Book Review:
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause – A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart, by Jeffrey D. Wert
One of the little side-benefits of publishing GenealogyBlog.com is that publishers often send me copies of their books for review. Many genealogy-related books take little time to review, as there’s often not a lot you can say about a family or local history. But biographies, memoirs, and such can take some time – as the reviewer must actually “read the book.”
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause is just that kind of book. I read the entire book – word for word, and it was so interesting that I found myself going back and actually rereading portions of it.
This volume is the first major biography in decades of the famous Confederate Cavalry General J. E. B. Stuart. Written by Civil War historian Jeffrey Wert, the book is based on research in manuscript collections; letters between Stuart and his wife, Flora; personal memoirs and reminiscences; and regimental histories. Genealogists will appreciate the 26-page bibliography alone!
James Ewell Brown Stuart was the ultimate cavalry commander of the Confederacy. You might say that he was Union General Custer’s counterpart – only in the Confederacy. Early in the war, he gained a reputation for daring when he rode around the Union army (under Union commander George B. McClellan) in the Peninsula Campaign, providing valuable intelligence to General Robert E. Lee. Stuart’s Civil War performance has long been controversial because of actions taken during the Gettysburg Campaign, where he was out of touch with Lee for a number of days, off harassing the enemy – something Stuart loved to do. Lee was left in the position of being uncertain about the size and movement of the Union army, information that may have changed the entire outcome of the battle, if not the War itself. Stuart didn’t survive the War, nor did many of those he fought alongside, both his superiors, and those under his command. He died in battle in the Spring of 1864, at the age of thirty-one, not surprising, as he was never one to set back and let his soldiers do the fighting. He was often right up there with the rest of them. I find it amazing that he lived as long as he did.
The author provides new details about Stuart’s childhood and youth. He also provides sufficient details from letters between Stuart and his wife, Flora, to show us a man who was eager for glory, daring sometimes to the point of recklessness, but a devoted and loving father and husband. Stuart had a good relationship with General Robert E. Lee, and a special friendship with Stonewall Jackson. While normally being held in great respect by the soldiers who served under his command, Stuart’s relationships with his subordinate officers was often complicated and troubled. But there can be no doubt the he was one of the finest cavalrymen that the South ever put on the field.
If you enjoy Civil War histories, this nonfiction book is about as good as it gets. Cavalryman of the Lost Cause is a book that’s worth “reading every word.”
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause – A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart, by Jeffrey D. Wert; 2008, hardcover,dust jacket, indexed, 496 pp + xiii, Published by Simon & Schuster, $32 U.S.; $37 Canadian; also available as a trade paperback or as an ebook. For more information, see www.simonandschuster.com – or order from your favorite bookstore, or order
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart
