New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
CENTAURS OF THE ARMY.
THE COssACK DRILL AT FORT MEYER VA.

THE cossAcK DRILL AT FORT MEYER VA.
OF THE 9TH CAvALRY-THE GOOD POINTS OF
THE AMERICAN HoRsE-ENDuHANCE
AND INrELrIGENcE-DETAILso OF
THE DRILL.
Washington March N.-An eminent authority
on the horse Colonel Ayrault Dodge. United
States Army. has stated that for a-around ability
to breed train and ride to the best advantage. the
American stands pre-eminent. This opinion
was formed after careful study extending over
period Of years among the horsemen OF all parts OF
the world. The Briton is acknowledged 10 De tne
best sportsman in the saddle: the German Is ahead
of him in the military drilling OF large bodies OF
horse: the French lead In the nIcetes Of breaking.
training and manage riding. while the CossacK Is
considered to be best barbarc light cavalry
in the world But for distance riding. long army
marches. which in a way may be considered the
highest form of horsemanship. the American stands
alone and fo- rough riding the cowboy OF the piaihs
Is nowhere approached.
That these statements may be disputed among the
horsemen of European countries Is undoubted. but
within recent years new form OF training men Tor
the saddle has been put into operation which would
unquestIonably show by the excellence or the re-
suits which have been obtained tnat even the
world-famed Cossack cavalry are In fair way OF
being equalled in that class OF riding in which they
most excel by the farmers sons and the city-bred
youths who go to make up the ranks OF the enlisted
men in the United States Army. The training OF
these men has been accomplished In spite OF many
obvious difficulties and disadvantages. In most OF
the European countries the horses for the armies
are raised in studs with sres OF high lineage and
from the time OF breaking the animals are put
through a of training which from one gener-
alton to another. adapts them more and more to
army uses In the United States all Is different.
The cavalry horse is common beast bought hap
hazard by the Government at a price which brings
out only those animals that cannot command the
market.
But despite this fact the remarkable vitality OF
America bred horses and the hardihood OF the av-
erage American youth have enabled the officers OF
the Army most interested In the training Of the
horse and man 10 excelences OF rough riding 10 ex-
eel most OF the armies OF the world In that branch
OF work for which they are best known. An anus
ing story Is told OF DR.. Brown-SeQuard. who was
about to inoculate an American rabbit before
class Of students He was describing the process
and told his students TO watch the dying motions
the instrument was inserted But the rabbit didn't
have any dying motions. The instrument hurt II
a little and II looked around inquirngly and then
calmly proceeded to finish its meal off OF bit OF
ca bbagc- head This vitality OF the American mammal
over that OF Europe has been proved In number OF
instances. and in tests with even the most badly
bred OF American horses the fact holds true. 1t
u.s. then this vitality and adaptability that the
success of the Cossack drill IL due.
POSTS WHERE THE DRILL Is HELD.
There are several posts In the United States where
this especial cavalry drill Is through with regu
larly. They do 1t at Fort Riley, at Fort Ieaven-
worth and For, Ethan Allen. up in Vermont.
But the post at Fort Meyer across the Potomac
from Washington. may be said 10 be the only place
where study IL given exclusively to cavalry duties
and riding Here there are no side issues. and the
entire attention of the officers at the post ls given
TO the schooling OF horse and man In the art.
There is a large brick riding hall 100 feet wide and
about twice as long. wei lighted by windows along
the sides the floor OF which Is covered with many
loads OF tanbark. in which the soldiers OF the post
are put through their drill every morning at 10
o'clock. Friday is the gala day. however. for al
o'clock In the afternoon. invitations by card having
been issued. the little gallery up al the north end
OF the hall is filed With pretty girls. their escorts.
members OF Congress and high official functionaries
who come to drill which opens the eyes Of the
young man OF society who rides after the hounds
and Of the veteran OF the late war who remembers
only the rigors OF forced march or the gallop
down In the face OF enemy.
At first they did not understand tho meaning Of
all What has all this TO do with military drill
they asked And the answer they got is very sim
pie Watch these men said the young sub,
"and you will see that they have done so much OF
this sort Of work that they are entirely unconscious
OF their horses. They don't think OF them. II ~
AS II tho horse was a part OF the man SO. You
see they can handle horse with their legs II noel
be- and in action could give all OF their attention
to the enemy and to their arms Just then
fractions horse went a hurdle and stumbled
badly but the rider pulled him up readily. and
by the stand at canter. gri1nng compl1ccntly.
utterly obvious. apparently Of the fact that the
horse had stumbled at all.
The officer in command OF this model body OF troops
Is Colonel d. $. Gordon and the troops are OF the
9Th Cavalry. These morning 10 o'clock drills. at
which there are few visitors. are the ones whore
the hard work is done. and whore. time after time.
manoeuvres unsuccessfuly executed are repeated
until they in all respects what they should be
II Is surprising to note the absolute accuracy with
which the vaults over the hurdle are taken IN
squads patoons ana in company front. 1t is not
one after the other but all together the stroke
Of a second. There IL only one way OF doing the
various vaults in the saddles and over horses at
full speed and until the knack Of doing these things
Is acquired by the private his life Is no bed OF
roses The officers are most exacting. for they
know that leniency in a OF this sort is step
backward; that. In riding. where "A man !s not going
forward in his work. ne Is falling behind; there is
no standing still. There many slow and not
few surpa sSingly awkward men in these troops. as
In all others. but practice. II 1t has not made them
perfect. has taught them facility II not form: and
in the language Of orc of the subalterns. they all
get there" anyhow.
G Troop came first, the men riding bareback
In the door at the opposite end OF the hall they
at full speed and went around the hall gracefully.
some of the heavy beasts taking the hurdles like
imported hunters. The post band enlivencd the
proceedings and the air 1t played fitted well into
the canter OF the troops. The second time around
the hurdles taken In different way just
In liz uaa reac cd he moi IN mod IN
the ground, holding to the name and neck. and
as the horse the men went up into the air and
landed gracefully and easily the horse landed
The knack of doing this Is not easy to acquire, but
when once learned 1t is a beautiful exercise. The
next time around the men jumped from their sad