Download or read book Reminiscences of the Civil War written by John Brown Gordon and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 1903 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: GENERAL JOHN B. GORDON'S last work was the publishing of his "Reminiscences of the Civil War." This volume, written in his vigorous style and broad, patriotic spirit, has been most favorably received and read all over the country. Since his death this memorial edition is brought out; and it is appropriate that an additional introduction should accompany it, somewhat in the shape of a biographical sketch. General John Brown Gordon was an all-round great man--a valiant and distinguished soldier, an eminent statesman, a great orator, an author of merit, and a public-spirited and useful citizen. He was born in Upson County, Georgia, February 6, 1832. His father was the Rev. Zachary Herndon Gordon. The family was of Scotch extraction, and its members fought in the Revolutionary War. He received his education at the university of his native State, and by profession was a lawyer. At the breaking out of the war, in 1861, he enlisted as a private soldier, and was elected captain of his company. His career was perhaps as brilliant as that of any officer in the Confederate army. In rapid succession he filled every grade--that of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier-General, Major-General, and, near the end, was assigned to duty as Lieutenant-General (by authority of the Secretary of War), and while he never received the commission in regular form, he commanded, at the surrender at Appomattox, one half of the Army of Northern Virginia, under Robert E. Lee. At the close of the war he had earned the reputation of being perhaps the most conspicuous and personally valiant officer surviving, and the one generally regarded as most promising and competent for increased rank and larger command. His imposing and magnificent soldierly bearing, coupled with his splendid ringing voice and far-reaching oratory, made him the "White-plumed Knight of our Southland" and the "Chevalier Bayard of the Confederate Army." He had the God-given talent of getting in front of his troops and, in a few magnetic appeals, inspiring them almost to madness, and being able to lead them into the jaws of death. This was notably done at Fredericksburg, and again on the 12th of May, at the battle of Spottsylvania Court House. He greatly distinguished himself on many bloody fields. I mention now, as most prominent, the battles of Seven Pines, Sharpsburg or Antietam, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Cedar Creek, Petersburg, and Appomattox. At Sharpsburg he was wounded five times, but would not leave his troops till the last shot laid him helpless and insensible on the field. A scholarly professor of history in one of our Southern universities recently stated that in his study of the great war on both sides he had found but one prominent general who, when he was in command, or when he led a charge, had never been defeated or repulsed, and that general was John B. Gordon.
Download or read book Reminiscencies of a Confederate soldier of Co C 2nd Va Cavalry written by Rufus H. Peck and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-12-18 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Reminiscencies of a Confederate soldier of Co. C, 2nd Va. Cavalry" by Rufus H. Peck is a private's view in a day-by-day kind of a journal format. The book doesn't just share the horrors of the Civil War. It also discusses the mentality and the culture of what it meant to be a soldier in the confederate army. The action but also the many moments of downtime and camaraderie with fellow soldiers described in depth.
Download or read book Berry Benson s Civil War Book written by Berry Benson and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Confederate scout and sharpshooter Berry Greenwood Benson witnessed the first shot fired on Fort Sumter, retreated with Lee's Army to its surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, and missed little of the action in between. This memoir of his service is a remarkable narrative, filled with the minutiae of the soldier's life and paced by a continual succession of battlefield anecdotes. Three main stories emerge from Benson's account: his reconnaissance exploits, his experiences in battle, and his escape from prison. Though not yet eighteen years old when he left his home in Augusta, Georgia, to join the army, Benson was soon singled out for the abilities that would serve him well as a scout. Not only was he a crack shot, a natural leader, and a fierce Southern partisan, but he had a kind of restless energy and curiosity, loved to take risks, and was an instant and infallible judge of human nature. His recollections of scouting take readers within arm's reach of Union trenches and encampments. Benson recalls that while eavesdropping he never failed to be shocked by the Yankees' foul language; he had never heard that kind of talk in a Confederate camp! Benson's descriptions of the many battles in which he fought--including Cold Harbor, The Seven Days, Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg--convey the desperation of a full frontal charge and the blind panic of a disorganized retreat. Yet in these accounts, Benson's own demeanor under fire is manifest in the coolly measured tone he employs. A natural writer, Benson captures the dark absurdities of war in such descriptions as those of hardened veterans delighting in the new shoes and other equipment they found on corpse-littered battlefields. His clothing often torn by bullets, Benson was also badly bruised a number of times by spent rounds. At one point, in May 1863, he was wounded seriously enough in the leg to be hospitalized, but he returned to the field before full recuperation. Benson was captured behind enemy lines in May 1864 while on a scouting mission for General Lee. Confined to Point Lookout Prison in Maryland, he escaped after only two days and swam the Potomac to get back into Virginia. Recaptured near Washington, D.C., he was briefly held in Old Capitol Prison, then sent to Elmira Prison in New York. There he joined a group of ten men who made the only successful tunnel escape in Elmira's history. After nearly six months in captivity or on the run, he rejoined his unit in Virginia. Even at Appomattox, Benson refused to surrender but stole off with his brother to North Carolina, where they planned to join General Johnston. Finding the roads choked with Union forces and surrendered Confederates, the brothers ultimately bore their unsurrendered rifles home to Augusta. Berry Benson first wrote his memoirs for his family and friends. Completed in 1878, they drew on his--and partially on his brother's--wartime diaries, as well as on letters that both brothers had written to family members during the war. The memoirs were first published in book form in 1962 but have long been unavailable. This edition, with a new foreword by the noted Civil War historian Herman Hattaway, will introduce this compelling story to a new generation of readers.
