Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, retired senior archivist from the National Archives at College Park.
This is the second post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use.
In July 1896, Moss organized at Fort Missoula, from Companies B, F, and H, a bicycle corps to thoroughly test the practicability of the bicycle for military purposes in a mountainous country. His corps consisted of Sergeant Dalbert P. Green, Corporal John G. Williams, musician William W. Brown, and Privates Frank L. Johnson, William Proctor, William Haynes, Elwood Forman, and John Findley. Findley, before joining the Army had worked at the Imperial Bicycle Works in Chicago. He not only knew how to ride a bicycle but also how to fix them.[1]
Moss envisioned the most thorough and extensive military bicycle experiments ever made in the United States. He would write “The main object of the Twenty-fifth United States Infantry Bicycle Corps was to thoroughly test [the bicycles] in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where, if the utility of the bicycle for military purposes could be established, there could be no doubts about its practicability anywhere else.”[2] He planned to conduct the bicycle experiments during August, September, and October. Moss intended to make experiments in the rapid establishment of signal stations: including scouting, road patrolling, reconnaissance and route sketching; rapid conveying of messages; and practice rides with rifles, blankets, rations and shelter tents. [3]
Once the bicycle corps was established, for three weeks instruction was given by Private Finley and Moss directed his men in practice rides, drills and exercises in jumping fences and fording streams, using Spalding bicycles. These bicycles would be used on all the 1896 trips. They were 26-inch bicycles, geared to 66 ½ inches, and fitted with Christy saddles. Apparently Moss had contacted the Spalding Bicycle Company, which agreed to lend the army a number of specially designed bikes in return for allowing the company to use the corps in its advertisements. The weather permitting, they made daily rides of from fifteen to forty miles. In drills they confined themselves to simple movements, designed for utility only. After little practice the corps attained great proficiency in getting over fences and fording streams. Several times they got over, with but little trouble, a board fence nine feet high, the bicycles being packed in heavy marching order. On a number of occasions they forded streams in three feet of swift water.[4]
On July 11, the Daily Missoulian reported:
Today is a red letter day for cycling in the United States army. The twenty-fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps has been organized at Fort Missoula, and is the first organization of the kind effected in the regular army. The object of the corps is to thoroughly test the practicability of the bicycle for military purposes in a mountainous country. The corps is to consist of eight picked men, commanded by Lieut. J. A. Moss, and as all of the men are very enthusiastic there is no doubt that great results will be accomplished. [5]
One of the first problems to be solved was a system of packing, which was devised as follows:
- the knapsack was strapped to the handle bars on the front of the bicycle–>on the knapsack was carried the blanket roll, containing one blanket, one shelter-tent half, and the tent poles–>the haversack was carried either on the front of the knapsack or on the horizontal bar, well to the front;
- the tin cup was secured under the saddle (seat), and protected from mud and dust by a cloth bag;
- the canteen and cartridge belt were on the body of the soldier; every other soldier carried a rifle strapped horizontally on the left side of his bicycle;
- those not so armed carried revolvers, and had canvas luggage-cases in the diamond (frame) of their bicycles; every man carried thirty rounds of ammunition.
To facilitate the packing of the rations, the flour, salt, sugar, and coffee were carried in rubber-cloth bags about 8″x20″, and stored away either in the knapsacks or the luggage-cases; the bacon was cut into the small chunks and wrapped in cloth. Canned goods, such as corn, baked beans, jelly, deviled ham, etc. were generally carried in the knapsack. The cooking utensils, consisting of three dripping pans, one patented baker and one large coffee-pot, were carried in a tin case attached to the front of the bicycle and resting on a frame.
Every soldier carried in his knapsack: one summer under shirt, one pair summer drawers, two pair summer socks, one towel, two handkerchiefs, one winter undershirt, one pair winter drawers, one pair winter socks, one tooth brush and powder, one cake soap, one blanket, toilet paper. Every other man carried a comb and brush, and every one carried in his haversack a knife, fork, spoon and meat can.[6]
Excursion to Lake McDonald, August 6-9, 126 miles (203 km)
For the first test, Moss and his bicycle corps made a preliminary excursion to Lake McDonald.
