Sabres and spurs: the First Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry in the Civil War, 1861-1865: its origin, marches, scouts, skirmishes, raids, battles, ... of the regiment: illustrated with portrait

Ride with the men who carried the war on hoof and in the saddle, from first enlistment to the last weary homeward march. Horses, steel, and hard choices. Written by Chaplain Frederic Denison, Sabres and spurs is a firsthand civil war regimental history and military unit chronicle of the First Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry. Tracking this Rhode Island cavalry 1860s formation through the American Civil War 1861-1865, Denison follows marches, camps, cavalry raids and scouts, and the tense, close-range reality of Union cavalry skirmishes and battles. It is also an official records collection, gathering appropriate papers and returns, and closing with a regimental roll of honor and roll of the regiment that makes the book a practical civil war genealogy resource as well as a gripping narrative. From a chaplain's vantage, he notes morale, loss, and the strain of campaigning, yet he records hard-won victories with quiet pride in the men behind the sabres and the spurs too. As an illustrated cavalry history, it is enriched with Civil War maps and portraits that trace the regiment's war-path and place its commanders and cavalry generals in view. Few unit histories balance story with documentation so effectively, which is why this remains a trusted military history reference book for researchers and a handsome, era-defining volume for classic-history collectors. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today -- a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.