The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-14
ARMS OF CAVALRYMEN.
GEN. DABNEYH MA URY WRITES AN
INTERESTING LETTER.
lie Refers TO the Re'oat Article by MFjor
Hall--Tho Day Of the sabre and tho
sw,rI Has Passed Away.

Major Hall. now OF tho Adjutant-Gon-
erals office, IN Washington. has pub
lshed an interesting letter in the Phila-
delphia Press and The Richmond Times
about changes in cavalry arms, advising
the discarring OF the sabre, and advo-
eating the greater power Of The revolver
as the cavalry weapon.
He makes his case well and shows
that be has given close attention to the
subject IT IS one which has long been
discussed by our cavalry officers,
Forty years ago the Mounted Rifles.
nov The Third l.. $. Cavalry. practically
laid aside the sabre. and depended upon
the revolver when mounted. ana the
rife when dismounted. 10 fight.
The introduction Of lOng-rangc arms
WIS the signal for the conversion OF
cavalry into mounted rifcnen. and for
Increased attention 10 pistol and rifle
practice.
sabros were boxed up and stored away
when we went upon "a hostile expedition
or were fastened under the left saddle
flap
I'm 1851 active pistol practice began
in the regiment. and the writer was or
dered from Fort Mcintosh 10 Corpus
Christi TO show the new pistol practice
10 the commanding general OF the De
partment
Taking twenty men and "a sergeant fAic-
NaliyJ from 4 Company. and twenty
mon AMI Sergeant John Green, from
i Company. we marched hy way OF
Fort Merrill down TO Corpus.
We halted Cor one day at Fort Merrill.
and upon the request of the commanding
officer. Capt. Gordon Granger. ha.. our
drill by the newly devised practice
Tho targets were barrel heads nailed 10
tent poles lumber was very scarce IN
Texas. which We're set mp i'm two
parellel lines about twelve yards apart
The targets in each line were forty or
fifty yards apart
SHOOTING AT SIZED.
Tho troop was drawn up En- single rank
about forty PAGES from the first targets
and rode successfully at speed along
the line of targets. firing to the rtght
or the left. or 10 the right and left alter
nately.
zach trooper. in his turn, drew and
cooked his pistol. holding 1t vertically
past his right ear hts nsht Ioiear."
pressed close against his body ana rone
at speed down the line of targets firing
10 the right or to the left or 20 the
right and left alternately as might DE
ordered
lie was instructed TO fix and hold his
eve upon the target until right abreast OF
II. 10 drop his pistol 10 lever from
the hip and not attempt TO take ann
then TO FIRE quickly and cock pistol as
before. for the next target
I'm firing to the left he turned his body
as squarely as he could when abreast
OF the target. The men were very FOND
Of this practice. and soon became oN-
pert enough to put more than hai or
their shots into the target. There were
twenty men in Troop 3 VINO could put |
five balls out of six into the breast OF q
man at FIVE PAGES. at run speed
ON this occasion two men following !
each other struck the targets at every !
shot The leading man struck the last
target in the centre driving the nall |
and dropping the target. and leaving |
only the tent pole for his successor, Who |
struck il fairly. and as it quivered under !
the blow the troops gave him a nearly |
cheer.
The garrison of Fort Merrill went 20 !
Distol practice next day, and as we re- |
turned from Corpus. two weeks later,
Captain Granger challenged us TO shoot |
against u troop.
My mon were eager 20 accept the chal- |
lonce. but ] told Granger I'VE hadn { |
time" nor did we wish TO risk our rcpu- |
tation in "a contest with mere tyros. This |
IIf ice was NNl'hif NAh't 'F ~ ''' /
of the troops of The regiment
We then began 10 develop tho single |
rank drill for mounted rflcmcn, which |
was published and adopted Tor all mount |
cd troops in 1859
NcClonnan after his return from in- |
spectng the cavalry service Of European |
armies. declared our sNrmish drill Tor |
mounted rhemen superior to any tac-
tics used by them.
QUICK WORK
We were repeatedly timed and when / |
had the troops in fun eallop and me |
trumpet sounded "Dismount TO fight |
We halted. dismountcd. linked horses ana |
were ON the lne of batue flndline |
rifles in seven % seconds. The sabre may |
now be considered an obsolete weapon.
10 requires years of daily practice 10 |
make AN expert swordswan. I'm fact we |
have never had any in our service.
only very ignorant people now carry |
thcm-they make noise and SHOW nut |
like bayonets, never hurt any enemy.
Z have seen several attachments OF So |
called cavalry riding al ring and heads
They tried 10 take the heads al right |
cut" and recover to tierce point lh |
time TO take the ring forty PAGES distant
They could not do it AS often as not |
they Knocked the rings down with saDres /
upside down; j. e., curve reversed
THESE same men tuNll NrINliit taper
with the revolver in % few days OF prac-
uce Neither Forrest nor any other Of
our great cavalry commanders ever bore
sabres into action.
I'm the Franco-l russion war Germany |
covered France with her Uhlans. mounted |
rincmen; while the splendid household
cavalry of France. the greatest swords
men of Europe. the famous swOrdsmen
of the world. were destroyed before they |
could get within charging distance.
TO be efficient now we must become eX-
pert with the rifle and revolver The
uniform should be gray and nothing |
bright or shiny should be upon the troop
or or his equipments.
When troops dismount TO fight, the
horses shOdld be secured in their sets Of /
fours by a lnk-strap, about one foot
lonc. buclled lu the halter ring and |
snapped TO the curb ring OF the next |
horse Of the set. the reins should be LETT /
upon the saddle Of the dismounted
trooper. being thrown over the pommels |
when dismountns TO fight. number four |
remains mounted and Immediately leads
his horses out Of FIRE.
Thirty years acO ali eXpertness IN |
horsemanship and Workmanship was |
with the South.
IMPORTANT AccoMpIIsHMaNT.
Now it is all The other way. ana horse
marship and craftsmanship are the most |
important accomplishments OF the sol |
der.
4 very clever French officer wrote about |
the cavalry service in Algisrs. lie show