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The Union Cavalry In The Civil War, Vol. 1: From Fort Sumter To Gettysburg

In the first comprehensive treatment of the subject, Stephen Z. Starr covers in three volumes the dramatic story of the Union cavalry. In this first volume he presents briefly the story of the United States cavalry prior to the Civil War, describing how the Union cavalry was raised, organized, equipped, and trained, and offering detailed descriptions of the campaigns and battles in which the cavalry engaged -- the Peninsula, Shenandoah Valley/Second Bull Run, Lee's invasion of Maryland, Kelly's Ford, Stoneman's May 1863 Raid, Brandy Station (Fleetwood), Aldie-Middleburg-Upperville, and Gettysburg. Starr focuses on the officers and men of the Union cavalry -- who they were; how they lived, fought, behaved; what they thought. Starr tells their story -- drawn from regimental records and histories, memoirs, letters, diaries, and reminiscences -- whenever possible in the words of the troopers themselves.

Series: From Fort Sumter to Gettysburg

Hardcover: 536 pages

Publisher: LSU Press (August 1, 1979)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0807104841

ISBN-13: 978-0807104842

Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.5 x 9.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #211,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #47 in Books > History > Americas > United States > Civil War > Campaigns & Battlefields > Gettysburg #1971 in Books > History > Military > United States

This is the classic account of the Union Cavalry in the American Civil War and a needed addition to every library. For many years, the series was out of print, available only in the secondary market at a high price. From Fort Sumter to Gettysburg, published in 1979, introduces the series detailing the problems and joys of raising cavalry regiments and serving in them. During this period, the Union cavalry struggles to achieve parity with the clearly superior CSA cavalry in the east. The War in the East from Gettysburg to Appomattox, published in 1981, covers the period when the Union cavalry moves from parity to dominance on the battlefields of the east. The War in the West, published in 1985, covers a very different war with very different requirements and results. The three books are the author's life work starting in 1963 and ending just before his death in 1985. Starr won both a Fletcher Pratt and a Jefferson Davis award for his work. The writing is clear, informative and very readable. The author provides a very balanced picture of cavalry operations and the problems involved with them. This is the story behind hundreds of movie charges and gives the reader the background of what is involved in getting the men and horses to that point. Each book is complete for the subject but the real value is in buying the set and reading them together.

In researching the story of the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, I came across a brief excerpt from Stephen Z. Starr's first volume of his 3-volume study of cavalry operations in the Civil War. I was entranced by the breadth and depth of the work, the facts, the writing style, and the amount of information Starr provides the reader in Vol. 1 (from the War's beginning to Gettysburg), and am excited about reading Vols. 2, and 3. Starr has the facility of making history read like a novel--always there at hand, and difficult to put down.

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