The Union Cavalry Comes of Age: Hartwood Church to Brandy Station, 1863

The Army of the Potomac's mounted units suffered early in the Civil War at the hands of the horsemen of the South. However, by 1863, the Federal cavalry had evolved into a fighting machine. Despite the numerous challenges occupying officers and politicians, as well as the harrowing existence of troopers in the field, the Northern cavalry helped turn the tide of war much earlier than is generally acknowledged. It became the largest, best-mounted, and best-equipped force of horse soldiers the world had ever seen. Further, the 1863 consolidation of numerous scattered Federal units created a force to be reckoned with--a single corps ten thousand strong. Award-winning cavalry historian Eric J. Wittenberg chronicles this story, debunking persistent myths that have elevated the Confederate cavaliers over their Union counterparts.

Author: Eric J. Wittenberg
Publisher: History Press
Published: 01/09/2017
Pages: 480
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 2.10lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780738503578

About the Author
Wittenberg, Eric J.: - Eric J. Wittenberg has spent much of his adult life studying Union cavalry operations in the Civil War. A practicing lawyer, Mr. Wittenberg is a graduate of Dickinson College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He has authored several books on the Civil War, edited two and contributed numerous articles to national Civil War magazines. Mr. Wittenberg is the winner of the Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award for 1998's best new work interpreting the Battle of Gettysburg. He and his wife, Susan, live in Columbus, Ohio.