The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-28

enlarging. perfecting and making the cav
airy more effective.
The American civil war" wrote Mai.
Price. "difsh that cavalry charge can
be made as eficacious to-day against rifles
and rified artillery as it was in the days
Of Seydlitz The experiment then made
with poor riders and worse swordsmen
proved what American cavalry can do.
and gives token of what they may do in
the future If they are trained TO become
bold riders and swordsmen. Tfa safety of
cavalry mast always be in rapidly.
The cavalry Of the civil war, the Jour
nal admitted. was on both sides. only toll
cradle" in default of a better way of
fighting, which there was no time or
! means TO organize. The troops We're va
riously armed some light, some heavy this
command with carbnes and that with sa-
bers frequently all organized an a make
shin way 10 meet a passing emergency.
And yet, granting the truth OF this pic
ture, what gGaring renown clustered
around The brows of the great Southern
cavalry commanders, Stuart, Wheeler,
Forrest Hampton, Butler, Young, Lee
Anderson, and gallant leaders of lesser
fame. And the same is true of the cav
airy leaders of the Northern armies, Sher-
idan, Wilson, Sturgis, fitzpatrick, Stone
man, Custer, Grierson, Garrard, Johnson
and others who won fame with their flying
suuadrons.
When, in the civil war Atlanta. with all
her splendid fortifcations, was threaten
ed Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheelers famous
Buttermilk' cavalry was dismounted and
put in the trenches where danger was
most threatened, and they made a record
for hard work, faithful service and pa
tent endurance then unsurpassed in mill
tary history And when the Rough Rid
ers' and other cavalry troops landed at
Santiago, in the recent Cuban war; the
same scene was re-enacted only with
greater hardships and privations, imme-
date and fierce fighting in and GU, of the
| trenches, and examples of heroism and pa
triouc devotion 10 the flag of our country,
never before witnessed.
In the manhood and valor and endur~
ance of the cavalry there has been no
decadence. and in the now gloriOusly bril-
liant record of Santiago. he would be a
| very foolish man TO repeat the obsolete
| question, HAS the Day of Cavalry Pass
edgH The cultured and refined college
bred young men of New Yorks swell
-Four Hundred" and the ignorant and
| humble negroes of the famous Ninth
| United States Cavalry have joined Che
middle class cavalrymen in a most en-
phatic no" 90 that inquiry, thar will go
sounding down the corridors of Time with
| uhdiminished emphasis.
Aitt What of the grand old soldier who
led these victorious heroes into the deadly
fire of a determined and hidden foe? He
was. in the recorded opinion of Gen. Rob
ert K. Lee, the greatest cavalry command
er in the Confederate army, sharing honors
with the illustrious Gen. J. L. b. Stewart,
who fell in the smoke of battle. From a
lieufcnnney ne had rapidly risen to the
rank of major general, and finally became
a lieutenant general.
When Mai. Price wrote that the safety"
OF cavalry must always lie in rapidly"
he should also have added that its effec-
tiveness against the enemy depended large
ly and often entirely, upon its 'rapidity.'
Take the campaign of Gen. Sherman from
! Chattanooga TO Atlanta, and Gen. Joe
! Wheeler's cavalry record stands out in
| bold relief. He was everywhere almost
! simultaneously, TO the constant dismay of
! Sherman's forces. This was kept up all
the way 10 and below Atlanta. and with
great success in the capture of provision
! trains and prisoners.
Gen. Sherman found Forrest, in his ex-
| IRENE rear. and Wheeler alongside of him.
too much OF a good thing. and complains
| IN has Memoirs" that they constantly
| interfered with his plans and caused the
detachment of cavalry needed with the
main army.
| Gen. w w. Mackall chief Of john
| sion 5 staff. usually congratulated Wheeler
for his most daring exploits. and these
! kilograms and notes. dictated by Gen
Johnston. he still preserves with an honest
pride.
| Wherever our cavalry may go i'm the
present emergency, if properly mounted.
| its rapidly" viii be the one thing that
! viii put it Gar ahead of the infantry in
! preventing needless conflicts. the wanton
/ destruction Of property and inhuman dis
| plays OF cruelty. In Cuba and the Phillip
! pines they will have plenty TO do, and in
! Porto Rico few idle days viii come to
them. The cavalry has nobly won It's
/ spurs, and should be given every oppor-
tunity 90 wear them with wcll-earned
! pride. And thank God, hereafter the
\ name of grand old Joe" Wheeler will
| have place in its present and future
! history as the illustrious hero of Sauti-
! ago. Sidney Herbert.