The
U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment ("
Warriors") is an
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regimentA regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel or, as in the case of the modern British Army where colonels more often serve as staff officers rather than field commanders, a Lieutenant Colonel...
in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the 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 uniformed services...
. It has served the United States for approximately two hundred years.
Origins
It has been alleged that the regiment traces its lineage to the original Fourth United States Infantry, which was organized as the Infantry of the Fourth Sub-Legion on 4 September 1792, only four years after the adoption of the
Federal ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
(the Constitution became the law of the land on 21 June 1788). The Infantry of the Fourth Sub-Legion fought at Miami Rapids in 1794. In 1796, it was redesignated the Fourth Regiment of the Infantry. The regiment existed for ten years, as a youthful country experimented to obtain a military force to its needs. Due to a reduction in the Army, the regiment was disbanded in 1802. However, according the US Army Center for Military History, this Fourth Infantry was a temporary unit with no lineal connection to either the original permanent 4th Infantry Regiment, or the modern 4th Infantry Regiment. See Linage first 4th US Infantry Below:
The Northwest Territory Indian Wars
Threatening war clouds caused the Regular Army to be reorganized in 1808 to meet the growing threat posed by the Indian nations which lived on the western boundaries of the United States. The first permanent Regular Army unit to bear the designation of 4th Infantry Regiment was Constituted on 12 April 1808 in the Regular Army, and Organized during May–June 1808 in
New EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Under the leadership of General William H. Harrison, the 4th Infantry was sent into the Northwest territories, which included
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents....
,
IndianaIndiana is a U.S. state, the 19
th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes Region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16
th in population and 17
th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38
th in land area, and is the...
, and
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
. Its mission was to eliminate the threat posed by a union of Indian tribes from the surrounding area. The hostile actions of these tribes were effectively stopping settlement of this vast area. General Harrison, who was later to become a
United States PresidentThe President of the United States 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.Article II of the U.S...
, led the 4th Infantry and a force of
militiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and volunteers against the Indians at
TippecanoeThe Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and forces of Tecumseh's growing American Indian confederation led by his younger brother Tenskwatawa...
. During this famous battle, the American forces completely routed the Indians, bringing peace to the area, but at a cost of 188 dead. The regiment then returned to Fort Vincennes, and in 1812, after a trying march through the forests of Ohio, joined forces with General
William HullWilliam Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
.
The War of 1812
Within months of the Battle of Tippecanoe, war was declared against Great Britain. This required the increased manning of the Regular Army.
The modern 4th Infantry Regiment was Constituted 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as the original 14th Infantry Regiment, and Organized in March 1812 in
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
,
MarylandMaryland is an American State located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. Maryland is comparable in overall area with the European country of...
,
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named.Delaware is located in...
, and
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to the east....
.
On 12 July, General Hull crossed with his command into Canada, and made camp at Sandwich (now
WindsorWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Windsor is across the Detroit River and...
), Canada, just on the Canadian border. The regiment remained inactive for the rest of the month and grew restless. Then the Fourth was given a mission of escorting some supplies into Camp Detroit; previous escorts having been surprised and routed. The Fourth Infantry undertook this duty enthusiastically, and although ambushed at Maguage, fourteen miles below Detroit, by a superior force of British, Canadians, and Indians, the American regulars captured the enemy's concealed breastworks, wounded Chief
TecumsehTecumseh , also known as Tecumtha or Tekamthi, was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy that opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
, and completely routed their opponents.
Before they could follow up on their success and complete the victory, the Fourth received orders from General Hull to return to Detroit. There, the Fourth found out that General Hull had surrendered his entire force to include the Fourth lead by Captain Cook to Lieutenant Bullock of the 41st Regiment on 16 August 1812 at
Fort DetroitFort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
,
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe word mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. For this General Hull was tried and found guilty of "Cowardness" and "Neglect of Duty". President Monroe, mitigating the court-martial sentence that General Hull be shot, ruled: "The rolls of the Army shall no longer be debased by having upon them the name of Brigadier General Hull". The Fourth Infantry's colors taken by the British (through no fault of the regiment) were kept in the
Tower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
until 1889, then the colors for many years hung in the Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea until 1961. They are currently in the
Welch Regiment Museum.
After remaining several months in Canada as prisoners of war, the officers and men were returned under parole to
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact. Boston city proper had a 2009 estimated...
and given furloughs until exchanged for British prisoners of war. Early in 1813 the exchange was effective and the regiment reassembled and recruited to strength. It fought at La Cole Hill, Canada and at
PlattsburghPlattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 18,816 at the 2000 census.The city of Plattsburgh is located entirely within the original boundaries of the town of Plattsburgh and is in the North Country region of the northeastern part of the...
in 1814, thus cleansing the bloodstain thrust upon it by General Hull.
Following the end of the War of 1812, and consistent with the reduction in force of the Regular Army, the original 4th Infantry Regiment was Consolidated on May–October 1815 with the 9th and 13th Infantry (both constituted 11 January 1812), the 21st Infantry (constituted 26 June 1812), the 40th Infantry (constituted 29 January 1813), and the 46th Infantry (constituted 30 March 1814) to form the
5th Infantry RegimentThe 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
. Thereafter separate lineage.
In the same time period the 14th Infantry Regiment was Consolidated May–October 1815 with the 18th Infantry Regiment and 20th Infantry Regiment (both constituted 11 January 1812) and the 36th Infantry Regiment and 38th Infantry Regiment (both constituted 29 January 1813) to form the modern 4th Infantry Regiment. On 21 August 1816 Unspecified 4th Infantry Regiment companies were redesignated as Companies A and B, 4th Infantry Regiment. These companies would later be instrumental in the reorganization of 4th Infantry Regiment from the original organizational model, which included a headquarters element and 13 lettered Companies with no Battalion organization, to one with the 13 lettered Companies divided between two Battalions. The original Companies A and B would become HHC 1st and HHC 2nd Battalion.
The Creek and Seminole Campaigns
For the next twenty years, the regiment fought almost constantly with the
CreekThe Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
Indians in Georgia, and the
SeminolesThe Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans, collectively known as Seminoles, and the United States. The First Seminole War was from 1817 to 1818, the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842, and the Third Seminole War...
in Florida under the command of General
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
, a future president. In constant and long hardships the regiment marched through swamps, building cantonments and raking roads to open what now is the state of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. A letter of Gen.
Lorenzo ThomasLorenzo Thomas was a career United States Army officer who was Adjutant General of the Army at the beginning of the American Civil War. After the war, he was appointed temporary Secretary of War by President Andrew Johnson, precipitating Johnson's impeachment.-Early life:Thomas was born in New...
stated: “Each company built its own double block of logs and a house of one story for the officers quarters. The troops also saved the boards for flooring, and rived the pine shingles for roofs. In truth, the troops did the entire work, the quartermaster department only furnishing the few tools to work with, such as nails and other hardware. Scarcely a nail was used to secure the shingles, they being hung on the rafters with wooden pegs. The spaces between the logs were chinked with moss and clay and afterward the whole was whitewashed. All completed with scarcely any expense to the government."
In December 1835,
OsceolaOsceola was an influential leader with the Seminole in Florida. Osceola led a small band of warriors in the Seminole resistance during the Second Seminole War when the United States tried to remove the Seminoles from their lands...
's Seminoles cut the line of communication and supply to one of the border stations, Fort King. One hundred artillerymen from
Fort BrookeFort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.-Fort Brooke as a military outpost:...
under Major Gardner were ordered to re-establish the contact. At the last moment, Major Gardner's bride of a few weeks fell ill. Captain and Brevet-Major
Francis L. DadeFrancis Langhorne Dade was a Major in the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, during the Second Seminole War. Dade was killed in a battle with Seminole Indians that came to be known as the "Dade Massacre"...
of the Fourth Infantry gallantly volunteered to take command for Major Gardner. Gallantly, because post gossip had it that it had been a fair wager as to whether the lady would become Mrs. Gardner or Mrs. Dade. Major Dade's offer was accepted and he joined the expedition with eleven men of B Company, Fourth Infantry. The march was begun on 20 December, on the 28th, after a cheerless Christmas on the trail and still forty miles short of Fort King; Major Dade ran his little column into a trap of the wily Indian, Osceola. The only survivors of the affair were three badly wounded privates who reported the command had fought stubbornly from eight in the morning until five at night when, their ammunition exhausted, they went down, outnumbered, under Seminole hatchets. Those who died or were wounded were: Francis L. Dade, Brevet Maj., Pvt. John Barnes, Pvt. Donald Campbell, Pvt. Marvin Cunningham, Pvt. John Doughty, Pvt. Cornel Donovan, Pvt. William Downes, Pvt. Enoch Yates, Pvt. Samuel Hall, Pvt. Wiley Jones, Pvt. John Massacre, suffering some casualties: Pvt. David Hill was killed at Fort Call on 21 Aug. 1836, Pvt. David Mclaughlin and Pvt. William Walker were killed at Thonotosassa on 26 Aug. 1836, Sgt. Levi Clendening was killed at Chrystal River on 9 Feb. 1837, Pvt. Othiel Lutz, Pvt. John Stewart, and Pvt. Bathol Shumard were killed at Okeechobee on 25 Dec. 1837, and Pvt. William Foster was killed at Big Cypress on 20 Dec. 1841.
