It seems incredible to us today but at the opening of the American Civil War it was not believed that cavalry would be of any use whatever. Edward Tobie was one of the first to enlist and in this highly entertaining account of his time in the First Maine Cavalry, he retraces the evolution of the use of "the cav" during the war. By the end of the war, the efficiency of mobile warfare was more than proven and would go on to be applied in the Indian Wars of the last quarter of the century. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

Only fourteen years old when he first tried enlisting in the Union army, he was not quite seventeen when he mustered out at the end of the war. Along the way, Stanton Perry Allen saw plenty of fighting and dying, and served on the staff of General George Gordon Meade, the hero of Gettysburg. In this hilarious, at times irreverent, but also sorrowful and respectful memoir, Allen brought his skill as a professional writer and observer to the creation of one of the most pleasurable Civil War memoirs you'll ever read. After the war he was a journalist, editor, lieutenant in the New York National Guard, and a clergyman. His proximity to great events and people, and his ability to bring those years to life makes this a cherished personal account of the American Civil War. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

An award-winning historical study of the important role played by Union and Confederate horse soldiers on the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg. The Union army’s victory at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1863, is widely considered to have been the turning point in America’s War between the States. But the valuable contributions of the mounted troops, both Northern and Rebel, in the decisive three-day conflict have gone largely unrecognized. Acclaimed Civil War historian Eric J. Wittenberg now gives the cavalries their proper due. In Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions, Wittenberg explores three important mounted engagements undertaken during the battle and how they influenced the final outcome. The courageous but doomed response by Brig. Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth’s cavalry brigade in the wake of Pickett’s Charge is recreated in fascinating detail, revealing the fatal flaws in the general’s plan to lead his riders against entrenched Confederate infantry and artillery. The tenacious assault led by Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt on South Cavalry Field is also examined, as is the strategic victory at Fairfield by Southern troops that nearly destroyed the Sixth US Cavalry and left Hagerstown Road open, enabling General Lee’s eventual retreat. Winner of the prestigious Bachelder-Coddington Award for historical works concerning the Battle of Gettysburg, Eric J. Wittenberg’s Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Actions rights a long-standing wrong by lifting these all-important engagements out of obscurity. A must-read for Civil War buffs everywhere, it completes the story of the battle that changed American history forever.

American Military History provides the United States Army-in particular, its young officers, NCOs, and cadets-with a comprehensive but brief account of its past. The Center of Military History first published this work in 1956 as a textbook for senior ROTC courses. Since then it has gone through a number of updates and revisions, but the primary intent has remained the same. Support for military history education has always been a principal mission of the Center, and this new edition of an invaluable history furthers that purpose. The history of an active organization tends to expand rapidly as the organization grows larger and more complex. The period since the Vietnam War, at which point the most recent edition ended, has been a significant one for the Army, a busy period of expanding roles and missions and of fundamental organizational changes. In particular, the explosion of missions and deployments since 11 September 2001 has necessitated the creation of additional, open-ended chapters in the story of the U.S. Army in action. This first volume covers the Army's history from its birth in 1775 to the eve of World War I. By 1917, the United States was already a world power. The Army had sent large expeditionary forces beyond the American hemisphere, and at the beginning of the new century Secretary of War Elihu Root had proposed changes and reforms that within a generation would shape the Army of the future. But world war-global war-was still to come. The second volume of this new edition will take up that story and extend it into the twenty-first century and the early years of the war on terrorism and includes an analysis of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq up to January 2009.

Perhaps no army in history, prior to the American Civil War, left such a remarkable and voluminous collection of letters to home during the years 1861 to 1865. This collection is one of the best. Men from all walks of life and all ranks in the service are represented here over the span of the entire war. The famous and anonymous are included—personal stories of great battles and humorous stories of army life. You'll find pathos, sorrow, fear, and great courage detailed in these letters. Most soldiers were very humble and modest about their own accomplishments but spoke of their comrades with love and admiration. Common soldiers often made remarkable observations. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers, tablets, and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

He was the War Department intelligence chief during the American Civil War, a spy, and a colonel in the cavalry. He was put in charge of the investigation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, was at the capture and death of John Wilkes Booth, and brought away the items in Booth's pockets...including Booth's diary. Lafayette C. Baker's name appears in over 150 New York Times articles between 1861 and 1868. His work was important, well-regarded,and of great interest to the public (at least what could be told publicly). He was in close contact with Abraham Lincoln, Edwin Stanton, and other high officials. When he was accused later of spying on the White House, he was dismissed and set about writing this memoir of his time in service during the Civil War. Conspiracy theories are completely unnecessary to make Lafayette Baker an important and fascinating figure in Civil War history. His writing is intelligent, thrilling, and clearly in earnest. Read him for what he offers to the history of the period and for the associations he had during his life and you’ll be more than rewarded for your time. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.