiring speed. In the early 19th century, the British Light Dragoon regiments converted to lancers and hussars. Between 1881 and 1910 all Russian cavalry other than Cossacks and Imperial Guard units were designated as dragoons, reflecting an emphasis on dismounted action in their training. French naval officers sabre of the 19th Century From left to right: two bayonets, a short curved infantry or artillery briquet, a straight infantry officers sabre, and a carbine. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... See also the town of Battle, East Sussex, England Generally, a battle is an instance of combat between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... Volunteer Representative Squadron of the City of Poznań in the uniform of the 15th Uhlan Regiment of Poznań from 1939 A lancer (uhlan) was a cavalry soldier who fought with a lance. ... A British Hussar from the Crimean War Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok, Polish: Husaria) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

In 1914 there were still dragoon regiments in the British, French, German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Swedish, Danish and Spanish armies. Their uniforms varied greatly, lacking the characteristic features of hussar or lancer regiments. There were occasional reminders of the mounted infantry origins of this class of soldier. Thus the dragoon regiments of the Imperial German Army wore the pickelhaube (spiked helmet) of the same design as those of the infantry and the British dragoons wore scarlet tunics (hussars and all but one of the lancer regiments wore dark blue). In other respects however dragoons had adopted the same tactics, roles and equipment as other branches of the cavalry and the distinction had become simply one of traditional titles. The German Army (Deutsches Heer) was the name given the combined armed forces of the German Empire, also known as the Imperial Army (Reichsheer) or Imperial German Army. ... Otto von Bismarck wearing a cuirassier officers metal Pickelhaube Prussian police leather Pickelhaube The Pickelhaube (plural Pickelhauben; from the German Pickel = point or pickaxe, and Haube = bonnet, a general word for headgear) was a Prussian spiked helmet worn in the 19th century by the German military, firefighters, and police. ...

Modern dragoons

Brazil

The Brazilian president's honor guard is formed by a regiment of dragoons, known as the "Independence Dragoons" (formally, 1st Regiment of Cavalry of Guards), the name being a reference to the fact that a detachment of dragoons escorted Portugal's crown prince Peter at the time when he proclaimed Brazilian independence from Portugal, on September 7, 1822. Brazilian Presidential Standard The President of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. ... A Kremlin Regiment honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a ceremonial escort, often military in nature. ... Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil (pron. ... After its independence from the Portuguese on September 7, 1822, Brazil became a monarchy, the Brazilian Empire, which lasted until the establishment of the Republican government on November 15, 1889. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The regiment was established in 1808 by the future king of Portugal, John VI, with the duty of protecting the Portuguese royal family, which had sought refuge in Brazil during the Napoleonic wars. This is a list of Portuguese monarchs dating from the independence of Portugal from the kingdom of León in 1128 under Afonso Henriques, who proclaimed himself King in 1139, to the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic on October 5, 1910, during the reign of Manuel II, the Patriot, or... John VI (Portuguese João), the Clement (Port. ... Combatants Austria[a] Portugal Prussia[a] Russia[b] Sicily[c] Sardinia  Spain[d]  Sweden[e] United Kingdom French Empire Holland[f] Italy Etruria[g] Naples[h] Duchy of Warsaw[i] Confederation of the Rhine[j] Bavaria Saxony Westphalia Württemberg Denmark-Norway[k] Commanders Archduke Charles Prince Schwarzenberg Karl Mack...

The regiment of dragoons continued to guard the Brazilian heads of State even after the overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Republic, in 1889. The dragoons wear 19th century uniforms, in white and red, with plumed golden helmets, and are armed with lances.^[1] The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Founded in 1822, it was replaced by a republic in 1889. ... The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different pole weapons based on the spear. ...

Canada

There are three dragoon regiments in the Canadian Forces: The Royal Canadian Dragoons, the senior armoured regiment in the Canadian Forces, and two reserve regiments, the British Columbia Dragoons and the Saskatchewan Dragoons. The Canadian Forces (CF) (French: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. ... Alternative meanings: vehicle armour, Armor (novel) A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ... The Canadian Forces (CF) (French: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Military Reserves are an organization that is associated with the military but is not in active duty. ... The British Columbia Dragoons (BCD) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Forces. ... The Saskatchewan Dragoons is a unit of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve. ...

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were accorded the status of a regiment of Dragoons in 1921.[1][2]. However this distinction was cancelled during the 1960s and the modern RCMP have no formal connection with the Canadian Armed Forces. RCMP redirects here. ...

