Co. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War

Book Description

Early in May 1861, twenty-one-year-old Sam R. Watkins of Columbia, Tennessee, joined the First Tennessee Regiment, Company H, to fight for the Confederacy. Of the 120 original recruits in his company, Watkins was one of only seven to survive every one of its battles, from Shiloh to Nashville. Twenty years later, with a "house full of young 'rebels' clustering around my knees and bumping about my elbows," he wrote this remarkable account of "Co. Aytch" -- its common foot soldiers, its commanders, its Yankee enemies, its victories and defeats, and its ultimate surrender on April 26, 1865.

Co. Aytch is the work of a natural storyteller who balances the horror of war with an irrepressible sense of humor and a sharp eye for the lighter side of battle. Among Civil War memoirs, it is considered a classic -- a living testament to one man's enduring humanity, courage, and wisdom in the midst of death and destruction.

Customer Reviews:

a must read.......2007-08-29

There are seveal diary books which are like Co. Aytch however for some reason I could relate to Sam Watkins. When I'm asked about the Civil War/War of Nothern Aggression, I tell them to strat their study of that time with two books: Co. Aytch and Testament:A Soldier's Story of the CIvil War by Bobrick. Both books are a 5 star in my humble opinion. After reading those two then go on and read whatever you want.

Five stars aren't enough...............2007-06-12

Classic is an overworked term, but this one is. Sam Watkins was no general, but a private in Co. H, First Tennessee. Sam "saw the elephant", and lived to tell the tale....a lot of good men, on both sides, did not. [My own interest in the Civil War started with the stories my Dad told me that his grandfather had spent years passing down. James Madison Caldwell, 1841-1828, was a Pvt. in Co. H, 45th. Virginia Infantry. I take this opportunity to put his name in print].

This is an up close and personal account of four years in Hell. The Generals got the fame; the soldiers did the dying, freezing, and starving. [Generals died, too....way too many of them] We get first hand accounts of all the major battles of the Army of Tennessee. Oh, there are errors of fact, but they don't matter. How can a historian say that? Read it, and find out. We also get superb accounts of what the troops thought of the Generals. Their opinions are pretty much in line with those of "learned historians", but I won't spoil it by giving details.

Much Civil War history written by participants, particularly the leaders, is pure bilge. They were either spewing bile, settling scores, or advancing political careers.[The list of Officers from both sides who held office in some form would be impossibly long] Sadly a few were simply writing so their families would be able to eat [Grant, Hood]. There are exceptions....see my review of "A Southern Woman's Story", by Mrs. Phoebe Pember. The best of the works by General Officers are probably those by Edward Porter Alexander, and by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.. This book is not only an exception, it is one of the very greatest works in the English language.

If you have an interest in the Civil War, read this. If you have no interest in the Civil War, read this. [my son and daughter were both introduced to it quite early] If you can read English, read this. "Great" is a most inadequate word, but it's the best I've got.

If you're interested in the War Between the States...........2007-06-05

Buy this book. I've read many dozens of Civil War books, but this is the only one I've read multiple times (I first read it around 1978, and now have multiple copies in my home - extras to loan out).

Although the book was written by Sam Watkins several decades after the war, and I'm sure that many details were missed and others glorified, it gives a true sense of what he felt about the conflict, especially after having several decades to come to terms with it.

The reader senses the bitter miseries, the simple joys, the fear, and the hopes felt by a soldier in the 1860's - whether North or South.

I've given out copies to friends that had nothing more than a passing interest in the "War between the States" or "Civil War", and have never heard back a negative thing back about the book, and have been often asked by them about other Civil War books to read.

Buy it, borrow it, or whatever you need to do, but read this book. Excellent.

An incredible diary of the Civil War.......2007-03-21

Sam Watkins was there from beginning to end of the Civil War. His private's-eye-view of the Civil War is valuable for the insight it gives on the concerns, issues and events of the men who did the fighting. Sam had no knowledge of or concern about the grand strategy. His major concern was doing what he was told, fighting for his cause, finding food, and trying to find comfort when he could. Few other books on the Civil War will discuss the fun soldiers had having snowball fights, their griping about the commanders, their 'raids' on the homes of civilians, what it was like to be on picket duty, etc.

This is a valuable book not just for the Civil War buff, but for those who want to know about the reality of war.

Co. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War.......2007-01-09

This is an excellent book. I first read this book while in high school(20 years ago), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. At the time, I had a slight interest in history, but after reading this book, I became hooked on the Civil War. It's a very good, first-hand account written by Sam Watkins, a private in the Confederate ranks. I'd recommend this book to anyone... be they a Civil War buff or not.