On August 5, they drew 120 pounds of rations for their trip. The rations consisted of:
- 7 cans of beans (19 lbs.); salt (2 lbs.); prunes (5 lbs.); sugar (6 lbs.); rice (5 lbs.); baking powder (2 lbs.); condensed milk (I lb.); bacon (20 lbs.); 3 cans of deviled ham (2 lbs.); pepper (2 ounces); coffee (2 lbs.); flour (35 lbs.); 3 cans of corn (5 ¼ lbs.); 1 can of syrup (12 lbs.); and lard (3 lbs).
- In addition, for the trip, they carried 2 dripping pans with covers; 1 large tin case; 3 hatchets; 1 bottle of bicycle oil; 1 stick of lubricant; 3 rubber blankets; 1 screw-driver; 3 seat springs; and 3 extra tubes of tire cement.
- Every soldier carried in his knapsack: 1 summer undershirt, 1 pair of summer drawers, 2 pairs of summer socks, 1 towel, 2 handkerchiefs, toilet paper, 1 winter undershirt, 1 pair of winter drawers, and 1 pair of winter socks.
- Every other soldier carried a comb, brush, candles and matches.
- Every soldier carried 1 shelter tent and 1 blanket half rolled on the knapsack, and a knife, fork, spoon, and meat can in his haversack.
The average weight of the bicycles, packed, was 76.2 lbs.; the riders, 155.7 lbs.
They left Fort Missoula at 6:20 am on August 6 and reached Lake McDonald (126 miles away) at 1:30 pm on August 9. They were delayed quite a number of times in tightening nuts, adjusting chains, etc. The bicycles stood the work extraordinarily well. On their trip the corps found the roads muddy from recent rain, and were much impeded by the clay-mud sticking to the tires of their bicycles. They had to dismount frequently to ascend heights, and over six miles of road they dismounted twenty times on account of mud puddles and fallen trees. In crossing Finley Creek on bicycles two men fell into the stream. Part of the journey was made in a drizzling rain, which covered the wheels with mud and filled the shoes of the riders with water, making it difficult for them to keep their feet on the muddy pedals. Mission Creek was forded through three feet of swift running water, each bicycle being carried across on a pole suspended from the shoulders of two soldiers.. “Had the devil himself,” said Moss, “conspired against us, we would have had little more to contend with.”[7]
In his official report on the Lake McDonald trip, that covered 126 miles, Moss noted that the trip was completed under “the most adverse circumstances.” He would write that heavy rains, strong winds, deep mud, steep grades, and impassible roads that frequently forced the men to push their bicycles made the trip dreary and exhausting. Frequent punctures, burst tires, broken pedals, loose rims, and lost chains added to their difficulties.[8]
The bicycle corps returned to Fort Missoula to prepare for its next excursion. The United States Army and Navy Journal reported on August 22, that “they never expect to have such a hard trip again.” The same issue reported that the bicycle corps would soon start on a 1,000-mile trip through the Rockies. It noted that one of the greatest objections to the use of the bicycle for military purposes was the weakness of the tire. Moss reported that they were going to use a new tire called “The Advance.” It was made of felt, rubber and steel, and was supposed to be absolutely puncture proof. Moss said “We shall give it a very severe test over some of the roughest roads in the country.” [9]
The bicycle corps, as the journal noted, immediately began preparing for their next trip, this time to the Yellowstone National Park, over 300 miles to the southeast. Moss, as the journal noted, hoped to avoid delays caused by stopping to repair punctures through use of nine puncture-proof tires supplied by the Advance Tire Company. He also planned a route mostly following the railroad lines, enabling him to arrange for supplies to be held for the bicycle corps at various train stations.[10]
Trip to Yellowstone National Park, August 15-September 8, 300 miles (483 km)
The bicycle corps left Fort Missoula on August 15 at 6:05 am. The corps consisted of Moss, Sergeant. Green, Corporal Williams, Musician Brown, and Privates Proctor, Finley, Forman, Haynes, and Johnson. The average weight of the bicycles, packed, was 79.7 lbs.; the riders, 157.4 lbs. These weights, higher than those of the Lake McDonald trip, were reflective of the extra bicycle parts and extra rations. Even though rations were to be picked up every 150 miles or so, it was necessary to pack enough food to last four days. They started out with: prunes (5 lbs.), flour (25 lbs.), sugar (14 lbs.), ground coffee (16 lbs.), bacon, 1 1/2 cans of syrup (18 lbs.), four cans of baking powder, 1 box of pepper, 3 cans of milk (5 lbs.), rice, 2 cans of jelly, 3 cans of deviled ham (10 lbs.), bologna sausage, 1 jar of Armour’s extract of beef, 2 cakes of chocolate, 4 cans of corn, 6 cans of beans (5 lbs.), and salt.
