Jeb Stuart: The Last Cavalier

by Burke Davis

Here is a full biography of the dashing and enigmatic Confederate hero of the Civil War, General J. E. B. Stuart." "This portrait of Stuart surveys his life from childhood through his training at West Point, his years on the Western frontier, and his decision to stand with Virginia when war arrived. His brilliant Civil War career is covered in detail, from the raid on Chambersburg through to his final, fatal clash at Yellow Tavern.

Genres: Civil War, Biography, History, American History, American Civil War, Civil War History, Military Fiction

462 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have read this one when I was 14 or 15. I read every book on the American Civil War I could find at that time. Burke Davis was a well known and liked author who wrote over 40 books. Several on the Civil War. He also wrote a book on Marine legend Chesty Puller that was required reading for Marine officers for several decades.

In this volume he tells us the story of Jeb Stuart. His daring cavalry raids were admired (and feared depending on which side you were on). He rode all the way around the Union army on two occasions to the embarrassment of the North and glee of the South. He sent a telegram to the quartermaster of the Union army complaining about the quality of their mules he captured saying they were hardly able to pull the wagons full of their plundered goods.

Stuart the person was a fun loving high spirited man. He had a good mind for strategy but was also known for keeping a banjo player in his headquarters and frequently breaking out in song. He was also a firm believer that he would not be killed unless it was his time and with that in mind often rode fearlessly (by all accounts from witnesses) thru enemy fire. The author keeps the book interesting not only relating what happened in the war but also by telling all sorts of stories of funny things that happened or daring deeds accomplished.

During Stuart's time stationed in Kansas before the war with the conflicts there between slavery and anti-slavery folks one of Stuart's reactions was to send money home to Virginia asking that a church for free blacks be build with it. As a young man with a wife and child on the way this was a large sum of money from someone without a large income ($75). The author does not delve into the issue of slavery and what Stuart thought about it. His choice to fight with the South seems to be predicated on his state's decision versus any personal focus on the issue of slavery. The author also barely touched on the patent that Stuart acquired for a saber hook making easier to carry a saber from horseback. The US army paid Stuart to use his idea. The two most famous Union Calvary leaders are probably Philip Sheridan and George Armstrong Custer. Both were friends of Stuart but little of that was discussed. These subjects would been nice to see more info and analysis on.

While I think the author liked Stuart he did not hide criticism of his performance or the way he maintained a happy go lucky party atmosphere at his headquarters.

Major John Pelham (West Point class of 1861) was an artillery leader for Stuart's cavalry. A Galahad character of incredible bravery who routinely threw his guns in between the Calvary and pursuing enemies or covering the infantry when needed. Stuart thought of him like a son and was devastated when he was killed. Stuart did not survive the war. Proper etiquette is to wear black (it could be just an armband) for three months after a death in the family. Stuart's wife, Flora, stayed in morning for her husband 59 years until she died in 1923.

[Steve Schinke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although an adequate representation of Stuart, it fell short of giving the reader in-depth insight into the development and character of the man. It left me wondering if there was a better biography available.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was interesting to read about how many risks he took in combat, but as he grew more confident it was not surprising that he did not survive the war. He outlasted Stonewall Jackson and numerous others, but he seemed to overestimate his own abilities.

[Skip Unger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burke Davis is an old school history writer and modern readers of his books are likely to criticize his style for shallowness, romanticizing his subjects and sloppy attention to detail and sourcing. All that has some truth to it. However, Davis weaves a story with style that sucks the reader into the moment with all the associated emotion and excitement. Gen JEB Stuart was a controversial commander of the Confederate cavalry - his undisputed charisma, bravery and horsemanships is sometimes offset by obsession with fame, women and grandstanding. Historians will long debate whether he was a net asset to Gen Lee given his absence at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg. In this reviewers opinion, he proved himself militarily screening Lee's withdrawal after that battle and keeping Federal troopers a bay for the first two years of the war. This is worth a read to capture the style of popular history from decades past and for those not familiar with the story of JEB Stuart.

[Drew Trammell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good and informative. However, I think a really good biography attempts to understand the character and motivations of the subject. The reader should feel as if they know them, at least to some degree.

This book read more like a series of facts, events, and quotes about JEB Stuart. I learned a lot, but it definitely was not a deep dive into understanding the man. For anyone looking for that, I would recommend seeking out a different biography.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeb Stuart was Lee's most dashing cavalry general. He was a thorn in the side of the Union army but didn't show up in time for a vital battle.

[Sammy Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter was good but presented with a bit of hero worship. Stuart was one of the most gifted cavalry commanders to have ever lived but Mr. Davis definitely writes with a Southern leaning.

The narrator was very bland but OK; however, the production was atrocious. Every few minutes a passage would be repeated, as if the narrator kept losing his place.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book about a person I had only read about peripherally. I knew JEB Stuart was a charismatic, daring, swashbuckling type but I didn't know anything else about him. He also was a fun loving, caring, and passionate person. He just ended up fighting for the wrong side.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book. My biggest complaint is that I found it to be extremely boring. I usually find Civil War biographies to be at least partially interesting, but this one was dry and written in a boring manner. More modern works handle the topic better.

[Patricia Wagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this biography and having the Battles of the Eastern campaign told from he cavalry perspective. A good read.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Need more maps, especially chapters 15 and 16. Like trying to change an engine in a car without the Haynes Manual. Very frustrating at times.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good biography of Stuart, although not quite as detailed or analytical as Cavalryman of the Lost Cause by Jeffrey D. Wert. Mr. Davis seems more focused on narrating the general's life, without analyzing the tactics used during his battles and campaigns. There also few maps in the book, mostly showing Stuart's movements during campaigns and only a single map showing a specific battle (Yellow Tavern).

[Ronald · Rating 2 out of 5]

possibly read in spring 1970

[Monte Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some trouble getting into this book at the beginning. The style read a bit slow with too many quoted sections immedately after saying basically the same thing in his own words. However, about 1/3 of the way through, it got very interesting. I learned a lot of specifics about Jeb Stuart and his campaigns. The detail was about right and didn't get bogged down with too much and the story flowed from chapter to chapter. This would not be a good book for someone reading their first book on the Civil War, but if one has a good background on the subject, a lot can be gained from reading it.

[Hugh Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Cavalier paints the portrait that Stuart would have wanted, although a number of warts appear when necessary. Davis' biography surpasses Bold Dragoon by Emory M. Thomas considerably, as Davis has no major ax to grind. Clearly, he likes Stuart, but not so much that he grows irresponsible in his investigation. This book is well-written, readable and vivid. Davis makes frequent use of anecdotes that serve to bring the characters of history to life. A classic if ever there was one.

[Del · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and thoroughly enjoyable story of a man who grew up learning to fight for America but ended up having to fight for Virginia.. Well worth a read if you are interested in the Civil War and the personalities who lived it.

Listened to the unabridged audiobook on Audible.com.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for Civil War history lovers.