The Bryan eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1880-1913, 1909-01-13
!CAVALRYON THE move
CAREFUL OF THEIR HORSES.

reasons Why . Trot Or oailop Might
. Prove Disastrous 10 the Animals.
The Wagons and suppliss-ooins In
: 70 Camp ~ Night.
People unfamiliar with the marching
Of troops frequently have the impress
sion that mounted troops usually tray
el at trot or gallop while ON march.
In the cavalry. however. the gait h
usually a walk.
There are reasons why II In not al
visable for cavalry 20 trot or gallop ON
It's road marches. The trooper II TO
quircd 20 carry his three weapons
rife. pistol and saber-over hundred
rounds OF ball ammunition. his blan.
ket. shelter tent. cantecn. extra horse
shoes and sundry other articles. all OF
which add considerable weight To that
of the trooper.
This weight h more or less concen-
tratcd nj comparatively few points in
stead OF being uniformly distributed
over tho horses back. 80 that at trot,
In spite OF all that mny he done 10
avoid II. the conclusion nj certain
points Is considerable and n kept up
tends TO develop blistcrs and sores on
the horses back. which may increase
until the animal Is no longer ~ 10 use.
As the supply department furnishes
but one horse 10 each trooper. differ
Ing Ia this respect from the mounts OF
the cowboy. who has as many as he
wants. a constant vigilance Is required
on the part OF the captain while on a
long march In order Ia keep his horses
seryiceable and prevent his troopers
from becoming dismounted.
This he accompilshes In part by
marching nj a walk whenever the cir
cumstances viii admit Il liy means of
the walk we make four miles an hfur,
says Captain William r. Flynn. r. s.
A. IN Forest and Stream. and as twcn-
ty-five miles IA considered a fair days
march II IL thus made IN about seven
hours. considering the necessary halts.
The wagons carrying our supplies can
go no faster than that. and there is
rarely any advantage IN reaching ones
camping ground very much In advance
OF the wagons.
IL Is customary with individual tour
lists and campers upon making camp
10 turn their horses loose and either
10 watch them OF else trust 10 luck In
the matter Of finding them again We
are not permitted 10 do this In tho
army. We always mean TO provide
grain for our animals on the march.
and when we are unable 10 buy hay
en- route and thus have 10 rely upon
grazing we put each horse out on a
rope fastened 90 n picket pin driven In
the ground
On the march each mounted man
carries his lariat and pin attached 20
his saddle aud as soon as he unsaddles
seeks good grazing place for his
horse aud drives his pin In the ground.
The horse thus gets limited area
upon which 20 Craze The pins are
changed once or twice during the even
ing and as the horse stays all night on
his rope he gets pretty fair chance
NJ the grass. after all. and when we
want him Ia the morning we can find
him.
The horres having been unsaddicd
and disposed OF. the men then put up
their shelter tents A shelter tent Il a
convenient little affair made ia two
halves 20 accommodate nicely two sol
dicrs Each soldier carries bis half
aud his pole with him on his blanket
roll attached 90 bis saddle. 80 ~ soon
as he unSaddles he can select his
"bunkie" and put up his tent. The OF.
ncers' tents are wall tents. carried In
the wagons aud cannot be put up I'll
the wagons come In.
As soon as that takes place details
OF men put up the officers tents. get
wood and water for the cooks. and tho
latter build their fre and ut once set
about getting supper. Soldiers like a.
have their food well cooked: but. bet
ter still. they appear 60 like Il prompt.
ly cooked. and that camp cook Il nj.
ways popular who yells Come and
get IT. just II little sooner than II Is
expected.
On the march we eat but two meals
a day. After breakfast the cooks give
each man liberal sandwich OF bacon
and bread. This the man incloscs IN
his meat can and when he gets hun
gry eats Il. This constitutes his mid.
day meal.
supper over. n guard Is posted 20
look out for the safety OF the camp.
aud the other men usually collect fuel.
build n rousing IRE. gather round IL
and amuse themselves by singing. tell
Ing yarns and cracking Jokes upon
each other TIL bedtime. which comes
pretty early with men on the march.
The officers oil In the time In about
the same manner.
On the march one always has 20 rise
early. There are 80 many things 20 DO
done In order To get the cavalcade fair.
ly on the road that early rising Is es-
sential The guard rouses the cooks
long before daylight. and by the time
The horses are fed and brushed or
the cook announces breakfast. After
breakfast the tents are taken down.
packed. the horses saddIcd and