About J.D.

About

J. David Petruzzi

J. David "J.D." Petruzzi is a long-time student of the American Civil War, with a specialty in cavalry operations.

J.D. first developed an interest in the Civil War as a young boy. His love for horses and every young boy's passion for "Cowboys and Indians" and the American West soon led into a deep interest in the cavalry. Early visits to Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields, and various historical sites, led him to begin collecting related books and documentation of all kinds.

J.D. has always enjoyed writing and speaking. During his four years at DuBois (Pennsylvania) Central Christian High School, he was a member of the National Forensic Society Debate Club. He qualified for and attended the National Finals from his sophomore to senior years, and during his senior year he was named the #2 Debater in the United States at the National Finals in Chicago, Illinois. At graduation, J.D. was the Valedictorian of his senior class.

In 1987, J.D. graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. degree in Insurance, and today owns a successful insurance brokerage. He also holds several post-graduate financial degrees.

J.D. continued to collect materials related to the Civil War as well as his other interests, such as Colonial America and Ancient Rome (his family has been directly traced as far back at 15th Century Italy). Today he has one of the largest collections of Civil War cavalry-related materials in private hands. In 1998, J.D. began a website called "BufordsBoys" which soon became a popular site memorializing cavalry officer John Buford and his contributions to the Gettysburg Campaign and the mounted arm in general.

The following year, J.D. met fellow Civil War cavalry enthusiast Eric J. Wittenberg, another life-long student of the horse soldiers. Eric's first book, Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions had recently been released, and the pair began working together and sharing material they had gathered. Along with fellow enthusiast Michael Nugent (a retired armored cavalry officer) they visited many related historical sites and academic repositories. In 2000, J.D. and Mike began living history portrayals of cavalry officers at Gettysburg, and to the present day give talks and displays on the Gettysburg Battlefield with the full sanction of the National Park Service.

In 2002, J.D. appeared in the Rob Child movie production of "The Boys in Blue and Gray," a docu-drama of Gettysburg, as Gen. John Newton. The film can still be seen occasionally on Public Television stations nationwide. In 2003, J.D. played the role of Col. Thomas Devin in Child's production of "Three Days of Destiny," the official docu-drama film of the Gettysburg 140st Anniversary. Michael Nugent appeared in the film as Col. William Gamble, also one of Buford's brigade commanders at Gettysburg. The film has been broadcast internationally, and has won eight national awards.

J.D.'s first magazine article appeared in the March 2005 issue of America's Civil War magazine. Titled "The Fleeting Fame of Alfred Pleasonton," the article chronicles the war career of the commander of the Federal Cavalry Corps during the Gettysburg Campaign. Subsequent articles appeared in the magazine, including various works on the Federal cavalry at Gettysburg, and Elijah White's Confederate cavalry battalion.

In 2006, J.D. and Eric's vision of working together on a full-length book treatment of a cavalry subject came true. Their first collaboration, Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (Savas Beatie), was released to wide acclaim. The first detailed historical narrative of the Confederate cavalry commander's advance to Gettysburg in 1863, the book garnered a host of positive reviews. The first edition of the book sold out the first week after release, and went into a third edition in late 2007. Several articles based on the book have appeared in popular magazines such as Civil War Times and the Gettysburg Magazine.

Eric and J.D., with Michael Nugent, then collaborated on a book detailing the armies' activities over the ten days following the Gettysburg Battle. One Continuous Fight: The Retreat From Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 will be released by Savas Beatie June 1, 2008, in time for the 145th Anniversary of the battle. The book is the first-ever detailed historical narrative of the nearly two dozen battles and skirmishes that took place during the retreat, as well as the decision-making of both armies. Like Plenty of Blame, the book includes a detailed driving/walking tour of the related sites discussed in the book. J.D. and Eric have several more book projects in the works.

The next collaboration for J.D. and Eric is a book on Jubal Early's Raid on Washington in July 1864, which will include Harper's Ferry, the Battle of Monocacy, and the fighting at Ft. Stevens. They will be gathering material for this project throughout the spring and summer of 2008, and hope to complete the book by this fall or early in 2009. It will likewise be published by Savas-Beatie Publishing LLC.

J.D. is also the Cavalry Editor of the Gettysburg Encyclopedia, which is being published by Savas Beatie. Formatted just like an encyclopedic reference work, the book will consist of everything Gettysburg. Working with project editor Brad Gottfried and fellow cavalry associate Mike Nugent, J.D. is compiling all the entries for the cavalry arm during the campaign for the book.

J.D. is also currently working on a Gettysburg-related title, in conjunction with master Civil War cartographer Steven Stanley, who does the beautiful maps for the Civil War Preservation Trust as well as America's Civil War magazine. More details about this book will be released later this year.

J.D. enjoys giving tours of cavalry-related sites, especially those at Gettysburg, and speaking to groups on related subjects. He is a popular speaker at Civil War Roundtable meetings, and participates in several book-signing events throughout the year.

An outdoor enthusiast, J.D. enjoys fishing, gardening, and traveling. He lives in Western Pennsylvania with his wife, Karen, and their playful dachshund Buddy.