In 1855, 14th president Franklin Pierce appointed him colonel of the new 2nd U.S. Cavalry (the unit that preceded the modern 5th U.S.), a new regiment, which he organized, his lieutenant colonel being Robert E. Lee, and his majors William J. Hardee and George H. Thomas. Other subordinates in this unit included Earl Van Dorn, Edmund Kirby Smith, Nathan G. Evans, Innis N. Palmer, George Stoneman, R.W. Johnson, John B.
In 1855, Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. president, appointed him commander of a new cavalry regiment that would eventually become part of the modern 5th U.S. Cavalry. He oversaw this unit, which included notable officers such as Robert E. Lee, William J. Hardee, and George H. Thomas. Other key figures in the unit were Earl Van Dorn, Edmund Kirby Smith, Nathan G. Evans, Innis N. Palmer, George Stoneman, R.W. Johnson, and John B.