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11th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment
in the United States Army
.
by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States
in January, 1799, with Aaron Ogden as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was raised for the "Quasi-War
" with France but saw no war service. The Act of February 20, 1800, suspended enlistments for the new regiments. The Act of May 14, 1800, authorized the President to discharge them, and under this authority the 11th Infantry was disbanded June 15, 1800.
authorized a strengthening of the Regular Army
in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812
. During the summer little was done in Vermont beyond organizing the 11th infantry, which seems to have consisted originally of six companies from Vermont
and four from New Hampshire
. The army gathered at Plattsburgh, New York, numbering about eight thousand men, of whom nearly one half were Vermonters. Among them was the 11th regiment of regulars under Col. Isaac Clark (12 Mar 1812 to 27 Apr 1814).
On November 16, 1812 the largest portion moved north under the immediate command of Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn
, then the senior officer of the army, and on the 18th encamped about half a mile south of the Canadian boundary line. The force there assembled numbered three thousand regulars and two thousand militia, while the entire British force on the northern frontier did not exceed three thousand, and of these not more than one thousand were within striking distance of the American army. When Dearborn was prepared to cross the line, the British Major Salaberry also prepared to meet him. Early in the morning of the 20th a detachment of Dearborn's army forded the La Colle river and surrounded a British guard-house, which was occupied by Canadian militia and a few Indians, who broke through the American lines and escaped unhurt. In the meantime a second party of the Americans had advanced, and commenced a sharp fire on those in possession of the ground, mistaking them for the British picket. This fire continued for nearly half an hour, when, being undeceived, both parties hastily retreated, leaving behind five killed and as many wounded. The troops immediately afterwards returned to Champlain, and on the 23d to Plattsburgh, when the militia were disbanded, and the 11th U. S. regiment was sent to Burlington
, with the 9th, 21st, and 25th, all under the command of Brig. Gen. John Chandler
of Maine.
The Vermont non-intercourse act, passed Nov. 6, 1812, provided "that all officers, civil and military, of this State, shall aid in currying this act into full force ;" and therefore, immediately after the return of the 11th U. S. regiment and militia from Pittsburgh, a vigorous enforcement of the act along the northern boundary line of Vermont was commenced. In this work Col. Isaac Clark of the 11th Infantry regiment, and Lieut. Col. Edward Fifield of the militia, were conspicuous.
February 10, 1813, the Secretary of War ordered Gen. Dearborn to move the two brigades at Plattsburgh (Bloomfield's and Chandler's, numbering 2480 men,) to Sackett's Harbor; and March 14 Dearborn complied, leaving no troops at Plattsburgh, and only the 11th regiment of infantry and a company of artillery at Burlington. The 11th Infantry regiment was not full at that time, but was to be filled in a few weeks.
May 13, 1813, five hundred men from the 11th Infantry regiment, being the first battalion, were ordered to Sackett's Harbor, and on the 31st left Burlington under the command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Upham
.
This 11th Infantry Regiment participated in the following: the Battle of Crysler's Farm
; the Second Battle of Lacolle Mills; the Raid on Port Dover
, the Capture of Fort Erie
, the Battle of Chippawa
, where Colonel John B. Campbell
(9 Apr to 28 Aug 1814), was mortally wounded and the 11th Infantry came under command of Maj. John McNeil
, who was breveted Lt. Col. for his actions; and the Battle of Lundy's Lane
.
The third colonel of the regiment was Moody Bedel (4 Sept 1814 to 17 May 1815), became a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He was the son of Timothy Bedel
a commander during the American Revolution. Moody Bedel's son John Bedel was a brigadier general of volunteers during the American Civil War.
It was consolidated May–October 1815 with a company of the 25th Infantry and a company each of the 27th, 29th, and 37th Infantry to form a company of the 6th Infantry. The present 6th United States Infantry traces its lineage back to this 11th Infantry Regiment. for the First U.S. 6th Infantry Regiment see: 2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The official U.S. Army lineage of the present 11th Infantry Regiment starts with the Civil War in 1861.
Albert C. Ramsey
was appointed Colonel of the 11th Infantry on April 9, 1847, headquarters at Baltimore. The companies of infantry to be raised in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia.
The 11th Infantry participated in the following: Battle of Cerro Gordo
, the Battle of Contreras
, the Battle of Churubusco
, the Battle of Molino del Rey
(Lieutenant-Colonel William M. Graham, Eleventh Infantry, whose regiment had participated actively in capturing Molinos del Rey, received two wounds, either of which was mortal, and fell at the head of his command while leading a charge against the northern angle of the buildings. A portion of his regiment, under Lieuts. Thomas F. McCoy and Benjamin F. Harley, was active in pursuit of the Mexicans after the attack on the Casa, Mata.), the Battle of Chapultepec
and the Battle for Mexico City
under command of Col. William Trousdale
.
This 11th Infantry Regiment was disbanded in August, 1848.
Officers of this regiment that served in the Civil War:
Lt.-Col. John H. Savage
, Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
Captain Charles T. Campbell
, Brig.-Gen. U. S. V. Civil War.
Captain Arthur C. Cummings, Bvt. Maj.; Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
Captain William H. Irwin, Bvt. Maj.; Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
Captain William B. Taliaferro
, Maj. 9th infantry; Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
1st Lt. William H. Gray, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
1st Lt. John I. Gregg
, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
1st Lt. Thomas F. McCoy, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
2d Lt. John A. Bayard, 2d Lt. U. S. V. Civil War; died August 3, 1863, of wounds received at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa.
2d Lt. James Elder, Capt. U. S. A. Civil War.
2d Lt. William . Murray, Col U. S. V. Civil War; killed March 23, 1862, at the battle of Winchester, Va.
2d Lt. Andrew H. Tippin, Bvt. 1st Lt. Contreras and Churubusco; Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
2d Lt. Junins B. Wheeler. Capt. U. S. A. Civil War.
until 1869. The official U.S. Army lineage of three present-day U.S. Infantry regiments trace back to this regiment.
. On May 14, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln
issued an executive order, directing an increase of the regimental organizations of the Regular Army. The 11th Infantry was the first, numerically, of the nine infantry regiments, of three battalions of eight companies each, were of the increase authorized. In G. O. No. 33, A. G. O., series of 1861, in contrast to the original ten regular regiments of infantry, which were organized on the traditional ten-company line. The 11th Infantry was organized at Fort Independence
, Boston Harbor
, Massachusetts
, as regimental headquarters, and which remained the 11th's headquarters during the War. Erasmus D. Keyes
was served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry from 14 May 1861 to 6 May 1864. William S. Ketchum
served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry 6 May 1864 to 15 March 1869.
After six companies had been organized and assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, it was ordered to Perryville, Maryland, October 10, 1861, and duty there until March, 1862. Ordered to Washington, D.C. Attached to Sykes' Regular Infantry, Reserve Brigade, Army Potomac, to May, 1862. The 11th then campaigned September, 1863 to November, 1864 as part of the 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
and 8th Army Corps, Middle Department, to January, 1865.
The 11th took part in the following: Peninsula Campaign
, Siege of Yorktown
, Battle of Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill
, Turkey Bridge June 30, Battle of Malvern Hill
Malvern Hill, At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centerville August 16–28. Pope's Northern Virginia Campaign
, Battle of Groveton August 29, Second Battle of Bull Run
, Maryland Campaign
,
Battle of Antietam
, Shepherdstown Ford September 19–20, Battle of Fredericksburg
, "Mud March"
, Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6, Battle of Chancellorsville
, Gettysburg Campaign
, Battle of Gettysburg
, Pursuit of Lee July 5–24. On special duty at New York August 21-September 14. Rejoined army, Bristoe Campaign
, Second Battle of Rappahannock Station, Mine Run Campaign
, Rapidan Campaign
, Battle of the Wilderness
, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
, North Anna River
, Pamunkey May 26–28, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
,
Battle of Cold Harbor
, Bethesda Church June 1–3, Second Battle of Petersburg, Siege of Petersburg
, Mine Explosion, Petersburg
, Weldon Railroad
, Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm
, Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run
.
Moved to Fort Hamilton
, New York Harbor
, November 2, thence to Baltimore, Maryland., November 18, and to Annapolis, Maryland., December 5. Duty at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md., until January 26, 1865. Ordered to City Point, Virginia., January 26, and camp near Gen. Grant's Headquarters until March 8. Provost duty at Headquarters, Army Potomac, until May, and at Richmond. Va., until October, 1865.
The regiment lost during the Civil War 8 Officers and 117 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 86 Enlisted men by disease. Total, 213.
After the surrender, the 11th Infantry with other Regular troops, was sent to Richmond, Va., where it arrived May 3d. It did provost duty in Richmond until the civil government of the city was organized, and at Libby Prison until its use was discontinued. During the summer and fall of 1865 the twenty-four companies of the regiment were organized. In the summer of 1866, the regiment suffered a great mortality from cholera.
1st Lt. John H. Patterson
was awarded the Medal of Honor
for courage under fire at the Battle of the Wilderness
.
The following men served in the 11th Infantry during the Civil War: John S. Mason
, Frederick Steele
, Charles Sawyer Russell
, John C. Bates
, and DeLancey Floyd-Jones
.
and Army was reorganized. The 11th was divided into three regiments, each battalion receiving two additional companies and being organized along traditional lines. The 1st Battalion was given the designation of the 11th Infantry, while the 2nd Battalion became the 20th Infantry
and the 3rd Battalion the 29th Infantry
. Soon afterward the 29th Infantry (3d Battalion) was ordered to Lynchburg, Virginia. In January, 1866, the 20th Infantry (2d Battalion) was ordered to New Orleans, Louisiana, leaving the 1st Battalion heir to the colors and records of the 11th Infantry
Company B, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated 5 December 1866 as Company B, 11th Infantry.
and consolidated unit redesignated as Company B, 16th Infantry
.
Though the present-day 11th Infantry does not trace its lineage to this regiment it was referred to as the origin of the current 11th Infantry up to at least 1931.
in the Regular Army as Company A, 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry. It was organized on 6 May 1862 at Newport Barracks
, Kentucky, as one of the nine "three-battalion" regiments of regulars, each battalion containing eight companies of infantry, in contrast to the original ten regular regiments of infantry, which were organized on the traditional ten-company line.
As Company A, 2d Battalion 15th Infantry, the regiment first campaigned as part of the Army of the Ohio
and later as part of the Army of the Cumberland
, participating in such battles as Shiloh
, the Kentucky Campaign, Chickamauga
, Murfreesboro, the Battle of Atlanta
, and the march through Georgia.
.
(originally 3rd Battalion 11th Infantry) also into five companies, and by General Orders No. 80, dated 5th Military District, April 25, 1869, the consolidation of the two regiments into the Eleventh Infantry was completed and designated as Company A, 11th Infantry.
General Orders No. 17.
