A History of the Laurel Brigade : Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery
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Book Description
First printed in 1907, A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery presents a nearly contemporary view of the lauded Confederate unit.
Recruited from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (with many troops volunteering from nearby Maryland), this Confederate cavalry unit fought under General Stonewall Jackson early in the Civil War. Led by one of the grandest "cavaliers" of them all -- General Turner Ashby -- until his death in early 1862, the unit eventually formed part of General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corps, moving back and forth between the tidewater and the Valley as military necessity dictated.
"Of all the Confederate images that survive from the American Civil War, few surpass that of the Southern cavalry in its boldness, recklessness, and dash. One of the most famous mounted units to serve the Confederacy was the Laurel Brigade. [These] horsemen gained recognition for their determination and skill as warriors on the field, while at the same time acquiring a reputation for an indifference to military discipline and organization. In time the brigade matured, due in large part to a string of commanders who instilled discipline and turned the Laurel Brigade into one of the most versatile units in the army." -- from the Introduction
About the Author
William N. McDonald served as an ordnance officer in the Laurel Brigade. After the Civil War, he remained active in veterans' affairs and, late in the century, began this history. After McDonald's death in 1898, Bushrod C. Washington took up the task of editing and completing the work. Eric J. Mink, a Civil War historian with the National Park Service, has written the introduction for the new edition of this memoir and has prepared the volume's first index.
A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery,William N. McDonald,Bushrod C. Washington,Eric J. Mink,The Johns Hopkins University Press,0801869528,Army,Army.,Civil War, 1861-1865,Confederate States of America,Confederate States of America.,History,History - Military / War,Laurel Brigade,Military,Military - General,Regimental histories,United States,United States - Civil War,Virginia,Virginia Cavalry,Virginia Cavalry.,American history: c 1800 to c 1900,Land forces & warfare,Other prose: 19th century,Psychology & Psychiatry / General,USA,c 1800 to c 1900
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