10 Replies Latest reply on Mar 5, 2021 12:37 PM by Kathleen Burell

Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment

Kathleen Burell Feb 18, 2021 10:53 PM

I am looking for the names of the soldiers in Troop A of the 1st U.S. Cavalry Regiment who participated in the July 1898 siege of Santiago de Cuba. I have my great-grandfather's reenlistment document, signed by Lt. Colonel C.D. Vielé, that shows him in Troop A of the 1st Cavalry on 26 May 1898, and a letter written 24 January 1917 by J.M. Wainwright, 1st Lieutenant, 1st Cavalry, announcing my great-grandfather's retirement that states "He participated, with the regiment, . . . in the Campaign of Santiago de Cuba in 1898 . . ." I want to verify that he was physically present on the on the battlefield during the 1, 2, and 3 July 1898 siege of Santiago de Cuba and battle of San Juan Hill.

Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment

Elliot Schneider Feb 19, 2021 3:38 PM (in response to Kathleen Burell)

Ms. Burell,

Do you have a name?

Thanks,

Elliot Schneider
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- Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
  
  Kathleen Burell Feb 19, 2021 10:35 PM (in response to Elliot Schneider)
  
  Thank you for asking, Mr. Schneider.
  
  My great-grandfather's name was Otto Bach.
  
  - Kathleen Burell -
  
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  - Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
    
    Alice Lane Feb 21, 2021 10:17 PM (in response to Kathleen Burell)
    
    Kathleen,
    The following is from familysearch.org. Family search is a free website you will need to register to us
    
    Otto Bach, "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914" (familysearch.org)
    
    otto bach Search Results (familysearch.org)
    
    otto bach Search Results (familysearch.org)
    
    otto bach Search Results (familysearch.org)
    
    otto bach Search Results (familysearch.org)
    
    otto bach Search Results (familysearch.org)
    
    Otto Bach, "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914" (familysearch.org)..
    
    Was his wife named Sarah. Otto Bach, "United States Census, 1930" (familysearch.org)
    
    Alice Lane
    Research Volunteer
    
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    - Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
      
      Kathleen Burell Feb 22, 2021 10:54 PM (in response to Alice Lane)
      
      Thank you so much, Alice, for finding all this information and sharing it with me! I am now a member of that research site and so I was able to put copies of the page images into my research folder.
      
      Goodness, you and everybody else are being so kind and helpful to me - thank you again and again.
      
      - Kathleen -
      
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  - Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
    
    Elliot Schneider Feb 22, 2021 1:26 PM (in response to Kathleen Burell)
    
    Ms. Burell,
    
    Here is the enlistment in 1899 when his first term of service expired please see him at the very bottom. He is listed as Troop A Ist Cav and rank is Sgt Major
    
    In 1898, the US turned its interests to a small island in the Caribbean; Cuba, which was owned by the Spanish Empire. After the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, the fires of war brewed and the 1st Cavalry was moved to Chickamauga Park, Tennessee on 24 April 1898.^[5] The 1st Cavalry and the 10th Cavalry were formed into a cavalry brigade and shipped out to Cuba from Tampa, Florida. However, due to the limited space aboard the SS Leona, the troopers were forced to leave their horses behind. They fought in the Battle of Las Guasimas on 24 June, and at the Battle of San Juan Hill from 1–3 July. During the Siege of Santiago, the 1st Cavalry Regiment earned its 61st battle honor.^[5] The 1st Cavalry remained in Santiago until 8 August, and returned to the US where they were garrisoned at Fort Riley, Kansas, then later at Fort Robinson, Nebraska.^[5]
    
    https://history.army.mil/books/R&H/R&H-1CV.htm
    
    Also is he buried here https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182292540/otto-bach
    
    (click on image to enlarge).
    
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    - Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
      
      Kathleen Burell Feb 22, 2021 10:51 PM (in response to Elliot Schneider)
      
      Thank you so much, Mr. Schneider for helping me out by sharing this information, especially for the image of the file card as it confirms that the hand-written number on a scrap of paper is, indeed, my great-grandfather's service number. I am also going to see if the U.S. Army Center of Military History has something written about the 1st Cavalry Regiment that begins where the document that you shared ends, which is 1895. I have a document that states that my great-grandfather "participated, with the regiment, in an expedition against hostile Apaches in Mexico, in 1896 . . ."
      
      - Kathleen Burell -
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Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment

Alice Lane Feb 20, 2021 4:15 PM (in response to Kathleen Burell)

Hi Kathleen,
Welcome to History Hub

Was he a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt?
Names of all the rough riders Theodore Roosevelt > harryandrewmiller.com

Alice Lane
Research Volunteer
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- Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
  
  Kathleen Burell Feb 21, 2021 5:29 PM (in response to Alice Lane)
  
  Thank you for helping me with my quest, Alice. No, Otto Bach was not a Rough Rider, but rather Regular Army. I have just yesterday found his service number as well as his claim number for the Spanish-American war veterans.
  
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Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment

Sylvia Naylor Mar 3, 2021 12:57 PM (in response to Kathleen Burell)
Dear Ms. Burell,

Thank you for posting your inquiry on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located 10 series in the Records of U.S. Regular Army Mobile Units (Record Group 391) that relate to the 1st Cavalry Regiment during the 1890s. For more information about these records, please contact The National Archives at Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1) via email at Archives1reference@nara.gov. We were unable to locate specific records of Troop A. Records of lower echelon units sometimes were incorporated into the files of the regiment.

Further, we suggest reviewing resources on the Spanish-American War such as lists of series of records and microfilm publications relating to service in the Spanish-American War available on the National Archives website, including:
National Archives Records Relating to Service in the Spanish-American War
National Archives Microfilm Publications Relating to Service in the Spanish-American War
Article titled Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War-The Legacy of the USS Main, Part I
Article titled Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War-The Legacy of the USS Main, Part II

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT1. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
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- Re: Seeking roster of Troop A, 1st US Cavalry Regiment
  
  Kathleen Burell Mar 5, 2021 12:37 PM (in response to Sylvia Naylor)
  
  Ms. Naylor,
  
  Thank you so much for your information! I look forward to rummaging around in all the documents to which you've just introduced me.
  
  All the folks here at HistoryHub have been just awesomely helpful - ya'll are the BEST!
  
  - Kathleen -
  
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