Chile

Founded as the Dragones de la Reina (Queen's Dragoons) in 1758 and later renamed the Dragoons of Chile in 1812, and then becoming the Carabineros de Chile in 1903. The Carabineros are the national police of Chile. Carabineros patrolling a street in Santiago Carabineros de Chile are the uniformed Chilean national police force and gendarmery, created on April 27, 1927. ... This article is about the climbing and safety hardware. ... National police are the primary source of law enforcement activities in some countries, such as Italy, France and Japan, and are organised on a national basis. ...

Denmark

The Royal Danish Army includes amongst its historic regiments The Jutish Dragoons, which was raised in 1670. The Royal Danish Army is the army of Denmark. ...

France

The modern French Army retains "Dragons" (RD) for service both as mechanised infantry and with light tanks. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Army of the land), is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and the largest. ...

Norway

In the Norwegian Army, the designation of dragoons is given to armoured reconnaissance units. "Dragon" is the rank of a private cavalryman. Ranks Norwegian military ranks The Norwegian Army (Norwegian: Hæren) is Norways military land force. ...

Poland

Sweden

In the Swedish Army, dragoons are the Military Police and Military Police Rangers. They form the Dragoons Battalion of the Life Guards. The Dragoons Battalion have roots that go back as far as 1523 making it one of the worlds oldest military units still in service. "Livdragon" is the rank of a private cavalryman. The Swedish Army Dragoons are one of few units that still use horses. Horses are being used for ceremonial purposes only, most often when the dragoons take part at the change of the guards at The Royal Castle. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command providing security coverage at the Padang in Singapore during the National Day Parade in 2000. ... The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army. ...

Switzerland

In the Swiss Army, mounted dragoons existed until the early 1970s, when they were converted into Armoured Grenadiers units. The "Dragoner" had to prove he was able to keep a horse at home before entering the army. At the end of basic training they had to buy a horse at a reduced price from the army and to take it home together with equipment, uniform and weapon. In the "yearly repetition course" the dragoons served with their horses, often riding from home to the meeting point.

The abolition of the dragoon units, believed to be the last non-ceremonial horse cavalry in Europe, was a contentious issue in Switzerland. On 5 December 1972 the Swiss Conseil national approved the measure by 91 votes, against 71 for retention. National Council may refer to: // National Council for Science and the Environment, a US-based non-profit organization which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens, a British registered charity National Competitiveness Council, an independent policy advisory...

United Kingdom

In the present-day British Army, one regiment is designated The Light Dragoons and three as Dragoon Guards. The latter comprise The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Dragoon Guards and the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. The designation "Dragoon Guards" does not indicate the status of Household Troops but is a distinction awarded to former "Regiments of Horse" when these were converted to Dragoons in 1746. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Light Dragoons is an armoured regiment of the British Army. ... Dragoon guards was, in some armies, particularly the British Army, the designation used to refer to heavy cavalry regiments from the 18th century onwards. ... The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is the senior Scottish regiment of the British Army and Scotlands only cavalry regiment. ... The Royal Dragoon Guards is an armoured regiment of the British Army. ... {{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name=1st The Queens Dragoon Guards |image= |caption=1st The Queens Dragoon Guards Cap Badge |dates=[[January 1] 1959- |country=United Kingdom |branch=Army |type=Line Cavalry |command_structure=Royal Armoured Corps |role=Formation Reconnaissance |size= One regiment |current_commander= |garrison= Osnabruck, Germany |ceremonial_chief=HRH The Prince... Household Division is term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings, or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the sovereign. ...

In the Territorial Army, one of the five squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry, W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, also bears the title of a former dragoon regiment. The Territorial Army (TA) is the principal reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at the same rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents. ... The Royal Yeomanry (RY) is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band: A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Squadron (Swindon) B (Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry) Squadron (Leicester) C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Squadron (Croydon) S (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) Squadron (Nottingham) W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron... The Westminster Dragoons (WDs) are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. ...

United States

American Revolutionary War

A light dragoon from the American Revolution.

