title: Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions
author: D. Scott Hartwig
description: "For too many years the cavalry, especially the Federal cavalry, and their contribution to the success or failure of the armies to which they belonged has been largely ignored. Over the last decade that has slowly begun to change. Amid the continuing flood of publications on the battle of Gettysburg one might wonder in disbelief that any aspects of the battle are still 'unknown', but three cavalry actions on July 3rd on the southern flank of the armies fall into that category, especially Merritt's fight on South Cavalry Field. Eric Wittenberg's <I>Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions</I> rights that wrong. Whether the proper term is forgotten, unknown, or ignored, few people visit these three fields. After reading this book that will change. Armed with Eric's account, John Heiser's maps and some tantalizing 'what ifs' tomorrow's visitors to the park will discover an aspect of the great battle that few before have seen or appreciated, and finally the soldiers who fought and died there will take their rightful place alongside their more well known comrades." -- <i>Robert F. O'Neill, Jr., author of: <I>The Cavalry Actions at Aldie</I>, Middleburg, Upperville</i>
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  ![](../Images/www.gutenberg.org%40dirs%403%401%407%408%4031783%4031783-h%40images%40i002.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  GEN. GEORGE H. THOMAS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # WAS GENERAL THOMAS  
  
  
  SLOW AT NASHVILLE?
  
  
  
  
  
  #### WITH A DESCRIPTION OF
  
  
  
  
  
  ### The Greatest Cavalry Movement of the War
  
  
  
  
  
  #### AND
  
  
  
  
  
  ### General James H. Wilson’s Cavalry Operations  
  
  
  in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  #### BY
  
  
  
  
  
  ### HENRY V. BOYNTON
  
  
  
  
  
  #### Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. V.; Historian Chickamauga  
  
  
  and Chattanooga National Park Commission
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ##### NEW YORK  
  
  
  FRANCIS P. HARPER  
  
  
  1896
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ##### Copyrighted, 1896,  
  
  
  BY FRANCIS P. HARPER.  
  
  
  Edition Limited to 450 Copies.  
  
  
  No. 116
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ![](../Images/www.gutenberg.org%40dirs%403%401%407%408%4031783%4031783-h%40images%40i005.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## PREFACE.
  
  
  
  
  
  A recent revival of the venerable charge that General George H. Thomas was
  slow at Nashville led to the publication, i