The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-20

MEXICAN CAvALRY.-Statements the most con-
Trajectory have appeared in print, respecting the
efficiency Of the Mexican cavalry. According to
some, the cavalry is the very best portion OF the
Mexican army according to others, 1t is the
worst. An officer of our army in Mexico, VINO
was present at the capture of Monterey, stated,
Tin a letter which was published in several news
papers,) that he had ga regiment OF lancers'
composed of very fine looking men," In an
other paper we find the following paragraph, IN
letter from its New Orleans corresp ondent:-
Gan the officers from Mexico speak in high terms Of
our mounted volunteers for and greatly out
number our forces Of that description"
Now read what Mr.. W. Thompson, in his Gre
collections OF Mexico" (page l7O,) says on the
subject:-
dminuvs size Of their horses and the equally dimnu.
tive stature and feebleness Of their riders utterly in.
efficient against any common infantry"
And again, at page liz, he says
"An American corps (of cavalry,l from the superior
and the obstruction offered by tho Mexicans their
small and scranny ponies, would scarcely their
horses to stumble IN riding them: to say nothing Of
the greater inequality Of the themselves Ave to
ons at least in individual combat, and than twice
Truly, MIR. Thompson, and "the officers Of the
army" have very opposite views in respect to the
party can be said to be in the wrong in reference
to this matter The fact is there is no uniformity
in the composition of the Mexican cavalry-one
portion being very bad, another very good
When Mr.. Thompson was in the city of Mexico,
he saw the bad portion-the officers Of General
Taylor's army have seen the good.
Amongst the Indians, and the very dregs of the
population of the large towns, the cavalry you
in the city Of Mexico and the country south
thereof, is recruited. The men comprising it are
puny, and ill made, and un.ked in the use Of
arms. Nine tenths of them never mounted
horse before the day of their enlistment. Their
horses, too, are as puny as themselves; not be-
cause there are no fine horses in the republic of
Mexico but because, in the northern districts,
horses are scarce and dear. These are the caval-
ny Mr.. Thompson during his residence in
Mexico.
But when you travel northward Of the city of
Mexico-when you enter the departments of San
Luis de Potosi, Morelia, NC you enter fine
grazing country, where horses dog cheap.
AS matter of course, the cavalry raised in that |
part of Mexico, are well mounted; and it is COM
posed of men who, from being engaged in tend
ing the immense herds of cattle with which that
portion of the republic is covered, have become
bold in character, and athletic in frame. They |
are dexterous swordsmen, and as horsemen UNI
surpassed. These are the men who constitute
large portion Of the cavalry now at San Luis de
Potos, under the orders of Santa Anna. These
are not the men Mr.. w. Thompson saw, when
acting as u S. Minister in Mexico.
But supposing that the Mexican cavalry are not
only equal, but even superior 10 our own, in
strength and stature, what does that matter 1t is
mental rather than physical force, which gains
battles. The Romans, though much smaller men
than the Gauls, almost always defeated them -
The diminutive infantry of France have often put
to the rout the gigantic grenadiers ofAustria. The
Mamelukes never could withstand the onsent of
the French cavalry, though much superior to the
latter in stature And we may be sure that in this,
as in former epochs-in Mexico, as in other coun-
tries-when two armies engage in battle, the one
which belongs to the most civilized nation of the
two. will, nine times out of ten, gain the day.