View source for Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                    = Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen
| image                        =
| caption                      =
| dates                        = February 11, 1847 – August 25, 1848
| country                      = {{USA}}
| allegiance                   =
| branch                       = {{Army|USA}}
| type                         = [[Voltigeurs]]<br />[[Riflemen]]
| role                         = [[Skirmishing]]<br />[[Light Infantry]]
| size                         = Regiment
| command_structure            =
| garrison                     =
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| colors =
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| equipment                    = Model 1841 rifle
| equipment_label              = Weapons
| battles                      = [[Mexican–American War]]
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| notable_commanders           = Col. [[Timothy Andrews (general)|Timothy P. Andrews]]
}}
The '''Regiment of [[Voltigeurs]] and Foot Riflemen''' was a one-year regiment of the [[United States Army]] raised during the [[Mexican–American War]]. It was active in 1847 and 1848.
==Background==
At the beginning of the Mexican American War, Congress changed its policy of attempting to prosecute the war with the Regular Army and ordered nine new regiments: eight infantry and the Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen.<ref name=mahon>{{cite web|last1=Mahon|first1=John K.|last2=Danysh|first2=Romana|title=Infantry Part 1: Regular Army|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-3-1/cmhPub_60-3-1.pdf|website=Center of Military History|publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History|accessdate=12 August 2016|date=1972|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073230/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-3-1/cmhPub_60-3-1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The regiment was authorized on February 11, 1847 and the first officers, the colonel and the lieutenant colonel, were assigned on February 16, 1847.<ref name=heitman>{{cite book|last1=Heitman|first1=Francis B.|title=Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army : from its organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903|date=1903|page=143|edition=1|volume= 1|url=https://archive.org/stream/historicalregist01heitrich#page/1/mode/2up|accessdate=17 August 2016|quote=This is the unofficial work of a private compiler, purchased and published by direction of Congress}}</ref>
==Organization==
The regiment was commanded by Colonel [[Timothy Andrews (general)|Timothy P. Andrews]]; His second-in-command was Lieutenant Colonel [[Joseph E. Johnston]].<ref name=heitman />
<!-- ==Mexican War service== -->
The regiment was one of nine new infantry regiments authorized by the [[United States Congress]] in 1847 for one year service in the Mexican-American War.<ref name="Robarts">{{cite book|last1=Robarts|first1=William Hugh|title=Mexican War Veterans|date=1887|publisher=Brentano's (A. S. Witherbee & Co, Proprietors)|location=Washington, DC|pages=33–34|url=https://archive.org/stream/mexicanwarvetera00roba#page/32/mode/2up|accessdate=17 August 2016}}</ref> The regiment was not numbered. It was to be a special unit with half of its men to be mounted, the other half were to be on foot. The intent was to have each horseman paired with a foot soldier who was to get up behind him for rapid movements.
However this arrangement was never used, the Voltigeurs became a regiment of foot riflemen, armed with the muzzle-loading [[M1841 Mississippi rifle|Model 1841 rifle]], the same rifle as was used by the [[3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (United States)|Regiment of Mounted Riflemen]]. The Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen regiment included a company of mountain [[howitzers]] and war [[rockets]].<ref name=mahon />
==See also==
* [[List of United States military and volunteer units in the Mexican–American War]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External==
* [http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/075/75-1/CMH_Pub_75-1.pdf The Regular Army Before the Civil War]
[[Category:Rifle regiments of the United States Army|Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Mexican–American War]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1847]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1848]]
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