James H. Wilson - Union Cavalry

[samgrant]

This guy Wilson seemed to have been everywhere, South Mountain and Antietam under McClellan, Vicksburg with Grant, and Chattanooga, was in the van in the Overland Campaign, back West under Sherman trained Kilpatrick's cavalry, then under Gen. Thomas fought at Franklin and Nashville, finally chased down and defeated Forrest in Alabama.

P.S. Also his troops captured Jefferson Davis!

Why don't we hear more about this guy?

[civilwarbuglertn]

My question would also have to be what is his record? And I would also have to remember that he was calvary, if I am correct, and that the Union calvary did not come into its own till later in the war.

[ole]

Excellent observation, Sam!
Know absotively nothing about the man or his role in finally forcing vital capitulations. Understand that he did, but know nothing about it. Curse follows: May the fleas of a thousand camels rush into your beard.
Ole

[hoosier]

Ole, I'm not sure whom you are cursing or why you are cursing at them.

But I thought the curse involved the fleas of a thousand sweaty camels.

[ole]

Hoosier:
I generally put a curse on anyone who brings up an interesting subject that I'm bound to pursue. The heap of those subjects grows faster than the stack of books in the "must read" pile and the "must buy" list.

A question? Do camels sweat?
Ole

[larry_cockerham]

General James H. Wilson is my favorite y a n k e e cavalryman, mostly because great-great grandpa Cockerham was his best blacksmith! He was no Nat Forrest, but he did finally provide Forrest with his final defeat. At that time he had the most guns, horses and men, which I suspose is what it took to win the war. He wrote a huge book after the war and continued to write his entire life, mostly as a career soldier. Forrest embarrassed him several times in 1864 in north Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. It was Wilson who won the last round at Selma, but by then the bells were starting to ring signaling the end of the bout. Wilson happened to be a friend of Uly Grant. That didn't hurt his career.

[larry_cockerham]

Yes, Ole, camels sweat. Worse yet, I saw one take a dump on the stage of the Radio City Music Hall a few years back during the finale of the Christmas extravazana. Except for the little man who kept flying out of the wall playing the organ, the camel was probably the highlight of the evening.

[richard]

There is a good book called Wilsons' Cavalry that is a very good read. It should take a few hours to read and it is very good. Mainly it centers on the area of fall of 1864 and early 1865.

[civilwarbuglertn]

Then can anyone answer why he was moved around so much?

[ole]

Then can anyone answer why he was moved around so much?

Could Forrest have had something to do with it?
Ole