The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-22
cAVALRYON THE MOVE
They Usually Travel at a Walk
While on a March.
CAREFUL OF THEIR HORSES.
Reasons Why Trot or Gallop Might
Prove Disastrous to the Animals.
The Wagons and suppIies-Goins In.
TO Camp at Night

People unfamiliar with the marching
Of troops frequently have the impress
sion that mounted troops usually tray
cl at trot or gallop while on march.
In the cavalry, however, the gait is
usually walk
There are reasons why IL is not nd !
visable for cavalry to trot or galop on |
its road marches. The trooper Is re- |
quired TO carry his three weapons |
pi1e, pistol and saber-over hundred |
rounds OF ball ammunition. his blan-
ket, shelter tent. canteen. extra horse |
shoes aud sundry other articles. all of |
which add considerable weight to that !
OF the trooper
This weight Is more or less conccn- |
tratcd at comparatively few points in.
stead OF being uniformly distributed
over the horses back, so that ut trot,
in spite of all that may be done to
avoid 1t, the concussion Mt certain
points is considerable and IL kept up
tends 10 develop bllsters and sores on
the borsc's back, which may increase
until the animal is no longer fit TO use
AS the supply department furnishes
but one horse TO each trooper. differ
Ing In this respect from the mounts OF
the cowboy. who has as many as he
wants. a constant vigilance Is required
on tho part Of the captain while on q 4
long march In order to keep his horscs
serviccabe and prevent his troopers
from becoming dismounted.
This he accomplishes in part by
marching at walk whenever the cir
cumstances will admit It. By means OF
the walk we make four miles an hour.
says Captain William f. Flynn. U. s.
A., in Forest and Stream, and as TWEEN.
ty-five miles Is considered fair days
march IL is thus made in about seven
hours, considering the necessary halts.
The wagons carrying our supplies can
go no faster than that. and there il
rarely any advantage In reaching ones
camping ground very much In advance
Of the wagons.
1t Is customary with individual tour.
lists and campers upon making camp
TO turn their horses loose and either
to watch them or else trust TO luck IN
I the matter Of finding them again. We
are not permitted TO do this in the
army. We always mean to provide
| grain for our animals on the march.
and when we are unable 10 buy hay
| pn route and thus have TO rely upon
grazing we put each horse ont oil
rope fastened TO picket pin driven IN
| tho ground
On the march each mounted man
carries his lariat and pin attached TO
his saddle and as soon ns he lInsaddles
| seeks a good grazing place for his
horse andFdrivcs his pin in the ground.
The horse thus gets limited area
| upon which 10 gra2c. The pins are
| changed once or twice during the even.
Ing. and as the horse stays all night on
his rope he gets n pretty fair chance
at the grass. after all and when we
want him III the morning we can find
him.
| The horses having been unsaddlcd
and disposed OF, the men then put up
their shelter tents. a shelter tent is
convenient little AFFAIR made IN two
halves to accommodate nicely two sol
diers. Each soldier carries his half
and his pole with him ON his blanket
roll attached TO his saddle. so as soon
as he unsaddles he can select his
"bunkie" and put Up his tent. The Of
6cers tents are wall tents. carried IN
the wagons and cannot be put up till
| the wagons come In.
| AS soon rs that takes place details
1 of men put up the officers tents. get
i wood and water for the cooks, and The
latter build their fire and at once set
abont getting supper. Soldiers like to
have their food well cooked; but. bet
ter still, they appear to like it prompt
ly cooked, and that camp cook is al.
ways popular who yels "Come and
| get it," just little sooner than IL Is
expected.
On the march we cat but two meals
| day. After breakfast the cooks give
each man liberal sandwich OF bacon
and bread This the man incloses In
his meat can and when he gets hun
CRY cats it, This constitutes his mid
day meal
| Supper over, a guard is posted to
look out for the safety OF the camp,
aud the other men usually collect fuel,
build rousing fire, gather round II
and amusc themselves by singing. tell
Ing yarns and cracking jokes upon
each other Till bedtime, which comes
pretty early with men on the march.
The officers oil In the time in about
the same manner.
On the march Que always has TO rise
early. There are so many things TO be
done in order 10 get the cavalcade fair
ly on the road that early rising Is es
sential The guard rouses the cooks
long before daylight, aud by the time
| the horses are fed and brushed on
the cook announces breakfast After
breakfast the tents are taken down,
i u.n oons nacknl the hnrsps salllnl md