author
Basil Wilson Duke
1838–1916
A Kentucky lawyer turned Confederate cavalry commander, he later became one of the best-known writers to record his side of the Civil War. His life spans battlefield service, public work after the war, and years spent shaping how the conflict was remembered.
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, earning a law degree before beginning practice in St. Louis. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederate cause and became closely associated with John Hunt Morgan, eventually rising to brigadier general.
He was badly wounded and captured after Morgan's 1863 Ohio raid, then returned to service and later commanded Confederate cavalry in the war's final phase. After the war, he resumed law and public work, including service connected with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
He is also remembered as a historian and memoirist. Books such as History of Morgan's Cavalry and Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke helped preserve his personal account of the war and made him a prominent voice in postwar Civil War memory. He died in New York City on September 16, 1916.