ebooks Into The Mouth of The Cannon: A Historical Biography of the 18th Arkansas Infantry and the Civil War in the Western Theater from 1861 to 1863 by Robert Edward Reynolds in History

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. History of the 18th Arkansas Infantry RegimentBy Joe Owen"Into The Mouth of The Cannon: A Historical Biography Of the 18th Arkansas Infantry and the Civil War in the Western Theater from 1861 to 1863" by Robert Edward Reynolds; (AuthorHouse Publishing; 2007; 149 pages). This is the history of the 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and their service for two years from 1861 to 1863 where they fought in the Western Theater of the Civil War. The 18th Arkansas Infantry was primarily stationed along the Mississippi River and saw service from Vicksburg; Mississippi to Port Hudson; Louisiana and participated in the battles; beginning with Fort Pillow in 1862 where the 18th Arkansas literally marched into the mouth of Union Cannons and got their first taste of battle where they would be conditioned to the sound of screaming artillery shells passing overhead and killing many in their regiment. During the siege of Corinth; the 18th was called on to reinforce a Missouri Brigade; only to find out that the Missourians previously retreated from the hard fought ground the 18th Arkansas was fighting to hold.The 18th Arkansas was known as the "Bloody 18th Arkansas Infantry" because of the many casualties in battle of the soldiers in the regiment. The 18th also was stationed along the Mississippi River and harassed Union shipping and gunboats as they cruised up the Mississippi. As the author states; and I agree; that the 18th played a significant role in the defense of both the upper and lower Mississippi River.Mr. Reynolds also explains in the book the various roles of the officers and enlisted in the brigade and the daily life of the soldiers in the regiment; how the regiment was formed in 1861 and the summary of the war in the Western Theater from 1861 to 1863. The author gets much of the history from letters written by the soldiers to their loved ones in Arkansas as the soldiers describe the everyday life of a soldier in camp and the vicious combat of battles that are remembered such as Corinth; Vicksburg; Fort Pillow; and Jenkins Ferry to name a few.After the 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment surrendered at Port Hudson in July 1863. Re-organized; the regiment was finally merged with several other Arkansas units to form the 2nd Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment.The regiment was a hard fighting regiment that suffered many casualties in combat against the Union Army; it also suffered as many regiments did with disease and unsanitary living conditions that prevailed throughout the Civil War. At the end of this book the author has an Appendix with the Chain of Command and an official history taken from the Official Records that provides an accurate accounting of the leadership of the regiment.This is a good book that helps the reader understand the vital role of the defense of the Mississippi River by Confederate Regiments that knew how vital the river was in the life of the CSA. This is a good read that I recommend to any Civil War Scholar; Student; or Enthusiast that wants to know more about the defense of the Mississippi River by Confederate Regiments; the battles of the Western Theater of the Civil War; and the history of Arkansas Regiments in the Civil War; Confederate History in the Western Theater of the Civil War; and is a recommended read!