New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-03
Breech-Loaders and cavalry charges.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.l


Since the Prussian war has shown the advan
tages in rapidity Of fire derived from our breech
leaders, (Which are far better than the Prussian)
experiments have been made by distinguished
French generals as to the possibility of success
full cavalry charges against an equal number of
well-posted infantry, armed with breeeh LOADING
muskets. A target was placed at six hundred
and twenty-eight yards $500 metres) Represent
ing the space occupied by squadron Of eighty
cavalry, and a squadron of horse was to make
charge 400 metres past (but not upon} the in.
tantry while the infantry fired at the target with
ball The charge was made in the best time pos
slble, it is said-thirty-two secOnds-but during
that period the infantry fred 800 shots and nut
l60 bullets into the target That is to say, while
the cavalry could ride at the top of their speed
quarter OF mile, the Infantry could fire with
t5er T 9reecn-loaders four balls to each man; two
OF which hit target half as far off again as they
were when teey started, At that rate with equal
numbers on each side, the chargers would have
all their saddles twice emptied before they could
reach the foe.
Some of the greatest blunders of NAPOLEON were
his great cavalry charges upon unbsoken infantry;
but in his day the highest boast of the infantry
was, that when perfectly cool they could stand
shots in minute can now be fred from breech-
leaders, without any change of position and
therefore, without half the danger Of firing wild of
the mark, The result is that while very small
they can prevent the possibility Of a successfnI
cavalry charge. 1t is only when all is panic and
disorder, or whilst column of troops is in motion
that cavalry can IN future operate to advantage
The tactics introduced into our cavalry late in the
war must now be considered the most effective
while such charge as that of the "Light Bri
gade," at Balaklava, must be always accounted
more mad than ever. There were six hundred
and thirty men in the brigade. They had more
tnan mile to traverse, instead of quarter of q
mile, and there We're six battalions of infantry
with cavalry, and thirty heavy guns, in front Of
them, and sharpshooters and light feld-peces on
their flank.
That one hundred and ifty-near one-uuarter
OF them--should have run such a gauntlet and
back, only shows that desperate madness by its
very unexpectedness may escape annihilation
once, where it would be certain and comnIefe
destruction il attempted second time. Such
charge will never again be tried If ten times
that number We're to attempt the same feat on an
enemy armed with breech-loaders ii is hardly ms
si6le that so many survivors would remain
tits probable that The British officers who visit
Ell our batte-felds learned more of what can ana
annotbe accomplished by cavalry than CPimean
experiences had taught them, as they fortunately
az least, learned II at less cost. Courage is an ad
mfable quality, but it is not everything even in
war; and ignorance of difficulties and dangers
thongh often producing effects that appear similar
ior the moment destroy ultimately that confidence
IN oihcers which alone produces the highest effect
IN campaign Should any of those cavalry Tepi
Inents Just sent out to Canada ever attemnt
balakiaVa charge upon body of men armed with
0reeehsloaders the charge on the cotton bales at
NeW orleans would be trifie to it. We have
nothlng 70 learn from those regiments but if their
9ieeEs are no better posted than they were short
tune ago. they nave much to learn from us.