Members of the City Troop and Other Philadelphia Soldiery MET ap42

The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the

Pennsylvania Army National Guard The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylv ...

. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decorated units in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Accordingly, the Troop operates under a number of principles of self-governance unique in the U.S. military, including the election of unit members and officers, voluntarily forgoing pay for military service to the country, continuing to practice horse cavalry skills and tactics, and recruiting a high percentage of its members from veterans of prior active duty service across all branches (many of whom resign past officer commissions to join), as well as older civilian mid-career professionals. It is the only U.S. military unit that owns its own armory building, built with private funds in Philadelphia's

Rittenhouse Square Rittenhouse Square is a public park in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is the center of the eponymous Rittenhouse neighborhood. The square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas ...

neighborhood. As of November 2017, the troop had 46 active members (33 drilling with the A-1/104th CAV), up from 35 in 2014.

History

The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, or "First City Troop", was organized in 1774 as the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia, often referred to as the Philadelphia Light Horse, one of the first patriotic military organizations established in the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. Abraham Markoe was the founder and the first Captain of the Philadelphia Light Horse, known today as the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. Early members came from a number of local social organizations, including the

Schuylkill Fishing Company The Schuylkill Fishing Company of Pennsylvania, also known as the State in Schuylkill, was the first angling club in the Thirteen Colonies and remains the oldest verified continuously operating social club in the English-speaking world. History Th ...

, the Schuylkill Company of Fort St. Davids, the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia, the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Society of the Sons of St. George, and especially the

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Fox Hunting Club. Captain Samuel Morris was Gloucester's first president and Captain Robert Wharton its last. During the Revolution, the troop fought in the battles of Trenton,

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Brandywine, and Germantown. It often served as

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's personal bodyguard. The unit also saved

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada * James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Queb ...

at the "Battle of Fort Wilson" riot. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the First City Troop was called into active duty several times, beginning with the 1861 Campaign that led to the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

. During the Gettysburg Campaign, the company, under the command of future U.S.

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

Samuel J. Randall Samuel Jackson Randall (October 10, 1828April 13, 1890) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who represented the Queen Village, Society Hill, and Northern Liberties neighborhoods of Philadelphia from 1863 to 1890 and served as the 44t ...

, performed scouting duties leading into the Battle of

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; ) is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the borough had a population of 7,106 people. Gettysburg was the site of ...

, in late June before being redeployed to York County following a brief

skirmish Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to Screening (tactical), screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They may be deployed in a sk ...

on June 26, 1863. The company later screened Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge against the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

forces of

John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon () was an American politician, Confederate States Army general, attorney, slaveowner and planter. "One of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals" by the end of the Civil War according to historian Ed Bearss, he strongly oppos ...

John J. Pershing General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles. He served as the commander of the American Expeditionary For ...

said that "no National Guard organization in the country did more, relatively, in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

than" the First City Troop. Today, the First City Troop deploys overseas with the Pennsylvania National Guard in support of Army operations. Since 9/11, the unit has deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, Egypt, and Kuwait, with elements of the unit additionally deploying to Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, Europe, and Latin America. Membership is by election. Soldiers on the active roll continue to donate their drill pay back to the unit, in order to maintain a tradition of voluntary service. The troop draws its membership from Troop A, 1st Squadron,

104th Cavalry Regiment The 104th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1921. Troop A, 1st Squadron is one of several Army National Guard and Active Regular Army Units with Colonial Roots, National Guard units with colonial roo ...

28th Infantry Division (United States) The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone") is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army. Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Penns ...

Campaign credit

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry Flag

Revolutionary War *

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, crossing of the ...

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comma ...

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American ...

