Reed Anthony, Cowman: An Autobiography

Born in the Shenandoah Valley in 1840, he grew up surrounded by cattle and the rhythms of a plantation. Early lessons came from his father's market trips to Baltimore, where the family drove hundreds of steer over mountain roads, and from a school he rode to on a pony that left more room for races than recitation. The narrative captures his youth—the clang of saddle‑bags, the gentle ox that led the herd, the mix of white and Black laborers, and his mother’s quiet encouragement as he first took the reins. These formative journeys give him a keen eye for the livestock business and a deep respect for the land.

In his teenage years the Civil War thrust him into the Confederate commissary, where he managed beef supplies for an army on the move. Wounded early, he stayed with the quartermaster, shepherding thousands of cattle through campaigns from Pennsylvania to Gettysburg and the retreat thereafter. The memoir blends vivid battlefield logistics with enduring pull of the ranch, offering listeners a glimpse of how a Virginia farm boy became a lifelong cowman.