My passion is telling the stories of the American Civil War.

Publications

Hoosier Spies and Horse Marines: A History of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry, East Wing

Available NOW from McFarland Publishing

The demand for men for all branches of the Union army at the beginning of the Civil War was unfathomable. With barely a handful of undersized cavalry regiments in the United States army scattered around the western frontier, horsemen were especially needed. Volunteers from all across the northern states responded, including a group of Hoosiers that would comprise a half regiment of Union cavalry destined to fight in the eastern theater of war. Their role in the coming struggle would be far greater than their numbers would suggest.

From the backwaters of the war in Eastern Maryland to the epicenter of cavalry action in the east, they fought at Antietam, Brandy Station, Gettysburg, raids around Richmond and Petersburg and helped subdue the Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley. Their war ended at Appomattox as the escort for one of the most famous generals to come out of the Civil War. Along the way they served as spies as well as fought in dozens of vicious little skirmishes and battles. Extensively researched, this is the story of a most remarkable group of Hoosier horsemen. Includes an annotated roster of the unit.

Also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online merchants.

SECRET MISSION

North and South magazine

May 2023

Series II Volume 3 Number 5

https://northandsouthmag.com/shop/series-ii-volume-iii-issue-5-digital/

In May, 1863, the Bureau of Military Information of the Army of the Potomac saw an unusual posting in the Richmond newspapers which led to a secret mission for two companies of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry, earning the nickname “Horse Marines” once again.

Accompanied by a young staff officer named George A. Custer, the two companies go behind enemy lines into the Northern Neck of Virginia in search of a group of travelers.

Having presented over 25 CWRT programs over a broad range of topics in 5 states, feel free to contact me about your group’s needs.

CWRT PROGRAMS

a group of scouts of the Bureau of Military Information of the Army of the Potomac

A group of BMI scouts pose for the camera.

The Bureau of Military Information (BMI) was the brainchild of Major General Joseph Hooker upon taking command of the Army of the Potomac. Long a stickler for accurate military information, he ordered the Bureau to be an all source intelligence gathering and analyzing unit.

Under the organizational skills of Colonel George Sharpe, the Bureau became the United States’ first modern military intelligence organization. They provided outstanding service during the Gettysburg campaign and served effectively until the end of the war. The story of this little known organization shines new light on what we thought we knew about the American Civil War.

Other topics available include: ”Galvanized Yankees”: The story of Confederate prisoners of war who chose to serve in the Union army on the western frontier, and “The Battle of Tom’s Brook: the story behind the Woodstock Races”, the fight between two West Point classmates, George Custer and Thomas Rosser. “The Making of a Book”: the process of research and writing a Civil War unit history.