Headquarters Of The Army, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, March 15, 1869.
Reorganization of the Infantry of the Army.
16. Eleventh infantry, to be composed of the 24th and 29th regiments.—The 24th and 29th regiments, in the department of Texas, will be consolidated for service in that department, and will hereafter be known as the 11th infantry. The field officers will be: Alvan C. Gillem, colonel; George P. Buell, lieutenant colonel; Lyman Bissell, major.
Report of Brevet Major General E. R. S. Canby.
Headquarters First Military District,
State of Virginia, Richmond, Va., October 10, 1869.
Richmond and vicinity.—six companies of the Eleventh Infantry,
Lynchburg.—Headquarters Twenty-ninth and two companies of the Eleventh Infantry.
Lexington.—One company Eleventh Infantry.
Warrenton.—One company Eleventh Infantry.
In the month of March the Eleventh Infantry was transferred to the fourth military district.
October 1869:
Bryan, Texas Bvt. Major T.H. Norton 11th Inf. 1 Company
Galveston, Texas Bvt. Maj. Gen. A.C. Gillem 11th Inf. 1 Company
Austin,Texas 11th Inf. 1 Company
Jefferson, Texas Maj. Lyman Bissell 11th Inf. 1 Company
Greenville, Texas 11th Inf. 1 Company
Brenham, Texas Bvt. Lt. Col. James Biddle 11th Inf. 1 Company
Columbus, Texas Bvt. Maj. Charles A. Wikoff
(April 25, 1869–December 8, 1886 Commanded Company E)
On June 5, 1871, Company F of the Eleventh Infantry was sent to Fort Phantom Hill
, a subpost of Fort Griffin
, with a six-man detachment of the Fourth Cavalry, to protect the traffic through the area, and to guard the mail station at Mountain Pass, the first stop south of Phantom Hill. On June 10, 1871, a few days after its arrival at Mountain Pass, the Eleventh Infantry detachment was attacked by a war party of about seventy-five Comanches and Kiowas. A skirmish of one and a half hours ensued until the Indians broke off hostilities, with six killed and several wounded.
June 19, 1871, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, with six companies of the Fourth Cavalry, and twenty Tonkawa
scouts, under Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie
left Fort Richardson.
October 10, 1871, Companies F and I, Eleventh Infantry, took part in the Battle of Blanco Canyon
under Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie.
On January 10, 1872, Company G (Captain Theodore Schwan
commanding 1869–1886), Eleventh Infantry, reestablished Fort Phantom Hill. February 8, 1872, Company G was replaced by Company A of the Eleventh Infantry, along with two Tonkawa scouts and a six-man detachment of the Fourth Cavalry. On March 8, 1872, Company A at Phantom Hill was relieved by Company F and was replaced April 6, for the last time by Company G.
June 15, 1872, a detachment from Company H, Eleventh Infantry at Fort Concho
in San Angelo, Texas
successfully defended Johnson's Mail Station against an Indian raid.
August 5, 1872, Private Franklin M. McDonald
, Company G, Eleventh Infantry, escorted a mail coach from Jacksboro, Texas
, to Fort Griffin. Fifteen miles from Fort Belknap and near Fort Griffin, it was attacked by a band of eight to 10 Kiowa Indians. McDonald was awarded the Medal of Honor
for gallantry in defeating Indians who attacked the mail.
April 2, 1873, Eleventh Infantry at Fort Stockton, Texas
to escort surveyors on the Rio Pecos.
During the Red River War
, the regiment was in the following actions:
February 5, 1874, Lieutenant-Colonel George P. Buell
, Eleventh Infantry, with Troops G and D, Tenth Cavalry, Company F, Eleventh Infantry, and detachments of Companies A and G, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a camp of hostile Qua ha dee Comanches on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
, Texas, killed eleven Indians and captured sixty-five horses. One enlisted man was wounded in the fight.
July 20, 1874, in Polo Pinto County, Texas, a detachment of two officers, nine men and nine Tonkawa scouts, under command of Lieutenant Colonel G. P. Buell, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a war party of Indians and captured one horse.
August 1874, Lieutenant Colonel George Buell was to lead four companies of the Ninth Cavalry, two of the Tenth, two companies of the Eleventh Infantry, and thirty scouts from Fort Griffin to Fort Sill
, Indian Territory
, and then west to operate along the Salt Fork
of the Red River.
August 23, 1874, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Concho in a column with eight companies of the Fourth Cavalry, four companies of the Tenth, and an assortment of scouts Under the command of Colonel Mackenzie.
September 10, 1874, Companies D, E, and I of the Eleventh Infantry commanded by Captain Charles A. Wikoff
(April 25, 1869–December 8, 1886 Commanded Company E) and six companies of the Tenth Cavalry, a section of mountain howitzers, and Indian scouts, led by Lieutenant Colonel John W. Davidson
, returned to Fort Sill by 16 October 1874.
Company C, Eleventh Infantry and two companies of the Tenth Cavalry were left to garrison Fort Sill.
September 26, 1874, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, in a column with eight companies of the Fourth Cavalry, four companies of the Tenth, and an assortment of scouts Under the command of Colonel Mackenzie fought a skirmish in Tule Canyon when Indians attacked at night attemptng to stampede the horses.
September 28, 1874,Company H, Eleventh Infantry, in the same column attacked a camp of Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne in the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon
under Colonel Mackenzie.
October 9, 1874, on Salt Fork of Red River, Texas, the scouts of a column consisting of Companies A, E, F, H, and I, Eleventh Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Buell, Eleventh Infantry, struck a band of Kiowas, killed one of them, and destroyed their camp. Pursuit was made for a considerable distance, the main column destroying several hundred lodges in various abandoned camps, but the Indians escaped northward.
November 8, 1874, Troops B, C, F, and H, Tenth Cavalry, detachments Companies E and I, Eleventh Infantry, and thirty Indian scouts, all under command of Capt. C. D. Viele, Tenth Cavalry, were detached from Colonel Davidson's column near McClellan Creek, Texas, to pursue the band attacked by Lieutenant Baldwin the same day. Captain Viele's command chased the Indians for a distance of ninety-six miles> having several slight skirmishes with the rear guard of Indians and capturing a number of ponies and mules, the latter packed, which the Indians had abandoned in the flight.
December 7, 1874, Major G.W. Schofield, with D, K, and M Companies of the Tenth Cavalry and Company C, Eleventh Infantry left Fort Sill. Marched more than 200 miles between the Canadian and Washita returning on 31 Dec 1875.
May 1875, Companies B, E, and K, Eleventh Infantry, at Fort Richardson.
In August and September, 1876, the regiment was sent from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota
for field service in connection with the Great Sioux War of 1876-77
in the Dakota Territory
and in Montana
. The larger part of the regiment (seven companies) was sent to the Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota (later called Fort Bennett
), where these troops were hutted for shelter during the winter, and three companies were stationed at Standing Rock Agency
, Dakota. In 1877 the regiment was transferred from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota.
In April and May, 1877, three companies (C, F and G) were moved from Cheyenne Agency, and three companies ( A, B and H) from Fort Yates in the Standing Rock Agency to the Little Big Horn
, Montana, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel G. P. Buell, 11th Infantry, where they constructed the post of Fort Custer
.
Early in July ten companies of the Seventh Cavalry, four of the First, and two (D and H) of the Eleventh Infantry, were dispatched to establish a summer camp near Bear Butte
, north of Deadwood
to scout the region lying north, northeast, east, and southeast from that point and keep the country clear of Indians. Four of these companies (two of cavalry and two of infantry) have since been assigned to constitute this winter's garrison for the new post near that place now being constructed under the direction of Major Henry M. Lazelle, First Infantry. The balance of this command is still occupying its camp. This camp became Fort Meade
.
During the years 1877 and 1878 the different companies of the regiment were employed as occasion demanded on expeditions and scouts against hostile Indians.
April 1879, Captain George K. Sanderson
, Company C, Eleventh Infantry, sent from Fort Custer to the Custer battlefield
to police and rebury any exposed remains.
October 12, 1880, Camp Poplar River
, Mont., established, Companies B and F, Eleventh Infantry, from Fort Custer, arriving this day and taking station.
October 18, 1880, Camp Porter
, Mont., on the right bank of the Yellowstone, about 3 miles above the mouth of Glendive Creek, was established by Company A, Eleventh Infantry, from Fort Sully
, and Company B, Seventeenth Infantry, from Fort Yates, as a winter camp for troops guarding working parties and material on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
November 11, 1880, Lieutenant Frederick F. Kislingbury,
Eleventh Infantry, with a detachment consisting of twelve men, Second Cavalry, and ten Crow
scouts
, was attacked by a war party of Sioux
near the mouth of the Musselshell, Montana
, and had one horse killed and three wounded; one of the hostiles was reported killed.
On January 2, 1881, Company F, 11th Infantry, was engaged in an attack upon hostile Indians, under Sitting Bull
, near Camp Poplar Creek (now the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
), as part of the command of Major G. Ilges, 5th Infantry
.
The infantry battalion, composed of Company F, 11th Infantry, and detachments of Companies A, B and E, 7th Infantry
, and one three-inch gun, all under command of Captain Ogden B. Read, 11th Infantry, left the agency at 11.30 A. M., marched three miles, crossed the Missouri River, took and held a point of timber commanding the lower village of the Indians until joined by Major Ilges with the main command (5 companies 5th Infantry, 1 company 7th Cavalry and an artillery detachment). The attack commenced at once, and after an engagement of about one hour, during which Company F was engaged in firing upon and turning back Indians attempting to escape from the artillery fire, resulted in the capturing of three Indian villages and their destruction. 324 prisoners were taken, with about 300 ponies and a large number of arms. No casualties among the troops. Loss of enemy in killed and wounded not known.
November 7, 1881, Troop G, Seventh Cavalry, and Company G, Eleventh Infantry, were relieved from duty in this department and ordered to proceed to Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas, for duty at the School of Instruction
[forming the first garrison].
January 26, 1882, Richard I. Dodge promoted to Colonel, commanding, Eleventh Infantry, the first four years at Fort Sully
, Dakota Territory.
May 1883, Department of Dakota annual marksmanship competition at headquarters Fort Snelling, Minnesota
, Eleventh Infantry had the best overall scores in the entire Army taking home two medals.
June 28, 1883, Col. Dodge was ordered to report to Fort Snelling in order to escort General of the Army Sherman
and General Terry
on a 10,000-mile inspection tour across the northern tier of territories, on to the Pacific Northwest, south through California, and east through the Southwest to Denver.
Company K, Thirteenth Infantry, arrived and took station at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., September 9, 1886, relieving Company G, Eleventh Infantry, which left September 11, 1886, for Fort Abraham Lincoln
, Dak., per Special Orders No. 116, Headquarters Division Missouri, 1886.
