Cavalry, and especially heavy horse, can only be em ployed in a champaign country, and on firm ground ; but there they are capable of acting not only against cavalry, but also against infantry, and even in the at tack of batteries. The celerity with which they are enabled to perform their manoeuvres, renders them peculiarly well calculated for all decisive movements, such as cutting off, or turning the enemy, falling unex pectedly on his flanks or rear, &c.
Dragoons were originally a mounted infantry, who were employed in all enterprises requiring speed. They sat on horse-back, but frequently fought on foot. Even to this day, they are still armed and exercised with a view to being employed as infantry in a case of neces sity ; hut they are almost never used as such, and are therefore to be considered solely as cavalry. In default of light horse, their duties must often be performed by the heavy dragoons.
The cavalry carry their tents on horse•back along with them. The horses stand in the field, in the open air, and are picketed in lines before the tents in which the riders lie As the cavalry have no cannon, and carry almost every thing they want upon their horses ; in which care must be taken not to overload them; they are, on this account, not liable to have their mo tions impeded by their baggage. They are more fre quently, however, embarrassed by the care of provid ing for the maintenance of their horses. They must pro• ide forage for themselves, taking it either the fields in summer, or from the nrigazmes of villages in spring and autumn. The former is called green, the latter dry forage.
The light cavalry have smaller horses,lighter arms and at coutrements, and less baggage than the heavy horse. In I reign services, particularly the Garman, the light horse arc generally called huasars, and are clothed in a manner corresponding to the name. In the British service also, there are several regiments of nuasars. The mode of lighting peculiar to the light cavalry. con sists gt herally in constant skirmishing, either advancing or retreating. But when well disciplined and (Ali( km, they should be able, when necessary, to c:arge in close order, and to execute all tne manceuvrCa of the heavy cavalry.
The following are ,ome general rues for the service of light troops, whether infantry or cavalry.
I. They should keep as near the enemy as possible. in order to ascertain the intention of all his movements ; and, 2. They should follow him in all his movements.
3. Tiny should constantly engage in enterprizes against hint, by carrying and occupying posts, intercepting con voys, destroying magazines, harassing the enemy on all sides, and carrying off stragglers, &c. 4. Tney should pursue the enemy when beaten, and hinder his pursuit when victorious. 5. They should bi ing con tributions and supplies from a distance ; and, 6. They should endeavour to conceal the movements of their own army. For this purpose, they form a chain of posts in front, and on the flanks of the army, which must support each other, and be able to retire upon their main body. The different species of troops, in these operations, must be placed so as to enable them to act most advantageously : The cavalry in plains, and accessible places ; the infantry on irregular ground, in tenable places, and behind entrenchments.
The artillery consists of cannoneers, bombardiers, sappers, miners, and pontooners. The cannonecrs and bombardiers serve the cannon, and a certain number of them arc attached to every piece. As they do not fight like other troops, they are, in general, only provided with side arms ; sometimes, however they carry other weapons, to be used on occasions. Sippers and miners are employed only in sieges, and arc armed with pis tols and daggers, which the latter use tinder ground. The sappers are seldom required to use arms of any kind, which with them, therefore, are more ornamental than useful. Their duties consist more in exposing themselves than in giving personal annoyance to others. The same applies to the pontooners,whose du ty it is to attend the pontoons, (a kind of small copper boats,) which are carried in waggons behind the army, in order to throw bridges over rivers, and they must therefore possess all the skill requisite for this employ ment.
The horse-artillery. or flying-artillery, are of recent introduction, and were first employed, with great ef fect, by the French, in the late war. They had no field-pieces attached to their battalions, but this defi ciency was amply compensated by their numerous horse-artillery. The best and most skilful men are se lected for this service, and being mounter', they are en abled to act with great expedition, and to move rapid ly to any part of the field. The horse-artillery are di vided into troops, as the are into compa.