The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-21


The series Of brilliant victories achieved by
Sheridan has directed the attention of the people
to the importance OF mounted troops. The Boston
Commercial says the successes were in a large
measure won by cavalry, the nghtiul use of
which the victorious leader appears well to un-
derstand, as well as the time when TO employ it
with most effect. Not that infantry and artillery
were not well employed by him, and with a skill
that has never been surpassed in this war; but it
was to horsemen that was assigned the delivering
of that coup de grace which really decided the for
tunes of the day. The fact is remarkable, and
deserves especial notice, as it is one of the very
few occasions in the wars course in which cavalry
has been put TO such as 1t was raised 10 serve,
and rs it demonstrates the excellence of that
arm in spite of the use OF arms OF precision, ana
of the existence Of peculiar difficulties ia the
physical character OF the country in which most OF
our military operations have been carried on.
When we found that we had got into great
war, there was much discussion OF the manner
| in which il should he wagcl. Great difference Of
opinion there was on almost al points, and soldiers
| and civilians found themselves alrayed together
| on all sides OF every question: One OF the ques-
| lions discussed was this, "Shal a large cavalry
| force be raised and emplOyed| There we're two
sites TO this question, "a, TO al others; Dut-Lnd
| the iagt is most extraordinary one-Ilmo5t
every advocate Of he position thai large cavalry
force should be raised WAS a civilian, and almost
| every advocate OF the opposite opinion was
soldier. The exc pulns wGrC only sufficient To
make the rule wlariuUlv apparent
| This wa, rs We have said, extraordinary; for
| iftbcre be one arm uf the military soryicg more
| striking than all the other arms thereof, IL Is
| cavalry. II is the chivairic arm. 1t is the arm
| that most strikes the Imagination. IL is the arm
| that is most closely associated with dash aud
| boldness, and with great and striking deeds done
on great and striking fields AT least, thus it is as
relates to modern warfare, for one has only -
| mention the Greek hOplites aud pe.tas.s, the
Macedonian phalaDX, and the Roman lcgions, 10
understand that infantry had the higher cOn5ide-
ration in classical war. But so it was the support
eTs Of infantry here being mainly soldiers, in spite
| of the attractions presented by cavalry. Tne public
listened, heard, and read, and sided with the
military writer's. This was natural, for it is an
| American habit to defer to authority; and mill
military matters than pack Uf civilians, who got
their knowledge from books alone, mere theorists
who could not speak practically on the subject
which they discussed.
, Yet the military men and the public were in
the wrong and for once az least the theorists were
in the right, il they never wero so before and
are never 10 he so again. The military men tri-
unphed, hut our armies didn't. Il was found
that cavalry were just rs necessary nOw and here
as they had been in al former wars and 50 we
| changed cur action, and went 20 work 70 get ~
| competent cavalry force. But months OF pro.
Uious tin had been lost, aul that never could be
| | regaincd. Our cavalry has hardly, TO this day
| got hp alongside Of Inc other arms, because Oi
e | tie delay that huppcncl N organizing It. AZ
last IL is beginning tell on the event Of the war
. | and with is usual eject.
!. We hould not now he rejoicing over General
/ Shcridaus victories and in The loug. .dCaye cd re
e dempuon Of The Valley oi the shenandoah, bad no
. our leader been strong iu or.e, who are capitll
o commanded He was wei used by Gcner'
i Grant, who Placed under his immediate order
n most Uf the cavalry that belong % his army rhj
h use he made of il .hows that General Grim
b knew his lieutenant well, and gave him the righ
2 means With which 20 operate az the right time
?, and In the right place. It's successful application
e is all the more honorable TO us because OF III
d | fact that the SouihrOns have always claimed /
l. | lc The better men 9s cavalry. According % n
1. at least equality in infantry and Qriilcry, the
T have insisted upon their superiority rs h0rsgmcT
y They were the cLiyalry, and what are chcyllCg
o without horses What has Just taken piaa
ID shows lint tn, in claim vas not so vel fOundC
c as il might have been; and IL cannot ue dOlD,c
L that tlcM rlYersCs are all the more CALLING Q
4 them because they are owing 20 4 great -.cu. .
The action OF Northern cavalry.