It is certain that an enemy who sees your squadron disappear in a hollow, as you advance towards him, will, nine times out of ten, expect it to continue its direction towards him; here, then, a wheel to the flank, a gallop of a hundred yards or so, followed by a change of direction, and later a wheel into line, may give the opportunity of a lifetime.
These may appear small things, but they must be second nature to a cavalry leader as they are to some, and those the most dangerous, wild animals; for in the skilled utilization of these small things lies his honour and hopes of success.
Watch the cat tribe: deliberate preparations, every advantage taken of cover in the stealthy advance, then the gathering of the limbs under—for the rush. From a fighting point of view we want every instinct of this kind; with the cavalry there is no place for “Gentlemen of the Guard, fire first”—cunning, nerve, unflinching resolution, reckless, bloody-minded intrepidity, and with all this the power to inspire your command, even those of doubtful courage, with the certainty of success; though they must know some cannot come back, still they like to be deceived, to die, or to be maimed, fierce, high-hearted, happy, and elated. The sight of the enemy’s backs makes them all brave.
And then we re-formed and went at them once more,
And ere they had rightly closed up the old track,
We broke through the lane we had opened before,
And as we went forward e’en so we came back.
Lindsay Gordon.
The Rally
An endeavour has been made, then, to show that the success of the charge lies: first, in the ordered momentum of the unit; second, in the suitable application of this by the leader. Disciplined experience turns the scale. First, the impact, lessened in degree as one side turns sooner or later. Then the mêlée. These beaten back, the others victorious; these looking for safety, the others for victims. Now, at this moment the wild man’s first instinct is to pursue “all out,” without a reserve, to kill, perhaps, a weaker instinct, to capture, or to plunder. A new element of disorder follows on this mad desire to cast prudence to the winds and pursue, l’épée dans les reins.
Once more the governing mind of the leader must assert itself, his foresight and knowledge must reign supreme and repress the natural instinct of the many; he by voice and example must rally his squadron. Failing this, or a portion of his squadron held in reserve, his horsemen are a prey to the first formed body which attacks them, though of inferior strength.[20] “That side which is able to throw in the last-formed body will win.” So excited is his command and so irregular their course of action, that he will have great difficulty in getting them to obey him. Cavalry Training, p. 128, realizes this:
As the pursuers will be in disorder and consequently at the mercy of any fresh body of the enemy’s cavalry, the necessity of organizing a support without delay is imperative.
Here let us remember that we have glorious traditions. The name of Cromwell inspires very diverse thoughts in the British Isles. To the Irish, battered walls; to the Scots, ruthless discipline; to the English, a constitution upheld or a monarchy overturned. Suitable memories of our great cavalry leader.[21] To the cavalryman what does this man, who can still inspire such diverse thoughts in nations, represent?