CHAP. XXXI.] CHARACTERISTICS OF CAVALRY. 



511 



that the conditions which alone made it so successful in 

 the past have all changed. 



When, in the sixteenth century, the discovery of fire- 

 arms and the use of pikes gave the infantry so great an 

 advantage, the horsemen of that day took two mersures 

 to apply to their own service the weapons that Avere so 

 deadly in the hands of their opponents. One method 

 was a recurrence to the earliest use of the horse in war — 

 it was to arm soldiers as infantry, and to use the horse 

 only for the purpose of rapid locomotion. Thus dragoons 

 were formed and used for many generations. The other 

 system was the riding up and firing with pistols into the 

 faces of the infantry soldiers. When we come to treat 

 of the organisation of the cavalry for the future we will 

 consider fully the best reforms to enable cavalry to gain 

 the greatest advantage from the modern method of 

 fighting. 



As to the characteristics of the arm when cavalry are 

 fighting against cavalry, it is a peculiar characteristic of 

 the force that the side which brings the last reserve into 

 action is most likely to be successful. Thus it is neces- 

 sary for cavalry always to keep reserves in hand. Cavalry 

 is never weaker or easier to overcome than immediately 

 after a success. The men and horses are blown, the lines 

 disordered, confusion reigns paramount, orders are not 

 heard or attended to, and a fresh force falling upon it in 

 that state will invariably put it to rout. 



Cavalry is always dependent upon the condition of the 

 horses. If they are not in an efficient state, if their shoes 

 are not carefully looked to and sore backs guarded against, 

 they are destroyed, and the force becomes worthless. 



Another peculiarity of cavalry is that it should never 

 surrender, at least in a country at all open. This is one 

 of the best established maxims of the force. It should 

 always attempt to cut through, or if that is impossible, 

 by scattering to elude pursuit. Herein it difiers from the 

 other forces, who are only supposed to escape if they can. 

 The anecdote, related in the twentieth chapter, of Seidlitz 

 jumping with his horse off a bridge, is a good illustration 

 of this principle. 



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