Finding aid for the Cleveland Military Units Records

History of the Cleveland Military Units Troop A and Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery

The unit referred to as the First Cleveland Cavalry has been called, from time to time during its existence, various names, including "Troop A," "Troops A and B," the "First City Troop," the "First Cleveland Troop," the "Black Horse Troop," and the "First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry." The unit has distinguished itself as a frequent participant in ceremonial and commemorative functions, and as an escort to prominent civil and military leaders, including Presidents of the United States. It assisted not infrequently in quelling riots and disorders in Cleveland and elsewhere in Ohio, and participated in the 1916-1917 punitive expedition to the Mexican border area; likewise in World Wars I and II.

In October 1877, forty men, each owning his own horse, formed the First City Troop of Cleveland, Ohio. This was thought necessary due to riots and property destruction resulting from the major railroad strike of that year, and the belief that there was a need for a strong, local militia. A number of prominent civil, military, and business leaders participated in this first meeting. From the beginning, men belonging to important Cleveland families joined the unit and in 1878, John D. Rockefeller and Henry M. Flagler became honorary members of the unit.

The First troop armory was built on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland in 1879, followed by the construction of a second armory on the corner of Curtiss and Willson avenues (the latter now known as East 55th Street) in 1884. The troop escorted Ohio Governor Charles Foster at his Columbus inauguration, and in 1881 it escorted President James A. Garfield to his inauguration, and former President Rutherford B. Hayes back home to Ohio from Washington, D. C. Later in 1881, the troop took part in the Cleveland funeral ceremonies for President Garfield.

The troop achieved official status in 1887 when it was admitted into the Ohio National Guard. That same year it attended the International Encampment at Chicago, Illinois, forming part of the escort for President Grover and Mrs. Cleveland. The troop escorted Ohio Governor Joseph B. Foraker at his 1888 inauguration, and in 1889 escorted President Benjamin Harrison in New York to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration. On the way back to Cleveland, the troop escorted famous Indian fighter Major General George Harvey Crook who was heading West.

The troop continued to provide official escorts to traveling dignitaries and government officials in the 1890s. At the 1890 dedication of President Garfield's monument in Cleveland, it provided the escort for Ohio Governor James E. Campbell. In 1892 it provided the escort for Ohio Governor William McKinley at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It participated in the funeral proceedings at Fremont, Ohio, for President Hayes in 1893, escorted Governor McKinley to Chattanooga, Tennessee at the opening of Chickamauga Park in 1895, and escorted Ohio Governor Asa S. Bushnell at his inauguration. In 1896, it participated in the Cleveland Centennial Ceremonies, and in 1897 the troop escorted President William McKinley at his inauguration.

The 1890s, however, were not solely filled with escort duties for the troop. In 1891, the unit formed a veteran association into which members were to pass as their active terms of service ran out. In 1895, by order of the governor of Ohio, the name "First City Troop" was dropped an the organization became known as "Troop A, Ohio National Guard." The following Year, Troop A was called out to preserve order on the occasion of the Brown Hoisting and Conveying Machine Company strike. In 1898 Troop A was ordered to serve as the first troop in an 8-troop regiment subsequent to the sinking of the Maine. Troop A recruited 3 of the 8 units, and all were mustered into the Army as the "1st Ohio Volunteer Cavalry." The troop encamped at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, but never saw anticipated action against Spanish soldiers in Puerto Rico due to the failure of certain equipment to arrive. The following year, Troop A was involved in dealing with major disturbances in Cleveland due to a street railway strike.

In 1901, Troop A escorted President McKinley to Washington for his second inauguration, and was the guard of honor at his funeral in Canton, Ohio, later that year. Troop A provided two escorts for Ohio Governor Myron T. Herrick in 1904: for his inauguration and his trip to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, Missouri. Herrick had been an active member of Troop A from 1880-1889. Also in 1904, Troop A participated at the Cleveland funeral for Ohio Senator Marcus A. Hanna.

In 1905, Troop A participated in the funeral of Secretary of State John Hay. Hay was a charter member of the unit. After the funeral, Troop A escorted President Theodore Roosevelt from the cemetery to the railway depot. Troop A again escorted Roosevelt on the occasion of the dedication of the William McKinley Memorial in Canton, Ohio, in 1907.

Troop A was ordered into service in 1908 to respond to a dispute over tobacco prices in Kentucky on the Ohio-Kentucky border. The dispute caused night-riding Kentuckians to raid and terrorize tobacco plantations in Ohio, and the unit was ordered to the north bank of the Ohio River. After a two week period, Troop A was relieved by other units. Later that year, Troop A participated in the unveiling of a monument to Senator Marcus A. Hanna in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland. The following year, the troop escorted President William Howard Taft at his inauguration.

In 1910, Troop A, along with 3,000 Ohio National Guardsmen was called to duty during the Columbus, Ohio street car strike. In 1913, it provided assistance at Fremont, Ohio, when flood waters ravaged the state and looting and disorder followed. In 1916-1917, Troop A took part in a punitive expedition on the Texas-Mexican border.

When the United States entered World War I, Troop A was a fundamental unit of the 135th Field Artillery Regiment (cavalry was not desired in American units). After preliminary training abroad, Troop A saw combat service in France until the Armistice. Many of its troopers were killed in action. After the war, the unit was reorganized and renamed "Troop A, 107th Cavalry."

In 1921, Troop A escorted eminent French general of World War I, Marshal Foch, when he visited Cleveland, Ohio. The following year, the troop saw duty in connection with the St. Clairsville, Ohio, coal strike and took part in ceremonies in Fremont to commemorate the centenary of the birth of President Hayes. Also in 1922, the Troop A Armory Company was incorporated in Cleveland. The troop occupied a new armory in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in 1923, and participated in the funeral ceremonies of President Warren G. Harding at Marion, Ohio. In 1924, Troop A was called to provide relief work after a severe tornado destroyed many areas of Lorain, Ohio.

