Suddenly, someone cried out that there was cavalry coming down upon us.

Who cried Colonel McIntosh?

Who the devil cares for cavalry?

Hear you rifles.

Take your positions along that fence and send them to the right about.

This was addressed to our company and we ran and took up position.

We saw the cavalry advancing upon us, but before they came within range of our rifles,

a shower of grape and trap-nose from Woodruff's battery sent them to the right about.

William Watson, Third Louisiana, at the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to episode number 48 of our Civil War podcast.

I'm Rich.

And I'm Tracy.

Hello y'all, welcome to the podcast.

After using the last several episodes to talk about infantry,

this week we're going to talk about another one of the Civil War combat arms, the cavalry.

At the start of the war, many recruits on both sides who joined the cavalry

imagined that their own experiences would mirror the exciting stories they had heard

about the Napoleonic Wars 50 years before.

Sturring stories of masses of saber-swinging riders charging one another

or thrilling tales of cavalry relentlessly pursuing broken infantry across the countryside.

Northern and southern horsemen, however, quickly learned that the reality of combat

in their war seldom matched that Napoleonic ideal.

...