During the American Revolutionary War, certain factors limited creation and deployment of dragoon units in Continental and local militia Patriot forces. General George Washington and his staff had little experience with dragoons and cavalry in warfare and did not understand or appreciate how to use them effectively. American geography was arguably unsuited to mounted warfare, or at least different from the typical European battlefield. Some officers with egalitarian ideals may have been prejudiced by the elite nature of mounted troops, and their cost and maintenance requirements were obstacles given the empty coffers of rebel treasuries. Washington himself, however, provided the impetus to create dragoon units in the Continental army. Illustration of dragoon From http://www. ... Illustration of dragoon From http://www. ... This article is about military actions only. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ...

The British abandoned Boston in March, 1776, and General Washington, while pursuing them to New York, incorporated some militia cavalry troops from New York and Connecticut into his operations, but used them only as screening forces, where they were useless to deter the crushing defeats on Long Island and the subsequent retreat through New York. For a list of numerous places and things that are named after this battle, see Bunker Hill. ... Combatants United States Kingdom of Great Britain Commanders George Washington, Israel Putnam William Howe, Charles Cornwallis, Henry Clinton Strength 11,000-13,000 (about 10,000 of which were militia ) 22,000 (including 9,000 Hessians) Casualties 1,719 total (312 dead, 1,407 wounded, captured or missing) 377 total...

Washington saw the intimidating effect of the small force of British 17th Light Dragoons that panicked his militia infantry at White Plains, and he appreciated the ability of the 5th Regiment of Connecticut Light Horse Militia under Major Elisha Sheldon to gather intelligence during the subsequent retreat of Continental forces into New Jersey. He asked the Continental Congress for a light cavalry force in the Continental army, and in late 1776 Congress authorized Washington to establish a mounted force of 3000 men, although the total number of available troopers probably never exceeded several hundred. In December, 1776, Congress converted Elisha Sheldon's militia regiment into the Regiment of Light Dragoons. In the Spring of 1777, Washington formed four dragoon regiments from existing units and newly recruited horsemen as part of the Continental Line. The 1st Continental Light Dragoon Regiment consisted of the Virginians under Major Theodorick Bland that Virginia transferred to the Continental army at the request of Congress, some of which had earlier been serving near Philadelphia. The 2nd Continental Light Dragoon Regiment, commanded by Col. Elisha Sheldon, consisted mostly of Connecticut men who had joined his cavalry. The 3rd Continental Light Dragoon Regiment formed under the command of Col. George Baylor in Morristown, New Jersey, and consisted mostly of troopers from Virginia and Maryland. The 4th Continental Light Dragoon Regiment organized under Col. Stephen Moylan in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and consisted of horsemen from several rebel colonies. Official name The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridges Own) Colonel-in-Chief Duke of Cambridge Colonel-of-the-Regiment Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig Motto Or Glory Nicknames Binghams Dandies The Death or Glory Boys The Horse Marines The Tots The White Lancers Anniversaries Balaklava (20... Combatants United States Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 14,500 men 14,000 men Casualties 300 killed and wounded 313 killed and wounded Battle of White Plains Historic Site : George Washingtons HQ The Battle of White Plains was an inconclusive meeting on October 28, 1776 in the... The 1st Continental Light Dragoons also known as Blands Horse was raised on June 8, 1775 in Williamsburg, Virginia for service with the Continental Army. ...      US Revolutionary War units Continental Army & state militia List of Continental units | List of state units Units by state Connecticut | Delaware | Georgia | Maryland | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Vermont | Virginia Non-state units 1st Canadian Regiment | 2nd Canadian Regiment | Armands... The 3rd Continental Light Dragoons also known as Baylors Horse or Lady Washingtons Horse was raised on January 1, 1777 at Morristown, New Jersey for service with the Continental Army. ... The 4th Continental Light Dragoons also known as Moylans Horse was raised on January 5, 1777 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. ...

Many problems faced the dragoon regiments, including the inability of recruiting to bring the units to authorized strength, shortage of suitable cavalry weapons and horses and their forage, and lack of uniformity among troopers in dress and discipline. Washington and his staff believed the proper role of dragoons was reconnaissance, not combat, but Congress appointed the Polish revolutionary and professional soldier Count Casimir Pulaski to train them as an offensive strike force during winter quarters of 1777-8 at Trenton. Pulaski's efforts led to friction with the American officers, resulting in his resignation, but Congress authorized Pulaski to form his own independent corps in 1778, following the model of the first partisan corp assembled by the Saxon baron, Major Nicholas Detrich, in 1776. Pulaski's Legion consisted of dragoons, riflemen, grenadiers, and infantry. Another independent corps of dragoons joined Pulaski's in the Continental Line during 1778 when a former captain in Bland's Horse, Henry Lee ("Light Horse Harry" ), formed Lee's Corps of Partisan Light Dragoons, which specialized in raiding British supply lines. Colonel Charles Armand Tuffin, a French marquis, raised a third corps of infantry in Boston, called the Free and Independent Chasseurs, which later added a troop of dragoons. For things named to honor Kazimierz Pułaski, see: Pulaski (disambiguation). ... Henry Lee (portrait by William Edward West) Lee Family Coat of Arms Henry Lee III, called Light Horse Harry, (January 29, 1756 – March 25, 1818) was a cavalry officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. ...

