Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/161

CAVALRY CAVE 153 exhausted both by actual engagement and by passivity under a concentrated artillery fire; and in such cases they act decisively, as at Borodino and Ligny, especially when supported, as in both these cases, by infantry reserves. "We cannot enter here into the various duties which cavalry may be called upon to perform on outpost, patrolling, and escorting service, &c. A few words on the general tactics of cavalry, however, may find a place. Infantry hav- ing more and more become the main stay of battles, the manoeuvres of the mounted arm are necessarily more or less subordinate to those of the former. And as modern tactics are founded upon the admixture and mutual support of the three arms, it follows that for at least a portion of the cavalry all independent action is entire- ly out of the question. Thus the cavalry of an army is always divided into two distinct bodies : divisional cavalry and reserve cavalry. The first consists of horsemen attached to the vari- ous divisions and corps of infantry, and under the same commander with them. In battle, its office is to seize any favorable moments which may offer themselves to gain an advan- tage, or to disengage its own infantry when attacked by superior forces. Its action is natu- rally limited, and its strength is not sufficient to act any way independently. The cavalry of reserve, the mass of the cavalry with the army, in European armies acts in the same subordi- nate position toward the whole infantry of the army as the divisional cavalry does toward the infantry division to which it belongs, but in America, as already shown, it is more indepen- dent. Accordingly, the reserve cavalry will be held in hand till a favorable moment for a great blow offers itself, either to repel a grand infan- try or cavalry attack of the enemy, or to exe- cute a charge of its own of a decisive nature. From what has been stated above, it will be evident that the proper use of the cavalry of reserve is generally during the latter stages of a great battle, or in an independent move- ment upon the rear or communications of the enemy. Such immense successes as Seydlitz obtained with his horse may not be expected hereafter ; but still, many great battles of mod- ern times have been very materially influenced by the part cavalry has played in them. But the great importance of cavalry lies in pursuit. Infantry supported by artillery need not de- spair against cavalry so long as it preserves its order and steadiness; but once broken, no matter by what cause, it is a prey to the mounted men that are launched against it. There is no running away from the horses; even on difficult ground, good horsemen can make their way ; and an energetic pursuit of a beaten army by cavalry is always the best and the only way to secure the full fruits of the victory. Thus, whatever supremacy in battles may have been gained by infantry, cavalry still remains an indispensable arm, and will always remain so; and now, as heretofore, no army can enter the lists with a fair chance of suc- cess unless it has a cavalry that can both ride and fight. CAVAN. I. The southernmost county of the province of Ulster, Ireland, bounded by the counties Fermanagh, Monaghan, Meath, West- meath, Longford, and Leitrim; area, 746 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 140,555. The soil is wet and marshy, but with drainage it is rendered productive. The mountainous districts, which include a considerable part of the county, are barren. Coal, iron, lead, and copper are found ; marl, fuller's earth, potter's and brick clays are plentiful. There are many mineral springs, of which that of Livalinbar is the most noted. Cavan was anciently called Breifne (Brenny), and was part of the territory of O'Rourke, the Irish chief, the seduction of whose wife by Der- mot MacMurrogh, king of Leinster, was the immediate cause of the English invasion. It was first made shire ground toward the close of the 16th century. The county was divided into baronies among the native possessors, five falling to the lot of the O'Reilly family. The O'Reillys having forfeited their possessions by rebellion at the beginning of the 17th century, Cavan reverted to the British crown. It now returns two members to parliament. II. The county town, on the Dublin and Galway railway, 85 m. K E. of Galway, and 65 m. N. W. of Dublin ; pop. about 3,000. Petty and quarter sessions, annual fairs, and a weekly market are held in the town. It contains a fine parish church, a Catholic chapel and nunnery, Presbyterian and Methodist meeting houses, a fever hospital, an infirmary, a royal endowed school, a barracks, and a public pleasure ground, bequeathed to the town by Lady Fernham. CAVE, Edward, an English printer and book- seller, born at Newton, Warwickshire, Feb. 29, 1691, died in London, Jan. 10, 1754. He founded the " Gentleman's Magazine," the first number of which appeared in January, 1731, and which still continues to be published. The original purpose of this periodical, according to the prospectus, was to preserve from the news- papers " essays on various subjects for enter- tainment." Original communications, however, were afterward admitted, Dr. Johnson being a favorite contributor, and he wrote the " par- liamentary speeches" which appeared in this magazine from 1740 to 1743. It has undergone many changes of management, but its special and most valuable features were always till recently antiquarian research and contempo- rary biography and history. The success of the magazine led to the establishment of the "London Magazine" and other rival publica- tions of the same class, in which the " Gentle- man's Magazine " was the pioneer. Cave was the early friend and patron of Dr. Johnson, and for a long time was his only publisher. Dr. Johnson was present at his deathbed, and he wrote the " Life of Cave " which was pub- lished in the " Gentleman's Magazine " for Feb- ruary, 1754. Cave had some claims to author- ship, and wrote an "Account of Criminals."