Description
Fresh from an estate sale, this is one of the most pure examples of the Indian Wars era US cavalry caps I have seen in decades. No parts are missing, repaired or replaced. The original insignia is that of the 3rd US Cavalry, Company C. The square cut brim indicates manufacture from 1882 until around 1894.
It is accompanied by an original photo (cabinet card) of the owner, Gideon P. Dion, a native of Canada who enlisted in the 3rd US Cavalry prior to 1891. Records indicate prior service in the 30th US Infantry. At the time the image was taken, Dion was stationed at Ft. McIntosh, Texas.
Fort McIntosh was a U.S. Army base in Laredo, Webb County, Texas, from 1849 to 1946.
Fort McIntosh was established on 3 March 1849 by the 1st US Infantry, under the command of Lt. E.L. Viele, to guard the Texas frontier at the site of a strategic river crossing. Originally named Camp Crawford, the fort was renamed Fort McIntosh in 1850 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel James Simmons McIntosh, a hero in the Battle of Molino del Rey during the Mexican–American War.
The fort was abandoned by Federal troops at the outbreak of the American Civil War. The Battle of Laredo took place near the fort on March 19, 1864, when 72 men repelled three attacks from a force of 200 federal soldiers sent from Brownsville, Texas. On October 23, 1865, the post was reoccupied by federal troops of the 2nd Texas Cavalry.
In the late 19th century, several African-American units among them the 10th Cavalry, the “Buffalo Soldiers”, were stationed at Fort McIntosh. Other forts in the frontier fort system were Forts Griffin, Concho, Belknap, Chadbourne, Stockton, Davis, Bliss, McKavett, Clark, Richardson, Inge, and Phantom Hill in Texas, and Fort Sill in Oklahoma. The system had “subposts or intermediate stations” including Bothwick’s Station on Salt Creek between Fort Richardson and Fort Belknap, Camp Wichita near Buffalo Springs between Fort Richardson and Red River Station, and Mountain Pass between Fort Concho and Fort Griffin.
The 3rd Cavalry regiment has a history in the United States Army that dates back to 19 May 1846, when it was constituted in the Regular Army as the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. This unit was reorganized at the start of the American Civil War as the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment on 3 August 1861.
Under various names it has seen action during eleven major conflicts: the Indian Wars, the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, World War I, World War II, the Persian Gulf War, SFOR in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedoms Sentinel, and most recently Operation Inherent Resolve.
Twenty-three of the regiment’s troopers received the Medal of Honor, all awarded for gallantry in action between 1871 and 1898. The list includes William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, whose award was rescinded in 1916 for not being a member of the military. Cody’s medal was reinstated in 1989.
| Active | 1846–present |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Nickname(s) | Brave Rifles |
| Motto(s) | Blood and Steel |
| Engagements |
