Another basic, and very dumb question on cavalry.
In battle, you already read about how 1/3 in has to stay back to hold the horses. What happens when on campaign and on the march?
Do they find a bunch of trees and fences to tie the horses up to? Do they take turns holding the horses? Do they travel w/ a bunch of stakes and tie the horses to them?
Regarding a cavalry regiment or brigade, the only time that horse holders were necessary was when the troopers were ordered to dismount and fight on foot or occupy the trenches alongside the infantry, then every fourth trooper would take his horse and the horses of the three men in front of him and hold them in the rear of the trenches or breastworks, while the other three-quarters of the cavalry regiment or brigade took to the trenches. The vast majority of troopers did not want to be the fourth man and be designated as a horse holder, so when they were made to count off in formation from one to four down the line, to determine who would be a fourth man, most would avoid saying the number four and would sound off with number one instead, so that maybe they would not be chosen as horse holders. Typically when a cavalry company, squadron, regiment or brigade was out in the field campaigning or scouting, the entire force would fight and skirmish against the enemy mounted, unless ambushed before they could get to their chargers, so there was no need for horse holders in normal operational situations, only when they were expected to fight as a dismounted force on foot.
If an entire regiment or brigade of cavalry would be expected to support or relieve an infantry regiment or brigade and be ordered to dismount and occupy the trenches and breastworks in a very thin line for an extended amount of time, then the horses would be taken off a few miles away and guards would be ordered to remain with them to care and provide for the horses while the dismounted regiment or brigade was occupying the trenches. Then when the cavalry regiment or brigade was ordered to remount, the horses would be returned, this way horse holders were not necessary and more of the dismounted force could take to the trenches and fill in the weak spots.
A good example of this was just after Sherman`s march from Atlanta to Savannah. Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade, as part of Maj. General Joseph Wheeler`s Cavalry Corps, was harassing the rear and right flank of Sherman`s 62,000 man army soon after they left Atlanta. As soon as Ferguson reached Savannah he was ordered by Wheeler to dismount his cavalry brigade from 10 -21 Dec 1864, specifically to fill in the weak spots of Hardee`s trench lines and breastworks during what became an 11-day siege of the city. Instead of using horse holders, Ferguson`s horses were sent miles away to nearby Barnwell County, S.C. until they would be needed again. When Hardee was certain that he could not hold Savannah any longer, he ordered Ferguson across the Savannah river to cover him and his men as they evacuated Savannah and then to perform a rear guard action as Hardee and his garrison headed towards Charleston. So hours before the evacuation of Savannah began, Ferguson ordered his horses to be returned from Barnwell County and his cavalry brigade remounted and thusly covered Hardee`s withdrawal from Savannah and his movement northward into South Carolina.
It was a bitter pill for the men of Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade to be separated from their horses for any length of time when required to do so around Atlanta and then Savannah. Upon crossing the Savannah River at Sisters Ferry and being ordered to dismount and leave their horses in South Carolina, they re-crossed the Savannah River around Ebenezer Creek and marched from there on the west bank of the Savannah River towards Savannah on foot, somewhat demoralized but anxious to fight the enemy. Brig. General S. W. Ferguson recognizing this, to make his dismounted cavalry troopers feel better, he gave commands to them as if they were still mounted on their chargers. He ordered as they came upon their entrenchments at Savannah:
"Rear rank open order. Prepare to dismount, Dismount!!!." When they broke ranks they gave a cheer, showing they appreciated the joke. Then it was serious business as they took to the trenches and began to skirmish and fight against Sherman`s Army.
The average cavalry trooper hated the idea of fighting dismounted and being ordered to occupy the trenches in support of the infantry. Most felt that they were most effective fighting and skirmishing as a shock force while out campaigning, scouting and raiding. This is evidenced by Pvt. Harden Perkins Cochrane, "D" Troop, 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, in a letter dated 14 Jun 1864 to his cousin, written near Marietta, Ga. He wrote the following regarding the first few weeks of the regiment fighting during the Atlanta Campaign and having to take to the trenches and breastworks as dismounted cavalry for the first few times:
"When we came up here and we`re told we would have to fight in the breastworks (trenches) we thought it aweful. The idea of a cavalry man dismounting, sending his horse a half mile off and he going into the trenches like an ordinary "Webbfoot!" But there was no way of getting off and now our Brigade marches to the trenches with a very good grace and woe will be the Yankee brigade that tries to drive them out. We have set our minds on whipping this fight and we are willing to bear any hardships to accomplish that end."
The 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, as part of Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade, were ordered quite a few times to dismount and briefly occupy the trenches and breastworks around Atlanta to support or relieve the infantry, as well as to help fill in any perceived weak areas of the confederate lines when needed. After awhile they became somewhat accustomed to it, they did not take pleasure in it by any means, rather they did what was ordered of them until they could soon remount their horses and go back out on scout and campaign again as cavalry, where they would frequently fight and skirmish against Sherman`s forces around Atlanta, especially along the three railroads that connected through Atlanta. During some of the fighting around Atlanta and at Savannah were the only times that they were made to dismount and occupy the trenches and breastworks during the entire war.
Below is what Pvt. Harry Dixon Jessop stated regarding his experiences during the Atlanta Campaign, as a Private of Company "C", 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers, which was also brigaded under Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade:
" ...our brigade would dismount, with horse holders in the rear, and occupy the trenches in a very thin line whilst the infantry retired and fortified new positions in the rear particularly around Atlanta. ...this occurred frequently as they (we) continuously parried the enemy and sheltered in the trenches. ...(we) came across many torn and broken bodies felled by sharp shooters and on many occasions had to crawl over the shattered corpses of friends and comrades. The 25th May (1864) saw major battles at New Hope Church and Kennesaw Mountain and once again Ferguson`s Brigade was heavily engaged. The rain poured incessantly and the soldiers suffered great hardships. Whilst falling back between 26th May and the 1st June, the Brigade fought in the trenches around Marietta. On 26 June, the Brigade attacked the rear of Sherman's Army and burnt the bridge over Noyes Creek, near Powder Springs. By 10th July, they were now attacking with General Wheelers rebel cavalry on the Confederate right flank. On 20th July, the Brigade was in action at Peachtree Creek and came off badly mauled. On 22nd July, the Brigade attacked the town of Decatur on foot and captured it after house to house fighting. They later had to fall back and for the next several weeks fought around Atlanta particularly parrying the numerous Union raids along the 3 railroads entering the city. In the end, Ferguson's men covered the retreat of the Rebel Army as it became clear to the new Confederate Commander, General John Bell Hood that Atlanta would fall. They occupied the trenches (of Atlanta) between 1st and 2nd September as Atlanta was abandoned (and then surrendered)."
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