Osprey Men-at-Arms 281 : US Dragoons 1833-1855

By the late 1820s, furs, land and minerals made the Indian territories west of the Mississippi River an increasingly inviting realm. In response to these pressures for expansion, the United States government attempted to move the Native Americans out of the path of the empire. Federal officials saw to it that some groups were relocated by negotiated treaties or by the use of force. To insure compliance, a military force was necessary. Not only would a frontier military establishment keep the Indians in check but, just as importantly, they were to protect the Indian's treaty-reserved areas from white encroachment. Conventional infantrymen had served in a similar capacity in the garrisons elsewhere. But the vast expanse of the Great Plains, coupled with the fact that many tribal groups of the region possessed horses, meant a more mobile type of soldier was required. Consequently, on 15 June 1832, Congress authorised the raising of 600 mounted Rangers. What the Rangers lacked in spit and polish, they made up for by their horsemanship. The army realised that the experiment proved the worth of mounted troopers. All that seemed missing was traditional discipline. So the Rangers gave way to a more permanent organisation - the Dragoons. John Langellier details the campaign history of the US Dragoons 1833-55, complete with numerous illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Bill Younghusband.

Contents

• The West Beckons
• The Campaigns 1833-40
• The Campaigns 1841-55
• After the Mexican War
• The Plates