Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12
THE RICHMOND DISPA TCH-SUNDAY. JULY ~. 1882

nents." The effect Of novelty soon
fades away, and what happened in the
seventeenth and eighteenth would occur
again in the nineteenth century should
collision occur between the rival
arms.
Perhaps the strongest argument
against the lance is that not a solitary
specimen was to be found in the finest
cavalry known to modern history. The
borsemen who made the names of lie
then and Seidlitz illustrious were arm
cd with the sword. The troopers who
charged at Zorndorf and Rosbach
were the very models Of what the
mounted army should be. The reason
was that they had been trained MS no
cavalry had ever been trained before,
and that they were commanded and led
by captains who knew how TO use them
at the right moment and charge home
sword in hand. They welded a wea-
pom which is handy at all times,
in attack, at close quarters, in pur-
suit. sra, if the example furnished by
such !. mastera as 4" the kingof Prussia =
is not absolutely conclusive, it goes a
long way to vindicate the superiority Of
the sword which Montecuculi did not
prefer. but which he used. The fact
that the conditions in which all cavalry
in future must work and fght-;f they
can-are totally altered does not les
sen the value Of Friedrich's great ex-
ample. At the same time there is
something to be said for variety Of ar
mament, and there is the authority of
actual practice. The Emperor William
and his mighty generals maintain
the weapon which Austria has
just set aside; and that Is
a fact which cannot be altogether left
out Of the account. Nevertheless, it
may be argued that the nOyelconditiOns
of warfare render the lance still more
Objectionable. Cavalry, henceforth,
will be employed to scout far in adj
vance of the mTn columns. II is de-
sirable that they should see as much
and be seen as little as possible. They
60 forth to watch, spy into the land,
cover a wide front, gather up informa-
ton, and keep the enemy in ignorance
of what is coming and where it is COM
ing. The fewer huttering flags and
glancing points that are seen
the better will the work be done.
unless. Of course, the object Is
to create false impression, which could
be attained as easily with Hussars or
Dragons as Uhlans. Moreover, when
two hosts are contending on an extern
sive field, the chances Of a successful
cavalry charge will lie in cOncealment
and it is obvious that flags and gljnting
tips of steel arc not easily hidden. Il
would seem that dragons, whether
mounted infantry or not, and hu>SarS
could perform the essential duties Of
cavalry far out in front Of corps
d'armee better than lancerS, who,
in the German army, at least.
are heavy horsemen. The dragon is
a very old institution. lie abomdcd in
the seventeenth century, and was often
useful; but he had tendency to de-
yelop himself into regular cavalry
soldier, and thus lost his valuable char
acter. The new Dragon, or mounted
rll!eman, has future before him.
1t was once the fashion to ignore
the lessons taught by the secession
war; but the example set by
Sheridan and others cannot he
put out Of sight. and although
cavalry proper. armed with swords
and reyolyers, will keep a conspicuou,
place in every good army, yet there is
room and work for the dragon. not
merely as a watchdog, scout, and far
extended fringe Of shelter, but as an
effective battle-force on the ianks and
even rear Of an enemy. The lance may
still CLEAN and the pennon dance in the
wind, but the future Of cavalry is to
the sword-wielder and the mounted
riheman.