Fred Waring later wrote a book of reminiscences which are fascinating reading. He served as a brigade commander in Benjamin Grierson’s division at the battle of Brice’s crossroads, Mississippi in June 1864. The other cavalry brigade commander was Frederick Winslow, who also wrote a book of reminiscences

In August 1864 this division was sent to Northeast Arkansas to reinforce the garrisons in and around Batesville. Now the two brigades were led by Winslow and karge. Christen was not present

The Transfer occurred because Joseph Shelby was recruiting 8000 men and he was obtaining weapons for them by reading various union fortresses northeast Arkansas. Here’s a link to the battle of the Ashley station where is Shelby captured a lot of prisoners and a lot of weapons.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_at_Ashley%27s_Station

At this time, sterling Price was preparing to invade Missouri with three divisions of cavalry. Shelby left Northeast Arkansas to join Price. Frederick Steele, in command of the department of Arkansas, made the mistake of sending the division of cavalry and part of the western wing of the infantry in the union sixth Army Corps under Joseph Mower. The federals pursued Shelby for over a month. The cavalry division was idrastically reduced in numbers because lost a lot of sick men and a lot of sick horses on this chase. The second included the brigade commander Karge. They didn’t reach St. Louis Missouri until early October.

Alfred Pleasanton, who commanded the cavalry in Missouri, merged the first and second brigades into a single brigade under Winslow. Since he commanded four brigades of cavalry, he designated Winslow’s brigade as the fourth brigade.

By this time, Price and his army, we’re heading west word through Missouri towards Kansas. Pleasanton had dispatched two brigades of Missouri state militia cavalry under General John Sanborn to keep an eye on Price. But he was avoiding serious battles until the fourth brigade arrived.

The fourth brigade fight in three battles alongside the rest of the division. In the closing stages of the battle of independence on the afternoon of October 22, 1864 They pushed the cavalry division of John Marmaduke westward from independence to the banks of the big blue river.

On The morning of October 23, they carried Byram’s Ford on the big blue river with an attack that drove Marmaduke’s confederates off the battlefield. In the afternoon, when Jeff Thompson and Joseph Shelby attacked the cavalry brigade of John Sanborn near the mockbee farm and drove this brigade back, the fourth brigade counter-attacked and routed the Confederates.

I should point out that Winslow was wounded in the attack at Byram’s Ford and Frederick Benteen (Who later served with Custer and the seventh US cavalry in Montana) took over the brigade

On October 25, 1864 in the battle of mine, run mine Creek, the fourth brigade broke a confederate battle line held by the divisions of Marmaduke and Fagan and captured all the confederate artillery on the field, +6 or 800 prisoners. The only thing that saved the Confederates from complete destruction was the arrival of Joseph Shelby and his brigade.

I decided to post all this information because I believe the fourth brigade was an exceptionally good cavalry unit.