Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 503, 22 January 1902 — Horses In Battle. [ARTICLE]

Horses In Battle.

One of the most curious sights to be ) seen in n cavalry charge Is the various riderlos horses galloping in the line in i perfect order. At the charge of Baia- ) ; klava the front rank of one regiment was composed to a great extent of rid?rless animals, their masters having iropp<-d one by one. It would seem that in the excitement of the moment the horses lose all conception of what is happening around them and proba bly fail to notice the fall of their ridtrs. The return of riderless horses to ramp is an almost certain sign of defeat. When a cavalry charge Js suoressful. the burst's will, as 1 have said ill keep up together, even though they have lost their riders, but when a force Is routed the first news of 111 omen to those in the rear will lie the return of the horses with empty saddles and I stirrups dangling free. No more sorry sight can be imagined. To Illustrate the callous feeling these animals have under fire a case which happened at Ladysmith during the siege may be cited. A farrier sergeant was engaged in shijeing an officer’s horse in the open ground behind the stables of a hotel and had already put oue or two nails into the shoe when a shell came screaming through the air. The next mo ment the missile burst five or six yards away from where the sergeant and the horse were standing, and the splinters flew around both, but failed to touch either. When the smoke bad cleared, the horse was to be seen with its foot still in the man’s apron, quite undisturbed by the Incident. Pearson’s Magazine.