110 



CAVALRY CAVAN. 



to fell upon the defenders of the latter ; for which 

 reasons it is considered best to put them on the cur- 

 tains or lu-liiiul the bastions. 



CAVALRY ; one of the three great classes of 

 troops, and a formidable power in the hands of a 

 leader who knows how to employ it with effect. 

 This requires a bold and active spirit, able to avail 

 itself, vith quickness and decision, of every oppor- 

 tunity. The efficacy of cavalry arises particularly 

 from the moral impression which it produces on the 

 enemy. This is greater in proportion to the size of 

 the mass and the rapidity of its motion. Its adapta- 

 tion to speedy movements is another great advan- 

 tage, which enables a commander to avail liimself 

 immediately of a decisive moment, when the enemy 

 exposes a weak point, or when disorder appears in 

 his ranks. It is a very important instrument in com- 

 pleting the defeat of an enemy, in disconcerting him 

 by a sudden attack, or overthrowing liim by a power- 

 ful shock. The use of cavalry is, it is true, often- 

 times limited by the nature of the ground. In 

 forests, in mountainous districts, on a marshy soil, 

 &c., it is of but little avail in large bodies. In 

 modern times, cavalry have been led against intrench- 

 ments, but only to their own destruction. In some in- 

 stances, too, the cavalry have been dismounted, and 

 employed as infantry; which may, on peculiar oc- 

 casions, be advisable, but, on the whole, is contrary 

 to their nature and purpose, and, if made a part of 

 their duty, like other half measures, is usually disad- 

 vantageous. It is also unadvisable to keep large bo- 

 dies of cavalry united during a campaign. They 

 are to be collected in large masses only for particular 

 objects. To keep them together the whole time 

 would be troublesome, and their maintenance fre- 

 quently attended with difficulty. 



The unequal size of the horse, the very great di- 

 versity in Ins strength and breed, have at all times 

 rendered it necessary to divide the cavalry into light 

 and heavy horse. There is sometimes, also, an inter- 

 mediate class. These differed! sorts are employed 

 for different purposes. The heavy cavalry with de- 

 fensive armour (cuirassiers), is more frequently em- 

 ployed hi mass, where force is requisite ; the lighter 

 troops are used singly, and in small detachments, 

 where swiftness and continued effort are required. 

 Nevertheless, cuirassiers and dragoons, lancers and 

 hussars, mounted riflemen, and chevaux legers, must, 

 in the main points, be equally exercised in the duties 

 appertaining to cavalry, and must be able to fight in 

 the line as well as singly. 



The use of cavalry is probably nearly as ancient as 

 war itself; for in those countries where horses thrive 

 most, and man may be said to live on horseback, he 

 has always preferred to fight on horseback. The 

 Egyptians are said to have had cavalry before the 

 time of Moses. The Israelites, when at war with 

 their neighbours, often had to encounter cavalry, 

 but were afraid to mount horses until the time of 

 Solomon. The Greeks appear not to have introduced 

 cavalry into their armies till the second Messenian 

 war, and even after that time, had comparatively 

 few ; but with them it was considered the most re- 

 spectable class of troops, in which only the wealthy 

 citizens served. The Persian cavalry, and, at a later 

 period, the Macedonian, were much more numerous. 

 The Romans learned its use from Pyrrhus and the 

 Carthaginians. At a later period, the cavalry of the 

 Gauls were particularly good. In the 1 middle ages, 

 the knights fought only on horseback, and disdained 

 the foot-service. At this period, however, regular 

 warfare was unknown, and was only gradually re- 

 stored in. the progress of time. After the introduc- 

 tion of artillery, although cavalry were used, yet their 

 manoeuvres were awkward and inefficient. The ge- 



nius of Gustavus Adolphus first perceived the im- 

 portant use which could be made of it. He was 

 without the heavy cavalry, which, since the time of 

 cliivalry, had gone out of use. ; but he found that the 

 advantage of this species of troops did not consist 

 in weight, but in the quickness of their motion. \\ illi 

 reference to this, he formed his regiments of horse, 

 and showed their real utility ; but it was left to Seid- 

 litz, a general of Frederic the Great, to display this 

 most fully. Napoleon appears to have been well ;i'\v;nv 

 of tlie great value of cavalry in large masses, but 

 he often sacrificed them unsparingly. This, together 

 with certain erroneous dispositions which li.-ul <K|,: 

 into some armies, and had caused the cavalry to tail 

 in services on winch they ought never to have been 

 put, and which were sometimes performed as well or 

 better by other troops, gave rise, of late years, to 

 doubts concerning their utility, which, however, are 

 now abandoned. The writings of general Bismark, 

 on the subject of cavalry, are valuable ; as are also 

 tile Nachrichten und Betrachtungen uber die That en 

 und Schicksale der Reiterei in den Feldzugen Frieder- 

 ich II und in denen neuerer Zeit (Statements and Ob- 

 servations respecting the Conduct and Fate of the 

 Cavalry in the Campaigns of Frederic II., and in 

 those of a later Period). 



In the north of Europe, lances are now common 

 among the light cavalry, as they have proved a for- 

 midable weapon when skilfully used. They will, 

 no doubt, effect a change in the arms, and even in 

 the organization, of the infantry, who can do little 

 against lancers, if rain prevents them from firing. 

 In the Prussian cavalry, which are among the finest in 

 the world, lancers are very numerous. 



A French author calls the cavalry, very appro- 

 priately, Varme du moment ; because they are pecu- 

 liarly fitted to take advantage of decisive moments. 

 A moment may occur, when a great victory can be de- 

 cided by the sudden irruption of a body of cavalry, and 

 the next moment it may be too late. A commander 

 of cavalry must therefore be possessed of the rare 

 courage which shrinks not from responsibility. Many 

 battles in the late wars prove the truth of these re- 

 marks. Napoleon won the battle of Marengo cliiefly 

 by Kellermann's daring charge, at the head of 500 

 horse, on an enemy almost sure of victory. The 

 campaigns in Russia, and the following war in Ger- 

 many, showed the great disadvantage under which 

 an army labours from the want of cavalry. Napo- 

 leon failed to follow up his advantages after the vic- 

 tories of Lutzen and Dresden, chiefly because his ca- 

 valry were raw and inexperienced. The training of 

 cavalry is much slower than that of infantry. The 

 best cavalry are now generally considered to be the 

 Prussian and some species of the Russian. The 

 French never were good horsemen, and the English 

 have not kept pace with the numerous improvements 

 introduced by the wars on the continent. It is a fact 

 of interest, that the more civilization takes root 

 among a nation, the more importance is given to in- 

 fantry. All savage nations begin with cavalry, if 

 they have horses. At present, infantry is the most 

 numerous class of troops, though, before the tune of 

 Charles V., they were little esteemed. 



CAVAN ; one of the nine counties in the pro- 

 vince of Ulster. The north-western part is occu- 

 pied by a range of lofty hills, called the Ballyna- 

 geeragh Mountains, but the remaining surface, which 

 is undulating and irregular, is pervaded by bog, and 

 interspersed with many agreeable lakes. The chief 

 rivers are the Erne, the Croglian, and the Annalee, 

 and the chief lakes Lough Ramor, Lough Sheelan, 

 Lough Gawnagh, Lough Oughter, and Lough Erne, 

 which may be said to commence or rise here. The 

 soil of this county is cold, spongy, and inclined to b 



