The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-11-09
CONFEDERATE CAVALRY.
sas s0anted Service in Virginia It's recline
as the War Advanced.

Mal. II. B. Mcclellan in Phila Weekly Times.
Daring the last two years of the war nc
efanch OF the Army of the Potomac con.
tfipueed so much to tie overthrow of Lees
army as the cavalry, both that which oper-
ated in the Valley of Virginia and that
winch remained at Petersburg. But fos
the eihclency of this force it is safe to say
the war would have been Indefinitely pro-
longed. From the time that the cavalry
was concentrated into corps under Gen.
fieasanton until the close of the war q
steady progress was made in discipline,
esprit dg corps and numbers. Nothing was
spared to render this arm complete.
bfeech-loading carbines Of the most ap-
] proved patterns were provided; horses and
aecoutrements were never wanting, and
during the last year of the war Sheridan
commanded as fine body of troops as ever
drew sabres.
| On the other hand, two causes contribu-
| ted steadily to diminish the numbers and
efficiency of the Confederate cavalry. The
government committed the fatal error of
allowing the men to own their horses, pay
ing them per diem for their use, and the
muster valuation in cases where they were
killed in action; but giving no compensa-
tlon for horses lost by any of the other cas-
ualties of campaign. If a mans horse
were killed, disabled, OF worn ont in the
service, he must return to his home to pro-
cure another; and the strength of the
command was constantly reduced below
its reported effective total" by the large
number of men absent upon "horse de-
tails, as they were called Toward the |
close Of the war many were unable to |
remount themselves, and hundreds of such
dismounted men were collected in a useless
crowd, which was dubbed 4" Company O."
The second cause was the failure or ina
oliity OF the government to supply good
arms and accoutrements. Our breech-
loading guns were nearly all captured from
the enemy, and the same may he said of
the best of our saddles and brides. From
these causes, which it was beyond the pow
- Gay SsFehy 80 TefIlluY, | .
there was steady decline in the numbe,s
Of the Confederate cavalry, and, as COM
pared with the Federal cavaly, decline in
But the men remained the same
N courage and devotion, and to the very
md the very best blood in the land rode
after Stuart, Hampton and the Lees.
Three grand reviews were held in Cul-
'epper-on the 22d of May, on the 9Th and
he Sth of June, 1868. At the first of these
eviews were present only the three brig ,
des-of Hampton and the two Lees. Pri-
ate memoranda now in my possession show
bout four thousand men in the saddle
pom that day. Before the second review
tuart was joined by Robertson's North ;.
arolina Brigade, and by w. E. Jones's =
-irginia Rrieada -.&----p y
lvalry division was repol ted as 1856. To N
gbtly estimate the force with which Stu
rt fought the battle of the 9th of June, r
1853, there must be deducted from this ;,
lumber the men absent on special duty
horse details "-the entire brigade of q.
obeltson, the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, q.
nd the Second South Carolina Cavalry, 1t n
ust also be stated that of Fitz Lees Brig 81
lie only four squadrons of sharpshooters ii
ere engaged, and these at the very close +,
the battle. When these deductions are h
ade it will appear that Stuart's available x
'rce did not exceed, if at all, six thousand h
|