September 13, 1886, Company G, Eleventh Infantry, arrived and took station at Fort Abraham Lincoln from Fort Leavenworth, Kans.
August 20, 1886, Companies C and H, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Buford
, Dak., by boat to proceed to and take station at Fort Yates, Dak.; arrived August 26.
April 17, 1887, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, Captain Myer, Eleventh Infantry, commanding, left Fort Sully for Crow Creek Agency
, pursuant to War Department order, to aid the agent in removing intruders from the Sioux or Crow Creek and Winnebago
reservations, Dakota, under a proclamation by the President of August 21, 1885, declaring inoperative executive order of February 27, 1885, opening certain portions of said reservations to settlement. Arrived there April 21; returned May 27.
May 27, 1887, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, reported on last return as having left Fort Sully April 17, 1877, to aid in removing settlers from the Sioux, or Crow Creek, and Winnebago reservations, Dak., returned, having accomplished the duty assigned.
Achille La Guardia (1849–1904), the father of Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York, was
Bandmaster of the 11th U.S. Infantry from 1885–1898.
He served in the 11th Infantry at: Fort Sully, Dakota Territory; Madison Barracks, New York; Fort Huachuca and Whipple Barracks, Arizona Territory; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and Tampa, Florida.
In July, 1887, the regiment left the Department of Dakota for service in the Division of the Atlantic, where it was stationed in the Lake Regions with headquarters and Companies A, D, G and H at Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York
. Company B at Fort Wood, Bedlow's Island, New York Harbor, Companies E and K at Fort Niagara
, Youngstown, New York
, Company C at Fort Ontario
Oswego, New York
and Company F at Plattsburgh Barracks, Plattsburgh, New York.
Nov 1891 Company I [the Apaches
], stationed at Whipple Barracks
transferred from the 9th Infantry to the 11th at Fort Huachuca
.
Dec 1891 Eleventh Infantry transferred from Madison Barracks to Fort Huachuca.
Apr 1892 headquarters and band and one Company transferred to Whipple Barracks
May 1892 Company C from Fort Niagara Companies A and D from Madison Barracks arrive at Whipple Barracks followed by Companies G and K. Companie B and E at Fort Apache
, and Companies F and H at San Carlos in the Arizona territory
.
September 1893, General McCook ordered that the Apaches in Company I, Eleventh Infantry, be discharged when their furloughs expired in July 1894.
Apr 1898 Eleventh Infantry transferred from Whipple Barracks to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri.
The regiment became known as the Wandering 11th when between 1898 and 1920, the 1st Battalion made 29 changes of station, including seven years of foreign service.
, via Chickamauga, and on to Tampa, Florida arriving June 7, for transport to Puerto Rico.
During The Spanish-American War
, the Eleventh Infantry saw action under Brigadier General Theodore Schwan
in the Battle of Silva Heights in the Puerto Rican Campaign
.
1900 San Juan, Puerto Rico
, headquarters, band, and 5 companies Eleventh Infantry.
The following officers received distinguished mention in General Schwan's reports, for service rendered under fire during the campaign in western Puerto Rico:
Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, Eleventh Infantry.
Major Gilbreath, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain P. M. B. Travis, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain R. W. Hoyt, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain A. L. Myer, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain Penrose, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Odón Gurvoits, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant T. F. Maginnis, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Alexander, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Wells, Eleventh Infantry.
Companies K and L, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort McPherson
, Georgia.
Companies A, B, C, and D, Eleventh Infantry, for Fort Columbus
, New York Harbor. (Home Battalion.)
, where it was in engagements against the Moros
of Mindanao
and the Filipinos
of the Visayas
.
After the Balangiga Massacre
, the survivors escaped to Leyte
where nightmarish accounts made their way into the front pages of US newspapers. The Eleventh Infantry Regiment and the U.S. Marines led by Major Littleton Waller were quickly dispatched to Balangiga with orders from Brigadier General Jacob Smith. On or about September 29, 1901, the town was reoccupied by two companies of the Eleventh Infantry to secure the American position and bury the American dead. The Bells of Balangiga were taken as booty of war when the Eleventh left.
Office Company E, Eleventh Infantry, Camp at Mataling Falls, Mindanao, P. I., September 1, 1902. The Adjutant, Mataling Falls.
Sir: I have the honor to report that a hunting party of 1 sergeant and 7 privates, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, while on the road to Malabang and about 1½ miles from camp, August 31, 1902, were ambuscaded by a force of hostile Moros. Conservative estimate of strength of Moros, 15 rifles and 25 bolos. At first volley Private Charles M. Branson was killed and Privates Logsdon and Foster seriously wounded. The survivors fell back firing. The wounded men lying on the ground called for assistance. Sergeant Nash, Privates William D. Howard, William R. Bryan, and Fred Houck rushed forward and secured the two wounded men and their equipments in the face of the Moro fire, from a distance not exceeding 15 yards. They carried the wounded men toward camp for nearly a mile, keeping the Moro party who had pursued them at bay.
Private Joseph Dubian, after emptying his rifle, rushed to the camp for assistance. Company E being notified by the commanding officer to hasten to attack hostile Moros, that company proceeded with all possible speed to the scene of the attack, but were unable to gain contact with the enemy. The body of Private Branson was found frightfully mutilated, and the ground gave indication of a large party lying in ambuscade. Sergeant Cline with 30 men was immediately sent down the road to meet the wagon train from Malabang, the size of the party of Moros justifying their attacking the train.
This party withdrew, it is believed, toward the northeast and afterwards encountered the hunting party under Lieutenants Game and Parker, and also Company F, Eleventh Infantry, under Captain Chiles.
Casualties: Private Charles M. Branson, killed, Privates Logsdon and Foster wounded, all of Company E, Eleventh Infantry; rifle No. 36224 and equipments of Private Branson captured by Moros. It is known that at least 4 Moros were hit, but no bodies were secured at scene of ambuscade.
The action of Sergeant Nash. Privates William D. Howard, William R. Bryan, and Fred Houck. Company E, Eleventh Infantry, in securing their wounded comrades and their arms under the very muzzles of Moros, who outnumbered them at least 10 to 1, and after their party had virtually lost 50 per cent of its strength, was exceedingly courageous and meritorious. It is recommended that they each be given a certificate of merit for their action.
Very respectfully.
John W. Heavey, Captain, Eleventh Infantry, Commanding Company E.
March 24 to July 15, 1903, Eleventh Infantry in operations of the Surigao expedition.
This was an expedition against all outlaws, ladrones, and insurrectos in this province. Col. Albert L. Myer
, Eleventh Infantry, was placed in charge of the military operations in the field.
with the Eleventh Infantry.
March 21, 1904—Headquarters, Band, First and Second Battalions, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort D.A. Russell
, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Company K, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort Niobrara, Nebraska.
Company L, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort Washakie
, Wyoming.
April 7, 1904.—Company L, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The troops sent against the hostile Moros of Taraca Valley, Mindanao, returned to their station, having defeated and scattered large numbers of the enemy and destroyed their forts. Casualties, 2 enlisted men killed and 3 wounded.
April 28, 1904.—Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco for Fort Mackenzie, Wyoming.
May 2, 1904.—Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort Mackenzie, Wyoming.
May 1, 1906.—In connection with the 1906 earthquake relief service, the Eleventh Infantry (less headquarters of the Third Battalion and Companies I and M) left Fort D. A. Russell for temporary duty at San Francisco, and returned to the post June 9.
Headquarters Third Battalion and Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Mackenzie, by marching, for change of station to Fort D. A. Russell, arriving there at May 25. Distance marched, 365 miles.
Fort D. A. Russell - Third Battalion, Eleventh Infantry (less Companies K and L), Eighth Battalion, Field Artillery (Twelfth and Nineteenth Batteries).
1911 the regiment was part of the Maneuver Division, San Antonio, Texas
as part of the mobilization of the Second Division.
During the Mexican Border Crisis 1914–1917 with Pancho Villa
, the regiment served as border guards in Texas City, Texas, New Mexico
, and 1915 Naco, Arizona
, and April 1917 Douglas, Arizona
.
1915 Company D, San Antonio, Tex., to Texas City, Texas and Company L, Little Rock, Ark., to Laredo, Texas
May to August 1917 the 11th Infantry was stationed Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
.
. By May 1918 it joined the 5th Division near Chaumont, France
. The 11th then took part in the Vosges Mountains
, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives. In the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the regiment forged a brilliant crossing of the Meuse River
.
In 1922, the 11th moved to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and remained there for 17 years.
and remained there for 15 months until the regiment, and the division, moved to England
. The regiment landed in Normandy
on 10 July 1944 and fought its way across France as part of the 5th Infantry Division, which was assigned to General Patton's famed Third Army
. The 11th Infantry played a prominent role in the reduction of the fortified city of Metz
in the fall of 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge
, the 11th counter-attacked into the southern portion of the Bulge, engaging the Germans in bitter winter fighting. On 22 March 1945, the 1st Battalion made a night river assault across the Rhine River at Oppenheim
, giving General Patton a division bridgehead over the Rhine two days ahead of Field Marshal Montgomery's famous crossing. The 11th Infantry ended the war in Czechoslovakia
.
Shortly after its return from the European Theater of Operations
, the regiment was retired.
In 1948 the 11th was an Infantry Training Regiment, a unit of the 5th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
It was reactivated in June 1954 in Germany, the 11th returned to Fort Ord, California and became an Infantry Training Unit.
On 14 June 1958, the 1st Battle Group, 11th Infantry, was reactivated as part of the 2d Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia where it remained until February 1962 when it was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry and assigned as an organic element of the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
.
and operated in Cam Lo
, Dong Ha
, Quang Tri
, and Khe Sanh
.
The 11th returned to Fort Carson on 6 August 1971 and served there as part of the 4th Infantry Division until 15 January 1984 when the battalion was inactivated.
On 8 February 1991, the School Brigade was inactivated and redesignated as the 11th Infantry Regiment. The 1-11th is the Direct Commission Course and Basic Officer Leadership Course, Phase Two (BOLC II). 2-11th is the home of the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBOLC/BOLC III). 3-11th is the Officer Candidate School
.
On 27 June 2007 as part of the Transformation of the US Army, the 11th Infantry Regiment was redesignated the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning.
Symbolism: The symbolism is that of the coat of arms.
Background: The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 28 Mar 1923.
Shield: Azure, Satanta's arrow in fess Argent between in chief a castle Or in base a kampilan and bolo in saltire of the second hilted of the third. On a chief embattled of the second a cross Gules.
Crest: On a wreath of the colors a fusil Gules bearing a cross patée Argent charged with an acorn of the first.
Background: The coat of arms was approved on 12 Oct 1920.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
The First 11th Infantry
Under the authority granted the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in January, 1799, with Aaron Ogden as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was raised for the "Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
" with France but saw no war service. The Act of February 20, 1800, suspended enlistments for the new regiments. The Act of May 14, 1800, authorized the President to discharge them, and under this authority the 11th Infantry was disbanded June 15, 1800.
