

The dragoons stationed at Fort McKavett were largely composed of men of Irish or German descent, similar to the rest of the antebellum Army, who were in their 20s with most being “of average height and below average build,” according to the enlistment descriptions. While at Fort McKavett, the 2d Dragoons were commanded by Capt. The dragoons patrolled the area between Camp Concho (near present day Grape Creek), Fort Terrett, Fort Mason, and Fort Chadbourne. During their time at Fort McKavett, they built most of the officer’s quarters and completed several of the barracks. The highest number of dragoons on post was 175 in February 1854. Romulo Diaz de la Vega.įrom November 1853 to August 1855, three companies (E, F, and G) of the 2d Dragoons were stationed at Fort McKavett. May charged a battery of Mexican artillery and captured the eight Mexican cannons as well as Mexican Gen. During the Mexican War, the 2d Dragoons fought valiantly in every engagement, but they achieved special notoriety during the Battle of Resaca de la Palma on May 9, 1846, when two companies led by Capt. The dragoons were elite units with strict weight and height guidelines for the men recruited to fill their ranks. The size of each dragoon regiment was fixed at 34 officers and 1,715 men. The dragoons were reorganized by an act of Congress on March 2, 1833.


dragoon regiments fought during the War of 1812, but they were disbanded after the war when the military’s size was reduced. Typically, they would fight while mounted, but they would dismount and fight on foot, if necessary. Dragoons were a hybrid of mounted infantry and heavy cavalry. Rather, mounted troops consisted of mounted infantry and dragoons.
