The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-04

Tue Deglnnlng Oh the struggle. lhe cavalry
has been SO universally neglected and de-
preclated that many high spirited and SEN
sltlve men might almost hesitate 10 join a
branch OF service wherein they would be term
ed "a member of the Buttermilk Rattlers,
and II slain would be indltierently mention ii
as-"oniy a cavalryman
Yet III truth our main reliance should
have been placed upon our MOUNTED men.
The South as an agricultural region had un-
hmned horses and forage the North, as a
populous manufacturing and commercial re-
gion, had neither. In the South, nine men
IN ten were natural horsemen, who could
ride and fire on horse back as readily as In
dlans; whereas at the North scarcely one
man in ten had ever been astride the saddle,
particularly the foreigners who composed
the bulk of Federal recruits. The same SUI
periority which the North had over the
South in respect to sailors and ships of war
was possessed by us over them in respect 10
mounted troops and IN my judgment their
squadrOns OF gunboats, ravaglng and burn
ing our sea-coasts, and carrying desolatlon
along the banks of our inland streams and
bayoux, should have been off set by our
s~quadrons by Light Horse, ravaging and
burning their towns and villages, and spread
ing terror and dismay along their country
highways.
Let US remember that the cavalry arm
was not only the most popular, but the least
expensive for us. Tens Of thousands of
dashing, daring, "dare-devil' youngsters
throughout the South were SO anxious to
avoid the drudgery and 'trudgery" of other
branches they would gladly nave furnished
horse and accOutrements, at private expense.
1t is not too much to say that lOO,O horse
men could have been assembled on the Po-
tomac within thirty days after a call by the
government, and without a dollars cost to
the latter, for either horses, saddles, brides,
blankets, or railway transportation. Let Us
suppose, however, that one-third that num-
Der, say 81, 1000, armed with rifles and pistols
instead of sabres. were organized for often
sive work and launched across the border.
under the leadership Of such men as "Jeb'
Stuart, John II. Morgan, \. B. Forest,
Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee, Stonewall
jackson, and others, as Division comman
ders. Think of the CONSERVATION they
would carry to twice an hundred thousand
homes! Conceive of the alarm at the Yam
kee capitol the rejoicing in Baltimore the
skcdaddle from Harrisburg, and other towns
within easy striking distance! One hun
dred men on horseback are more terrifying
than FIVE hundred on foot. Imagine, then,
the terror certain to be inspired by this mag
~nificent column, or series of columns, moving
upon forty roads, forty miles a day, cover
ing the country like a swarm Of %locusts,
burning bridges, railway stations, court
houses, and all manner of public property
cutting every line of communication between
Washington and the North, if not actually
forcing the evacuation of that city, because
the Federal troops would be SO scattered by
the need Of defending an hundred Hre0tened
points, that a dash 10y the Confederate In
tantry might capture the city. Sue a
foray would not only pay its own expen-
SEES but might levy millions of dollars ran
som ices on rich abolition War Howlers.
Such a foray would pick up ten thousand
recruits from the rich young men of the
border States. And the losses would be
small. as it would be the true poiicyto avoid
fighting, and fortified towns, keeping con
stantly in view the one object OF covering as
much territory as Dossible-and causing the
greatest amount OF alarm, damage, and dis
tress IN short carrying the war into
Africa, and teaching the African" -istic
Yankees some o. the real evils of the fire
and sword they w.re hurting upon our soil
"But, saws Lieut.. Sbumate, To whom
I've. been talking-'such q course would
it would have fired the Northern heart, and
utterly wiped out the Northern Peace Par
All, yes! the Northern Peace Party"
Fatal Pigment of our credulity Twin
Inns Fat"ts Of our Hopes with Foreign
Recognition, and English sympathy =
How much You have to answer Tor; how
m~ockingly you have fitted before rs through
all these years OF our vain wandering through
the Slough OF Despond. Bat for you, }se
should have waged q war OF Revolution,
a desperate Rough and Tumbie" for Free
dom ,-instead OF putting on the hollow
forms and methods vi Red Tape scientific
military chess game.
For myself, | have never placed any con
fIerce in the so-called Peace Party"
Many of its leader. were professional politi-
clans, not 80 much in favor OF peace as
place. Seeing LITTLE chance TO get Office
under abolition rule, they fostered popular
discomfort at the management of the war
merely to ride into power thereupon. Who
believes that a Mcclellan, or Bayard, once
in the White House, would have been any