The cavalry and the horse

Abstract

The United States Cavalry has been regarded as the most "glamorous" branch of the military service. It has proved to be a durable subject for both fiction and non-fiction writers as well as for cinema and television entertainment; yet the less romantic aspects of life of cavalrymen have been de-emphasized. Rarely were cavalrymen gay or dashing. Instead they were simply dust covered soldiers on horseback, not necessarily horsemen in the truest meaning of the word or even good riders. The significant point is that they eventually became hardened troopers and were able to overcome all obstacles. Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the United States Cavalry was plagued with difficulties. During the early years of its history, it struggled for its very existence. When finally recognized as a valuable wing of the army, it had to adopt new procedures and practices. At first its equipment was not suitable nor were most of its men ready for the obstacle awaiting them in the trans-Mississippi West. Neither were the men nor their mounts ever really properly trained. By 1860- 1861 the cavalry, however, had gained sustained experiences; it was beginning to do its job effectively and to learn the ways of service in the West. But with the beginning of hostilities between North and South, it left the West and after five years of struggle the survivors returned to complete the task of making the territories safe for occupancy. During the post-Civil War period, the Cavalry faced not only the same difficulties experienced earlier, but new and even more perplexing problems. A more efficient method of supplying columns had to be adopted and new recruitment tactics employed. A more drastic form of campaigning was needed, for the cavalry was facing probably the greatest "light cavalrymen" in the world--the Plains Indians. Especially distressing to the company and regimental officer was the limited supply of adequate mounts, for cavalry horses led a hard life and rarely lasted more than four or five years. With the vigorous pace the cavalry maintained throughout the numerous and seemingly endless Indian campaigns, it was nearly impossible to train enough horses for the service. The cavalrymen therefore performed their duties mounted on whatever stock that was available. The fact that the cavalry campaigned for years in the West and ultimately subdued the warlike nomads of the Great Plains and the tenacious tribes of the deserts and mountains of the Southwest is indisputable evidence that most horses were at least adequate for the task. It is a high tribute to both men and horses that under adverse conditions they accomplished so much.