In 1925, G Troop of Delaware, Ohio, combined with Troop A to form the 107th Cavalry Regiment. At the same time, Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery veterans combined with the Troop A Veteran Association. In 1927, Troop A celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding, and served as escort to American General John Pershing when he visited Cleveland. The unit also provided the escort for the Cleveland funeral of American Ambassador to France, Myron T. Herrick, in 1929. It also participated in the Cleveland funeral ceremonies of Ohio Senator Theodore E. Burton. Also in 1929, the 107th Cavalry was reorganized, and Troop G was designated as "Troop B."

The unit escorted President Herbert Hoover when he visited the American Bankers' Association convention in Cleveland in 1930. In 1936, the unit participated in 2nd Army maneuvers at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The unit also commenced publication of its quarterly magazine, "Boots and Saddles" relating to the activities of Troop A and Troop B. The following year, the unit observed its 60th anniversary.

In 1939, headquarters Troop organized in Cleveland as part of the regimental unit. The 107th Cavalry Regiment took in the 22nd Reconnaissance Squadron as an affiliate. It again participated in the 2nd Army maneuvers in 1940, this time in Wisconsin. The 107th Cavalry again reorganized in 1940, this time as a horse-mechanized unit. Troops A and B formed a part of the 2nd Squadron (107th) and were re-designated Troops D and E. The 22nd Reconnaissance Squadron was inactivated and incorporated in the 107th Cavalry Regiment.

When the United States entered World War II, the unit was again reorganized into the 107th Cavalry Headquarters Group, 107th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 22nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. The unit saw action in Europe and was inactivated in December 1945. It was again reorganized in 1947 as part of the Ohio National Guard, 107th Armored Cavalry Reconnaissance, Cleveland. The activities of the Troop A Armory Company and the Veteran Association continued.

The Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery was formed in 1878 in Cleveland, Ohio, by prominent businessmen concerned about the maintenance of law and order in the face of increasing labor disorders. The unit was placed on alert several times, but was never called into action. The unit was organized in the Cleveland mayor's office in 1878, and was authorized by the Ohio legislature in 1880. The Ohio legislature placed the unit under the control of the Cleveland mayor and made it subject to regulations governing National Guard units. By 1897, the unit's charter was amended, and the purpose of the unit became the maintenance of battery property, promoting a spirit of military excellence, and fostering mutual benefits for members. By 1924, the unit had disposed of all of its property, including the sale of the armory to Troop A.

At the time of the 1877 railroad strike and recurring labor violence, a committee was organized in Cleveland, Ohio, to charter the Battery. Citizens raised funds for the purchase of two Gatling Guns, a revolutionary weapon manufactured in Cleveland at the Otis Steel Works. Invented by Richard Jordan Gatling, the weapon was a rapid-fire forerunner of the modern machine gun.

The organizing committee included John R. Ranney, J. Ford Evans, and Robert S. Pierce. The Battery's first commander was W. F. Goodspeed. A lot was purchased on Sibley Street (now Carnegie Avenue) in Cleveland through the efforts of businessmen, where a brick armory was constructed. A number of socially prominent Clevelanders belonged to the Battery.

The Battery went out of existence around 1905, though a group of trustees continued to manage the property, including Malcolm G. Vilas, harry W. Avery, B. W. Housum, George S. Russell, Harry L. Vail, N. S. Bidwell, and W. C. Spaulding. The Battery veteran organization combined with the Troop A Veteran Association in 1925.

Scope and Content

The First Cleveland Cavalry Records, 1877-1964 and undated, consist of a wide variety of documents, among which are minutes, correspondence, invoices, vouchers, financial statements and reports, ledger sheets, check receipts, legal documents and briefs, blueprints, maps, photographs, photostats and photocopies, newspaper clippings, and other printed items. As far as was practical, the labeling of material (occasionally in quotes) was done with the purpose of retaining the exact meaning of the wording which appeared on the original folders at the time the collection was donate to the Western Reserve Historical Society. In a few cases, material from two or more folders was consolidated into one as the collection was processed. These records also document the activities of the Troop A Armory Company.

The Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery Records, 1878-1924 and undated, consist of correspondence, business and financial documents, printed material, Battery rosters, Booklets of financial and statistical information, and a bound volume of the Battery constitution, bylaws, and minutes.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

Researchers should also consult MS 3985 Cleveland Military Units Records, Series II; PG 309 Cleveland Military Units Photographs; PG 420 Robert Huddle Jamison Photographs; PG 152 Troop A, First Cleveland Cavalry Photographs; MS 3371 Laurence Harper Norton Papers; and MS 4313 Robert H. and Marjorie Jamison Papers.

All photographs originally retained with this collection when it was processed in 1964 have been removed to PG 309 Cleveland Military Units Photographs.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3000 Cleveland Military Units Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

The Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery Records were a gift of Laurence H. Norton in 1942. Norton was a Cleveland, Ohio, philanthropist, civic leader, and a former president of the Western Reserve Historical Society. His father, David Z. Norton, a Cleveland financier and industrialist, was a member of the Cleveland Gatling Gun Battery.

The First Cleveland Cavalry Records were a gift of Robert Huddle Jamison in 1964. Jamison was a Cleveland, Ohio, attorney, former Cavalry trooper, and officer and trustee of the Troop A. Armory Company.

Small portions of this collection were donated by other individuals. These gifts are noted in the folder descriptions for those donations.

Processing Information

Processed by John Large, Jr. in 1964.

Detailed Description of The Collection