Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-01-13
CAVALRY0N THE MOVE
They Usually Travel at a Walk
While on a March.
CAREFUL OF THEIR HORSES.


Reasons Why . Trot or oaiiop Might
Prove Disastrous to tho Animals.
Tho Wagons and Suppiies-0oins In
to Camp At Night.
People unfamiliar with the marching
Of troops frequently have the impress
sion that mounted troops usually trav.
ell at trot or gallop while on a march.
In the cavalry. however. the gait is
usually a walk.
There are reasons why 1t is not ad-
visable for cavalry 10 trot or gallop on
its road marches. The trooper Is re-
quired to carry his three weapons
rifle. pistol and saber-over a hundred
rounds of ball ammunition. his ban-
ket, shelter tent, ,canteen. extra horse
shoes and sundry other articles. all of
which add considerable weight to that
of the trooper.
This weight Is more or less cOncen-
trated at comparatively few points in
stead Of being uniformly distributed
over the horses back. SO that at a trot,
in spite of all that may be done to
avoid 1t, the conclusion at certain
points Is considerable and II kept up
tends to develop blisters and sores on
the horses back. which may increase
until the animal Is no longer tit to use.
As the supply department furnishes
but one horse to each trooper. differ
ing in this respect from the mounts Of
hn
wants. constant vigilance Is required
on the part of the captain while ON a
long march I'm order to keep his horses
serviceable and prevent bis troopers
from becoming dismounted.
This he accomplishes In part by
marching at q walk whenever the cir
cumstances will admit it. BY means Of
the walk we make four miles an hour,
says Captain William r. Flynn. U. S.
A., in Forest and Stream. and as TWEEN
ty-five miles is considered a fair days
march 1t is 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
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
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 to buy hay
en- route and thus have to rely upon
grazing we put each horse out on a
the ground.
On the march each mounted man
carries his lariat and pin attached to
his saddle and as soon as he unsaddleS
seeks a good grazing place for his
horse and drives his pin in the ground
The horse thus gets a limited area
upon which to Craze. The pins are
changed once or twice during the even.
ing. and as the horse stays all night on
at the grass. after all, and when we
want him in the morning we can find
him.
The horses having been unsaddled
and disposed of. the men then put up
their shelter tents. A shelter tent is a
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
fcers' tents are wall tents. carried in
the wagons and cannot be put up till
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 the
latter build their fire and at once set
about getting supper. Soldiers like to
have their food well cooked: but. bet.
ter still. they appear to like 1t prompt.
ly cooked. and that camp cook Is al
ways popular who yells Come and
get it!' just little sooner than it is
expected
On the march we eat 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 eats it. This constitutes his mid
day meal.
Supper over. guard is posted tt
look out for the safety Of the camp
and the other men usually collect fuel
build rousing fire. gather round Il
and amuse themselves by singing, tell
ing yarns and cracking jokes upor
each other till bedtime. which comes
pretty early with men on the march
. The officers fill In the time in about
, the same manner.
On the march one always has to rist
early. There are so many things to b.
done in order to get the cavalcade fair
, " ON the road that early rising is eS