Member Review The First Arkansas Union Cavalry 1862-1865 by Russell Mahan

Rusk County Avengers

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Muster Stunt Master Stones River / Franklin 2022
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The First Arkansas Union Cavalry 1862-1865
by Russell Mahan

Published by Historical Enterprises Santa Clara, Utah
108 pages including index, endnote, and bibliography
1st edition 1996 2nd edition 2019
ISBN-9780999396254
Retail Price-$12.95 based on online search

This is a great little book! That's all of the review folks.

Just kidding, I bought this book the same time as the last book I reviewed, covering the small 1863 Battle of Fayetteville, Arkansas (https://civilwartalk.com/threads/th...kansas-april-18-1863-by-russell-mahan.164400/) by the same author, which considering the Union's 1st Arkansas Cavalry and its Colonel were instrumental in that battle, I re-read a lot of stuff. Not that that takes away from this book, as in the former it covered the 1st from its formation till the battles aftermath, this one covers its entire existence, with some extras thrown into the regiments early history, so I'd recommend both books.

This book is not a long one at only a hundred and nine pages, and makes for a quick read full of unheard of historical gems, in an unheard of theater of the war that doesn't get near the attention it rightfully deserves. We start out with its formation and go on from there, with the final chapters digressing a little bit to cover the also unknown "Post-Colony System" illegally seizing private lands and re-distributing them to Unionist refugees, and as covered in the book one Union Brigadier General was adamant this system made neutral, or Unionist families on their own land, pro-Confederate overnight. I won't go too much into detail on the history of this system here, (why spoil you reading the book yourselves), but it was system to feed refugees and Union soldiers that would have caused a scandal if it were implemented by say, by Grant or one of his officers, but like so much in the Trans-Mississippi this was ignored, and forgotten and in should without a doubt be studied by any student of the war.

Getting to the obvious, this is a book about a loyal Southern regiment, a subject too often ignored in studies of every theater of the war. The author does an excellent job of giving valuable glimpses into their lives in the blue uniform. From soldiers being woefully undersupplied, and one man shot by a General for retreating during the Battle of Prairie Grove, to the soldiers ignoring their officers and going to their homes to sleep rather then at their garrison showing us just how un practical it is keeping troops native to an a place, garrisoned in their home town. We get humorous records, such as one regimental surgeon recording a mans death as "from lack of brains" in the official record, to interesting facts as on of these Arkansas Union cavalryman, disobeying the Colonel to go to Springfield, Missouri without leave to tend to his duties as a member of that State's Legislature. We also get glimpse into Battles like Prairie Grove and Fayetteville, as well as countless fights with Bushwhackers. Most interesting of all, we get to see cavalrymen stationed in and responsible for patrolling a mountainous region, and them being without horses because of the short amount of time it takes to render an entire regiment's worth of horses useless.

We just get good well researched history, in a small quickly read package with this book. History that is without a doubt unjustly forgotten, for no reason other than these Union men weren't from Virginia or Tennessee garrisoning their hometowns. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to any student of the American Civil War/War of Southern Independence (I'll let the individual reader pick their poison) regardless of what region, battle, theater, or subject in general for the simple reason its a good book that many will learn something new from and probably enjoy reading.

Plus its short enough you can afford the time spent reading it.

Michael Pepper
Coffeeville, TX
"Rusk County Avengers" on CivilWarTalk
 
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Thanks for the review. I have every intention of doing a lot of reading on Civil War Arkansas one of these days. There really isn't a lot of attention paid to Union regiments from Confederate states.
 
Thanks for the review. I have every intention of doing a lot of reading on Civil War Arkansas one of these days. There really isn't a lot of attention paid to Union regiments from Confederate states.

Well, this one a good place to start. Real quick informative read. 1st Arkansas Cav. US is my new favorite Union regiment from the CSA.
 
Thanks for the review. I have every intention of doing a lot of reading on Civil War Arkansas one of these days. There really isn't a lot of attention paid to Union regiments from Confederate states.
A good starting point is "Lincoln's Loyalists Union soldiers from the Confederacy" Richard Current North East University Press and "The Terrible Thirteenth" about the bad boys of the 13th Tennessee Union Cavalry.
Leftyhunter
 
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