that the efficiency of a cavalry soldier depends as much
upon his horse as upon himself; and it is requisite, therefore, that the
weight upon the horse should be as light as possible. The limit has been
fixed at about two hundred pounds for light, and two hundred and fifty
for heavy cavalry; but both of these are too much. A cavalry soldier
ought not to weigh over one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty
pounds, and his accoutrements not over thirty pounds additional; but in
practice, scarcely any horse--except where the rider is a very light
weight--carries less than two hundred and twenty or two hundred and
thirty pounds. One great cause of the evils incident to our cavalry
service is the excessive weight imposed on the horses. The French take
particular pains in this respect; while in England the cavalry is almost
entirely 'heavy,' and, though well drilled, is clumsy. John Bull, with
his roast beef and plum pudding, makes a poor specimen of a light
cavalryman. English officers are now endeavoring to revolutionize their
mounted service, so as to diminish its weight and increase its celerity.

The _arms_ of cavalry have been various, but it is now well settled that
its true weapon is the sabre, as its true form of operation is the
charge. A great deal of ingenuity has been expended in devising the best
form of sabre. Different countries have different patterns, but the one
adopted in our army is very highly considered. It is pointed, so as to
be used in thrusting; sharp on one edge for cutting; curved, so as to
inflict a deeper wound; and the weight arranged, by a mathematical rule,
so that the centres of percussion and of gravity are placed where the
weapon may be most easily handled. The lance is a weapon very
appropriate to light mounted troops, and is still used by some of the
Cossacks and Arab horsemen. But to wield it effectively requires
protracted training. For a long time in Europe it was the chief weapon
for horsemen; with the knights it was held in exclusive honor, and
continued in use for a considerable period after firearms had destroyed
the prestige of the gentlemen of the golden spurs. Prince Maurice, of
Orange, when he raised mounted regiments to defend the Netherlands
against the Spanish, rejected it, and since his time it has become
obsolete except in some regiments especially drilled to it. Such a
regiment was raised in Philadelphia at the commencement of our war, but
after eighteen months' expe