Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets The Civil War (1861-1865)

Cavalry of the Civil War The Civil War (1861-1865)

---

Cavalry of the Civil War
Print Cavalry of the Civil War Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 7 to 10
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.07

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		stonewall, reconnaissance, cavalrymen, best, flamboyant, military, cavalry, command, artillery, mounts, highly, defense, battlefield, division, infantry, value
	content words:		Civil War, So Southern, Jeb Stuart, West Point, Union General, Nathan Bedford Forrest, General Grant, When General George McClellan, Old Sorrel, General Joe Hooker

---

Cavalry of the Civil War By Mary Lynn Bushong

---

¹     The sound of a trumpet and the rolling thunder of hooves echoed across the battlefield as a row of charging horsemen raced toward the enemy line. It's a scene that has been replayed through the ages from the earliest civilizations to the Civil War. It was the one romantic part of the war, like knights on horseback, they were the cavalry.
 
²     At the beginning of the war, many cavalrymen on both sides encouraged the romantic view of their job. They often dressed in flamboyant costumes and were armed with swords. That soon changed. The men found they needed lighter, more rugged clothing and equipment. It changed more quickly in the South, where the cavalry was used to its greatest advantage.
 
³     The Confederacy had more than one advantage when it came to its cavalry. The first was the preference for light, fast horses. They were perfect cavalry mounts. Also, because roads were often poor in the South, riding was more common than driving a carriage or wagon. Many young Southern horsemen had also taken part in group drills. So Southern horsemen had more experience on horseback and had practiced for battle.

Paragraphs 4 to 10:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on Cavalry of the Civil War

Leave your feedback on Cavalry of the Civil War   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

The Civil War
(1861-1865)

The Civil War (1861-1865)

---

More Lessons

High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons

---

United States

United States

American Government         Black History and Blacks in U.S. History         Children in History         Government Careers         Hispanic Heritage         How Can I Help?

Immigration         National Parks and Monuments         Native Americans         Presidents of the United States         Women's History

---

United States History

A Nation Divided (1840-1861)         A New Nation (1776-1830)         After the Civil War (1865-1870)         American Revolution         Cold War (1947-1991)         Colonial America (1492-1776)         Lewis and Clark (1804-1806)         Pearl Harbor         Spanish American War (1898)         The 1890's         The 1900's         The 1910's         The 1920's         The 1930's

The 1940's         The 1950's         The 1960's         The 1970's         The 1980's         The 1990's         The 2000's         The Civil War (1861-1865)         The Great Depression (1929-1945)         The United States Grows (1865-1900)         The War of 1812         Wild, Wild West         World War I (1914-1918)         World War II

---

50 States

Fifty States Theme Unit

---

Document Based Activities

Document Based Activities

Copyright © 2025 edHelper