New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-04
now THE FRENCH AVID ESGhAsAa
WAKE THEIR SOLDIERS.
Part v.-Thc Importance Of Eme""' INV
nlry-Its Achievements In the A"e'-s
probable Action i'm fhe Fus"re, Ill We"
armed and we'll trained.

.noA,e a.,;or, I'm the Future, If well
armed and we'll trained
Little more than year ago there Was III opium
gaining ground among the enthusiastic admirers Oh
the riae-on The target-grouDd-thai The day OF cav
airy WAS gone forever. IL would never dare 10 sur
On the field Of battle II the light cavalry might he
tolerated-to be made otherwise generally useful,
,he heavy cavalry, at all events, should be utterly
sbolished-iust as if the two things were not perfect
~ distinct in their and applcation-eaeh having
is erecial function IN the field of battle.
In the last century-when firearms were I'M
uroyed-the same notion prevailed. 1t was thought
proper to keep cavalry carefully at dstance-out of
She reach of fire. The cavalry became inactive and
was nearly considered only secondary in the tactics
Of battle, when man appeared, who set 1t free
gave il wiDgs-and won with it victories that seemed
to belong to heroic poetry-not the annals OF fact
the renowned SEIDLIrZ.
Happily, no nation thinks OF abolishing, or
even diminishing its expectations from that arm ID
future warfare. The frst military nation OF the
woTld-the Frepch-not only retains but actually ex'
pstnds and trains 10 the utmost that secton Oh her
splendid army which recently certain enthusiasts
hought Of converting into general carriers OF Dag
ssge-snpposed TO be rendered otherwise utterly use
iess by the all-deyouring rifle The French cavalry,
M the presen, moment is 10 state of perfect tram
ing-not only as to the vigorous gymnastics oil lhe
martial circus in splendid and astonishing variety,
but also az 70 the efficient use of the rjiled csrbne
and pistol with which it is furnished.
the intrinsic value of cavalry seems TO have been
lessened-if this arm no longer dazzles with it's an
cent spsndor the cause ia not in the arm itself-h
mast be sought elsewhere-the cause will be shown,
m Me sequel of this treatise to consist in the isno
rance of s value and its consequent neglect and de-
probation. Our cavalry will sink into inter deca-
deace if we do not advance it to the leye OF the
other arms of the Notwithstanding TO the highest
standard of effciency-in its organization and en-
ployment--n o. training and requirements.
To dare everythirg-to risk eveiythng-even The
iupossible-was the characteristic of cavalry two
hundred years ago. On the ls Of January, l61S The
Polish hetman CzaI1ecki actually swan his cavalry
across tine Little Belt Several times the Poles and
the Swedes crossed the Dnieper and the Elbe with
entire corps of cavalry Will the cavalry OF the
present day march fifteen miles and light batle-as
did Torsensons cavalry, in 1915, at Juterbok! Can
we expect the cavalry Of the present day to take part
IN the attack and defense o. oes-as il did constant
~ during the Thirty lears Wari
Unquestionably it is a most difficult military Prob
lem to bring our cavalry to the field Of battle in fit
condition for fghtng-that is 10 say, starting from
given point, how TO reach our destination with the
smallest loss Of men and horses. The experience OF
ancient wars demonstrates that on an average regl'
menls crossing tie frontiers lose one-fourth before
they reach the field Of battle by sheer exhaustion or
he ooncomtants
Hence the absolute necessity for neutrality-suspicious.
ATTIC trainng-for all sodiers-and especially for the
cavalry compound-man AMI horse. Mere iield-day
parade and routine drill not The training for such
cavalry as the Crest Napoleon wanted, when he ox-
claimed" If had had suicien, cavalry at The bat
ties Of Lutzen and Bauizen [ would have recon
quered Europe"
Ar there may still he lingering doubts ss to the
fune,ion Of cavalry in future battles, few OF the
hasty surnses against il must he dscnssed and It
futed.
The principal objection advanced against the utility
Of cavalry is the introduction Of the rife and ied
cannon A letter written by one OF the French CAM
paigners in the late Italian seemed to prove the
utter inutiy of cavalry bysimply announcing that
st2, 500 yards, the eighth battery of the 18th Regi-
ment threw into disorder squadron Of Uhlans tlight
cavalry at the battle Of Solferno, and that, following
NO this favorable result several batteries opened iI'
from the same distance upon twenty-five squaoron
ready to charge and forced them TO the right.bout
This precious achievement of the Emperor trui!
beautiful howiuers has been upheld as proof thG
cavalry should be abolished Now what were th
facts respecting these very Uhlansi They Belongs
70 Nensdors division which, TO the very end Of ih
battle never ceased 10 front the fire Of its enemy
not indeed at the distance Of two miles, but AT coS
quarters Several times they charged MacMahoni
right, and penetrated slmcst to the very muu es o
the I'D and 1lth Foot Chasseursthe hand artillery
of the French army. They got within.2OO yards O
Vnoys division in Neils corps and they only retired
before the grspesho, and balls Of AZ pieces of artillery
of the divisions and reserves Of that corps-and
moreover during the night following the battle
these very UbIans aided in covering the retreat TO-
ward the Mine;o. Such ia the historical fact in NJ
ter contradiction of the fppant piece Of informa
ton" sent to bis friend by mystihed correspond
snt." Besides at 800 yards how is 1t possibe t.
distinguish between a change of position-having M
reference whatever to the firing in question and
rout caused by it-as ALLEGED by tho letter In ques
ton. L. il at all likely that cavalry would make
ready to charge at $500 yards Why, the horses
would come in utterly blown and incapable Of any
serious effort. The battle Of Solferino was for
tntous afar-s serss Of fights, spread over front
Of nearly twelve miles on ground utterly unfit 70,
the movement Of cavalry. Assuredly the Italian wal
proved nothing against cavalry. In that ii was
most Improperly handled by the Autsrians and mol
used by the French-for adequate ard wietched rea-
sons, which will appear 10 the sequel.
Most assuredy we have no proof that the rife and
81 ba nf A,