Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-03
Daily yfuaebst gonsaal.


| "Of course / am in no position to know
| at Bangor, said Capt. G. A. Dodd OF
| roop +, to a Commercial reporter. but
should one be established here as | learn
some influential gentlemen hope and ex-
| pect. then in my Judgment its strong eIe-
ment should be cavalry.
Il have been surprised in riding through
Maine and in my conversation with mil
| tia men to note the general lack of in.
tcrst in cavalry. There is no company in
the State and so far as | can learn nc
immediate prospect of any But Maine is
not so very badly behind the rest Of New
| England, after all.
The lack of interest in cavalry nre.
walls everywhere in the section,
Now according TO all the art of wal
this territory on the provincial frontier
should have mightier force of cavalry
| than of infantry.
''Of course, in my talk of war do moi
apprehend that there is any immediate OF
even remote contingency that the State
ana canada VIII ever meet in conflict
| But 1t Is the soldiers business to weigh
all the circumstances and take a far look
| into the possibilities.
Now in event of trouble Maine should
| have strong cavalry forces that could he
easily mobiized. 1t is all well enough to
say that Maine has plenty of horses ana
| plenty of men.
But of what earthly use would it be to
| send a rout of men and horses up over
the eastern border. Think of a squadron
hastily collected attempting charge or
even any manoeuvres that could avail
anything
From my own experience l understand
| now patiently the raw material must be
handled and taught and managed and at
last worked into shape. Cavalry must
be an amalgamated force. Otherwise IL
| IS worse than useless to employ it against
an enemy. All my training is to the end
| that each man and horse may be a single
individual and the individual solidly weld
| ed to the whole force or troop. Then and
| then only can the thing called cavalry be
handled as to do its work of cavalry.
Imagine sending such disorganized
| mass. as the hastily mobilzed Maine
| horse troops would be, against an enemy.
| Imagine the horrible uproar that would
| ensue were that mass driven back and
| stampeded as it would be most likely to
| be at the very outset of an engagement.
| rwere better that the Maine troops had
| no horsemen for the stampedng work
would most likely storm back and bring
panic to its own side.
| My notion is that in case any unpleas-
| antness ever arises whereby we are en-
broiled with our friends across the border
| the states should take the initiative in
stead of waiting until the foe advanced.
| That is that troops should go from Maine
| across the border instead of awaiting at
! tack.
| That stroke would be half the battle.
| A strongly organized and well-drilled
| cavalry force in this State could take the
|
| enough to carry the sword into the land
| of the enemy ere the enemy could work
| havoc in the midst of the peace plenty
| and prosperity of your State. | have no
| need to elaborate this point. Any think
| ing man can appreciate the situation for
| himself. My especial point is that caval-
ry cannot be created in an instant. You
| could put out a company OF horsemen but
| such troops would be as useless as toy
| soldiers
| Capt Dodd expresses the hope that his;
| visit to Maine with his troop will not be
taken as a mere exhibition of trained
| horsemanship. He wants the people to
appreciate the mighty power of trained
| cavalry. massed in a charge, moving as
| one great, easily controlled whole.
| He believes that the troop will tend to
stimulate cavalry interest. 1t will be
| somewhat disappointing If a Maine cav
| airy troop does not appear for drill at
| the next State encampment of the ma
| tional guard.
| Capt. Dodd was asked which in his
| opinion was more effective, cavalryman
| armed with sabre or an infantry man
| with bayonetted musket.
| so far as individual points have been
| scored in bloodless trials, the infantry
man has more points to his credit" says
| the captain. But that comes far from
| settling the thing, of course. The only
way such a matter could be decided
| would be to turn the two forces loose in
actual combat. AS to what cavalrymen
| thoroughly drilled would accomplish with
|
| bre ] have pretty clear and exalted no.
| ton.
| Troop + has been thoroughly drilled in
| charges of this sort. Dummy figures of
men standing and lying have been used
4 and the results have been such as to
| bring out the warmest commendation
| from experts.
| When the captain was in Europe on a
| tour of inspection he looked on all the
| cavalry troops and tactics with impartial
| and unprejudiccd eye but he failed to find
! that as a whole they surpassed the
| American cavalry men, In fact, he found
| many tactics in high favor that seemed
| TO him archaic and cumbersome.
| 1t is on record that when he was in
| New York. he challenged the vauntcd
| Cossacks of the Cody show to a contest
| with his men in rough riding but the Cos
sacks refused.
| In Capt. Dodd's estimation, the chief
utility of wel-trained cavalry is in serv-
ing as the ''eyes of the army" The ad-
| vance of infantry should always be pro-
| tocted by hail circle of pioneer cavalry
that may bring in reports of the enemy.
| drive back outposts and skirmshes. re-
| connoitre all approaches and in general
| serve as .'feelers.'
Capt Dodd's views must necessarily in
| terest all the Maine militia mon for the
Ecaptain is eminent authority on that of
| which he talks.
| Now where are the brave riders who
1 will form the first Maine squadron of cav
ry?-BangOr Commercial