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Uniforms of a Horse Soldier born and bred on the frontier


ludwigh1980
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Getting some uniforms together for display at the local Militaria show in Denver next weekend, thought I would post it here first. I purchased this group before Thanksgiving on Ebay. Apparantly, an sstate dealer found this in California and posted the M1895 Officer coat first off, which I was sucessful in winning. A few weeks later came the WW1 Unifom complete with all original insignia and a couple of great Colonel's Overseas Caps, one with direct embroidery eagle and both with sequines. All uniform pieces except the caps are named to a William H. Winters. All insignia is original to the set. The campaign ribbons were found in the pocket and are pin back and match Colonal William H. Winters service. I was lucky I had the funds for the second uniform as It went higher than the M1895. Must have been the OS caps and maybe the Cav sabers on the collar.

 

Colonel W. H. Winters begain life on the 26th of March 1875 at an obscure Army post by the name of Fort Bidwell in California. His father, a captain in the cavalry, served with the frontier army and fought as an officer is some very rough and bloody engagements against hostile Indians in the post civil war period. This included the Apache in Arizona and the Nez Perce and Bannock Campaigns in California and Idaho. After several years in the west, his father would succomb to illness and die in service in 1880 at Fort Lapwai in Idaho. At this time providing there was room at the post, officers could bring along families and it is confirmed in this case that his son William was with him at post. The details of the Illness are unknown but It can be assumed that the strain of service in a hostile land with poor sanitation certainly played a part. At the death of his father, William would occompany his mother back east to there original home. This early time in Williams life would later impact him to join the Army, not through West Point but as an enlistedman.

 

The Uniforms presented below:

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Summary of Service

Entered U.S. Army 1894 Assigned 4th Cavalry, Assistant Hospital Steward, Ft. Walla Walla, Washington. Served two enlistments. Commissioned 2 Lieutenant Cavalry Regular Army 17 Nov 1899; Captain Cavalry Regular Army 8 May 1914; Major Cavalry Regular Army 24 July 1917; Lieutenant Colonel Quartermaster Corps Regular Army (Temporary) 5 Aug 1917; Colonel Motor Transport Corps Regular Army (Temporary) 11 Oct 1918. Retired as Colonel (Temporary) Motor Transport Corps 20 Jan 1921.

 

WW1 Service:

"Transport Company 42 to 30 May 1917; M Truck Group 1st Division American Expeditionary Forces to 20 Sept 1917; Regulating Officer Motor Transport Corps Is-sur-tille American Expeditionary Forces to 1 Nov 1917; Chief Transport Officer Service of Supply American Expeditionary Forces to 12 Feb 1918; Chief of Operating Department Paris to 15 May 1918; Chief Transport Officer 1 & 2 Armies American Expeditionary Forces to 21 Apr 1919; Office of Divisional TC Paris to 9 Sept 1919; Office of Chief of TC War Department to 8 Oct 1919; 1 Division MT Officer to resignation. Fort Houston Tex; Cp Taylor Ky; France. American Expeditionary Forces 14 June 1917 to 22 Sept 1919. Resignation accepted 19 Jan 1921.

post-23325-0-25204700-1358068353_thumb.jpeg

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Posts assigned for Col. W. H. Winters

 

Posts assigned

Walla Walla, Washington

Camp Mckenzie

Fort Yellowstone, Wyoming

Fort Keogh Montana

Fort Meade, South Dakota

Camp Eldridge, Los Banos, Luguna, Philippine Islands

Camp Stotsenburg, Pampanga, Philippine Islands

Fort Myer, Virginia

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Fort Sill Oklahoma

Fort Niagara, New York

Camp McGrath, Batangas, Philippine Islands

Fort Clark, Texas

Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Fort McIntosh, Texas

Regan Barracks, Albay, Philippine Islands

Camp Stotsenburg Pampanga, Philippine Islands,

France with American Expeditionary Force

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Units served with:

 

4th Cavalry, 6th Cavalry, 13th Cavalry, 3rd Cavalry, 15th Infantry, Motor Transportation Corp AEF

 

Service, hostilities, etc

 

Frontier, Philippines (First time against Insurgents, second time occupational), significant service along Mexican border, American Expeditionary Force France (WW1)

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AAF_Collection

Wonderful grouping,and I'm glad you were able to keep it all together. Although this is outside my own collecting area I do enjoy reading about and seeing items from other periods of history.

 

Matt.

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Thanks you Garandomatic! They are sure fun to collect. I have been to several frontier army posts and until I started collecting this period I wondered what happened to the uniforms of the soldier that served there. Original uniforms are rare among the museums that focus on the west. To have uniforms from these frontier soldiers is quite an honor to preserve and show,

 

Terry

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Brian Dentino

Terry, this is a very nice looking couple of uniforms to this soldier. Those early dress uniforms are very rare, and yours looks to be in fantastic shape. Very nice to see these still together after all these years.....and thanks for showing them to us here. :)

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teufelhunde.ret

Congrat's to you for keeping these well-preserved uniforms together!!! Enjoyed reading his history via your research, good work! Any info him post-retirement.

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Thanks everyone!. Teufelhund in responding to your question about his retirement. Looks like he left the Army in 1921 and was employed by the American Relief Administration. A lot of controversary about this post war U.S. Government organization. Looks like it was created primarily was to provide aid to European countries that were weakened by WW1 and post war strife. It is interesting that they provided substantial aid to the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1921 when the Russian revolution was not yet decided. Infact some Scholars even suggest it that the aid might have strengthen and otherwise faultering Soviet Red Army. This seems sort of Odd. I have uniform items from other officers that resigned after WW1 and also joined this origanization. Seems to have been made up of a lot former Army officers. A lot of interesting information about this organisation on the net which I will not touch! History has a lot of twists and turns.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi everyone,

 

I was looking for some informations about an american ancester of mine when I arrived on this thread. I'm quite this costume used to be wear by my grand grand father, according to Ludwigh's informtions (which are the same than the familiy story I've been told). I tried to send him an MP but I can't. Do you know how can I contact him or where did he find all of these informations about the military suit and the one who whas inside it ?

 

Thanks a lot,

Olivier

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  • 1 month later...

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