"Cavalry charging into woods" Topic

Gentlemen,
Was Napoleonic cavalry able to charge from open into woods?
Were there historical cases to name as examples?

At the risk of sounding like a politician, it depends on what you mean by "charge" and "woods" and the type of cavalry.

Heavy cavalry, boot to boot into thick underbrush, no. Lighter cavalry, at interval, into more open woods--often with lower branches taken for firewood--yes. The Battle of the Thames (1813) is interesting that way since the charge of the Kentucky Mounted Volunteers hinged on the British commander misjudging the ability of that cavalry to attack through those woods, and so taking no precautions.

Wait a bit, and someone will come along with examples from central Europe and France, but it tends to be peripheral in larger battles.

I wouldn't allow it, imagining a cavalry troop crashing through trees, it wouldn't be pretty

For rules I would not allow it either. However is the game turns are long enough to allow a dragoon unit to enter the woods, dismount and advance to clear woods then yes. All depends on turn time scale.
Not sure if this was done by the Kentucky volunteer unit. However in the South such units were called Mounted Gunman. Tennessee Mounted Gunman we're often deployed in flanking encirclement actions in which they contacted the enemy.

Depends what you mean by "wood". I'd differentiate between open and dense.

A quick google search and found that the woods the Kentucky Mounted Volunteers 'charged' through was only lightly wooded.

Coincidentally I was just reading "Cavalry versus Infantry" by F.N. Maude published in 1896 which quotes from an account of Le Marchant's charge at Salamanca in 1812. The quote (attributed rather cryptically to someone called A.Z.) is as follows:

"The nature of the ground, which was an open wood of evergreen oaks, and which grew more obstructed as the cavalry advanced, had caused the men of the three regiments to become a good deal mixed in each other's ranks; and the front being at the same time constantly changing as the right was brought forward, the whole had now crowded into a solid line without any intervals. In this order, but without any confusion, they pressed rapidly forward upon another French brigade, which, taking advantage of the trees, had formed a 'colonne serree' and stood awaiting the charge. These men reserved their fire with much coolness till the cavalry came within twenty yards, when they poured it in with a deadly and tremendous effect upon the concentrated mass of men and horses. The gallant Le Marchant and Captain White of his staff were killed, Colonel Elley was wounded, and it is thought that nearly one-third of the dragoons came to the ground; but as the remainder maintained sufficient command of their horses to dash forward, they succeeded in breaking the French ranks and dispersing them in utter confusion over the field."

Thank you, 1809.

If you mean the Wikipedia article, Major--well, first we'd need a definition of "light woods." (Trees per acre? Minimum trunk diameters?) The point, though, was that Proctor and presumably the battalion commander thought is was dense enough to provide shelter against cavalry, and he was or they were wrong. Which is pretty much the question raised: yes, there are woods in which cavalry can function--though, as I said, not all cavalry or any woods.

And despite TimePortal's guesswork, and your use of quotes, the Kentuckians were certainly attacking mounted and not at a walk. (The other half of the regiment did dismount to enter thicker woods.)

Still nothing from central Europe? I seem to recall some from 1813 Germany--light cavalry, open woods and possibly skirmisher infantry on the receiving end. But I'll be painting gunners this afternoon. It's someone else's turn to fetch reference books out of the garage or basement.

Some of the responses are really game design decisions – not allow cavalry to operate in woods or allow for it but provide for penalties to the player doing the maneuver.

The question allows for a variety of wooded terrain and varying cavalry formations, so given that yes. At the Battle of Hanau some of the cavalry operated in woods. Whether they charged into woods I am not sure. Here is an example from 1814 of a charge into vineyards:

"Wittgenstein, picking up a few squadrons of the cuirassiers of Pskov, charged at their head the infantry of Bélair; but this charge, carried out in the vineyards and on rough terrain, was thrown back, and the cuirassiers hastily retreated at the same moment when Wittgenstein was wounded in the leg." [Combat at Bar Sur Aube]

"The Campaign of 1814" Chapter 15, Part I
By: Maurice Weil

That goes back to the rules design – they could do it, but it was not a good idea!

for Hanau 1813

A thick forest covers the approaches to Hanau.
(…)
On the morning of the 30th, the Emperor still had at his disposal only the infantry of the Duke of Taranto (11th corps) and Duke of Bellune (2nd corps), which consisted of barely 5,000 men combined. He threw it into skirmishers/tirailleurs in the forest, supported by the cavalry of the General Sebastiani.

The Duke of Tarante took command of this first line. A few shots of grapeshot and a cavalry charge dispersed the enemy vanguard, which was standing at the entrance to the wood. Our tirailleurs followed in the footsteps of the Bavarians; they pushed them from tree to tree. The sparks of a sharp shootout gleamed far away in the shadows of the forest, and the battle began like a great game of hunting. General Dubreton on the left, General Charpentier on the right, led the attacks.
General Sébastiani's cavalry took advantage of all the clearings to charge the enemy. — In a short time the French reached the outlet of the forest; but then a line of 40,000 men came into view of the skirmishers and stopped them…

Montmirail 11th february 1814
The Russians, who initially defended with firmness, were making their retreat with enough order, when the cavalry falling on them, broke them, sabred a large number of them, and pursued the rest as far as the forest of Nogent.

Montereau 18th february 1814
at daybreak General Pajol with his cavalry received the order to push everything in front of him, charged several times, flushed out the infantry defending Valence wood and engaged in a lively cannonade which lasted until noon.

France militaire : histoire des armées françaises de terre et de mer, de 1792 à 1833. Tome 5

Nice to see examples. Thanks.
However, I still look at it from a designers point of view. When I designed Guard du Corps back in 1981, a lot of time was spent balancing the scales, troop per stand, distance and time.
The length of time per turn does impact on what a unit or man can do in a turn. Ie how long it takes to clear a woods or town.