 ochoin  | 24 Jun 2015 11:35 p.m. PST |
You can take your Crazy Horses & Nathan Bedford Forrests but although now little known was Sir James Hope Grant whose exploits as a leader of irregular light cavalry in northern India at the time of the Mutiny is unsurpassed. link
He's my nomination in this poll.
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| Lt Col Pedant | 25 Jun 2015 1:47 a.m. PST |
Hodgson of Hodgson's Horse. A character somewhat similar to Flashman? |
| Pictors Studio | 25 Jun 2015 3:31 a.m. PST |
James Skinner would get my vote. link |
| Lt Col Pedant | 25 Jun 2015 3:41 a.m. PST |
My apologies: Hodson. And like Flashman, he attended Rugby School. Unlike Flashman, he was a scholar. Not 19th, but early 20th Century, I'd rate TE Lawrence as a leader of light cavalry/mounted infantry. |
| Chinggis | 25 Jun 2015 4:49 a.m. PST |
Temujin managed to forge a complete nation -initially with irregular light cavalry. He moulded them into the best army the world had ever seen and conquered most of the Asian land mass.You may know him better by the name that has come down through history…Chinggis Khan. |
| mad monkey 1 | 25 Jun 2015 6:11 a.m. PST |
+1. Most successful I would think. |
| Lt Col Pedant | 25 Jun 2015 6:51 a.m. PST |
Restricting myself to the 19th Century: Christian de Wet (2nd Boer War), but the Boers were more mounted infantry than light cavalry I suppose. |
| 15th Hussar | 25 Jun 2015 7:21 a.m. PST |
Technically…Grant was a Heavy Cavalry Officer (Lancers) and became quite adept at leading an all arms force during the Mutiny, which in turn lead to his being put in command of the Anglo-British Forces during the Arrow War. Cureton (14th LD) had achieved a brilliant reputation as a cavalry leader during the Sikh Wars. Nicholson was better than Hodson in leading light and irregular cavalry, but like Cureton, died at the height of his fame. Skinner was superb, as was Lasalle, Colbert and Lefebrvre-Desnouette's. Don't turn your nose up at post-Mutiny colonels and brigadiers from the PIF/PFF and Bengal/Bombay Lancer/Cavalry regiments either, especially during the 2nd Afghan War period. |
| Henry Martini | 25 Jun 2015 6:27 p.m. PST |
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| Lt Col Pedant | 26 Jun 2015 3:25 a.m. PST |
Reaching back beyond the C19th: how about the English and Scottish Border Reivers of the C16th, as candidates for surperb light horsemen; can't pick out an individual leader though? Reaching further back in the same region, there is a Roman tablet excavated from the fort at Vindolanda attesting to the prowess of the North Britsh light horsemen of C2nd (naked and painted and without saddles). |
| Royston Papworth | 02 Jul 2015 4:25 a.m. PST |
Andrew, aren't Lancers classed as Light Cavalry? They tended to be converted from (in British service)Light Dragoons. Tim |
| ochoin | 02 Jul 2015 5:50 a.m. PST |
Yes, Grant was originally in the 9th Lancers: light cavalry.
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| 15th Hussar | 06 Jul 2015 4:01 a.m. PST |
Technically light cavalry, but Grant's battlefield experience was in India and there ALL British cavalry was considered "Heavy", due to the larger size of men and mounts compared to the Indian population and horse breeds. |
| ochoin | 06 Jul 2015 7:59 p.m. PST |
How interesting, Andrew. I didn't know that. |
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