ePub America's First First World War: The French and Indian War; 1754-1763 by Timothy J. Todish in History

Description

WINNER; 2010; RICHARD HARWELL AWARD; GIVEN BY THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE OF ATLANTAConfederate cavalry has a storied and favorable relationship with the history of the Civil War. Tales of raids and daring exploits create a whiff of lingering romance about the horse soldiers of the Lost Cause. Sometimes; however; romance obscures history.In August 1863 William Rosecrans’ Union Army of the Cumberland embarked on a campaign of maneuver to turn Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee out of Chattanooga; one of the most important industrial and logistical centers of the Confederacy. Despite the presence of two Southern cavalry corps (nearly 14;000 horsemen) under legendary commanders Nathan Bedford Forrest and Joe Wheeler; Union troops crossed the Tennessee River unopposed and unseen; slipped through the passes cutting across the knife-ridged mountains; moved into the narrow valleys; and turned Bragg’s left flank. Threatened with the loss of the railroad that fed his army; Bragg had no choice but to retreat. He lost Chattanooga without a fight.After two more weeks of maneuvering; skirmishing; and botched attacks Bragg struck back at Chickamauga; where he was once again surprised by the position of the Union army and the manner in which the fighting unfolded. Although the combat ended with a stunning Southern victory; Federal counterblows that November reversed all that had been so dearly purchased.David A. Powell’s Failure in the Saddle: Nathan Bedford Forrest; Joseph Wheeler; and the Confederate Cavalry in the Chickamauga Campaign is the first in-depth attempt to determine what role the Confederate cavalry played in both the loss of Chattanooga and the staggering number of miscues that followed up to; through; and beyond Chickamauga. Powell draws upon an array of primary accounts and his intimate knowledge of the battlefield to reach several startling conclusions: Bragg’s experienced cavalry generals routinely fed him misleading information; failed to screen important passes and river crossings; allowed petty command politics to routinely influence their decision-making; and on more than one occasion disobeyed specific and repeated orders that may have changed the course of the campaign.Richly detailed and elegantly written; Failure in the Saddle offers new perspectives on the role of the Rebel horsemen in every combat large and small waged during this long and bloody campaign and; by default; a fresh assessment of the generalship of Braxton Bragg. This judiciously reasoned account includes a guided tour of the cavalry operations; several appendices of important information; and original cartography. It is essential reading for students of the Western Theater.About the Author: David A. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (Class of 1983) with a BA in history. He has published numerous articles in magazines; more than fifteen historical simulations of various battles; and is the co-author (with David A. Friedrichs) of The Maps of Chickamauga: An Atlas of the Chickamauga Campaign; Including the Tullahoma Operations; June 22–September 23; 1863; a selection of the History and Military book clubs.