6971grunt -> RE: AAR: Battle in the Wilderness (12/4/2006 11:56:39 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: Gil R. elmo3, you're right that there were no Napoleonic cavalry charges (I think there was just one saber charge the entire war, or something like that), but cavalry definitely played a role against infantry. Cavalry was mainly used on offense by having the men ride up to the enemy, fire, and then dismount and fight on foot -- it was a rapid, mobile strike force. Cavalry also was used to attack enemy units that had been taken out of the fighting and were retreating or disorganized. So in "Forge of Freedom," if you used cavalry to charge an infantry brigade that is in good order the cavalry will mostly get blown away (especially if it's a head-on charge), but if that infantry brigade is shaken and its morale is down then cavalry can do a number on it. Wikipedia has a pretty decent discussion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry_in_the_American_Civil_War Battle of Brandy Station May 3, 1863, was the largest cavalry battle of the war [J.E.B. Stuart got surpirsed by probing Union Cavalry- i.e., Buford]. Some speculate that this is why J.E.B. was late for Gettysburg - a regaining of his tarnished honor - when in actuality Stuart was delayed because of summer rains that delayed his crossing of the Potomac River.[sm=00000280.gif]
|
|
|
|