The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-05-08
CAVALRY HORSES.
Remounts for The United States
Service Hard TO Find.
The Kind Required for a Cam.
paign Against Indians

years says: Strange a. II may appear
in this day Of bicycles and electric and
cable cars, and the consequent cheap
ening Of horsehesh, there is more diff
fculty IN procuring suitable remounts
for the cavalry service now than at
any time since the war. This, too, in
the face Of the fact that the govern
ment pays a good price for horsehesh.
Last year and the year before, when
tens Of thousands Of horses that had
been demanded for street cars and the
saddle remained uncalled for through
out the United States the new mounts
for the cavalry cost the same as IN the
previous ten years From 1868 until
about 1880, thousands Of horses we're
brought to MS for purchase that more
than filed the requirements The rea-
son was that the demands Of the war
had shown horse breeders in Missouri,
Kentucky, Illinois and other big
horse breeding sections of the coun-
try the kind Of an animal needed for
army use, and the good, fat prices
paid for such horsehesh stimulated
activity in the raising of cavalry
horses.
Then came the days Of fabulous
sums for crack trotters and runners
and the fad for immense draught
horses for show purposes among
brewers and Wholesale grocers in the
cities. It was natural that horse
breeders should turn their attention
then to winning some of the prizes
in the trotting and draught horse
markets.
eve find the best horses now for
cavalry service in Kentucky and Cali
fornia. We have harder searching
than ever for proper horses. 1t is
difficult to choose horse between the
weedy, delicate racer, that is just
right for a mile dash, but that would
break down completely in q forced
march of two or three days across a
rough country, and heavy, strong
animal that can pull great weight,
but is too clumsy and slow for a cav
airy dash or rapid march We often
pick out a horse that seems to have
the bone and stamina necessary for
cavalry purposes, but later examina-
ton shows that it has too long back
a great defect in cavalry animal fol
weak kidneys come to a lOng-backed
horse after years use in the service.
"The horse that passes muster with
the present horse boards in this coun'
try is the short-coupled brute, and this
one that has strength of bone and biz
muscles about the upper legs and back
bone. The farmers everywhere in the
middle states have a great number o
horses that would suit our demand fol
army horses, but they have seldom
paid any attention to our advertise
ments for animals, 80 the horse board
have got the habit OF looking else.
where. In an active Indian campaign
cavalryman and his horse are calleC
upon sometimes for a march continu
ing, with only an hour or two rest
for several days and nights. Civilian
have little idea of the endurance tina
both man and beast must have in
long campaign in a hostile Indiar
country.
SIN Indian warfare the cavalry il
indispensable. have had something
to do in Indian campaigns, from tn
Rio Grand to the British line, an
have never seen a time when a strong
well-drilled cavalry was not constant
necessary. The redskins never al
tempt outrages near an army post an
they always plan to escape on thei
horses Immediately after the raid.
cannot recall an instance in which til
Indians did not have big start OF til
cavalry. It is usually day before th
news of the work of the India1
reaches the garrison-sometimes SCI
eral days-and by that time the Il
dams have put $50 miles or MOI
between themselves and the cavalr,
Nearly always the Indians have pr
vided themselves with remounts befol
they commit their outrages, and the
drive band Of loose horses along b
Fora tbovo Wban a riddon amin