Sherman's Horsemen

Book excerpt: Approaching Atlanta in July of 1864, William Tecumseh Sherman knew he was facing the most important campaign of his career. Lacking the troops and the desire to mount a long siege of the city, Sherman was eager for a quick, decisive victory. A change of tactics was in order. He decided to call on the cavalry. Over the next seven weeks, Sherman's horsemen -- under the command of Generals Rousseau, Garrard, Stoneman, McCook, and Kilpatrick -- destroyed supplies and tore up miles of railroad track in an attempt to isolate the city. This book tells the story of those raids. After initial successes, the cavalrymen found themselves caught up in a series of daring and deadly engagements, including a failed attempt to push south to liberate the prisoners at the infamous prison camp at Andersonville. Through exhaustive research, David Evans has been able to recreate a vivid, captivating, and meticulously detailed image of the day-by-day life of the Union horse soldier. Based largely upon previously unpublished materials, Sherman's Horsemen provides the definitive account of this hitherto neglected aspect of the American Civil War.