“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