204 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period III. 



army being enormous, both in killed, wounded, and 

 prisoners. 



No one can read the details of this battle and compare 

 them with the particulars of the battles of Pavia, 

 Mohacz, Moneontour, Courti-j^s, &c., fought in the preced- 

 ing age, without being struck with the great development 

 of the art of war in a short period. In Breitenfeld we first 

 see a battle fought upon the same general principles as 

 are in use at the present day. The combination of the 

 three arms is clearly shown, the revival of the cavalry 

 service plainly foreshadowed, and the tactical mana;u vres 

 of Gustavus in guarding his wings are superior to any- 

 thing of the sort since the palmy days of the military art 

 among the Romans. 



Lutzen, fought shortly after, on the 6th November, 

 1632, between Gustavus Adolphus and Wallenstein, was 

 very similar to Breitenfeld in the principles of the tactics 

 employed in both armies. The Imperial army contained 

 about 17,000 men at the commencement of the action, 

 which was increased to 27,000 during the engagement 

 by the arrival of Pappenheim at the head of 10,000 men. 

 It was drawn up in two lines with a reserve, and Wallen- 

 stein had strengthened his position by loopholing and 

 occupying some walled gardens on his right front, and 

 by deepening the ditches on the road and lining them with 

 musketeers.' The Swedish army, 20,000 strong, w^as 

 ranged upon two lines ; the infantry six deep ; the 

 cavalry, according to some winters, three deep, although 

 Harte in his History of Gustavus Adolphus says that at 

 this period i^ w^as his custom to draw up his cavalry four 

 ranks in dcj^^^x.^ The infantry occupied the centre, the 

 cavalry the wings ; a reserve of infantry, under Colonel 

 Henderson, was placed in the centre between the two 

 lines, and in rear of the centre a separate cavalry reserve 

 was posted under the command of Colonel Oehm. 



The battle v-t,s commenced with a general attack by 



the Swedish line upon Wallenstein's position in which 



the high road was carried, and the batteries beyond it 



captured by the infantry brigades of the centre of the 



' Chapman, 372. - Beamish, 339. 



