The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-09

, Cavalry Misu anaxemenf.
~. Inc history OF the cavalryservice during
tnlS war, IS curious one. We shall mo-
undertake to narrate it now. because N
have one or two practical Criticisms to offer
as basis for which il is sufficient To adver1
to a few prominent facts. It will be re-.
membered, for instance, that when the An.
aconda strategy was first uncoiled before
the admlring eyes OF the country, there
were about half dozen cavalry reciments
in existence, all told, and Gen. Scntt pro-
nounced that he wanted no more. littla
later, the folly Of this notion was seen, and
the organization of numerous regiments
was authorized.
Unfortunately, for a long time the force
was not consolidated, was imperfectly
drilled and disciplined, got itaelf badly
ell rough-riders, and fell ih;' orular COM
tempt. The fault, however, WIS less with
the cavalry than with the General who
| misunderstood its use, and who destroyed
Its efficiency by devoting it mainly to
picket duty, and by distributing ii piece
meal through the army, instead Of uniting
policy OF the commander whose genius has
been supposed to consist especially in his
faculty for organization-Gen. Mcclellan.
An illustration may he found in some
correspondence that passed between the
President and Gen. Mcclellan. The latter
was urgent-as usual-for more horses,
and complained of the condition OF those
he had. The President telegraphs in reply
Oct. q, 1852: II have just read your dis
patch about sore tongues and fatigued
horses. Will you pardon me for asking
what your horses have done since the bat
tie OF Antietam that fatigues anything :"
Mcclellan answers ruetully that his cayal-
~ has been constantly employedin making
reconnoisances, scouting and picketing;
that they had had an unsuccessful chase
after Stuart-who had just made his second
famous circuit about McClellan's army
and that the line which they picket is one
hundred and fifty miles Of river 'front.'
No wonder that cavalry SO wasted was
worthless.
The cavalry, however, was finally con.
solidated into one corps by Gen. Hooker,
and being placed under one commander,
began to do good service. But the other
difficulty remained, and during the last
year the cavalry has still been kept on out
post and picket duty, constantly surround
ing the army with a Gordon Of pickets,
which employed nearly the whole effective
force, and which extended from fifty to .
hundred miles. While on this duty, the
horses get little grain, and not much for
age; are seldom unsaddled, and cOnSe.
quently seldom groomed. While the army
lay at Falmouth last year the cavalry pick
eted line of hundred miles, and the re-
in the Summer for the Pennsylvania cam.
paign, there were more than 5000 dismount-
ed cavalrymen, whose horses had died be-
cause OF exposure, although hundreds Of
fresh horses had been furnished during the
Winter.
During the past Winter the same course
has been pursued, and the result will be
4 4 Ill. al
do the most of their outpost duty with in
fantry. and for that reason only are able to
keep q small body Of horsemei mounted.
In European countries il has always been
the custom to station the cavalry during
seasons of inactivity, near a cepo, where
plenty Of forage could be obtained. Then
the men, being given light work, were en-
abled to bring their horses into first rate
condition.
The commanders Of our cavalry. howev-
er, have not been intrusted with the orlli.
binary administrative duties Of corps COM
manders. They have been empowered to
fight, but not to govern. It has been sup
posed that the Cavalry Bureau at Wash
ington knew the wants OF the service bet
ter tt an the officers who led the men in
battle and were expected to keep them dis
cipiined in camp; hence all administrative
power has been vested in the Bureau. Men
badly mounted and equipped are sent from
Washington to the field where they are
soon dismountel again, and sent back to
waste other weeks and months in idleness.
Not one-half the horses dispatched TO the
field have been fit for service, and hun.
dreds have been condemned and returned
before doing days duty.
As to the character of this arm, and the
service that should be expected of it, Is
must be remembered that the nature Of the
country in Virginia, and especially the
broken and wooded battle-f1elds, prevent,
for the most part, the use Of solid masses
Of cavalry. The heavy dragons, there
quired. Light cavalry, well mounted, and
armed for observation and for quick,
sharp work, in what il wanted. There are
now three divisions Of such cavalry in the
Army Of the Potomac, and experience
shows that Notwithstanding all disadvan.
tages and obstacles, the corps organization
has been their salvation. They have only
to point to their record for the past year 70
prove that the cavalry corps has been ono
Of the most effective in the army. Chan.
cellorsville. Beverly Ford, Brandy Sta.
ton, Aldie, Middleburg, Upperville,
Westminster, Gettysburg, Falling Waters,
BOonsbor0', Hagerst0wn, and 3 score OF
other victorious fights have conclusively
established superiority of our cavalry to
the rebel. A little Improvement in ito
present system OF management will enable
it to win still higher reputation.-N y
Tribune.
Two LADIES BURNED TO DEArH.-Sel-
dom are we called upon to rarrate q more'
melancholy accident than occurred near
Holland Patent, Saturday evening last. 1T
WAQ none other than one Of fhnRn f3roa dfn1