They also carried medicines, tools and repairing material, including 50 feet of 1/4 inch rope, 1 ball of twine, 5 Spalding repair kits, chain lubricant, bicycle oil, and tire and rim cement. Additionally they carried 3 dripping pans with covers, 1 large coffee pot, 1 patented baker, and 1 large tin boiler.
They also carried 12 shelter tent halves with poles, 5 rubber blankets, candles and matches, tobacco, dish rags, soap, wiping cloths, and 13 blankets. Ever soldier carried 2 pair summer socks, 1 pair of winter socks, 1 pair of summer drawers, 1 pair of winter drawers, 1 toothbrush and powder, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 cake of soap, 1 towel, 1 meat can, 1 knife, 1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 tin cup, 1 knapsack, and 1 haversack. Every other soldier carried 1 comb and brush. Every other man carried a rifle and a 30-round cartridge belt. Those not so armed carried a revolver and a 30-round cartridge belt. They all wore ordinary skin gloves, campaign hats, leggings, ordinary blouse, trousers and shoes, and dark blue flannel shirts. Moss carried a 4 x 5 Kodak camera and 7 extra rolls of film.
To deal with bicycle problems, they carried, among other things, 10 spokes, 10 nipples, 1 pair of tires, 1 Christy saddle, 1 rear axle, 1 front axle, 2 pedals, 1 chain, and 10 chain links and bolts.
On the first day out the corps covered 42 miles on its way to Fort William Henry Harrison (near Helena) in almost eight hours of actual travel time despite riding into a wind most of the day and rolling their bicycles along a railroad track for several miles to avoid steep grades. On August 16, they rode 47 miles. “We had had,” Moss wrote, “a hard day’s work, riding over mountains, rough roads, and against the wind, and were all very tired.”
The trip would get more difficult. In his report for August 17, Moss noted they left camp at 6:18 am and struck a mountain ¾ miles from camp. The grade was quite steep and at 7am they were delayed for a half hour fixing Sgt. Green’s gun and knapsack. At 9am they reached Avon. At 10 am they were delayed five minutes fixing a puncture. Then at 10:10 am Forman broke his seat spring, delaying them for ten minutes. Then at 10:55 am they were delayed 25 minutes fixing a puncture. The bicycle corps reached Elliston at 11:30 am and rested there until 1pm when they left for Helena. The afternoon was very hot and they had to stop in the shade several times. The roads at this point were very stony and nearly all up grade. They reached Blossburg at 3 pm and an hour later left for Helena. They reached the summit of the Main Divide of the Rocky Mountains at 4:20 pm and 25 minutes later reached the foot of the summit. After a fifteen minute break, they continued on. The grade was so steep that they could not ride down. “They had to roll their bicycles the whole way down — had to use brakes until we had cramps in our fingers, to prevent wheels from getting away from us — was, without doubt, hardest work so far on the trip” Moss reported. At 5:15 pm they stopped for ten minutes to fix a puncture. They were delayed from 6:30 pm to 7 pm fixing three punctures. After having traveled 44 miles during the day they reached Fort William Henry Harrison at 7:30 pm. Their trip thus far covered 132 miles in 22 hours of actual traveling, averaging six miles per hour.
