32 



CAVALRY 



CAVAN 



(blue), and 7 of Dragoon Guards, classified as heavy 

 cavalry ; 3 regiments of Dragoons, and 5 of Lancers, 

 classified as medium ; and 13 Hussar regiments or 

 light cavalry all carrying carbines and swords. 

 The war strength of each is 1 lieutenant-colonel, 

 1 major, 8 captains, 9 lieutenants, 7 sub-lieutenants, 

 1 adjutant, 1 paymaster, 1 quartermaster, 1 medical 

 officer, 1 veterinary surgeon, 75 non-commissioned 

 officers, 8 farriers, 8 shoeing-smiths, 8 trumpeters, 

 4 saddlers, 2 wheelers, 15 bandsmen, 480 troopers, 

 and 22 drivers, 559 riding and 44 draught horses, 

 and 11 wagons. 



The native Indian cavalry are all light, and some 

 have the front ranks armed with lances, the rear 

 with sabres. Bengal has 19 regiments, each of 8 

 troops, consisting of 10 European officers ( 1 in com- 

 mand and 1 surgeon), 17 native officers, and 536 

 native non-commissioned officers and troopers. 

 Madras has 4 regiments of only 6 troops each, the 

 same number of European, but 12 native officers 

 and 396 of other ranks. Bombay has 7 regiments 

 with the same organisation and numbers as Bengal, 

 but only 518 native non-commissioned officers and 

 troopers. Besides these regiments there is a troop 

 of native cavalry at Aden, and one as a body-guard 

 for each lieutenant-governor, and the governor- 

 general of India. 



The auxiliary cavalry in Great Britain comprises 

 39 regiments of Yeomanry, 2 of Volunteer Light 

 Horse, and 1 of Volunteer Mounted Rifles, of various 

 strengths. There is a cavalry dep6t at Canterbury, 

 and a school of instruction for auxiliary cavalry at 

 Aldershot. 



After the American civil war, the United 

 States' cavalry was reduced to 10 regiments of 

 936 privates each. The commissioned officers of 

 a regiment consist of 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant- 

 colonel, 3 majors, 12 captains, 14 first lieutenants, 

 and 12 second lieutenants. 



History. For the place of cavalry in the ancient 

 armies, see ARMY. In the middle ages horsemen 

 knights, esquires, and their attendants formed 

 the most important part of the great armies ; but 

 after the disappearance of the Roman cohort with 

 its 132 highly trained horsemen, the organisation 

 of cavalry, as we now understand the word, was 

 neglected until 1445, when Charles VII. of France 



rouped his men-at-arms into companies 100 strong, 

 he method of fighting, from 1645 until Frederick 

 the Great introduced the charge or shock tactics, 

 was to advance to close quarters, fire pistols from 

 the saddle, and then commence cutting with the 

 sword. The value of dismounted cavalry able to 

 act as infantry was then recognised, and dragoons 

 armed with muskets were much in vogue until the 

 beginning of the 19th century. They then lost 

 favour, and they were taught that the sword was 

 ^ their proper weapon, and the saddle their proper 

 'place. Mounted infantry, however, using their 

 horses merely as a means of rapidly covering the 

 ground, have been found so useful in the British 

 army that in 1887 a school for this arm was formed 

 at Aldershot. The great importance of this branch 

 was experienced in the Transvaal war ( 1899-1900), 

 where all the Boer army were practically mounted 

 infantry, and their mobility gave to them enormous 

 advantage in proportion to their numbers. The 

 future development of all armies is bound to be 

 very largely in this direction. The usefulness of 

 the lance as a weapon for regular cavalry in pursuit 

 and other tactics has led the British war authorities 

 to arm part of nearly all their cavalry regiments 

 with it in addition to their other arms. 



