Kilpatrick and His Raid

A notorious commander of Union cavalry and his infamous raid into the Confederacy

The subject of this book, Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, claimed the dubious distinction of being the first Union Army officer to be wounded in the American Civil War. Commissioned in the Artillery, he quickly became an officer of Zouave infantry before joining the 2nd New York Cavalry as its lieutenant-colonel. It would henceforth be as a commander of cavalry that Kilpatrick would garner fame and infamy, for he eventually earned the nickname of ‘Kilcavalry’ because of alleged carelessness with the lives of his men. Kilpatrick rose quickly in rank until before the Battle of Gettysburg during which he was promoted to brigadier general. During the battle he ordered a pointless and rash charge which resulted in heavy casualties among his men, and the death in action of Brigadier General Farnsworth, whom Kilpatrick had accused of cowardice following his protests against carrying out orders he knew would result in disaster. Kilpatrick is particularly known for his raid through the Virginian Peninsula towards Richmond in 1864. The plan did not go well, particularly for a detached brigade under Ulric Dahlgren, which was savaged in a Confederate ambush which resulted in the death of Dahlgren. A political furore was caused when it was alleged that the purpose of the raid had been to assassinate Jefferson Davis. This unique Leonaur book relates Kilpatrick’s tempestuous career and gives insights into his raid from the perspectives of those who were involved in it on both sides of the battle lines.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.