Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-07-21
THE CZAR'S CAVALRY.
Noble BOdy of Men-nraGOOnE Who
Fight IndifFcrentIy Mounted or
ON Foot - Their Horses
and Equipments

ON Foot Their Horses
and Equipments,
Mr. MacGahan, of the London Daily
News, who recently witnessed a review
of the Russian troops near Tumu Masu
relli, writes as follows of the cavalry:
!, The artillery moved off and the de
taChment of dragons came up. The
/, Russians do not claim to have any tech,
nically heavy" cavalry of the line
There used to be a whole division OF
cuirassiers which were very heavy cav.
airy, but there remain of cuirassers now
but three regiments, and these belong to
the imperial guard But the dragons
saw were virtually heavy cavalry-cav-
! airy indeed as heavy as any in Europe.
Horses seventeen hands high neither
clumsy nor wcedy, strengthened, close
coupled, powertully-quartered noble
crested, with small, well-bred heads. and
the stamp Of immense power and leonine
courage pervading the whole frame.
Men tall, square>shouldered, clean
hanked rather heavy-limbed, perhaps,
but without clumsiness-men, in fine,
of the stamp Of our dalesmen, who fur
nish the best troops to our household
cavalry, only for the most part of greater
breadth of shoulder and masivenees of
limb. | will frankly aver that it has
never yet befallen me to see troop horses
so grand. Then Isaw a handful of Uhlans
the men, take them as a whole, run
ming little smaller and lighter than the
Dragons, but only trife so--the horses
of equal substance and another handful
of hussars, the men perceptibly slighter
and shorter than the dragons, yet still
big men, the horses hardly so TALL but
with almost as much power. The Rus
slams, as they have technically no heavy
cavalry of the line, SO they have techni-
cally no light cavalry of the line; the
COssacks constitute their light cavalry.
Itisa fair question for discussion whether
it is wise or otherwise to have all the
regular cavalry thus massive, for really
no other expression conveys 50 truthful
an idea of their character.
The Russian cavalry saddle is a very
rudimentary, yet serviceable article for
practical works. 1t consists simply of
wooden frame raised on two wooden pan
nels, which fit the horses back, lying
lcngthwise on either side of the back
bone. The only leather about the saddle
are the flaps, which come only a little
way down, but extend the whole length
of the pannels. Both pommel and cantle
are high and cut out, so as to allow
current of air to circulate along the
backbone between the pannels. In front
are pair of immense wallets which are
stuffed with belongings of man and horse.
Above the wallets is carried a sheepskin
peaCOat, above that again the cloak,
neatly folded, not rolled, and the whole
is covered by the hOrse.rug, which en-
velOps the wallets and their superstruct-
ure and being carried back to the cantle,
furnishes also the seat of the saddle,
there being no leather seat, as in our
military saddles, above the wooden frame
Behind the wallets, or rather, perhaps,
behind the top of the pommel, the dra.
COON carries rations for two days bread
rice, salt, &c, in canvas bags made for
the purpose, Behind him, across the
cantle, hangs also in canvas bags on
either side his horses ration of grain for
two days, with two days allowance ef
hay, packed very close in hay nets, hang.
ing down on either flank. On the pannel
ends behind the cantle is carried small
round valise, much of the same shape as
that used by our cavalry, but without a
flap. In this and in the wallets the
dragoon carries the following kit: One
uniform tunic, one white tunic, three
shirts, two pairs draws, one sleeping com.
forter covering head and neck, one pair
of boots, and one pair feathers for making
new legs to boots. Each third man
carries copper cooking,pot which fits
exactly over one end of his valise.
Above the valise is half tent d'abri,
with one of the stakes. ! should have
said that above everything in front are
strapped the picket pegs and ropes, which,
however, seem TO be very little used.
Underneath the saddle frame is felt
blanket folded four-fold, which does duty
forOur numna. Ii is refOlded daily, so that
a fresh surface is always next the horses
back, an admirable preventive of chatting.
One inCh-broad leather girth maintains
the saddle In its place with the aid of
another passing under the horses belly
some distance further back. A surcingle
keeps the rug in position, and straps it
down on to the frame. There is no
breast-plate or crupper TO the Russian
saddle, but a leather band crosses the
horses chest to keep the saddle in posi-
tion. The headstall is simple, strong,
and eminently practicable there is no
gimcrackery of many buckles or brasses.
The dragoon, who wears a kepr, a blue
tunic, and pantaloons, with boots coming
up to the knee, carries a breech loading
Krnk short rifle, not a carbine, in
leather case slung on his back, with the
butt on the right side and the muzzle
above the left shoulder The non-cem-
missioned officers carry no rifles, but are
armed with revolvers. The private dra-
COON has no pistols. He carries a sabre
without a basket hilt. Indeed in the
Russian army there are few basket-hilted
swords, in leather scabbard lined with
wood and tipped with brass, and bound
by brass rings. On the sword scabbard is
also the leathern sheath of bayonet, for
Use with the rifle when the dragoon is
fighting on foot. For the Russian dra
goon is dragoon proper according to
the original acceptatien of the term He
is armed and trained to fight indiferently
on foot or on horseback; you may call
him a mounted infantryman when he is
on horseback, but should prefer to call
him dismounted cavalryman when he
is on foot. The Russian dragons march
in sections of threes and at the order to
light on foot, the centre OF threes takes
charge of the horses of his two comrades,
the sous. capitaine of the squadron taking
charge of the horse detachment, and
while striving TO avail himselfo of as much
cover as possible, keeping also as near as
possible to the force fighting dismounted.
To sum up, the Russian dragoon has
nothing about him that jingles as he
rides-nothing that by sparkling could
show his whereabouts afar off. He is
plainly.dreSsed, workmanlike, practical
looking soldier, with a genuine love Tor
his horse, and it appears, real pride in
his profession.
There are no studs as in Russia for the
supply of horses to the cavalry. Each
roNi i,oo,,f hos rap,pt,,,k &C, H. l., 80