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Wilson's Cavalry Corps

Union Campaigns in the Western Theatre, October 1864 through Spring 1865

Jerry Keenan author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:McFarland & Co Inc

Published:19th Jul '06

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Wilson's Cavalry Corps cover

The famed fighting force of Union General William T. Sherman was plagued by a lack of first-rate cavalry--mostly because of Sherman's belief, after some bad experiences, that the cavalry was largely a waste of good horses. The man Grant sent to change Sherman's mind was James Harrison Wilson, a bright, ambitious, and outspoken young officer with a penchant for organization.

Wilson proved the perfect man for the job, transforming a collection of independent regiments and brigades into a fiercely effective mounted unit. Wilson's Cavalry, as it came to be known, played a major role in thwarting Confederate General Hood's 1864 invasion of Tennessee, then moved south for the celebrated capture of Selma, Montgomery, and Columbus. Despite such success, it is this book that is the first overall history of the Cavalry Corps. In addition to meticulous description of military actions, the book affords particular attention to Wilson's outstanding achievement in creating an infrastructure for his corps, even as he covered the Federal flanks in the withdrawal to Franklin and Nashville.

“comprehensive...detailed...the author should be commended for the fine prose...well-illustrated with photographs of the major participants and maps detailing the scene of action...an outstanding contribution to our understanding of cavalry operations in the western theater...belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the mounted army during the Civil War”—Civil War History; “this book is a gem, cut, polished and faceted perfectly to let a terrific story gleam through...well-researched, fanatically footnoted, brilliantly readable”—Civil War Interactive; “the great merit of Keenan’s study...is that it shows why Wilson began badly and why he finished superbly”—Crossfire; “the first overall history of the Cavalry Corps…detailed description of military actions”—Heliogram of Council on America’s Military Past; “comprehensively covers the battles and troop movements of the final stages of the Civil War...provides insight into the personalities of Wilson, Thomas, Hood, and Forrest...professionally illustrated...well indexed and shows diligent research and documentation”—Colorado Libraries.

ISBN: 9780786427321

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 14mm

Weight: 363g

271 pages