Showing posts with label The Cavalry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Cavalry. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Colonel Charles Russell Lowell to John M. Forbes, July 27, 1863

Centreville, July 27, '63.

My experience is that, for cavalry, raw recruits sent to a regiment in large numbers are worse than useless; they are of no account themselves and they spoil the old men, — they should be drilled at least four months before they join their regiment. Now has not Governor Andrew the power — I mean can he not get it — to establish a camp of instruction and Reserve Depot for his two cavalry regiments at Readville? There is a good drill-ground there, good water and good stabling for 400 horses, all that are ever likely to be there at one time. I should have the horses, arms, and equipments a permanency, — with raw recruits, trained horses are of immense importance — 150 trained horses are enough, however. If some such arrangement could be made, Harry put in charge of both regiments and all new officers and men sent there to learn their A B C's, I think the Massachusetts regiments would be started on a footing that would keep them more effective than I see a chance of any regiments being under the present system.

SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of Charles Russell Lowell, p. 287-8