Hailing from the south-central region of the state, the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry was forged during the Gettysburg Campaign in the third summer of the Civil War. Its charismatic officers included William H. Boyd and Oliver B. Knowles, who had honed their fighting prowess earlier in the war against fearsome Confederate tacticians John Mosby and John Imboden. The regiment's war record was dynamic and arduous, including service under Meade and Grant at Cold Harbor as infantry and making the last charge at Appomattox Court House as cavalry. After the war, veterans continued to honor their comrades, and two monuments were erected at Gettysburg to commemorate the regiment's proud service. Author Britt Charles Isenberg chronicles the gritty history of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry.
Britt C. Isenberg is a native of Millersburg, Pennsylvania. He has conducted thousands of tours and programs encompassing various aspects of the American Civil War as a public historian for numerous organizations. He has also been a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park since 2014. Some of his programs have been featured on Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN-TV) and CSPAN-History. Britt is the author of The Boys Fought Like Demons (2016) and coauthor (with James A. Hessler) of Gettysburg's Peach Orchard, winner of the 2019 Bachelder Coddington Award.