The Raiding Winter Hardcover - 2013

From the rear cover

In the spring of 1862, Confederate troop morale was low. Union forces continued to move farther into Southern territory, and Confederate commanders were forced to make a bold strategic change to defend themselves from the Yankees. In the process, they created a new style of warfare; they expanded the role of Confederate horsemen to include making tactical strikes behind enemy lines. In this focused, day-by-day account of Confederate raids on Union forces from December 12, 1862, through January 3, 1863, historian Michael R. Bradley recounts how Southern commanders were able to use their limited resources and complete the most successful mounted operation of the Civil War.

The revolutionary raids of 1862 and 1863 were led by Gens. Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, Earl Van Dorn, and Joseph Wheeler. Under their leadership, Confederate horsemen accomplished the unthinkable and stopped the Union advance for five months while cutting off supply and communication lines. Using a collection of secondary sources and excerpts from first-hand accounts of the events, Bradley narrates the significance of each commander and battle. His research conveys how these four men of diverse backgrounds and military experience came to lead the South to many strategic victories using mobile warfare. In compelling detail, Bradley relates the battles, strategy, and daring military pursuits that ultimately earned these four Confederate commanders a place in Civil War history.

From the jacket flap

In the spring of 1862, Confederate troop morale was low. Union forces continued to move farther into Southern territory, and Confederate commanders were forced to make a bold strategic change to defend themselves from the Yankees. In the process, they created a new style of warfare; they expanded the role of Confederate horsemen to include making tactical strikes behind enemy lines. In this focused, day-by-day account of Confederate raids on Union forces from December 12, 1862, through January 3, 1863, historian Michael R. Bradley recounts how Southern commanders were able to use their limited resources and complete the most successful mounted operation of the Civil War.

The revolutionary raids of 1862 and 1863 were led by Gens. Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, Earl Van Dorn, and Joseph Wheeler. Under their leadership, Confederate horsemen accomplished the unthinkable and stopped the Union advance for five months while cutting off supply and communication lines. Using a collection of secondary sources and excerpts from first-hand accounts of the events, Bradley narrates the significance of each commander and battle. His research conveys how these four men of diverse backgrounds and military experience came to lead the South to many strategic victories using mobile warfare. In compelling detail, Bradley relates the battles, strategy, and daring military pursuits that ultimately earned these four Confederate commanders a place in Civil War history.