From That Terrible Field: Civil War Letters of James M. Williams, 21st Alabama Infantry Volunteers
by James Williams edited by John Kent Folmar
University of Alabama Press, 1981 eISBN: 978-0-8173-8567-5 | Paper: 978-0-8173-5675-0 | Cloth: 978-0-8173-0068-5 Library of Congress Classification E551.5 21st.W54 1981 Dewey Decimal Classification 973.782
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
“The well-written and candid letters of a reasonably articulate Southern officer, who paints a lucid picture of everyday life in the Confederate army in a little-known theater… Williams’s letters, personally written and shot through with his sharp sense of humor and folksy artwork, provide an excellent account of a long neglected theater of the American Civil War.” – Western Pennsylvania History
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
John Kent Folmar is retired as a history professor from California University of Pennsylvania.
REVIEWS
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“Williams’s letters are well-written, candid, realistic communications of an intelligent, honorable and judicious man.” –Bell I. Wiley
“The author of these letters was born in Ohio, moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he married Eliza Rennison [and] moved to Mobile in late 1860 on the eve of the Civil War. When the fighting started Williams quickly decided to support the Confederate cause and enlisted in the 21st Alabama Infantry Volunteers. From October 1861 to March 22, 1865, Williams wrote regularly to his wife. The correspondence thus chronicles the daily life of a literate Johnny Reb and his rise from private soldier to lieutenant-colonel. Especially noteworthy are his accounts of the battle of Shiloh and his long stay in service with the Mobile garrison. As Bell I. Wiley wrote: “The letters are well-written, candid, realistic communications of an intelligent, honorable, and judicious man.”
“… [A]n outstanding contribution to useful sources on soldier life.” – The Journal of Southern History
“The well-written and candid letters of a reasonably articulate Southern officer, who paints a lucid picture of everyday life in the Confederate army in a little-known theater… Williams’s letters, personally written and shot through with his sharp sense of humor and folksy artwork, provide an excellent account of a long neglected theater of the American Civil War.” – Western Pennsylvania History
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
I
Hall's Mill, Fort Gaines, and Camp Memminger: October 19, 1861–February 28, 1862
II
Fort Pillow, Shiloh, and Corinth: March 7–May 18, 1862
III
Tupelo: June 1–July 22, 1862
IV
Fort Morgan, Choctaw Bluff, and Oven Bluff: August 13, 1862–November 27, 1863
V
Fort Powell, Mobile Defenses, Spanish Fort, and Cuba Station: January 24, 1864–May 10, 1865
From That Terrible Field: Civil War Letters of James M. Williams, 21st Alabama Infantry Volunteers
by James Williams edited by John Kent Folmar
University of Alabama Press, 1981 eISBN: 978-0-8173-8567-5 Paper: 978-0-8173-5675-0 Cloth: 978-0-8173-0068-5
“The well-written and candid letters of a reasonably articulate Southern officer, who paints a lucid picture of everyday life in the Confederate army in a little-known theater… Williams’s letters, personally written and shot through with his sharp sense of humor and folksy artwork, provide an excellent account of a long neglected theater of the American Civil War.” – Western Pennsylvania History
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
John Kent Folmar is retired as a history professor from California University of Pennsylvania.
REVIEWS
Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4
“Williams’s letters are well-written, candid, realistic communications of an intelligent, honorable and judicious man.” –Bell I. Wiley
“The author of these letters was born in Ohio, moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he married Eliza Rennison [and] moved to Mobile in late 1860 on the eve of the Civil War. When the fighting started Williams quickly decided to support the Confederate cause and enlisted in the 21st Alabama Infantry Volunteers. From October 1861 to March 22, 1865, Williams wrote regularly to his wife. The correspondence thus chronicles the daily life of a literate Johnny Reb and his rise from private soldier to lieutenant-colonel. Especially noteworthy are his accounts of the battle of Shiloh and his long stay in service with the Mobile garrison. As Bell I. Wiley wrote: “The letters are well-written, candid, realistic communications of an intelligent, honorable, and judicious man.”
“… [A]n outstanding contribution to useful sources on soldier life.” – The Journal of Southern History
“The well-written and candid letters of a reasonably articulate Southern officer, who paints a lucid picture of everyday life in the Confederate army in a little-known theater… Williams’s letters, personally written and shot through with his sharp sense of humor and folksy artwork, provide an excellent account of a long neglected theater of the American Civil War.” – Western Pennsylvania History
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
I
Hall's Mill, Fort Gaines, and Camp Memminger: October 19, 1861–February 28, 1862
II
Fort Pillow, Shiloh, and Corinth: March 7–May 18, 1862
III
Tupelo: June 1–July 22, 1862
IV
Fort Morgan, Choctaw Bluff, and Oven Bluff: August 13, 1862–November 27, 1863
V
Fort Powell, Mobile Defenses, Spanish Fort, and Cuba Station: January 24, 1864–May 10, 1865
Notes
Bibliography
Index
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC