Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisor: George B. Forgie. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Problem and Thesis: This thesis concerns itself with the role of cavalry as it emerged in western campaigns in the American Civil War from April 1862 to June 1863. The concepts of the role of cavalry that existed prior to the War, both in Europe and the United States are surveyed. This, like the historiographical scrutiny of cavalry studies, sets up a frame of reference for the reader to avoid the impression that the situation in the American Civil War existed in isolation. The main problem was to separate role from the topics of tactical evolutions, styles of fighting, the effects of weaponry, the influence of terrain, and actual tactical employment in battle. It is the author's contention that these more obvious points have really only obscured the true nature of the role of mounted troops in the American Civil War. These problems are important, but entirely separate from role, or the duties and responsibilities of an arm of the service in war. The roles of the several arms have not altered significantly although sophistication has allowed greater refinement in approach and greater efficiency in execution. Thus it is the main argument of this thesis that the role of cavalry remained much the same during the American Civil War in spite of surface alterations in approach and efficiency in the waging of war. Approach: The Western Theatre was chosen as the area for study because it has been relatively neglected in Civil War Historiography and it was there that the genuinely decisive battles were fought. The fate of the South was really sealed in the Mississippi Valley and not in the East in the stalemate which was the general character of the war in that theatre. The study starts at the Battle of Shiloh, which was the first real test of combat in the West, and traces Braxton Bragg’s Invasion of Kentucky. The failure of that and the Confederate repulse at Corinth assured eventual Federal control of the West. Once the campaigns had been selected, a familiarity with the studies done on cavalry was undertaken and it was immediately obvious that the problem of the role of mounted troops had never really been undertaken. The bulk of the research for reconstructing the role of cavalry in the campaigns fell on the Official Records, the mainstay of any Civil War research. This was buttressed by other government sources, diaries, reminiscences, memoirs, letters and relevant secondary material. The role of the cavalry on both sides emerged fairly clearly from this research. It had a dual character, on the one hand being a shield oriented to the protection of the army at large and on the other hand being a dagger aimed for lightning-like thrusts at vulnerable points in the enemy’s side. This analogy successfully explains the role of cavalry that emerged from the campaigns studied. As a shield cavalry was defensive, subordinate, and tactical. The role of cavalry as a dagger was usually secondary to that as a shield, but it was nonetheless distinct and real. Then it was offensive, independent, and often strategical. Conclusions: A role for cavalry had emerged from the classic studies of Baron De Jomini, based on analysis of the Napoleonic Wars and written thirty years before. The role that emerged in the study was remarkably like that suggested by Jomini, although Jomini’s influence is not the subject of this inquiry. It seems, that in this manner at least, the American Civil War, although it exhibited dramatic changes in many ways, was in others quite orthodox. The war did not see a significant alteration in the role of cavalry although it saw shifts in emphasis and approach to that role as well as increased efficiency, in many cases, in its fulfilment. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

Typescript, etc. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

This thesis discusses the Reconstruction period in the southern United States, including the events leading up to Reconstruction, the socioeconomic factors of Reconstruction itself, and the effect it had on both black and white societies.

I explore nationalism within popular United States' history and analyze the nationalistic rhetoric within a popular novel, film, television documentary, and computer game that use the Battle of Gettysburg as their subject. With these examples I argue that popular history and entertainment cultivate social conditions amenable to war. Rather than strictly focusing on overtly and officially sanctioned political arguments, I interrogate recurring defenses of United States' nationalism within popular history and entertainment using the concepts of sociological propaganda and collective memory to further my argument. By focusing on popular representations of a seminal event in United States' history, I contend that such an event has been used to affirm nationalistic hegemony in the present.

Thesis (M.A.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1997. / "May 1, 1997." Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet.

Problem: The problem in this thesis was to determine the role of field artillery in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesborough and Chickamauga in the western theatre of the American Civil War — between April 6, 1862, and September 21, 1863. Little has been written about the role of artillery in any theatre of the war, and nothing about its significance in the west. Method: To develop a basis of information, it was necessary to become acquainted with the literature used by Civil War artillerists. By studying the two artillery text-books in use during the period, a theoretical model of the role of the guns could be constructed. This basis was reinforced by the reading of secondary material on the employment of artillery in other areas of the war, as well as general studies of the four battles on which this thesis is based. Having become conversant with both artillery theory and the general background of the campaign, it was then possible to design the research methods necessary to deal with basic primary sources. The reports printed in the Official Record form the core of the research done for this thesis. They contain two types of information, reports and correspondence, and statistical data. The statistical data provided a method of analysis of the organization and equipment of the field artillery units. A separate data sheet was set up for each battery in each of the four battles, and all information about the battery which was suited to statistical analysis were entered. The content of the sheets varied because the same data were not available for all units. This created problems in collating the information. In the end, the material was reduced to statistics which included the numbers of men, numbers of horses, types of weapons, numbers of casualties, ammunition used, and the parent formation to which the battery had been assigned. The mass of statistical data was then checked against the written reports published in the Official Record and other sources. Much of the material relevant to the study of artillery is not available in the former, however, so certain assumptions made in the thesis may be wrongly weighted. Nonetheless, the role of the guns has been reconstructed with some success. Conclusions: The thesis concludes that artillery functioned primarily in support of infantry. In attacks, the guns rarely influenced the outcome of the battles studied. When used to support a defence, field artillery could often lend valuable assistance. In at least one case, the guns played an important part in stopping a major Confederate attack. Between April 6, 1862,and September 21, 1863, both the Union and Confederate armies increased the numbers of their field artillery, an indication that, although they were not decisive in the battles studied, the armies must have considered the guns to be of value. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

This study traces the history of the 28th Texas Cavalry by using a traditional narrative style augmented by a quantitative approach. Compiled service records, United States census records, state tax rolls, muster rolls, and casualty lists were used to construct a database containing a record for each soldier of the 28th. Statistical analysis revealed the overwhelming southern origins of the regiment, the greater proportion of older and married men compared to other regiments, and a close resemblance to the people of their home region in terms of occupations, slaveholding and wealthholding.

The outbreak of civil war convulsed the entire nation. Nowhere were its effects felt stronger than in the border states. The states of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri found their inhabitants loyalties closely split over the secessionist issue. Under such an explosive situation, men of great courage and foresight were needed to safeguard the liberties of these states and avert the prospect of massive bloodshed. Isaac R. Trimble represented such a man capable of accomplishing such a task. Trimble had long been exposed to rigorous challenges. His loyalty rested with Maryland and its right to decide its own destiny. "Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, The Indefatigable and Courageous," is a story about this man's quest to resist what he considered to be Federal tyranny and regain his state's sovereignty. No matter what the hardship or price, Trimble willingly sacrificed to see his dream materialize. With the Confederacy, Trimble placed his fortune and fought to insure its survival. Even in defeat, Trimble remained convinced of Confederate virtue and Union despotism. Throughout the remainder of his life, Trimble continued to be a diehard warrior espousing the justness of the Confederate cause. / Master of Arts

A disgraced officer and an enlisted man forge an unlikely friendship through the desperate river battles waged along the Mississippi between Union forces and outnumbered Confederate defenders. Following their surrender, the two friends along with the other defeated Rebels are incarcerated in Northern prisoner of war camps where new challenges await them. Only one will survive. Based upon ten years of historical research, Long Road Home explores the trials and travails of George Spears and his friend, Eli Forrest. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1004/thumbnail.jpg