Saddle and Saber: The Letters of Civil War Cavalryman Corporal Nelson Taylor

Corporal Nelson Taylor wrote 103 letters to his family in Clifton Park, New York, while he served with the Ninth New York State Volunteer Cavalry from his enlistment in 1861 through his discharge in October 1864. This collection of letters is unique; it is an unbroken series. Taylor graphically describes some of the 141 separate engagements his regiment was involved in. He does not dwell on battle scenes, the carnage, or statistics, however, but writes poignantly of the everyday life of a soldier. One becomes aware of his feelings and emotions about warfare: the closeness of cavalry combat and the uncertainties of the cavalryman’s day-to-day survival, for such highly mobile units were usually the vanguard of assaults. Dr. Taylor has added explanatory notes on the formation of the Ninth New York State Volunteer Cavalry in Chautauqua County, as well as on the forces influencing the movements of the Ninth New York Cavalry. Here is a book to enhance one’s appreciation of the critical role of the Union cavalry and the life of the cavalryman.