126 MILITARY COMMISSION TO EUROPE. 



The idea lias been thoroughly carried out, for they are in reality good cavalry and good 

 infantry. 



It is a question, at least worthy of consideration, whether it would not be advantageous in the 

 United States service to make real dragoons of tlie regiments now nominally so, employing them 

 always in those portions of our territory where the Indians frequent the plains, but retire to the 

 mountains when hard pressed ; at the same time making the so-called cavalry regiments mere 

 regiments of light cavalry, to act only on the plains, and not to be expected to fight on foot. 



The lances of the front rank of the cuirassiers are intended to be used only in close order ; 

 while the lancer regiments proper are taught to use the lance both in close and open order. 



From the great use of the lance in the Kussian service, it will be seen that it is a favorite 

 weapon with them. 



I have been told by an old general of Cossacks, who served from Austerlitz to Paris, and 

 against the Persians and Turks, that " the Cossack never uses his sabre, but dejjends altogether 

 on his lance, and uses his carbine only to give signals." He was also strongly in favor of snaiSe 

 bits, sharp spurs, and Balaklava charges. Nevertheless the chasseurs d' Afrique told marvellous 

 stories of the expertness of the Cossack in the use of the musket on horseback ; and the Cossacks 

 of the line of the Caucasus, engaged almost daily in hand to hand conflicts, have abandoned the 

 lance, and they are more dreaded by the mountaineers of the Caucasus than any other Eussian 

 troops. 



Against the Indians of our plains, who have no sabres, the far-reaching lance would no doubt 

 be an effective weapon ; yet a light sabre would be about as much so, and far less in the way. 



GEO. B. McCLELLAN, 



Captain Ist Cavalry. 



October 28, 1856. 



