The official Regimental March is “In the Second Cavalry” dating from at least 1900 and compares life in the Cavalry to the other branches. Sergeant Jack Leonard, who served with the Regiment during the 1880′ s, supplied a chorus. The tune is from the old song “Crambambuli”….
“IN THE SECOND CAVALRY”
Oh, it’ s groom, groom, groom!
‘ tis the soldier’ s doom,
When he enlists in the Cavalry;
And it’ s work, work, work,
Which you can’ t well shirk,
If you’ re in the Artillery;
But it’ s drill, drill, drill,
When you ain’ t in the mill,
In the Second Cavalry.
Twas in Eighteen-hundred-and-thirty-six,
That we fought in the Everglades;
When we showed the Seminole the trick,
That from memory never fades;
We have been in many a fight since then,
For tis there that we belong;
So we got the right that we’ d earned like men,
To sing this Regiment’ s song.
Chorus:
Trot, trot, trot,
Is the soldier’ s lot,
When he lists for the Cavalry;
And it’ s hike, hike, hike,
Which they don’ t much like,
For our friends the Infantry;
Oh, it’ s shoot, shoot, shoot,
When the trumpets toot,
In the Artillery;
And it’ s fight, fight, fight,
For your country’ s right,
In the Second Cavalry.
When the trumpet sounds that the firing’ s ceased,
And our war flag we may furl,
We are always ready, to say the least,
To flirt with a pretty girl;
For at making love or at duty’ s call,
Our motto is “Toujours Pret,”
Oh, a Soldier’ s life is the best of all,
So we sing with a will today.
Let’ s sing a song to the Cavalry,
We’ ll follow where’ ere it leads,
We love its yellow standards,
All lined with gallant deeds;
So here’ s to the horses and the riders bold,
To the trot and the gallop free,
To the charge and rush and the fierce melee,
Of the dashing Cavalry.
Last Chorus:
When the trumpets ring and the chargers spring,
And the lines of the foeman reel,
Then dearer far are the ways of war,
To the lads of the spur and steel;
With “Old Glory” bright, through the dusty light,
And our guidons floating free,
For the ranks of war it’ s hip, hip, hurrah
In the Second Cavalry.