The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-16
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days OF old the cavalry was the most
Important factor in warfare. The
knights composing this branch Of the
military encased IN arInor went forth
| TO FIGHT against bare-legged peasants
/ poorly armed and on foot OThese they
| would spit" on their lance after the
gallant medieval fashion Of the times,
II was a harmless sort Of sport for the
knight, and unless he came against
some other knight his chance OF getting
hurt wsS very little.
That foot soldiers could survive the
shock Of heavy cavalry. weighted down
as II was with boiler plate, was thought
utterly impossible until the fifteenth
century. when the mountaineers OF
Switzerland astonished men grown old
in camps by sustaining the dreaded
shock on their pixies. This demonstra-
tlon Of what infantry might do, and the
| Introduction Of gunpOwder, brought the
cavalry into neglect. Indeed, the cav
| airy had so degenerated by the begin
ming OF the seYenteenth century US 10
be a ponderous, inactive body. Charges
/ at speed were unknown TO 1t, reliance
was placed on the Llusket and pistol IN
stead Of the sword,
| II was GustRYus Adolphus, the great
Swedish king and hero, who took this
unWieldIy body and impaired TO II that
calvaryman his air Of romance.
One OF the most famous cavalry
charges made by that leader was at
Lutzen, in 1882, where he met his death.
The Swedish army. 10000 strong, was
ranged IN two lines; the infantry heic
the center, while the cavalry was post
ed on It's right and left wings; facing
the Swedes was the Imperial army OF
Austria, under Wallensteln. The battle
was begun by the Swedes, with a gem
eral attack on Wallenstein's position
| They swept all before them at hrsti
Gustavus Adolphus led the cavalry In
person. He had FALLEN Ike thunder
bolt on the lightly mounted Poles ana
Cfoats posted on the enemys lett, %hen
he was informed that his infantry was
beaten back, where II assailed the CEN
ter. Wheeling about ne led regiment
Of cuirassers to ltS support. In his arr
dor he Outstripped his troopers and rode
alone close 10 the Austrian ranks,
drawing the enemy's IRE. A shot
struck him in the arm, an instant later
a second bullet sent him from the sad
die. AS he lay on the ground helpless
from his hurts, troop Of Croats swept
over him in a furious charge, and THE
Lion of the North breathed MS !ast
beneath their blows.
The SWedes, frantic at the loss OF their
king, hurled themselves against wal
lensteln's line with such weight OF num-
bers that the imperial army was press'
ed back at every point. It was then
| the second memorable cavalry charge
Of the day was made.
Tho fiery Pappenheim, the stoutest
fighter and the greatest cavalry leader
In the Austrian service, appeared upon
the field, The evening before he had
been at Halle, where his men were
piundering the town. There the order
from Wallensteln to advance had reach
ed him, His arrival changed the aspect
OF affaIrs. He collected the tugltlves
| and led them to the charge. All gave
way before him. as he Numbered into
the thickest OF the Swedish rank1.
The Austrlans seeing him fall, fed
from the field, and his death put an
end to one OF the most sternlH contested
battles ever fought.
The great civil wa IN England pro-
duced some notable cavalry leaders. Oh
iyer Cromwell was the pride Of the
parliamentary force He entered the
army at forty-four years OF age.
quiet country gentleman. and organized
a regiment. This regiment became the
famous "Ironsldes," and he led it,hush-
ed with victory, from many heio
where the red flower Of war had blos-
somed.
Perhaps The most famous cavalry
| charge Of the whole war was that made
at Marstop Moor. This battle was COM
menced by Cromweli. who charged with
his cavalry on the left wing OF the royal
army, where Prince. Rupert's horse was
stationed. A fierce fight ensued between
the two bodies of cavalry, which was
decided IN Cromwell's favor only when
he brought his reserves Into action.
Another celebrated charge was at
Neerwinden. where Marshal Gutenberg
defeated the Prince OF Orange, In 1903.
Three gallant charges made by the
French along the front of the enemy's
position had failed utterly in their pur-
pose; on the fourth attempt being
made the cavalry in solid body enter
ed the field, and sweeping around to the
rear OF Neerwinden, hurled Itself on the
Dutch from behind. The charge decided
the fate of the day and gave the bat
tie to the French.
Al the battle OF Zorndorf General
SeldlItz, Frederick the Greats famous
cavalry leader, gave the victory to his
king by a single brilliant charge on the
Russians, who had driven the infantry
in q panic from the field. The day
seemed lost when SeIdlltz, with 5000
men, forced his way through the
swamps of the ZobeTn and rolled IN up
on the flank OF the Russians, who were
thrown into confusion and finally rout-
ed BY the rushing sQuadrons. The Prus-
sian troopers hacked and cut at the
flying men as they galloped back and
forth through the dlsorganized mass,
until from sheer exhaustion they were
forced to stop the butcherV.
One Of the most brilliant cavalry &c
lions Of the revolutionary period In
France was that of the 18th OF Septem.
Der, 1892, when 1900 Prussians charged
the rear guard OF Dumouriez' army,
which numbered 10000 men. The French
gave ground and then fell back In con-
fusion on their main body. The Prus-
SLAMS continued to press them and final
ly ended bV charging the whole French
army.
At Villlers-en- Couchn about eighty
six Austrlnns and [wO hundred Eng
llsh Hight Dragons, with two pieces OF
artillery. attacked 10000 French infan-
trS and cavalry. The charge was
made with such spirit and so success
fully that the French were driven from
the aeld With a loss OF ! 200 men killed
and wounded.
The wars carried on by Napoleon
were famous for great cavalry actions.
The charge OF the French horse nt the
battle Of Egiau Is one OF these. The
French had suffered fcarfully from the
fire OF a masked battery Of seventy-tWo