The enormous territory over which the regiment was scattered, the predatory disposition of the Indians, and the entirely inadequate force of troops, kept the companies of the regiment on the keen jump until it left for the States to take part in the Civil War. The country from Denver to Las Nogales, and from Texas to Utah, was within the sphere of its operations, and it was required to restrain and subdue hostile Indians outnumbering it fifty to one. It would take a volume to give any definite notion of its field work, or even of the scouts and expeditions upon which the enemy was met and defeated with more or less loss in killed and wounded.

Captain Gibbs came near losing his life from a dangerous wound, March 9, 1857, in the Mimbres mountains. Two larger expeditions were made the same year against the Coyotero and Gila Apaches, each having several encounters with losses. Colonel Loring, with K and detachments from other companies, left Fort Union, April 8, 1858, and joined the Utah expedition, in which he commanded a battalion, marching past where Denver now is and old Fort Bridger, returning to Union, September 14^th, direct from Salt Lake. In the meantime A, C, F, H and L were participating in the Navajo war, of which Colonel Lane has told us something, and it is hoped that General Averell will tell us more in his forthcoming book. The latter was wounded October 9, and in this chronic warfare brave Captain McLane fell at the head of I in an engagement at Cold Spring, near the southern base of Black Rock, October 13, 1860. Just before the charge he handed his flask to a comrade whom he had challenged and said, “Let’s take a drink; it may be our last together.”

While the companies were scattered at these remote stations and camps, weeks behind the news of current affairs, and one-third of our people had plunged into secession believing it right, another third declaring coercion wrong, and but the other third taking the stand that saved the Union, the impotency of the administration seemingly acquiescing in the claimed right of secession; some of the officers imbibed the epidemic political heresy of “State’s Rights,” and at no little sacrifice, cast their lots with the seceded States, breaking close, tender and cherished ties of comradeship, and severing their connection with a service they revered and had honored. This is no apology for disloyalty to this Union, but a statement of circumstances that historical fairness demands. The rank and file remained loyal to a man. Those who quit at this juncture were Loring, Crittenden, Lindsay, Walker, Claiborne, Maury, Baker, W. H. Jackson, “Joe” Wheeler, McNeill, Kerr, Henry and Watts. The last three had never joined for duty, and were of the regiment only on paper.

The companies of the regiment operating against the Mescalero Apaches were particularly active in the winter and spring of 1861, the headquarters of the regiment being in the field most of the time. McNally with detachments of B and F had a stubborn fight at Mesilla, July 25, 1861, with the new enemy in rebellion, sustaining considerable loss, McNally being seriously wounded. The abandonment of Fort Fillmore at midnight of the 26^th by Major Lynde, district and post commander, and his surrender at San Augustin Springs the next day, caught not only McNally but Gibbs, who had just met them escorting a train. So two officers and 88 men of B, F and I, were made paroled prisoners through treason, or the enervating mental effects of long blind obedience in intervals of peace, when officers are charged with responsibilities but entrusted with little discretionary authority. It was mutiny to disobey a traitor or an imbecile.

These paroled prisoners were all put in F and sent to Fort Wayne, Michigan, to serve until exchanged, but they soon dwindled down to nothing by discharge, desertion and death. Many, however, turned up in the ranks again. The changes made Simonson, colonel; Ruff, lieutenant colonel, and Roberts and Duncan, majors.

Notwithstanding two more “troops,” as they were now called, were given the regiment, the promotion and detail of officers so reduced their number for duty, and the lack of recruits the enlisted strength, that A, B and H had all their men transferred to other troops in August, and the regiment became only a battalion. Roberts was in command.

Late in September, Morris, with C, G and K, engaged and defeated a rebel force of Texans near Fort Thorn; E was way out near Fort Wise covering that country; I was drilling as a light battery, and carried off the honors at Val Verde, February 21, 1862, where McRae fell wirh many of his men,—C, D, G and K also participating. C and K had an engagement with Indians in Comanche Cañon, March A Lieutenant Wall among the wounded; and C and E engaged the rebels at Apache Cañon the 26^th, and Pigeon’s Ranch the 28^th, Major Duncan being wounded at Apache Cañon. G and K struck the retreating rebels again near Albuquerque, April 9^th, and again near Peralto the 15^th, D, E and I participating, Morris in command owing to Duncan’s wound.

