"Draw Sabers! A Cavalryman's Story of the Civil War" is a historical novel of a young man and his friends in the 5th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in the Civil War. Written as a novel, it follows the life of these young men based on the main character's military records, the unit roster, the unit's history, and several resource books about the 5th Ohio, including some firsthand accounts. The training that they went through was condensed from two years into six months due to a need for Union manpower. Once they were trained, they were not fully armed for an entire year. They went into their first engagements with sabers, poor quality pistols, and one hundred and twenty carbines for a regiment of 1,100 men. They were involved at the battles around Chattanooga and Shiloh where, due to their inferior pistols and lack of weapons, they were put in reserve. Once they finally received enough Colt Pistols, Burnside Carbines, and sabers for all the men, they became a force to be reckoned with. They fought through Mississippi, where several of them were captured, and spent a few months in Cahaba prison before being exchanged. They endured horrible weather and rode through the night or slept on the ground wrapped up in their blankets, with the reins of their horses tied to their wrists. They were eventually assigned to Kilpatrick's command under Sherman, battling around Atlanta, through Georgia to the sea, then up through South and North Carolina. Many times, they endured lack of rations and feed for their horses and had to forage for sustenance on their march to the sea. Once the war ended in April of 1865, they did not get mustered out until October 30th, 1865. This story will give you insight into the hardships of a cavalryman during the Civil War, as well as some of the good times that they had. So, Draw Sabers and enjoy a good story!
