Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-05-24

Ills said by Col. Dean, the French officer drs-
patched 10 the Danube in order L. examine INTO
the condition of the Turkish army that while the
infantry are a promising set OF men, the cavalry
is quite inefficient. To hear this asserted of an
arm Of the service Whieh once was the finest IN
the world, strange at first, but Is neFerthe-
less susceptible Of an easy explanation.
The old Turkish cavalry wera the most superb
rregulars in the world. They rode with short
stirrups, and deep saddles and were familiar with
the scimetar from their youth. Their horses were
generally spirited animals. and under admirable
training. The ancient Turkish horseman was III
fact sort Of Selioukan Camanehc. In former
wars, it no unusual thing for body OF tins
magnificent cavalry to charge right up t" the
very batteries; and there isone instance on re-
cord in which a troop leaped a ditch broke into
phulanx Of infantry and cut 1wn several thou
sands. Until within the last century the Turkish
horsemen were regarded as almost invinc'e.-
No DO y of mounted sodiery anywhere had such
skill in arms and the management oftheir horses
were proud and confident; could point to
trophies won in many battles.
But with the introduction of discipline into Eu-
rol can armcs,the Turkish cavalry bega to lose
their superiority. The credit OF first demonstra-
ting, in modern times, how much more reliable
regular cavalry was to irregular belongs to OlIver
Cromwell. Until that successful soldier cstab-
lished his corps of lronsdes, the mounted cava-
Hers of Prince Rupert were considered nvn-
chile Composed, indeed as ii ely were, OF the
gentry, always an athletic race in England, and
of the better sort of the peasantry, II race only
less athletic, they formed an irregular body of
cavalry, which,for skill in horsemanship,for met
tie, and for muscular strength have rarely been
cqualled. The earlier leyics of Parliamentary
Dragons, made up,as they chiefly were, of young
Londoners unaccustomed to the saddle, could not
stand before these dashng horsemen. Oliver
Cromwell set about to remedy this, by matching
the cavaliers with horsemen asbold and skilfu and
who should in addition be able to manmuvre more
tremendously and fight more comractly. He Sc
lected, accordingly, the sons of Puritan yeomen,
and having disciplined them thoroughly, proved
the correctness of his views in the very first bat
tie, by crushing Rupert's cavaliers like potters
vessel
From that time regular Dragons suppanted
irregular cavalry in all the armies of Western Eu
rope. Horsemen were taught to move in solid
liuc, or charge in compact body and to keep
together even after victory; in short, to be-, the
hands of their commander what even the most
spirited horse should ben the hands of the rider,an
obedent machine. But, meantime, the fame of
the Turkish cavalry, who continued to fight in
the old fashion, filled Europe. 1t was conceded
that English, French or German rregulars were
inferior to regulars of the same nation bnt it
occasionally doubted whether the Turkish horse
men were not superior even to the Western reg
ulars. This suspicion gathered force from the
successes of the Turkish cavalry over their Hun
garan neighbors,w who held a high reputation, and
were considered regulars though in reality hut
half-disciplined. 1t was reserved for Napoleon,
however, to demonstrate that even the best of the
Turkish horsemen. the famous Mamdukes, could
not stand before the French Dragons. 81 found
in Egypt" he said at st. Helena, that a single
Mameluko could often keep at bay couple of
Frcnchmcn, and that two could certainly overcome
three, but when it came to question of large bod
les ON each side, then thousand French horse
men could drive two thousand Mamelukes." "l'he
latter" he added, 'fought best singly;the former
in a body"
The present Turkish cavalry are neither das-
hing irregulars, such as they once were nor we'll
disciplined Dragons like the horse-men of West
ern Europe. The short stirrup has been discarded,
and the lance substituted for the scimetar. In
the attempt to remedy the evils the old system,
! what good has been lost, without obtaining
! any Of the advantages desired. At least such is
/ the statement of Col. Dean, and of other compe-
! tent Judges The men are poor riders, and lily
disciplined soldiers. They would not stand mo-
men before charge of the British Horse Guards,
or probably even before an assault Of lIonveds
from Hungry.