Grand cavalry strategy

[MikeyB]

Cavalry took on a number of roles. Would the Union army have been better served:
1) Using and equipping cavalry solely for traditional recon and screening. Reinvesting the rest of the money, people and resources into infantry, artillery or sharpshooters. Did the AoP need a 15k man cavalry corp for these purposes?
2) Doubling down on the dragoon/mobile infantry role. Guys that ride to battle but can hold their own in combat against infantry

 

[6thMichCav]

There are definitely others who will have a more thoroughly researched opinion than I, but here goes:

I think the Union needed every bit of cavalry they could get and equip, and it had to be led and positioned better. The scouting/screening function was plainly missing in some battles—especially in the Eastern Theatre—when Union lines were caught in flank and from the rear without sufficient warning. In addition, Lee's army was often able to make broad moves undetected by the Union (sometimes through skillful use of its own troops and cavalry), meaning that reconnaissance function was lacking.

The Union did use many troopers as mounted infantry, and both experimented and intentionally utilized mixed brigade functions. For example, the Michigan Brigade often used two brigades mounted with the saber and revolver, and two brigades as dismounted infantry/skirmishes.

For several reasons and with many examples, I don't think it was possible for cavalry to go toe to toe with infantry unless in superior numbers or slowing for some other significant advantages. Even dismounted, they had to reserve every fourth man to hold horses, which meant an automatic reduction of combat effectiveness by 25%. However, cartridge and repeating carbines sometimes allowed them to produce surprising results under the right circumstances, and their horses allowed them to charge, redeploy, or retreat quickly as conditions demanded.

Overall, I think the combined arms approach (both mounted and dismounted) was most flexible unless a running battle took place.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

I did a series of blog posts for Emerging Civil War on how the development of technology drove the evolution of Union cavalry tactics. Go to the Emerging Civil War site and search for them. My conclusion was that technological advances forced the evolution of Union cavalry away from the first milieu and to the second milieu. IMHO, it was inevitable that things would change--technological advances forced it to happen.

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part One) - Emerging Civil War

(part one in a series) This is the first installment of a multi-part series on the evolution of Civil War cavalry tactics that is being developed exclusively for Emerging Civil War. The series will focus on cavalry tactics as they existed in April 1861, and will show how the emergence of...

emergingcivilwar.com

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2014/1...avalry-tactics-how-technology-drove-change-2/

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Three) - Emerging Civil War

(part three in a series) In the Napoleonic system, the army’s mounted arm took multiple forms. There were: carabiniers, cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, chasseurs, and lancers. Each had its own specific mission. Carabiniers were armed with dragoon carbines and sabers, and largely acted as...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Four) - Emerging Civil War

(part four in a series) During the early days of the Civil War, Dennis Hart Mahan’s teachings were implemented by the Union high command in particular. Gen. Winfield Scott vigorously resisted the incorporation of volunteer cavalry regiments into the Union armies, as he believed them to be unduly...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Five) - Emerging Civil War

(part five in a series) Having established the backdrop for the meat of this discussion, we can now examine the actual impact of technological advances upon battlefield tactics for cavalry in the Civil War. The primary weapon employed by infantry during and before the Napoleonic era was the...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Six) - Emerging Civil War

(part six in a series) In the previous installment of this series, we demonstrated how the advent of rifled muskets and rifled artillery made the Napoleonic cavalry charge obsolete. Now, we will examine how the evolution of the technology employed by the cavalry made the traditional role of...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Seven) - Emerging Civil War

(part seven in a series) In the previous two installments of this series (here and here), we examined how the development of rifled muskets made Napoleonic cavalry charges obsolete, and also how repeating weapons transformed the mission of cavalry from the traditional roles of scouting...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactic: How Technology Drove Change (Part Eight) - Emerging Civil War

(conclusion to a series) Young Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson, a member of the West Point class of 1861 who was known as Harry to his family and friends, commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi, in 1865. Wilson’s Corps consisted of roughly 13,500 troopers organized...

emergingcivilwar.com

 

[6thMichCav]

I did a series of blog posts for Emerging Civil War on how the development of technology drove the evolution of Union cavalry tactics. Go to the Emerging Civil War site and search for them. My conclusion was that technological advances forced the evolution of Union cavalry away from the first milieu and to the second milieu. IMHO, it was inevitable that things would change--technological advances forced it to happen.