By 1842, the Fourth Infantry had caught up with the Indians and Osceola was on his way to a cell at Moutrie in which he would remain until his death. Hostile tribes that lived in these areas fled west of the Mississippi. The death roll of one company for one year includes casualties from the elusive savages, Cholera, and five diagnosed types of fever. The same death roll has the entry "Intemperance" after two more soldier's names. In Orders No. 15, Western Army, 28 August 1832, General
Winfield ScottWinfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
states: "The senior surgeon recommends the use of flannel shirts, flannel drawers and woolen stockings, but the Commanding General, who has seen much of the disease [Cholera] knows that it is intemperance which generates and spreads the calamity and that, when spread, good and temperate men are likely to be infected. He therefore peremptorily commands that every soldier or ranger who shall be found drunk or sensibly intoxicated, after publication of this order, be compelled, as soon as his strength will permit, to dig a grave at a suitable burying place large enough for his own reception, as such a grave cannot fail soon to be wanted for the drunken man himself or for one of his drunken companions. This order is given as well to serve as a punishment for drunkenness as to spare good and temperate men the labor of digging graves for their worthless companions."
The Mexican-American War
In 1842, the regiment was ordered to
Jefferson BarracksThe Jefferson Barracks Military Post, located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, which is just south of St. Louis, Missouri, was an active U.S...
, Missouri, where after half a century of existence the regiment enjoyed for the first time the comforts of a regular post. The regiment trained at Jefferson barracks for two years when in 1844, it was ordered to the western border of Louisiana for the war with Mexico. Hostilities were precipitated by the murder of Colonel Cross and the slaughter of a lieutenant with a small detachment of 4th Infantry soldiers by Mexican Raiders. Although this happened in April, communications were slow and it was not until September that the command sailed to Corpus Christi, Texas, where with the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th Infantry regiments, one Artillery regiment acting as Infantry, seven companies of Dragoons, and four companies of light Artillery formed the Army of Observation under General
Zachary TaylorZachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass and becoming the first President never to have held any previous elected office...
. The pay was seven dollars a month and flogging was the usual means of punishment. General Grant, then a lieutenant in the 4th Infantry stated; " A more efficient army, for its members and armament, I do believe ever fought a battle than that one commanded by General Taylor in his first two fights in Mexico". The Army of Observation soon became the Army of Occupation. Certain it is that on the fields of Palo Alto, Resaca De La Palra, and at the desperate struggle of Monterey, where the regimental band of the Fourth found their role of spectators no longer supportable and, throwing away their instruments, they rushed a Mexican light battery, seized it, and swung it about upon their fleeing enemy. According to the official citation, the breast cord of honor given them and their successors was made red, the Artillery's color, to show that they were expert Artillerymen as Infantrymen. The 4th set a standard of courage seldom equaled and never surpassed; General Taylor was blessed with great leadership like Lieutenant
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under the command of Grant, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and Captain
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career United States Army officer, a combat engineer. He became the outstanding general of the Confederate army in the American Civil War and a postwar icon of the South's "lost cause."...
serving as a Company Commander of Engineers. These battles had a great influence in molding the leaders of the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States as well as several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America, also known as "the...
, which followed.
General Taylor having successfully invaded Northern Mexico moved the base of active operations to Vera Cruz on the east coast. In January 1847, the 4th Infantry was taken by sea to the port of Vera Cruz and after a siege, the city capitulated. General Scott commanding the Army at Vera Cruz ordered the advance on the capital, Mexico City, in April. On 17 April and 18th General Scott's forces moved through the mountain pass at Gerro Gordo, where General Santa Anna lost his wooden leg in a hasty retreat. The Mexican soldiers fought well and the pass was won only after desperate attacks. The passage of the Lava Fields, the battle of Cherubusco, the assault in Molino del Ray and the final storming of Chapultepec, the citadel of the regiment, reflected great credit upon the 4th Infantry.
Garrison Duty
At the finish of the war the 4th Infantry left from Vera Cruz, and reached Camp Jeff Davis,
Pascagoula, MississippiPascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
on 23 July 1848. The regiment was ordered to proceed by sea to New York and to take station at several different points on the lakes, between Mackinac and Platsburg. Ordinary garrison duties were performed until June 1852.
The regiment was consolidated at
Fort ColumbusFort Columbus the name of a fortification and an army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, in New York City, from around 1806 until 1904.-Origin of the name:...
, New York to board the SS
Ohio and travel to Aspinwall, on the Isthmus of
PanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of both Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the...
on 5 July 1852. Their mission was to travel across the Isthmus of Panama set up camp on the Pacific coast to protect early settlers of the Pacific Northwest. After a long journey on the overcrowded ship (1,100 officers, men and camp followers) the regiment safely reached Aspinwall on 16 July 1852. The rainy season was at its height on the Isthmus, and worse, Cholera was raging. Transportation was lacking for the trip across the Isthmus of Panama, the jungles, mountains, and rivers were difficult to cross; and Cholera decimated the organization as well as the families who accompanied the men. The total deaths from cholera, fever, and allied diseases from the time the regiment arrived on the Isthmus to a few weeks after the arrival at
BenicaThe Benicia Arsenal was a large military reservation located next to Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. For over 100 years, the arsenal was the primary US Army Ordnance facility for the West Coast of the United States....
on the west coast, amounted to one officer and 106 enlisted men. On arrival on the Pacific coast, the regiment was distributed among many small posts.
Vancouver BarracksFort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
,
Fort TownsendFort Townsend State Park, formerly Old Fort Townsend State Park, in Jefferson County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Parks. It consists of of wooded land with of saltwater shoreline on Port Townsend Bay. Available activities include hiking, boating, fishing,...
,
Fort HoskinsFort Hoskins was one of three "forts" built by the U.S. Army to monitor the Coastal Indian Reservation in Oregon in the mid 19th century. The Fort Hoskins Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- History :The post was begun in 1856 on the Luckiamute River under the supervision...
,
Fort HumboldtFort Humboldt State Historic Park, is a California State Park located in the southern portion of the city of Eureka, California, just off U.S. Route 101...
,
Fort DallesFort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans...
,
Fort SteilacoomFor the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington state...
,
Fort JonesFort Jones is a city in the Scott Valley area of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The 2000 census lists the city population as 600.-History:...
,
Fort BoiseFort Boise refers to two different locations in southwestern Idaho. The first was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post near the Snake River on the Oregon border, dating from the era when Idaho was part of the fur company's Columbia District. After several rebuilds, it was ultimately abandoned in...
, Fort Lane, Fort Reading,
Fort YamhillFort Yamhill was an American military fortification in what became the state of Oregon. Built in 1856 in the Oregon Territory, it remained an active post until 1866. The Army outpost was used to provide a presence next to the Grand Ronde Agency Coastal Reservation...
, Orford,
Fort Walla WallaFort Walla Walla is a fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. It was established in 1858. Today, the complex contains a park, a museum, and a hospital.Fort Walla Walla should be distinguished from Old Fort Walla Walla ....
, Crook,
Fort Ter-WerFort Ter-Wer, located in Klamath, California, was a United States military post that was established October 12, 1857 by First Lieutenant George Crook and the men of Company D to keep peace between the Tolowa Indians and whites. The fort was part of the Humboldt Military District headquartered at...
,
Fort CascadesFort Cascades was a United States Army fort constructed in 1855 to protect the portage road around the final section of the Cascades Rapids, known as the "lower cascades." It was built on the Washington side of the Columbia River, between the present site of North Bonneville and the Bonneville...
