The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-01-20

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fuIlDAY 9ONNIls0. ...........JAA. 80 iS6S.
Cayalry-The Csnscriptisn. &c
A contemporary recommsn asths ineseasc Of cav. |
asrv IA IL sxols q the Oootedssaey and astsi-
s~sss 70 ne SsAsssrcy N ta0 ARA, The failure cf
orr Generals 70 convert their many brilliant cso'
riss into - many complete rouss Of tho enemy. II
slludss 70 the wSl known sahis ol Napoleon, u
or hedsaslns enemy, thereby pressing every defeat
to DISASTER. to shs charge tf the younger Keller
man q Marsago. aud the cha &c q the Sso'sn"
Ossys q Waterloo. TIE authority Of Nspo'eo"
a,so h qaotsd 10 Justify the opnlen ths'' 'a."
p~-ssas, the cavalry cxn dfiys The infantry. fns
writer farther supports bis position ey reseenee 10
ahe saunpa,sns OF Hannibal. all wnose great S'c<e'
r,as over lie Romans were due 10 his sapsroT's In
,h,s oar,;cular arm. These positions are inafo
,.pt ana ,>ern 70 as 10 eesssvs * IMITATION. II II
=. d. msAs 70 appear that larger forcs OF cavalry
vou,d enable us 10 improve our vistories TO great
sr extent re certala'y ought to have then. :.
First, With regard to Hannibal. Po'ybsas ascriSes
his rsa. successes TO bis cavalry aaa there Is little
.isust, We prs hume. that the overwhelming char:e.
ter Of them at !els,. WAS drs 10 his superiority ia
shM am of the service. We shall And tbs. III lis
italian battles were fought u. Oh .ow, level laEd
peculiarly adapted 70 tbs Of that description Of
farce, and that he carefully avoided givias az &C
csptne battle upon sni o; soy or er char acter.
HIS nrst engagement with sSc Eou, sns was upon
the II lands Of the Ti,i-us and i: was esvsiry
combat Hiz second was he lacks Ct tie Treb.
A.. Ia nuNnr I'll raa
nasshy His third was upon he A 1t land around
Lake Thsasym,n,, lake shut lie by hish and
woody hills bu. having Al cxtsns'vs campaign im.
ms6iAtsly around Its margin. This g-es: battle o
Canra was fought on Il e low gracnds OF the Aus.
dus almost In sigh. Of tho Adrtaii in ths miss. OF
the great plains Of Apu!ia IN this battle his cav
airy played . micro conspicuous Ina important part
than b any other. He hal bu. 50. COO men in al,
white the two Roman q miss opposed to bic, nam
bsesd 5000. Hut he h.d advantage. which, II
The opinion Of Poiytiuc, u.ore Than counter bal
anoe3 any which the o. csuls could derive iron
THAR numerical superiority. ge had l0cG9 OF
The bsss cavalry ia III, wcrld; .hey had hut
6,oo0, AID the ba:..s vss to lie fought
ia q level plain, where there wsre 10 woods OK
,hIcksts to break . chsTgs or .7rss: the pur suit
That the Historian was right Will appear obvious to
any man who Mill take the trouble TO read bis &c
count OF tie bsttle. The Romans, according to
shsir eustoms placed their cavalry their wings.
Hsnnibal commenced ths engagement In ibese
qaaTteea Aldrubal who comm snded his cavalry,
divilsd his also bu: be had 10 o0o and they but
6C00 he found Il very easy to obts.n the prepon-
dsrsnce saeh wing In turn. With SOD cavalry
he fsn upon the Romsn cavalry On the LEFT wing,
routed II, and sent body of horseEsu after them,
who put them to the sword TO a man. With the
remainder he gsiloptd entirely a-cund the rear Of
hi own army, and united his troops to tie rest of
the cavalry on his Left, who were already engaged
In desperate comba. with the Romans. HIS az
siva, instantly decided the cones for he attacked
ths Romans, elready cutnumbsred and hard pressed
In aank and rear with bis additional forco. which
Of ITSELF was nearly double as large ss .hsi,s. The
Roman cavalry Instantly gave way, Rad lie GENT
body Of h0rSsmaa to pursue them alocg the Auhdns,
who executed their osdsrs WIKI gu h good will that
Polybius tells only y man ESCAPED out OF tie
whole body II Roman AID at x 'iiary cavalry. Az.
