Major General J.E.B. (James Ewell Brown) Stuart was the Confederacy’s most celebrated cavalry commander, known for his boldness, mobility, and flair. Dressed in a plumed hat and often accompanied by banjo-playing troopers, he embodied the romantic image of the Southern cavalryman. Stuart excelled at reconnaissance, screening Confederate infantry, and conducting wide-ranging raids that disrupted Union supply lines.

His intelligence gathering was crucial to Robert E. Lee’s early successes. Though admired for his daring, his aggressive style sometimes risked leaving Lee without vital information. Stuart’s death in 1864 deprived the Confederate Army of one of its most charismatic and capable leaders.