,
Fort SimcoeFort Simcoe was a United States Army fort erected in south-central Washington Territory to house troops sent to keep watch over local Indian tribes...
,
Fort GastonFort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation...
, Chehalis,
Fort YumaFort Yuma is the name of two historic forts in California and Arizona. Fort Yuma of California is located north across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona, Arizona's was directly across the river. Fort Yuma was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861. The fort was abandoned...
, and
Fort MohaveFort Mojave was originally named Camp Colorado when it was established on April 19, 1859 by Lt. Colonel William Hoffman during The Mojave Expedition of 1858-1859. It was located on the east bank of the Colorado River, at Beale's Crossing, near the head of the Mohave Valley in Mohave County by the...
were all garrisoned and many of them built by the 4th Infantry at some time between 1852 and 1861. While most of these posts are now forgotten, or remembered only through the cities which have sprung up around their sites, they played an important part in the protection of the Pacific Northwest.
Major
Granville O. HallerGranville Owen Haller was a noted Indian fighter and United States Army military officer, as well as a wealthy postbellum businessman in the Seattle, Washington, area...
of the 4th infantry led an expedition from Fort Dalles into central Washington, and Lieutenant William A. Slaughter of the 4th Infantry with forty-eight men from Fort Steilacoom crossed Natchez Pass to aid Major Haller when attempts to move the Indians of Puget Sound onto reservations caused trouble between them and some white settlers. Captain Maloney of the 4th Infantry, and Captain Gilmore Hayon of the Washington Volunteers had started for Yakima via Natchez Pass when they were overtaken on 29 October 1855 by the
NisquallyNisqually is a Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Nisqually Indian Reservation, at , comprises 20.602 km² of land area on both sides of the river, in western Pierce...
tribe under
Chief LeschiChief Leschi was chief of the Nisqually Native American tribe. He was hanged for murder in 1858, but exonerated in 2004.-Life:...
. Lt. Slaughter and his men plus Captain Hayes force met the hostile Indians at the crossing of the White River, and on 4 November 1855 fought without decisive results. The following day the troops met hostiles in the difficult country between the White and Green Rivers. The troops fell back into the valleys and on 24 November 1855, Lt. Slaughter commanding a platoon of the 4th Infantry and a Company of volunteers was attacked in his camp at Puyallup. The Lieutenant moved to the present site of Auburn and here again the Indians attacked. The gallant young officer and two corporals of the volunteer company were killed, four other men were injured, one later dying of his wounds. For years the town, which sprang up on this site, was known as Slaughter in honor of this officer of the 4th Infantry; it was later changed to Auburn.
During the
hostilitiesThe Puget Sound War was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington in 1855–56, between the United States Army, local militias and members of the Native American tribes of the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat...
great numbers of settlers had taken refuge at Fort Steilacoom, the woman and children being left there, while the men enrolled in the volunteers. Ezar Meeker, one of the settlers, pays the following tribute to First Lieutenant John Nugen of the Fourth Infantry, commanding Fort Steilacoom while Captain Maloney was in the field.
- "It would be a pleasure, could I but know he was alive, to even yet thank that kind and considerate gentleman, LT. Nugen, for his forbearance and energetic efforts to contribute to the safety and comfort of the panic-stricken citizens. By improvising temporary quarters for his force most of whom, however, were placed on guard duty, room was provided in the soldier's barracks for the woman and children, while the men were placed on guard with what few soldiers were left."
Hostile tribes attacked
SeattleThe Battle of Seattle was a January 26, 1856 attack by Native Americans upon Seattle, Washington. At the time, Seattle was a settlement in the Washington Territory that had recently named itself after Chief Seattle , a leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples of central Puget Sound...
on 26 January 1856, and two settlers were killed. Meanwhile the regular forces were augmented by additional companies of the 4th Infantry from Vancouver Barracks and by three companies of the
9th InfantryThe 9th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated active units in the United States Army.- Early organizations :...
. On 12 February 1856, they moved from Fort Steilacoom and were joined by Chief
PatkanimPatkanim was chief of the Snoqualmoo and Snohomish tribe in what is now modern Washington State....
with friendly Indians. This force advanced against the hostiles at Mucleshoot, losing one man and nine wounded, in a second battle on the White River overrunning the Indian encampment. Leshi retreated through Natches Pass and surrendered to Col.
WrightGeorge Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, the commanding officer of the 4th Infantry, who had been conducting a vigorous campaign against the Yakima Indians and their allies, while the action in the west was occurring. After the close of the Leschi War, the 4th Infantry included in its roster of officers such distinguished names as those of
Robert C. BuchananRobert Christie Buchanan was an American military officer who served in the Mexican War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
,
Christopher C. AugurChristopher Columbus Augur was an American military officer, most noted for his role in the American Civil War. Although less well known than other Union commanders, he was nonetheless considered an able battlefield commander.-Early life:Augur was born in Kendall, New York. He moved with his...
, Alden, William Wallace Smith Bliss,
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under the command of Grant, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
,
Philip SheridanPhilip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
,
Henry M. JudahHenry Moses Judah was a career officer in the United States Army, serving during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War...
,
DeLancey Floyd-JonesDeLancey 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:...
, R.N. Scott, Lewis Cass Hunt,
Granville O. HallerGranville Owen Haller was a noted Indian fighter and United States Army military officer, as well as a wealthy postbellum businessman in the Seattle, Washington, area...
, Henry C. Hodges, Waller,
David Allen RussellDavid Allen Russell was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. He was killed in action as a brigadier general in the Union Army.-Early life:...
, Henry Prince,
Benjamin AlvordBenjamin Alvord was an American soldier, mathematician, and botanist.-Early life and career:Alvord was born in Rutland, Vermont, where he developed an interest in nature. He attended the United States Military Academy and displayed a talent in mathematics. He graduated in 1833. He was assigned to...
,
August KautzAugust Valentine Kautz was a German-American soldier and Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War. He was the author of several army manuals on duties and customs eventually adopted by the U.S...
, Robert Macfeely and
George CrookGeorge Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
. After the regiment returned in 1861 to garrison at Washington D.C., those officers continued careers which covered their names with glory in the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States as well as several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America, also known as "the...
.
In 1859, General
William S. HarneyWilliam Selby Harney was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and the Indian Wars.-Early military career:...
ordered the occupation of
San Juan IslandSan Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km² and a population of 6,822 as of the 2000 census....
as part of the territory of the United States. Three companies of the Fourth Infantry and one of the Ninth, under the command of Captain
George PickettGeorge Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, did the occupying. The British commander, fortified by five men-of-war, 2,000 sailors and marines, disagreed with General Harney's Geography. One hundred sixty-seven British guns aboard the five ships were trained upon the Fourth infantry camp when, in the lull before the first gunner's match was lit, an officer of the Fourth was invited to an official party of courtesy aboard the flagship. During casual professional conversation around the punch bowl, the American made a remark concerning a battle in the war between the Austrians and Napoleon III's FrancoSardinians, which was then in progress. The British Admiral heard it.
- "I presume," he asked, "that you refer to the battle of Magenta, Major?"
- "No, sir. I spoke of the second engagement of the campaign, some weeks after Magenta."
- "Hm-m, and how have such late advices reached you?"
- "By courier from our Department of State, sir."
It was September 1859; Magenta had been fought 4 June. To the British, the conclusion was obvious and upsetting. Evidently, news which reached the Americans from Washington was considerably fresher than that which England could furnish her Pacific Fleet. With the memory of Pakenham's bloody losses at New Orleans (in a battle fought after the war was ended) fresh in their minds, the British decided to wait. As it happened, the English commander was really the best informed man on the scene, as was proved by the subsequent arrival of General
Winfield ScottWinfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
with orders which vetoed General Harney's decision. The San Juan troops were quietly withdrawn, without bloodshed. If the Fourth Infantryman had felt that he needed any further poetic justification, it was given him by news which finally came from Italy that there
had been another battle after Magenta.
This incident in Puget Sound was named the
Pig War
.
