To close out 2024, the Marine Band is celebrating the 100th anniversary of John Philip Sousa’s 1924 march “The Black Horse Troop.” The March King completed the composition on Dec 11, 1924, and finished the band manuscript on Dec 30, 1924. Like many of Sousa’s compositions, “The Black Horse Troop” had a real inspiration, in this case Troop A, a cavalry unit of the Ohio National Guard.

Sousa’s first encounter with Troop A was during his time as Marine Band Director from 1880-1892. In 1881, Sousa and the Marine Band took part in the funeral of President James A. Garfield, marching with the Black Horse Troop and others during the funeral procession. Although “The Black Horse Troop” was written towards the end of Sousa’s career, his most noteworthy association with the group was in 1898, when the Sousa Band marched in a parade celebrating the unit as it departed Cleveland for service in the Spanish-American War.

The Black Horse Troop was founded as a private militia unit by a group of prominent Cleveland residents in response to the Railroad Strike of 1877, which raised fears about the ability of existing National Guard militias to maintain law and order. Case Western Reserve University describes Troop A as an “independent military company whose 41 charter members were ‘desirous of perfecting ourselves in Horsemanship, in the Use of Arms, and Military Exercises.’" Privately funded militia groups were not uncommon in during the post-Civil War era, when even official military units were often recruited on a geographic basis. Throughout Troop A’s history, it was known by many names including the 1st City Troop, the 1st Cleveland Cavalry, and the Black Horse Troop.

By the time Sousa took part in the 1898 parade in Cleveland, Troop A was part of the Ohio National Guard, having voted to join as an official unit in 1887. It was called into service several times, taking part in both world wars and patrolling the Mexican border during the 1916 border dispute. Troop A remained part of the Ohio National Guard under various names until being deactivated in 1993 after more than 100 years of service.

“The Black Horse Troop” was composed in response to a request from Capt. Walker Nye of Troop A at a dinner given in Sousa’s honor in November, 1924. Paul E. Bierley’s "The Works of John Philip Sousa" describes the debut of the piece:

“Written shortly thereafter, ‘The Black Horse Troop’ officially debuted in Cleveland on Oct. 17, 1925, at a Sousa Band concert celebrating the forty-eighth anniversary of Troop A. For the occasion, the mounted troopers dressed in their 1877 blue uniforms, complete with black fur busbies. Sousa presented a manuscript of the march to Captain Nye, and Troop A reciprocated by presenting Sousa with a bronze statuette entitled ‘The Last Drop,’ depicting a trooper giving water to his horse.”

Entering its 100th year, “The Black Horse Troop” remains a favorite of audience members and Marine Band performers alike for the descriptive qualities it brings to the stage. The 6/8 meter suggests the canter of horses, while Sousa included simulated hoofbeats in his writing. “The Black Horse Troop” is a frequent entry in the Marine Band’s annual Sousa’s March Mania competition, where it competes against 31 other musical marches for voters to decide which one will be crowned the year’s champion march.

Click here to listen to “The Black Horse Troop.”

In addition to its musical impact, “The Black Horse Troop” has another, literal, place in Marine Corps history. The statuette presented to Sousa by Troop A now resides in the Home of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, where it is displayed along with other artifacts significant to Marine Corps history.

“The Black Horse Troop” is part of The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa, the first comprehensive collection of Sousa's marches produced by "The President's Own" since the 1970s. The seven volumes span Sousa's entire march-writing career, from 1873-1932, and offer free resources along with sheet music for all marches in the public domain.

Image: Members of The Black Horse Troop patrol the Mexican Border on Horseback, 1916/Western Reserve Historical Society