From the causes mentioned the men of D and E were transferred, May 15, 1862, to the four remaining troops which were to constitute the regiment until the following March. A rebel force demanded the surrender of K, May 21, but got a fight and was driven off. “Jerry” Russell, acting second lieutenant, in command of a detachment of C, had a fight with Indians, June 18, in Cañon Ladrone.

In consequence of the retirement of Colonel Simonson, September 16, 1861, Marshall S. Howe was promoted colonel of the regiment under the new system, which, however, did not repeal the law which made promotion lineal in the regiment. But appeal and protest were alike in vain. He joined July 10, 1862, and in September the four troops were concentrated at Fort Union, and on the 30^th started for Jefferson Barracks, where they arrived November 23d after a march of 1280 miles.

In December, 1862, the four troops—C, G, I and K—were transferred to Memphis, Tenn., where they were joined by B and F, which had been filled at Columbus and had just joined after a raid up the Tennessee River. The regiment was first attached to the 16^th, and then to the 15^th Corps, and on October 8, 1863, left Memphis for Corinth, Miss., thence to Cherokee, Ala., near which C, F, G and I had an engagement October 21; G and K on the 24^th. Leaving Cherokee with Osterhaus’ Division, the regiment had three distinct engagements the same day, October 26, near Tuscumbia. November 13, it started for Chattanooga in advance of Sherman’s army, went to Dercherd and returned to Fayetteville, and then accompanied the column to Bridgeport, arriving the 15^th, thence to Chattanooga the 23d ; Missionary Ridge, 26^th, and Cleveland, the 30^th. It went on the expedition to Knoxville, via Athens, Louden and Marysville. Leaving Knoxville December 6, it pursued the enemy’s trains over the Smoky Mountains beyond Murphy, N. C., returning via Tallisco Plains, Charleston, Cleveland, Chattanooga and Bridgeport to Huntsville, Ala., December 29^th, where it remained on duty until March, 1864, when it proceeded by rail to St. Louis, Mo., arriving at Camp Davidson the 7^th, to leave May 20^th on steamers for Duvall’s Bluffs, where it arrived the 26^th, left June 4^th and reached Little Rock the 9^th.

Captain Howland commanded the regiment from the departure of Colonel Howe in May, 1863, until his return, July 20, 1865, all the field officers—Stoneman, Roberts, Duncan, Newby and Garrard, as well as the ranking captains being absent, most of them as general officers of volunteers.

The duty in Arkansas was principally to prevent the organization of commands and to suppress guerrilla bands, escort trains, et cetera. The large territory covered necessitated constant scouting in small detachments, which involved hard riding, much risk, but no engagements of magnitude to attract attention, while Sheridan was winning glory for his cavalry with probably no harder work.

The enemy would make no stand without having presumably a great advantage, and they were superior to the Indians and practised about the same tactics. Lieut. George Harrington was killed in action at Memphis, August 21, 1864. Captain Howland, with 150 men, was ambushed by a much superior force near Benton, September 4^th, and his command badly demoralized for a time, but rallied to find no enemy. Though eleven men were lost, this first reverse in the history of the regiment was treated with some levity, and the officers interested ever heard from their fellows of “the Benton Races.”

November 8, Lieutenant Wilson’s picket station was surprised with an attack from these prowlers and lost some men and horses. Tarlton and Campbell with forty dismounted men had an engagement until dark, January 14, 1865, with a force in position near Dardanelles, but at daybreak found it had vanished. Though the Rebellion was on its last legs, a party attacked Carroll’s patrol January 22d, not far from Little Rock. Such was their persistence and daring.

In January, 1866, A, D, E, H, L and M, were manned at Carlisle Barracks and sent to Little Rock, where they were, mounted and stationed at various posts in the State. While E was en route, near the mouth of the Arkansas, the 28^th, the boilers of the steamer Miami burst, killing 13, wounding nine, and probably drowning 12 who were missing.

In April, 1866, the regiment was ordered to New Mexico again. Its service in the States was probably the easiest it had ever experienced in the same period of time, though during the war it had no doubt marched many times the number of miles marched by any other regiment.

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