*New Jersey 1776 *New Jersey 1777 *Pennsylvania 1777 Civil War *

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

Battle of Spotsylvania The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

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. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

*Shenandoah * Battle of Appomattox *Virginia 1861 *Virginia 1862 *Virginia 1863 *Virginia 1864 *Maryland 1863 *Pennsylvania 1863 War with Spain *Puerto Rico World War I *Battle of Ypres-Lys *Champagne-Marne *Aisne-Marne *Oise-Aisne *Meuse-Argonne *Champagne 1918 *Lorraine 1918 World War II *Northern France *Central Europe Operation Enduring Freedom *Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer

Captains of the Troop

* Abraham Markoe (1774-1776) * Samuel Morris (1776-1786) *

Samuel Miles Samuel Selden Miles (March 11, 1739 – December 29, 1805) was an American military officer and politician, as well as a wealthy and influential businessman, active in Pennsylvania before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. Mili ...

(1786-1788) *

Christian Febiger Hans Christian Febiger (or Fibiger) (October 19, 1749, in Fåborg, Denmark-Norway – September 20, 1796, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American Revolutionary War commander, confidant of General George Washington, and original mem ...

(1790-1794) *

John Dunlap John Dunlap (21 August 1746 – 27 November 1812) was an Early American publishers and printers, early American printer who emigrated from Ulster, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and who printed the first copies of the United States Declaration of ...

(1794-1803) * Robert Wharton (1803-1810) *Charles Ross (1811-1817) *John R. C. Smith (1817-1825) *Lynford Lardner (1825-1827) *William H. Hart (1827-1842) *John Butler (1842-1847) *Thomas C. James (1850-1863) *

Fairman Rogers Fairman Rogers (November 15, 1833 – August 22, 1900) was an American civil engineer, educator and equestrian. He worked as a professor of civil engineering at the University of Pennsylvania from 1855 to 1871 and as a trustee from 1871 to 1886. ...

(1866-1869) *M. Edward Rogers (1869-1876) * A. Loudon Snowden (1877-1878) * Edward Burd Grubb (1878-1889) *Jos. Lapsley Wilson (1889-1894) * John C. Groome (1896-1910) *J. Franklin McFadden (1910-1917) *George C. Thayer (1917-1919) *Thomas Cadwalader (1919-1920) *Clement B. Wood (1920-1930) *Effingham B. Morris Jr. (1930-1933) *Crawford C. Madera (1933-1937) *John C. Groome Jr. (1937-1941) *Henry B. Coxe Jr. (1941-1942) *Robert N. Downs III (1942-1946) *R. Gwynne Stout (1946-1948) *Robert S. Ingersoll Jr. (1948-1950) *William S. Stokes Jr. (1950-1957) *Henry P, Glendinning Jr. (1957-1960) *Henry Mck. Ingersoll (1960-1965) *Thomas G. Ashton (1965-1966) *Charles M. Meredith III (1966-1968) *G. Jeremy Cummin (1968-1970) *Murray H. Dawson (1970-1975) *Stanley Bright III (1975-1978) *Alexander Kerr (1978-1980) *Marcel Francois Lamour (1980-1983) *Dennis Joseph Boylan (1983-1988) *Simeon D. Isayeff (1988-1989) *Richard D. Hughes (1989-1991) *Keith D. Roger (1991- 1995) *Christopher C. Smythe (1995-1997) *Harry J. Gobora III (1997-2000) *Eric E.L. Guenther Jr. (2000-2003) *Lawrence J. Field (2003-2007) *Anslem T.W. Richards (2007-2009) *David B Thayer (2009-2010) *Tyler C. Hathaway (2010-2014) *Garri B. Hendell (2014-2016) *Gregory T. Colella (2016-2020) *Jason P. Wall (2020-2022) *Michael L. Easterly (2022-2024) *Timothy C. Lehotsky (2024-2025) *Colin Yabor (2025-Present)

References

External links

*
First City Troop
in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

Initial roster

Gentlemen of Gloucester
{{coord, 39.953246, -75.178415, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Pennsylvania National Guard United States militia in the American Revolution Military units and formations established in 1774 Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Philadelphia in the American Revolution Military units and formations in Pennsylvania 1774 establishments in Pennsylvania Companies of the United States Army National Guard Ceremonial units of the United States military

History

Campaign credit

Captains of the Troop

See also

References

Further reading

External links