War of 1812
The second 11th U. S. regiment of infantry was organized on January 11, 1812, when the CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized a strengthening of the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. During the summer little was done in Vermont beyond organizing the 11th infantry, which seems to have consisted originally of six companies from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and four from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. The army gathered at Plattsburgh, New York, numbering about eight thousand men, of whom nearly one half were Vermonters. Among them was the 11th regiment of regulars under Col. Isaac Clark (12 Mar 1812 to 27 Apr 1814).
On November 16, 1812 the largest portion moved north under the immediate command of Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
, then the senior officer of the army, and on the 18th encamped about half a mile south of the Canadian boundary line. The force there assembled numbered three thousand regulars and two thousand militia, while the entire British force on the northern frontier did not exceed three thousand, and of these not more than one thousand were within striking distance of the American army. When Dearborn was prepared to cross the line, the British Major Salaberry also prepared to meet him. Early in the morning of the 20th a detachment of Dearborn's army forded the La Colle river and surrounded a British guard-house, which was occupied by Canadian militia and a few Indians, who broke through the American lines and escaped unhurt. In the meantime a second party of the Americans had advanced, and commenced a sharp fire on those in possession of the ground, mistaking them for the British picket. This fire continued for nearly half an hour, when, being undeceived, both parties hastily retreated, leaving behind five killed and as many wounded. The troops immediately afterwards returned to Champlain, and on the 23d to Plattsburgh, when the militia were disbanded, and the 11th U. S. regiment was sent to Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, with the 9th, 21st, and 25th, all under the command of Brig. Gen. John Chandler
John Chandler
John Chandler was an American politician and soldier of Maine. The political career of Chandler, a Democratic-Republican, was interspersed with his involvement in the state militia during both the American Revolutionary War and War of 1812.Chandler was born in Epping, New Hampshire, the brother of...
of Maine.
The Vermont non-intercourse act, passed Nov. 6, 1812, provided "that all officers, civil and military, of this State, shall aid in currying this act into full force ;" and therefore, immediately after the return of the 11th U. S. regiment and militia from Pittsburgh, a vigorous enforcement of the act along the northern boundary line of Vermont was commenced. In this work Col. Isaac Clark of the 11th Infantry regiment, and Lieut. Col. Edward Fifield of the militia, were conspicuous.
February 10, 1813, the Secretary of War ordered Gen. Dearborn to move the two brigades at Plattsburgh (Bloomfield's and Chandler's, numbering 2480 men,) to Sackett's Harbor; and March 14 Dearborn complied, leaving no troops at Plattsburgh, and only the 11th regiment of infantry and a company of artillery at Burlington. The 11th Infantry regiment was not full at that time, but was to be filled in a few weeks.
May 13, 1813, five hundred men from the 11th Infantry regiment, being the first battalion, were ordered to Sackett's Harbor, and on the 31st left Burlington under the command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Upham
Timothy Upham
Timothy Upham American soldier in the war of 1812. At the Siege of Fort Erie while he was in command of his regiment, he did gallant service with his regiment, in going to the rescue, by special order of Gen. Jacob Brown, of General Miller.He was the son of Rev. Timothy Upham, of Deertield, New...
.
This 11th Infantry Regiment participated in the following: the Battle of Crysler's Farm
Battle of Crysler's Farm
The Battle of Crysler's Farm, also known as the Battle of Crysler's Field, was fought on 11 November 1813, during the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British and Canadian force won a victory over an American force which greatly outnumbered them...
; the Second Battle of Lacolle Mills; the Raid on Port Dover
Raid on Port Dover
The Raid on Port Dover was an episode during the Anglo-American War of 1812. American troops crossed Lake Erie to capture or destroy stocks of grain, and to destroy mills which were used to provide flour for British troops stationed on the Niagara Peninsula. They also destroyed private houses and...
, the Capture of Fort Erie
Capture of Fort Erie
The Capture of Fort Erie by American forces in 1814 was an incident in the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States. The British garrison was outnumbered but surrendered prematurely, in the view of British commanders.-Background:...
, the Battle of Chippawa
Battle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
, where Colonel John B. Campbell
John B. Campbell
John B. Campbell was a soldier during the War of 1812, most famous for his expedition to destroy the Miami Indian villages along the Mississinewa River and perhaps most infamous for destroying private houses and other property along with the stocks of grain and mills, which led to a Court of...
(9 Apr to 28 Aug 1814), was mortally wounded and the 11th Infantry came under command of Maj. John McNeil
John McNeil Jr.
John McNeil Jr. was an American soldier, who distinguished himself in leading the bayonet charge of his regiment which secured the victory to the Americans in the Battle of Chippewa...
, who was breveted Lt. Col. for his actions; and the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
.
The third colonel of the regiment was Moody Bedel (4 Sept 1814 to 17 May 1815), became a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He was the son of Timothy Bedel
Timothy Bedel
Timothy Bedel was a soldier and local leader prominent in the early history of New Hampshire and Vermont.Bedel was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts...
a commander during the American Revolution. Moody Bedel's son John Bedel was a brigadier general of volunteers during the American Civil War.
It was consolidated May–October 1815 with a company of the 25th Infantry and a company each of the 27th, 29th, and 37th Infantry to form a company of the 6th Infantry. The present 6th United States Infantry traces its lineage back to this 11th Infantry Regiment. for the First U.S. 6th Infantry Regiment see: 2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for more than two hundred years. It is the third oldest regiment in the US Army with a Lineage date of 1808 and a history extending back to 1791...
The official U.S. Army lineage of the present 11th Infantry Regiment starts with the Civil War in 1861.
Mexican American War
The third 11th U. S. regiment of infantry was authorized by Congress on February 11, 1847, as a one-year regiment for the Mexican American War.Albert C. Ramsey
Albert Ramsey
Albert C. Ramsey was a member of the United States military during the Mexican American War who is most notable as the translator of Ramón Alcaraz's history of the Mexican War published as The Other Side: Or Notes for the History of the War between Mexico and the United States.Ramsey was the son...
was appointed Colonel of the 11th Infantry on April 9, 1847, headquarters at Baltimore. The companies of infantry to be raised in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia.
The 11th Infantry participated in the following: Battle of Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
, the Battle of Contreras
Battle of Contreras
The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War. In the Battle of Churubusco, fighting continued the following day.-Background:...
, the Battle of Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
, the Battle of Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
(Lieutenant-Colonel William M. Graham, Eleventh Infantry, whose regiment had participated actively in capturing Molinos del Rey, received two wounds, either of which was mortal, and fell at the head of his command while leading a charge against the northern angle of the buildings. A portion of his regiment, under Lieuts. Thomas F. McCoy and Benjamin F. Harley, was active in pursuit of the Mexicans after the attack on the Casa, Mata.), the Battle of Chapultepec
Battle of Chapultepec
The Battle of Chapultepec, in September 1847, was a United States victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War.-Background:On September 13, 1847, in the costly Battle of Molino del Rey, U.S...
and the Battle for Mexico City
Battle for Mexico City
The Battle for Mexico City refers to the series of engagements from September 8 to September 15, 1847, in the general vicinity of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War...
under command of Col. William Trousdale
William Trousdale
William Trousdale was Governor of Tennessee from 1849 to 1851.Trousdale was a protege of Andrew Jackson, having served under him in the Creek War and acquiring the nickname, "The War Horse of Sumner County" in that conflict. He was a Democrat...
.
This 11th Infantry Regiment was disbanded in August, 1848.
Officers of this regiment that served in the Civil War:
Lt.-Col. John H. Savage
John Houston Savage
John Houston Savage was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 4th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born in McMinnville, Tennessee on October 9, 1815. He attended the common schools and served as a private in the Seminole War. He studied...
, Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
Captain Charles T. Campbell
Charles Thomas Campbell
Charles Thomas Campbell was an United States Army soldier, and a legislator, businessman, and town mayor...
, Brig.-Gen. U. S. V. Civil War.
Captain Arthur C. Cummings, Bvt. Maj.; Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
Captain William H. Irwin, Bvt. Maj.; Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
Captain William B. Taliaferro
William B. Taliaferro
William Booth Taliaferro , was a United States Army officer, a lawyer, legislator, and Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, Maj. 9th infantry; Col. C. S. A. Civil War.
1st Lt. William H. Gray, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
1st Lt. John I. Gregg
John Irvin Gregg
John Irvin Gregg was a career U.S. Army officer. He fought in the Mexican-American War and during the American Civil War as a general officer in the Union army.-Early life and career:...
, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
1st Lt. Thomas F. McCoy, Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
2d Lt. John A. Bayard, 2d Lt. U. S. V. Civil War; died August 3, 1863, of wounds received at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa.
2d Lt. James Elder, Capt. U. S. A. Civil War.
2d Lt. William . Murray, Col U. S. V. Civil War; killed March 23, 1862, at the battle of Winchester, Va.
2d Lt. Andrew H. Tippin, Bvt. 1st Lt. Contreras and Churubusco; Col. U. S. V. Civil War.
2d Lt. Junins B. Wheeler. Capt. U. S. A. Civil War.
The Old Eleventh Infantry
This was the regiment known as the Eleventh Infantry Regiment during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
until 1869. The official U.S. Army lineage of three present-day U.S. Infantry regiments trace back to this regiment.
Civil War
The fourth 11th Infantry was organized on May 4, 1861 by direction of the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. On May 14, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
issued an executive order, directing an increase of the regimental organizations of the Regular Army. The 11th Infantry was the first, numerically, of the nine infantry regiments, of three battalions of eight companies each, were of the increase authorized. In G. O. No. 33, A. G. O., series of 1861, in contrast to the original ten regular regiments of infantry, which were organized on the traditional ten-company line. The 11th Infantry was organized at Fort Independence
Fort Independence (Massachusetts)
Fort Independence is a granite star fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston, Massachusetts. Located on Castle Island, Fort Independence is the oldest continuously fortified site of English origin in the United States. The first primitive fortification was placed on the site in 1634 and...
, Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, as regimental headquarters, and which remained the 11th's headquarters during the War. Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus D. Keyes
Erasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
was served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry from 14 May 1861 to 6 May 1864. William S. Ketchum
William Scott Ketchum
William Scott Ketchum , U. S. Army officer before and during the American Civil War.William Scott Ketchum was born on July 7, 1813 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Graduated from the United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York in 1834. He served in the Seminole Wars and on the Western...
served as colonel of the 11th U.S. Infantry 6 May 1864 to 15 March 1869.
After six companies had been organized and assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, it was ordered to Perryville, Maryland, October 10, 1861, and duty there until March, 1862. Ordered to Washington, D.C. Attached to Sykes' Regular Infantry, Reserve Brigade, Army Potomac, to May, 1862. The 11th then campaigned September, 1863 to November, 1864 as part of the 5th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
and 8th Army Corps, Middle Department, to January, 1865.