Download or read book Reminiscences of the Civil War written by John Brown Gordon and published by . This book was released on 1904 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For many years I have been urged to place on record my reminiscences of the war between the States. In undertaking the task now, it is not my purpose to attempt a comprehensive description of that great struggle, nor an elaborate analysis of the momentous interests and issues involved. The time may not have arrived for a full and fair history of that most interesting period in the Republic's life. The man capable of writing it with entire justice to both sides is perhaps yet unborn. He may appear, however, at a future day, fully equipped for the great work. If endowed with the requisite breadth and clearness of view, with inflexible mental integrity and absolute freedom from all bias, he will produce the most instructive and thrilling record in the world's deathless annals, and cannot fail to make a contribution of measureless value to the American people and to the cause of free government throughout the world ... I have also recorded in this volume a large number of those characteristic and thrilling incidents which illustrate a unique and hitherto unwritten phase of the war, the story of which should not be lost, because it is luminous with the noblest lessons. Many of these incidents came under my own observation"--Introduction.
Download or read book Reminiscences of Confederate Service 1861 1865 written by Francis Warrington Dawson and published by . This book was released on 1882 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bayonet Forward written by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given in memory of Lt. Charles Britton Hudson, CSA & Sgt. William Henry Harrison Edge, CSA by Eugene Edge III.
Download or read book Military Memoirs of a Confederate written by Edward Porter Alexander and published by New York : C. Scribner's sons. This book was released on 1907 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Download or read book Memoirs of a Confederate Gentleman written by Thomas William Tear and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2011-05 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Thomas received two news clippings from his favorite aunt, he never could have anticipated the historical odyssey that the obituary and the story about the sale of an antebellum plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, would take him on. Intrigued by all things Civil War, he travels to South Carolina to the estate sale and purchases a trunk in which he finds the diaries of Major Charles McGuire. The diaries inspire him to write The Memoirs of a Confederate Gentleman... Charles Everson McGuire was born into a world of peace and plenty. Life for him and those he loved would promise only more of the same. Upon his eighteenth birthday, he is sent to England for his education and to learn the family textile manufacturing business. As the years pass and war becomes inevitable, the drums and bugles call from across the Atlantic. Charles realizes that he must go home and confront the issues of states' rights, slavery, and family obligations head on. Upon his return, Charles marries the beautiful and spirited Josephine St. John. He promises his new bride he will not join the conflict between the states, but that promise is soon broken when the Confederacy convinces him that his help and resources are critical for victory. But victory is not to be for the South. The horror of war and the devastation of the major's homeland and his way of life lead him to question his faith and all that he has been taught. Charles finds that he must pick up the pieces of his shattered life and build a new existence for him and those who depend on him. But will he be able to start a fresh life in the new union? Thomas William Tear lives in the quaint, historic town of New Castle, Delaware, where he designs reproductions of historic clothing for Civil War reenactors. He has written numerous short stories and information pamphlets. Memoirs of a Confederate Gentleman is his first novel.
