In an exciting exposition, Michael R. Bradley brings to life the Confederate cavalry operations during the winter of 1862. These strategic plans centered on an unprecedented use of horsemen in carefully orchestrated maneuvers to successfully strike behind enemy lines. The series of daring raids by Confederate riders were led by Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, Earl Van Dorn and Joseph Wheeler. Although of widely different backgrounds and military expertise, these men earned a spot in history by taking advantage of the one area in which the Confederacy held superiority - their cavalry. Under their leadership, relatively small numbers of horsemen in gray held vastly superior Union forces in place for five months. Through a detailed, day-by-day analysis of their bold forays deep into Union territory, Bradley presents a clear and concise picture of exactly how these leaders revolutionized mobile warfare. This fascinating exploration of military strategy includes a final section that contains a breakdown of the regiments and individuals who were a part of what Bradley terms the "horsemen of the Confederate apocalypse."

Since 1970, Dr. Bradley has taught U.S. history at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He earned undergraduate degrees at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a masterís degree and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He has written extensively on the Civil War, including five books and numerous articles, book reviews, and papers relating to church and civil society. In 1994, he was awarded the Jefferson Davis Medal in Southern History.