The 11th took part in the following: Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, Siege of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)
The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate force...
, Battle of Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill
Battle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
, Turkey Bridge June 30, Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the seventh and last day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable...
Malvern Hill, At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Fortress Monroe, thence to Centerville August 16–28. Pope's Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
, Battle of Groveton August 29, Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
, Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
,
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Shepherdstown Ford September 19–20, Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, "Mud March"
Mud March (American Civil War)
The Mud March was an abortive attempt at a winter offensive in January 1863 by Union Army Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside in the American Civil War....
, Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6, Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
, Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Pursuit of Lee July 5–24. On special duty at New York August 21-September 14. Rejoined army, Bristoe Campaign
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
, Second Battle of Rappahannock Station, Mine Run Campaign
Battle of Mine Run
The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run Campaign , was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War....
, Rapidan Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
, Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
, North Anna River
Battle of North Anna
The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the North Anna River in central Virginia, rather than a...
, Pamunkey May 26–28, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek , also called the Battle of Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Shady Grove Road, and Hanovertown, was a battle fought May 28–30, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E...
,
Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, Bethesda Church June 1–3, Second Battle of Petersburg, Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, Mine Explosion, Petersburg
Battle of the Crater
The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
, Weldon Railroad
Battle of Globe Tavern
The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the Siege of Petersburg of the American Civil War. A Union force under...
, Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm
Battle of Peebles' Farm
The Battle of Peebles' Farm was the western part of a simultaneous Union offensive against the Confederate works guarding Petersburg and Richmond, during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
, Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run
Battle of Boydton Plank Road
-References:****...
.
Moved to Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
, New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
, November 2, thence to Baltimore, Maryland., November 18, and to Annapolis, Maryland., December 5. Duty at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md., until January 26, 1865. Ordered to City Point, Virginia., January 26, and camp near Gen. Grant's Headquarters until March 8. Provost duty at Headquarters, Army Potomac, until May, and at Richmond. Va., until October, 1865.
The regiment lost during the Civil War 8 Officers and 117 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 86 Enlisted men by disease. Total, 213.
After the surrender, the 11th Infantry with other Regular troops, was sent to Richmond, Va., where it arrived May 3d. It did provost duty in Richmond until the civil government of the city was organized, and at Libby Prison until its use was discontinued. During the summer and fall of 1865 the twenty-four companies of the regiment were organized. In the summer of 1866, the regiment suffered a great mortality from cholera.
Medal of Honor
1st Lt. John H. Patterson
John Henry Patterson (soldier)
John Henry Patterson was a Union officer during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for courage under fire at the Battle of the Wilderness.-Biography:...
was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for courage under fire at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
.
Biographies
The following men served in the 11th Infantry during the Civil War: John S. Mason
John S. Mason
John Sanford Mason was a career officer in the United States Army who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, Frederick Steele
Frederick Steele
Frederick Steele was a career military officer in the United States Army, serving as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for his successful campaign to retake much of secessionist Arkansas for the Union cause.-Early life:Steele was born in Delhi, New...
, Charles Sawyer Russell
Charles Sawyer Russell
Charles Sawyer Russell was a United States Army general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, John C. Bates
John C. Bates
John Coalter Bates was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from January to April 1906. He was the last American Civil War veteran still on active duty in the United States military at the time of his retirement....
, and DeLancey Floyd-Jones
DeLancey Floyd-Jones
DeLancey Floyd-Jones was a career officer in the United States Army, serving in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, as well as on frontier duty in the Old West.-Early career:...
.
1866 Army Reorganization
By an Act of Congress, dated July 28, 1866, the three battalion regiments were discontinued.and Army was reorganized. The 11th was divided into three regiments, each battalion receiving two additional companies and being organized along traditional lines. The 1st Battalion was given the designation of the 11th Infantry, while the 2nd Battalion became the 20th Infantry
20th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 20th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-History:It was organized on 6 June 1862 at Fort Independence , as the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Infantry, one of the nine "three-battalion" regiments of regulars, each battalion containing eight companies of infantry, in...
and the 3rd Battalion the 29th Infantry
29th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 29th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army first formed in 1813.-Establishment and early missions:The first 29th Infantry was constituted on 29 January 1813, and saw service in the War of 1812. Following this, the regiment was merged with the 6th Infantry...
. Soon afterward the 29th Infantry (3d Battalion) was ordered to Lynchburg, Virginia. In January, 1866, the 20th Infantry (2d Battalion) was ordered to New Orleans, Louisiana, leaving the 1st Battalion heir to the colors and records of the 11th Infantry
Company B, 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated 5 December 1866 as Company B, 11th Infantry.
1869 Army Reorganization
Company B, 11th Infantry was consolidated 31 March 1869 with Company B, 34th Infantry24th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 24th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and again from 1995 until 2006. The regiment is notable for having a colorfully checkered history, with a record of mostly meritorious service and valorous combat performance interspersed with episodes of...
and consolidated unit redesignated as Company B, 16th Infantry
16th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-Formation:The 34th Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment consolidated into the 16th Infantry Regiment on 3 March 1869. The 11th Infantry's history prior to the consolidation is normally included with the 16th's.-U.S...
.
Though the present-day 11th Infantry does not trace its lineage to this regiment it was referred to as the origin of the current 11th Infantry up to at least 1931.
The Present 11th Infantry Regiment
The fifth 11th Infantry Regiment, to which the present-day 11th traces its lineage.Lineage
The 11th Infantry was constituted on 3 May 1861 by President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in the Regular Army as Company A, 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry. It was organized on 6 May 1862 at Newport Barracks
Newport Barracks
Newport Barracks was a military barracks on the Ohio River, across from Cincinnati, Ohio in Newport, Kentucky. It was operational from 1803 until 1894.-History:In 1803, James Taylor Jr. solicited the help of his cousin, James Madison, who was then U.S...
, Kentucky, as one of the nine "three-battalion" regiments of regulars, each battalion containing eight companies of infantry, in contrast to the original ten regular regiments of infantry, which were organized on the traditional ten-company line.
As Company A, 2d Battalion 15th Infantry, the regiment first campaigned as part of the Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
and later as part of the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
, participating in such battles as Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, the Kentucky Campaign, Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, Murfreesboro, the Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
, and the march through Georgia.
1866 Army Reorganization
Company A, 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated on 1 December 1866 as Company A, 24th Infantry24th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 24th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and again from 1995 until 2006. The regiment is notable for having a colorfully checkered history, with a record of mostly meritorious service and valorous combat performance interspersed with episodes of...
.
1869 Army Reorganization
The 24th Infantry (originally 2nd Battalion 15th Infantry) was consolidated into five companies, and the 29th Infantry29th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 29th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army first formed in 1813.-Establishment and early missions:The first 29th Infantry was constituted on 29 January 1813, and saw service in the War of 1812. Following this, the regiment was merged with the 6th Infantry...
(originally 3rd Battalion 11th Infantry) also into five companies, and by General Orders No. 80, dated 5th Military District, April 25, 1869, the consolidation of the two regiments into the Eleventh Infantry was completed and designated as Company A, 11th Infantry.
General Orders No. 17.
Headquarters Of The Army, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, March 15, 1869.
Reorganization of the Infantry of the Army.
16. Eleventh infantry, to be composed of the 24th and 29th regiments.—The 24th and 29th regiments, in the department of Texas, will be consolidated for service in that department, and will hereafter be known as the 11th infantry. The field officers will be: Alvan C. Gillem, colonel; George P. Buell, lieutenant colonel; Lyman Bissell, major.
Report of Brevet Major General E. R. S. Canby.
Headquarters First Military District,
State of Virginia, Richmond, Va., October 10, 1869.
Richmond and vicinity.—six companies of the Eleventh Infantry,
Lynchburg.—Headquarters Twenty-ninth and two companies of the Eleventh Infantry.
Lexington.—One company Eleventh Infantry.
Warrenton.—One company Eleventh Infantry.
In the month of March the Eleventh Infantry was transferred to the fourth military district.
History
The fifth or present Eleventh Infantry was formed by the consolidation of the 24th and 29th Regiments of Infantry on April 25, 1869.Department of Texas
October 1869:
Bryan, Texas Bvt. Major T.H. Norton 11th Inf. 1 Company
Galveston, Texas Bvt. Maj. Gen. A.C. Gillem 11th Inf. 1 Company
Austin,Texas 11th Inf. 1 Company
Jefferson, Texas Maj. Lyman Bissell 11th Inf. 1 Company
Greenville, Texas 11th Inf. 1 Company
Brenham, Texas Bvt. Lt. Col. James Biddle 11th Inf. 1 Company
Columbus, Texas Bvt. Maj. Charles A. Wikoff
Charles A. Wikoff
Charles Augustus Wikoff was a United States Army officer serving from American Civil War until he became the most senior ranking American Army officer killed in the Spanish-American War-Early life:...
(April 25, 1869–December 8, 1886 Commanded Company E)
On June 5, 1871, Company F of the Eleventh Infantry was sent to Fort Phantom Hill
Fort Phantom Hill
Fort Phantom Hill was an United States Army and Confederate Army installation located at the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in Jones County, Texas. The fort was active from 1852 to 1853 and again from 1856 until the 1890s....
, a subpost of Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin was a Cavalry fort established in the late 1860s in the northern part of West Texas, specifically northwestern Shackelford County, to give settlers protection from early Comanche and Kiowa raids...
, with a six-man detachment of the Fourth Cavalry, to protect the traffic through the area, and to guard the mail station at Mountain Pass, the first stop south of Phantom Hill. On June 10, 1871, a few days after its arrival at Mountain Pass, the Eleventh Infantry detachment was attacked by a war party of about seventy-five Comanches and Kiowas. A skirmish of one and a half hours ensued until the Indians broke off hostilities, with six killed and several wounded.
June 19, 1871, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, with six companies of the Fourth Cavalry, and twenty Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
scouts, under Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie
Ranald S. Mackenzie
Ranald Slidell Mackenzie was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its most promising young officer...
left Fort Richardson.
October 10, 1871, Companies F and I, Eleventh Infantry, took part in the Battle of Blanco Canyon
Battle of Blanco Canyon
The Battle of Blanco Canyon was the decisive battle of Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie's initial campaign against the Comanche in West Texas, and marked the first time the Comanches had been attacked in the heart of their homeland. It marked the end of Comanche control over the heart of their...
under Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie.
On January 10, 1872, Company G (Captain Theodore Schwan
Theodore Schwan
Theodore Schwan was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Peebles' Farm. He also served with distinction during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars.-Early life and Civil War:Schwan was born in Hanover,...
commanding 1869–1886), Eleventh Infantry, reestablished Fort Phantom Hill. February 8, 1872, Company G was replaced by Company A of the Eleventh Infantry, along with two Tonkawa scouts and a six-man detachment of the Fourth Cavalry. On March 8, 1872, Company A at Phantom Hill was relieved by Company F and was replaced April 6, for the last time by Company G.