In 1779, Washington ordered the 2nd and 4th Dragoons equipped temporarily as infantry, and deployed the 1st and 3rd Dragoon Regiments and Pulaski's corps to the South to join local militia cavalry and to oppose the new British strategy for controlling that area. Battle engagements in South Carolina largely rendered the 1st and 3rd Regiments ineffective during 1780, and the remnants tried to regroup and reconstitute in Virginia and North Carolina. In August, 1780, Tuffin's Legion was with General Gates at the disastrous Battle of Camden. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Combatants Britain United States Commanders Charles Cornwallis Horatio Gates Johann de Kalb† Strength 2,239 3,052 Casualties 68 killed 245 wounded 64 missing 1,000 killed or wounded 1,000 captured 132 missing The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the Southern Theatre of the American Revolutionary...

Washington decided by January, 1781, to fix the many problems of the dragoons by reconfiguring them as Legionary Corps, in which mounted dragoons were mixed with dismounted dragoons armed as infantry, an organization that persisted until war's end.

The most important engagement of the war for American dragoons during the Revolution was the Battle of Cowpens in January, 1781. Southern theater commander General Nathaniel Greene reorganized part of Lee's Legion and elements of the shattered 1st and 3rd dragoons in Charlotte and they joined the force commanded by General Daniel Morgan at Cowpens, charged the advancing British lines at a calculated moment, broke their ranks, and secured a crucial victory. Later, the 3rd Legionary Corps participated in Greene's maneuvers across North Carolina and fought Cornwallis's army well at Guilford Courthouse. Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength c. ... Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (July 27, 1742 (O.S.)–June 19, 1786), was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. ... Daniel Morgan (July 6, 1736 – July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. ... The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 inside the present-day booming metropolis of Greensboro, North Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War in which 1,900 British troops under General Charles Cornwallis fought an American force under Rhode Island native General Nathanael Greene numbering...

American dragoons, both Continental and militia, participated in many battles, large and small, from their inception until the withdrawal of British forces. They engaged in battles as diverse as Saratoga and Yorktown, but despite inspired cavalry officers such as Sheldon, Pulaski, Lee, Armand Tuffin, Col. Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), Col. William Washington, and others, the dragoons of the Revolution were unable to bring a sudden, terrifying, and decisive violence to the extended battlefield that mounted units of the United States Army (and of the rebel armies of the Confederate States) would later realize. The last Revolutionary dragoons were mustered out by November, 1783, and their formations disbanded. Combatants British 9th/Hill, 20th/Lynd, 21st/ Hamilton, 62nd/Ansthruter, Simon Fraser Brunswick Major Generals V. Riedesel, 1st Brigade (Brunswickers) Brig. ... Combatants Kingdom of France  United States Great Britain German mercenaries Commanders Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau François de Grasse Gilbert de La Fayette George Washington Nathanael Greene Charles Cornwallis # Charles O’Hara # Banastre Tarleton # (stationed at Gloucester, Virginia) Strength 10,800 French 8,500 Americans 24 French warships 7,500... Francis Marion (February 26, 1732–February 27, 1795) was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and later brigadier general in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War. ...

