1861-63, Provost Duties
With the exceptions of companies C, G, and I, the regiment had formed together in Washington by the end of 1861. The regiment's headquarters were known as "Cantonment Holt", and was in reality the Park Hotel in Washington city. A second lieutenant of the regiment wrote a lengthy piece for Rodenbough's book entitled "...Letters of a subaltern". In it, he describes life in and around the city early in the war.
From an officer's standpoint, life wasn't so bad as "...and in all respects we are as comfortable as at Carlisle". The regimental staff and officers of two companies were quartered in the hotel, with all the rest being housed in newly built frame buildings nearby. This un-named writer, actually 1st Lt. T.F. Rodenbough himself, was given command of company A due to the assigned captain, "L" (Brockholst Livingston) having been on sick call for 6 months.
He indicates that duty for the first few months of 1862 involved patrolling the city (4 regular cavalry companies each day) with these duties: Supply sentinels for all the "principle crossings" An officer and 6 men patrol the streets every two hours Require all mounted officers and men to show their passes Rodenbough further says that "We are very hardly worked here, but we have good feed, good appetites, and a comandant who is an accomplished soldier and gentleman".
I believe he refers to "Major [John W.] D"[avidson], then commanding the 2nd regiment in the field as Colonel Wood, while assigned, was off in the west with other duties. Davidson would later serve extensively in Missouri and Arkansas and achieve Brevet Maj. General (of volunteers) rank. He returned briefly to command the 2nd Cavalry in the fall of 1866, and then assume the Lt. Col. position with the new 10th Cavalry in December 1866 and serve there through 1874. Major Davidson instructed his younger officers in drill and expected them to excel. Brig Gen'l Cooke held brigade level drills every two weeks and on some occasions Lt. Rodenbough commanded 2 companies instead of just his own. The drill occurred a mile form the capitol in very muddy conditions.
Rodenbough says that "After marching and counter marching, wheeling in column and then in line, it closed with a magnificent charge in column of squadrons of the whole brigade (in which several men of the 5th and 6th cavalry were thrown by getting into holes, but never a man of ours, although several horses were down). Colonel Sacket, Inspector General of the army, was present and pronounced ours the best regiment on the ground; as he observed to General Cooke, 'The old Second still keeps up it's reputation.' We returned home at four o'clock p.m., tired and muddy, having been six hours in the saddle".
