The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-06-12
RUSS1A,S CAVLRY.
The Horsemen of the Czar-MarveIOus
Riding.

Riding.
Writing under date of May 2, of re-
view held at st. Petersburg in honor of
the visit of the Emperor of Germany to
the Gar, the correspondent OF the Lon
don Daily News says:
''The great attraction of the day was
the cavalry, and that far surpassed any
| thing which I have ever seen. The two
elements of excellence were, of course,
the horses themselves, and the horseman-
ship of the riders. Gan anybody explain
the peculiar charm about Russian horses?
| Without presuming to answer my own
question, think I may point out that
one secret with trainers here seems to be
to educate the horse to make him trust
worth, faithful, ambitious and to dis
pense with all these contrivances which,
in more civilized countries, crush the
spirit of the poor beasts. In what other
country can one see horses like those
which dash along the Nveska, SO free, and
| fresh, and graceful ? In what other
country do they have such glossy skin,
such swan-ike necks, such delicate limbs?
And in what other country do they offer
such material for cavalry? One must
reflect, too, that Russians of a certain
class are born, like Arabs, in the saddle.
Che horse is a member of the family, a
brother,a companion in every adventure.
The Russian Government had, therefore,
good material but it has employed it
well, and the proof is the superb horse
men who to-day gallop along by Kaiser
Wilhelm and his Germen officers. The
Russian cavalry has the ordinary divisions
found in all continental armies-namely,
hussars, Dragons, cuirssiers, uhlans,
&c.-as well as some species peculiar to
itself. Ipass over the former, and call
attention to the horses These sleek and
muscular beasts had evidently been Sc
lected as carefully as the men themselves.
For each battalion were all of one color
now glossy black, now rich brown,
now rich gray-and the uniformity
seems to extend even to their size, shape
and motion. The effect was singularly
striking. The Tcheck and Cossack cav
airy have been SO often described that
there is nothing new to be said about
their appearance. The detachment which
took part in the ceremonies of to-day
wore bright red jackets and sort of fun
hats of the same color and rode chest
| r..
were strapped, and in their hands they
carried long red lances. They led the
cavalry division. The first circuit of the
cavalry was merely for inspection the
second was for evolutions. How patient
~ the Cossacks went through the first,
and how eagerly they entered the second
The ponies. even trenbled with enth,1-
siasm. AS the cavalcade approached the
Emperors, the riders settled firmly in
their saddles, loosened the reins little,
and the word is given ! Like flash OF
lightning, and simultaneously, the horses
shot off. and before the spectators have
caught their breath are halfway around
the square. What an astounding pace
If horse should stumble, the rider
would never mount again.
The Cossacks crouch low in the sad
die, and shout like fiends; while their
long glittering lances, stretching out
horizontally far beyond the horses, are
terrifying even to friends and non-com-
batants. The Germans do not spare their
plaudits. They love the Uhlans who
trampled down the Turcos, and the Bis
max Cuirossiers who rode into the Jaws
of death at Mars lie Tour, but
nothing like these unearthly horse
men from the plains of Russia. Let me
not do degative injustice, however, to
the rest OF the cavalry. After the second
turn around the field the whole body
formed, at the rear, opposite the Emper-
| stretched the whole length of the field,
| somewhat longer-to use q comparison
which many English readers will appre-
ciate-than from the Seine to the foot of
the Champs de Mars, and several regi-
ments deep. There were probably 15,-
900 in an-the cuirasciers with their
white coats and heavy black horses, the
hussars with their white coats aud heavy
black horses, the hussars with their pixies,
the mounted grenadiers and the dragons,
and at the wings the reckless Cossacks
again. The Grand Duke Nicholas waved
his sword, and the entire force moved
toward the Emperor and the spectators.
At first it was light trot, then an easy
gallop, then faster and faster, till one
could only see thousands of glittering
uniforms and superb horses dashing mad
ly toward the crowd. Nearer and nearer
they come, and ever at the same terrific
pace. 1t will be death for the imperial
party who are on the ground below -
Suddenly the Grand Dukes sword flies
up again in the air; the officers pass the |
the word along; still the Is, 900 horse
men shake the earth The Grand Dukes |
sword falls, and the mighty mass comes
to stop as if transfxed by an electric |
shock. Perfect silence reigns. The |
long line of cavalry is as calm and steady
as the marble palace itself, and far back
through the centres all is tranquil. That
was glorious sight, and worth a jour-
ney to st. Petersburg to see. I shall
never look on such spectacle again.