Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-24
THE FRENCH CAVALRY.
In the Autumn Maneuvers They Die
Not Show to Advantage.

In the Autumn Mnneuvers They Die
Not Show to Advantage.
| From the Pail Mall Gazette
Since the battle of Parnot the scheme
under which the maneuvers is being car
ried out has been changed and now. in
stead of having two corps fighting against
two other equally strong bodies, We have
large army of four CORPS namely, .he
sixth, the second sixth, the seventh and
eighth, under the supreme command Of Gen.
Saussier, the commander in chief, fighting
against a skeleton enemy, about equal in
strength to one army corps. but nominally
equal to four, under the orders Of Gen.
Giovaninelli. Saussior's cavalry, under
Gen. dEspeuilles. was sent forward in a
northeasterly direction to cover The adj
vance of the army toward Mirecourt- The
cavalry divisions moved by a number OF
parallel roads. screening from the view of
the enemy's SCOUTS the march of the four
army corps, which marched, roughly
speaking, in line, The eighth corps on the
right marching, toward Dompaire, the sew
enth marching on Yalfroicours the second
sixth on Iisnevilla and the sixth on Bulg
neville, the cavalry watching it's exposed
left to ward off any hostile attempts from
that direction.
About the same time Giovaninelli started
on his march from Mirecourt in south
first to start, the commander Of the second
cavalry DIVISION Gen. de Lignieres. being
ordered to endeavoT to penetrate the enc
my's screen somewhere about Ligneville,
so as to be able from the high ground to
the south OF that village to see the dircc-
ton in which Ills columns were moving.
Two regiments ot chasseurs led the way.
light cavalry IN every way, small men
mounted on small horses, to our English
eyes the horses appear a little too small,
but they show good deal Of quality"
The chasseurs are followed Ivy two regi-
ments of dragons, the horses bigger, but
not so blood-lika, and after the dragons
came two cuirassier regiments very well
mounted on big, well-bred hunter-like ami
mails, the men appearing to ride better
than the Dragons. The horse artillery
fairly well horsed ana in good order. AZ
ter moving about Il mile a cannon Ehot
was heard and the enemy's artillery were
to be seen on a ridge to the southwest.
De Ligniere's guns were promptly unlim-
bered and fire was opened at a range Of
5000 yards, rather waste of ammunition
for horse artillery! The cavalry moved
off to maneuver for the chance of striking
the enemy's flank, when suddenly a cloud
of dust arose on their flank, the thunder
OF hoofs was heard, hasty and confused
attempt on the part of the northern force
was made to deploy for the charge, and
the second division was rolled up end
overwhelmed by Saussier's cavalry, which,
admirably handled by Gen. d'Espeuilles,
nad succeeded In completely surprising
the invaders, who must have been abso-
lutely annihilated IL engaged in anything
but a sham fight.
This charge was we'll timed and well ex-
ecuted, but the pace was slow. had a
good opportunity of seeing one regiment
of northern cavalry, chasseurs wheeling
into line to endeavor to meet the charge,
and noticed that the distances were bad
ly kept and the line. when formed was
decidedly ragged. The victorious cavalry
charged in one line, the second line being
merely skeleton. At the same time as
they charged regiment of chasseurs sue
ceeded in catching one of the white cap
horse batteries on the move, so the rout
of the northern force may be assumed to
have been final. Gen. Saussier himself wit
messed the engagement, and after the
pow wow" in which he pointed out the
faults which had been committed the
troops returned to their cantonments, the
whole action having only lasted about half
an hour.