Mitchell, Adele H., ed. The Letters of
Major General James E.B. Stuart. [S.l.]: Stuart-Mosby Historical Society,
1990.
As one who has studied General Stuart, his
life, and his campaigns at length, I can say that it is impossible to know the
man (however imperfectly at the remove of nearly a century-and-a-half) without
having read and re-read this rare, important, and unique collection of his
letters.
From the Introduction by Col. James Ewell
Brown Stuart, IV (U.S. Army, Ret.):
“General Stuart was an outstanding military
leader who brought the arm of Cavalry to a level that had not before been
achieved. He used his position to serve as an inspiration for all of those who
served with him, not only subordinates, but also contemporaries. The method he
used to inspire his men against formidable odds can be best summarized with a
statement he made: ‘The only way we can whip the enemy is through a greater
spirit and desire to win—I must strive to inculcate in my men the spirit of the
chase.’ General John Sedgwick of the Union Army was quoted as saying: ‘Stuart
was the best Cavalry Officer ever foaled in America’.”
