Formation of the Porto Rico Battalion (1899)

The Porto Rico Battalion represented the beginning of Puerto Rican military service under the U.S. flag—a complex legacy of colonial obligation and martial identity.

On March 2, 1899, Congress authorized the creation of a body of native troops in Puerto Rico through the Army Appropriation Bill. On March 24, General Guy V. Henry published Circular 6 ordering recruitment. General George W. Davis formally activated the battalion on May 20, 1899, via General Order No. 65, organizing four companies (A, B, C, D) of 100 enlisted men each, stationed in San Juan, Mayagüez, and Ponce under Major Lorenzo Davinson.

On August 14, 1899, 1st Lieutenant Blas Nadal was appointed from the ranks, becoming the first Puerto Rican officer in the organized native troops. The regiment was redesignated the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry, United States Army on July 1, 1899, and a Mounted Battalion was organized on February 12, 1900.

The regiment totaled 1,969 Puerto Rican soldiers, but all officers and first sergeants were white Americans—called 'Continentals' by the Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans did not begin receiving officer commissions until 1905, when several were appointed as second lieutenants. This racial hierarchy within the military structure mirrored the broader colonial relationship.

The unit's lineage leads directly to the 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, who would serve with distinction in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.