The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-10-19

ard that she had on board large guam
tlty OF lateral. including Sc cases Of
percussion caps; $4,000 In promissory
s, Sss i'd ss other things The esn
suitable for Colts revolvers; ! regret to
say my men are not armed with them"
| Seeing that the Cavalry Was Safe.
About this time the Ist n. ]. Cav
took the field. and some companies had
skirmish with the enemy posted near
| Pohick Chuch, consisting of cavalry
and infantry. The Confederates
charged repeatedly. but the troops
commanded by Capt. John b. Fowler
| countercharged and drove them back;
for which action Gen. Heintzelman
complimented the officers i'm the high
| est terms. All along the line of the
Potomac. from Williamsport down.
the cavalry patrols were constant in
| their activity, and their continued use
| fulness furnished the War Department
with almost daily evidences of the wis
dom of accepting cavalry into the SER
vice. One hindrance to success was the
| pernicious practice of attaching
troop of cavalry to everybody who was
for time commanding something,
from the General commanding the
army to a Lieutenant Of infantry COM
handing a post, who secured by some
means what was called ali escort. This
practice made it impossible to perfect
the men Iii regimental drill, and neces
, <" "i'v the WIS no unity OF action,
! ~ men iaiel' mace the cavalry so sue
cessful. How some of these escorts
were treated by their commanders will
create n smile. In report made by
Brig. L. o. G. Ord. describing an
action in which he commanded troop
I; of cavalry. he states: "I moved the
cavalry squadron two or three times.
because they were exposed to fire."
q
said: Moving east with the cavalry,
which was of no use here, I came to
place in the road covered towards the
enemy by a high bluff and dense
thicket, which thicket / intended to
occupy with infantry. Here 1 left the
cavalry surrounded by dense forests,
wherein they could neither fight nor be
hurt" The time came when the cav
airy was not SO thoughtfully disposed
of.
/ have given but an outline of the
many disappointments that came to
those who were interested in enlisting
the attention of the General Govern
ment to the necessity for cavalry. The
incidents already related could be more
than duplicated. but it is not necessary.
The whole subject may be summed up
in the statement that. for some reason,
which has never been explained. there
was persistent and determined oppOsi
ton on the part of the Government
officials in Washington not to accept
any cavalry, and this opposition did not
die out with the end of 1861. The war
had progressed we'll into the year 1862
before the authorities in Washington
appeared willing to accept organiza-
tons of cavalry and to make the neces-
sary effort to equip those in the field.
The Reason for the Opposition.
The reason for this opposition is
hard to find. 1t has been said that
Gen. Scott knew little about cavalry
and that he was too old to learn. When
examined, this statement is without
foundation, for Gen. Scott knew all
about cavalry, and made magnificent
use of them during the Mexican War.
In his various reports concerning the
campaigns there. Gen. Scott speaks in
the most glowing terms Of his cavalry.
The magnificent charge of the gallant
Capt. Charles A. May, with a squadron
OF the I'd Dragons. at Resaca de La
Palma, upon a division of the Mexican
army. in which he captured their Cen
eral (La Vega. their cannon. and dis
persed the army, giving victory TO the
American commander, was n feat un-
paralleled in the annals of American
warfare, and gave to our cavalry n
reputation that will endure as long as
the history OF our country, and added
no little to the glory Of Gen. Scott. al
though they were not at the time under
his command.
The I'd Dragons gave important aid
to Gen. Scott in the first move he made
against the Mexicans. And this corps
had already earned laurels under Gen
Taylor.
Blake's company ca, I'd Dragoons)
was the first American command to en-
ter the walls of Vera Cruz, and Gen
Scott refers to the gallantry OF this
cavalry regiment as we'll as to the reg
iment of rifles, then commanded by
Maj. f. V. Sumner. Furthermore
Gen. Scott commends i'm terms of
warmest praise the work of Col Har-
ney Of the I'd Dragons, and of Mai.
Sumner of the Mounted Rifles. for
their excellent work at CerrO Gordo
where, in the advance upon that place
the Dragons kept Gen. Scott constant
| ly informed of the enemy's position
and contributed in no small degree in
the final action which gave that place
10 our army One of the officers con-
nected with the command at that time
! i'm communication concerning their
work. SAYS they had very little rest.
| because they were keeping Gen. Scott
posted as TO the enemy's movements
and wherever Gen. Scott went he was
escorted by detachments OF the Drs-
goons.
At Vera Cruz Mai Sumner charged
| the enemy. 1000 strong with seven
companies of his Ora goons, and COM
I'ieteIy routed the MexicanS. At each
of the prominent actions. the Ora goons
and Rifles. which had been snparted
for scouting purposes. were united, and
| as the time Of battle approached were
concentrated, and fought together
| Gen. Scott's Views.
| Neither can ii be maintained, fin view
of the facts, that Gen. Scott believed
that the war of 1851 would be ended
within 80 days. for he has left a record
which negatives this statement. In a
letter written by Gen. Scott dated
March 3. 1861, intended for Mr.. Lin
coln't perusal SO soon as he could be
made President, he suggested several
plans to deal with the problem Of Sc
cession. Under the head OF plan No
3 he makes use OF the following Ian
euase:
Conquer the seceeded States by in
vading armies. No doubt this might
be done in two or three years by a
young and able General Wolfe. a
Desaix, or a Hoche, with 100000 dis
ciplned men (kept up to that number)
estimating third for garrisons, and
the loss OF a yet greater number by
skirmishes, sieges. battles and South
ern fevers. The destruction Of life and
property on the other side would be
frightful, however perfect the moral
discipline OF the invaders"