A Hand Book for Cavalry: Containing the First Principles of Cavalry Discipline, Founded on Rational Method: Intended to Explai
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
' A HAND BOOK FOR CAVALRY; CONTAINING THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF CAVALRY DISCIPLINE, FOUNDED ON RATIONAL METHOD; INTENDED TO EXPXAIN IN A FAMIUAR AND PRACTICAL MANNER, THE MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF THE HORSE, AjYD the ijysthuctiojy, discipline, ajyb duties OP U. S. LIGHT DRAGOONS: CONFORMABLE TO THE ESTABLISHED ELEMENTARY DISCIPLINE OF INFANTRV FOR THE UNITED STATES' MILITARY FORCE, AND ! I THE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS IJV THE MODERN ART OF WAR. BY COLONEL WLLLIAM DUANE, ADJUTANT GENERAL IN THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATUS. PHILADELPHIA: KtfNTfiD TOR THE AUTHOR. 1814* JDISTftlCT OF PEJWXSYLVJIjXIA, to wit: ******** BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the 2d day of May, in the * thirty-eighth year of the Independence of the United States of '* L S. * America A. D. 1814, William Duane, of the said district, hath de- ******** posited in this office the title of a hook, the right -whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit: " A Hand Book for Cavalry; u containing the First Principles of Cavalry Discipline, Founded on Rational "Method; intended to explain in a familiar and practical manner, the " Management and Training of the Horse, and the Instruction, Discipline, and " Duties of U. S. Light Dragoons : Comformable to the estahlished elementary " discipline of Infantry for the United States' Military Force, and the latest " improvements in the Modern Art of War. By Colonel William Duane, " adjutant general in the army of the United States." In conformity to the act of the congress of the United States, intituled "an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and hooks, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned;" And also to the act, entitled "an act supplementary to an act, entitled 'an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of^such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arte of designing, engraving, and etching, historical and other prints," D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania. CONTENTS Page. Page- Introduction. § 2. Position mounted, - - 33 Plate VII. CHAP. I. 3. The bridle, 34 §1. Principles of cavalry dis- Bridling the horse, - - cipline, 4. Bridle drill, .... 35 2. Of the horse, - - - Five positions ofthe hand, Anatomy of the horse, in 5. The saddle, - - - - 38 ternal and external, Saddling horse, - - - Plate I 6. The stirrups, - - - _ 39 Anatomy of the head and 7. The aids of the legs and teeth, - - - the spur, ----- 4 Plate II 8 Reining back, • - - - 42 Anatomy of the feet, 9. Facing, 42 Plates III. I 10 Changing sides, - - - 44 Shoeing the horse 9 Plate IX. Engraving nails and shoe, 14 11. Dismounting, - - - - 45 Horse ccoutrements and 12. Returning from drill, - 46 equipments, - 15 CHAP. IV. Names of parts, - - - Accoutrements ofthe head, 16 EXERCISE WITH SADDLED HORSZ. Plate V. VI. § 1. The enlarged drill, - - 47 Engraving bit, 17 Mode of forming 1 ank, - Stable duties, - - - - 18 Telling off in two's and Engraving of training, 21 four's, ---.-„ Opening ranks, - - - II. CHAP. Tak ng horse, - - - » §1. Management and training, Mounting, ----- 48 2. Drills conducted by offi- Forming single rank, - - cers, --.... Filing off to the right in Non-commissioned offi- circle, - cers, ------ Plate of exercises in cir- First manege drills, - • cle, X. Second, 27 2. Filing offto the left in circle, 49 Third, 28 P ate X Fourth, 29 3. Crossing reins alternately, 49 Fifth, 29 4. From a walk to a trot, - 50 Engraving of dismounted Plate VII. fig. 2. dragoon, 31 5 to a quick trot, 6 to a slow trot, CHAP. III. Plate VIII fig. 1. «1. First mounted drill, • - 32 7« ..... to a walk, - - XV CONTENTS. Page. ma § 8. Augmenting front, - - 51 § 7. Wheeling by ranks of sec- Plate XI. tions, ------ 72 9. Forming rank from files, 51 Plate XXIII. 10. Breaking off by four's, - 51 8. Evolutions by fours from two's, - the line, 73 Plate XII. 9. Order for inspection, - - 74 li. Dismounting, - - - - 52 Plate XXU, Observations, - - - - 53 Observations, - - - - CHAP. V. CHAP. VII 1. Elements of evolution, - 54 FORMATION OF THE TROOP. Plates XII. XIll. § 1. The order of parade, - - 75 2. Forming front in double 2. Private parade, - - - order, ------ 55 77 Squads....ranking and siz- Plate XIV. ing, 77 3. Wheeling by whole rank, 56 Proving sections, - - - 78 4. Filing to the right, - 57 Order of the troop, - - Plate XV. 79 Order of the squadron, - 5. Changing direction in the 3. Troop parade, - - - - 80 march, - - - - - 58 Morning report, - - - Plate XVI. 4. Regimental parade, - - 81 6. Changing direction in the 5. The sword 82 oblique order, - - - 59 6. Pistol exercise, - - - 84 Plate XVII. XVIII. 