GDG- Re: Meigs and the cavalry

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Bob writes:


>>>>I also remember reading that heavy cavalry and  lancers did not work in 
the America of 1860 because the country was so heavily  covered with timber as 
to make massed cavalry charges unlikely.  >>>>



We never created a heavy cavalry doctrine in America before the Civil  War.  
Woods may have had something to do with that, but by the time of the  Civil 
War, large portions of America had been cleared.  For example, Ft.  Donelson 
today has probably ten times more trees (and probably even higher) that  it did 
at the battle in February, 1862.  This area was part of the largest  
concentration of iron furnaces in the entire South and trees provided  fuel.  Then when 
the Confederates began to build their outer works, they  cleared out to over 
100 yards whatever trees were left.
 
There was actually more open country than most think and cavalry was, at  
times, properly used in conjunction with infantry and artillery in  battles.  
Three come right to mind in the west - Richmond, KY (August,  1862), LaVergne, TN 
(October, 1862) and Stones River.  Cavalry was also a  great part of the 
Confederate breakout at Donelson.  The cavalry won the  battles at Third 
Winchester, Cedar Creek, Nashville, Saylor's Creek and  Appomattox.  Several of these 
fights did feature massed cavalry  charges.
 
US cavalry has dragoons as its genesis, the smaller dragoon units of the  Rev 
War and then the two dragoon regiments of the 1830's (and the regiment of  
mounted rifles).  Light cavalry came about here due to the fighting with  
horse-mobile plains Indians (1st and 2nd US Cavalry), so there was never a  doctrine 
for heavy cavalry needed here.
 
Both sides raised lancer units in 1861, more the Confederates than the  
Union.  I have copies of invoices for lance makers and the number of lances  made, 
along with the small flags for them.  Several Texas cavalry units  were raised 
as lancers for example.  I do know that Rush's Lancers did not  have a good 
time with them while on the Peninsula due to terrain issues.
 
We fought against lancer units in the Mexican War as Santa Anna's army was  
patterned after Napoleon's.
 
Like with any weapons system, terrain will dictate its usefulness on the  
battlefield.  You do not tend to run tanks through the woods unless there's  a 
great road network, for example.
 
Greg Biggs



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