EDWARD G. LONGACRE IN HIS "THE CALVALRY AT GETTYSBURG" PRAISED JAMES HARRISON WILSON, AS A "...DYNAMIC NEW CALVALRY LEADER... ." LONGACRE TOOK WILSON AND BREATHED LIFE INTO THE LESSER KNOWN BUT BRILLANT UNION HORSEMAN, WHO GAVE CONFEDERATE NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST HIS ONLY 'LICKIN' IN THE CIVIL WAR. AFTER A SHAKY LEARNING EXPERIENCE AS DIVISION COMMANDER IN THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN IN 1864, WILSON CHARGED HIS WESTERN CALVALRY CORPS CONTINUALLY AFTER JOHN BELL HOOD'S BELEAGURED ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE UNTIL IT BECAME LITTLE MORE THEN A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER STRENGTH. NEVERTHELESS, LONGACRE DELIVERED HIS PROMISE OF A BALANCED BIOGRAPHY IN HIS BOOK GRANT'S CALVALRYMAN: THE LIFE AND WARS OF GENERAL JAMES H. WILSON. WILSON WAS BORN IN 1837 AND GRADUATED SIXTH IN HIS CLASS AT WEST POINT JUST IN TIME FOR THE START OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. LONGACRE MOVED THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF MATURATION AND QUICKLY PLUNGED INTO HIS CIVIL WAR YEARS. THE GENERAL'S ACHIEVEMENTS AS WELL AS HIS EGOTISTICAL AND AMBITIOUS PERSONALITY ARE MINGLED IN AN INFORMATIVE TALE. WILSON WAS SO BOLD OR WAS IT ARROGANCE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO CRITICIZE THE GREAT U. S. GRANT, ONCE HIS IDOL. ALL OF WILSON'S MILITARY AND CIVIL LIFE IS PRESENTED FROM THE CIVIL WAR THROUGH THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. WILSON WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL EVENT CALLED THE BOXER REBELLION IN CHINA, WHILE AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY, HE PUSHED FOR COMMAND OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN WORLD WAR I. SCORES OF BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT FLAMBOYANT CALVALRY LEADERS LIKE CUSTER, STUART, AND SHERIDAN, WHO POSSESS A MOSIAC OF ABILITIES AND SHORTFALLS. BUT WILSON ACHIEVED MILITARY SUCCESS IN BOTH THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY FAR SURPASSING ANY OTHER FORMER CIVIL WAR CALVALRY LEADER. MR LONGACRE HAS GIVEN THE GENERAL HIS JUST DUE.