ebooks The Little Jeff: The Jeff Davis Legion; Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia by Donald A. Hopkins; Donald Hopkins in History

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. THE LITTLE JEFF: THE JEFF DAVIS LEGION; CAVALRY ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIABy Robert A. LynnTHE LITTLE JEFF: THE JEFF DAVIS LEGION; CAVALRY ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIADONALD A. HOPKINSWHITE MANE BOOKS; 1999HARDCOVER; $40.00; 325 PAGES; ILLUSTRATIONSFormed as the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Battalion at Manassas; Virginia with three Mississippi companies and one Alabama company on 24 October 1861. This was later increased to three Mississippi companies; one Georgia company; and two Alabama companies and re-designated the Jefferson or Jeff Davis Legion in late 1861. They were increased to a regiment with the addition of the three companies of the 4th Alabama Cavalry Battalion and Company D; 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion on 11 July 1864. However; by the end of that month; the 4th Alabama Cavalry Battalion was transfered to the Phillips Georgia Cavalry Legion.The Jeff Davis Legion served under Generals Hampton; Butler; and P.M.B. Young while participating in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Williamsburg to Cold Harbor; then was active north and south of the James River. In April; 1862; its strength stood at 171. It lost four wounded at Brandy Station and sustained four killed and ten wounded out of 246 at Gettysburg. On its withdrawal from Gettysburg; it suffered two killed and twelve wounded while sustaining three wounded during the Bristoe Campaign in October; 1863. In April; 1865; it was assigned to General Logan's Brigade and finally surrendered with the rest of Johnston's Army of Tennessee at Durham Station; Orange County; North Carolina on 26 April 1865.THE LITTLE JEFF: THE JEFF DAVIS LEGION; CAVALRY; ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA is the first complete and concise history of the Jeff Davis Legion; initially designated the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Battalion. Fighting under J.E.B. Stuart and Wade Hampton in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia; it later followed Hampton to Georgia and then to South and North Carolina. Though companies from Alabama and Georgia joined the regiment; it remained officially a "Mississippi" cavalry unit. They were the only Mississippi cavalry unit to fight as part of the Army of Northern Virginia.Author Donald A. Hopkins has written a richly detailed history of one unit and the cross section of men who organized and enlisted in this unit in April; 1861. Well-to-do landowners from Natchez and Savannah joined with rustic farmers and tradesmen from Mississippi and Alabama to form this illustrious unit of cavalrymen. This well-researched account is expertly woven together with first hand accounts to give the reader a better understanding of what it was like serving in the cavalry during The War Between The States. An outstanding unit history and engrossing reading.Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn; Florida GuardOrlando; Florida6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Finally a book on the Jeff Davis LegionBy Jerry A. LakeThe author expended a tremendous effort in researching the Jeff Davis Legion. He has created an interesting history of this unusual cavalry unit. Any one who is interested in the Confederate Cavalry will enjoy the detail information the author has dug out of the archives.23 of 23 people found the following review helpful. As author I consider this a unique C.S.A. Regimental HistoryBy Don HopkinsThis is the first complete history of The Jeff Davis Legion; initially designated the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Battalion. Fighting under Jeb Stuart and Wade Hampton it later followed Hampton to Georgia and the Carolinas. Though companies from Georgia and Alabama joined the regiment; it remained officially a "Mississippi" cavalry unit. They were the only Mississippi cavalry to fight as part of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.Among the men of the "Little Jeff" were educated elite from Natchez and Savannah and rustic farmers and country tradesmen from Kemper County; Mississippi and Sumpter and Barbour Counties; Alabama. Through first hand accounts we follow these soldiers from their early enthusiasm until camp life and sickness brought war into perspective. They fought their first engagement in late 1861 and from then on fought in most of Lee's campaigns. They were at Williamsburg; Seven Pines; Seven days; Antietam; Trevilian Station; Brandy Station; Gettysburg and countless smaller engagements They sustained some of their greatest losses at lesser known places like Upperville; Funkstown; Stony Creek; and Bentonville.Readers of this history should come away not only with an accurate characterization of the Confederate cavalryman; but also with an understanding of their place in the overall strategy of Lee's army. The related book; published simultaneously; "Horsemen of the Jeff Davis Legion" gives information taken from the individual cavalryman's service record from the National Archives as well as a wealth of information from other sources about each man. This should be useful as a geneological reference. Also contains statistics related to the Jeff Davis Legion and brief biographies of senior officers associated with it.Donald A. Hopkins