Berkeley

1961 · ref. 8559bd — Washington DC: The American Ordnance Association 1961. Tall octavo paperbound stiff stapled tan wrappers uncut 31 pp. Fine. From Foreword: Several years before the hundredth anniversary of the American Civil War the American Ordnance Association planned a series of monographs on the weapons of that conflict. The project has a twofold purpose. First to commemorate the event in some unique but appropriate way; secondly to make available to students of the Civil War authentic data on the characteriestics of the weapons with which the battles of that war were fought. The present work is devoted to cavalry weapons -- and with good purpose. As all students of strategy and tactics know the Civil War was an historic example of mobility reconnaissance and fast maneuver. Many of its battles rank in history as classical examples which have been used as guides by military leaders of all nations. In no area is this more cogent than that of cavalry tactics. Those tactics were dependent not only upon the skill of the cavalry commander the bravery of the individual cavalryman and the condition of his mount but also upon the capabilities of the wapons with which the units were equipped. Thus a knowledge of the military characterisitcs of the cavalry weapons of the time is essential to a proper appraisal of the decisions of cavalry commanders and the outcome of those decisions. In this respect the military characteristics of all wapons of all battles of all wars are basic elements in appraising the final outcome. It has been so in all history; it was especially so in the cavalry engagements of the American Civil War. The American Ordnance Association, 1961. unknown books