The ACW Story: Your American Civil War newsletter.

Keeping you in touch with the history of the American Civil War.

Issue #2 – June 1, 2013

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Hi!

Welcome to the second issue of The ACW Story!

The theme of this issue is the singular Confederate cavalry commander General Joseph Orville “JO” Shelby. Shelby was an interesting character, and definitely one of the heroes of the American Civil War.

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Quote of the Month

"Shelby was the best cavalry general of the South. Under other conditions, he would have been one of the best in the world"

- General Alfred Pleasonton

General Pleasonton was a Union cavalry commander who fought against the legendary cavalry commander General JEB Stuart early in the war, and General Shelby later in the war.

General "Jo" Shelby

Recently I had the opportunity to write an article for Legends of America, and I chose to write about Confederate General "JO" Shelby.

Most of the article dealt with Shelby's Great Raid through Missouri. During this raid, Shelby and his men are said to have inflicted over 1,000 Union casualties, taken ten forts, and destroyed more than $2 million worth of Union supplies. This raid led to a popular saying in the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi: “You’ve heard of JEB Stuart’s ride around McClellan? Hell brother, Jo Shelby rode around Missouri!”

Here are some brief excerpts from the introduction and conclusion of that article:

" Shelby had no military education when the war began. Rather, he was a natural warrior who, as one biographer put it, “…fought like a man who invented fighting…" One of his greatest feats during the war was what is remembered as Shelby’s Great Raid...

~~~~~~~~~~ ...Shelby was one of the most interesting characters of the Civil War. He was an untrained officer who rose to be regarded as one of the best cavalry commanders of the war, and his legend still lives in modern times. He and the men he took to Mexico are often remembered as “The Undefeated,” with a John Wayne movie of that name supposedly based on Shelby’s story. His impact was remembered for many years, especially by the men who served with him, as is evidenced by the following verse:

Ho Boys! Make a Noise!

The Yankees are afraid!

The river's up, hell's to pay—

Shelby's on a Raid!"

Head on over to Legends of America to read the entire story of Shelby's daring raid behind Union lines and into Missouri.

Trivia Question of the Month!

Who was the Union General who finally succeeded in turning back Shelby and his raiders?

Hint: Check out this article I wrote for Legends of America to find the answer.

Give your answer by replying to the question that is posted on our Facebook page. All correct answers get to give themselves a pat on the back!

America's Civil War Magazine

America's Civil War Magazine provides history enthusiasts with comprehensive and authoritative insight and analysis of the American Civil War. This magazine has strong emphasis on the battles, strategies, leaders, and little known facts and facets of the Civil War (just the kind of stuff we like!). Each issue is packed with a wide range of articles on different aspects and theaters of the war. Finally, to top it all off, it is beautifully illustrated with historic photographs, period and modern artwork and detailed battle maps. Check out this great magazine now! America's Civil War

What else is new on the website?

Here are some articles that have been added or updated in the past month:

Gatling Gun - The Gatling Gun was the first easy-to-use, reliable machine gun invented, and it saw limited use during the American Civil War. This article tells the story of how this innovative weapon was invented.

George Armstrong Custer - General Custer is often remembered only for his failures at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but there is much more to the story of this Civil War General. This article tells the story of General Custer's time at West Point and his rise as a Civil War hero.

Civil War Magazines - This is a quick guide to some of the top Civil War magazines available right now.

See new and updated articles anytime by going to our blog.

Thanks for reading The ACW Story from American Civil War Story.

See you next month,

Mark

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