Glory Enough for All : Sheridan's Second Raid and the Battle of Trevilian Station [Hardcover]

Eric J. Wittenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

After the ferocious fighting at Cold Harbor, Virginia, in June, 1864, Union Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered his cavalry, commanded by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, to distract the Confederate forces opposing the Army of the Potomac. GLORY ENOUGH FOR ALL chronicles the battle that resulted when Confederate cavalry pursued and caught their Federal foes at Trevilian Station, Virginia--perhaps, the only truly decisive cavalry battle of the American Civil War. Eric J. Wittenberg tells the stories of the men who fought there, including eight Medal of Honor winners and Confederate who death at Trevilian Station made him the third of three brothers to die in the service of Company A of the 4th Virginia Cavalry. It also addresses the little-known but critical cavalry battle at Simaria (St. Mary's) Church on June 24, 1864, where Union Brig. Gen. David M. Gregg's division was nearly destroyed. The only modern strategic analysis of the battle, GLORY ENOUGH FOR ALL challenges prevailing interpretations of General Sheridan and of the Union cavalry. Eric J. Wittneberg shows that the outcome of Trevilian Station ultimately prolonged Grant's efforts to end the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fast-paced, in-depth narrative that captures the confusion, horror and heroism of battle. . . . Judicious placement of maps, numerous photographs and notes that provide additional detail and documentation are the crowning touch to this volume. Readers interested in cavalry operations and the Eastern Theater will welcome this contribution.”—David F. Riggs, Civil War News

(David F. Riggs Civil War News )

“Detailed and absorbing”—Greenwich Times (CT)

(John Linsenmeyer Greenwich Times )

"Glory Enough for All is an essential volume for anyone interested in the Eastern theater campaigns and Civil War cavalry."—James K. Bryant II, H-Net

(James K. Bryant II H-Net ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Eric J. Wittenberg is the editor of Under Custer's Command and One of Custer's Wolverines. In addition, he has authoredGettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions, We Have it Damn Hard Out here, and numerous articles in national Civil War magazines. He is a member of the Trevilian Station battlefield Foundation and a charter member and past president of the Central Ohio Civil War Roundtable. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's Inc; 1st edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574883534
• ISBN-13: 978-1574883534
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #360,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric J. Wittenberg is an award-winning Civil War historian. A native of southeastern Pennsylvania, Wittenberg focuses on Civil War cavalry operations. He is the author of more than 15 published books. He was educated at Dickinson College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is a practicing attorney (someday, he might even get it right and get to stop practicing!). Wittenberg is a member of the Governor of Ohio's Advisory Commission on the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and also serves as the vice president of the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation. He, his wife Susan, and their two silly golden retrievers live in Columbus, Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Coverage of Trevillian Station Fight, August 26, 2001

By 

texmexfla "Seeker of Truth" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glory Enough for All : Sheridan's Second Raid and the Battle of Trevilian Station (Hardcover)

Phil Sheridan's battle against the Confederates at Trevillian Station is covered in 391 pages with maps, photos, orders of battle, statistics on loses, an excellent bibliography, and index. Author Eric Wittenberg has done an outstanding job of narration, explanation, and interpretation of the battle. (Wittenberg's knowledge of the Union cavalry adds to the book immensely, as does his keen appreciation of the landscape.) This text is a treat for Civil War buffs and would be a great addition to the library of descendants of those on both sides who were participants.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Excellent!, September 26, 2004

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Glory Enough for All : Sheridan's Second Raid and the Battle of Trevilian Station (Hardcover)

Mr. Wittenberg is the author of several books on cavalry operations in the Eastern Theater, all well documented, informative and very readable. This book is my personal favorite. He hits the "sweet spot", balancing a solid battlefield history with personal experiences of the participants. The history set up an experience, which amplifies and explains the history bridging the story to the next incident. The result is an informative history of Sheridan's cavalry raid in June 1864 with an in the saddle feel rarely found in nonfiction books.

The heart of the book is the battles of Trevilian Station on June 11 & 12, 1864 and Samaria Church on June 24, 1862. Trevilian Station is Sheridan's attempt to cut the vital Virginia Central Railroad and Samaria Church is Hampton's attempt to capture Sheridan's wagon train. The two battles do not stand-alone but exist in Sheridan's cavalry raid, with the raid firmly placed in Grant's Overland Campaign. This means that the reader never forgets the total operation and the war. Very often, battle histories do not include or spend very little time on the larger issues causing us to miss this vital information.

This raid contains a who's who of Eastern cavalry personalities: Philip Sheridan, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and George Custer are well known, Thomas Rosser, Matthew Butler, Alfred Torbert, Wesley Merritt and David Gregg much less so. Each man has an interesting word portrait with a detailed account of his role. Mr. Wittenberg draws some interesting conclusions about the battle and the men. As always, his conclusions are well supported and thought provoking, making for a book that is both an introduction with something for the more knowledgeable too.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Campaign Study, March 25, 2005

By 

Charles R. Bowery Jr. (Bad Windsheim, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Glory Enough for All : Sheridan's Second Raid and the Battle of Trevilian Station (Hardcover)

Mr. Wittenberg makes a convincing case for the decisiveness of this cavalry battle and campaign, and his evaluations of Sheridan, Hampton, Fitz Lee, and others are fair and incisive. He did not need to prove his stature as an authority on the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, but clearly has done so with this volume and with his subsequent works.

I had the chance to visit the Trevilian battlefield recently, and used this book as a guide. In spite of the paucity of markers (maybe that's a good thing!), it was easy to follow the action using the author's excellent endnotes, maps, and descriptions of terrain.

A local preservation group recently purchased a large portion of the June 11 battlefield, which is a very good sign. Anyone interested in the Civil War's eastern theater should not miss this book.