CHAP. XXIII.] WARS OF THE REVOLUTION. 



351 



The heavy cavalry did not exercise much influence in 

 battle until Napoleon came upon the scene. 



One of the most extraordinary and striking incidents 

 in the history of the cavalry service occurred in the 

 campaign in Holland in the month of January, 1795. 

 The moats and canals in that country caused it to be so 

 intersected in the summer that cavalry could hardly 

 operate in it at all, but in the winter of that year all 

 the ditches And watercourses were frozen, and gave a 

 free j)assage to horsemen and horse artillery over the 

 ice. The arsenal of Dordrecht was taken in this vay, 

 the troops crossing the frozen Lake Biesbos to attack 

 it ; while, at the same time, the French general, hearing 

 that a portion of the Dutch fleet was frozen up in the 

 neighbourhood of the Texel, and fearing that it might 

 get clear and set sail for England, despatched a large 

 force of cavalry and flying artillery against it. They 

 moved rapidly through North Holland, crossed the 

 Zuyderzee on the ice, and the strange spectacle was 

 presented of cavaliers and light artillery investing ships 

 of war and summoning them to surrender. 



The commanders of the vessels, confounded at the 

 idea of being charged by cavalry, a species of attack 

 they had never anticipated, surrendered without resist- 

 ance, and to the French hussars belongs the credit of 

 having been the only cavalry that ever captured a fleet 

 of war vessels on the sea.^ 



The Prussian cavalry, during the fiist wars of the Kevo- 

 lution, did not obtain any striking successes in winning 

 victories, but in combats and isolated instances did good 

 service. One of the most successful affairs in the first 

 campaign was the defeat, on the I7th of September, 1792, 

 of General Chazot, who, at the head of some 10,000 

 men, composed the rear-guard of Dumouriez's army. 

 He was charged vigorously by 1,500 Prussian hussars, 

 accompanied by four pieces of horse artillery. His 

 troops were at once routed, and fled in wild confusion 

 back upon the main army, and through it far upon 



' Rocquancourt, ii. 233, 234 ; Alison, i. 343, 344. 



