Description: "Serving from late 1862 to the war's end, Wade Hampton's Scouts were a key component of the comprehensive intelligence network designed by Generals Robert E. Lee, J .E. B. Stuart, and Wade Hampton. The Scouts were stationed behind enemy lines on a permanent basis and provided critical military intelligence to their generals. They became proficient in "unconventional" warfare and emerged unscathed in so many close-combat actions that their foes grudgingly dubbed them Hampton's 'Iron Scouts.' " -- Back cover.
Brief description: Michael Thomas is a lifelong student of southern history, with special emphasis on the War Between the States. He holds a BA in history from The Citadel and is a U.S. Navy veteran of Vietnam. He spent several years as a volunteer with the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia doing research and writing on Chesterfield County Confederate soldiers. He coached and umpired Little League Baseball for thirteen years and later spent several years as a WBTS reenactor. Now retired after thirty-one years in international trade, he is back in his home state of South Carolina.
Review Quotes: Thomas has done a superb job of scouring various sources to put together a history of a neglected branch of the Confederate army. He not only details their exploits, but provides brief biographical pieces on many of the scouts. Michael C. Hardy BlogSpot
For any connoisseur of local history, Civil War History or military history, Wade Hampton's Iron Scouts is a must read. Fairfax County TimesMost widely known for their prominent roles in the famous Beefsteak Raid and in the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads, the unit's full story is told for the first time in D. Michael Thomas's Wade Hampton's Iron Scouts. Though documents surrounding the unit's origins are scarce, according to the author the Iron Scouts were a Lee-Stuart brainchild that was assigned to Wade Hampton to create, with most of the initial contingent of picked men coming from the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry (with many different units eventually contributing members). Formed in late 1862, just 72 men served in the ranks of the Iron Scouts over the 2+ years of its existence. In addition to an organization and service history narrative, the book also includes a roster with quite a bit of biographical detail for each trooper gathered from a variety of sources. Civil War Books and Authors