Brandy Station, Virginia, June 9, 1863
Brandy Station, Virginia, June 9, 1863

Author: Joseph W. McKinney

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2013-05-14

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780786477234

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The winter of 1862-63 found Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Ambrose Burnside's Army of the Potomac at a standoff along the Rappahannock River in Virginia, following the Union defeat at Fredericksburg. In January 1863 Major General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker relieved the disgraced Burnside, reorganized his troops and instituted company colors, giving his soldiers back their fighting spirit. Lee concentrated on maintaining his strength and fortifications while struggling for supplies. By spring, cavalry units from both sides had taken on increased importance--until the largest cavalry battle of the war was fought, near Brandy Station, Virginia, on June 9, 1863. Researched from numerous contemporary sources, this detailed history recounts the battle that marked the opening of the Gettysburg campaign and Lee's last offensive into the North. Forces commanded by J.E.B. Stuart and Alfred Pleasanton fought indecisively in an area of 70 square miles: Confederate troops maintained possession and counted fewer casualties, yet Union forces had definitely taken the offensive. Historians still debate the significance of the battle; many view it as a harbinger of change, the beginning of dominance by Union horse soldiers and the decline of Stuart's Confederate command.

Out Flew the Sabres
Out Flew the Sabres

Author: Eric J. Wittenberg

Publisher: Savas Beatie

Published: 2016-05-19

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 161121257X

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One day. Fourteen hours. Twelve thousand Union cavalrymen against 9,000 of their Confederate counterparts—with three thousand Union infantry thrown in for good measure. Amidst the thunder of hooves and the clashing of sabers, they slugged it out across the hills and dales of Culpepper County, Virginia. And it escalated into the largest cavalry battle ever fought on the North American continent. Fleetwood Hill at Brandy Station was the site of four major cavalry battles during the course of the Civil War, but none was more important than the one fought on June 9, 1863. That clash turned out to be the opening engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign—and the one-day delay it engendered may very well have impacted the outcome of the entire campaign. The tale includes a veritable who’s-who of cavalry all-stars in the East: Jeb Stuart, Wade Hampton, John Buford, and George Armstrong Custer. Robert E. Lee, the great Confederate commander, saw his son, William H. F. Lee, being carried off the battlefield, severely wounded. Both sides suffered heavy losses. But for the Federal cavalry, the battle was also a watershed event. After Brandy Station, never again would they hear the mocking cry, “Whoever saw a dead cavalryman?” In Out Flew the Sabers: The Battle of Brandy Station, June 9, 1863—The Opening Engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign, Civil War historians Eric J. Wittenberg and Daniel T. Davis have written the latest entry in Savas Beatie’s critically acclaimed Emerging Civil War Series.

Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg
Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg

Author: Eric J. Wittenberg

Publisher: Savas Beatie

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781611210941

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Few aspects of the battle of Gettysburg are as misunderstood as the role played by the cavalry of both sides. This is the first and only book to examine in detail how the mounted arm directly affected the outcome of the battle, and this revised edition of is the most detailed tactical treatment of the fighting on Brinkerhoff's Ridge yet published.

The 2nd North Carolina Cavalry
The 2nd North Carolina Cavalry

Author: Roger H. Harrell

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2010-07-27

Total Pages: 465

ISBN-13: 0786483660

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The 2nd North Carolina Cavalry fought its first major battle in its home state at New Bern on March 14, 1862, and narrowly escaped with its men and reputation intact. The regiment was nearly decimated in the Gettysburg Campaign, but was rebuilt and later fought with Robert E. Lee's cavalry in most major battles, including Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, with only a handful of men. This history covers not only the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry's accomplishments and failures, but the events going on around them which influenced their actions and performance. The author pays particular attention to the 2nd North Carolina's involvement with the Army of Northern Virginia and the North Carolina Cavalry Brigade, and includes official documents, letters written to and from home, diaries and memoirs to present the soldiers' war experiences.

