author
Basil Wilson Duke
1838–1916
Remembered as a Confederate general and later as a writer, he left behind some of the most widely read personal accounts of the Civil War from the Southern side. His life moved from the battlefield to law, public service, and historical writing, making him a notable Kentucky figure long after the war ended.
2 Audiobooks
Famous Adventures and Prison Escapes of the Civil War
by Basil Wilson Duke, Thomas Henry Hines, Frank E. Moran, William Pittenger, A. E. (Adolphus Edwards) Richards, W. H. (William Henry) Shelton, Orlando B. Willcox, John Taylor Wood
History of Morgan's Cavalry
by Basil Wilson Duke
About the author
Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, on May 28, 1838, he studied at Georgetown College, Centre College, and Transylvania University before beginning a law career. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederate cause and became closely associated with John Hunt Morgan, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general.
After the war, he returned to civilian life as a lawyer and became active in Kentucky public affairs. He also worked for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, a role that connected him to the economic rebuilding of the postwar South.
He is especially remembered for his historical writing. His books and memoirs on Morgan and the war helped shape how later generations understood that period, and they remain important sources for readers interested in Civil War history. He died in New York City on September 16, 1916.