At that post a reporter noted that “If this experiment succeeds – and, if the energy and enthusiasm of Lieut. Moss and his men are any indication, it certainly must – then the practical utility of the bicycle as a machine for military purposes in a mountainous country will have been demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt.” The bicycle corps got their fresh supply of rations at the fort and left for Fort Yellowstone, Wyoming at noon August 19. At Bozeman the bicycle corps attracted great attention. “The sight of a squad of soldiers on wheels, carrying their rations, guns, tents, etc., was,” Moss wrote, “indeed novel, and people rushed to doors and windows to see us. During our stop of three hours on the outskirts of the town many people visited our camp.” The bicycle corps reached Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, and nearby Fort Yellowstone, at 1:30 pm August 23. So far they had traveled in 53 hours of actual traveling 323 miles of the hilliest and rockiest roads in the United States, fording streams, going through sand, mud, over rocks, ruts, etc. Every day, except only one, they had the wind against them. After a rest of a day and a half, on August 25, at 10 am, Moss and his men began a five days’ leisurely tour through Yellowstone National Park. The entire trip through the park, 132 miles, was made in 19 hours of actual traveling, averaging about 7 miles per hour. In his official report of the trip Moss wrote that he took a picture of a bear on a bicycle and that “several tourists came to camp to take pictures of the bicycle corps.” He summed up the reaction of the corps: “Soldiers delighted with the trip – treated royally everywhere – thought the sights grand.”
On the morning of September 1, the bicycle corps started its return trip to Fort Missoula. By that evening they had reached Bozeman, 75 miles away. At 11 am on September 4, they reached Fort William Henry Harrison, having traveled from Fort Yellowstone, 191 miles, in 27 hours of actual travel time. Then on September 6 in the morning the bicycle corps headed back to Fort Missoula. At 7:45 pm on September 8, the corps rolled into the fort after a day of riding which Moss called “by far the hardest on the whole trip.” Moss later wrote “We covered 797 miles in 126 hours of actual traveling, averaging six and a quarter miles per hour. Our best ride was made on September 3rd, when we rode seventy-two miles in 8 3/4 hours. Our poorest ride was made the day we returned, covering forty miles in ten hours, through rain, mud, water and snow.” A reporter noted that “The trip has proved the entire practicability of the bicycle for military purposes over such roads as are usually found in a mountainous country.” Moss was quoted as saying: “This is the first real test ever made with the bicycle as a machine for military purposes.” “We have,” Moss stated, “made and broken camp in the rain, ridden through mud, sand, dust and water, over rocks, ruts and stones, crossed mountain ranges, forded streams, stopped for nothing; carried rations, cooking utensils, rifles, ammunition (thirty pounds to every man), blankets, tents, underwear, extra tires and parts; in fact, all the baggage needed “ [11]
In early November, The United States Army and Navy Journal reported on the trip. It noted:
The wheels stood the severe test to which they were subjected extraordinarily well. The trip furnished a very satisfactory test of the possibilities of the bicycle as a means of rapid transportation for soldiers and great credit is due to Lieut. Moss for his successful conduct of the expedition. Whatever difference of opinion there may now be as to the use of the bicycle in the military service, it is certainly desirable that the place of the wheel man in war should be determined by careful experiment, and not by prejudiced conclusions concerning him based upon ignorance or indifference. [12]
Bitter Root Valley Practice March, September 11-16, 72 miles (116 km)
Three days after the return to Fort Missoula, on September 13 at 11 am, the bicycle corps left Fort Missoula again to join the troops on a practice march up the Bitter Root Valley with elements of the 25th Infantry Regiment and the 10th Cavalry Regiment. This exercise lasted about five days. Work done in the practice march, Moss later wrote, showed the great value of the bicycle for scouting and courier service.[13] Frederic Remington, who was accompanying the 10th Calvary[14], reported that, “After breakfast the march begins. A bicycle corps pulls out ahead. It is heavy wheeling and pretty bumpy on the grass, where they are compelled to ride, but they managed far better than one would anticipate. Then came the infantry in an open column of fours…The physique of the black soldiers must be admired – great chested, broad-shouldered, tip-standing fellows, with bull necks, as with their rifles thrown across their packs they straddle along.” [15]
Moss, after his adventures with his bicycle corps, observed in a popular outdoors magazine:
In all our experiments we traveled one thousand four hundred miles, by far the greater part of this distance being over some of the worst roads in the United States.
Only when in gumbo mud did we find our wheels to be a hindrance. At all other times, when we could not ride, the wheel was a great aid, as we could roll the loads on our bicycles much easier than we could carry them on our bodies.
After being out in the mountains about a week, I found we would not, under ordinary circumstances, feel the effects of a ride of forty-five miles or less in one day, but that anything over this would make us feel tired at night. It is true we were well hardened by this time, but such would be the normal condition of soldiers in time of actual warfare. At no time on the trip was any one made sick or in any way disabled from riding.
