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Spartan Band: Burnett's 13th Texas Cavalry in the Civil War (War and the Southwest)

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Spartan Band: Burnett's 13th Texas Cavalry In The Civil War by Thomas Reid (History Instructor at Lamar University) is the definitive study of the 13th Texas Cavalry Regiment as it operated during the American Civil War. The result of Reid's meticulous research (letters, diaries, oral histories gleaned from more than one hundred descendants of the soldiers) and positive flair for reader-engaging writing, showcases a Confederate unit drawn from eleven counties in East Texas when it was organized in the spring of 1862 by two Texas Senators -- John H. Burnett and Anderson F. Crawford. Although a calvary unit, the 13th was ordered to dismount after crossing the Red River into Arkansas and fought as infantry until the end of the war, seeing action at Lake Providence, Fort De Russy, Manfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry. Disbanded in Hempstead, Texas, in May 1865, the unit was held in high regard and service it in paved the way for several of its troops to secure favor in business and political office. No dedicated Civil War Studies collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of Thomas Reid's Spartan Band!

Spartan Band is a remarkable reconstructed history 13th Texas Cavalry from meticulous review of hundreds of letters, pay records, orders and other archives. Mr. Reid's is a talented writer, who engages readers through the book; history doesn't have to be boring. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who's interested in Texas' involvement in the Civil War. It's also a superb example of how to organize an engaging history from historic records. Highly recommended.