What became of the Rifles?

In August of 1861, the Regiment of Mounted Rifles became the Third Cavalry. Among its Civil War duties, the Regiment served in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. During the Spanish-American War the Third led the attack up San Juan Hill, and 20 years later, went to Europe during World War One. As machine replaced horse, the Regiment transformed into the Third Armored Cavalry. Following in Loring’s footsteps, George S. Patton served as colonel of the Regiment during the late 1930s. (In 1862, Patton’s grandfather George briefly served under Loring in West Virginia.) During World War Two, the Third Armored Cavalry became the first element of Patton’s Third Army to cross into Germany. More recently, the Regiment played major roles in both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.