Civil War
In 1861 with the
secessionSecession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of a number of Southern states to form the new
Confederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was an unrecognized state set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, the 4th U.S. Infantry moved from its dispersed posts in the
Department of the PacificThe Department of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:The Department of the Pacific was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to...
to
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California is the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Though there is no official definition for the northern boundary of Southern California, most definitions in use include all the land south of the Tehachapi Mountains, located about north of Los Angeles...
to suppress any secessionist uprising. Charged with the supervision of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Santa Barbara Counties, on 14 August 1861, Major
William Scott KetchumWilliam 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...
made a rapid march on 26 August and encamped near
San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. One of the major cities of the Inland Empire region, it is the 18th largest city in California, and the 99th largest city in the United States, with a population of 207,832 as of 2009.The...
with Companies D and G of 4th Infantry Regiment, later reinforced at the beginning of September by a detachment of ninety First U.S. Dragoons and a howitzer. Except for frequent sniping at his camp, this move stifled a secessionist uprising and prevented secessonist political demonstrations during the September California gubernatorial elections in San Bernardino County.
In late October, 1861 the Regiment was relieved by California Volunteer units and marched to
San PedroSan Pedro is a port neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area. The neighborhood has grown from being dominated by the fishing industry to become primarily a working class town within the City of Los Angeles...
harbor where they waited for the balance of the regiment to gathere before being transported to Washington D.C. to become part of the garrison in defense of the capital. The regiment was organized with other
Regular ArmyIn contemporary use, the term Regular Army refers to the full-time active component of the United States Army, as opposed to the Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. -Civil War:...
units in the Volunteer Army as the First Brigade of
George SykesGeorge Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
's "Regular Division" of the
V CorpsThe V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
. The regiment's first Civil War engagement was in April and May 1862 during the
Siege of YorktownThe 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...
. By quick action at the Battle of Gaines Mill in June 1862, the Regulars saved Wood's and Tidball's
artilleryArtillery are engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons. They comprise specialised devices which use some form of stored energy to operate, whether mechanical, chemical, or electromagnetic...
batteries from capture by
ConfederateThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865. It was established in two phases with provisional and permanent organizations, which existed concurrently....
infantry.
It participated as a part of the
Army of the PotomacThe 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 only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
in the
Second Battle of Bull RunThe Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederacy, the Battle of 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...
and then the subsequent
Maryland CampaignThe 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...
. At the
Battle of AntietamThe 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...
, the U.S. Regulars held the Middle Bridge over
Antietam CreekAntietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south centralPennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States, a region known as Hagerstown Valley. The creek became famous as a focal point of the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War...
, guarding the vital passage. They advanced towards the Confederate-held town of
Sharpsburg, MarylandSharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
, late in the afternoon of 17 September 1862, before being recalled to their lines.
After seeing limited action at the
Battle of FredericksburgThe 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. It is remembered as one of the most...
in December 1862, the regiment went into winter camp and saw no further combat for months. It formed part of
Joseph HookerJoseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
's rear guard at
ChancellorsvilleThe Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville and the area from there to the east at Fredericksburg. The battle pitted Union Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's Army...
. Throughout the
Gettysburg CampaignThe 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...
, the regiment served in the Regular Division under its newly promoted commander,
Romeyn B. AyresRomeyn Beck Ayres was a Union Army general in the American Civil War.-Early life:Ayres was born at East Creek, New York, along the Mohawk River in Montgomery County. He was the son of a small-town doctor who urged all of his sons into professional careers...
. During the
Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, it was part of the fighting on the Second Day, helping push back Confederate infantry near
Devil's DenDevil's Den is the nickname for a terrain feature south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that was the site of fierce fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.- Description :...
and the Wheatfield.
Heavily depleted by battle casualties, the much reduced regiment nevertheless continued to participate in the major campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, by 1864 under the command of
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under the command of Grant, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
during the
Overland CampaignThe 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...
. The remaining men participated in the battles of
WildernessThe 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...
,
Spotsylvania Court HouseThe 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...
,
Cold HarborThe Battle of Cold Harbor, one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles. Thousands of Union soldiers were killed or wounded in a hopeless frontal...
, and the
Siege of PetersburgThe 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...
. By the time the regiment manned the breastworks around Petersburg, a lieutenant, George Randall, was in command as the senior officer still present for duty.
On 22 June 1864, with less than 150 men left, the 4th Infantry reported to
City Point, VirginiaCity Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
, to become Gen.
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under the command of Grant, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
’s headquarters guard. The greatly reduced regiment was present at Appomattox Courthouse for
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career United States Army officer, a combat engineer. He became the outstanding general of the Confederate army in the American Civil War and a postwar icon of the South's "lost cause."...
's surrender. Grant, then commanding the armies of the Union, never forgot the 4th Infantry, with which he had served as a lieutenant in Mexico and on the frontier. As recognition of its valor during the Civil War, he designated it as the guard unit during the formal surrender ceremony.
Survivors of the 4th U.S. Infantry marched in the Grand Review of troops in Washington D.C. immediately following the war.
Post Civil War
After Appomattox, the regiment returned to the West, now to Fort Laramie. On 31 March 1869 the regiment was Consolidated with the original 30th Infantry Regiment, and the resulting consolidation retained the 4th Infantry designation. It is of special note that Companies A and B of each organization was carefully blended together to retain their original status. One casualty is noted as Pvt. Johnathan Schewen who died from an Indian Attack on 9 December 1869 at Horse River, Wyoming. where the 4th fought with General Crook's Big Horn Expedition.
In 1871, Parts of the Fourth went to Louisville to be split into small detachments and chivvy moonshiners about the Kentucky hills for a year, while other parts stayed to fight Indians. Sgt. Patrick Sullivan of the 4th was ambushed and murdered by outlaws on 4 March 1876 at
Fort FettermanFort Fetterman was a wooden fort constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in the Dakota Territory approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. It was located high on the bluffs on the south side of the North Platte River...
, WY. And Maj.
Thomas T. Thornburgh was killed in an Indian attack on Sept. 29, 1879 at Milk River, Colorado-during the Meeker Massacre {Thornburgh and 12 others killed and 43 wounded. See
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/soldier/sitec3.htm}.
The 4th served under Crook in the
Battle of the RosebudThe Battle of the Rosebud occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Native Americans during the Black Hills War...
, where Crook ordered the infantry to advance to the bluffs on foot in support of his Indian allies. The men of Co. D, 4th Infantry, led by Capt. Avery B. Cain, were the first to reach the crest of the ridge north of the Rosebud, where they opened fire. Co's C, G and H, 9th Infantry, and Co. F, 4th Infantry, supported the charge. The success of the infantry was critical to the outcome of the battle. Their enhanced firepower kept the Indians at bay, while cavalrymen made their horses ready. In moving forward, the foot soldiers found a Crow warrior leaning against a tree, where he urged on his companions, yelling like a madman. This was Bull Snake, whose thighbone had been shattered when he exposed himself on a bravery run. Also wounded here was Fox-Just-Coming-Over-Hill, renamed Old Coyote, shot through the shoulder.
In 1892–1893, under Colonel
Robert HallRobert Hall may refer to:* Robert Hall , English Baptist minister* Robert Hall , English politician, Member of Parliament for Leeds* Robert Hall , American aircraft designer and test pilot...
, the Fourth escorted
Coxey's ArmyCoxey's Army was a protest march by unemployed workers from the United States, led by the populist Jacob Coxey. They marched on Washington D.C. in 1894, the second year of a four-year economic depression that was the worst in United States history to that time. Officially named the Commonweal in...
through Washington and Idaho guarding the
Northern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1871 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
from disorder arising from the march of Coxey's Army.
Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War Years
In 1898, the Fourth went east and embarked from Tampa to
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city....
on the steamer "Concho". Landing at
DaiquiriDaiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice, and sugar or other sweetener. There are several versions, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba....
, the regiment participated in the battle of
El CaneyEl Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianize Mexico. The settlement was host to the Battle of El Caney on July 1,...
and the occupation of
SantiagoSantiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
. Fever decimated the command and the campaign ended.
The Fourth returned to New York in August 1898. Quickly recruited at Fort Sheridan, the regiment sailed in January 1899 for
ManilaManila , officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 16 cities that make up the metropolitan area of Manila. It is ranked as one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world with a population of around 20 million people.. It is located on the eastern...
via the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa. The northern terminus is Port Said and the southern terminus is Port...
.
The Fourth Infantry, or units of it, participated in fights of La Loma church, Wariquima, Dismarinias,
Imus-Places:* Imus, Cavite, a Philippine municipality*Imus Ranch, an American cattle ranch and children's charity-People:* Don Imus, an American television and radio host* Fred Imus, an American radio host and the younger brother of radio talk show host Don Imus...
