increasing to the maximum of speed. This gradual increase of speed is
very important, to prevent the horses from being completely blown on
reaching the enemy.

9. Cavalry should not charge by _a wood_, till it has been carried by
our own infantry, if it can possibly be avoided.

At the battle of Kollin, in 1756, Frederick's cavalry, pursuing the
Austrians, was taken in flank by some Austrian infantry posted in a
wood, and made to retire with great loss.

10. When cavalry is required to charge over unknown ground, it should be
preceded by a few men thrown out to the front as skirmishers, in order
to _scout the ground_ to be passed over. The neglect of this precaution
has sometimes led to great disaster.

At Talavera, two cavalry regiments, the First German Hussars and the
Twenty-third Light Dragoons, were ordered to charge the head of some
French infantry columns. When near the top of their speed they came
suddenly upon a deep ravine, with steep sides. Colonel Arentschild
commanding the Hussars, who was in front, at once reined up, and halted
his regiment, saying: "I vill not kill my young mensch!" But the other
regiment, commanded by Colonel Seymour, which was on its left, not
seeing the obstacle in time, plunged down it, men and horses rolling
over on each other in frightful confusion. Of the survivors, who
arrived on the other side by twos and threes, many were killed or
taken; and only one-half of the regiment ever returned.

So, at the battle of Courtrai, in 1302, from the French cavalry's
omitting to scout the ground they charged over, the Flemings won a great
victory. All the _elite_ of the French nobility and chivalry was
destroyed, and gold spurs were collected by bushels on the field. It was
the French Cannae. The Flemings were drawn up behind a canal, flowing
between high banks, and hidden from view. The French rushing on at full
gallop, all the leading ranks were plunged into the canal. The entire
cavalry was thereby checked and thrown into irretrievable disorder,
which extended to the infantry, in their rear. The Flemings, profiting
by their confusion, crossed the canal at two points simultaneously,
attacked them in flank, and completed their rout.

So, at the battle of Leipsic, in 1813, Murat, in his great cavalry
charge on the Allied centre, had captured twenty-six guns, and was
carrying all before him, when he pushed on to the village of Gulden
Gossa, where the ground had not been reconnoitred, and