Formation. A cavalry regiment in the field is 

 divided into 4 squadrons, each of 2 troops. The 

 men of each squadron when in line are 6 inches 

 from knee to knee, and formed in two ranks, a horse's 

 length apart. The officers are at a similar distance 



in front, and the 'serrefiles,' or supernumerary non- 

 commissioned officers, in rear. There is an interval 

 of 12 yards between squadrons. The pace is, walk 

 4 miles an hour, trot 8, gallop 12. The maximum 

 distance covered by cavalry is 68 miles by day 

 (6 A.M. to 10 P.M.) and 18 by night 86 for the 

 24 hours ; but after such a march there must be a 

 rest all next day. For a continuous march 35 

 miles a day, at 5 miles an hour, is a good rate. 



Duties on Service. In large armies, from one- 

 eighth to one quarter of the whole force should be 

 cavalry. Their duties are to cover the movements 

 of their own army, and to find out those of the 

 enemy besides talcing part in the actual battles by 

 guarding the flanks, seizing all opportunities of 

 charging, completing success by an active pursuit, 

 or covering defeat. The screening and reconnoitring 

 duties are performed by the cavalry divisions, each 

 of two or more brigades, one or two days' march in 

 front of the main body. The light Brigades (q.v.) 

 are perhaps best for the actual scouting, but must 

 be supported by heavy cavalry in order to meet that 

 of the enemy, which would otherwise have the 

 advantage of greater weight in the charge. Each 

 brigade of two or more regiments is accompanied 

 by a battery of Horse Artillery. 



The battle of Mars la Tour in the Franco-German 

 war of 1870, supplies the best examples of a cavalry 

 fight on a large scale, and of a charge (that of 

 Barby and Bredows' brigades ) directed against in- 

 fantry. The action of the German cavalry through- 

 out the same campaign illustrates the screening and 

 reconnoitring duties of the arm. The capture of 

 Cairo by the rapid advance of the British cavalry 

 after the battle of Tel-el-Kebir (1882), shows its 

 value after a successful engagement. 



Tactics. Unless acting dismounted, cavalry must 

 either attack or retire ; it cannot otherwise defend 

 itself. Against cavalry it must therefore manoeuvre 

 with its first line, so as to attack to the best advan- 

 tage i.e. against the adversary's flank. Its second 

 line following, en echelon, in order to have a clear 

 front, protects the flanks of the first from counter 

 attack, and supports its movement, completing its 

 victory, or covering its retreat. Horse artillery 

 on the protected flank fire upon the enemy up to the 

 last moment before the charge. A third portion, 

 formed into a reserve, follows, and behina it the 

 other two can rally after the charge, which, even 

 when successful, creates great confusion. Cavalry 

 attacks artillery in two bodies one in line forma- 

 tion charges the escort, and the other in extended 

 order, the men a horse's length apart, converges 

 upon the guns. Infantry can defend itself from a 

 cavalry charge, unless surprised by a flank attack, 

 which would generally be delivered by compara- 

 tively small bodies in successive lines, but sucn an 

 opportunity rarely occurs on a modern battlefield. 



< '.IV'JUI, an inland county in the south of Ulster. 

 It lies in the narrowest part of Ireland, 18 miles 

 from the Atlantic, and 20 from the Irish Sea. Area, 

 746 sq. m., of which less than a third is under crops. 

 Bogs and hills, with many small lakes, are found in 

 the north-west, where Cuilcagh attains a maximum 

 altitude of 2188 feet. The chief rivers are the Erne, 

 the Woodford, and the Annalee. The eastern half of 

 Cavan rests on clay -slate and gray wacke ; the moun- 

 tain district in the west is carboniferous formation. 

 Of minerals, Cavan affords coal, iron, lead, and 

 copper, with many mineral springs. The climate is 

 cold and damp ; and the soil is poor, wet, and 

 clayey, except along the streams. The chief crops 

 are oats and potatoes, the cultivation of flax having 

 greatly decreased since 1850. The farms are small. 

 Agriculture forms the staple industry, but linen is 

 manufactured to a considerable extent. The chief 

 towns are Cavan, Cootehill, and Belturbet. Cavan 

 returns two members to parliament. Pop. ( 1851 ) 



