This is the extensive excerpt of the report on the role his regiment, the 1st Michigan Cavalry, played in the Gettysburg Campaign. It’s the first of five posts that I will make, ending with the report of Brig. Gen. George A. Custer.

At Hanover, Pa., June 30th, the regiment was not actively employed. It was ordered to support Battery M, 2d Artillery, which was in position on a hill in rear of the town, until a late hour in the afternoon, when the battery was ordered to a new position. The regiment was ordered to hold the hill (the old position) by order of General [Elon J.] Farnsworth, since deceased.At the battle of Hunterstown, July 2d, the regiemtn was …

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When I was working on my study of the fighting on East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg, I came across a tantalizing little tidbit. It has intrigued me for a long time, and it was, until last night, a source of great frustration for me.

If you look at the report of George A. Custer that’s included in volume 27 of the Official Records of the Civil War, it contains little useful information and is really only an itinerary of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade. The same thing is true of the reports of the regimental commanders of Michigan Brigade. I think I know why. Custer’s personal possessions, including all of his papers, were captured at Trevilian Station in June 1864, and …

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I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and enjoyable New Year’s Eve last night. With Susan not yet a month post-surgical, we kept it pretty calm and pretty quiet.

2006 was quite a year, both for me and for this country. On the national front, the electorate spoke and did something about trying to put the brakes on the dictatorial presidency. Don Rumsfeld finally resigned. And hopefully, George W. Bush realized that things get pretty lonely out there on the fringes.

As for me, 2006 was an unprecedented year. I changed jobs, hopefully bettering my lot in life. I had three books published this year, all to critical acclaim. One of them fulfilled a twelve year labor of love that I …

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Susan joins me in wishing each of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2007. Let’s hope that it’s a better year than 2006.

2007 brings us one year closer to being rid of Skippy Bush, and hopefully, the troops will be coming home in 2007. They never had any business being in Iraq, and it’s time to bring them home.

Eric

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This is another in my series of periodic profiles of forgotten cavalrymen.

Only one officer of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry achieved the rank of brevet brigadier general during the Civil War. Twenty-three-year-old Charles Lewis Leiper was the regiment’s final colonel.

Leiper signed up in the fall of 1862 when Companies L and M of the Lancers were recruited. He had no formal military training, and joined as a lieutenant. He quickly distinguished himself with his courage and his leadership. Leiper, now a captain, was badly wounded during the charge for the Confederate horse artillery at St. James Church during the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863 when he was slashed over the head by a Southern saber. “He …

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John F. Kennedy was president of the United States when I was born in March 1961.  I was 2 1/2 when JFK was assassinated, and I have no memories of him at all, other than a very vague recollection of seeing his body being carried on a horse-drawn caisson on his way to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery.  I was 7 when Lyndon Johnson left office.  I have some memories of LBJ, most notably his big ears and Texas drawl.  Most of those memories are associated with the space program; like most kids who grew up in the 1960’s, I was fascinated by the space program.

I have lots of memories of Nixon.  I remember the telephone …

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After a brief stint as a lieutenant in the Austrian 10th Hussars, Louis Edward Nolan was commissioned a cornet in the King’s 15th Hussars, and later purchased his lieutenancy in 1841. He eventually became his regimental riding master and purchased his captaincy in 1850. He spent the next several years studying cavalry tactics and logistics throughout Europe, and wrote two important and well-regarded treatises–one on remounts for the cavalry, and the other a study of cavalry tactics and history. The second book was published in 1853.

Captain Nolan carried the fateful order from Lord Raglan to Lord Lucan to charge a battery of artillery at the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War in 1854. That set into motion a …

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To all of my regular readers, Susan and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a delightful Festivus to all. I hope Santa was good to all of you, and that your stockings were filled with lots of good books and no lumps of coal. 🙂

Time to go set up the aluminum pole, followed by airing of grievances, and finally, by the feats of strength…..

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While at Barnes & Noble today, I finally had a chance to get a look at a book I’d heard about and which held a certain amount of interest for me due to its subject matter. I’d heard that George Walsh had a new book out titled Those Damn Horse Soldiers: True Tales of the Civil War Cavalry. The book is intended to be a one-volume study of Civil War cavalry operations. I had high hopes for it.

Instead, what I got was EVERYTHING that I hate most about Civil War books. The book is VERY broad brushstrokes overview, attempting to cover all Civil War cavalry operations in 480 pages. It covers the period 1862-1865, and tries to cover …

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We stopped by Barnes & Noble earlier today, largely because we got a coupon we wanted to take advantage of using. I took the opportunity to check the magazine section and got a very pleasant surprise.

The new issues of America’s Civil War and Civil War Times came out pretty much simultaneously. Our work is featured in both.

Civil War Times features an article by JD and me on the charges of the 11th New York Cavalry (Scott’s 900) at Fairfax Court House and the 1st Delaware Cavalry at Westminster, MD that delayed Stuart’s march to Gettysburg by a full day between them. The article is the cover article for the magazine and gives our work a real spotlight. The …

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