We found brakes to be absolutely necessary. Going down any kind of a grade, it would have been impossible to control, without brakes, wheels as heavily loaded as ours.
Furthermore, we were often compelled to make sudden stops upon meeting wagons along sinuous roads, lined on either side with timber and underbrush.
In all our experimental work the wind was one of the hardest things to contend against. A wood rim is, I think, less likely to buckle than a steel one, but it will not answer for military purposes, unless, in addition to being glued where the ends meet, it is also riveted. After being out in water and dampness a day or so, the glue is likely to wash out and the rim become loose.
Although the present pneumatic tires ride very easy and will answer in every respect for good roads, they will not do for military work. The bicycle itself is now about perfect, and the all-important part of the question to be solved is a resilient, non-puncturable tire, which will very likely be shortly attained. [16]
He added:
Our trips to Lake McDonald and Yellowstone Park, and the work on the practice march have, I think, demonstrated the practicability of the bicycle for military purposes, even in a mountainous country. The matter was most thoroughly tested under all possible conditions – we made and broke camp in the rain; we traveled through mud, water, sand, dust, over rocks, ruts, etc.; for we crossed and recrossed mountain ranges, and forded streams, carrying our rations, rifles, ammunition, tents, blankets, extra underwear, medicines, tools, repairing material, cooking utensils and extra bicycle parts. [17]
In another popular magazine, Moss repeated some of what he had written in the previous magazine, but added much more detail. [18] In neither publication did Moss directly refer to his by their race. They were simply U.S. Army soldiers, forming the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps.
At the conclusion of the bicycle expeditions Moss prepared a report detailing the corps’ experience in using bicycles under such trying circumstances as bad roads, inclement weather, and mountainous terrain. His report was sent to the adjutant general of the Department of Dakota. General Miles, who was aware of the activities of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, expressed interest in seeing Moss’ report, which was forwarded in early November to the adjutant general of the army. [19]
Meanwhile, The United States Army and Navy Journal, in early September, observed that the Army was indebted to Moss “for a very interesting experiment in bicycle riding” and added that “he and his little corps of seven men has shown the possibility of comparatively rapid movement by armed men under the most adverse conditions, and they have demonstrated the value of ‘the bicycle as a military auxiliary!” [20]
The October 17, 1896 issue of The United States Army and Navy Journal carried a photograph of the 25th Infantry Regiment bicycle corps crossing a mountain near Fort Missoula. The accompanying text noted that an account of their last bicycle excursion was carried in the September 5 issue. [21]
One magazine in November noted:
To the bicycle corps of the Twenty-fifth Infantry, U.S.A… stationed at Fort Missoula, Mont., belongs the unique distinction of being the first armed body to cross the Rocky Mountains awheel. Under the command of Lieutenant J. A. Moss, whose enthusiasm in the cause of military cycling Major-General Miles commends, this company made the trip from Fort Missoula to Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, a distance of 323 miles, over the poor roads of almost virgin territory, in fifty-three hours of actual wheeling. They toiled up hills, walked over sandy trails, and forded rivers, while carrying an equipment weighing (with the machine itself) from sixty-four to eighty-seven pounds, the average being seventy-seven and a half. Under these circumstances, the pace was over six miles per hour, equivalent to a day’s march of some sixty miles over bad roads. Stonewall Jackson’s famous marches, which earned for his troops the name of ” The Foot Cavalry,” seldom exceeded thirty miles per day with good weather and over fairly good roads. Cycling troops that can move across country at the rate or sixty miles a day would be a new and interesting feature in modern warfare. [22]
By the fall Moss and his bicycle corps were becoming somewhat famous for their exploits. Moss set about writing the publications heretofore noted and began looking forward to a long rest.
