Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1864-11-29
Old Series Vol. VII
Cavalry.

We have received, says the Hich-
mond Dispatch, the following COM
munication, and we invite to it the
earnest attention Of all whom it may
concern. 1t concerns, in fact, every
body in the Confederacy but. more
particularly, it concerns members of
Congress. 1t seems that we are now
without any "cavalry," because Con
greSs has not. up to this time, made
any appropriation for instructing the
| officers and men in the sword exer-
else. Let us hope that this defect
will be supplied at as earl p day as
possible, aud that steps be taken to
instruct our officers, and through
them our nen. 1t is possible, we
.ry sumo, to make our horsemen
am.nabie to discipline, as well as
our infantry. Unless it be done, we
do not see that this war may not
inger on for century. Had Gen.
Lee had u body Of ten thousand dis.
ciplined cavalry to throw upon Nc
Clelian after the rout at Cold Har-
Dor and Gaines Mill, the Yankee
force that fought that battle must
HAVE Dttil utte1ly uestAOyOU' W.
after the first battle of Manassas, and
the second, and Charlottesville, and
the Wilderness. Military writers to
England and France are constantly
expressing their surprise that our
| victories have never been more de-
cisive. 1t has been because we have
had no cavalry to complete rout.
1t is disgraceful to us that such
state Of things could continue. Let
Congress take steps to put an end
to it. The want Of an efficient body
of cavalry has enhanced the slaughter
of this war beyond all conception,
inasmuch as it has been the cause OF
all the indecisive battles we have
fought-battles il which we beat the
enemy, but cannot pursue our VIC
tory. Let the officers be drilled first,
and then the men-let all inefficient
officers be made to walk the plank
let the whole organization be over
l.auled-and let us have same cavalry
that can pretend to something like
discipline.
.sTo the Editor of the Richmond
Dispatch
"You ask in your leader Of to-
day-Tuesday, September 27th-the
cause Of our cavalry's defeat in the
Valley, and then you answer the
question correctly.
1.-The Confederacy has Aorsemien,
but no su'orasmen. CThere are plenty
of good swordsmen from the Scotch
Greys' in our service now-one
colonel of infantry, who lett the cav
airy in disgust y
The great cause of the cavalry's
failure, from what I have gathered
from Englishmen in the Confederate
army, is their want Of discipline and
Indifference to drill.
"When the war broke out this de-
feet was pointed out to Gen. Lee,
and the general told the writer, at
the quartermaster' Office, one Sun
dav morning, that Congress had
u.adc no appropriation to pay a drill
instructor > and therefore the men
We're sent into the service just as
they were, und,illed and undisci-
pliued-so it is not their fault.
"Yours, BRoADswoRD."
1.-The proper plan to adopt is this:
appoint carairy swOrd instructors at
Camp Lee and elsewhere send to
them a steady non-commissioned
officer from each troop Of cavalry to
be instructed in the sscord ; these can
then return to their commands and
instruct their men, and so continue.
But, Mr.. Editor, the offccrs must
learn first. There is not one officer
in fifty in the Confederate army who
can defend himself properly by the
sword he carries by his side-either
in cavalry, infantry or artillery
and they know it. Take away the
pist0l, and give them the seeor1 only,
then you will see them wipe out the
enemy. "BRoADsWoRD.
Negro LnPrcssment IN Louiscihe:
II A. I