280 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[PEIUOU III. 



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distance was only six paces. Turenne was not at all in 

 favour of the use of firearms by cavalry, and at the 

 battle of Zintzheim he ordered them to use the sword 

 alone. The French horsemen were not very well drilled, 

 were unable to manoeuvre at the gallop, and their 

 charges were very irregular, but when well led they were 

 capable of performing good service, as was proved by the 

 battles of Kocroy, Dunes, and Leuze. 



The cavalry were formed up for action on the wings, 

 the infantry being in the centre. Turenne, according to 

 M. de Quinci, often intermingled the cavalry squadrons 

 with the infantry battalions, and Montecuculi, on the 

 same autliority, is said to have used the same formation 

 in his orders of battle, with the object of enabling the 

 different arms mutually to support each other. 



De Quinci also says that it was the universal custom 

 in Europe to place the infantry in the centre and the 

 cavalry upon the wings. 



Although the cavalry had once again fallen back upon 

 fire-arms as their principal weapon, and although in most 

 European countries the horsemen were almost all dragoons, 

 still the example of Gustavus was too recent not to have 

 had an effect for a time upon cavalry tactics. It only 

 required a bold commander of horse to appear upon the 

 scene, and at once his presence was felt, and the cavalry 

 exercised an important influence upon the result of 

 battles. This was clearly shown in the Civil War in 

 England, when Cromwell's " Ironsides " met the dashing 

 cavaliers of the gallant Prince Rupert. At the same 

 time that the English horsemen under their able leaders 

 were exercising a most decisive influence upon the actions 

 taking place in that war, another brilliant cavalry com- 

 mander made his debut in France, and won a victory by 

 the impetuous use of his horsemen that would compare 

 favourably with the celebrated battles of Alexander the 

 Great. 



The Great Cond^ was a born soldier, and in his first 

 battle at Rocroy, when a lad of only twenty-one years of 

 age, he gave evidence of the greatest military genius. His 

 impetuosity and boiling courage particularly qualified 



