Don't forget the Buffalo soldiers of the 25th Bicycle Corps!!
In 1897, 20 soldiers, an army surgeon and a reporter led by Lt. James A. Moss, rode bicycles from Fort Missoula in Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. The trip was made as an experiment to see whether the bicycle could serve a useful purpose in the Army.
More on ...
http://bicyclecorps.blogspot.com/Respect for the first bikepacking cycling soldiers
