At the request of Union general Ulysses S. Grant, in 1864 Major General
Frederick Steele stripped the Department of Arkansas of twelve thousand
men--half its strength--to support an expedition in Louisiana. And while
the depleted infantry remained largely in garrison, the 8th Missouri
Cavalry and its counterparts were ordered to patrol central Arkansas
under horrid conditions and protect the state from guerrilla Rebels. The
regiment spent nine long months battling against Confederate general Jo
Shelby's efforts to raid the White River Valley behind Union lines while
simultaneously battling to secure Arkansas' borders. Join author David
Casto as he explores the 8th Missouri Volunteer Cavalry's perilous
excursion into enemy territory.