June 15, 1872, a detachment from Company H, Eleventh Infantry at Fort Concho
Fort Concho
Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated since 1935 by the city of San Angelo, the seat of Tom Green County in West Texas...
in San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
successfully defended Johnson's Mail Station against an Indian raid.
Medal of Honor
August 5, 1872, Private Franklin M. McDonald
Franklin M. McDonald
Franklin M. McDonald was a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry in defeating Indians who attacked the mail.-Biography:...
, Company G, Eleventh Infantry, escorted a mail coach from Jacksboro, Texas
Jacksboro, Texas
Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S...
, to Fort Griffin. Fifteen miles from Fort Belknap and near Fort Griffin, it was attacked by a band of eight to 10 Kiowa Indians. McDonald was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for gallantry in defeating Indians who attacked the mail.
April 2, 1873, Eleventh Infantry at Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pecos County.-Geography:Fort Stockton is located at ....
to escort surveyors on the Rio Pecos.
Red River War
During the Red River War
Red River War
The Red River War was a military campaign launched by the United States Army in 1874, as part of the Comanche War, to remove the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Native American tribes from the Southern Plains and forcibly relocate them to reservations in Indian Territory...
, the regiment was in the following actions:
February 5, 1874, Lieutenant-Colonel George P. Buell
George P. Buell
George Pearson Buell was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and remained in the United States Army following the conflict.-Early life and career:...
, Eleventh Infantry, with Troops G and D, Tenth Cavalry, Company F, Eleventh Infantry, and detachments of Companies A and G, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a camp of hostile Qua ha dee Comanches on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is an ephemeral, sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about southeast of Tahoka, Texas, flowing east-northeast across the western Rolling Plains to join the Salt Fork, forming the Brazos River about west-northwest of...
, Texas, killed eleven Indians and captured sixty-five horses. One enlisted man was wounded in the fight.
July 20, 1874, in Polo Pinto County, Texas, a detachment of two officers, nine men and nine Tonkawa scouts, under command of Lieutenant Colonel G. P. Buell, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a war party of Indians and captured one horse.
August 1874, Lieutenant Colonel George Buell was to lead four companies of the Ninth Cavalry, two of the Tenth, two companies of the Eleventh Infantry, and thirty scouts from Fort Griffin to Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, and then west to operate along the Salt Fork
Salt Fork Red River
The Salt Fork Red River is a sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about north of Claude of Armstrong County, Texas, flowing east across the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma to join the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River about south of Altus of Jackson...
of the Red River.
August 23, 1874, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Concho in a column with eight companies of the Fourth Cavalry, four companies of the Tenth, and an assortment of scouts Under the command of Colonel Mackenzie.
September 10, 1874, Companies D, E, and I of the Eleventh Infantry commanded by Captain Charles A. Wikoff
Charles A. Wikoff
Charles Augustus Wikoff was a United States Army officer serving from American Civil War until he became the most senior ranking American Army officer killed in the Spanish-American War-Early life:...
(April 25, 1869–December 8, 1886 Commanded Company E) and six companies of the Tenth Cavalry, a section of mountain howitzers, and Indian scouts, led by Lieutenant Colonel John W. Davidson
John Davidson (general)
John Wynn Davidson was a brigadier general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and an American Indian fighter. In 1866, he received brevet grade appointments as a major general of volunteers and in the regular U.S. Army for his Civil War service,-Biography:Davidson was born in...
, returned to Fort Sill by 16 October 1874.
Company C, Eleventh Infantry and two companies of the Tenth Cavalry were left to garrison Fort Sill.
September 26, 1874, Company H, Eleventh Infantry, in a column with eight companies of the Fourth Cavalry, four companies of the Tenth, and an assortment of scouts Under the command of Colonel Mackenzie fought a skirmish in Tule Canyon when Indians attacked at night attemptng to stampede the horses.
September 28, 1874,Company H, Eleventh Infantry, in the same column attacked a camp of Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne in the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon
Battle of Palo Duro Canyon
The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon was a significant United States victory that brought about the end of the Red River War.-Background:Ever since the summer of 1874 the Comanches, Cheyenne and Kiowas had sought refuge in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle. There they had been stockpiling food and...
under Colonel Mackenzie.
October 9, 1874, on Salt Fork of Red River, Texas, the scouts of a column consisting of Companies A, E, F, H, and I, Eleventh Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Buell, Eleventh Infantry, struck a band of Kiowas, killed one of them, and destroyed their camp. Pursuit was made for a considerable distance, the main column destroying several hundred lodges in various abandoned camps, but the Indians escaped northward.
November 8, 1874, Troops B, C, F, and H, Tenth Cavalry, detachments Companies E and I, Eleventh Infantry, and thirty Indian scouts, all under command of Capt. C. D. Viele, Tenth Cavalry, were detached from Colonel Davidson's column near McClellan Creek, Texas, to pursue the band attacked by Lieutenant Baldwin the same day. Captain Viele's command chased the Indians for a distance of ninety-six miles> having several slight skirmishes with the rear guard of Indians and capturing a number of ponies and mules, the latter packed, which the Indians had abandoned in the flight.
December 7, 1874, Major G.W. Schofield, with D, K, and M Companies of the Tenth Cavalry and Company C, Eleventh Infantry left Fort Sill. Marched more than 200 miles between the Canadian and Washita returning on 31 Dec 1875.
May 1875, Companies B, E, and K, Eleventh Infantry, at Fort Richardson.
Department of Dakota
In August and September, 1876, the regiment was sent from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota
Department of Dakota
A subdivision of the Division of the Missouri, the Department of Dakota was established by the United States Army on August 11, 1866 to encompass all military activities and forts within Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Montana Territory. The Department of Dakota was initially headquartered at Fort...
for field service in connection with the Great Sioux War of 1876-77
Great Sioux War of 1876-77
The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations which occurred between 1876 and 1877 involving the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne, against the United States...
in the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
and in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The larger part of the regiment (seven companies) was sent to the Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota (later called Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux.-History:...
), where these troops were hutted for shelter during the winter, and three companies were stationed at Standing Rock Agency
Standing Rock Indian Reservation
The Standing Rock Indian Reservation is a Lakota, Yanktonai and Dakota Indian reservation in North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States...
, Dakota. In 1877 the regiment was transferred from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota.
In April and May, 1877, three companies (C, F and G) were moved from Cheyenne Agency, and three companies ( A, B and H) from Fort Yates in the Standing Rock Agency to the Little Big Horn
Little Bighorn River
The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on its banks in 1876, as well as the Battle of Crow Agency in 1887....
, Montana, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel G. P. Buell, 11th Infantry, where they constructed the post of Fort Custer
Fort Custer (Montana)
Fort Custer was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Indians near present-day Hardin, Montana...
.
Early in July ten companies of the Seventh Cavalry, four of the First, and two (D and H) of the Eleventh Infantry, were dispatched to establish a summer camp near Bear Butte
Bear Butte
Bear Butte is a geological butte feature located in western South Dakota, United States, that was established as a State Park in 1961. An important landmark and religious site for the Plains Indians tribes long before Europeans reached South Dakota, Bear Butte is called Mathó Pahá, or Bear...
, north of Deadwood
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
to scout the region lying north, northeast, east, and southeast from that point and keep the country clear of Indians. Four of these companies (two of cavalry and two of infantry) have since been assigned to constitute this winter's garrison for the new post near that place now being constructed under the direction of Major Henry M. Lazelle, First Infantry. The balance of this command is still occupying its camp. This camp became Fort Meade
Fort Meade (South Dakota)
Fort George Gordon Meade was established in 1878 as a cavalry fort to protect the new settlements in the northern Black Hills, especially the nearby gold mining area around Deadwood. Several stage and freighting routes passed through Fort Meade enroute to Deadwood.For most of the past 120 years,...
.
During the years 1877 and 1878 the different companies of the regiment were employed as occasion demanded on expeditions and scouts against hostile Indians.
April 1879, Captain George K. Sanderson
George K. Sanderson
George Kaiser Sanderson was a career U.S. Army officer. Having enlisted as a Private he was latter commissioned and twice breveted for gallant and meritorious service during the American Civil War. He is most notable for being the first to erect a monument at the Little Bighorn Battlefield...
, Company C, Eleventh Infantry, sent from Fort Custer to the Custer battlefield
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of the June 25, 1876, Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Crow Agency, Montana, in the United States. It also serves as a memorial to those who fought in the battle: George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and a combined Lakota-Northern...
to police and rebury any exposed remains.
October 12, 1880, Camp Poplar River
Camp Poplar River
Camp Poplar River was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by U.S. Army to maintain order, keep non-agency Indians away, and help capture the Indians who disturbed the peace and would not conform to reservation boundaries of the Fort Peck Agency, which in 1878, was...
, Mont., established, Companies B and F, Eleventh Infantry, from Fort Custer, arriving this day and taking station.
October 18, 1880, Camp Porter
Camp Porter
Camp Porter, Montana Territory, was established as a single-year camp in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army, to provided protection to Northern Pacific Railway construction crews during the Indian Wars.-Established:...
, Mont., on the right bank of the Yellowstone, about 3 miles above the mouth of Glendive Creek, was established by Company A, Eleventh Infantry, from Fort Sully
Fort Sully
Fort Sully was one of the main military posts located on the east bank of the Missouri river in central Dakota built for use in the Indian Wars...
, and Company B, Seventeenth Infantry, from Fort Yates, as a winter camp for troops guarding working parties and material on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
November 11, 1880, Lieutenant Frederick F. Kislingbury,
Eleventh Infantry, with a detachment consisting of twelve men, Second Cavalry, and ten Crow
Crow Nation
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
scouts
U.S. Army Indian Scouts
Native Americans have made up an integral part of U.S. military conflicts since America's beginning. Colonists recruited Indian allies during such instances as the Pequot War from 1634–1638, the Revolutionary War, as well as in War of 1812...
, was attacked by a war party of Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
near the mouth of the Musselshell, Montana
Musselshell, Montana
Musselshell is a census-designated place in Musselshell County, Montana, United States. The population was 60 at the 2010 census and 2000 census.-Geography:Musselshell is located at...
, and had one horse killed and three wounded; one of the hostiles was reported killed.
On January 2, 1881, Company F, 11th Infantry, was engaged in an attack upon hostile Indians, under Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...
, near Camp Poplar Creek (now the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Fort Peck Indian Reservation
The Fort Peck Indian Reservation is near Fort Peck, Montana. It is the homeland of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes of Native Americans. It is the ninth-largest Indian reservation in the United States and comprises parts of four counties. In descending order of land area they are Roosevelt, Valley,...