Download or read book Reminiscences written by Robert Milton Howard and published by . This book was released on 1912 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Fighting for the Confederacy written by Gary W. Gallagher and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2000-11-09 with total page 693 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published by UNC Press in 1989, Fighting for the Confederacy is one of the richest personal accounts in all of the vast literature on the Civil War. Alexander was involved in nearly all of the great battles of the East, from First Manassas through Appomattox, and his duties brought him into frequent contact with most of the high command of the Army of Northern Virginia, including Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and James Longstreet. No other Civil War veteran of his stature matched Alexander's ability to discuss operations in penetrating detail-- this is especially true of his description of Gettysburg. His narrative is also remarkable for its utterly candid appraisals of leaders on both sides.
Download or read book A Woman s Civil War written by Cornelia Peake McDonald and published by Univ of Wisconsin Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cornelia Peake McDonald kept a diary during the Civil War (1861- 1865) at her husband's request, but some entries were written between the lines of printed books due to a shortage of paper and other entries were lost. In 1875, she assembled her scattered notes and records of the war period into a blank book to leave to her children. The diary entries describe civilian life in Winchester, Va., occupation by Confederate troops prior to the 1st Manassas, her husband's war experiences, the Valley campaigns and occupation of Winchester and her home by Union troops, the death of her baby girl, the family's "refugee life" in Lexington, reports of battles elsewhere, and news of family and friends in the army.
Download or read book Civil War Talks written by GEORGE S. BERNARD and published by . This book was released on 2024-06-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George S. Bernard was a Petersburg lawyer and member of the 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Over the course of his life, Bernard wrote extensively about his wartime experiences and collected accounts from other veterans. In 1892, he published War Talks of Confederate Veterans, a collection of firsthand accounts focusing on the battles and campaigns of the 12th Virginia that is widely read to this day. Bernard prepared a second volume but was never able to publish it. After his death in 1912, his papers became scattered or simply lost. But a series of finds, culminating with the discovery of a cache of papers in Roanoke in 2004, have made it possible to reconstruct a complete manuscript of the unpublished second volume. The resulting book, Civil War Talks, contains speeches, letters, Bernard's wartime diary, and other firsthand accounts of the war not only by veterans of the Confederacy, such as General William Mahone, but by Union veterans as well. Their personal stories cover the major military campaigns in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania--Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, and Appomattox. For the general reader, this volume offers evocative testimonies focusing on the experiences of individual soldiers. For scholars, it provides convenient access to many accounts that, until now, have not been widely available or have been simply unknown.
Download or read book Mosby s War Reminiscences and Stuart s Cavalry Campaigns written by John Singleton Mosby and published by . This book was released on 1887 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Reminiscences of a Confederate Soldier of Co C 2nd Va Cavalry Illustrated Edition written by Rufus H Peck and published by . This book was released on 2015-10-22 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A year by year account of the author's experiences during the American Civil War.
Download or read book Reminiscences of the Civil War Classic Reprint written by John Brown Gordon and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2018-03-02 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Reminiscences of the Civil War The mountaineers did me the honor to elect me their captain. It was the first Office I had ever held, and I verily believed it would be the last; for I expected to fight with these men till the war ended or until I should be killed. Our first decision was to mount and go as cavalry. We had not then learned, as we did later, the full meaning of that war-song, If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry; but like most Southerners we were inured to horseback, and all preferred that great arm Of the service. This company Of mounted men was organized as soon as a conflict seemed probable and prior to any call for volunteers. They were doomed to a disappointment, NO cavalry now needed was the laconic and stunning reply to the Offer Of our services. What was to be done, was the perplexing question. The proposition to wait until mounted men were needed was promptly negatived by the suggestion that we were SO far from any point where a battle was likely to occur, and so hidden from view by the surrounding mountains, that we might be forgotten and the war might end before we had a chance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Download or read book Reminiscences of Confederate Service 1861 1865 written by Francis Warrington Dawson and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Reminiscences of Confederate Service" is a personable memoir of a young Londoner who ran the blockade to fight for the Confederacy. First published seventeen years after the end of the Civil War, this book by Francis W. Dawson is the only memoir by a British citizen who saw active service in the Confederate navy and army.
Download or read book Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer written by Gilbert Moxley Sorrel and published by . This book was released on 1905 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This memoir takes the reader inside the workings of the Confederate army staff. Sorrel was a relatively unknown officer who rose through the ranks to become General Longstreet's most trusted associate. Sorrel's memoir makes no claims to strategic analysis. It simply relates what he saw and the events of which he was a part. His vantage point was, however, in many ways unique. His service with Longstreet brought him into the thick of many of the war's decisive engagements.
