Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry by Dave Tabler: The First Delaware Cavalry's Story

What is Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry?

Dave Tabler’s Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry: A Failure of Command tells the story of the First Delaware Cavalry through the diaries of three of its sergeants. Drawing from the diaries of three sergeants, the 364-page book tells the story of the First Delaware Cavalry through the diaries of three of its sergeants. The title is scheduled for release on January 1, 2027, in hardcover and ebook editions, as listed on the author's book page and Barnes & Noble.

A border state's cavalry

Delaware, a slave state that remained in the Union, its contribution to the Union army is often overlooked next to larger states. The First Delaware Cavalry served in 1863 and 1864. Its best-known moment came at Westminster, Maryland, in late June 1863, when a small Delaware detachment charged a much larger force of Confederate cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart. The fight delayed Stuart's march at a critical point in the Gettysburg campaign.

The failure of command

The subtitle points to the book's argument. Tabler examines the regiment's commander, Major Napoleon Bonaparte Knight, whose leadership failures shaped the unit's experience and who was eventually dismissed from the service. Reviewers describe the book as a bottom-up account, rather than starting with generals and strategy, it uses the sergeants' own words to show how decisions from above felt to the men who carried them out. Kirkus Reviews reviewed the book ahead of publication.

Why diaries matter

Enlisted soldiers' diaries are among the most valuable Civil War sources because they were written close to events, before memory and postwar reunions smoothed the story. Having three diarists from the same unit lets a historian cross-check accounts and see where they disagree. For readers, they bring the daily texture of camp life, marches, illness and boredom that official reports leave out.

About the author

Tabler is a writer on American history, The Delaware Division of Libraries lists him in its guide to Delaware authors.

Who it suits

Civil War readers who prefer soldiers' perspectives, anyone interested in the Gettysburg campaign's cavalry actions, Delaware and Maryland local history readers, and genealogists with ancestors in the regiment.

Book details

• Title: Delaware's Forgotten Cavalry: A Failure of Command
• Author: Dave Tabler
• Release: January 1, 2027 (scheduled)
• Length: 364 pages
• Formats: hardcover and ebook