oHAi'. xx.] KUEDEUIOK THE GREAT'S CAVALRY. 



317 



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tisod them in charging in serried lines without any 

 intervals whatever, rightly judgiLg that, being trained 

 in that way, they would before ai' enemy manoeuvre all 

 the more easily, when formed with small intervals of five 

 or six paces between the squadrons. The squadrons 

 were divided into two divisions of twenty-four files 

 each, which contained two pelotons of twelve files each, 

 and these pelotons were again subdivided into escouades 

 or sections of six files. 



The cuirassiers, as their name indicates, wore the 

 (tuirass or breastplate. They had in each regiment 37 

 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers, and 12 trumpeters. 

 The most of the di-agoon regiments wore of the same 

 force, composition and formation, as the cuirassiers. 

 One dragoon regiment, however, had three squadrons, 

 and two others ten squadrons; these were the only 

 exceptions. 



The hussars were organised in regiments of ten 

 squadrons each, but the squadrons were not so large. 

 Each regiment contained 51 officers, 110 sub-officers, 

 and 1,440 horses; a much larger proportion of officers 

 than in the Austrian service. 



Although Frederick forbade his horsemen to use 

 firearms when together in large bodies, he yet appre- 

 ciated the importance of availing himself of them 

 among isolated parties of his cavalry, especially when 

 they were serving as flankers, or as videttes ; and that 

 they should be efficient, the men were exercised in firing, 

 and taught to load quickly and to aim carefully. 



As his cavalry were used continually on outpost duty, 

 ou detached service of every kind scattered about in 

 .small parties, and often singly as videttes, it was necessary 

 that they should be men in whom every confidence could 

 he placed. They had opportunities almost every day 

 to desert, and were constantly obliged to arrest spies 

 and deserters. They were consequently chosen with 

 great care from among the sons of small landed pro- 

 prietors and farmers, the parents being held responsible 

 for man and horse in case of desertion. All these points 

 show how carefully Frederick had considered every 



