- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Location
- Spring Hill, Tennessee
Well, who was it? No poll, just name them. Fitz, Wilson, Stone, Wilder?
As for the Western theater, for the Union I would say Wilson for his raid in 1864 and 1865 and Grierson similarly with a shout-out to mounted infantry commanders like Wilder. The Union armies in the west suffered an organized cavalry shortage. The Army of the Ohio, Army of the Cumberland and the Army of the Tennessee did not have a organized cavalry corps until late 1864 when Sherman's entire department organized a cavalry corps under Wilson. Sherman nor Grant were entirely efficient in use of cavalry, with Rosecrans arguably having the best use of cavalry in his Tullahoma campaign.
For the Confederates, I'd say Forrest by default. Like Shelby, I would necessarily consider him a first class cavalrymen, but more a raider/dragoon style commander. Van Dorn's career in the saddle was far too short to judge, Morgan is overrated, Wharton was transferred, and Wheeler shouldn't be really considered for the best of anything. The remaining Confederates, Red Jackson, Joseph Kelly, William T. Martin, etc., didn't really rise to a high enough rank or have an impact that could measured like the former commanders did.