The War in the East from Gettysburg to Appomattox, 1863-1865 (Union Cavalry in the Civil War) [Paperback]

Stephen Z. Starr (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807132926 | ISBN-13: 978-0807132920 | Publication Date: September 2007

The Union Cavalry in the Civil War, Volume II continues the story of the cavalry's operations in the East from July 1863 to Lee's surrender in 1865. Stephen Z. Starr follows the role of the cavalry in the early Sheridan engagements in the Shenandoah Valley and the cavalry's march from Winchester, Virginia, to rejoin the Army of the Potomac in March 1865. The dynamic energy of the battles described here emanates from Philip Sheridan, the motivating power behind the cavalry's greatest success in the final April 1865 battles of Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, and Sayler's Creek. In addition to the descriptions of raids--Sheridan's Yellow Tavern and Trevilian Station raids and James H. Wilson's Staunton River raid--and operation of the cavalry in support of the Army of the Potomac, the volume covers the development of tactics and more effective leadership, increasing reliance on firepower, the growing strategic importance of the cavalry, and the establishment of the Cavalry Bureau.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

"A major contribution to Civil War history."--North Carolina Historical Review

"The thoroughness of Starr's research places his volume into the front row of Civil War scholarship."--Choice

"Starr's monumental work should stand for many years as the standard treatment of the subject."--Atlanta Journal Constitution

"Starr's tome possesses the attributes of Civil War history at its best."--Georgia Historical Quarterly

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Z. Starr's definitive trilogy on the history of the Union cavalry also includes The Union Cavalry in the Civil War, Volume I: From Fort Sumter to Gettysburg, 1861-1863, and The Union Cavalry in the Civil War, Volume III: The War in the West,1861-1865 completed shortly before his death in 1985. His other books are Colonel Grenfell's Wars: The Life of a Soldier of Fortune and Jennison's Jayhawkers: A Civil War Cavalry Regiment and Its Commander.

Product Details

• Paperback: 526 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (September 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807132926
• ISBN-13: 978-0807132920
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic series at a good price, November 8, 2007

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The War in the East from Gettysburg to Appomattox, 1863-1865 (Union Cavalry in the Civil War) (Paperback)

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.