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Unit Histories
"The 25th Infantry Regiment" (1) 2
Native Americans called these infantrymen, "Walks-a-heaps,"
since they spent much of their tour of duty on foot. The men also rode
horses when available, and occasionally traveled in wagons.
In December 1870, General Reynolds transferred to the 3d Cavalry and General
Hinks retired from active service; they were succeeded by Colonel John
D. Stevenson and Lieut.Col. George L. Andrews; the latter becoming colonel
of the regiment January 1, 1871, when Stevenson resigned. Colonel Andrews
joined the regiment at Fort Clark June 19, 1871. In May 1872, the regiment
marched to Western Texas and established its headquarters at Fort Davis.
Company I, Captain Lawson commanding, participated in the engagement with
Indians at Wichita Indian Agency, Indian Territory, Aug. 22 and 23, 1873,
having one man wounded. Company B, Captain Bentzoni commanding, was with
General Mackenzie's expedition into Mexico in June 1878.
Elements of the 25th were also deployed to the Pine Ridge reservation in 1891. The men were sent to the Sioux reservation after the massacre at Wounded Knee Creek. Many survivors of Wounded Knee left the reservation and raided supply trains for food. With the 9th Cavalry the men of the 25th rounded up these natives and then paraded, in full force with the 9th and 7th Cavalry regiments to discourage further hostile actions.
Of the original officers of the regiment there were now but six on the rolls, viz.: Captains John W. French, Charles Bentzoni (Bvt. Lieut.-Col.), and Gaines Lawson (Bvt. Lieut.-Col.), and 2 Lieutenants (now captains) David B. Wilson, Owen J. Sweet and Henry P. Ritzius. It may also be interesting to note that Colonel Andrews, who was colonel of the regiment for over twenty years, the only colonel who ever commanded it; that during its first 22 years of existence, the whole regiment has been together but fourteen days, and that but one captain (Van Valzah) has attained his majority by regular promotion.
In 1897 one of the most unusual experiments of the army involved the 25th. It was the heyday of the bicycle and a young lieutenant, James Moss, was charged with organizing a bicycle corps. The effort was put to an extreme test. On June 14, 1897 20 men of the bicycle corps left Fort Missoula in Montana. Their goal was to ride to St. Louis some 1,900 miles away. When a civilian asked one of the men, "Where are you going today?" the riders quickly shot back their answer, "The Lord only knows. We’re following the Lieutenant." By early July the temperature was 110 degrees. Most of the men suffered from the heat, but all peddled on. It took 40 days in all and the group averaged 50 miles a day. The bicycle corps was met in St. Louis by a large enthusiastic crowd, some on bicycles, and escorted to the city center where a large celebration was held. It was a great surprise for the men. They had dealt with dozens and dozens of blown tires, dust caked gears and chains and very few roads. In the end lieutenant Moss thought the only uses for soldiers on bicycles was as messengers or scouts to compliment the cavalry and infantry, but he saw little point in continuing the exercise since horses were plentiful and roads and trails so poor in the west. The army agreed with Moss (who became a Colonel in time) and no further bicycle units were put on the trail.
The 25th served in Cuba during the Spanish American War and in the Philippines in 1899 and 1900.
The 25th was cadred into the 93rd Infantry Division at Ft. Huachuca in 1943 for service in WWII. The 93rd Infantry "Blue Helmets" saw action in the Pacific Theater of War.
(1) 2