, Puento Julien, and elsewhere in the Philippines, finally capturing LT. General Trias, second in command to Aquinaldo. On 20 November 1899, Private
John C. WetherbyJohn C. Wetherby was an Private in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Philippine-American War.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, Co. L, 4th Infantry, was near Imus, Luzon, Philippine Islands when he was wounded carrying important orders on the battlefield, unable to walk, he crawled at a great distance in order to deliver his orders. Private Wetherby, received the Medal of Honor for his actions.
On 2 July 1901, 2Lt
Allen J. GreerAllen James Greer was a Second Lieutenant, in the United States Army, 4th U. S. Infantry when he received the Medal of Honor for actions near Majada, Laguna Province, Philippine Islands, July 2, 1901...
of the 4th Infantry was near Majada, Laguna Province, Philippine Islands when he charged alone an insurgent outpost with his pistol, killing 1, wounding 2, and capturing 3 insurgents with their rifles and equipment. For his actions, 2Lt. Greer received the Medal of Honor.
On 23 November 1901, 1LT.
Louis J. Van SchaickLouis Joseph Van Schaick was an First Lieutenant in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Philippine-American War. Pronounced "Van Scoy", he went on to fight with Pershing in the pursuit of Pancho Villa, and was part of the 1st expeditionary force sent to...
, was pursuing a band of insurgents, near Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippine Islands, and was the first to emerge from a canyon, and seeing a column of insurgents and fearing they might turn and dispatch his men as they emerged one by one from the canyon, galloped forward and closed with the insurgents, thereby throwing them into confusion until the arrival of others of the detachment. 1Lt. Van Schaick received the Medal of Honor for his actions.
In 1902, the regiment returned to San Francisco, having circled the globe.
The regiment returned to the Philippines for another tour from 1903 till 1906.
In October 1906 the Regiment moved to
WyomingWyoming is a state in the Western United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West, while the easternmost section of the state includes part of a high elevation prairie region known as the High Plains. While the tenth largest...
in time to stop the
UteThe Ute are an ethnically related group of American Indians now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico...
uprising, its last campaign against hostile Indians.
In 1908, the regiment was ordered to the Philippines for a third time, remaining until 1910.
Trouble with Mexico caused the regiment to be stationed on the
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name, meaning "friends" or "allies" in Caddo, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas...
border in 1913; and in 1914 it took part in the occupation of
VeracruzThe city of Veracruz is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most populous city...
. Pvt. Herman C. Moore, 4th Infantry Regiment was killed during this conflict in October 1915. The regiment camped on the same grounds as it had in the U.S.-Mexican War of 1847, sixty-seven years before.
World War I
In 1917, the United States entered World War I. On 1 October 1917, the Fourth was assigned to 3d Division. Stationed at
Fort BrownFort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
, Texas, the regiment recruited and trained up to strength and on the first anniversary of our entry into the war, left for France. The Fourth Infantry disembarked at
BrestBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France.Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, Brest is an important seaport and naval base. The 1999 census recorded 303,484 inhabitants of the Brest metropolitan area, while the...
, France in 1918 and participated in the defensive actions of
AisneAisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
,
Château-ThierryChâteau-Thierry is a commune in northern France about east-northeast of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Aisne department in Picardy.-History:...
,
Second Battle of the MarneThe Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during World War I...
, and in the
Third Battle of the AisneThe Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne offensives. The entire regiment was decorated with the French
Croix de GuerreThe croix de guerre is a military decoration of both France and Belgium, where it is also known as the Oorlogskruis . It was first created in 1915 in both countries and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins...
, having lost eighty percent of its men, under constant and grueling fire during thirty days on the line; the regiment was relieved by the 60th Infantry. On 7 October 1918 near Cunel, France, PFC
John L. BarkleyJohn L. Barkley was a United States Army Medal of Honor recipient of World War I. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Barkley served as a Private First Class in Company K, 4th Infantry, 3rd Division. He earned the medal while fighting near Cunel, France, on October 7, 1918...
, Co. K, 4th Infantry was stationed in an observation post half a kilometer from the German line, on his own initiative repaired a captured enemy machinegun and mounted it in a disabled French tank near his post. Shortly afterward, when the enemy launched a counterattack against our forces, PFC Barkley got into the tank, waited under the hostile barrage until the enemy line was abreast of him and then opened fire, completely breaking up the counterattack and killing and wounding a large number of the enemy. Five minutes later an enemy 77-millimeter gun opened fire on the tank pointblank. One shell struck the drive wheel of the tank, but this soldier nevertheless remained in the tank and after the barrage ceased broke up a second enemy counterattack, thereby enabling American forces to gain and hold Hill 25. PFC Barkley received the Medal of Honor for his actions.
After a rest which the organization received six hundred replacements, it was marched to a position in the Forest De Passe, and on 9 November 1918, received orders to be on a moments notice. The men knew they were to take part in the final drive to encircle Metz, in the event the Germans did not accept terms of the proposed armistice. Preparations were being made for the departure on the morning of 11 November, when the end of the war was heralded by the French villagers; shouts of " Viva la Américains"-"Viva les Allies"-"Fini la Cuerre" were heard following the German surrender. The Fourth Infantry served as part of the Army of Occupation in France, until 1919.
After returning to the United States, the Fourth Infantry was stationed at Camp Pike, Arkansas, and then moved to
Camp Lewis* Joint Base Lewis-McChord* Camp Lewis, part of the Northern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America...
, Washington, the site of which was part of the tribal grounds of Chief Leschi, the regiment’s enemy in 1855–56. In June 1922, the regimental headquarters, headquarters and service companies and second Battalion of the regiment were sent to
Fort George WrightFort George Wright is a land area located in Spokane, Washington. It is named after General George Wright, who had been stationed in the area....
, Washington, while the other two Battalions occupied
Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
, Montana and
Fort LawtonFort Lawton is a United States Army fort located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The fort was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.-History:...
, Washington. On 19 February 1925 the unit was permitted to wear the red-green-red Distinctive Unit Insignia.
Alaska Defense
In 1927, the Third Battalion at
Fort LawtonFort Lawton is a United States Army fort located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The fort was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.-History:...
moved to
Fort LincolnFort Lincoln may refer to:*Fort Abraham Lincoln, an old military post near Mandan, North Dakota now operated as a state park*Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, former military post and detention center near Bismarck*Fort Lincoln, Washington, D.C., neighborhood...
, Maryland. After maneuvers in California in 1940, the 3rd Battalion was redesigned as part of the 15th Infantry. Cadre made up a new 3rd Battalion from the remainder of the regiment and the transfer of two companies of the 32nd Infantry at Chilkoot barracks, Alaska. The 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry pioneered military development of the Strategic Alaskan territory. The rest of the regiment arrived shortly after and started clearing ground for what is now Fort Richardson. It was the first organization of such size to arrive in Alaska. The Fourth formed the nucleus for the
Alaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
, to deter a Japanese invasion of Alaska. The Japanese began to build-up forces on the southern-most Alaskan Islands and the Fourth's major battle of the war was the battle of Attu, a Japanese held Island. On 8 May 1943 soldiers of the Fourth climbed over the sides of their transport ships to land on
Massacre BayMassacre Bay is an inlet on the southeast coast of the island of Attu in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.Massacre Bay was among the landing sites of United States Army troops in the Battle of Attu in May 1943, which led to the recapture of the island from the Japanese during World War II....
. Major John D. O'Reilly of Seattle, Commander of the Battalion, who was later to receive a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant Colonel for outstanding leadership, reported to Major General Landrem. Carrying extra rations and ammunition, the troops were marched directly to a battle sector, and they engaged the enemy less than 24 hours after they landed. On
Attu IslandAttu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle on United States soil , and its battlefield area is a U.S...
, the First Battalion fought the Japanese at altitudes of 2000 feet on snow-covered mountains. Moving north along the high west ridge of Chichagof Valley on May 2l, 1943 the battalion came up against strong enemy opposition from machine gun and sniper positions. Later that day, the battalion moved along the ridge to a point where visual contact was established with other American forces that had proceeded inland from the Holtz Bay area, on the opposite side of the Island.
