The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-30
VERY LITTLE use
NOW FOR CAVALRY
THE MOST SPECTACULAR MANEU-
YER OF WARFARE BECOMES
THING OF THE PAST.
ARE MERELY SCOUTS
IN THE FUTURE LAND BATTLES
WILL BE DECIDED BY THE
ARTILLERY, Is OPINION
OF EXPERTS.
ARE MERELY SCCUIs
NV VICTOR ELLIOTT.

By VICTOR ELLIOTT.
wASHINilON. Dec. 29.-The last
cavalry charge has been made. NeVe.
again will the tide of battle be turned
nv the laundering adj ance Of fesi-
ment of horse. Never again VIII ahe
columns of infantry turn ana nee
before the onslaught of gaiop'hs
host,
With this passing of the cavalry
charge the most bf illiant maneu'ei
in all warfare becomes extinct. FROM
the days when the famous ASuoi"i'
caNauS new, swift AS death, upon,
their adversaries. to the oattie o1
Cedar Creek, the last great cdVaiiS
battle, the rapid advance OF i'oons-
ed men has meant carnage ana oe-
struction In its most dreadful aspect
Hut since the American Ci'u war
according to army officers OF the
present administration, the institu-
ton of mounted soldiers has oieo
natural death. In that Its enectNe-
ness is obsolete. This seems marc 10
accept, and yet the Uniteo states
army officers. seated IN tneir ap-
pointsd offices in the war depart
nent haye demonstrated on charts
that there is no longer any use ioi
the cavalry.
As Experts Figure 1t.
Picture a. battle. Slightly risihs
ground on the one hand, a oroad'
open meadow between and on tn.
other hand deep woods, Through
the meadow flows a narrow stream
Breastworks are thrown up along
the face of the slope. behind wnich
crouches an army. Back there III
the woods on the other side Oh sne
meadow another army lies
As the first giimmer of the day &p'
pears in the EAST, sparks OF f1r> snoo'
out of the darkness of the meadow
ghadowy figures stink backward TO-
| ward either side--the pickets, wht
have advanced during the night u
close under the enemies lines. rev
| Of them remain on the face OF th'
! meadow. AS the dappled oawi
strengthens the bugles sound tn
reviclie and indistinct murmuring
| rise from the opposing camps. soo'
the batteries. set up during the nign
along the edge OF the slope speak
splitting Jets OF fire and hurting roun'
shot into the woods. In a momen
a battery dashed from out the wooc
takes position and unlimbers. open
ing fire with round shot also. An
other battery comes out, and the
another. Then begins an artiller
duel which will endure throushot
the day.
Infantry is Repulsed.
There is a movement In the WOOD
and suddenly they are delivered {
ranks upon ranks OF infantry whic
move up to a position behind tf
batteries. The guns from the siop'
side still thunder. The guns on III
Cd
FINALLY a battery of field guns ar
gatlings reached a position on II
, side OF the stream toward tho wood
The infantry moves up behind tner
, The sharpshooters begin to pick 9
! the gunners OF the masked batteri
4 on the hillside.
+. Then suddenly there Is n con
: motion in the woods far to one SD
The generals commanding the hi
:. side have SORTED In flank and a
= attacking. The hillside battery mu
be taken. Leaping from their pro-
positions several regiments of infa
. try answer the command to char1
y and sweep upward over the meade
= up to the mouths Of the mask'
y cannon, which hurl upon them the
iron discharge. The infantry Is r
pulsed. Again, and reinforced
y more regiments. they charge al
again they are unable TO face q
frightful fire from the batteries II
flank movement OF the enemy In su
: ceediug The uproar from the wo'
I is growing. It is imperative that q
} battery be taken. There La an i
: trepid cavalry force in reser'
: slowly. and cautiously. 1t Ia NOV
;, up behind the meadow battery.
TIE Last Cavalry Charge.
Then the cavalry charge rings
from score OF bugles and for
u moment the guns are silent as q
}. troops OF horse issue from behil
e them. There is momentary hi
= before the battery. while the lin
:, are forming and then. at a bugie ca
they spring forward at the trot al
. then at full gallon. They swe
u over the meadow to the stream, pa
t the guns there. leap over the str
g OF water and then furiously char
towards the hillside batte'y.
8 But a new missile now escap
e from the mouths OF those guns.
d Is the shrapnell shell. Hissil
through the air to a point Just abo
and before the charging horseme
e 1t explodes and sends three hundr
N and sixty bullets in their ranks. T
entire battery opens with shrapnt
II The cavalry charge, IoFloru no
Is now, struggles onward to the bs
n teries, Not a man reaches them. T
o shrapnell not the cavalry has
o cided the battle. The fight 10 ov
e That Is how the army officers
d the day are figuring. They decla
o that cavalry Is only valuable I
% scouting and reconnaissance. 1t
n valuable for the moving of men. b
J. nowadays when they get the caval
l. in position. the men are dfsmount'
The whole aspect Of warfare h
b changed, 1t appears. The Balk
e war has proved to the officers of
a United States that In the future
% artillery will decide all great la
struggles Artillery first, then infa
u try and last cavalry. which Is prs
" tically negligible. That Ia why CO
lr eress came so near passing the
al abolishing Ave OF the fifteen Unit
States cavalry regiments. 1t liz I
rected the Ave regiments will
shortly A few regiments will
l. retained to follow up routs and
J. such fleet footwork. but as a fgl
n ing factor the ca.s Try Is no mo. &
l. Caesar mounted his Tenth Legi'
II ON occasion; the palladins OF Char
a mango and Roland and OF Richn
n. Occur d. Lion rode stalwart chal
ers; W"ijam the Conqueror's cava
did woman 9. rvice: Edward.
. Black Prince commanded many. u