The American Cavalryman

Following the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, the US Cavalry were called into action again with the declaration of war against Spain in 1898. In the years that followed, cavalrymen saw action in a wide variety of theaters. This title takes a close look at the formation and experiences of the average cavalryman in this fascinating period of change and development, and also considers the cavalry officer corps. Numerous developments in dress, training, equipment, weaponry and tactics are all covered here.

Following the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, the US Cavalry were called into action again with the declaration of war against Spain in 1898. In the years that followed, cavalrymen saw action in a wide variety of theaters. This title takes a close look at the formation and experiences of the average cavalryman in this fascinating period of change and development, and also considers the cavalry officer corps. Numerous developments in dress, training, equipment, weaponry and tactics are all covered here.

From the 1840s onward, United States military forces clashed with the Apache, a group of Native American peoples associated with the southwestern part of North America. US territorial expansion and conflict – first with Mexico and then during the Civil War – led to an escalation of hostilities that culminated in the defeat of the Apache leader Geronimo in 1886, although fighting continued into the 20th century. In this study the clashes at Cieneguilla (1854), First Adobe Walls (1864), and Cibecue Creek (1881) are assessed in detail. Fully illustrated and featuring contemporary accounts and specially commissioned artwork, this history examines exactly how the Apache were able to pose such a grave threat to US forces and how their initial advantages were gradually negated by the cavalry. Examining the tactics, equipment and training available to each side over four decades of evolving conflict, this is an eye-opening combatant's eye view of one of history's most intriguing campaigns.

Born in Shawneetown, Illinois in time to be newly graduated from West Point when the Civil War started, James H. Wilson became a brigadier general by the age of twenty-six. Fueled by boundless ambition and the desire to serve his country, he reorganized the Union cavalry in time to gain the upper hand over the Confederate army. But the story of this brash, young man did not end with the capture of Jefferson Davis, for which Wilson was ultimately responsible. His life after the Civil War was also representative of American tenacity in the midst of explosive growth and change during the late-nineteenth century. He became a military governor in Georgia during Reconstruction, a railroad baron from the start of the Industrial Revolution, and a military advisor during World War I. The story of Wilson’s life remains a compelling example for us in these rapidly changing times, and resonates as an excellent account of one man’s lasting impression on his century.

The bombardment by Confederate artillery of Fort Sumter on 12 April 1861 was the spark that finally ignited the American Civil War, quickly bringing thousands of eager volunteers for the Union cause. It proved especially easy to raise cavalry, since recruits naively believed that their military duties would be easier than in the infantry. This book investigates all aspects of the life and experiences of a Union trooper, covering enlistment, training, uniforms, weapons, cavalry tactics and the discrepancy between the recruit's view of swashbuckling charges and heroic hand-to-hand combat and the less glorious reality.

During the American Civil War, the mounted soldiers fighting on both sides of the conflict carried a wide array of weapons, from sabers and lances to carbines, revolvers, and other firearms. Though some sections of the cavalry placed their trust in the sabre, the advent of viable breechloading carbines -- especially repeaters such as the Spencer -- was to transform warfare within little more than a decade of General Lee's final surrender at Appomattox. However, output struggled to keep up with unprecedented demands on manufacturing technology and distribution in areas where communication was difficult and in states whose primary aim was to equip their own men rather than contribute to the arming of Federal or Confederate regiments. In addition, the almost unparalleled losses of men and equipment ensured that almost any firearm, effectual or not, was pressed into service. Consequently, the sheer variety of weaponry carried reflected the mounted soldiers' various roles in different theatres of operation, but also the availability -- or otherwise -- of weapons, notably on the Confederate side. Fully illustrated, this study assesses the effectiveness of the many different weapons arming the Civil War cavalryman and analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the decisions made after 1865 concerning the armament of the US cavalry.

During the intense, sprawling conflict that was the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces fielded substantial numbers of cavalry, which carried out the crucial tasks of reconnaissance, raiding, and conveying messages. The perception was that cavalry's effectiveness on the battlefield would be drastically reduced in this age of improved infantry firearms. This title, however, demonstrates how cavalry's lethal combination of mobility and dismounted firepower meant it was still very much a force to be reckoned with in battle, and charts the swing in the qualitative difference of the cavalry forces fielded by the two sides as the war progressed. In this book, three fierce cavalry actions of the American Civil War are assessed, including the battles of Second Bull Run/Manassas (1862), Buckland Mills (1863) and Tom's Brook (1864).