On November 23, Moss was granted leave for two months and sixteen days to take effect on or about December 10. [23] On that day, Moss said goodbye to Fort Missoula and his bicycle corps to begin his leave. He may initially have traveled to his home at Lafayette, Louisiana, but in any case, sometime in early January 1897, he was in Washington, D.C., and received from General Miles the suggestion that he plan a more extensive trip for the coming summer.[24]
What Moss and Miles wanted was a bicycle expedition to test thoroughly the durability and the practicability of the bicycle as a means of transportation for troops. It was necessary that the route should be long and the geography of the country of such a nature as to afford all possible conditions. By selecting St. Louis as their end destination, they had a long route with high and low altitudes, moist and dry climates, up grades and down grades, the mountainous and stony roads of Montana, the hummock earth roads of South Dakota, the sandy roads of Nebraska, and the clay roads of Missouri.[25]
By mid-January 1897, Moss was in New York City. [26] On January 22, he wrote to General Miles requesting permission for the following:
- to be placed on special duty in Washington until April 15 so that he could study the literature on bicycles at the Bureau of Information and visit the leading bicycle manufacturers and tire factories in the East;
- to organize a bicycle corps of twenty soldiers and one surgeon under his command;
- to select the members of the corps from among soldiers stationed at Fort Missoula;
- to make a trip from Fort Missoula to St. Louis and return carrying arms, ammunition, and rations; and,
- to secure the needed bicycles from a manufacturer at no expense to the government.
On February 2 General Miles submitted the request to Secretary of War Russell Alger with the endorsement that Lieutenant Moss shows “excellent qualifications for the work” and that “this proposition was submitted at my insistence…” The secretary returned the request to Miles on March 12 with the notation that the matter be postponed until a puncture-proof tire had been fully tested. [27]
In the meantime, during February, Moss traveled to Lafayette, Louisiana. While there, on February 20, 1897, the Headquarters of the Army extended his leave for one month. [28]
By the second week in March, Moss was back in New York City. He had returned to New York City on special duty in connection with military cycling.[29] On the strength of Miles’ endorsement, Moss went to the Spalding Bicycle Company at Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, to make arrangements for twenty-two Spalding military bicycles with special equipment. Given this situation and his own interest in the project, Miles returned the request to the secretary with the comment that Moss had studied the matter of puncture-proof tires carefully and had brought to his office samples of tires which seemed satisfactory. Furthermore, since the government would incur no expense in the use of the bicycles, he recommended that the test not be postponed. [30]
While waiting for the approval of his bicycle expedition, Moss was busy with three projects. The first was getting published a booklet about the bicycle corps exploits in 1896. The second was making known his sketching board he had invented for use with bicycles. And third, was working with a bicycle manufacturer to develop a bicycle for a contemplated long-distance experiment by the 25th Infantry Regiment later in 1897.
Early in 1897, the American Sports Publishing Company published Moss’ “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains.” It appeared in Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897). It is interesting to note, his lengthy article is followed by his testimonials for the Spalding Bicycle and for the Christy Saddle. The article is also preceded by a dedication to General Miles, “The Patron of Military Cycling.” Beginning with the March 13 issue of The United States Army and Navy Journal and weekly thereafter an A. G. Spalding & Bros advertisement appeared about the Moss publication. They noted it contained many beautiful half tines and his account of his “famous 1,000 miles trip.” The cost was ten cents. [31]
On March 20, The United States Army and Navy Journal carried a story, with illustrations, of “an ingenious and extremely simple sketching board, invented by Lieut. Jas. A. Moss, 25th Inf.” The story indicated that the sketching board was intended to be used with the bicycle especially, although it could be properly fastened to the pommel of the saddle and used on horseback, or it could be carried in any suitable manner and used on foot. The story reported that “When used with the bicycle, the sketching board is fastened to the handle bars by two thumb-clamps, and the distances traveled, in miles and fractions thereof, are gotten from the cyclometer. In this case, however, on account of the iron of the bicycle, the compass cannot be attached to the board, and every time a reading is taken the rider should lay his bicycle on the ground and step a few yards away. Gen. Miles, whose interest in military cycling is well known, has seen Lieut. Moss’s sketching board and expressed himself as much pleased with it.” [32]
Moss spent considerable time dealing with the Spalding Company, providing it with suggestions, based on his previous experiences, of the type of bicycle and tires he would need for his bicycle corps. Moss would later report that A. G. Spalding & Bros. were very anxious to have their bicycles undergo a service test, and with that end in view, furnished the bicycles and supplied his bicycle corps with a complete outfit of luggage carriers, cooking utensils, frame cases, repairing tools, extra parts, and other necessary items. The bicycle produced weighed over 30 pounds each, and when loaded with equipment, about 70 pounds. The saddle was of a peculiar pattern, devised for comfort during long, hard journeys. The brake was not discarded, as it has been found difficult to control the heavily loaded bicycles on downgrades without them. They had pneumatic tires, supposedly puncture proof.[33] During April, Moss, in New York City, was busy making the final preparations for his long-distance bicycle trip. At the end of April, Moss’s special duties in New York City in connection with bicycles for his bicycle corps ended. At the beginning of May he returned to Fort Missoula. Before leaving, finally, on May 4, the Secretary of War approved the project. [34] It was now time for the big adventure for the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps.
