Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-05-03
THE TURKISH CAVALRY.

THE IUUhlS11 C.Ai AlIh1
It is said by Col Dean. the French Of
ficer dispatched to the Danube in order to
examine into the condition of the Turkish
army, that while the infantry are a pro.
missing set Of men, the cavalry is quite
inefficient To hear this asserted of an
arm of the service, which oCce was the
finest in the world, seems strange at FIRST,
but is nevertheless susceptible of easy eX-
plauatiou.
The old Turkish cavalry were the most
superb irregulars in the world. They
rode with short stirrups, and deep saddles,
and we're familiar with the scimetar from
their youth. Their horses were general
" spirited animals, and under admirable
training. The ancient Turkish horsemen
was in fact sort Of Seljoukan Gamanche.
In former wars, it was no unusual thing
sor body of this magnificent cavalry TO
charge right up to the very batteries; and
there is one instance on record in which
troop leaped ditch, broke into phalanX
of infantry. and cut down several thou
sands. Until within the last century the
Turkish horsemen were regarded as al
most invincibe. No body of mounted
soldiery anywhere has such skill in arms
and in the management of their horses ;
were SO proud and confident ; or could
point 10 trophies won in SO many bat
ties.
But with the introduction of dioci pline
into European armies, the Turkish cavalry
began to lose their superiority. The cred
it of first demonstrating in modern
times, how much more reliable regular
cavalry was to irregular belongs to Oil
yer Cromwell. Until that successful SOL
der established his corpse of lronsides.
the mounted cavaliers of Prince Rupert
were considered invincible. Composed
as they were indeed, of the gentry, al
ways an athletic race in England, and OF
the better sort the peasantry, race only
less athletic they formed body of ire
gular cavalry which, for skill in horse
manship, for metLle and for muscular
strength, have rarely been equalled. The
earlier levies Of Parliamentary dragons,
made up, as they chiefly were, Of young
Londoners unaccustomed 10 the saddle,
could not stand before these Gashin :
horsemen. Oliver Cromwell set about to
remedy this, by matching the cavaliers
with horsemen as bold and skilllul, and
who should in addition, be able to ma
neuvre more harmoniously and fight more
J
the sons of Puritan yeoman, and having
disciplined them thoroughly, proved the
correctness of his views in the very first
potter's vessel.
From that time regular dragons sup
planted irregular cavalry in all the ar
mics of western EuroIe. HOrsemen
were taught to move in solid line, to
charge in compact body, and to keep
together even after victory in short to
be, in the hands of their commander,
what even the most spirited horse should
be in the hands Of the rider, an obedient
machine. But, meantime. the fame of
the Turkish cavalry. who continued to
fight in the old fashion, fill ID Europe
II was conceded that English, French or
German irregulars were inferior 10 regu-
lars OF the same nation but it was Occa-
sionally doubted whether the Turkish
horsemen were not superior even to the
western regulars. This suspicion gather
ed force from the successes of the Turkish
cavalry over their hungarian neighbors,
who held high reputation, and were
considered regulars, though in reality but
half disciplined. 1t was reserved for Ma
poleon, however, to demonstrate that
even the best of the Turkish horsemen,
the famous Mamelukes, could not stand
before the French dragoons "I found
in Egypt" he said at 81. Helena, THAT
a single Mameluke could often keep at
bay a couple Of Frenchmen, and that two
could certainly overcome three but
when it came TO question Of large bo-
dies on each, side then a Thousand French
horsemen could drive two thousand Ma.
melukes. The latter" he added, fought
best singly, the former in body"
The present Turkish cavalry are neither
dashing irregulars, such as they once
were, nor well-disciplined dragons like
the horsemcn Of Western Europe. The
short sIirrup has been discarded, and the
lance substituted for the scimetar. In
the attempt to remedy the evils Of the old
system, what was good has been lost,
without obtaining any of the advantages
desired. AT least such is the statement
OF Col. Dean, and of other competent
Judges. The men are poor riders, and
lily disciplined soldiers. They would not
Staha moment before charge of the
DFiIiSh Horse Guards, or probably even
before an assault of Honyeds from Hun
gary.-Phiia. Bulletin.
CoNsUMPTIoN.-Dr. Simpson, Of Edin.
burg, it is said, has been workina, ,snr.
ders with consumptive patients, by hav;ra
them well rubbed with warm olive oil $
Some Of the patients have increased thir.
teen pounds in weight in seven or eight
weeks