11th U.S. Infantry

11th Infantry Regiment
Coat of arms
Active	1862–
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Parent unit for many Infantry School units
Part of	U.S. Army Infantry School
Garrison/HQ	Fort Benning
Nickname(s)	"Wandering 11th"
Motto(s)	Semper fidelis [1]
Engagements	American Civil War Indian Wars War with Spain World War I World War II Vietnam War
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.

Under the authority granted the President by the Act of 16 July 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in January 1799, with Aaron Ogden as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was raised for the "Quasi-War" with France but saw no war service. The Act of 20 February 1800, suspended enlistments for the new regiments. The Act of 14 May 1800, authorized the president to discharge them, and under this authority the 11th Infantry was disbanded 15 June 1800.

The second 11th U.S. regiment of infantry was organized on 11 January 1812 when the Congress authorized a strengthening of the Regular Army in preparation for the threatening conflict that became known as the War of 1812. During the summer little was done in Vermont beyond organizing the 11th infantry, which seems to have consisted originally of six companies from Vermont and four from New Hampshire. The army gathered at Plattsburgh, New York, numbering about eight thousand men, of whom nearly one half were Vermonters. Among them was the 11th regiment of regulars under Col. Isaac Clark (12 March 1812 to 27 April 1814).

On 16 November 1812 the largest portion moved north under the immediate command of Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn, then the senior officer of the army, and on 18 November encamped about half a mile south of the Canadian boundary line. The force there assembled numbered three thousand regulars and two thousand militia, while the entire British force on the northern frontier did not exceed three thousand, and of these not more than one thousand were within striking distance of the American army. When Dearborn was prepared to cross the line, the British Major Salaberry also prepared to meet him. Early in the morning of 20 November, a detachment of Dearborn's army forded the La Colle river and surrounded a British guard-house, which was occupied by Canadian militia and a few Indians, who broke through the American lines and escaped unhurt. In the meantime a second party of the Americans had advanced, and commenced a sharp fire on those in possession of the ground, mistaking them for the British picket. This fire continued for nearly half an hour, when, being undeceived, both parties hastily retreated, leaving behind five killed and as many wounded. The troops immediately afterwards returned to Champlain, and on 23 November to Plattsburgh, when the militia were disbanded, and the 11th U.S. regiment was sent to Burlington, with the 9th, 21st, and 25th, all under the command of Brig. Gen. John Chandler of Maine.