Co. Aytch, ' Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side Show of the Big Show

By Sam R. Watkins, Samuel R. Watkins, Sam R Watkins, et al.

Book Overview

Smoke drifts, orders bark, and a private in butternut tries simply to survive and remember. A single voice cuts through. In "Co. Aytch, Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment; or, A Side Show of the Big Show", Sam R. Watkins turns his confederate soldier autobiography into an intimate civil war memoir book, written from the marching feet of the Army of Tennessee rather than the officers' tents. With dry wit, pain, and stubborn humanity, Watkins recalls army of tennessee campaigns in the Western Theater, long marches, comrades lost, and the strange ordinary moments threaded through battle. His confederate infantry experiences place the reader in the ranks of a western theater confederate unit, grounded in American Civil War Tennessee and beyond. Long valued by historians as a vivid civil war primary source, it speaks just as strongly to general readers who want the human truth of historical military nonfiction, for Shelby Foote readers and Hardtack and Coffee fans alike. Clear, conversational, and unvarnished, it is ideal for civil war history students, homeschool civil war reading, and anyone curious about the everyday life of a common soldier. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today -- a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9353606667
• ISBN13: 9789353606664
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

One of the greatest Civil war books ever written!

One of the greatest Civil War books ever written. It is the first hand account of a Confederate private from Columbia, Tennessee fighting in some of the bloodiest battles and skirmishes of the war. Sam Watkins of the "Maury Greys" saw a lot of fightin' and dyin' while serving as part of Company H in the Army of Tennessee. He had many brushes with death and risked capture on several occasions. Read his accounts of the battles at Shiloh, Atlanta, Franklin, and Nashville just to name a few. This book is something every serious Civil War buff should have in his or her library.

Well Told Private's View of Confederate Service

Sam Watkins writes a novel like autobiography of his years with the Army of Tennessee. His service saw the front lines of every major battle including Shiloh, Chickamagua, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville. Amazingly, this rebel came through intact and lived to vividly record his experiences.This book is much more impressionistic than a historic telling of the facts (which Watkins reminds the reader frequently). It lays bare the attitude of a rebel private (although one suspects Watkins is much more literate and sophistocated than many of his fellows in the ranks) who endured starvation, forced marches, punishing battles and the monotony and arbitrary nature of camp life while serving a losing cause.Watkins does an excellent job of letting the reader into his head. He reveals well the base existence and actions of ordinary soldiers who paid for the drama of the Civil War with their youth, blood and life.

the absolute best book on the army of tennessee!

the best diary of a civil war veteran i have ever read!!