Nicknamed "Kill-Cavalry" because of the unusually high casualty rate among his men, cavalry commander Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was also the most notorious scoundrel in the Union army. Kilpatrick lied, thieved, and whored his way through the Civil War, yet managed to attain the stars of a major general. But despite his faults-or perhaps because of them-he is a fascinating character. This exceptionally well-researched biography (all the more remarkable given that Kilpatrick's daughter destroyed all her father's papers after his death) profiles one of the most interesting soldiers to ever wear Union blue.

Samuel J. Martin has published several articles in Civil War Times Illustrated, The Kepi, and Virginia Country, and is the author of Road to Glory: The Life of Confederate General Richard S. Ewell. This is his second book.