After five straight days of strong enemy opposition, the First Battalion was pulled to the rear for rest and to prep for their next mission. After a day's rest, the First Battalion was given the task of clearing entrenched Japanese defenders from the high peaks of Fish Hook Ridge. Covered only by mortar and machine gun fire, troops of Company A scaled steep cliffs while facing heavy enemy fire. Observers watching the action from a distance were fascinated by the spectacle. Small groups of soldiers were clearly visible as they slowly inched their way up to the enemy held peaks. One observer later said that the scene resembled a Hollywood adventure movie rather than the reality it was. Many were wounded or killed, but the battalion on 27 May 1943 finally took a portion of a high rock on the northeast end of the ridge, giving them a commanding position overlooking the main ridge running east toward the Chichagof Valley.
The fighting continued into the night and by 1900 hours on the next day, the 4th Infantry's battle weary troops had accomplished their mission. The Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to Company A for its heroism during the attack on the peaks. The next day, the American invasion force engaged and defeated 1,000 Japanese in a suicide counter-attack near
Sarana ValleySarana Valley is a valley in the mountains of northeastern Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.Together with Sarana Pass, Sarana Valley leads from Sarana Bay on the east coast of the island northward to Chichagof Harbor on the island's northeast coast.-References:*Merriam-Webster's...
. The fourth was given the task of combing the area of Chichagof Valley by active patrolling, hunting out and capturing or killing Japanese stragglers. This was the last engagement with the Japanese for the regiment. The Japanese had been driven from Alaska's Aleutian Islands, and the Fourth Infantry had added another battle streamer to the 29 already on its colors (no other unit in the Army could boast so many). But it had paid a high price, approximately five officers and sixty enlisted men died.
2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry participated in one of the first big troop movements by air, probably the largest up to that time. Early on the morning of 19 June 1942 the battalion was ordered to move to
Nome, AlaskaNome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to a 2008 State of Alaska certification, the city population was 3,570. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901,...
near the edge of the Arctic Circle, where unidentified planes were flying threatening an invasion. Only a small number of army transport planes were available. The situation was critical and orders required that the vanguard of the force, 20 anti-aircraft guns and their crews, be in Nome within 24 hours. All civilian air traffic in Alaska was stopped that day and every suitable airplane in the vicinity was requisitioned for the movement. The fleet of planes included Stinsons, Bellancas, and two old Ford Tri-motors. By midnight of the same day, after 39 individual trips, the anti-aircraft units had been moved to Nome and the big shuttle movement was under way. Despite weather that kept the planes on the ground part of the time, the entire force, along with all its equipment, with the exception of big field guns and similar heavy equipment, was transported to Nome in a period of 18 days. The movement would have been completed in a week had it not been for the unfavorable weather conditions. Cargo-carrying commercial planes coming in from China were used to supplement the air armada. The midnight sun, providing almost full 24 hours of daylight, made it possible for some of the planes to make two trips in a single day. Ammunition, rations, tents, even 37 millimeter guns and field kitchens, everything necessary to make the force self-sufficient were moved by air without one accident. Heavy weapons were brought up later by boat. The troops stepped out of the planes in Nome, equipped and ready to fight. The total flights came to 218. The troops maneuvered in weather from 20 to 35 degrees below zero. They found that none of the elaborate footgear provided by the army protected their feet as well as the native Mukluk, made by the Eskimos from deer and the hide of sealskins. The 2nd Battalion remained in Nome for a year, later moving to the Aleutians. First to Dutch Harbor then to Adak, where they became acquainted with other types of disagreeable weather.
The 3rd Battalion, which included two companies that were stationed at Chikoot Barracks for many years before the war, helped to establish two big bases,
Fort RichardsonFort Richardson is a United States Army installation in the U.S. state of Alaska, adjacent to the city of Anchorage.- History :Fort Richardson was named for the military pioneer explorer, Brig. Gen. Wilds P. Richardson, who served three tours of duty in the rugged Alaska territory between 1897 and...
and
Ladd FieldLadd Army Airfield is the military airfield located at Fort Jonathan Wainwright, located in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was originally called Ladd Field, in honor of Major Arthur K. Ladd, a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps who died in a South Carolina plane crash in 1935.-Origins:The U.S...
.
On 2 December 1943, the 4th returned to the United States, and after consolidating the regiment at
Fort LewisJoint Base Lewis-McChord, ', formerly Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, is a joint United States military installation in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The post is named after Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Army Air Corps Colonel William Caldwell McChord. The...
, Washington, it moved on 23 January 1944 to
Fort BenningFort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, where it was assigned to the
United States Army Replacement and School CommandThe United States Army Infantry School is at 602-0238 in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
. On 1 November 1945, the 4th Infantry was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. The incumbent personnel and equipment were reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division, which was at
Camp ButnerCamp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
, North Carolina, while the Regimental records and accoutrements were forwarded to Japan to establish a unit for Occupation Duty. This iteration of the 4th Infantry Regiment was inactivated on 31 January 1947, at
Osakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshū, the designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the heart of Greater Osaka Area...
, Japan. The Records and Accoutrements were returned to the United States and the 4th Infantry Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 25th Division on 1 February 1947.
NATO Mission
The 4th was again activated on 1 October 1948 at Fort Lewis, Washington as the 4th Regimental Combat Team. It served in this assignment for six years with,the first battalion being sent to Ft. Richardson Alaska and participating in Operation Sweetbrier in an exercise to see if Alaska could be defended if an attack from Russia came from over the pole. and then was assigned as an organic element of the 71st Infantry Division on 10 October 1954. On 15 September 1956, the 4th Infantry was assigned to the 4th Regimental Combat Team for the second time in this capacity it served for nearly a year. On 1 July 1957, Company B was relieved from assignment to the 4th Regimental Combat Team, reorganized and redesigned Headquarters Company, 2nd Battle Group, 4th Infantry, and was assigned as an organic element of the 3d Infantry Division with duty station at Fort Benning, Georgia. The remaining companies and a mortar battery to comprise the 2d Battle Group, 4th Infantry were organized for the 1St and 2d Battalions, 15th Infantry Regiment which was already stationed at Fort Benning. This reorganization was in consonance with Department of the Army policy, which adopted the ROCID concept, which adopted the smaller more mobile Battle Group in lieu of the old Tri-concept of the Infantry Regiment.
On 22 July 1957, Colonel Seymore B. Satterwhite assumed command of the 2nd Battle Group, 4th Infantry and by 20 July all personnel of the Battle Group were thoroughly oriented on the ROCID concept. By 15 September 1957 the Battle Group had completed its organization under ROCID TO&E 7-11T, 1956, thus cadre training commenced in preparation for receiving 1,189 new soldiers straight from civilian life that would bring the unit to TO&E combat strength. The 2d Battle Group, 4th Infantry received the first 26 men authorized on 12 November 1957. The remainder of the men arrived shortly after, and all of the men completed their Basic Training in time to go on leave for Christmas. When they returned in January, Training was resumed; and training of all phases was completed by 3 April 1958. On 15 February 1958, it officially was reorganized and redesignated Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battle Group, 4th Infantry and assigned to the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. The 1st Battle Group was assigned to the 2d Infantry Brigade.
Embarkation leaves were held during April, and on 13 May 1958, the 4th Infantry boarded the USNS
Rose for
BremerhavenBremerhaven is the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a federal state of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
, Germany. The 2d Battle Group, 4th Infantry arrived in Bremerhaven on 22 May 1958 and reached its post in Bamberg on 24 May 1958. On the day of arrival a change of command ceremony took place whereby the town of Bamberg welcomed the 4th Infantry and said “Aufwiedersehen" to the departing Battle Group, simultaneously the 4th Infantry accepted the vital mission as part of the NATO shield, to stand ready to defend the free people of Europe against any and all aggression.
On 2 April 1962, the 1st Battle Group was inactivated at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. On 18 April 1963 the 2nd Battle Group was relieved from assignment to the 3d Infantry Division and the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry was redesignated and assigned to the 3d Infantry Division. On 3 June 1963, the 2nd Battle Group was inactivated in Germany and on 5 June 1963 the 1st of the 4th Infantry was activated. The 2nd Battle Group would later be activated (21 July 1969) as the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 3rd Battle Group would become the 3rd Battalion, 4th Infantry and be inactivated at Fairfield, Illinois on 31 December 1965.
In 1965, The First battalion of the Fourth Infantry joined the Third Brigade of the Third Infantry Division in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Taking part in the many REFORGER training exercises in Germany. The Battalion was named "WARRIOR" Battalion in 1966 to commemorate the long service by the regiment between fighting wars and later protecting Indians in Florida, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Plains.
