Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-23

has shown him such. As 1t was supposed
that the outbreak was merely local in |
surrection. to be 4uelled by limited ex.
hibition of military strength in a compare.
lively limited length of time, infantry and
artillery were chiefly relied upon. But as
events succeeded each other. and a few
battles took place. 1t became plainly evi.
dent that mounted soldiery were neces.
sary. and that IN formidable numbers.
Then II was that our people were deeply
mortified to discover that they had neither
horses nor riders worthy of sustaining the
glory of legitimate cavalry service. And
while dishonest, knavish contractors and
spectators were palming of upon the
government old spawned, ringboned.
foundered hacks and awkward officers,
fresh from the counting room, to ride
them, the rebel General Stewart was max
ing his dashing raids to our shame and
dismay. Soon General Forrest followed,
Fitz.Hugh Lee, 1mboden, Mosby and
Morgan in their turn. Trains were burned,
villages laid under tribute, guards taken
prisoners. telegraph wires cut. railroad
tracks torn up, etc. But ere long we met
them upon our horse. Look at our daring
cavalry hero Grierson, who did more ser. |
vice to the north in destroying the south.
ern railroads while on his famous ride |
through Mississippi and Louisiana than
those railroads had done to the south. |
Again, look at the 1st Vermont cavalry at
Gettysburg, the tide of battle turned, in.
fantry saved, Lee put to flight Oftentimes |
during the great straightforward which we
passed, after winning glorious victory,
we were compiled to sit down quietly in
camp and see the enemy retreat safely,
even when in disorder to his strongholds,
simply for the want of some thousands of
good horsemen with fleet steeds and trusty
sabres to follow and harrass the rear, cap
ture detached bodies, seize lingering trains,
artillery. etc., converting a retrest into a
rout. making second Waterloo. How
efficient the horsei What an auxiliary to
man! Do We fully appreciate him? True ii
is that all great armies have been abund-
antly provided with cavalry. Napoleon,
deprived OF his cavalry, would have
achieved but little worth recording. Since
the night when Diomedes and Ulysses
went upon classic raid 10 capture the
horses of Rhesus. the cavalry has been
esteemed the most honorable branch of
military efficiency. Says contemporary
writer, for ages after the siege of Troy
the back of the hor,e was the true throne
from which warrior-kings ruled the world.
He carried Alexander to India, Tamerlane
10 China, he enabled the Persian king to
use the bent back of Roman emperor AS
a step from which to vault into the saddle
but ere that he leapt with Marcus Curtius
into the gulf in the forum, and saved Rome
from fate worse than that which over
took Pompeii and Herculaneum." The
| 81 hal 1r,hs ohl h.
fought the battle (of Canna) where forty
thousand Roman heroes bit the dust. was
not less than one-fifth cavalry. Again,
without this important aid that great war
ror would hardly have been able to cross
the Alps; and it was by the superiority of
bis Numidian horses that he defeated the
ill-mounted Romans at every turn, destroy
ing their towns and cities, dashing through
the land like whirlwind of fatal power,
and leaving his enemy to cape and won
der over the ruins these gallant horsemen
left to mark their passage.
have thus briefly called to mind some
few incidents among thousands that might
be added, showing the incalculable bless.
| ing the horse is to man in times of war
and peace, at home and abroad, fireside
companion, one of tho family-at least
should be treated as nearlyso as his nature
will permit. But the germ Of the whole
thing is profit profit What means shall
we use that we may be successful? What
is the moduS operandi to develop the es-
sentials desired9 First, the physiology of
breeding-no subject presents itself that
needs greater diffusion of knowledge
but the "alpha and omega" of all the
scientific men upon the subject has been
embodied in the axiom that like begets |
like" Now this rule is very good as far
as it goes. And if the horse was in the |
condition in which nature produced him,
and that condition best subserved the in
terest of the agriculturst the rule would |
approximate nearer to the necessities of
the case. But in the domestcation of the
horse many: disturbing influences have
been at work to change him externally and
internally, in form and in consideration,
aud by virtue of some of these changes
great improvement has been made, and
some of our best animals are manufac-
tured article and the skill which orici-
mated them needs to be continued in their
increase; but ignorance of the physical
laws of their reproduction has and will
lead to many defects and general unprofi
|
is to obtain the most valuable returns for
his time and money expended; then he
will do well to seek such animals as are
most perfect in their kind. such as will
pay best for the care and attention be
slowed, and for the consumption of raw
material. In the horse, his value consists
in his beauty, speed and draught; to this
end our success will be in proportion to
the skill, care, judgment and perseverance
with which our operations are conducted
We should have clear and definite aim
in view and understand the means best to
accomplish the object The improvement
of the domestic animals OF a country TENDS
o enhance their individual and aggregate
value and make the rearing of them more
profitable This IS one of the achieve
ments of advanced civilization, Il triumph
in science, even rs much as the building
of railway, steamship or electric telegraph
If any doubts are entertained upon this
point look at the history of England-the
stock nursery of the world, exporting
animals by thousands at prices almost
fabulous. Note the patient industry. the |
genius and application which have been
made to secure the end which they have
= tained and your doubts must cease
Examine the horses such as have been i'm
ported from England, the Eclipse the
''Slasher," the Hunter" Sarah Wash
ineton," etc., and tell me if it is not worth
the efforts of every farmer who wishes to
raise horses to study we'll the physiology
Of breeding. Bear in mind that ''like
begets like" that among the laws that
govern hereditary transmission is that of
similarity; spare no pains, time nor
money; seek for the thorough bred; look |
well to the like which you see producing,
regard every particular; avoid all struc-
tural defects, all hereditary diseases, all
faulty or peculiar conformations, Thus,
horses most disposed to spavins are those
having short. pointed hooks, deficient in
width and breadth below. Those most
disposed to ringbone, with upright pasterns
and high action Eremember, too, that he
reditary diseases are transmitted by both
parents, and are doubly severe when both
are affected. The diseases" says Youatt,
(which are found to be hereditary are
| f,.l. =. Il.