), as part of the command of Major G. Ilges, 5th Infantry
7th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The United States Army's 7th Infantry Regiment, known as "The Cottenbalers" from an incident that occurred during the Battle of New Orleans, while under the command of Andrew Jackson, when soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment held positions behind a breastwork of bales of cotton during the...
.
The infantry battalion, composed of Company F, 11th Infantry, and detachments of Companies A, B and E, 7th Infantry
7th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The United States Army's 7th Infantry Regiment, known as "The Cottenbalers" from an incident that occurred during the Battle of New Orleans, while under the command of Andrew Jackson, when soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment held positions behind a breastwork of bales of cotton during the...
, and one three-inch gun, all under command of Captain Ogden B. Read, 11th Infantry, left the agency at 11.30 A. M., marched three miles, crossed the Missouri River, took and held a point of timber commanding the lower village of the Indians until joined by Major Ilges with the main command (5 companies 5th Infantry, 1 company 7th Cavalry and an artillery detachment). The attack commenced at once, and after an engagement of about one hour, during which Company F was engaged in firing upon and turning back Indians attempting to escape from the artillery fire, resulted in the capturing of three Indian villages and their destruction. 324 prisoners were taken, with about 300 ponies and a large number of arms. No casualties among the troops. Loss of enemy in killed and wounded not known.
November 7, 1881, Troop G, Seventh Cavalry, and Company G, Eleventh Infantry, were relieved from duty in this department and ordered to proceed to Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas, for duty at the School of Instruction
United States Army Cavalry School
The United States Army Cavalry School was part of a series of training programs and centers for its horse mounted troops or cavalry branch.-History:...
[forming the first garrison].
January 26, 1882, Richard I. Dodge promoted to Colonel, commanding, Eleventh Infantry, the first four years at Fort Sully
Fort Sully
Fort Sully was one of the main military posts located on the east bank of the Missouri river in central Dakota built for use in the Indian Wars...
, Dakota Territory.
May 1883, Department of Dakota annual marksmanship competition at headquarters Fort Snelling, Minnesota
Fort Snelling, Minnesota
Fort Snelling, originally known as Fort Saint Anthony, was a military fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River in Hennepin County, Minnesota...
, Eleventh Infantry had the best overall scores in the entire Army taking home two medals.
June 28, 1883, Col. Dodge was ordered to report to Fort Snelling in order to escort General of the Army Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
and General Terry
Alfred Terry
Alfred Howe Terry was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886.-Early life and career:...
on a 10,000-mile inspection tour across the northern tier of territories, on to the Pacific Northwest, south through California, and east through the Southwest to Denver.
Company K, Thirteenth Infantry, arrived and took station at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., September 9, 1886, relieving Company G, Eleventh Infantry, which left September 11, 1886, for Fort Abraham Lincoln
Fort Abraham Lincoln
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is located seven miles south of Mandan, North Dakota. The park is home to On-A-Slant Indian Village, the blockhouses and the Custer house...
, Dak., per Special Orders No. 116, Headquarters Division Missouri, 1886.
September 13, 1886, Company G, Eleventh Infantry, arrived and took station at Fort Abraham Lincoln from Fort Leavenworth, Kans.
August 20, 1886, Companies C and H, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Buford
Fort Buford
Fort Buford was a United States Army base at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881....
, Dak., by boat to proceed to and take station at Fort Yates, Dak.; arrived August 26.
April 17, 1887, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, Captain Myer, Eleventh Infantry, commanding, left Fort Sully for Crow Creek Agency
Crow Creek Reservation
The Crow Creek Indian Reservation is located in parts of Buffalo, Hughes, and Hyde counties on the east bank of the Missouri River in central South Dakota in the United States. It has a land area of 421.658 sq mi and a 2000 census population of 2,225 persons...
, pursuant to War Department order, to aid the agent in removing intruders from the Sioux or Crow Creek and Winnebago
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
reservations, Dakota, under a proclamation by the President of August 21, 1885, declaring inoperative executive order of February 27, 1885, opening certain portions of said reservations to settlement. Arrived there April 21; returned May 27.
May 27, 1887, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, reported on last return as having left Fort Sully April 17, 1877, to aid in removing settlers from the Sioux, or Crow Creek, and Winnebago reservations, Dak., returned, having accomplished the duty assigned.
| station | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bennett, Dakota | HQ Band C D E F G I K | HQ Band D E I K | HQ Band A D E G I K | HQ D E G I | E | E | E | E | I | I | I | I |
| Fort Custer, Montana | A B C F G H | B C F H | B C F H | C H | C H | C H | C H | |||||
| Camp Poplar River, Montana | B F | B F | B F | B F | B F | |||||||
| Camp Porter Montana | A | A | ||||||||||
| Fort Buford, Dakota | C H | C H | ||||||||||
| Fort Sully, Dakota | A K | HQ Band A G I K | HQ A G I K | HQ I K | HQ A D I K | HQ A D E K | HQ A D E K | HQ A D E K | HQ A D E K | |||
| Fort Yates, Dakota | A B H | B C F H | B C F H | |||||||||
| Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota | D | D | D | B F | B F | G | ||||||
| Fort Leavenworth, Kansas | G | G | G | G | G | |||||||
Bandmaster of the 11th U.S. Infantry
Achille La Guardia (1849–1904), the father of Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York, was
Bandmaster of the 11th U.S. Infantry from 1885–1898.
He served in the 11th Infantry at: Fort Sully, Dakota Territory; Madison Barracks, New York; Fort Huachuca and Whipple Barracks, Arizona Territory; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and Tampa, Florida.
Division of the Atlantic
In July, 1887, the regiment left the Department of Dakota for service in the Division of the Atlantic, where it was stationed in the Lake Regions with headquarters and Companies A, D, G and H at Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York
Sackets Harbor, New York
Sackets Harbor is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who founded it in the early 19th century.The Village of Sackets Harbor is within the western part of the...
. Company B at Fort Wood, Bedlow's Island, New York Harbor, Companies E and K at Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
, Youngstown, New York
Youngstown, New York
Youngstown is a village in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 1,957 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Company C at Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario is a historic fort situated by the City of Oswego, in Oswego County, New York in the United States of America. It is owned by the state of New York and operated as a museum known as Fort Ontario State Historic Site....
Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
and Company F at Plattsburgh Barracks, Plattsburgh, New York.
Department of Arizona
Nov 1891 Company I [the Apaches
Apache scouts
The Apache Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts, most of their service was during the Apache Wars up to 1886 though the last scout retired in 1947. The Apache scouts were the eyes and ears of the United States military and sometimes the cultural translators for the various...
], stationed at Whipple Barracks
Fort Whipple, Arizona
Fort Whipple was a U.S. Army post which served as Arizona Territory's capital prior to the founding of Prescott, Arizona. The post was founded by Edward Banker Willis in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. ...
transferred from the 9th Infantry to the 11th at Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
.
Dec 1891 Eleventh Infantry transferred from Madison Barracks to Fort Huachuca.
Apr 1892 headquarters and band and one Company transferred to Whipple Barracks
May 1892 Company C from Fort Niagara Companies A and D from Madison Barracks arrive at Whipple Barracks followed by Companies G and K. Companie B and E at Fort Apache
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
, and Companies F and H at San Carlos in the Arizona territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
.
September 1893, General McCook ordered that the Apaches in Company I, Eleventh Infantry, be discharged when their furloughs expired in July 1894.
Apr 1898 Eleventh Infantry transferred from Whipple Barracks to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri.
The regiment became known as the Wandering 11th when between 1898 and 1920, the 1st Battalion made 29 changes of station, including seven years of foreign service.
War with Spain
The Eleventh Infantry left Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, April 19, 1898, then to a training camp near Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, via Chickamauga, and on to Tampa, Florida arriving June 7, for transport to Puerto Rico.
During The Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the Eleventh Infantry saw action under Brigadier General Theodore Schwan
Theodore Schwan
Theodore Schwan was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Peebles' Farm. He also served with distinction during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars.-Early life and Civil War:Schwan was born in Hanover,...
in the Battle of Silva Heights in the Puerto Rican Campaign
Puerto Rican Campaign
The Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago’s capital, San Juan. Though the damage inflicted on the city was minimal,...
.
1900 San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, headquarters, band, and 5 companies Eleventh Infantry.
The following officers received distinguished mention in General Schwan's reports, for service rendered under fire during the campaign in western Puerto Rico:
Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, Eleventh Infantry.
Major Gilbreath, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain P. M. B. Travis, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain R. W. Hoyt, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain A. L. Myer, Eleventh Infantry.
Captain Penrose, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Odón Gurvoits, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant T. F. Maginnis, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Alexander, Eleventh Infantry.
Lieutenant Wells, Eleventh Infantry.
Department of the East
Movements of troops from and to extraterritorial stations from Nov.-Dec 1900. Headquarters, Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Washington Barracks, D. C., from Porto[sic] Rico.Companies K and L, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base located in East Point, Georgia, on the southwest edge of the City of Atlanta, Ga. It was the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Army Forces Command; the U.S. Army Reserve Command; the U.S...
, Georgia.
Companies A, B, C, and D, Eleventh Infantry, for Fort Columbus
Fort Columbus
Fort Columbus was a fortification and army post in Governors Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York, from 1806 to 1904.-Fort Jay:Fort Columbus was the name of a fortification and later the army post that developed around it...
, New York Harbor. (Home Battalion.)
Philippine Insurrection
During the Philippine American War from 1901–1903, the Eleventh Infantry was sent to the Philippines to help put down the Moro RebellionMoro Rebellion
The Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...
, where it was in engagements against the Moros
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros is the personification of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. He is one of the offspring of Nyx , who had conceived him without male intervention, and brother of the Moirae ....
of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and the Filipinos
Filipinos
Filipinos is the brand name for a series of biscuit snacks made by Kraft Foods. In Spain and Portugal they are produced and sold under the Artiach brand name. Under license to United Biscuits, in the Netherlands they are sold and produced locally under the Verkade brand...
of the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
.
Department of the Visayas
After the Balangiga Massacre
Balangiga massacre
The Balangiga massacre, as it is known in the Philippines, or the Balangiga affair, as it is known in the United States, was an incident in 1901 during the Philippine-American War where more than forty American soldiers were killed in a surprise guerrilla attack in the town of Balangiga on Samar...
, the survivors escaped to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
where nightmarish accounts made their way into the front pages of US newspapers. The Eleventh Infantry Regiment and the U.S. Marines led by Major Littleton Waller were quickly dispatched to Balangiga with orders from Brigadier General Jacob Smith. On or about September 29, 1901, the town was reoccupied by two companies of the Eleventh Infantry to secure the American position and bury the American dead. The Bells of Balangiga were taken as booty of war when the Eleventh left.
