Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-11
CAVALRY
Played Much More Important Part the War Than Most Persons
Realize.
BY Freier j.
CAVALRY.
BY Frederic j. HaSkin.

reconnoiter obtaining information for the rear
army, and attacking and overthrowing the enemy
cavalry if suddenly sighted. But mounted he con-
tnued the cavalry is incapable of tactical d6Iense
in order to defend itself it must surrender its real
character a mounted and use the rifle on
foot.
This book created a great deal of comment in
France and Great Britain at the time of its pub
LEGATION, since Bernhard was recognized as an
authority cavalry, and hence it more with
interest than surprise that the alliedarmies viewed
the Bernhard tactics in practice in the first Ger
man drive. For, as that gentleman suggested, the
German cavalry no sooner assumed the defensive
than it dismounted and used the rifle on foot
Meantime the allies began raising additional
regiments of cavalry at home, which were rapidly
placed in the field, and proceeded to some remark
able feats their own account. During the fall
of 1915 the French cavalry achieved notable sue
cess in the battles in Champagne. 1t rode over
she'll holes, across paths of barbed wire fences.
violently blown about by the artillery discharges,
and behind heavy barrage fire, advanced into
the German trenches.
Most of the time, it is true, the prevalence of
trench warfare has necessitated the cavalry fight
ing on foot, but at a moments notice it has been
ready to leap into the saddle Thus the German
cavalry more leaped into fame in the Battle
of Wilma, when it broke through the Russian lines.
severed the Russian rail communications and
seized the Vilna-Minsk railroad, and the British
cavalry accomplished a les spectacular but more
important task when It captuFed Bagdad and Jeru-
salem.
The horseman has always been a romantic fig
ure in the wars of nations 1t is believed that he
first appeared in Asia where the horse was indigo
nous and that his military in large numbers
was started by .the Turks. If so, the Egyptians
soon followed suit, and gradually the idea spread
to Europe. The famous Hungarian horsemen, the
Prussian hussars of Frederick the Great, the plow
man riders led by Cromwell and the free Cossacks
are all well-known to readers of history. Also the
brigade that rode 'nobly and WELL into the jaws of
death, into the mouth of hell at BalaklaVa.
Then there is the tragic history of those French
cavalrymen, who rode a precipice that had
been a road at Waterloo, and lost the world for
Napoleon. In this regiment of British caval-
ry prevented whole army from doing the very
same thing Riding ahead for the purpose Of
reconnaissance, this regiment upon deep
cleft in the road carefully manufactured by the
retreating Germans. Immediately the signal
given to halt the cavalry circled around and rode
on ahead, while the engineer corps was brought
up to the front and put to work. In Incredibly
short time the cleft all filled in and the
continued its steady advance thus cooly disposing
of a danger that destroyed whole army and
changed the fate of dozen empires.
both sides has played an extremely important role
in this war whenever opportunity has occurred
for using it.