Gentlemen
For those of you who persist in undervaluing the role of Cossacks during the Napoleonic wars, I must protest most vigorously!
As an amateur military historian, I have been studying this issue for over twenty years. When I first joined the NWC in 2009, Anton Kosyanenko was valiantly defending the Cossack's historical record. It is now my turn to pick up this torch and try to set the record straight, yet again.
First, during the 1812 campaign, over 88 regiments of Don Cossacks were deployed with an average field strength of 350-400. Over 60 of these regiments were raised during the campaign. Why would the Tsar make arrangements to field over 32,000 "useless" light cavalry? The answer to this question and the many values of Cossack troops was certainly evident to all the Russian Army and Corps commanders from 1799-1815.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Primary Source material on this topic is not in the English language. One of the best descriptions about the role of Cossacks can be found in an 1824 article by an Austrian Cavalry Officer, Captain A. Prokesch. This 33 page article was translated from German into English. While it is no longer available on the internet, I would be pleased to provide anyone interested with an electronic copy.
In the meantime, the following internet article contains quotes from many noted historians about the strategic and battlefield prowess of Cossacks during the Napoleonic wars;
http://www.napolun.com/mirror/napoleonistyka.atspace.com/cossacks.htm
I have included a few extracts from this article:
In 1812 at Mir the Cossacks scored another victory over Polish cavalry. Platov with eight Cossack regiments and two Don batteries deployed in the woods south of Mir. ... One brigade of the French [Polish] 4th Light Cavalry Division advanced on Mir with the 3rd Uhlans leading the way. Behind the 3rd were the 15th and 16th Uhlan Regiment. The 3rd Uhlans threw back Platov's advance posts and traversed the village at a gallop. The 3rd Uhlans attacked Sisoiev-III's Cossack Regiment but Platov's counterattacked with the bulk of his force. The Cossacks had struck Poles' front, flanks and rear nearly annihilating the 3rd Uhlans. General Turno brought up the 15th and 16th Uhlans and held Platov for a while before being thrown back.
In 1812 at Famonskoie the Cossacks ambushed and captured a whole detachment of the Red Lancers. General Colbert mounted his horse and set off with 2 squadrons in pursuit, but the Cossacks made off with their prisoners so quickly that all that could be seen were their hoof prints in the mud.
In 1812 at Ostrovno the French 16th Chasseur Regiment was attacked by Cossacks. The chasseurs delivered a volley at close range (30 paces) The Cossacks however closed with them and drove them back in disorder. Some Frenchmen fled into the ravine and some behind the squares of 53rd Line Infantry Regiment.
In 1813 at the Battle of Kulm the Cossacks captured French generals Haxo and Vandamme. Dominique-Joseph Vandamme was captured when while in the middle of a column of retreating French infantry a small band of Cossacks rode up seized him and his aide General Haxo and rode off before the surprised infantry could open fire.
In October 1813 near Kassel, three Cossack regiments destroyed the Hussar Regiment ‘Jerôme’ in such a way, that no man or horse managed to escape; a young guard detachment of 3,500 men strong, at Langengebode on the road to Hanau, was attacked by 800 Cossacks. They were pinned down until daybreak, when three Bavarian battalions arrived, taking prisoner the whole detachment.
"During Blücher’s retreat from Meaux to Soissons in March 1814, Colonel Nostitz attacked with 40 Cossacks a whole squadron of Vélites of the Guard on open terrain near the Bridge of Wailly. The Cossacks withstood the fire of the vélites, and then threw themselves upon them, and the whole squadron was defeated." (Prokesh - "Ueber den Kosaken ...")
I sincerely hope that before making any more pronouncements about Cossack effectiveness, NWC members will consult some reliable historical sources.
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, However, I listened to his arguments and I've found that our new rule (which considers them as skirmishers) does seem to make you use them in a different, perhaps more historical, way. You can still exert pressure with them by keeping at a distance but working your way around the flanks and threatening the enemy's rear, or dominating the road network, or other similarly irritating roles 
. All this ties up the enemy's light cavalry, as the cossacks can soon be made to descend on weaker units in a swarm, where the skirmisher exception to the embedded melee rule wouldn't have much effect due to the number of cossacks involved relative to the strength of the defenders.
, want) is to avoid their defensive deployement as if they were simple skirmishers! Which is, I wish so, an unhistorical fact that everybody can agree. No way for us to forbid them any gallant deed! 
