The Cavalry at Gettysburg: A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations During the Civil War's Pivotal Campaign, 9 June-14 July 1863

This book, authored by Edward Longacre, tells the tale of Union and Confederate cavalry during the Gettysburg campaign--from Brandy Station to Lee's retreat to Virginia. As such, it does a good job of describing this subject. Longacre notes the value of this book (Page 9): ". . .no full length book has ever considered the contributions made by the mounted forces of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac between 9 June and 14 July 1863." The book begins with the structure of cavalry forces on each side, noting commanders down to the regimental level. The first full chapter described the Confederate cavalry, led by the flamboyant Jeb Stuart. The second chapter, likewise, explores the Union cavalry and its leadership structure. The key players on each side are noted. Confederate leaders of note: Fitzhugh Lee, Wade Hampton, Rooney Lee (Robert E. Lee's son). On the Union side: John Buford, David Gregg, Judson Kilpatrick (whose nickname was "Kill-Cavalry," given his reckless style). Other interesting figures: George Custer, Elon Farnsworth, Irvin Gregg, Thomas Devin, "Grumble" Jones, John Imboden, and Thomas Rosser. The action begins at Brandy Station, as the Union cavalry showed greater ability than expected and surprised Stuart's cavalry, indicating that the northern mounted arm had become a force to be reckoned with. Then, the ongoing effort by Union cavalry to penetrate Stuart's screen of the southern infantry moving north to ascertain the Confederate columns' structure and progress(to no great success). The story of Stuart's circuitous raid to the east, losing contact with Lee's army, is well told. As is John Buford's movement to Gettysburg, and his gutsy decision to take on Confederate infantry that would arrive on July 1st to begin the sanguinary struggle. The role of the mounted forces on both sides on the second and third days is well told, with the high point perhaps being Stuart's cavalry taking on the Union forces on the third day, ultimately unsuccessful. The book closes with the telling of the role of cavalry on both sides as Lee's army retreated to the Potomac. In the end, this is a useful depiction of the role of cavalry on both sides during the Gettysburg campaign. On both sides, cavalry played an important role. For those curious about the cavalry's place in this campaign, this would be worth looking at.

One of the great controversies of Gettysburg, aside from pointing the finger at Longstreet, was why did the Confederates go blind through Pennsylvania and of course where was Stuart? Longacre gives a highly readable story of how the supremacy of the Confederate Cavalry crested before Gettysburg as the Union begin to have bolder leaders and more aggressive tactics and better mounts. Starting with Stuarts embarrassment at the shock like attack of Union Cavalry at Brandy Station, Longacre explains the difference evolutions of the Cavalry on each side and in detail you see how the Union became more like the Confederates and less like picket line guards in the past. Excellent story of how Stuart took all his top brigade commanders with him leaving Grumble Jones behind to screen Lee's army and with the little known Albert Jenkins virtually leading reconnaissance for Lee's march through Pennsylvania. To me, the best part of the book is about Stuart's misadventures and Lee's army groping its way almost blind through Pennsylvania running into Buford's cavalry equipped with spencer repeater rifles. Great detail on Stuart's final arrival and desperate attempt to ride behind the Union line to disrupt it during Pickett's charge only to be quashed by Custer's attack stopping Stuart completely. In addition, excellent detail on Farnsworth's suicide charge into Longstreet's right flank after Pickett's charge ordered by "Kilcavalry" Kilpatrick. There is also additional detail on the harassment of Lee's retreat by the Union cavalry and Stuarts tired efforts to hold his ground. Excellent book fills the void left by most all Gettysburg books.

Edward Longacre's _The Cavalry at Gettysburg_ continues to deserve an honored place at the top of the Gettysburg canon, which is saying a lot considering how much has been published on America's most written-about battle. This is one of Longacre's earliest books, but it still ranks as one of his best. The volume is exhaustively researched and well written. Longacre excels in his pithy character sketches of the opposing commanders, and his battle descriptions sometimes approach the poetic. This book sets the Battle of Gettysburg in a wider context, which helps us to better understand both what caused it and its outcome. Finally, Longacre ended up teaching me many things about a subject I thought I already knew a lot about.

Longacre has done a splendid job of researching and presenting a reasonably objective and thorough depiction of the role of the cavalry in the Battle of Gettysburg. The first half of the book discusses all of the key events leading up to cavalry's activities at Gettysburg, including earlier battles. His inclusion of a list of commanding officers broken down to the regimental level is a handy reference aid, and his index is very thorough, so those who are primarily interested in the role of one officer or one regiment can quickly find the portions of the book which relate to that officer/regiment. His detailed footnotes and bibliography are also extremely useful, as are the numerous photographs and battle diagrams. And his entertaining prose takes you right into the action and into the minds of the key officers.

i highly enjoyed this book. i have been a serious student of brandy station / gettysburg cavalry operations for 35 years -- this is the best modern book on thie pivotal campaign