Customer Reviews

William Washington : Cavalryman of the Revolution

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The 'other' Washington finally gets his day
Reviewed by William W. Starr in
The State (South Carolina's larged newspaper; 8/10/2001, page E24)

Mr. Starr's review is quoted below:

"WILLIAM WASHINGTON: Cavalryman of the Revolution By Stephen E. Haller Heritage Books, 237 pages, $28 (paperback) Here's a new biography of the "other" Washington in the American Revolution, the one named William, second cousin to George. George may have gotten most of the attention (--) this is apparently the first book-length biography of William (--) but the latter made some mighty strong contributions to South Carolina during the war, even though he wasn't a native. William Washington was born in Virginia, and we don't know much about what shaped his life until the Revolution. Once the war started, however, he proved to be a formidable cavalry officer, bold and courageous, sometimes impetuous, a fighter who won much more than he lost. He spent much of the Revolutionary War years in the Palmetto State, battling Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon and especially the arrogant but gifted British cavalry officer Banastre Tarleton. In fact, the two of them flailed away at each other frequently in skirmishes and full-fledged battles, at times both nearly losing their lives and sufferingcapture. Washington saw plenty of action at major battles in the state including Cowpens, Hobkirk Hill and Eutaw Springs. Gen. Nathanael Greene, commanding American armies in the South, called the dependable Washington his "arm" in the bloody warfare. His recklessness caught up with him at Eutaw Springs in 1781 when he was wounded and captured by the British. He spent the last part of the war as a prisoner in Charleston, winning his freedom when the British evacuated the city. In the postwar period, he married and settled in his adopted state, serving in the General Assembly for 17 years, declining offers to run for governor because he preferred the congenial life of a planter and, he insisted, because he was not a native (--) a modesty shared by none of today's politicians. This biography is a lively, well-researched book that should delight historical-minded readers. The author is the manager of archives and records for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia."

NOTE: rating "stars" were assigned by the author (not original reviewer, Mr. Starr) in order to comply with "form field" entry requirement by amazon in order to post a review.

William Washington: Cavalryman Of The Revolution is the biography of Lieutenant Colonel William Washington who was also a cousin of George Washington. William belonged to a small, loyal cadre of key field officers who served with distinction in the Continental Army throughout the entire war. William first distinguished himself as an infantry officer at Trenton in 1776, and then was transferred to the Continental Light Dragoons and served in the Middle states from 1777 to 1779. He is perhaps best remembered as a cavalry commander in the South from 1780 to 1771, where he fought in all of the major battles of General Nathaniel Greene's campaign to drive the British from the Carolinas. William was a gallant battlefield commander who personally led his men and was so valuable to the Carolina campaign that General Green referred to William Washington as his "arm". Strongly recommended reading for students of American military history in general, and the American revolution in particular, William Washington: Cavalryman Of The Revolution is enhanced with a chronology of William's life (including his romance with Jane Elliot and his political career after the war), a comprehensive bibliography, illustrations and maps, and a full name index.