Silent Cavalry

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A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist uncovers the overlooked story of Union soldiers from Alabama who played a crucial role in the Civil War, revealing how they were erased from history. While the narrative often credits Northern soldiers with victory, Howell Raines highlights the contributions of the First Alabama Cavalry, a regiment of 2,066 Alabamian yeoman farmers, including at least one of his ancestors. These "Mountain Unionists" were instrumental in General William Tecumseh Sherman’s campaign, earning his praise for their skills and bravery. The book explores why their story has been largely forgotten, linking it to a conspiracy aimed at undermining their contributions as part of the “Lost Cause” movement that sought to glorify white Southerners post-war. Raines, drawing on his Alabama roots and extensive journalistic experience, investigates this narrative suppression, implicating figures from a former Confederate general to Ivy League historians and a former Alabama State Archives keeper. By reclaiming the history of the First Alabama, the work serves as a powerful reminder of historians' ability to both erase and redeem narratives.