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part One) - Emerging Civil War

(part one in a series) This is the first installment of a multi-part series on the evolution of Civil War cavalry tactics that is being developed exclusively for Emerging Civil War. The series will focus on cavalry tactics as they existed in April 1861, and will show how the emergence of...

emergingcivilwar.com

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2014/1...avalry-tactics-how-technology-drove-change-2/

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Three) - Emerging Civil War

(part three in a series) In the Napoleonic system, the army’s mounted arm took multiple forms. There were: carabiniers, cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, chasseurs, and lancers. Each had its own specific mission. Carabiniers were armed with dragoon carbines and sabers, and largely acted as...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Four) - Emerging Civil War

(part four in a series) During the early days of the Civil War, Dennis Hart Mahan’s teachings were implemented by the Union high command in particular. Gen. Winfield Scott vigorously resisted the incorporation of volunteer cavalry regiments into the Union armies, as he believed them to be unduly...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Five) - Emerging Civil War

(part five in a series) Having established the backdrop for the meat of this discussion, we can now examine the actual impact of technological advances upon battlefield tactics for cavalry in the Civil War. The primary weapon employed by infantry during and before the Napoleonic era was the...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Six) - Emerging Civil War

(part six in a series) In the previous installment of this series, we demonstrated how the advent of rifled muskets and rifled artillery made the Napoleonic cavalry charge obsolete. Now, we will examine how the evolution of the technology employed by the cavalry made the traditional role of...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactics: How Technology Drove Change (Part Seven) - Emerging Civil War

(part seven in a series) In the previous two installments of this series (here and here), we examined how the development of rifled muskets made Napoleonic cavalry charges obsolete, and also how repeating weapons transformed the mission of cavalry from the traditional roles of scouting...

emergingcivilwar.com

The Evolution of Cavalry Tactic: How Technology Drove Change (Part Eight) - Emerging Civil War

(conclusion to a series) Young Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson, a member of the West Point class of 1861 who was known as Harry to his family and friends, commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi, in 1865. Wilson’s Corps consisted of roughly 13,500 troopers organized...

emergingcivilwar.com

Speaking of "more thoroughly researched opinions…".

 

[Dan Kohli]

I would imagine that the lack experience of most of the cavalrymen in the army also played its part for the way the cavalry fought on the battlefield.

 

[TheRealMrHoward]

I agree with 6thMichCav about more "more thoroughly researched opinions…"

BUT, my quick two cents...

I would add to your first premise the act of escort duty, which was super important to the logistics of the day, especially with such rascals as Mosby and Morgan riding around (I understand Mosby was only in VA but left it in for dramatic purposes)! Rosecrans found it necessary to dramatically increase the size of his cavalry to deal with the depredations of his supply lines in the rugged terrain of Tennessee before he could launch his attack into the east of Tennessee.

The initial set of war dept. folk didn't want more cavalry than the US regulars that existed at the start of the war. That prejudice was quickly discarded.

As to the second idea, Wilder's Lightning Brigade certainly makes a case for mounted infantry with their success at Hoover's Gap. However, when the rest of the cavalry was finally equipped with the Spencer repeating carbines they were equally effective at beating back opponents armed with muzzleloaders.

And lastly, I am a huge fan of the sabre! I have read numerous regimental histories in which Union cavalry would chase off their Southern counterparts with sabre charges, as these troops, in the West at least, were only armed with pistols, shotguns, etc. and no sabres.