Some Personal Reminiscences of Service in the Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac

In this lively memoir a former Union cavalry officer recounts the sights, sounds, and hardships of his four‑year Civil War service. After a brief stint in the infantry, he traded his musket for a horse, discovering a better fit for the fast‑moving cavalry life. Early skirmishes at Dranesville and the first heavy firefight introduce readers to the chaotic reality of battle and the sudden loss of comrades.

The narrative then shows how cavalry troops were scattered across duties—escorting generals, scouting enemy positions, and launching daring raids. He vividly describes his first decisive mounted charge at Falmouth, where his squadron drove the enemy from the heights and earned him a promotion to captain. These episodes reveal the camaraderie among troopers and the stark contrast between the romantic image of cavalry and the gritty, exhausting reality of long rides, constant vigilance, and sudden combat. Listeners gain a ground‑level view of a soldier’s life in the Army of the Potomac, far from the grand strategies of history books.