1 



CHAP. XXXII.] ORGANISATION OF CAVALRY. 



517 



upon them, are not applicable to anything like the same 

 extent, in reference to the long range, sure-firing, repeat- 

 ing pi.stol. 



The sword has not improved materially in twenty 

 centuries, and therefore the vast improvements in the 

 pistol must necessarily modify the views as to the rela- 

 tive merits of the two arms. The revolver was much 

 used in the American Civil War against sword, carbine, 

 and musket, and a few instances will convey some 

 instruction, and serve to aid us in considering what 

 prospect there is for cavalry of the future using the 

 new pistol as an important means of success. 



A fight took place in Virginia in November, 1864, 

 between a squadron of Mosby's Confederate partisan 

 cavalry, under Major Richards, and a squadron of 

 Federal cavalry under Captain Blazer. After a sharp 

 hand-to-hand fight, in which the Confederates used the 

 revolver solely, the Federal squadron was completely 

 defeated ; the casualties were, on the Southern side, only 

 one man killed and several wounded, but so deadly was 

 the effect of the revolver, that Blazer's loss was twenty- 

 four men killed, twelve wounded, and sixty-two prisoners 

 and horses. This was in killed and wounded 36 out of 

 100 — more than one-third — while killed, wounded, and 

 prisoners comprised virtually the whole force. ^ The pro- 

 portion of the killed to the wounded is an extraordinary 

 proof of the deadly effect of the revolver. 



Compare this with the fight at Egmont-op-Zee, on the 

 2nd October, 1799, between the English dragoons and 

 some French cavalry, where two troops dashed into 500 

 victorious French horse, and after a mHee drove them 

 off. Then the 500 French returned and met at the 

 charge the English reinforced by one troop ; a second 

 fight then ensued, and yet in both conflicts, the sword 

 being used on both sides, only three English troopers were 

 killed and nine wounded. In a fight of the same kind 

 with revolvers how different would have been the losses ! 



At Heilsburg, June 18th, 1806, a fight took place 

 between a division of French cuirassiers and two regi- 

 ' Soott'8 Partisan Life with Mosby, 371. 



' 'f i!:ilt 



