258 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period III. 



Another important principle that we first see employed 

 by the Swedish king was the combination and mutual 

 support of the three arms, using each in its proper 

 spliere, but in connection with the others.^ He formed 

 his troops in two or three lines ranged parallel one 

 behind the other, or en echiquier, the cavalry behind 

 the infantry to sustain it or upon the wings to be applied 

 in mass, the artillery distributed upon the best positions 

 aong the line, to sustain the infantry and cavalry. 



In the Polish war Gustavus lightened the muskets. 

 They were mostly match-locks, which long maintained 

 the preference over the flint-locks then beginnmg to come 

 into use, but which were at first badly constructed and 

 very clumsy. The musketeers at this time often carried 

 pointed stakes, called " hog's bristles," or Swedish 

 feathers. They were stuck in the ground a few paces 

 before the line of infantry, inclining outwards, and 

 formed a defence, against a charge of cavalry, for the 

 musketeers who maintained their fire under the cover of 

 them.^ Thisi it will be remembered, was simply a renewal 

 of the expedient used by the English archers at Agincourt. 

 These pikes were only used for a very short period. The 

 side-arm of the musketeer was the sword, his only de- 

 fensive armour the helmet. The pikemen used cuirasses 

 and thigh-pieces, and carried also swords or axes. 



The pikeman, in receiving the charge of cavalry, held 

 his weapon in a slanting position, with his left hand 

 staying the butt against his right foot, while in his right 

 hand he held his battle-axe, or drawn sword. It is a 

 curious circumstance worthy of mention, that in the year 

 1628 Gustavus had 3,000 bowmen in his army. During 

 the Polish war, there was in the Swedish army a corps 

 that marched on snow-shoes, and was used as a corps of 

 observation when deep snow prevented regular operations. 

 In this connection it may be stated that the troops of 

 the British army stationed in Lov/er Canada have always 

 been trained to march in heavy order upon snow-shoes. 



Gustavus Adolphus was also a great reformer in 

 the cavalry service, and may be said to have been 

 ' Decker, i. 36, 37. - Chapman, 93. 