The 2nd Bn 4th Inf was reactivated on 21 July 1969. On 18 September 1970, the 56th Field Artillery Brigade, headquartered in Schwabish Gemund, Federal Republic of Germany, assumed command and control of three
Pershing missilePershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the PGM-11 Redstone missile as the United States Army's primary theater-level weapon. The Pershing systems lasted over 30 years from the first test version in 1960...
firing battalions. The newly arrived 2nd Bn 4th Inf provided the infantry defensive support for the missile units required. The men of the 2nd Battalion 4th infantry during numerous exercises were required to defend the missile battalions from intruding protesters, from the Nationalist Green Party and other Soviet backed elements. These confrontation often led to a good deal of stress for the infantry companies.
The 2nd battalion 4th Infantry's primary mission and full-time job was to provide for the security of the Pershing nuclear missile and missile storage sites—Muetlangen Missile Storage Site (Company A) and Von Steuben (Company B) and Red Leg (Company C) Combat Alert Sites (CAS). It also pursued a rigorous infantry training schedule. Company A (Apaches) was stationed in Kornwestheim (near Stuttgart); HHC (Hurons) and Company B (Blackfeet) were stationed at Nelson Kaserne in Neu Ulm; and, Company C (Cherokees) was stationed at Wharton Barracks in Heilbronn.
The 2nd Battalion 4th Infantry participated in major exercises each winter at training areas such as Baumholder, Hohenfels
Hohenfels, Wildflecken, and Graffenwoehr. This helped to prepare the 2/4th infantry soldiers for the possibility of encounters with Warsaw Pact military forces in the event of an assault on the missile sites themselves. This was considered a very real possibility during the years of the Cold War. In addition each of the line companies rotated each year to Doughboy City, Berlin to train in Military Operations in an Urban Terrain (MOUT).
On 18 August 1971, soldiers from the Heavy Mortar Platoon from battalion headquarters were being transported from Ludwigsburg to Grafenwoehr for live fire training exercises aboard a CH-47A helicopter, airframe 66-19023. Fatigue failure of the rear rotor blade led to its failure; a rotor separated and caused structural damage. The helicopter crashed and exploded, killing all 38 on board, including four members of 4th Aviation Company.
The fall of the Berlin Wall, the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and the demise of the Soviet Union signaled the end of the Cold War Era and resulted in the eventual deactivation of the 2nd Battalion 4th Infantry. In May 1991, the
56th Field Artillery CommandThe 56th Field Artillery Command was a brigade size element of the United States Army. The unit was constituted in 1942 with the last period of active service being 1970 through 1991. It was the only unit to field the nuclear Pershing missile system. This unique mission required an almost "Super...
and all its subordinate units were deactivated. In the summer of 1990, C Company 2/4 Infantry moved on from its Pershing II mission and provided security for
Operation Steel BoxOperation Steel Box, also known as Operation Golden Python, was a 1990 joint U.S.-West German operation which moved 100,000 U.S. chemical weapons from Germany to Johnston Atoll.-Background:...
/Golden Python (chemical weapons retrograde from Germany) at Meisau Army Depot. The unit deployed to secure the temporary storage area at the Meisau rail head, guarding over 100,000 toxic chemical artillery projectiles in steel shipping containers (hence "Steel Box"). C Company received the Army Superior Unit Award for flawless execution of this security mission. In November 1990, C Company was the first of the 2nd Battlaion units to move to the CMTC – Hohenfels, Germany to reactivate as C Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry and assume role as OPFOR.
The 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry was inactive until 2004 when it was reactivated at Fort Polk, Louisiana as part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. The 2nd Battalion 4th Infantry deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006.
In May 1983, the First Battalion of the Fourth Infantry began to reorganize to the Division 86 concept in the Army of Excellence program by President Ronald Reagan, with the expectation of stopping a Soviet invasion of West Germany at the “Hofsburg Throat”. This caused the Battalion to expand to four rifle companies, an anti-armor company and a very large Headquarters and Headquarters company.
In May 1984, the First Battalion of the Fourth Infantry began to transition to the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The transition was completed in August 1984. In the late 1980s the Government again began to reduce the armed forces and the First battalion, Fourth Infantry was listed for inactivation, which took place on 16 December 1987 and relieved from assignment to the 3d Infantry Division.
OPFOR Role
On 16 November 1990, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry was assigned as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the Combat Maneuver Training Center (CMTC),
Hohenfels, Germany. The battalion consists of three rifle companies, a tank company, a Combat Support Company, and a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. The CSC was later disband and the platoons reassigned to the HHC. In order to support the USAERUR commander’s training strategy the battalion portrays a Brigade Tactical Group and/or an insurgency that challenges all the battlefield operating systems (BOS) of rotational units in force on force situations.
OPFOR missions include: conduct an attack, conduct a defense, and conduct insurgent operations. OPFOR capabilities include: organic anti-tank fires, area and zone reconnaissance, employment of combat security outposts, air-mobile operations, deliberate and hasty breaches, insurgent cell replication, complex ambushes, and IED attacks.
The battalion has trained units deploying to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraqi, and Afghanistan during High Intensity Conflict Rotations, and Mission Readiness Exercises. Additionally, the battalion has deployed forces to other countries to take part in training exercises to include the training of security forces for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In addition to its OPFOR mission the battalion has the same training requirements as other infantry battalions in the Army. The battalion executes squad external evaluations, tank gunnery, AT gunnery, MOUT training, marksmanship training, and live fire exercises.
In August 2004 the battalion deployed Company A to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Team Apache served with distinction as the only US force in the International Security Assistance Force from August to December 2004. Team Apache was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for its outstanding performance of duty.
The MUC citation reads: During the period of 31 August to 12 December 2004, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry distinguished themselves while in support of the International Security Assistance Force operations led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Afghanistan. They provided superb support to coalition forces supporting a safe and successful Afghanistan National Presidential Election. Throughout the operation the company performed as a lethal, responsive, and relevant combat force directly responsible for supporting security and stabilization forces in theater. Their ability to respond to crisis was superb. Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry’s efforts reflect great credit upon themselves, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the United States Army.
In August 2005 the battalion deployed Company D to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Team Dragon was used as a Force Protection Company for the newly formed Afghanistan elections. Team Dragon was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation for its outstanding performance of duty. After a successful mission most of Team Dragon returned November 2006.
During 2006, the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry formed the core of a task force that deployed to Zabol Province in eastern Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. Along with other elements of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, 2–4 Infantry and TF Boar conducted combat operations in support of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force.
Since July 2006 and still continuing into 2009, the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry relieved its sister battalion in Zabol Province, Afghanistan, as part of ISAF's assumption of responsibility for the province. As part of TF Zabul, nominally under Romanian command, 1–4 maintained a reinforced infantry company in the mountainous northern regions of the province, responsible for all combat operations in that area. The battalion has rotated companies every 7 to 8 months, starting with C Company, followed in turn by B, A, and D companies. The battalion is currently in its second rotation of companies, and the combat deployment continues through the present day. While each task force is deployed, the remaining companies of 1–4 continue their OPFOR mission in Hohenfels, Germany as well as training for their next combat mission in Afghanistan.
2–4 Infantry deployed again in late 2007 to Iraq with 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, this time for 15 months as part of the "surge" strategy. Their deployment ended January 2009.
First 4th Infantry Regiment
- Constituted 12 April 1808 in the Regular Army as the 4th Infantry
- Organized May–June 1808 in New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
- Consolidated May–October 1815 with the 9th and 13th Infantry (both constituted 11 January 1812), the 21st Infantry (constituted 26 June 1812), the 40th Infantry (constituted 29 January 1813), and the 46th Infantry (constituted 30 March 1814) to form the 5th Infantry Regiment
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
. Thereafter separate lineage.
Second 4th Infantry Regiment
- Constituted 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as the 14th Infantry Regiment
- Organized in March 1812 in Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
, MarylandMaryland is an American State located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. Maryland is comparable in overall area with the European country of...
, DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named.Delaware is located in...
, and PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to the east....
.
- Consolidated May–October 1815 with the 18th and 20th Infantry (both constituted 11 January 1812) and the 36th and 38th Infantry (both constituted 29 January 1813) to form the 4th Infantry Regiment.
