Cavalry Battle That Saved the Union, The: Custer vs. Stuart at Gettysburg

by Paul D. Walker

This battle, pitting two of America's most gifted military heroes against each other, decided the fate of the Civil War.

Genres: Civil War, History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2002

Reviews

[Julie Yates · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written. Poorly researched. Poorly documented.

I expected a clear outline of Lee’s plan at Gettysburg, where Stuart fit into that plan, and then a deep discussion of the battle at East Cavalry Field. None of these were discussed at any length. Unbelievably, the author believes a cavalry charge by Stuart against intrenched infantry enemy positions after Pickett’s charge would have carried the day? (Somehow he actually mentions Farnsworth’s fatal charge over in South Cavalry field but fails to see the similarities?) The final insult: instead of focusing on the battle mentioned in the title on East Cavalry Field -or even Gettysburg! – the book only discusses East Cavalry Field for 2 chapters. All of 26 pages!

Lee’s battle plan is not mentioned until chapter 7, and then not explained well. Supposed "facts" are not documented. The reader is treated to language such as “while the commander of the first corps (Longstreet) engaged in childish, petty behavior, the fate of the South twisted in the wind.” Or “Many historians believe ...” (none of which are quoted!) Or “The statements of survivors confirm that most of the brigades, even without support, reached the top of cemetery Ridge and entered the Union positions… ” (again, no footnotes or documentation)

This was a complete waste and I never would have read this but goodreads was down and I couldn't see any other ratings. Save yourself the trouble - better books mentioned below!

I suggest:
Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg by Eric J. Wittenberg : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg by J. David Petruzzi and Eric J. Wittenberg
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Kyri Freeman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purportedly an examination of the cavalry fighting on July 3rd, 1863.

Deeply problematic in its historical research -- quoting at length from reputable but old secondary sources and at even greater length from totally unknown secondary sources; making no apparent use of primary documents at all. This sort of 'research' may be responsible for the repetition in the text of many problematic anecdotes. Unorthodox in its use of punctuation and spelling -- Stuart's response to being called 'The Plumbed (sic.) Knight' not once but thrice can only be imagined, and various grammatical errors make their way even into quoted material. Limited at best in its evocation and analysis of the battle that is the book's subject. Strange in several of its assumptions -- that the Confederates who briefly broke through the Union line on Cemetery Ridge on July 3 spent "twenty minutes" just sort of looking around and waiting for reinforcements; that Ewell could have easily taken Culp's Hill on the 2nd; that 'Pickett's Charge' should have been followed immediately, over the same ground, by a shoulder-to-shoulder cavalry charge by Stuart's troopers. (After they trampled Pickett's men, their next move was to be...?)

Readers interested in this subject are encouraged to look at Longacre's THE CAVALRY AT GETTYSBURG.

[Peter Melancon · Rating 3 out of 5]

no mention of Custer really until the end of the book. However, I read this book as a possibility of a sub fiction/nonfiction of the life of Custer.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this book wasn't so short I probably wouldn't have even finished it. Don't waste your time.