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MODEL 1904 HAVERSACK – 12TH CAVALRY
REGIMENTAL BAND MARKED - EXCELLENT CONDITION:
Introduced with other improvements to the horse and
soldier’s equipments immediately following the turn of
the 20Th Century, this standard Model 1904
Haversack is stenciled on the outer cover “12” and
“BAND” above and below a set of crossed sabres,
indicating it was issued within the Regimental Band of
the 12TH Regiment of U.S. Cavalry.
The 12TH Cavalry Regiment was formed at Fort
Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas on February 8, 1901.
During the first two years of the regiment’s history
various companies were posted to Forts Clark, Bliss and
McIntosh, all in Texas, charged with protecting stage
and mail routes, and maintaining law and order in the
vast area of southwest Texas.
In 1903 the regiment was deployed to the Philippine
Islands, arriving in August of that year. Returning to
the United States in 1905, the regiment was posted to
Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia where it spent the next four
years before returning to the Philippines in 1909 where
they were stationed at Ft. William McKinley.
In February of 1911 the regiment returned to the United
States and elements of the regiment received remote
assignments to Ft. Robinson, Nebraska, Forts Huachuca
and Apache in Arizona, Ft. Meade in South Dakota,
Gallup, New Mexico, El Paso, Texas, and Ft. D.A.
Russell, Wyoming.
In 1914, part of the regiment was assigned to the Lower
Rio Grande Valley, with individual troops stationed at
San Bonito, Harlingen, Mercedes, and Donna where they
conducted patrols to halt incursions by border
bandits.
In February of 1916, the regiment’s 1ST
Squadron was sent to the Panama Canal Zone as part of
the security force protecting the new canal. In April
of that same year, the 2ND and 3RD
Squadrons were sent to New Mexico in response to Poncho
Villa’s raid on Columbus, and subsequently joined
Pershing’s Punitive Expedition into Mexico. After the
expedition was concluded, the 12TH remained
in Texas, assigned to patrol the border during World War
One and on through 1921.
As the designation implies, this pattern of haversack
was introduced in 1904, and based on the stenciled
legend on the front flap, this haversack was issued
within the 12TH Cavalry Regiment. The use of
this haversack during this historic period of our
nation’s maturity into a world power certainly makes the
unit identification an added value.
This Model 1904 Haversack
is in excellent condition, showing only minor evidence
of having been used. The stenciled marking on the front
cover is distinct and legible, all of the seams are
intact, all the pockets on the interior of the bag are
intact, both brass suspension hooks are present on the
reverse and the closing billet and buckle is present and
intact. The interior surface of the cover flap is
faintly, but legibly stenciled “ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL
190?”, the last digit of the date is indiscernible. The
interior buttons are present, and the bacon bag (also in
excellent condition) is in place. This buttoned
arrangement allowed the bacon bag to be removed for
cleaning. The brown leather sheaths which held the
soldier’s knife and fork left stained outlines in the
respective interior pockets in which they were carried,
and these brown outlines are visible on the gusset on
both sides of the haversack.
This is an excellent example of a piece of equipment
necessary to every soldier and one identified to a very
historic early 20TH Century cavalry
regiment. (0419) $250
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