Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-05-08
THE GREATEST RIDERS.
They Are the CavaIrymea of th,
American Army.

They Are the CaveIrymea OF the
American Army.
American soldiers have made some
long. hard rides I'm the campaigns in
which the forces have been engaged
since the first regiment OF regulars
was made possible by the law OF the
land. In recent article the magnifi-
cent horsemanship or an individual SOL
der was touched upon more than
briefly. but it should not be understood
that endurance aud skill are not the
part OF The vast majority of the mem
bers OF Uncle Sans mounted service
No army N the world, perhaps. has
had the same opportunities 70 test the
endurance OF cavalrymen and cavalry
horses as has the small regular force
of the United States. The long. level
stretches OF the plains and the activity
of the marauding Indian mounted on
his tireleSs Uroncho have been In part
the conditions which gave to the
mounted arm of the United States
army its matchess chances for long,
forced marches
Colonel Theodore Ayrault Dodge OF
the army has collected the official rec
ords OF long distance cavalry riders
and has made them public so that they
may be compared. if one wishes the
comparison. with the performance OF
the soldier forces or other nations.
Some time ago a squadron OF the
Natal Mounted rifles rode eighty FIVE
miles in twelve consecutive hours. The
English press speaks of this ride as
being remarkable achievement From
the standpoint OF the American caval-
I'yman the ride is almost the reverse
of remarkable. In the year 1891. at the
time OF the Sioux uprising in South
Dakota. Captain +. s. Fountain. Unit
ed States cavalry. with detachment
of his troop, rode eightyfour miles In
eight hours. This record Is vouched
for, and II is better than that of the
Natal Mounted rifles by about four
hours. the distance being within one
mile of that made by the South Az
rican troops. For actual speed this
forced march stands perhaps at the
head of the American army record.
though other rides have been more re-
markable in other respects.
In the year 1879. when the Utes sue
| ceeded in getting some United States
troops into what afterward WIS known
| as "Thornburg rat hole" three mount
ed courIers succeeded in slipping
| through the circling line OF savages.
| Every one OF them reached Merritts
column. 10 miles distant. in less than
| twenty -four hours. The exact time
e,1-a -.
1t. Rescue was or more importance
than records
IL must be understood. Of course. that
these rides. al! OF them. were made
without changing horses. The steed al
the start was The steed at the finish
The best rider. according TO cavalry ex
| perts, Colonel Dodge in particular, Is
\ not the man who takes five barred
\ gate or who cun ride standing. but the
man who by instinct knows the condi
| ton OF his horse and. though gettine
the most out of the animal. knows how
TO conserve his strength
In the year 1876 Major Henry w
Lawton. who afterward. when he had
won his stars. met death in the Philip
pines, rode from Red Cloud agency
| Nebraska, TO Sidney, in the same state
a distance OF i25 miles. in twenty -four
hours. General Crook had sent hin
with dispatches. The road. where there
was n road. was OF the worst, but Law
ton delivered his message. though hs
looked five years older than he did
when it had been given him the day
before. The horse that Lawton rode
was lit for service again inside of Q
days time
Four troopers or the Fourth cavalry
who had volunteered for the particular
service rode IN the summer OF 1870
from Fort Harvey to Fort Warner witt
dispatches. Their route lay through
an Indian country. and the men wcr,
told 10 make the best time possible
without killing their horses.
The troopers were on their mettle
They made the distance-1d0 miles. II
miles OF the way being through loos,
sand-n % hours. the actual marching
time being lS hours 80 minutes A
Fort Warner they rested one day ant
then returned TO Fort Harvey on The
same horses ut the uniform rate o.
sixty miles day.-Chicago Post.