7. The charge by files, - - 85 7. Passing intervals, - - 59 Plate XXII. 8. Facing to the right in 8. The gallop, ----- 86 motion, - - * - 60 Plate VIII. fig. 2, 9. Wheeling aboutin motion, 60 Exercises with arms, at 10. Passaging or inclining to 9. the figure, 87 the right, - - - - - 61 Plate Plate XVII. XXIV. 10. Leaping the bar, - - - 88 11. Inclining to the left, - - 62 Plate XXV. 12. Closing ranks, - - - - 62 Plate XIV. CHAP. VIII. 13. Principles of alignment in EVOLUTIONS. dressing ranks, - - - 62 of - - Plate XX. § 1. Gaits movement, 90 First military march, - - 14. Principles of wheeling, - 64 military - Figures of the horse dis- Second march, Third military march, united in his paces, Plate XIX. 2. To regulate the celerity of the gait, 92 CHAP. VI. 3. Alignments, - - - - 93 § 1. Exercises of cavalry....ac- Plate XXVI. _ coutred, - - - - - 65 4. Alignment in squadron, - 94 Particular drill of forming 5. The direct march, - - - 94 and mounting, - - - 6. Direct march by ranks of Plate VII. platoons, 95 2. Forming double files from Plate XXIX. a flank, - - - - - 68 7. Direct march by platoons, 97 3. Wheeling in the double Plate XXVII. Order, 70 8. Direct march by squad- Plate XXI. ron, 98 4. Movements to the front Plate XXIX. in column, - - - - 71 9. Direct march in gallop, - 100 5. Wheeling in column, 71 Diagram of the principles 6. The oblique march, - - 72 of wheeling, - - - - CONTENTS, Page. Page, CHAP. IX. § 2. Forming front to the right of the column, - - - % 1. Circular marching, - - 101 118 2. Wheeling on a fixed pivot, 101 3. Breaking from the left and 3 a moveable moving to the right, - 119 pivot, 101 4. To form the original '- 4. Wheeling in ranks of pla- front, - - - - - 119 toon, ------ 102 Plate XXXVI. Plate XXX. 5. Moving by the rear to the 120' 5. Wheeling by platoons, - 103 left, 6. Wheeling on a moving pi- Plate XXXV. vot in marching, - - 103 6. Forming line to the front, 120 7. Wheeling by squadron, - 104 7. Forming front in the re- 8. Wheeling in the gallop, - 104 verse order, - - - - 121 Diagrams of the wheeling Plate XXXV. arc and the oblique line 8. Forming line faced ta the of evolution, - - - - rear, 121 9. Of the oblique march, or 9. Wheeling about by fours line of science, - - - 105 in evolution, - - - - 121 Plates XXX. XIX. Plate XXXII. Marching to a flank, - - 106 10. Retiring by the wheeling Plates XXIII. XXXI. about of platoons, - - 122 XLI. Plate XXXII. 11. Breaking into platoons si- CHAP. X. multaneously and advan- EVOLUTIONS/' cing in column, - - - 123 1. Of the column, - - - - 108 Plates XXXVII. XL. The open column, - - - 12. To change the direction of The close column, - - - the column upon a halted The column of route, - - platoon, ----- 123 2. Formation of the open co- Plate XXXVII. lumn, ------110 Observations, - - - - 124 Plate XXXIII. CHAP. XII. 3. To march, the right in front, 110 4. Wheeling about by pla- SQJJADRON EVOLUTIONS. toons, Ill § 1. To take ground to a flank Plate XXXIII. in column of platoons or 4. To halt the column, - - 112 troops, without altering 5. To form front to the left, the disposition of the co- Plate XXXIII. lumn, ------ 125 6. To form front to the right, 113 Plate XXXI. Plate XXXIII. 2. Of the formation of the 7. Breaking off by platoons line, ------- 12G from the left, - - - - 114 Plate XL. 8. In column, left in front, to 3. Breaking from a flank to form line to the front, - 114 pass an obstacle, - - - 12S* 9. Forming front on the re- XXXVIII. verse flank, - - - - 114 4. Of the oblique march by 10. Breaking off on the right platoon or troop, - - - 12T and moving to the left, 115 XXXIX, Plate XXV. 5. Of the counter march, - 123 11. To change gait marching Plate XLI. in column, 115 6. The charge of the squad- CHAP. XL ron, - - p - --- 129 Plate XXII. EVOLUTIONS. 7. Of flankers and tirail- $ 1. Change of direction, - - 117 leurs, ISO Plate XXXIV. Plate XXXIV. VI CONTENTS, Page. Page. § 8. Offallying, - - - - - 132 § 3. Definitions of military Observations, - - - - terms and principles, 136 Distribution of officers and XIII. CHAP. snb-officers, in troop and § 1. General rules and princi- squadron, in every order ples, 133 and disposition of troops 2. Guides of evolution, - - 134 for parade, exercise, or Plate XLII. service, ,--.-• 141 INTRODUCTION. THE discipline of cavalry, like other branches of the military science, has been much improved. The changes consist in disencumber- ing the elementary instruction from useless, and in some cases, prepos- terous parts ; reducing every principle to simplicity and method, like the discipline of infantry ; consulting what is necessary to the instruc- tion of the man, in the proper management of the horse ; the manner of taking care of him off duty ; and training him to obedience and docility "when on parade or on service. The system, it may be said, is reduced to reason ; and the old practices of violence in the instruction of the horse are banished in common with the barbarous treatment of the man„ These changes present no difficulty, excepting what arises out of the force of prejudices, which are always stronger in proportion to the dura- tion of habits, or the mistaken consideration—or no consideration, of the subject.