Irregular cavalry ( partisan or guerrillas) were generally mounted forces.Although there was a belief that mounted infantry made for neither good cavalry or infantry, with reliable weapons and competent leadership the concept would flourish, particularly in the Western Theater. During the Civil War many foot infantry units were converted into mounted infantry. Mounted riflemen had been raised previously by the United States to fight in the frequent conflicts with Native Americans. Mounted infantry were forces that moved on horseback but dismounted for fighting on foot, armed principally with rifles. Dragoons had been raised in the United States prior to the Civil War, and as the conflict progressed these tactics became more central to how cavalry fought. The term comes from the French Army, representing a cross between infantry and light cavalry. They could fight from horseback as traditional cavalrymen but were expected to fight on foot as well.
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