The Evolving Tactics of the 4th Virginia Cavalry: A Study of the Adaptability of Stuart's Cavalry, 1861-1865

Very little has been written about the doctrine and tactics employed by Major General J. E. B. Stuart's Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. This study will examine how Stuart employed his cavalry in large-scale raids against his adversaries and as dismounted infantry in the battleline. These tactics contradicted the accepted European doctrine of the times, the doctrine that was taught by the U.S. military community in the mid-1800s. This study of the Confederate cavalry's evolution of tactics and .its employment in battle will center around the Fourth Regiment Virginia Cavalry, Stuart's Cavalry Corps, ANV. The sources used include official publications, manuscript collections, memoirs and other primary sources, as well as many secondary sources.