Three Critical Small Cavalry Fights

This is a remarkable book. Author O’Neill first wrote on this subject, and with this title, thirty years ago. But over the course of the last thirty years, he has continued to investigate in ever increasing depth the events that took place in the Loudoun Valley prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. Digging ever deeper into archives, including multiple letters written by participants that are more available by digital means, his conclusions have undergone considerable change.

As he says in his introduction, the story begins with Brigadier Alfred Pleasanton, arguably “the most polarizing officer in the Union cavalry corps. No officer’s role in the Loudon Valley has been more misunderstood or more represented.” I will not go into detail concerning the battles. Suffice to say, the book is both superbly written and eye-opening.

Well illustrated and mapped, with several valuable appendices, if you’re only going to buy two Civil War books this year this probably should be one of them.

Note: Small but Important Riots is also available in e-editions.

StrategyPage reviews are published in cooperation with The New York Military Affairs Symposium

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