Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart

Jeb Stuart is one of the iconic figures of the Civil War. He stares at us from his famous portrait, firm and grim, wearing a long black beard, famously beautiful uniform (complete with long black feather sticking out of his hat), and usually armed to the teeth with sword and pistol. In the Confederate post-war pantheon of fallen heroes, he was one of the more memorable, spurs jingling, smile flashing, banjo-playing Sam Sweeney providing a soundtrack in the background while Stuart himself sings along with the staff. The trick of course is that it was all an act: behind the veneer of the laughing cavalier was a pretty damn good soldier who excelled at reconnaissance. He did have a weakness, though: he loved public acclaim. It was his Achilles heel, and it can be argued that in some small measure it led to the Confederacy's doom. Jeffrey Wert is one of the better Civil War historians around these days. When he first wrote books on the Civil War, he was (if memory serves correctly) teaching high school in Pennsylvania. He's become very prominent for his accounts of various battles and campaigns, mostly in the Eastern theater. He's also written the occasional biography, and this current book is one of those. It adds considerably to our understanding of Stuart and his relationships with those under his command. Stuart was, as I said above, a very good light cavalry officer, one who understood the art of gleaning information from scouting reports and interpreting partial information into clear conclusions. He was the first senior officer of cavalry in the Confederate army defending Richmond (Johnston called it the Army of the Potomac; Robert E. Lee preferred the name Army of Northern Virginia) and he served in that capacity, with one short temporary interruption, until his death in the spring of 1864. For most of that period he served intelligently and very competently. The two exceptions are his temporary service as head of the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, which occurred after Stonewall Jackson's death, and A.P. Hill's wounding, at the battle of Chancellorsville. Stuart competently and skilfully deployed his regiments, and led them in battle very well. It's often been speculated what would have happened at Gettysburg if Jackson had survived his wound at Chancellorsville; another interesting alternative would be Stuart getting command of Jackson's Corps, and leading it at Gettysburg. Would Stuart have balked at attacking Cemetery Hill on the night of July 1? We'll never know... This book has a great many interesting information in it, and does a good job of recounting the various battles and campaigns that Stuart's cavalry were involved in. The author spends a great deal of time discussing various issues involving the Army of Northern Virginia's cavalry. Command disputes tended to center on Stuart's favoritism towards various soldiers from Virginia, and especially towards Lee's family. Wert says that while most thought the general's so

Some of the other reviews have noted outstanding biographies of JEB Stuart that have gone before, so I won't repeat their insights. I have read all the others, and a lot more on Stuart, so I will venture the opinion that Wert's biography is the best to date. If you plan on reading only one Stuart biography, make it Wert's. The only criticism I have is that, while Wert made use of the excellent Wittenberg and Petruzzi work "Plenty of Blame to Go Around" (focusing on JEB Stuart's actions before Gettysburg), he did not seem to include the equally excellent Wittenberg and Petruzzi work "One Continuous Fight" (focusing on the retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia after Gettysburg). If Wert chooses to publish a second edition of this biography, I hope he will consult "One Continuous Fight."

Jeffrey Wert always writes with crispness and clarity and this book is no exception. His writing style is what makes Jeffrey Wert such a delight to read. He has discussed all the controversial parts of JEB Stuart's life with objectivity which is rare among the other books about the famed cavalry leader. Other authors are either scathingly critical or fauningly admiring. Mr. Wert covers the controversies without being judgemental or nuancing the reader's opinion. He leaves it to you the reader to decide. Mr. Wert also goes beyond the usual primary references which makes the book read as something fresh and new. If you wanted only one book about JEB Stuart, this would be it.

...but, on the whole, it's a valuable addition to the history of the war. When I first saw this recently, my question was "Why"?...we already have at least three other major bios of JEB, all of them good. John Thomason's "Jeb Stuart" [1930] is, I think, the most positive, and the present offering the most negative. Burke Davis' "The Last Cavalier" [1957], and Emory Thomas' "Bold Dragoon" [1986] would be somewhere in between, and all four are well worth your time. The event in history that has caused more words to be written than any other is, certainly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is #2? My vote would be for the American Civil War...new books almost daily...web sites by the score...our fascination is endless.... ........and JEB Stuart remains one of the war's more fascinating characters. The man had FLASH...he had STYLE...but, he was brave, and he could sure fight. Mr. Wert gives us good descriptions of the man...he was loved by many, respected by most, but he was a darn tough man to work for [I would rather have ridden with Forrest]...a devoutly religious man, he could be more hateful and vindictive than a Christian should be. His lack of respect for Beverly Robertson has a sound basis, but Grumble Jones is a different matter. A shameless self promoter, he was still fearless in battle...his ride around McClellan and raid on Chambersburg are covered in superb detail, and fine operations they were, but part of it was always about JEB. JEB's most improbable friendship with Stonewall Jackson is well documented, as is his rather cool relationship with Longstreet [Mr. Wert has given us the most postitive bio of him], and his virtual reverence for Robert E. Lee...nothing unusual in that. Wade Hampton accused JEB of already starting his campaign for Governor of Virginia...there was mutual respect between them, but no friendship. JEB probably would have been Governor had he survived the war; Hampton was Governor and Senator, and ran SC for 30 years, but he had the advantage of massive wealth. Gettysburg. That's where all modern appraisals of Stuart eventually lead. Numerous studies have either blamed JEB for the loss of the war, or completely exonerated him. Mr. Wert does neither, and that's probably the proper path. If you're reading this, you already know the story...discretionary orders [that was Lee's fault]...discretion exceeded...125 useless wagons...8 days wasted...battle lost. JEB was trying to show off after his screw up led to Brandy Station. "Where's your mule"? Indeed. We do get a good picture of JEB's partial redemption on the retreat. And, something I've never read before...apparently after Gettysburg consideration was given to firing Stuart [no surprise there], and replacing him with John Bell Hood. I'm pretty sure I've read all the Hood and Stuart bios, plus "RE Lee" and "Lee's Lieutenants"...I've not seen that, and neither has my friend Sam Hood, but he's checking into it. General Hood had been Cavalry prior to the war, b

The Army of Northern Virginia possessed more than its' share of large than life figures. Some of them have become American icons, while the balance is familiar to the Civil War community. Their images grace our artwork, books, and stamps or are the subject of movies. James Earl Brown Stuart is one of these larger than life figures. Commander of Lee's cavalry, Stuart trained and motive these men into a dominate force. He personally led them into numerous fights both large and small. At Antietam, his placement of guns on the army's left helped breakup Union attacks. At Chancellorsville, he shielded Jacksons march and on Jackson's being wounded, Stuart took command. His attack reunited the wings of the army giving Lee a unified line and contributing to Hooker's withdrawal. Stuart's decisions during the Gettysburg Campaign are debated to this day and contributed to Lee's army being defeated. During his life, the press lionized and vilified Stuart, depending on his latest action. He was a man of great contradictions. A very competent officer but ambitious to a fault. Considered fair, he was known to be a good hater. His ambitions and personal feelings about people overruled his good judgment at times. A religious man with strong family ties and a good marriage, he sought the company of young women and flirted with them. This caused limited problems in his marriage. JEB Stuart is a fascinating subject with an interesting complex life. Jeffery Wert is one of our better authors. He combines a very easy to read style with an in-depth knowledge of the subject. His biography of James Longstreet is consider one of the best on the man. Wert captures the complexities and contradictions that make up Stuart's personality. He has the background to understand and explain Stuart's contribution to the war. Wert is neither enamored with nor critical of Stuart. He presents both the good and bad points in a fair manner allowing the reader to judge. On questions of judgment, Wert presents the facts and shows us why Stuart may have done as he did. The results of Stuart's actions are presented fairly without excuses or accusations. This is an excellent book! It finds the balance between readability and scholarship. The result is an informative read that is fun too. In addition to a biography of Stuart, the reader gets a view of cavalry operations during the war. I am not a great reader of biographies. However, this is a military and personal history of a major player in the Army of Northern Virginia.