They considered themselves Lee's Body Guard, cavalrymen specifically
recruited to serve as scouts, couriers and guides for General Robert E.
Lee. Though their battle experiences might pale compared to those of
soldiers under J.E.B. Stuart and Wade Hampton, the men of the 39th
Virginia served crucial roles in the Confederate army. From the fields
of Second Manassas to Appomattox Court House, they were privy to the
inner workings of the Confederate high command. They were also firsthand
witnesses to the army's victories and triumphs and to its tragedies and
trials, from losing Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville to losing the
opportunity to win the war at Gettysburg. Award-winning author Michael
C. Hardy chronicles the experiences of this unique group of Confederate
cavalrymen.