Department of Mindanao
Office Company E, Eleventh Infantry, Camp at Mataling Falls, Mindanao, P. I., September 1, 1902. The Adjutant, Mataling Falls.
Sir: I have the honor to report that a hunting party of 1 sergeant and 7 privates, Company E, Eleventh Infantry, while on the road to Malabang and about 1½ miles from camp, August 31, 1902, were ambuscaded by a force of hostile Moros. Conservative estimate of strength of Moros, 15 rifles and 25 bolos. At first volley Private Charles M. Branson was killed and Privates Logsdon and Foster seriously wounded. The survivors fell back firing. The wounded men lying on the ground called for assistance. Sergeant Nash, Privates William D. Howard, William R. Bryan, and Fred Houck rushed forward and secured the two wounded men and their equipments in the face of the Moro fire, from a distance not exceeding 15 yards. They carried the wounded men toward camp for nearly a mile, keeping the Moro party who had pursued them at bay.
Private Joseph Dubian, after emptying his rifle, rushed to the camp for assistance. Company E being notified by the commanding officer to hasten to attack hostile Moros, that company proceeded with all possible speed to the scene of the attack, but were unable to gain contact with the enemy. The body of Private Branson was found frightfully mutilated, and the ground gave indication of a large party lying in ambuscade. Sergeant Cline with 30 men was immediately sent down the road to meet the wagon train from Malabang, the size of the party of Moros justifying their attacking the train.
This party withdrew, it is believed, toward the northeast and afterwards encountered the hunting party under Lieutenants Game and Parker, and also Company F, Eleventh Infantry, under Captain Chiles.
Casualties: Private Charles M. Branson, killed, Privates Logsdon and Foster wounded, all of Company E, Eleventh Infantry; rifle No. 36224 and equipments of Private Branson captured by Moros. It is known that at least 4 Moros were hit, but no bodies were secured at scene of ambuscade.
The action of Sergeant Nash. Privates William D. Howard, William R. Bryan, and Fred Houck. Company E, Eleventh Infantry, in securing their wounded comrades and their arms under the very muzzles of Moros, who outnumbered them at least 10 to 1, and after their party had virtually lost 50 per cent of its strength, was exceedingly courageous and meritorious. It is recommended that they each be given a certificate of merit for their action.
Very respectfully.
John W. Heavey, Captain, Eleventh Infantry, Commanding Company E.
Department of the Visayas
March 24 to July 15, 1903, Eleventh Infantry in operations of the Surigao expedition.
This was an expedition against all outlaws, ladrones, and insurrectos in this province. Col. Albert L. Myer
Albert L. Myer
Major Albert L. Myer was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1899. He is best remembered for having filled as interim mayor of Ponce after the forced resignation of popularly-elected mayor Luis Porrata Doria. Major Myer was appointed by the first military governor of Puerto Rico, Major General Nelson A...
, Eleventh Infantry, was placed in charge of the military operations in the field.
Department of the Missouri
February 15, 1904.—Transport Thomas sailed from Manila for San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
with the Eleventh Infantry.
March 21, 1904—Headquarters, Band, First and Second Battalions, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort D.A. Russell
Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming)
Fort D. A. Russell, also known as Fort Francis E. Warren, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and Fort David A. Russell, was a post and base of operations for the United States Army, and later the Air Force, located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The fort had been established in 1867 to protect workers for the...
, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
Company K, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort Niobrara, Nebraska.
Company L, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco, Cal., for Fort Washakie
Fort Washakie
Fort Washakie was a U.S Army fort in what is now the U.S. state of Wyoming. The fort was established in 1869 and named Camp Augur afterGeneral Christopher C. Augur, commander of the Department of the Platte. In 1870 the camp was renamed Camp Brown in honor of Captain Frederick H. Brown who was...
, Wyoming.
April 7, 1904.—Company L, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The troops sent against the hostile Moros of Taraca Valley, Mindanao, returned to their station, having defeated and scattered large numbers of the enemy and destroyed their forts. Casualties, 2 enlisted men killed and 3 wounded.
April 28, 1904.—Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, left San Francisco for Fort Mackenzie, Wyoming.
May 2, 1904.—Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, arrived at Fort Mackenzie, Wyoming.
May 1, 1906.—In connection with the 1906 earthquake relief service, the Eleventh Infantry (less headquarters of the Third Battalion and Companies I and M) left Fort D. A. Russell for temporary duty at San Francisco, and returned to the post June 9.
Headquarters Third Battalion and Companies I and M, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Mackenzie, by marching, for change of station to Fort D. A. Russell, arriving there at May 25. Distance marched, 365 miles.
Fort D. A. Russell - Third Battalion, Eleventh Infantry (less Companies K and L), Eighth Battalion, Field Artillery (Twelfth and Nineteenth Batteries).
1911 the regiment was part of the Maneuver Division, San Antonio, Texas
Southern Department
In February 1913 the regiment moved from its permanent station to Texas City, TexasTexas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
as part of the mobilization of the Second Division.
During the Mexican Border Crisis 1914–1917 with Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
, the regiment served as border guards in Texas City, Texas, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and 1915 Naco, Arizona
Naco, Arizona
Naco is a census-designated place in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is across the United States–Mexico border from Naco, Sonora. The Naco port of entry is open 24 hours per day....
, and April 1917 Douglas, Arizona
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
.
1915 Company D, San Antonio, Tex., to Texas City, Texas and Company L, Little Rock, Ark., to Laredo, Texas
May to August 1917 the 11th Infantry was stationed Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
Fort Oglethorpe is a city in Catoosa County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,263. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
World War I
On 24 April 1918, the regiment sailed for FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. By May 1918 it joined the 5th Division near Chaumont, France
Chaumont, Haute-Marne
Chaumont is a commune of France, and the capital of the Haute-Marne department. , it has a of 24,039.The city stands on the Marne River and is situated on the railway linking Paris and Basel, which runs over a 52 m tall and 600 m long viaduct built in 1856.- History :Historically the...
. The 11th then took part in the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives. In the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the regiment forged a brilliant crossing of the Meuse River
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
.
In 1922, the 11th moved to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and remained there for 17 years.
World War II
In 1939, the 11th joined the 5th Division at Fort McClellan, Alabama and by 1942 was on its way to IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and remained there for 15 months until the regiment, and the division, moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The regiment landed in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
on 10 July 1944 and fought its way across France as part of the 5th Infantry Division, which was assigned to General Patton's famed Third Army
United States Army Central
United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S...
. The 11th Infantry played a prominent role in the reduction of the fortified city of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
in the fall of 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, the 11th counter-attacked into the southern portion of the Bulge, engaging the Germans in bitter winter fighting. On 22 March 1945, the 1st Battalion made a night river assault across the Rhine River at Oppenheim
Oppenheim
Oppenheim is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is well known as a wine town, the site of the German Winegrowing Museum and particularly for the wines from the Oppenheimer Krötenbrunnen vineyards.- Location :...
, giving General Patton a division bridgehead over the Rhine two days ahead of Field Marshal Montgomery's famous crossing. The 11th Infantry ended the war in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Shortly after its return from the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
, the regiment was retired.
In 1948 the 11th was an Infantry Training Regiment, a unit of the 5th Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
It was reactivated in June 1954 in Germany, the 11th returned to Fort Ord, California and became an Infantry Training Unit.
On 14 June 1958, the 1st Battle Group, 11th Infantry, was reactivated as part of the 2d Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia where it remained until February 1962 when it was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry and assigned as an organic element of the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
Fort Carson, Colorado
Fort Carson is a United States Army installation located near Colorado Springs, primarily in El Paso County, Colorado. It is north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County. The 137,000 acre installation extends south into Pueblo and Fremont counties...
.
Vietnam War
In July 1968, the 11th deployed for action in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and operated in Cam Lo
Cam Lo
Cam Lộ is a rural district of Quang Tri province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 46,231. The district covers an area of 347 km²...
, Dong Ha
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
, Quang Tri
Quang Tri
Quảng Trị is a town district of Quang Tri province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam. Significantly, it was the only South Vietnamese provincial capital to be captured by the North Vietnamese forces for a limited period in the 1972 offensive....
, and Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà.Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost in South Vietnam used during the Vietnam War. The airstrip was built in September 1962...
.
The 11th returned to Fort Carson on 6 August 1971 and served there as part of the 4th Infantry Division until 15 January 1984 when the battalion was inactivated.
Modern day
On 14 August 1987, 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, The School Brigade, were redesignated as 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, 11th Infantry, and assigned to The School Brigade.On 8 February 1991, the School Brigade was inactivated and redesignated as the 11th Infantry Regiment. The 1-11th is the Direct Commission Course and Basic Officer Leadership Course, Phase Two (BOLC II). 2-11th is the home of the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBOLC/BOLC III). 3-11th is the Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School or Officer Cadet School are institutions which train civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country....
.
On 27 June 2007 as part of the Transformation of the US Army, the 11th Infantry Regiment was redesignated the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning.
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description: A silver color metal and enamel device 1⅛ inches (2.86 cm) tall overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, Satanta's arrow in fess Argent between in chief a castle Or in base a kampilan and bolo in saltire of the second hilted of the third. On a chief embattled of the second a cross Gules.Symbolism: The symbolism is that of the coat of arms.
Background: The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 28 Mar 1923.
Coat of Arms
Blazon:Shield: Azure, Satanta's arrow in fess Argent between in chief a castle Or in base a kampilan and bolo in saltire of the second hilted of the third. On a chief embattled of the second a cross Gules.
Crest: On a wreath of the colors a fusil Gules bearing a cross patée Argent charged with an acorn of the first.
Symbolism
The shield is blue for infantry. Service in the Spanish War is shown by the castle and in the Indian Wars by Satanta's "arrow." The most important Indian campaign of this regiment was against the Kiowas, Comanches and Cheyenne in 1874. Satanta was a noted Kiowa chief who died just previous to this campaign. His "arrow" was really a spear with feathers on the end and a handle. The kampilan and bolo represent engagements against the Moros of Mindanao and the Filipinos of the Visayas. Service in the World War is shown by the chief bearing the cross of the ancient Lords of Dun to commemorate the crossing of the Meuse at Dun. The embattled partition represents the siege of Chattanooga in 1863. The crest consists of the Civil War badges of the 1st Division, 14th Army Corps and 2d Division, 5th Army Corps, and the World War 5th Division shoulder sleeve insignia.Background: The coat of arms was approved on 12 Oct 1920.
Campaign Streamers
- Civil War: Shiloh; Murfreesborough; Chickamauga; Chattanooga; Atlanta; Kentucky 1862; Mississippi 1862; Tennessee 1863; Georgia 1864
- Indian Wars: Comanches
- War with Spain: Puerto Rico
- Philippine Insurrection: Mindanao
- World War I: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Alsace 1918; Lorraine 1918
- World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
- Vietnam: Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1971
- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1999–2000