CHAP. XXX.] FRANCO-GRRMAN WAR, 1870-1871. 



493 



usually of two regiments, two or three brigades forming 

 a cavalry division. 



Each French corps d'armCe of three or four infantry 

 divisions had a division of cavalry attached, which was 

 under the direct orders of the commander of the corps, so 

 that the commanding officers of the infanl.y divisions 

 had no horsemen u^der their immediate orders. This was 

 different to the German system, which gave one cavalry 

 regiment to each division of infantry. The want of a 

 small mounted force was on several occasions seriously 

 felt by the French divisional generals, as, for instance, 

 at Weissenberg, where General Abel Douay, with the 

 2nd infantry division of the 1st corps d'armee, had not 

 even a quarter of a squadron of cavalry to reconnoitre 

 his front, although well advanced and exposed to an 

 attack, which a day or two afterwards ended in the 

 complete rout and partial destruction of his division.' 



In addition to the cavalry divisions attached to the 

 French corps d^armee there was a cavalry reserve corps 

 consisting of three divisions, making a total cavalry 

 reserve of forty-eight squadrons, thirty guns, and six 

 mitrailleuses. 



The cavalry were armed as follows : — The cuirassiers 

 had the sabre and pistols only ; the lancers had the lance, 

 the sabre, and the pistol ; the light cavalry (chasseurs 

 and hussars) as well as the dragoons were armed, besides 

 their sabres, with chassepct carbines having a range of 

 800 paces.^ These last, though really mounted rifle regi- 

 ments, were practically cavalry, and were used mainly 

 in that capacity, although there were several instances 

 of their being used dismounted as inftintry. 



The North German cavalry consisted of ten cuiras- 

 sier, twenty-one lancer (Uhlan), twenty-one dragoon, 

 eighteen hussar, and six other light cavalry regiments. 

 These seventy-six regiments had one depot and four 

 field squadrons, or about 600 horses each. The cuiras- 

 siers and lancers were heavy cavalry, all the others light. 

 The total cavalry of the German army, including the 



' Borbstaedt, 256. 



2 Ibid. 151. 



