INFANTRY, Mounted, soldiers trained to act as foot and cavalry soldiers and usually' equipped with rifles from which fact they are frequently designated mounted riflemen. Their supreme advantage over ordinary infantry con sists in their greater mobility. This arm is but Effie known at present, but was favored by many expert soldiers during the American Civil War and the following decades. In the struggle between the North and South the so-called cavalry was little better than mounted infantry, all their training being along the lines laid down for the latter. Mounted infantry appear to have been first introduced by Marshal de Brissac in 1600. In 1672 they were introduced into the British army. Napoleon I and his gen erals appreciated the possibilities of this arm. In the 19th century the value of mounted in fantry for outpost duty, for covering retreats, for sieging, holding or destroying bridges, and for other works of destruction, such as remov ing telegraphs, etc., were generally recognized. In this way this arm rendered efficient service in the Civil War. The chief action of such
troops must always be as infantry, the horses of the dismounted men being held by their comrades. Mounted infantry differ essentially from cavalry, the latter depending little or not at, all on fire-arms, but almost entirely on lance or 'sabre and the shock of the charge. Mounted infantry on the other hand, depend on the rifle and their mounts are merely intended to give them a maximum degree of mobility. The in troduction of aircraft in modern armies has dispensed in great part with mounted troops for purposes of reconnaissance, and motor trans port is being increasingly used for the rapid transfer of troops to points where the line is hard pressed. Modern trench warfare, also,, has to a very great extent eliminated all mounted troops. It is too early, •however, to draw general conclusions from the Great War of 1914-18, in which mounted troops played but a small' part after the first few. 'Weeks' of open fighting.