- 21 August 1816 Unspecified 4th Infantry Regiment companies redesignated as Companies A and B, 4th Infantry Regiment.
- Consolidated in March 1869 with the 30th Infantry (see 30th Infantry Regiment below) and consolidated unit designated as the 4th Infantry Regiment as follows:
- Company A, 4th infantry Regiment Consolidated with Company A, 30th Infantry Regiment
- Company B, 4th Infantry Regiment Consolidated with Company B, 30th Infantry Regiment
- Assigned 1 October 1917 to the 3d Division, and reorganized as follows:
- Company A reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.
- Company B reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.
- Regiment Stationed at the start of World War Two at Fort George Wright Walsh, Washington.
- Regiment moved to Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California on 22 January 1940 to join the 3rd Division.
- Relieved 15 May 1940 from assignment to the 3d Division, and participated in World War II as a Separate Infantry Regiment.
- Regiment returned to Fort George Wright Walsh on 23 May 1940, and the location remained the regimental Garrison while its units rotated in and out of Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ', formerly Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, is a joint United States military installation in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The post is named after Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Army Air Corps Colonel William Caldwell McChord. The...
, Washington between 1 August 1940 and 26 August 1940.
- Regiment Deployed from the Seattle Port of Embarkation on 24 December 1940.
- Regiment arrived at Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,243 municipal residents in 2008 , the city constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; only New York has a higher percentage of residents who live in the state's largest...
on 3 January 1941, where it was assigned to the Alaska Defense CommandAlaska Defense Command was established on 4 February 1941 as the command formation of the U.S. Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Alaska Territory of the United States...
.
- Regiment arrived on Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
on 23 November 1942.
- Regiment arrived on Unalaska Island
Unalaska is an island in the Fox Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska, at . The island has a land area of . The city of Unalaska, Alaska, covers part of the island and all of neighboring Amaknak Island where the Port of Dutch Harbor is located...
in 30 November 1942.
- Regiment posted to Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
on 8 December 1942.
- Regiment Assaulted Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle on United States soil , and its battlefield area is a U.S...
on 11 May 1943, and participated in the Battle For Fish Hook Ridge.
- Regiment relieved from assignment to Alaskan Defense Command, and returned to Seattle Port of Embarkation on 2 December 1943, and was stationed at Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ', formerly Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, is a joint United States military installation in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The post is named after Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Army Air Corps Colonel William Caldwell McChord. The...
the same date.
- Regiment reassigned to the US Army Replacement and School Command at Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, on 23 January 1944, where it conducted Infantry Training to prepare for the expected Invasion of the Japanese Home Islands late in 1944.
- Regiment was at Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
on 14 August 1945, which is when the surrender of the Japanese was announced.
- Assigned 1 November 1945 to the 25th Infantry Division. The incumbent Personnel and Equipment were reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Camp Butner
Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
, North Carolina, while the regimental records and accoutrements were forwarded to Japan for Occupation Duty.
- Inactivated 31 January 1947 in Japan
- Relieved 1 February 1947 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
- Activated 1 October 1948 at Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ', formerly Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, is a joint United States military installation in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The post is named after Army Captain Meriwether Lewis and Army Air Corps Colonel William Caldwell McChord. The...
, Washington as a Separate Regiment.
- Assigned 10 October 1954 to the 71st Infantry Division
- Relieved 15 September 1956 from assignment to the 71st Infantry Division
- Reorganized 15 February 1958 as a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System
The Combat Arms Regimental System , was the method of assigning unit designations to units of the five combat arms of the United States Army from 1957 to 1981. CARS was superseded by the U.S...
, and assigned as follows:
- 1st Battle Group assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade.
- 2nd Battle Group assigned to 3rd Infantry Division.
- 1st Battle Group Inactivated 2 April 1962 at Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens...
, Massachusetts.
- 1st Battle Group relieved from assignment to the 2nd Infantry Brigade, Redesignated as the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division on 18 April 1963.
- On 3 June 1963, 2nd Battle Group’s personnel and equipment were reassigned to the 1st Battalion, still with 3rd Infantry Division.
- 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment Activated on 5 June 1963.
- 2nd Battle Group redesignated at 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment on 21 July 1969 and Activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
- Withdrawn 17 January 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
- 1st Battalion Inactivated on 16 December 1987 in Germany, and relieved from assignment to 3rd Infantry Division.
- 1st Battalion Activated on 16 November 1990 in Germany.
- 2nd Battalion Inactivated on 15 May 1991 in Germany.
- 2nd Battalion redesignated as 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment on 1 October 2005.
3rd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment
Re-activated on 15 July 2009, at Baumholder, Germany (under the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which was formerly 2/1 AD).
See webpage for 3–4 Infantry at http://ironwarriorsix.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
30th Infantry Regiment
- Constituted 3 June 1861 in the Regular Army as the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, with Companies A and B Constituted 3 May 1861.
- Organized 23 December 1865 at 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
- Redesignated 7 December 1866 as the 30th Infantry Regiment
- Consolidated in March 1869 with the 4th Infantry and consolidated unit designated as the 4th Infantry Regiment. Companies A and B Consolidated with identically designated Companies in the 4th Infantry Regiment.
Campaign Participation Credit
- Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg was a battle fought during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn Washington, D.C...
;
- McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in the Chesapeake Bay...
- Palo Alto;
- Canada;
The Battle of Cañada was part of the Taos Revolt, a popular insurrection against the United States by Mexicans. It took place on January 24, 1847, during the Taos Revolt, a conflict of the Mexican-American War.-Background:...
- Resaca de la Palma;
- Monterrey
Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey (also known as "Sultana del Norte" (Sultan of the North), is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It has the second largest metropolitan area according to area in Mexico, after Mexico City and the third most populous after Mexico...
;
- Siege of Veracruz
The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican seaport of Veracruz, during the Mexican-American War. Lasting from March 9 to March 29, 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States military forces, and ended with the surrender and occupation...
;
- Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo may refer to several places:Mexico* Cerro Gordo, Veracruz** The Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War* Cerro Gordo, the mountain north of TeotihuacanUnited States* Cerro Gordo, Illinois...
;
- Churubusco
Churubusco is a neighbourhood of Mexico City. Under the current territorial division of the Mexican Federal District, it is a part of the borough of Coyoacán...
;
- Molino del Rey;
- Chapultepec
Chapultepec is a large hill on the outskirts of central Mexico City...
;
- Puebla 1847;
- Tlaxcala 1847
- 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...
;
- Second Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederacy, the Battle of 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...
;
- 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...
;
- 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. It is remembered as one of the most...
;
- Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville and the area from there to the east at Fredericksburg. The battle pitted Union Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's Army...
;
- Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
;
- 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...
;
- 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...
;
- Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor, one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles. Thousands of Union soldiers were killed or wounded in a hopeless frontal...
;
- 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...
;
- Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
- Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and forces of Tecumseh's growing American Indian confederation led by his younger brother Tenskwatawa...
;
- Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans, collectively known as Seminoles, and the United States. The First Seminole War was from 1817 to 1818, the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842, and the Third Seminole War...
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- Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was fought in 1832 in the Midwestern United States. The war was named for Black Hawk, a war chief of the Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo Native Americans, whose British Band fought against the United States Army and militia from Illinois and the Michigan Territory for possession of...
;
- Little Bighorn Campaign;
- Ute
The Ute are an ethnically related group of American Indians now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico...
s;
- Oregon 1855
The Rogue River Wars was an armed conflict between the US Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area of what today is southern Oregon in 1855–56...
;
- Oregon 1856;
- Washington 1855
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama people, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
;
- Washington 1856
- Santiago
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on July 3, 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
- Philippine-American War (Philippines):
- Manila
Manila , officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 16 cities that make up the metropolitan area of Manila. It is ranked as one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world with a population of around 20 million people.. It is located on the eastern...
;
- Malolos;
- Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
;
- Luzon
Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Visayas and Mindanao being the other two...
- Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
;
- Champagne-Marne;
- Aisne-Marne;
- St. Mihiel;
- Meuse-Argonne;
- Champagne 1918
- Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming part of the Aleutian Arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi and extending about westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula...
Decorations
- * Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for CHICHAGOF VALLEY (1st Battalion).
- * French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star, World War I for CHAMPAGNE-MARNE AISNE-MARNE.
- * Army Superior Unit Award, streamer embroidered 1983–1986 (Regimental Headquarters and 2nd Battalion).
- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1990 (Company C, 2nd Battalion).
External links