The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-06-16
CAVALRY RIDES
RECORDS MADE BY UNCLE
SANS FIGHTERS.
Eighty-Four Miles in Eight Hours -
General Lawton's Feat-Merrltt Once
Made One undre and Seventy Miles
In Sixty-Six Hours v

Ah SAAty-Sl4 hOuEb-
There is much of interest to riders
generally, but particular to the United
States cavalrymen, in reports hat
nave come from South Africa of some
of the long, hard rides made there by
the British mounted troops. The &C
counts of some Of these rapid forced
marches of cavalry are lacking in de-
tail, but the specific statement is made
that a squadron of the Natal Mounted
Rifles recently rode So miles in twelve
consecutive hours. The English press
speaks of the rides of 60 miles by de-
tached cavalry troops which were COM
pleted within the limit of the daylight
hours, and these achievements of the
troopers and their mounts are spoken
of as il of frequent occurrence.
At first thought 1t may not appear
that these rides are particularly re-
markable. but the fact must be taken
into consideration that bodies of
troops and not single individuals are
concerned, and where this is the case
the rapidity of the march must neces-
sarily be gagged by the rapidity and
endurance of the poorest horse of the
outfit. Moreover, each animal engaged
has to carry weight of man and equip
ment to an average amount Of $50
pounds.
New 80 thn hnrGne tIunI hu thn NM
lish troopers are American bred, and a
natural interest in this country is add
ed to the rides, for it gives a chance to
get a line" on the endurance of the
American animal under absolutely
strange climatic conditions.
No army in the world, perhaps, has
had the same opportunities to test the
endurance of cavalry horses as has the
small regular force of the United
States. The long, level stretches of
tie plains and the activity of the ma
rauding Indian mounted On his t~ireless
broncho have been the conditions
Which gave to Uncle Sans cavalryman
his matchless chances for long forced
mounted marches.
Col. Theodore Ayrault Dodge, United
States army, collected the official rec
ords of long distance cavalry rides and
has made them public, so that they
may be compared with the perform
nee of the soldier horsemen of other
nations. Col. Dodge declares specific
ally that he has rejected all "hear-say
rides, of which there is no end" and
has accepted only those proved by Off
cial reports.
Col. Dodge says that Capt. S. F.
Fountain, United States cavalry, in the
year 1891 rode with a detachment of
his troops 81 miles in eight hours. This
record is vouched for. and it is better
than that of the Natal Mounted Rifles
by about four hours, the distance being
within one mile of that made in South
Africa. For actual speed this forced
march stands perhaps at the head of
the American army record, though
other rides have been more remark
able. In the veal of 1879, when the
Utes succeeded in getting some United
States troops into what was afterward
known as Thornburg's rat hole" sew
eral mounted couriers succeeded in
slipping through the circling line of
savages. All of them reached Mer-
ritz S column, ITO miles distant, in less
than "a hours.
1t must be understood, of course that
all these American rides were made
without changing horses. The steed at
the start was the steed at the finish.
The best rider, according to cavalry
experts, is not the man who takes a
~five-barred gate or who can ride stand
ing, but he who by instinct feels the
condition Of his horse. and, though
getting the most out of the animal,
knows how to conserve his strength.
The late Gen. Lawton, who was killed
in the Philippines, in the year 1876
rode from Red Cloud Agency, Neb., to
Sidney, in the same state, a distance of
1875 miles, in 26 hours. He was carry
ing important dispatches for Gen.
Crook, and though the road was bad,
HID HhCthl Woo III Soou CohoILiOh "utu
Lawton, looking five years older than
he did the day before, handed over his
bundle of papers to the black-bearded
general. Gen. Merritt has a forced
march RECORD that has no American
parallel when the conditions of his
journey are considered. He was or
dered in the fall of 1879 to the relief
Of Payne's command, which was sur
rounded by hostile Indians. Merritt's
command consisted of four troops Of
cavalry, but at the last moment he
was ordered to add to his force a bat
talon OF infantry. The dough boys"
were loaded into army wagon drawn
by mules. and with the cavalry at the
tanks the relief column started. The
distance to be traversed was ITO miles.
and it was made Notwithstanding the
handicap Of the wagons and trails that
were muddy and sandy by turns, in
just sixty-six hours. At the end OF
the march the troopers went into the
fight. and in the entire command not
n horse showed a lame leg or a sad