Lee's Tigers: The Louisiana Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia (Revised)

By Terry L. Jones

Book Overview

Sometimes called the "wharf rats from New Orleans" and the "lowest scrapings of the Mississippi," Lee's Tigers were the approximately twelve thousand Louisiana infantrymen who served in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia from the time of the campaign at First Manassas to the final days of the war at Appomattox. Terry L. Jones offers a colorful, highly readable account of this notorious group of soldiers renowned not only for their drunkenness and disorderly behavior in camp but for their bravery in battle. It was this infantry that held back the initial Federal onslaught at First Manassas, made possible General Stonewall Jackson's famed Valley Campaign, contained the Union breakthrough at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle, and led Lee's last offensive actions at Fort Stedman and Appomattox.Despite all their vices, Lee's Tigers emerged from the Civil War with one of the most respected military records of any group of southern soldiers. According to Jones, the unsavory reputation of the Tigers was well earned, for Louisiana probably had a higher percentage of criminals, drunkards, and deserters in its commands than any other Confederate state. The author spices his narrative with well-chosen anecdotes-among them an account of one of the stormiest train rides in military history. While on their way to Virginia, the enlisted men of Coppens' Battalion uncoupled their officers' car from the rest of the train and proceeded to partake of their favorite beverages. Upon arriving in Montgomery, the battalion embarked upon a drunken spree of harassment, vandalism, and robbery. Meanwhile, having commandeered another locomotive, the officers arrived and sprang from their train with drawn revolvers to put a stop to the disorder. "The charge of the Light Brigade," one witness recalled, "was surpassed by these irate Creoles."
Lee's Tigers is the first study to utilize letters, diaries, and muster rolls to provide a detailed account of the origins, enrollments, casualties, and desertion rates of these soldiers. Jones supplies the first major work to focus solely on Louisiana's infantry in Lee's army throughout the course of the war. Civil War buffs and scholars alike will find Lee's Tigers a valuable addition to their libraries.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807127868
• ISBN13: 9780807127865
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: LSU Press
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

tigers

I loved this book. I think it should be required reading in all our high schools.

That Fightin Tiger Spirit, Good Read!!!

I wish that I would have read this book before I visited all the sites that the Tigers fought. Thank God my memory is decent and that the book was well written. It is a must for any civil war history lover. It not only gives a very good account of the Louisiana troops, but also a pretty good overview of what took place during the War of Northern Aggression.

Caught up in history of Lee's Tigers.

Very interesting account of the battles and travels of Lee's Tigers. The book put a personal account of the battles that made the stories more realistic and personal. The only thing that could have helped would have been more maps of where the Louisiana companies were during the many battles.

Rowdy Tigers

I am a Civil war reenactor in a unit that portrays Co. b of the 1st Special Btn. (the original Tigers)- and when I first got started in the unit 2 years ago it proved most helpful in the factt hat it brought all of the 'little sources' together that i otherwise probably owuld have never found. It includes all of the Louisiana units that served in the ANV and if you portray a Louisiana soldier i would highly suggest reading this. It is not only full of info that is highly valuable to the historian/reenactor of Louisiana troops but the stories of these guys are entertaining as well- They weren't called Tigers only for their striped pants... The tales of their shenanigans are endless!

The Fighting Tigers of the Army of N. Virginia

Louisiana gave two full brigades of infantry to the Army of Northern Virginia. These fierce warriors were known as the Tigers. The fighting prowess of the Louisiana Tigers was unsurpassed by any infantry on either side. At First Manassas, The Louisiana Fighting Tiger Rifles made first contact with the Union Army and fought an heroic delaying action on the extreme left flank of General Beauregard's army, thus giving time for the Confederate Army to react to having its left flank suddenly and unexpectedly turned. At Second Manassas, the Tigers repulsed a Union assault with rocks after the ammo ran out. At Gettysburg, the Tigers actually captured Cemetery Hill on July 2d. At Petersburg, the Tigers were hand picked to lead a last-ditch effort to break the siege. The Fighting Tigers rewarded Lee's confidence by capturing Fort Stedman. No other Confederate infantry achieved greater Glory. This book sheds much needed light on a topic that has never previously been dealt with in a book: The Louisiana Fighting Tigers.