Gray cavalier

"William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, called "Rooney" by his family, was the second son of General Robert E. Lee. After attending Harvard, Rooney took up farming on his family's plantation. When the Civil War broke out, however, he immediately volunteered and was commissioned a captain in the Confederate cavalry.". "During the early years of the war, "Rooney" Lee served and fought in Virginia. Though a young man, he was quickly promoted on his talents - his famous father being careful not to interfere in his son's promotion track. As commanding colonel of the 9th Virginia Cavalry, he participated in J.E.B. Stuart's operations in the summer of 1862. Wounded at South Mountain, he was again promoted, this time to the rank of general.". ""Rooney" Lee earned a reputation for bravery and effective command as he led the 9th Virginia Cavalry at Chancellorsville. Wounded again at Brandy Station, he was shortly thereafter captured by Federal raiders and imprisoned. Late in the war, he was exchanged and promoted to the rank of major general - the youngest man in the Confederacy to hold this rank. By the war's end, he was one of the highest-ranking cavalry commanders in the Confederate army.". "Perhaps because he was so often eclipsed by his famous father, there has never been a study of the military career and accomplishments of this important Confederate commander. Using previously unpublished material from the Lee family archives, this new biography presents a vivid portrait and an authoritative, balanced appraisal."--BOOK JACKET.