Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-10-18
I}jti)nlunD FnoAirtr.
VDNDiY MORNING. oGr. l., 1864.
CUR CAVALRY.
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-. - $50. - hI.EGGH2.

CUR CAVALRY.
ps;:,.,s cl aGGersi,y are nsse. loes in thi
NJ 20 .I,0r;s auy mere than TO is:diYiduds
e. h. :,-oof Of suoh gain in CUR amy al.
,,v WHAT !4ssnns If Eelfreliance and Jude.
=. ,ssas haTcw- no; ;leara.2 Whcu.we began
s,va- Sc Il ere u;:er}T without ammunition
i:.,,., fha. after the frat battle of Manassas
3:,s gsFe net percussion caps enough in Viz
mia i, LAST cur army for ten minutes fire
y2x, ii a5ks ID tho energy snd industry of On
,r...5f9 hsai Of department, seconded BY q
,.!;:,, ard ipseri0ns people, We manufacture
!, sic:..iaucs The wild firing of our first
.s,'- r-ao,Y is c:,urged by our veterans into
l. G;ru7acy that seldom misses its mark, and
trp;.5r. by The enemy. Our artillery, q!
e: y.siir ,ui5r.Cr u shnt Of the Federal
any, i, uow unsurpassed Tor rapidity Of
a:seaisr; ant: accuracy Of fire. Our Engineer
wig. starting w,tious tools, instruction and
|gprrieG,pa, has changed the whole aspect OF
:. w.r, aid given IL o character which will
.ik. !, a. famous in History as were the sx-
s.,a Of 1. yaGban and Cohorn. The sys-
" ot earthwofks, inluguraLed by Todlebsn
!.,tcsn developed by Beauregsrd and the
.asnted Harris, until it has finally establish
| 8. the inpregrsb!c character Of Notifications
vairs: ali known appliances, and substituted
s-arcacc armies Tor moving columns.-
| 5r.rywAare progress hnd improvement are
tGl!:, ;..l tao youiS ustion has advanced
5i:a gsautic stridas.
Th-5s is but 0Ie branch of the service in
~, much remains t. be learnt. This is our
stair When lie war began, all minds
s:rs III s1rrssij with The idea that this would
~. cr,,2.; :i. or the South. was, as it still
:.ia. f:gg:i.e :noh Of sorvios With our young
-sn. i: cna,a.;.,-i tho very flower of the land
:,:ar,, eathus'astis young men, full Of ardour
| .1! ssyrH ju c:fps. They wcro familiar with
:3;s:.:--A. trps" childhood up. They werc
,.a.r.6l7 .n-4ited, for there is no Jctter
.::td III !ae w"rld for light cavalry service,
-. caE Virginia horse with its pro- sonderanoe
ia.ga h:oi. They had every iaducemcnt to
81. II. 3sss care Of their horses, for they
80 ,t.s..r own, weIe exceedingly valuable,
Ii! iJ7 5earA Government refused &c compen-
aa ,hsr ,aa. In spite of these eminent sd-
'sa;g;;se aud contrary TO genera expectation,
i; aas.l.g hes fallen behind the other
:aroi.es CT rhc service. From the frs. battle
iAaasasa-, where ;aey deprived US, by a slug
t:i pursuit of ths rcutsd enemy, OF tho we'll
s:osi yai.I cf great victory, to their isst
IL? fa,s in tho Valley, they have lost more
ii nocc prestige By come. this is sscribed
fs:;.snge fatality parsaing item. But IA
Atty is Il fiction, and will net console Us fur
tH.i mar. lcat battles and repeated disasters.
r2s:s have sought in tho form of the country,
: Ill, broken nature, and its vast e1tents OF
rDi t,n9lsi and wsbbad by oreepers and
|ais'srow,h, reason for the sccnty use made
this .rm in cur battles and our inanGurrss.
pa,hsro il abundance Of open ground in the
i!5y, aud yet no bettsr suc'ess has attsnd-
iar cavalry there. That much can be done
r:: ,heno, thet tho material is good, the spir-
'aish, and the pluck in no ways inferior to
Gaf the Infantry, has been repeatedly pro-
st7 tho exploits of Stuart or Hampton.
he difficulty seems rather to lie in the Or
szwi,n and ths discipline. Here is one of
art.37s We have not yet learnt, and yet it
':;sb limo we should no longer CLOSE our
~ gu-?os.'y t. she difficulties in the way OF
i:&rra. We have aIrssdy profised by our
H's-2er;enos and tho example of the enemy
'A- pint. We used our cavalry, dismount-
<s'ss!y al infantry. This gives US what we
'a sau:. on account of our inferiority Of
'assys CELEBRITY of movement; for, by
'sf!7 transporting our men on horseback
r3,a: TO point, we can meet the enemy
'setss:ically as if re were in equal force
'seTs. he attacks. We only want better
g Of longer range and less easily fouled
e.serdered, to make this mounted infantry
,a Il the best troops Of the line. We
>@Ssr' learn .has tho cavalry requires even
: >'''' 'iaei 1iip, acd o!osas surveillance than
'flah;ry. F,5 The latssr depends nron
Ian aud is wAap0n alone. Instinct
*:A~ :cfan.ry soldier to take care of his |
~ saa sxpsrisnos teaches him the nsces-
VI 7tT'5s ksepiog his gun in perfect 3r-
bui tho cavalryman is nothing without
s''''e; nc is in imminent danger when de-
Iron ME oomrads. His training, his |
r. lie cf6 :;ency all depend on his being |
''Na. HIS eVnla.iops are effective only
hadc in naseaa. Hence the immense
..a :S2rcugh training aad incessant drill
- arm. And yet these very points gre
\ "'J neglected in our army; the men
: ''''s drilled, seldom praotioed in large
!. '''"' ind wretched]y inatssn.ivs to that
y; Of s!ose rssks. Then the unluoky
=, -. struggling, 50 prevalent among all |
'afmed as ours sre. ia snecially favored '