The Fifth New York Cavalry in the Civil War

The Fifth New York Cavalry was a volunteer regiment organized in response to the Union defeat at the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. The citizen-cavalrymen who made up the regiment came from across New York State and from every walk of life. In the following four years the unit became, according to contemporary sources, one of the finest cavalry formations in the field. The regiment’s history is told chronologically in the overall context of the Civil War and based upon primary sources, including official reports, diaries, letters and newspaper accounts. Wherever possible Fifth New York troopers speak to us directly, describing their experiences in the Shenandoah campaign of 1862, the epic encounter at Gettysburg, life in camp and on picket duty, the Wilderness in the spring of 1864 and again the Shenandoah in the fall of 1864.

Vincent L. Burns lives in Boise, Idaho.

Vincent L. Burns
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 304
Bibliographic Info: 10 photos, 5 maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7690-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0624-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Preface  1
1. And the War Came—1861  7
2. Spring in the Shenandoah—1862  27
3. In the Defenses of Washington—1863  45
4. Advance and Pursuit—1863  57
5. Three Days in July—1863  84
6. Retreat and Pursuit—1863  107
7. Virginia in Summer, Fall and Winter—1863–1864  128
8. Across the River—1864  168
9. Wilson’s Raid—1864  193
10. Autumn in the Shenandoah—1864  219
11. Cedar Creek—1864  242
12. The Final Months—1865  252
Epilogue  263
Chapter Notes  275
Bibliography  285
Index  289

“Burns thoughtful analysis and objective presentation are a pleasure to read. This book is a model for modernizing long-outdated regimental histories and is highly recommended”—Civil War News; “this is the first history of the regiment…and Burns has done a good job of it. An excellent regimental history, this book also helps remind us that service in the cavalry was by no means as glamorous as is usually thought, and was often much more arduous than being in the infantry”—The NYMAS Review; “this is the first history of the regiment, and independent Civil War scholar Burns has done a good of of it…excellent”—Strategy Page.