Custer's Civil War Cavalry

Forged by Fire, United by Will: Traditional American History Series, Volume 8

By: Dr. James M. Volo

Narrated by: Scott Wallace

The purpose of this selection is to document the character and exploits of the Federal cavalry during the Civil War - the cavalry that George Armstrong Custer knew and in which he served before he gained fame as an Indian fighter. These mounted encounters will be reported with emphasis from the Federal point of view, and the intra-service rivalries will be those of Federal officers and administrations rather than Confederate ones. Also distinguished among Federal cavalry commanders in this audio are Philip St. George Cooke, George Stoneman, Alfred Pleasonton, Phil Sheridan, John Buford, J. Irvin Gregg, David M. Gregg, H. Judson Kilpatrick, Elon Farnsworth, and many others.

In spite of hardships and privations, the Confederate cavalry had excellent morale throughout the war. The mud, the cold, the hunger, the brutally long marches, did not appear to detract from the glamour of its service. Morale grew and remained high for the best of reasons: a string of unbroken and often spectacular successes, brilliant leadership, and exploits that struck the imagination. It was far otherwise for the Federal horsemen. It was apparent to the Union men themselves that they were being wasted and their efforts frittered away in employments that gave them no chance to perform creditably. There is only a scant record of cavalry engagements above the level of mere skirmishes in which the Federal horsemen were not worsted before the summer of 1863.

The spring reorganization of 1863 was the start of a new era for the Federal cavalry. It began to prove itself in a succession of engagements: Kelly's Ford, Brandy Station, Buford's fight on the first day at Gettysburg, and Gregg's and Custer's on the third day. There were still failures, but these were failures of leadership for the most part. No longer did the Confederates automatically have the better of the Federals. There was a new spirit in the air, and both the Confederate and the Federal cavalry knew it.

©2013 James M Volo (P)2015 James M Volo

Miistitled, biased toward Confederacy

this book is about Cavalry in general, not about Custer's Civil War cavalry. The author in fact gushes about the Confederacy, poorly hiding his pro- Confederacy bias. The book is really a string of loosely connected essays rather than a story. it was not what the title promised. It definitely is educational if you are looking to increase your knowledge base of the history of Cavalry in the United States Army.

how can custer be boring?

What would have made Custer's Civil War Cavalry better?

Something interesting to say

Has Custer's Civil War Cavalry turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I have read about 30. This was one of the worst

What aspect of Scott Wallace’s performance would you have changed?

He cant help that he gets paid to read this

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes, I can use it to fall asleep at night

Any additional comments?

Seriously, I have a PhD in history and this book is not about Custer much, and it is really dry, in that it is like reading a phone book