Dragoon

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Dragoon

DRAGOON. A mounted infantryman who, strictly speaking, rode his horse into battle but dismounted to fight, as opposed to a cavalryman, who was supposed to fight on horseback. He got this name from the primitive firearm, called a "dragon" because flame came from its mouth, with which the original dragoons were armed. Since dragoons could fight on horseback and cavalry could fight dismounted, the two names generally were used synonymously.

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