I Rode With Jeb Stuart

Major General J. E. B. Stuart (1833-1864) was one of the Confederacy’s greatest horsemen, soldiers, and heroes. As early as First Manassas (Bull Run) he was contributing significantly to the Confederate victory he subsequently displayed his daring and brilliance in the battles of Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Brandy Station,the most significant cavalry battle of the war, and Stuart’s finest moment. General Lee depended on Stuart for knowledge of the enemy, for, as he said, Stuart never brought him a piece of false information. But Stuart was mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern in May 1864. Not since the death of Stonewall Jackson had the South sustained so great a personal loss his rollicking, infectious gaiety and hard fighting were sorely missed in the grim last days of Lee’s army. By all accounts, I Rode with Jeb Stuart is the most reliable and persuasive portrait of Stuart offered by a contemporary, and it is indispensable for any thorough knowledge of the great Confederate cavalryman.