Directed by the U.S. War Department in 1859 to prepare a new, revised manual for U.S. cavalry operations, then-Col. Philip St. George Cooke produced this book after extensive research of cavalry tactics used by the advanced nations in Europe, where he had been an observer in the Crimean War (1854-1856). Originally published in 1860, the book was revised in 1861 and 1862. This 1862 Government Printing Office edition combines the former two volume work into one book.