U.S. Senator Chris Dodd

[Page: S1578]

Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 220th anniversary of the U.S. Cavalry and the contributions the town of Wethersfield, CT, made to the Revolutionary War effort.

In my home State of Connecticut, the town of Wethersfield is proud to be recognized as the first home and training ground for the Continental Army's first cavalry regiment, known as Sheldon's Horse, the Second Continental Light Dragoons. In a time when armies were slow moving, the Second Continental Dragoons were unique for their swiftness and daring. The Second Dragoons were composed of mounted and dismounted men able to quickly advance on the enemy's flank.

By orders of the First Continental Congress and General Washington, the Second Dragoon Regiment was the first cavalry regiment directly organized by the Continental Army. According to the Connecticut Historical Commission, on December 12, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed Elisha Sheldon of Salisbury as lieutenant colonel commandant of a regiment of the Continental Cavalry, the first such unit of the Continental Army. He was ordered to enlist six troops to form his regiment at Wethersfield. Among the first officers chosen by Colonel Sheldon was Wethersfield resident, Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge. In the late winter and early spring of 1977, Major Tallmadge erected a training ground for the training and breaking of horses for the regiment in Wethersfield.

Under Major Tallmadge's direction and leadership, the Second Regiment fought in the battles of Short Hills, Brandywine, Trenton, Saratoga, and White Plains, and during the harsh winter at Valley Forge, the Dragoons patrolled the area for General Washington.

Currently, the U.S. Cavalry is based in Fort Riley, KS, but it will be forever linked to the town of Wethersfield and Connecticut. I applaud the efforts of the people of Wethersfield to celebrate their history and the contributions they have made to ensuring the independence of America.