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:hap. XXIV.] CAVALKY UNDER NAPOLEON. 



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passed disordered through the intervals of the squares, 

 from whose front and flanks it received a heavy fire, and 

 then while blown and dispersed, the cavalry of the 

 reserve fell upon it, and never failed to send the 

 disordered mass back in confusion, to run the gauntlet 

 of the fire of the squares a second time. 



In the wars of the Empire, the principle of the neces- 

 sity of the mutual support of all three arms to one 

 another came to be thoroughly understood, and Napoleon 

 always supported his attacks of infantry and cavalry 

 with artillery, and always had his cavalry and infantry 

 ready to support and aid each other. 



While impressed with this idea, however, he did not 

 overdo it, by scattering and mixing the arms together, 

 as was done in the generations preceding him. He often 

 massed large quantities of artillery, in immense batteries, 

 to create a great effect upon the enemy, as for instance 

 at Wagram, where he concentrated a tremendous force 

 of field artillery, which by its weight of fire crushed the 

 centre of the Austrian line, and paved the way for 

 Macdonald's celebrated attack. His cavalry also, as we 

 have said, although partly divided to support the 

 different corps of infantry, was still retained in mass in 

 sufficient force to enable sweeping charges to be made 

 upon decisive points of a battle-field, as for instance at 

 Eylau. 



Napoleon kept his cavalry well up to the front on the 

 day of battle, and they often suffered heavy loss by 

 artillery fire, from the impossibility of keeping them out 

 of range of missiles. 



An account of a few of the more remarkable instances 

 of the use of cavalry in the wars of Napoleon will 

 illustrate in the best way the system of tactics and fight- 

 ing in use among the horsemen of that time. 



At the battle of Castiglione, the Austrians, attempting 

 to extend their wing too fiir, thereby weakened their 

 centre, a fault not to be committed with impunity under 

 the eagle eye of Napoleon. The French general at once 

 massed a formidable column of infantry for a heavy 

 attack, nnd supported it with his cavalry. This 



