Cleburne and His Command

by Irving A. Buck

‘Cleburne received orders to advance, which he did with his center and right, driving in the enemy’s skirmishers. His main line was found in rear of the works from which Polk and Wood had been repulsed that morning. Semple’s and Douglas’s batteries were placed within 200 yards of these works, and opened a destructive cannonade upon them, silencing batteries which had been firing upon Cleburne’s line…’

Cleburne and His Command , originally published in 1908 and for many years out of print, here presents a vivid panorama of the skirmishes, battles, and campaigns overseen by General Patrick Cleburne. This Confederate memoir, written by Irving Buck whom served under Cleburne as his Adjutant Captain, recounts the charmed life of Cleburne in unpretentious, accessible narrative style that stresses his valiant bravery and resourcefulness against the backdrop of his grand military exploits.

That is not to say that this Civil War memento is without action and adventure. It follows Cleburne through several campaigns and many hardships, from being wounded in the mouth at Richmond, bodily trauma caused by cannon shot in Perryville where his horse was also killed, through the horrors and carnage of Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge among many others, before finally recounting his death at Franklin. His stubbornness and bravery on the battlefield earned him his high rank, as well as the sobriquet, ‘Stonewall of the West’.

Irving Buck’s intimate knowledge of Cleburne’s achievements – many of which he shared – and his character, coupled with Buck’s reserved judgement and objective writing, make this memoir an invaluable addition to the bookshelves of Civil War collectors.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1908