388 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period IV. 



The army under the Emperor Alexander I. in 1810 



contained, in addition to the other forces, six regiments 



of cuirassiers, thirty-six of dragoons, eleven of hussars, 



and five of Uhlans. These were all regular troops. In 



the Guard there were also two regiments of cuirassiers, 



one of dragoons, one of hussars, one of Uhlans, one of 



Cossacks, and a corps of 100 Cossacks of the Oural. 



The regiments were composed of five squadrons each, 



the hussars and Uhlans of the Guard five squadrons also, 



while the others had ten squadrons each. The regiments 



of Cossacks of the Guard however had only three 



squadrons.' In the line each squadron had 151 horses, 



in the Guard 159. Two new regiments of cuirassiers 



were organised in 1811, and at the same time the cavalry 



were separated and formed into divisions, there being 



two of. cuirassiers, eight of cavalry, and one of the 



cavalry of the Guard. Each division of cuirassiers had 



five regiments, the cuirassier regiments of the Guard 



being included in the first. The divisions of cavalry 



were composed of four regiments of dragoons and two 



of hussars or Uhlans. The fourth division however had 



one extra regiment of hussars ; while the eighth division 



had only three regiments of dragoons and one of hussars. 



The great strength of the Russian cavalry, however, 

 consisted not so much in the regular regiments of horse, 

 as in the Cossacks, who, iu great swarms, crowded to the 

 ranks when the war broke out, and performed services of 

 incalculable value in the campaign. 



Nearly the whole of the Cossacks of the Don rallied 

 around the standard v.f PlatofF, and by their indefatigable 

 activity as light-horse, mainly contributed to the extra- 

 ordinary successes gained by the Russians in the latter 

 part of the war of 1812.* These Cossrcks, accustomed 

 to horses from childhooc engaged continually in agricul- 

 ture and the raising ot great herds of cattle, form a 

 hardy and vigorous race of horsemen, such as are not to 

 be met with in any other country of Europe. 



The Cossacks were armed originally with lances, 

 swords, and pistols, the lance being the principal weapon, 

 ' Boutourlin, i. 95. 2 Alison, iv, 15. 



