Under Custer's Command: The Civil War Journal of James Henry Avery (Memories of War) |
 |
George Armstrong Custer’s fabled Fifth Regiment fought with great distinction throughout the war and suffered the thrid highest total of men killed in the entire Union cavalry. A twenty-four-year-old farmer and new father from Hopkins, Michigan, named James Henry Avery was one of Custer’s feared “Wolverines.” |
| Besides eloquently describing his personal experiences, Sergeant Avery’s wartime journals and postwar reminiscences provide uniquely detailed descriptions of Civil War cavalry movements and the only known account that addresses the escape of elements of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry on the first day of the Battle of Trevilian Station. |
"A first-class read whether for the cavalry expert or someone coming to the subject for the first time."
-- North and South
"Best book on Custer [for the year 2000]. . . . Likely the best memoir by an enlisted cavalryman during the Civil War."
-- Military Heritage
"Chronicling the hardship and glory of wartime service with George Custer’s famed Michigan Brigade, Avery’s memoir is an insightful record of one Federal trooper’s experience on campaign and battlefield. His narrative is an important contribution to our understanding of the Union cavalry’s emergence as a potent agent of victory."
-- Brian C. Pohanka
"A worthy addition to any well-rounded Civil War library. Under Custer's Command promises to stand the test of time long after many other works have been forgotten."
-- Civil War Book Review |
