Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-28
their own way. daring and efficient

SAVot anxiety now not 70 lall OH. frCnct
troopers have learned 10 ride, and French
troop horses are not now the whiflet,
which were then inflicted upon the army
because Barbs and half-bred Arabs had
been found serviceable in Algeria. And
the Russian cavalry against which tho
legendary Uhlan will be pitted? Tho
legendary UhleD will have bad
time with the Russian cavalry, whether
he meet the dragoon or the Cossack,
and If were inclined to bet /
should not invest much money on
the Teuton. The Russian cavalry is the
most formidable mounted mass that ex-
lists In the whole world, and it is the
I prcponderance of its action at the open
ing Of hostiihes which gives such I'M
portance to tue movements of Russian
troops now in the basin of the Vistula.
Everybody has heard Of Cossacks, but
their organization, imperfectly known,
leaves vague idea OF these troops, whose
reputation is legendary, but whose real
value, always on the increase, is not
properly appreciated. The last Russo
/ Turkish war gave few opportunities for
fair estimate Of either the Cossacks or
of the regular Russian cavalry, which. as
n rule. were employed in outpost and
picket duty. Since then, however, pro-
greSs has kept pace with the march of
years and under the influence Of the
reigning Gar Russia has turned to good
account the wonderful elements which
are at her disposal
How Russia, IN the event of war, can
more than double the number Of her
squadrons / may have occasion to show
later. At present / shall confne myself
to the composition of her mounted forces
on the peace establishment-that is. Of
her so-called active troops, her 10 rePi-
ments of the guard, and her 46 reQi-
Inents OF dragons. OF the guard regi-
ments four wear the cuirass-viZ., the
Knight Guards of the Empress, created
IN 1893 the Horse Guards, dating from
i12l, of which the Gar is colonel the
CUirassicrs of the Guard OF the En-
peror and the Empress's Cuirassiers Of
the Guard. Each of these regiments is
OF four sQuadrons The other six guard
regiments are two regiments of Uhlaus
(lancers), one of which Is commanded
by the Grand Duke NicOlas-Nicolai-
witch; one of horse grenadiers, under
the orders Of the Emperor's brother, the
Grand Duke Vladimir, and finally two
hussar rcgiments--one of these has for
IT'S titulary chief the Grand Duke Paul
AloXandroWitch. These SIX regiments, as
well as the fory-sx dragoon regi-
ments which compose the regular cav
airy. have each 6 squadrons, which
make total Of 328 squadrons OF Tegu-
lar cavalry always, even III time OF
peace, kept MP to their full complement.
10 each of these 56 regiments CORE
spends q section Of depot WHICH becomes
especially useidl for mobIizationy ln
France a division of cavalry consists OF
six regiments, III Russia OF four, Of
which three are dragons and one
Cossacks Of the Don; il should
he added that the permanent con-
tact of these different elements
has given 10 the Cossacks, in their origin
irregulars, the same cohesion and train
ing as the cavalry Of the line. In adj
ditiOn to the aforementioned fourteen
regiments Of the Don Cossacks, or the
peace establishment, furnish two rcgi-
mcnts of the guard, one organized IN
1875 as escort of the Empress Catherine
H., the other, or Ataman regiment,
commanded by the Grand Duke
Czarewitch, who is Hetman-proper-
" Ataman-general of all the
Cossacks. -Four other Cossack reei-
ments form separate division; the
Twenty-Grst regiment is not brigaded.
AS a total the Foisko Of the Don keeps
up 90 fquadrons or sotni2s. Although
much inferior to the Don C0ssac.,s, the
Cossacks of the Kouban are efficient in
desultorv fighting. They form ten regi-
meuts Of elx sotnias each, have one full
squadron with the Emperor, and a half
SQUADRON attached as escort to the Gov
eruor- General of Poland Sixty-eieht
sotnias more are contributed by the pro-
yinces of Terek, Astrakhan, Oranbourg,
and the Oursl.
The coutineents Of Siberia, Trans
haikel, Semirelchensk, and the Amour,
like those from Daghestan and the
Iurcomsn militia, will scarcely be called
upon TO take part in any European wsr,
at least at its commencement but the
Tartars of the Crimea and some other
irregular troops, numbering in all 81
sotnios may be used immediately II the
operations begin in Gahcia, or should it
be expedient to oveTun Bulgaria.
Russia, then, IS ready at any
moment to put into the field
OIL squsdrons, OF which 81
viii certainly be engaged in any Euro
pean campaign Germany, on the other
hand, has only 372, Austria 245, Italy
IA. and France 944. The pePce effective
of these 577 squadrons shows 4,Z12
officers and assimilsted fCnctionaries,
and in round mum bers, l04, 900 troopers
and S6. coo horses. Although the degree
Of military instruction IS variable, ac-
cOrdng as you examine the regularly
regiments, or the troops ot
Cossack cavalry purely COsssck-t. T.,
irregular-the mounted forces of Russia |
are remarkably fitted by their very /
nature for the rOle to which they are des-
tined. Every man has been used to ride 1
from his earliest childhood, and there
fore is at home in the saddle, while the |
resources Of the empire IN horse-hesh-
20. GEO. 900 head-are incomparably su |
perior to those of any other nation
on the globe. Every Cossack is held |
to twenty years of military service. Three
are given TO his training for four years he
does active duty with the colors during
eight he may be called out at any time
for five more he belongs 70 the reserve,
and from the expiration of those five
years until the age of fifty years be
IS IN the militia. In the regular regi-
uents the men remain with the colors
Tor six years The severity of the win
.ers prevents all drill and training for
Iour months of the year, but from May
until the snow falls all the regiments 90
lnder canvas to be exercised practically
n field service. and rs none but we'll
seasoned and thoroughly-broken horses
IRE issued from the depots the officers
IAN devote their attention exclusively to
no military education Of the rank and
lie.
This is not the place for technical
discussion of the tactics employed by the
Russian mounted troops, which have
1een severely criticised on account
If the marked tendency to parade
movements, such as have been gene