The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-02
SOUTHERN CAVALRY IN
WAR BETWEEN STATES

The fftieth anniversary OF the nr-
ing on Fort Sumpter. in 1851. an event
which ts held 10 he the commence
mont OF the sectional war between
the States. has been greeted with ape
cial articles In many periodical pub
sicGtions. and while that war win con-
tinue to be a subject OF historical In
terest IL is also worth attention as
an important source OF information
on modern warfare.
The war between the sections was
the last great struggle fought with
firearms of moderate range. There
we're some rified cannon and maya
zine rifles. always on the Northern
aide until the Southern soldiers cap
tuTed them, but the Parrot rifled
cannon could not be handled with
the swiftness, desired. and the Spencer
magazine rifles were easily put out Of
Use on account OF their unreliable
mechanism, and neither gave the
North any special advantage. and,
/ moreover, the South got It's share of
them.
! The American sectional war closed
! In 1858. and the great war between
/ france and Germany came on In
INTO, BY that time cannon and rifles
perfected. and machine guns pouring
/ out automatically storm OF bullets
When once set in motion We're among
Inc principal weapons employed on
eoth sides and the missiles discharg-
| ed from all the guns reached farther
than ordinary human vision could
discover tho men who nred them.
Then 1t was that tho scientific SOL
oilers, who were SO enamored of the
wonderful long range guns. proclaim
ed that there would never he snv
more lighting at close range. much
less hand-to-hand. and the edict went
FORTH to abandon the bayouet and the
sword ana to abolish cavalry, except
~ re" Tor scouting, II was argued
mat cavalry. II attempting to charge.
would be exterminated by the far
reaching guns long before they could
galiop up close enough IL do any
execution. and no cavalry went into
disuse, while the infantry officers car
ried rifle instead OF a sword.
The Franco German war IN 1s-o
ana the Russo-Turklsh war in 1877
were fought under the new system
ana while It's weak points had begun
70 show themselves there was no spe-
ciai objection made until the Boer
war IN South Africa. and later the
war between Japan and Russia de-
Veioped the serious defects of the new
notion. NV
Inc British went to South Africa
win 100000 men. but with very few
: eafalrS' while the Beers had some
e",Voo men most or all OF whom were
anouh'ea' ana they soon showed their
proWess ny being able to move swift
~ and make sudden and unexpec,ees
attacks upon the British foot forces
ana while inflicting serious damage
On we zoe, got away with little mr.
no loss VI
30 Formidable were the monntad
Boers that the British forces suffered
disastrous losses, while their assai,.
ANS gained great advantage through
s.e AkIAtui handling OF their mount
> ed men. Finally the British rcaltyjrc
the necessity for mounted mon ~ ,'r,'
pose the mounted foe. sent their aSnnts
I 70 the United States for horses wttf
, tho result that some 200. 600 Of tharr
we're shipped TO South Africa from the
: port Or New Orleans. Finally, by be.
ing able to mount large force. tho
britlsh were able TO overpower th,
~ 5oers and bring them to submission
nis TACT changed the notions Of tn,
military theorists as to the worth n
+ cavalry, aud the mounted forces ha,-
= peeh restored to their places In mod
eFh warfare. but modifying the tactic
:, To meet the changes in firearms.
. III the Russo Japanese war the cav
- airy appear to have been ou both side
> OIL INFERIOR quality, and they scoret
- nothlhg OF note. but one resson learne,
L IN that war was that a fortified nosi
T. tion could not be captured AT ian,
range. 1t was absolutely necessary :,
n go and take It, and therefore, nghtin,
- ~ close quarters. and even hand-to
mana. became necessity. and so tn
It payonet ard sword were restored 4
l. the places they had long previously oc
q cupled In warfare Moreover. wa
n means battle. and battle means blows
Is / nat was the meaning or battle lon
c before the invention of gunpowdeY am,
s. firearms, aud there can be no ATTY
g and dectslNe battle unless there, tyf. "
Al Striking of blows, thrusting and cut
l. ing with weapons into human bodies
n stoutly defended fortified positio
d cannot be captured by mere long rang
:, | shooting.
"a But returning to the horsemen sine
a the Boer war the European militar
~ tacticians have taken up the study a
N the American cavalry and have reache
20 the conclusion that during our sec
y, uonal War ot the, sj&ttea Its qaeh1as-e
- ments were splendid in the extreme
-, TO give an idea of how our cavall.
= were regarded by European experts
A.. epilie eStFdcis, translated INTO English
- are presented from lecture III tn
French cavalry school at Saurnul
u thus
re Formed of volunteers, rich planter
- OF the great farms. horsemen by tast
II and habit, riding continually the road
Q being often unfit for carriages and tn
= horse being their sole means OF loco
n motion. the southern cavalry constitu
e. ted an exceptional body for recon
LIS noissance and partisan work. II ha
r at its head officers who, graduate
is from West Point, had acquired In In
n strife along the frontiers with the In
e dians, the love of long. bold narche.
n familiarity with great distances an
* calmness in danger
Q Its generals were. In the first ranl
Stuart the accomplished type of tn
cavalry generai--worthy TO figure sid
- by side with the great cavalry leader
. of the first empre-whose activity
, ardor and tenacity never tagged unit
II his death in 1864. Morgan and Fores
a redoabtabIe partisan chiefs, who's
: NOTICE.
FIRST HALF.