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Subject: History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?
olive greens    2/7/2006 9:13:02 AM
As I recall all US cavalry since foundation were Dragoons, but someone claimed otherwise. If they are correct, what type of cavalry was fielded?

I read a passing mention of Connecticut having some sort of light cavalry during Revolution - Lancer/Hussars/Uhlan type - but cant find it now. I also recall a similar troop during the Mexican War, but it was a painting with no background.

Couldnt think of any other place to put this.
 
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Yimmy    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/7/2006 11:48:27 AM
Sorry, not answering your question, but what exactly are/is the difference between Hussars, Dragoons, Lancers etc?
 
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olive greens    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/7/2006 12:09:51 PM
>> but what exactly are/is the difference between Hussars, Dragoons, Lancers etc? << Dragoons and Carbineers are basically precursors to mounted infantry; they arrive at the battlefield mounted, but mostly dismount to fight. "Dragoon" was a small french musket carried by Dragoons, from which they get their name, carbine is self-apparent. They are by definition "light" and carry no armour for themselves or their horses. Hussars emphasize fighting with sabre with pistols as backup, and are more European in origin. Lancers and Uhlans use lances at the initial charge, and then swith to sabres or pistols as back-up - they are more Eastern European/Turkish development. Uhlan comes from Turkish oglan (boy), much as Infantry comes from Spanish Infanta's young(er) soldiers. "Heavy Cavalry" is like your Guards Regiments, and Curassiers in Continent.
 
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longrifle    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/7/2006 12:51:49 PM
This is about a light dragoon, but I thought the article might intrest you just the same. Henry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee. link
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/7/2006 5:14:19 PM
The US has had numerous cavalry in its history..... In the Rev War it was light dragoons. Same with 1812 When the US Army got serious before Mexico it did switch to dragoons for the Regulars but kept the light cavalry and lancers in the the militia. At the start of the Civil War there were lancers (I think6th PA CAV comes to mind) but by mid-war, all were what we would call dragoons.
 
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olive greens    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/7/2006 6:48:07 PM
AlbanyRifles, thanks.
 
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Desertmole    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/9/2006 12:24:02 AM
Cavalry was broken down into two branches, heavy and light. Heavy cavalry was meant for mainly fighting missions and light cavalry were mainly used for scouting and screening missions. Some cavalry belonged to one branch, but performed missions of the other branch because of their special equipment. Light cavalry consisted mainly of hussars, light dragoons, lancers and uhlans. They rode small, fast horses with lots of stamina. They would scout ahead of the army and would screen to prevent enemy cavalry from scouting the army. They normally carried a combination of sabers and pistols for combat. Light dragoons with their carbines and lancers with their lances had special missions. The light dragoons, like heavy dragoons, would normally fight as infantry on the battlefield. Their horses gave them superior mobility to maneuver and to perform pursuit missions. Lancers were primarily an anti-cavalry unit, though they were good in the pursuit against broken infantry formations. Heavy cavalry was mounted on large, heavy horses and were meant to fight on the battlefield. Dragoons and Carabiniers were basically mounted infantry, though they could fight from horseback. Their sabers were heavier and they carried carbines as well. Curassiers wore the curass (a metal breastplate) and were used to attack cavalry and broken infantry formations. The curass provided greater protection from sabers and lances, but not from firearms. Between US active units and the volunteers units of the Mexican and Civil Wars there was probably just about every type of cavalry imaginable.
 
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olive greens    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/10/2006 4:43:27 PM
>> Between US active units and the volunteers units of the Mexican and Civil Wars there was probably just about every type of cavalry imaginable. << But werent all termed "Dragoons" except for the aforementioned exception of certain lancers? Or were their dedicated Lancer/Hussar/Uhlan or Curassiers/Dragoon Guards units?
 
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olive greens    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry?   2/10/2006 4:45:03 PM
PS: Yimmy, an addition to my previous reply to you... ... UK converted some of its Dragoons into "Heavy Cavalry" by making them Dragoon Guards". So Brit Heavy Cavalry is them and Horse Guards, rest is light cavalry.
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry? OG   2/10/2006 10:00:41 PM
In the US Cavalry..... we did not separate by horse size, etc. We did it by mission...i.e., as you have said, gragoons were mounted infantry. We did not follow the European model. So by 1864 both sides had what we consider dragoons...ie, desigend to use horses to get to the fight and then fight on foot, not on horse back.
 
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Desertmole    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry? OG   2/11/2006 4:26:24 AM
"So by 1864 both sides had what we consider dragoons...ie, desigend to use horses to get to the fight and then fight on foot, not on horse back." Agreed. At the beginning of the Civil War there were all sorts of units (except "guards"). These units gave up their lances and other equipment and went to the dragoon model, i.e. mounted infantry. I don't have my civil War source books here so I can't quote specifics. In the European model Dragoons were considered heavy cavalry. Light Dragoons were light cavalry. The term Guards, were generally applied to those units (foot and horse) that originally had the mission to defend the sovereign of a nation. In most cases these ended up being deployed to battlefields around Europe, whether the sovereign was on the field or not.
 
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Carl S    RE:History Question: Any non-Dragoon US Cavalry? OG   2/11/2006 7:59:08 AM
The Lighting Brigade is an example of US cavalry in the 1860s. It was formed from several state milita regiments from Illinoise, Indiana, & Ohio plus a small artillery unit. The originall labels for the various regiments quickly proved irrelevant. The officers, who were largely prosperous businessmen, pooled their money and purchased magazine fed repeating carbines for the brigade. The US Army tactics of the era were useless for using this weapon. Over three years and a half dozen battles the leaders of this brigade had to find effective tactics on their own. They seem to have had their best sucess when using dragoon tactics where they could make best use of their high firepower.
 
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