LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL WORKS Which have been consulted, and are quoted in the course of this work. AIDE-MÉMOIRE to the Military Sciences. BAUCHER, Méthode d'Équitation. BEAMISH, On the Uses and Applications of Cavalry in War. VON BISMARK, Vorlesungen über die Taktic der Reuterei. DE BRACK, Avant-postes de Cavalerie Légère. BUGEAUD, Aperçus sur quelques Détails de la Guerre. COGENT, Manuel de Harnachement. COOKE, United States Cavalry Tactics. DECKER, De la Petite Guerre. DE LA BARRE DUPARCQ, Eléments d'Art et d'Histoire Militaires. DELAFIELD, Report on the Art of War in Europe. DUFOUR, Cours de Tactique. HALLECK, Elements of Military Art and Science. Iconographic Encyclopædia. JACQUINOT DE PRESLE, Cours d'Art et d'Histoire Militaires. Die Kavallerie der Jetztzeit, &c. LA ROCHE-AYMON, Des Troupes Légères. MCCLELLAN, Military Commission in Europe-Report. MAHAN, Elementary Treatise on Outpost Service, &c. MARMONT, De l'Esprit des Institutions Militaires. Maximes, Conseils, et Instructions, sur l'Art de la Guerre. MOTTIN DE LA BALME, Eléments de Tactique pour la Cavalerie. NOLAN, Cavalry, its History and Tactics. ORDRONAUX, On the Preservation of Health in Armies. RENARD, De la Cavalerie. SCOTT, Military Dictionary. TERNAY, Traité de Tactique. THACKERAY, Soldier's Manual of Rifle Firing. VIAL, Cours d'Art et d'Histoire Militaires. WARNERY, Remarques sur la Cavalerie. WALSH (STONEHENGE), The Horse. WILCOX, Rifles and Rifle Practice. YOUATT, On the Horse, CAVALRY; ITS HISTORY, MANAGEMENT, ETC. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. "Zu allen Zeiten, wo die Kunst verfiel, Ir has been often asserted, and not unfrequently even in military circles, that, owing to the recent improvements in firearms, Cavalry has lost its importance, and can henceforth perform only a secondary part on the field of battle. If this be so, we may reasonably expect that among the various powers, which have enlarged their experience during the late wars, and reorganized their armies accordingly, some at least have reduced the number of their mounted regiments, and applied the large sums requisite for their support to better purpose. On the contrary, however, we everywhere find the utmost attention devoted to the improvement of this branch of the service, and that, while the numerical proportion of cavalry to infantry has in no case been diminished, it has in some instances been largely increased. Thus France, which already maintained a numerous cavalry, amounting to one sixth of its army, has made no alteration in the number of its regiments, but has so organized them as, in the event of war, immediately to raise their effective strength of 62,798 to 100,221, by calling out the men on furlough. Austria, which by the loss. of Lombardy and the low state of its finances has been obliged to reorganize its army with a view to economy as well as to efficiency, has reduced its infantry by 30,000, but kept up its cavalry to 40,344, to be increased to 52,760 in time of war. Russia, which before the Crimean campaign had 83,653 regular cavalry, has, by an entire reorganization of this arm, augmented its strength to nearly 90,000, exclusive of its Cossacks, Calmucks, Bashkirs, Tunguses, &c., whose exact number is not known, but which certainly does not fall below 100,000. Prussia, which is energetically preparing to meet possible contingencies, has, like Austria, thoroughly reorganized its army, and increased its cavalry regiments from 38 to 48, forming a total of 29,957 men, which can moreover be strengthened by 12 regiments of landwehr in time of war; but as the several mobilizations to which this army has of late been subject have revealed the faultiness of all these temporary cavalry organizations, the Government has not hesitated to abandon a system which offered but doubtful advantages, and has decreed that the 12 regiments of landwehr cavalry shall be converted into 8 permanent regiments, thereby increasing its cavalry to 56 instead of 38 regiments, as it was before the war in Italy, and raising its effective strength to 33,945 men. England retains its 28 mounted regiments. Since the peace of Villafranca, Sardinia has increased its cavalry to 17 regiments. Bavaria, with a population of four millions and a half, maintains 10,280 cavalry. Compared with the infantry, its numerical proportion is as 1 to 6. In Würtemberg, this proportion is 1 to 4.9; in Saxony, as 1 to 6.5; in Hanover, as 1 to 4.8; in Denmark, as 1 to 5.6; and with all other secondary powers, on an average, as 1 to 6. Now it is scarcely credible that, |