Next: Part III
This year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has chosen Black Health and Wellness as the theme. We hope you enjoy blogs that reveal stories of Black health and wellness from the records of the National Archives.
[1] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 33, July 18, 1896, p. 835; Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), p. 7; Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), p. 488; Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, pp. 21, 22.
[2] Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), p. 488.
[3] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 33, July 18, 1896, p. 835.
[4] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), pp. 7-9, 49; Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), p. 488; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 33, July 18, 1896, p. 835; Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 21.
[5] Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 23.
[6] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), p. 11; Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), pp. 488-489.
[7] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), pp. 11-19; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, September 5, 1896, p. 11; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, November 7, 1896, p. 155; Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), p. 489.
[8] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 10, 11. Dr. Dollar, a former National Archives and Records Administration senior staff member used in writing about the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, the reports that Moss wrote regarding his trips to Lake McDonald, Yellowstone, and St. Louis. The reports are contained in the Records of the AGO, 1780s-1917 (Record Group 94)..
[9] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 33, August 22, 1896, p. 926.
[10] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), p. 21; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 11; Moore, The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army’s Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97, p. 32.
[11] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), pp. 21-42; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, September 5, 1896, pp. 5, 11; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, September 12, 1896, p. 27; Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), pp. 489-490; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 10-11.
[12] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, November 7, 1896, p. 155
[13] Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), pp. 490-491; Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), pp. 43-46, 50.
[14] After 20 years of service in some of the most undesirable posts in the southwest, the Afro-American 10th Cavalry Regiment was transferred to the Department of Dakota in 1891. The Regiment served at various posts in Montana and Dakotas until 1898..
[15] Frederic Remington, “Vagabonding With the Tenth Horse,” The Cosmopolitan, Vol. XXII, No. 4 (February 1897), p. 350.
[16] Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), pp. 491-492.
[17] Lieutenant James A. Moss, U.S.A., “Recent Experiments in Infantry Bicycling Corps,” Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 5 (February 1897), p. 492.
[18] Lieut. James A. Moss, U.S.A., Commander 25th U.S. Infantry Bicycle Corps, “Military Cycling in the Rocky Mountains,” Spalding’s Athletic Library, Vol. 62, No. 2 (February 1897), pp. 5-50.
[19] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 12.
[20] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, September 5, 1896, p. 8
[21] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, October 17, 1896, p. 118
[22] Outing, Vol. XXIX, No. 2 (November 1896), p. 197.
[23] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, November 28, 1896, p. 214
[24] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 12.
[25] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.
[26] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, January 16, 1897, p. 342; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, January 23, 1897, p. 361.
[27] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 12.
[28] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, February 27, 1897, pp. 461, 465.
[29] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, March 13, 1897, p. 502; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, March 20, 1897, p. 522; George W. Cullum, Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. military academy at West Point, N.Y., from its establishment, in 1802, to 1890; with the early history of the United States military academy, Supplement, vol. IV. 1890-1900, edited by Edward S. Holden (Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1901), p. 582.
[30] Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), p. 12.
[31] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, March 13, 1897, p. 514.
[32] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, March 20, 1897, p. 518.
[33] The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, June 5, 1897, p. 741; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, July 3, 1897, p. 814; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 35, October 2, 1897, p. 71.
[34] George W. Cullum, Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. military academy at West Point, N.Y., from its establishment, in 1802, to 1890; with the early history of the United States military academy, Supplement, vol. IV. 1890-1900, edited by Edward S. Holden (Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1901), p. 582; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, April 3, 1897, p. 562; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, April 17, 1897, p. 601; The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Vol. 34, May 8, 1897, p. 662; Charles M Dollar, “Putting the Army on Wheels: The Story of the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps,” Prologue: Journal of the National Archives, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 12-13.