Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-11-27
CAVALRY MARCHES.
How Mounted Troops Are Moved In
TimeA of Peace and War.

Owing to the peculiar nature of the
service demanded OF the cavalry force
OF our army-service for the greater
part in a new and unsettled country,
and against the most willy and expert
OF savage enemies-the experience
gained in the moving Of mounted
troops has been OF such varied nature
that probably no other army can boast
OF superiority over our troopers in this
respect, and the proper conduct of the
marches of cavalry commands requires
experience and Judgment, intelligence,
activity and endurance of a peculiar
nature on the part of both officers and
men. Ordinary marches are general
1y made at the rate of about twenty to
twenty-five miles a day, his being ac-
complished in from five to six hours,
although there are times when the
days journey may be shorter or long
er, owing to the distance from one
another of desirable camping places,
the Importance of good grazing
and sweet water for the
horses being evident. The start
from the previous nights camp is US
ally made between six and seven
o'clock, although in some of the hot
ter parts of the country an earlier time
OF day is considered advisable by many
cavalrymen, and the first halt is made
after the column has been an hour or
so on the road. This is generally the
longest halt of the day, when saddles
are adjusted, and the horses allowed
to rest and Craze for a few moments.
Once every hour after that short
pause of about five minutes. the men
Invariably dismounting, is made. The
gait is, as far as the writer's expert
ence goes, habitually a rapid walk,
although General Merritt recon-
mends trct for ten or fifteen min
utes after each halt, w hen practical
Bile, which appears to be the custom
In most of the European services. In
q country where the near presence of
an enemy is known or suspected
marches are conducted with great
caution, and every precaution taken
by careful soldiers to guard against
surprise. Advance guards and fiankers
are thrown out in front and on the
sides of the column, and every ravine,
coulee or canyon, every rock and bush,
or group Of trees large enough to con-
ceal a lurking foe, is carefully exam
ined. 1t is while making a forced
march, when perhaps the safety of
some little community of settlers or
detachment of comrades. cut off and
surrounded by savage foes, depends
upon the speedy arrival of the reliev-
ing column, that the training, the
pluck, the perseverance and endur-
ance of the American cavalry are
shown to the greatest advantage.
In the rapidity with which such
marches have been made, the distances
that have been traversed, the rough
and inhospital country-often swarm
ing with savage foes-over which the
Journeys have been accomplished, it
has proved itself the equal, if not the
superior to any troops of the kind in
che civilized world. A column of the
Fifth Cavalry. under the command of
General Wesly Merritt, marching to
the relief of Thornburgh's brave fell
lows in the Ute campaign of 1879,
made one hundred and seventy miles
from II a. m. October I'd to $50 a. %.
On October 9th, without losing or dis
aiding horse, and was in good fight
ing trim on its arrival at its objective
point. Among many instances of the
kind that have come under the knowl-
edge of the writer, the following cases
of hard and long marches by individu-
ais may be quoted to show the sterling
qualities often exhibited by our
troopers.
In 1870 the present commander of
the troop of cavalry attached to the
brigade of the National Guard in New
York City-at that time a Lieutenant
in the First United States Cavalry
rode with dispatches over a rough
broken country one hundred and forty
miles i'll twenty-five hours. including
halts for rest and refreshment. He
was accompanied by a sergeant and
one man Of his own troop. After rest
ing one day, the journey back to his
post was made in little over two
days, the marches being from fifty-five
to sixty miles day. This feat was
accomplished without any preparation
whatever, the officer and his men being
ordered out without any warning. Ten
years afterward Lieutenant Robertson,
of the same regiment, with Sergeants
Lynch and Price, rode one hundred
and two miles in pursuit of a deserter,
through snow and ice, between ten
o'clock one night and $50 the next.
On the next day they started on their
return journey from Fort Walla Walla,
w. L., to Fort Lapway. Idaho, which
was reached IN two days -Harper's
Weekly.
- Dsn+ e.