To horse!

". . . General COOKE’s experience in campaigning on the frontier fitted him, in conjunction with his studies of the cavalry of Europe, as the most accomplished conductor of a march that the service has ever produced. His interest in the command while marching never relaxed for a moment. . . . No officer or trooper was permitted to mount till “To horse!” was sounded, and woe to the cavalryman who continued mounted when the command was out of the saddle. The modern cavalryman may sneer at this attention to details, but I feel assured that the officer who keeps his command in good condition by careful attention to what may be called trifles, is of more service to his country in time of war than are some men who win battles."

--Wesley Merritt, Life and Services of General Philip St. George Cooke in the Journal of the United States Cavalry Association for June 1895, page 86.

And yet, in this prairie dialogue from the March 1853 installment of Scenes Beyond the Western Border we find the Captain pointedly ignoring the bugle call "To horse." He delays responding, more interested in Frank's reply to the urgent question, "Is any thing so beautiful as unbounded faith?" Frank used to be called "I. F." which stands for Imaginary Friend.

F.—"Now, listen to the song of that bird; it will soothe your nerves."

C.—"Nerves! It is medicine to the mind!—it comes like a message of love!"

F.—"Nay, there, we have agreed to disagree."

C.—"Thou pitiable exempt from love's misery, thou believest in beauty?"

F.—"Yes, thou unintelligible lover of antithesis, (not to say plagiarism.)"

C.—"Is any thing so beautiful as unbounded faith?"

F.—"Listen! that's 'to horse.'"

C.—"Answer me then!"

F.—"Pshaw !—Of course it's beautiful; or rather, sublime."

C.—"It is the very attribute of human love!"

July 8th.—Those who lack faith that the above was dreamed, spoken and scribbled, as described, lack, too, experience of the human mind, and prairie or desert influences and feelings.

Scenes Beyond the Western Border, March 1853 and (revised)
Scenes and Adventures in the Army

". . . the cavalry captains in Perseus, who cried, “To horse!” when waked by their Last Trump sounding to the charge . . . . " Mardi: And a Voyage Thither