Worthy of the Cause for Which They Fight chronicles the experiences of a well-educated and articulate Confederate officer from Arkansas who witnessed the full evolution of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Department and western theater. Daniel Harris Reynolds; a community leader with a thriving law practice in Chicot County; entered service in 1861 as a captain in command of Company A of the First Arkansas Mounted Rifles. Reynolds saw action at Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge before the regiment was dismounted and transferred to the Army of Tennessee; the primary Confederate force in the western theater. As Reynolds fought through the battles of Chickamauga; Atlanta; Nashville; and Bentonville; he consistently kept a diary in which he described the harsh realities of battle; the shifting fortunes of war; and the personal and political conflicts that characterized and sometimes divided the soldiers. The result is a significant testimonial offering valuable insights into the nature of command from the company to brigade levels; expressed by a committed Southerner coming to grips with the realities of defeat and the ultimate demoralization of surrender.
#2914508 in Books 2000-04-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.46 x .61 x 5.88l; .67 #File Name: 1556227779275 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Read the words of the Texas Confederate Soldiers who lived to tell their storiesBy JesseThis first hand account of Confederate heroes; mostly from Texas; is heart breaking. It makes so real the courage; the bravery; of Confederates fighting for their homes and their rights against overwhelming odds..The yankees; on the other hand; were just fighting for their pay. In the words of the Confederate soldiers; we learn of the hardships and the extreme dedication that guided these men.I recommend this book anyone who wants to know the bravery in the heart of the Southern Soldier; and to know how great was the suffering.The horrors of war are clearly described here. The WBTS was the greatest tragedy we have ever had and that is why the fascination of the War continues.These accounts are from a condensed version of Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray; 1861-1865; complied in 1912 by Miss Mamie Yeary of McGregor; TX; member of the Pearl Witt Chapter 569 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Stories of the war by the Confederate Veterans of TexasBy Joe OwenEvault Boswell; editor of "Texas Boys in Gray" took the stories of the Texans who fought for the Confederacy from Mamie Yeary's outstanding and classic book "Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray" that was published in 1912. In this condensed version; the editor takes the stories from Confederate Veterans that were in Texas Regiments and those who fought in other states regiments but settled in Texas after the Civil War. These are the reminiscences of the veterans experiences that they told decades after the war. These veterans still remember harrowing and brutal accounts of the battles they fought in; camp life; religious faith during the war; and how they look back on the war years after it was over. The following chapters are:- Original Forward by Miss Mamie Yeary- Preface- Chapter 1: Close Encounters - Chapter 2: The Halt; the Lame; and the Dead- Chapter 3: Christ in the Camp - Chapter 4: Terrible Cost and Hardships- Chapter 5: Rally 'round the Flag; Boys - Chapter 6: Hardtack and Rats- Chapter 7: Afterglow - Chapter 8: The High and the Mighty- Chapter 9: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to War - Chapter 10: Over These Prison Walls I Would Fly- Chapter 11: Valor and Bravado - Index by Cities and ContributorsThese veterans tell their stories of how they and their comrades fought from 1st Manassas (Bull Run) to Pea Ridge to Gettysburg to Chickamauga to Sailor's Creek. These veterans stories are vivid and fascinating and in some cases they only gave a sentence or two. But they are all fascinating to read and gives you a greater appreciation of why they fought for Texas and the Confederacy. A great read for anyone interested in Texas in the Civil War; battles of the eastern theatre and western theatre in the war; Civil War and Confederate History. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ!5 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Selected Passages From A Classic In A Poor PackageBy A CustomerIf you are looking for some selected passages pasted together by theme you might enjoy this book; otherwise avoid it.Among the faults of this book; and there are plenty; the most glaring are:1) LACK OF A REAL INDEX. The cities are indexed in alphabetical order; but not the men!!!! The units are not indexed; nor is anything else. Are you really going to find men who served in a battle or specific regiment by finding a small town in Texas? A Detailed Map Would Have Been NICE; but wouldn't an index of the names; places; events; etc. have been better?2) The quotes from the men have been shortened and/or deleted. The original work by Miss Yeary had sometimes long; but interesting stories. This booklet has a few stories; but mostly selected one or two sentence quotes. The men who served with the veteran and the battles and specific units are for the most part no place to be found.3) The Civil War was a large and costly conflict; but ONLY THREE BOOKS WERE USED AS REFERENCES. In other words; there isn't much depth.FAMILY HISTORIANS SHOULD AVOID THIS BOOK because it will make those researching their family; ancestor; unit; battle; etc. very angry.CHILDREN OR THOSE WHO WANT AN EXTREMELY LIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF A COMPLEX DETAILED STRUGGLE MIGHT LIKE THIS POORLY CONSTRUCTED BOOK.THIS IS NOT FOR SCHOLARS!
