Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume 2. Breathed’s and McGregor’s Batteries
This book is a collection of memoirs by three veterans from the cavalry batteries of Capt. James Breathed and Capt. William McGregor’s units. Two of the accounts, written by Henry Matthews and Richard Dodson, were previously published in newspapers. The third, by George Shreve, has never been published before. Together they contribute to a sparse body of written accounts of the Confederate horse artillery under J.E.B. Stuart’s command. The Horse Artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia was initially led by Maj. John Pelham until it was divided into the 1st and 2nd Stuart Horse Artillery in September 1862. The first unit was placed under the command of Capt. James Breathed. The second unit originally was led by Capt. Mathis Henry, who was succeeded by Capt. William McGregor. All were capable commanders, and these three memoirs are, in fact, complimentary of the Horse Artillery’s leaders. Henry Matthews’ account particularly praises Breathed. The longest account is by Matthews. He details the unit’s actions throughout the war. Richard Dodson’s memoirs are less chronological and more anecdotal in nature. Comprised of short vignettes, Dodson’s account focuses attention on the summer and fall of 1862. George Shreve’s offering is very short in comparison to the other two. He gives a broad overview of the war as perceived during his service in the 2nd Stuart Horse Artillery. All three veterans tended to embellish their exploits. Editor Robert Trout is more than qualified to undertake this project. He is very familiar with the subject matter as the author of Galloping Thunder: The Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion and editor of Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion, Volume One. Trout provides a cautionary warning in his introduction about the reliability of the material. For example, he asserts that Dodson’s historical account leaves much to be desired. But Trout has done much more than bring to light three previously little-known accounts. He has supplemented the text with extensive footnotes. Indeed, it is the depth of these footnotes that makes this book such a valuable resource to people with an interest in learning more about Stuart or the artillery branch of his cavalry. Unfortunately, the rather steep price for this book may discourage some potential readers. Reviewer: Jay Jorgensen Jay Jorgensen has written several books about Gettysburg, including Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield. He is a Superior Court Judge in New Jersey.
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Bibliography, 368 pp., 2010, University of Tennessee Press,