A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery

First printed in 1907, A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery presents a nearly contemporary view of the lauded Confederate unit.

Recruited from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (with many troops volunteering from nearby Maryland), this Confederate cavalry unit fought under General Stonewall Jackson early in the Civil War. Led by one of the grandest "cavaliers" of them all―General Turner Ashby―until his death in early 1862, the unit eventually formed part of General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corps, moving back and forth between the tidewater and the Valley as military necessity dictated.

"Of all the Confederate images that survive from the American Civil War, few surpass that of the Southern cavalry in its boldness, recklessness, and dash. One of the most famous mounted units to serve the Confederacy was the Laurel Brigade. [These] horsemen gained recognition for their determination and skill as warriors on the field, while at the same time acquiring a reputation for an indifference to military discipline and organization. In time the brigade matured, due in large part to a string of commanders who instilled discipline and turned the Laurel Brigade into one of the most versatile units in the army."―from the Introduction