Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1877 — Cavalry in Action. [ARTICLE]

Cavalry in Action.

Original!/? horses were only used in war for tbe purpose of bringing the Chiefs fresh into action, and this was effected by means of chariots, from which the warriors descended and fought on foot. Even when cavalry proper first came into use .the horsemen aid not charge in organized bodies, or engage in hand-to-hand encounters, their arms being only bows and arrows or javelins. In fact, the first cavalry were but mounted skirmishers. When Xerxes invaded Greece, the Persian host comprised cavalry, who were accustomed to charge in regular formation, and fight hand to hand with the enemy. Alexander the Great was apparently the first among the Greeks to understand the proper use of cavalry, and to derive full advantage from their momentum. His cavalry were of three sorts: Heavy, with coats of mail, helmets and brazen greaves, swords and short pikes; light, with lances sixteen feet long, used mainly for out-post duty; and dimachi, genuine dragoons, accustomed to fight either on foot or horseback. Alexander organized his cavalry in troops 250 strong, with eight ranks. Between the troops he placed fight infantry, a practice which has found favor with commanders who lived 2,000 years later. The early Roman cavalry used neither saddle nor stirrups, wore no-cuir-ass, and had only a shield and helmet. Their arms were light lances, javelins and swords. They sat on a pad, kept in its place by a girth, a breast-plate aud a crupper. The Roman cavalry, as-such, were forsome time only used for rcconnoitering purposes, and to pursue a beaten enemy. As late as the battle of Cannae, the Roman knights leaped off their horses to fight. Hannibal introduced great improvements in the Carthaginian" cavalry, and the Romans, ever ready to ready to learn from an enemy, followed his example, and raised the mounted branch to a high state of efficiency. The Germans formed their cavalry hi deep order, with sometimes as many as sixteen ranks. Their method of fighting was by riding up to the enemy without charging, and, upon arriving within range of their pistols, they fired two pistol shots each, and then the front rank wheeled to the right or left and unmasked the second, which took up the fire while the leading rank were retiring to the rear, where they formed up in reserve, and recharged their pistols. Each rank did-this in turn, until the whole .force had .discharged their weapons. A practice arose among the French cavalrv of charging at speed, sword in hand, and the result was always the overthrow of their opponents. Yet gradually the French adopted the vicious practice of the Germans, and soon all over Europe the lance and sword were abandoned for a pistol, and the pace of the charge reduced to a trot. Hence, for some time, cavalry was of little use in war. Gustavus Adolphus was, perhaps, one of the greatest military reformers that ever lived. He reduced the depth of the cavalry to three ranks, retained only the cuirass and helmet in the heavy cavalry, abolished defensive armor altogether for the light cavalry, and ordered the cavalry to charge at speed, and after a single discharge from the pistols of the front rank to dash in with the sword. His successes caused his practice to be adopted all over Europe. Frederick the Great improved bn the lesson of Gustavus Adolphus, and brought the tactics, the organization, the drill and the individual instruction of his cavalry to great perfection. The Austrian regular horse still depended much on their fire, and were cumbrous in their movements. The French either attacked, without squadron intervals, at a trot, or at speed in dispersed order, Both Austrians and French were easily overthrown by the Prussian cavalry, who charged at speed in excellent order, sword in hand, and always, if possible, took the initiative. Frederick also introduced horse artillery. In the Wars ot the Revolution, at first, the cavalry of the French were distributed amongst the infantry divisions. Hoche, in 1797, on being appointed to the command of the army of the Sambre et Meuse, perceived the evils of this system, and united the cavalry in separate divisions. Napoleon, in Italy, adopted a similar plan. Improving on it he, a few years later, formed separate corps d'armee of cavalry and horse artillery, only lea vine a weak proportion attached to each infantry corps d'armee. — Athenaeum.