ing entirely destroyed the Roman cavalry, AsdrS-
bal prepared himself for ss mere in por.a1. ser
vice. While tie cavalry cCmbsts we've going en-
upon his Winss Hannibal had formed his centre 10
uct Q manner that i.s froat presented the sppear
Ance OF q cxescsut, whose convex was opposed TO
Abe enemy. The Romans as:aa.,od it, and as it
gave way in Its centre, they pursued fsr nile
without alverting to the fact tha. they had Faced
1hsulseIvss bstw tro powerful bodies of heavy
armed troops. one esch lnk, which wheeled to
Abe right and LEFT and assaulted them soon 50
the troops which they vera pursurg halted s1d
opposed = resistance TO them. The racks Ct :he
X0mans wore crowded thai 1t nss impt sable -
lssssxss order to their siuls Al Ibis mo !
,asnt kSdfubal lin made lis appearance en- tie |
stage, closing up the Of tho Il. aid CHAR.
ing their crowded, broken and confused ranks witt |
3neoncsivkbie fury. The mes. terrible slaughter
recorded il tho history Of battles e.slod. Ont OF |
$1,000 men, 70 0C0 slain Oh the spot. On tie |
Geld 10000 were made prisoners, ana 1900 iiore
shat hAd been left to guard ths camp. Cut Of the
whols body only $500 men escaped and c. these
but 20, "a ne have said. were ca gary.
Tie owerioi ageIcy Of csvsliy il xii these bat |
tlss ana especially that last named, induced the
historian to whom We have alluded. who We, al.o
Ansxpsdsueed soldier, 10 make he remarks touched
upon above. But ]: Is Of he u.nlos, Importance.
in citing these examples. TO take iato .saon
- nAtnrs u the ground which MI these bastles
~sfs fought. Il Wa. In every ias.sne., level I'M
bseAsu, and without wood eoppiee. on The i'm.
spsdiAte spot where tie cav2a-y iced. At the
Trebbia there wese thil ksts On The banks of the
river 10 which an ambush Was laid, and the larger
part os the OArthageni2n srmy WAS concealed
AMONG tbs woods Of the hills shat enclose the lake
at ThYasymsns. Blu. the ground the cavalry
>ossa ~ appears to have been clear and uacb-
ssxuetsd In every insia1ce.
70 II Wa 1t kafengo, which L q vas. plalr
wAsss. BY the BY, Il IL Sill e. subject OF dioputs
WHISTLER The charge Of X Sherman or the arrival OF
-Dssaix decided Tia victory. Bourienns (who de-
vssrtsd and betrayed Napo!scp) and Rellerman
,A!nseli assert the former. AIiison follows iheu
hnesuse he ttiaks Il dstrsc.s from the fans of Ma
poaeos.. Napoleon himse I. Savary and Thiefs "a
nsrt The later. The battle was fought under the
Axpsssstou th>. Dessix would arrive in time to
Decide H. and he do 20. SO 1. was 8! Austeriilz.
who're the sounuy was Al cleared, and nothing ex-
listed to break charge OF cavalry. The far fam ed
H.halshss Of Prstxsr" are very moderate hills Tie
country back Of them bsrs q clear p!s.ca7. a.
level ~ Q bowling green Where the raain charge
Was made, on the right Of the allied !iae. upon the
rstseaGing forces Of Basrsson. the hils terminate
n low grounds On the left Of the allied line the
1sldbaek, sf.er soaking its way through Tho couu
~ Eos sans distance, terminates ia ponda-a
psoof that he country "a low or aat. Such Ia the
nature Of the country also on the baaks Of the
SsAls. where the battle Of Jena wss. fought It
glsss Int. buns Q. the river. and spreads back ia
IlAtAau twas On this plateau that Kufss made