A Season of Slaughter
A Season of Slaughter

Author: Chris Mackowski

Publisher: Grub Street Publishers

Published: 2013-05-05

Total Pages: 295

ISBN-13: 1611211492

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A gripping narrative of one of the Civil War’s most consequential engagements. In the spring of 1864, the newly installed Union commander Ulysses S. Grant did something none of his predecessors had done before: He threw his army against the wily, audacious Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia over and over again. At Spotsylvania Court House, the two armies shifted from stalemate in the Wilderness to slugfest in the mud. Most commonly known for the horrific twenty-two-hour hand-to-hand combat in the pouring rain at the Bloody Angle, the battle of Spotsylvania Court House actually stretched from May 8 to 21, 1864—fourteen long days of battle and maneuver. Grant, the irresistible force, hammering with his overwhelming numbers and unprecedented power, versus Lee, the immovable object, hunkered down behind the most formidable defensive works yet seen on the continent. Spotsylvania Court House represents a chess match of immeasurable stakes between two master opponents. This clash is detailed in A Season of Slaughter: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May –21, 1864. A Season of Slaughter is part of the new Emerging Civil War Series offering compelling, easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War’s most important stories. The masterful storytelling is richly enhanced with hundreds of photos, illustrations, and maps. “[A] wonderful book for anyone interested in learning about the fighting around Spotsylvania Court House or who would like to tour the area. It is well written, easy to read, and well worth the price.” —Civil War News

The 6th United States Cavalry in the Civil War
The 6th United States Cavalry in the Civil War

Author: Donald C. Caughey

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2013-04-25

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0786468351

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This is the first scholarly history of the only regular army cavalry regiment raised during the Civil War. Unlike volunteer regiments raised by individual states, the regular regiments drew soldiers from across the country. By war's end 2,130 men and at least one woman from 29 states and 14 countries served in the 6th U.S. Cavalry. The regiment's initial cast of officers included two grandsons of a former president, a cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, two cousins of the governor of Pennsylvania, the son of a Radical Republican senator who opposed President Lincoln, and a number of enlisted soldiers promoted from the ranks. The book relies heavily upon primary sources to tell the regiment's story in the words of the participants. These include diaries and letters of officers and enlisted soldiers alike, several of which are previously unpublished. Official reports are excerpted when appropriate to provide the commander's view of the regiment's performance.

Clashes of Cavalry
Clashes of Cavalry

Author: Thom Hatch

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2020-01-28

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1684424585

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The story of two remarkable men, both natural-born cavalry leaders of great courage, who shared similar traits. Their Civil War legacies were destined to be connected in a series of battles—beginning with Brady Station where Custer’s star rose rapidly, at Gettysburg where Stuart’s star became tarnished, and continuing to Yellow Tavern where Stuart was Killed. Unlike most standard biographies, Clashes of Cavalry takes an innovative approach to chronicling the lives of these two Civil War giants by not only depicting their lives and exploits individually, but also by examining the role of each in specific battles in which both participated. Author Thom Hatch first sets the stage with in-depth portrayals of “Beauty” Stuart and “Fanny” Custer, exploring how the early years of the two future cavaliers shaped their eventual military careers. Both born to conservative rural families, educated at West Point, and with sensitive yet outgoing personalities, Custer and Stuart shared some remarkable similarities. The early chapters follow the two young cavaliers through the first two years of the war, leading up to the largest cavalry engagement of the century at Brandy Station in 1863. Both Custer and Stuart participated in the action that day, with the twenty-three-year-old Custer faring far better than Stuart. Custer’s performance earned him the attention and respect of his superiors and started him down the path that would eventually lead to his promotion. Stuart, However, was blamed for the needless slaughter of his men by the Union’s surprise attack and faulted for his overconfidence. Both Custer and Stuart’s careers continued through battles at Gettysburg, the Bristoe Campaign, and the Wilderness. While Stuart was destined to fall at Yellow Tavern, Custer went on to even greater success, culminating with an assault on the Confederates at Appomattox Court House that essentially ended the war. Clashes of Cavalry paints a vivid portrait of these brilliant cavalrymen. Although Custer never enjoyed the same level of command as Stuart, there is reason to believe that given the same opportunity he would have been equal to the task. History has remembered both as gifted horsemen and inspired leaders, truly among the most celebrated heroes of the Civil War.