GIBSON, George G.; enlisted: January 16, 1836, Philadelphia, by Lieut. Abercrombie; born: Boston, Massachusetts; age: 24 yrs; occupation: trader; blue eyes, black hair, dark complexion, 5’7”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died September 27, 1836, Fort Marion, Florida [disease unknown]; rank: [not listed, a private].
HARRINGTON, John; enlisted: December 23, 1835, Frederick, Maryland, by Maj. Young; born: Nattee, Rhode Island; age: 22 yrs; occupation: farmer; hazel eyes, brown hair, dark complexion, 5’11”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died: September 7, 1836, Fort Marion, Florida [disease unknown]; [rank not listed, a private].
LENZ, Anton; enlisted: November 6, 1835, Lancaster, by Capt. Boyce; born: Joudra, Germany; age: 27 yrs; occupation: carpenter; black eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, 5’9¼”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died August 27, 1836, hospital, St. Augustine, Florida [disease unknown]; rank: [not listed, a private].
Jeremiah Potter was possibly the Regiment’s youngest casualty. Rest in peace, son. God only knows the travails you dealt with as a boy or the hardships your mother faced in deciding that the cavalry was a better life than she could provide for you. I’m sure the other troopers at Fiddler’s Green take care of …
CHURCH, Abiah; enlisted: December 11, 1835, Boston, by Lieut. Wheelock; born: Putney, Vermont; age: 30 yrs; occupation: farmer; grey eyes, dark hair, fair complexion, 5’6½”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died: August 1, 1836, Fort Drane, Florida [disease unknown]; rank: private.
LYONS, Michael; enlisted: November 22, 1835, Lancaster, by Capt. Boyce; born: Montgomery, Maryland; age: 26 yrs; occupation: tobacconist; grey eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, 5’11½”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died July 24, 1836, Fort Drane, Florida [disease unknown]; [rank not listed, a private].
HOLMES, William; enlisted: January 15, 1836, New York, New York, by Cpt. Wharton; born: Boston, Massachusetts; age: 22 yrs; occupation: butcher; hazel eyes, light hair, light complexion, 5’9”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died: July 21, 1836; mortally wounded in battle July 19, 1836, Welika Pond, Florida; rank: [none listed, a private].
HACKETT, Patrick; enlisted: November 9, 1835, Baltimore, by Capt. Hawkins; born: Tipparary [Tipperary], Ireland; age: 22 yrs; occupation: laborer; hazel eyes, sandy hair, light complexion, 5’8”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died July 20, 1836; mortally wounded July 19, 1836 in battle [Welika Pond, Florida]; rank: [none listed, a private].
JACOBS, John; enlisted: November 21, 1835, Frederick, by Major Young; born: Newark, New Jersey; age: 32 years; occupation: currier; grey eyes, brown hair, ruddy complexion, 5’10¾”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; killed by Indians July 18, 1836, Fort Drane, East Florida; [rank not listed, a private].
WIN, Timothy; enlisted: November 12, 1835, Baltimore, by Capt. Hawkins; born: Boston, Massachusetts; age: 23 yrs; occupation: laborer; blue eyes, sandy hair, light complexion, 5’6¾”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died June 19, 1836, Fort Drane, Florida [disease unknown]; rank: [not listed, a private].
MYRES, Simon; enlisted: November 26, 1835, Lancaster, by Capt. Boyce; born: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; age: 22 yrs; occupation: laborer; grey eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, 5’6¼”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died June 10, 1836, Fort Brooke, Florida [unknown disease]; rank: [not listed, a private].
HODGES, John A.; enlisted: January 9, 1836, Baltimore, Maryland, by Cpt. Hawkins; born: Anne Arundel, Maryland; age: 23 yrs; occupation: currier; light blue eyes, light brown hair, light complexion, 5’6”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died June 10, 1836; mortally wounded in action June 9, 1836 at Micanopy and died June 10, 1836 at Fort Drane; …
HYDE, John; enlisted: January 1, 1836, Boston, Massachusetts, by Lieut. Wheelock; born: New York, New York; age: 29 yrs; occupation: blacksmith; grey eyes, light hair, dark complexion, 5’6¼”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died: May 20, 1836; shot by the enemy on the road from Micanopy to Fort Drane, Florida; rank: [not listed, a private]. Might …
DUNBAR, John S.; enlisted: January 11, 1836, Boston, by Lieut. Wheelock; born: Petersborough [Peterborough], New Hampshire; age: 23 yrs; occupation: printer; blue eyes, light hair, fair complexion, 5’8”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died May 16, 1836, Fort Drane, Florida; [disease unknown]; rank: [not listed, a private].
BAILEY, Benjamin; enlisted: January 25, 1836, New York, New York, by Cpt. Wharton; born: Queens, NY; age: 25 yrs; occupation: tailor; hazel eyes, dark hair, fair complexion, 5’9¾”; Company D, 2d Dragoons; died: May 1, 1836, Fort Drane, Florida [disease unknown]; rank: private.
Photo Credit – By Ebyabe (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Reading From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry, I slowed to read this poem again. It is about the lost troopers of the First Second Seminole War, 1835-1842, but it is timeless and could have been written in …
Researched and Written by Wally Tomtschik Dragoons used different tactics than Cavalry. In the old history of the 2d Dragoons, very few of their number actually were killed. They were masters of using the land and could live off the land very comfortably. The horses were treated with loving care and protected from harm, being …
