KEPORT 



UNITED STATES CAVALRY. 



Philadelphia, December 19, 1856. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following remarks upon our cavalry : 



The nature of its service being quite different from that performed by any in Euroj^e, we 

 ought not to follow blindly any one system, but should endeavor to select the good features, 

 and engraft them ujjon a system of our own. 



The proper organization of our cavalry must depend upon the consideration of three things : 

 1st, the nature of its service against the Indians ; 2d, its employment against a civilized enemy 

 invading our territory ; 3d, its service in an offensive war, carried on against our neighbors. 



The Indians, against whom our cavalry are brought to bear, are generally irregular light 

 horsemen, sometimes living and acting altogether on the plains, in other localities falling back 

 into the broken country when pursued ; the difficulty, always, is to catch them ; to do so, we 

 must be as light and quick as they are, fWid then, superiority of weapons and discipline must 

 uniformly give us the advantage. 



Any army invading our territory must necessarily be deficient in cavalry ; in addition, the 

 nature of the parts of our frontiers most liable to attack is not suited to the action of large 

 bodies of cavalry, while in partial operations, light cavalry, well handled, ought always to be 

 superior to heavy cavalry. 



Canada, Central Mexico, and the West Indies, are also unsuited to the operations of masses 

 of cavalry, and in none of them are we likely to encounter heavy cavalry, or large numbers of 

 light cavalry ; infantry and artillery must generally do most of the work, while light cavalry 

 will afford invaluable assistance, and in northern Mexico play an important part. 



It would, therefore, seem that heavy cavalry would be worse than useless for our purj)oses, 

 and that we need only light cavalry, in the true and most strict sense of the term. 



A light and simple model of horse equipments will soon be submitted. 



I would propose that the regiments serving in localities where they are liable to be called 

 upon to dismount, to follow the Indians on foot, be armed with the sabre, (of the lio-ht pattern 

 recently submitted,) the revolver, and the pistol-carbine, or else a rifled weapon, longer and 

 more effective than the present carbine ; that those serving on the plains be armed onlv with 

 the sabre and revolver, giving to about 10 men in each platoon the pistol-carbine, or a long 

 rifled carbine in addition. 



The accoutrements should be so arranged that when the men dismount to fight on foot, they 

 can hang the sabre to the saddle ; the pistol should always be carried on the person ; the 

 carbine slung over the shoulder. 



