a body of soldiers that charge on horseback. The word comes from the French, cavalerie, and that from the corrupt Latin, caballus, a horse.

The Roman cavalry consisted wholly of those called equites, or knights, who were a distinct order in the distribution of citizens.—The Greek cavalry were divided into cataphractae and non cataphractae, i.e., into heavy and light armed.—Of all the Greeks, the Thessalians excelled most in cavalry. The Lacedemonians, inhabiting a mountainous country, were but meanly furnished with cavalry, till, carrying their arms into other countries, they found great occasion for horses to support and cover their foot. The Athenian cavalry, for a considerable time, consisted only of 96 horsemen: after expelling the Persians out of Greece, they increased the number to 300; and afterwards to 1000, which was the highest pitch of the Athenian cavalry. The Turkish cavalry consists partly of Spahis, and partly of horsemen raised and maintained by the Zaims and Timariots.

The chief use of the cavalry is to make frequent excursions to disturb the enemy, intercept his convoys, and destroy the country: in battle to support and cover the foot, and to break through and disorder the enemy; also to secure the retreat of the foot. Formerly, the manner of fighting of the cavalry was, after firing their pistols or carbines, to wheel off, to give opportunity for loading again. Gustavus Adolphus is said to have first taught the cavalry to charge through, to march straight up to the enemy, with the sword drawn in the bridle hand, and each man having fired his piece, at the proper distance, to take himself to his sword, and charge the enemy as was found most advantageous.