Early Federal Period and War of 1812

The United States formed its first dragoon unit under the Congressional act of March 5, 1792, as a squadron of four troops commanded by Major Michael Rudolph, later reduced in 1796 to two troops commanded by Major William Winston. In 1798, Congress authorized six new troops which, with the two previously constituted troops, formed a Regiment of Light Dragoons commanded by Lt. Col. Jonathan Watts, but this unit was reduced to two troops in 1800 and disbanded altogether in 1802 during a wave of Jeffersonian optimism and frugality. The Congressional act of April 12, 1808, authorized a Regiment of Light Dragoons consisting of eight troops, commanded by Colonels Wade Hampton and later Leonard Covington and Jacint Laval, and the act of January 11, 1812, authorized another Regiment of Light Dragoons, commanded by Colonel James Burn, respectively known afterwards as the First and Second United States Dragoons. The Congressional act of March 30, 1814, combined these two regiments, which could not meet their authorized strength, into one Regiment of Light Dragoons, which was disbanded by the act of March 3, 1815, and its officers and men retained were folded into the Corps of Artillery by June 15, 1815, when all others were discharged. Elements of these Regiments fought Indian, Canadian, and British forces during the War of 1812, playing crucial roles in the Mississiniwa River campaign and battles such as Stony Creek and Lundy's Lane. This article is about the day. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1808 (MDCCCVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1814 (MDCCCXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ...

Westward expansion and the Indian Wars

Westward expansion and the Indian Wars revived the functional importance of dragoons as an ideal combat force, and the Congressional act of March 2, 1833, constituted the Regiment of Dragoons in March 1833. This unit was renamed the First Regiment of Dragoons when the second regiment was formed in 1836. Known as the Black Hawks, the First Dragoons served in the Black Hawk Wars, the Mexican War, and (under the title 1st United States Cavalry) in virtually every campaign in the east during the American Civil War. Shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War the U.S. dragoon regiments were redesignated as "Cavalry", losing their previous distinctions. The change was an unpopular one and the former dragoons retained their orange braided blue jackets until they wore out and had to be replaced with cavalry yellow. is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Recent and Contemporary Development of Dragoons in the U.S. Army

The 1st and 2nd Battalion, 48th Infantry were mechanized infantry units assigned to 3d Armored Division from 1963 to 1992. Along with the 1st Battalion, 33d Armor, they comprised the maneuver elements of the Division's 2d Brigade, stationed Coleman Kaserne, in the city of Gelnhausen, Federal Republic of Germany. The Battalions served as part of NATO forces guarding the Inner-German Border against the Warsaw Pact, and later with the 3rd Armored Division in Desert Storm. The unit crest of the 48th Infantry designated the unit as Dragoons. They are descended from National Guard units which trained for the First World War, and Armored Rifle Battalions which served with the US 7th Armored Division during WWII. The 48th Armored Rifle Battalion, along with 1st Battalion, 40th Armor, in particular fought a tough battle in Vielsalm, Belgium, holding off the German V Panzer Corps for three days at the crossing of the Salm river, during the German Ardennes Offensive (aka Battle of the Bulge).

The 1st Dragoons was reformed in the Vietnam era as 1st Squadron, 1st U.S. Cavalry, and continues to this day in the Iraqi War as the oldest cavalry unit, as well as the most decorated unit, in the US Army. Today's modern 1-1 Cavalry is a scout/attack unit, equipped with M1A1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley CFVs. The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the Australian Army, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... The M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) are American infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, (formerly United Defense, originally FMC). ...

Another modern United States Army unit informally known as the 2nd Dragoons is the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker). This unit was originally organized as the Second Dragoon Regiment in 1836 until it was renamed the Second Cavalry Regiment in 1860, morphing into the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment in the 1960s. The regiment is currently equipped with the Stryker family of wheeled fighting vehicles. The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The 2d Cavalry Regiment (2d ACR) is a military unit within the United States Army. ... For other uses, see Stryker (disambiguation). ...

Notes

References

• Brackett, Albert G. (1865 reprinted 1968). History of the United States Cavalry: From the Formation of the Federal Government to the 1st of June 1863, .... New York City: Greenwood, 337. 
• Connecticut Adjutant General's Office (1889). Record of service of Connecticut men in the I. War of the Revolution, II. War of 1812, III. Mexican War. Hartford, Connecticut: Case, Lockwood & Brainard, 959. 
• Heitman, Francis Bernard (1903 reprinted 1968). Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 890. 
• Sawicki, James A. (1985). Cavalry Regiments in the U.S. Army. Dumfries, VA: Wyvern Pubs., 415. 

See also

• carabinier
• gendarmerie

A Carabinier (also sometimes spelled Carabineer) was a cavalry soldier armed with a carbine (a short rifle). ... A gendarmerie or gendarmery (pronounced ) is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. ...

External links

• Saskatchewan Dragoons (Canada)
• British Columbia Dragoons (Canada)
• First Regiment of Cavalry (USA)
• The Society of the Military Horse