This vivid work, first published by UNC Press in 1954, reveals General Joseph Orville Shelby as one of the best Confederate cavalry leaders--and certainly the most colorful. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, but drawn by the promise of the growing West, Shelby became one of the richest men in Missouri. Siding with the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil War, he organized his Iron Brigade of cavalry--whose ranks included Frank and Jesse James--taught his men a slashing frontier style of fighting, and led them on incredible raids against Federal forces in Missouri. When the Confederacy fell, Shelby refused to surrender and instead took his command to Mexico, where they fought in support of the emperor Maximilian. Upon his return to Missouri, Shelby became an immensely popular figure in the state, eventually attaining the status of folk hero, a living symbol of the Civil War in the West. "O'Flaherty has written a first-rate book . . . combining careful scholarship with the ability to tell a story in an engaging manner.--Saturday Review "An interesting and readable life story of a long neglected Confederate general.--Military Affairs

Originally published: New York: Random House, 2010.

Excerpt from A Memoir of the Life and Public Service of Joseph E. Johnston: Once the Quartermaster General of the Army of the United States, and a General in the Army of the Confederate States of America I knew him as well as a young subordinate ever does know his commander-in-chief. And it so happened that I was in command as a brigadier-general, at Salisbury, North Carolina, when he was at Greensboro in April, 1865. I was with him during all that trying time, and it was at my headquarters at Salisbury that he took leave of the generals Of the Army of Tennessee after the convem tion of Durham's Station. I, therefore, knew him as a soldier and as a man, and I admired and loved him. Since the war my inter course with him was frequent and intimate. This sketch, written in a light-cavalry gallop, does not pretend to give detail of his campaigns or his battles; it only seeks to give a general view of military Operations, that can be taken in at a glance. The particular description of the movements of troops, of the hour they started, of the route they took, of the minute of their arrival, is, I think, inexpressibly tedious and confusing, except to the technical and professional student. I have, therefore, only tried to present a picture, and a map, together with a photograph of the General, as we all knew him, and as we want posterity to appreciate him. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

*Weaves the lives of the 2 commanding generals into one entertaining and educational narrative. *Includes maps and accounts of the fighting at Shiloh by several important generals. *Includes an original introduction for each general. *Includes Bibliographies of each general. "The turning point of our fate." - Jefferson Davis on the death of Albert Sidney Johnston at Shiloh "Probably no single battle of the war gave rise to such wild and damaging reports." - William Tecumseh Sherman After Union General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in early 1862, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, widely considered the Confederacy's best general, concentrated his forces in northern Georgia and prepared for a major offensive that culminated with the biggest battle of the war to that point, the Battle of Shiloh. On the morning of April 6, Johnston directed an all out attack on Grant's army around Shiloh Church, and though Grant's men had been encamped there, they had failed to create defensive fortifications or earthworks. They were also badly caught by surprise. With nearly 45,000 Confederates attacking, Johnston's army began to steadily push Grant's men back toward the river. As fate would have it, the Confederates may have been undone by friendly fire at Shiloh. Johnston advanced out ahead of his men on horseback while directing a charge near a peach orchard when he was hit in the lower leg by a bullet that historians now widely believe was fired by his own men. Nobody thought the wound was serious, including Johnston, who continued to aggressively lead his men and even sent his personal physician to treat wounded Union soldiers taken captive. But the bullet had clipped an artery, and shortly after being wounded Johnston began to feel faint in the saddle. With blood filling up his boot, Johnston unwittingly bled to death. The delay caused by his death, and the transfer of command to subordinate P.G.T. Beauregard, the Hero of Fort Sumter and First Bull Run, bought the Union defenders critical time on April 6, and the following day Grant's reinforced army struck back and pushed the Confederate army off the field. The Battle of Shiloh lasted two days, but the battle over the battle had just begun. Beauregard was scapegoated for the disastrous second day and the loss, and he would be relieved of command after the Siege of Corinth. Meanwhile, Grant was also criticized for Shiloh, which took place before costlier battles at places like Antietam and Gettysburg, so the extent of the casualties at Shiloh shocked the nation. Moreover, at Shiloh the casualties were viewed as needless; Grant was pilloried for allowing the Confederates to take his forces by surprise, as well as the failure to build defensive earthworks and fortifications, which nearly resulted in a rout of his army. Speculation again arose that Grant had a drinking problem, and some even assumed he was drunk during the battle. Though the Union won, it was largely viewed that their success owed to the heroics of General Sherman in rallying the men and Don Carlos Buell arriving with his army, and General Buell was happy to receive the credit at Grant's expense. Defeat at Shiloh comprehensively covers the decisive battle, as well as the lives, careers and legacies of the 2 Confederate generals in command. Along with maps, pictures, and more, you will learn about Johnston and Beauregard like you never have before.