On the Plains in ’65: The 6th West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry in the West

On the Plains in ’65 is a newly annotated edition of George H. Holliday’s memoir, offering a detailed account of his experiences as a young soldier in the 6th West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry during the American Civil War. At just 15 years old, Holliday enlisted in 1862 and later served in the western territories, including Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming, where he and his comrades protected mail and stagecoach routes along the Oregon Trail. This edition, edited by Glenn V. Longacre, contextualizes Holliday’s narrative within the broader history of Appalachian soldiers and their contributions to the Union war effort. Through extensive archival research and correspondence with Holliday’s descendants, Longacre enriches the memoir with biographical details, family history, and regional context, making it a valuable resource for scholars of Civil War, frontier, and Appalachian history.