William M Hopkins

From Bull Run to Appomattox William M Hopkins

The author joined the Confederate army when he was seventeen years old and served in the 6th Virginia Cavalry until Robert E. Lee surrendered the Southern forces at Appomattox Court House. As a cavalry officer, he served in some of the bloodiest battles of the war and was a POW twice, returning to active combat after release. He often spent 18 hours a day on horseback as Lee's army campaigned to Gettysburg, through the Appalachians, and back to Richmond, and as Stuart's regiments provided the swift patrolling. Spending time with horses gave him a great appreciation for the vital part they played in the war effort. He is clearly sympathetic with them for the suffering they endured and for the tremendous numbers of them killed in action. His retelling of feeding his horse by pulling dead grass from underneath a cover of frozen snow until his fingers bled adds a very human touch. This Greenman edition has been reformatted and modernized for the contemporary reader.