Average customer rating:

Sam Watkins Up Close & Personal!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag!
Sam Watkins
A real page turner!
One of the BEST FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS

CO Aytch
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0684833247

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Sam Watkins Up Close & Personal!.......2007-02-28

Sam Watkins writes with such candid honesty and emotion that it has provided this reader some insight to the average person living in the South. He didn't own a plantation or slaves. He wasn't wealthy or involved in politics nor was was he a military man. He was just a young man living an ordinary life like most of us. When the call came to defend his country, what we call our state, his passion & love of country led him into extraordinary circumstances. His vivid descriptions of his life as a private soldier from Tennessee allowed this reader to share his experiences both good & bad. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting some insight into the life of the private soldier in the Confederate Army of the Tennessee.

Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag!.......2005-08-23

Sam Watkins was from Maury County, Tennessee. That's where my father and grandfather and great-grandfather were from, on back to my ancestor James Henry Notgrass, who was a contemporary with Watkins in the Confederate Army. Watkins jointed Co. "H" of the First Tennessee Regiment in 1861 and followed its banner until the end in 1865.

Watkins spins a fascinating tale as he describes the men, the marches, the battles, and the background of that "little unpleasant misconception" -- the War Between the States. He admits that he was not a Christian at the time, but in these memoirs of 20 years later, he looks back with faith in the God who doeth all things well. He still believed in the right of secession in 1881 and cherished the memory of his brave companions, but he puts these events in the fading past, having "shaken hands across the bloody chasm" with his Yankee adversaries.

Sam includes many humorous and touching episodes, along with the bloody violence. He points out frustrations with and failings of the Confederate cause. He also quotes some martial curses. This is not a book for young readers, but older readers will gain great insight into the life of the average Johnny Reb.

I've read "Co. Aytch" four times, I think. I have developed a one-man impersonation of Sam to honor his memory and share his powerful story. I want to help others understand that stormy time, see the tragic consequences of war, and appreciate the faith of our fathers. View my profile and visit my website if you'd like information on a presentation.

Sam Watkins.......2005-01-31

This is the best book I have ever read.
An absolutely amazing account of a
Civil war survivor. You will miss
Mr. Watkins when the book ends.

A real page turner!.......2004-06-09

Written twenty years after the war, Private Watkins gives his account of serving with Company H, First Tennessee Regiment. Of the 120 original men in the unit, Watkins was only one of seven left at the end. If you enjoy reading about the civil war, you'll certainly enjoy this well written account of the life of a common Southern soldier.

One of the BEST FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS.......2003-10-25

I first read COMPANY AYTCH back in the late 1980's and thoroughly enjoyed it. I often re-read certain books many years later to see if my attitude towards it has changed. In this, Watkins is STILL an EXCELLENT read. For students of the Civil War, COMPANY AYTCH is among the best first hand accounts. (Alongside Billings' HARDTACK AND COFFEE) Watkins was educated, observant and witty. (Some might say he was a bit of a romantic as well) Watkins covers both glory and gory with equal coverage. Especially telling is how the war affected the civilian populations, with the food shortages, etc. Southerners have all too long been thought of as illiterate, depraved hillbillies ala TOBACCO ROAD. Sam Watkins shows a different view.

Co. Aytch : The Classic Memoir of the Civil War By a Confederate Soldier

Average customer rating:

the absolute best book on the army of tennessee!
A Civil War classic.

Co. Aytch : The Classic Memoir of the Civil War By a Confederate Soldier
Paul Watkins
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0020381301

Customer Reviews:

the absolute best book on the army of tennessee!.......1999-03-07

the best diary of a civil war veteran i have ever read!!

A Civil War classic........1997-06-08

This fast, short read is a Civil War memoir written by a private in the First Tennessee Regiment of the Confederate army, the "Maury Grays", about twenty years after the war. Channel surfers and Ken Burns fans may recognize "Co. Aytch" as a favorite source of quotes for War historians, and for good cause. The book is not a history of the war - Watkins is at pains to make this point - but rather a view of what one private saw. And by his telling of it, he saw a lot. He was at or around half the Civil War battles you ever heard of - Manassas, Shiloh, Chatanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta - and a bunch of others of which you probably never heard. By the end of the war he was one of seven men still living from his original company of one hundred twenty. Watkins's classic front-porch, army veteran style was likely developed over the course of many retellings, during which - just perhaps - one or two of the episodes were a tiny bit stretched. Taken prisoner three times - followed by three escapes - grazed or hit by bullets innumerable times, once having his hat removed by a cannonball, Watkins is occasionally hard to believe. A special strength of Watkins's style, however, is his abilty to switch from, for example, a lurid and breath-taking description of men in battle at the "Dead Angle" of the Hundred Days Battle northwest of Atlanta to scathing sarcasm in his assessment of General Hood's performance in that campaign. Humor abounds in this book, some of it uproarious - as in the description of a preacher who was courageous in his sermonizing but not in battle. Much of Watkins's humor, however, is gently sardonic: "Well, reader, let me whisper in your ear. I was in the row, and the following pages tell what part I took in the little unpleasant misconception of there being such a thing as north and south." "Co. Aytch" has many qualities reminiscent of "The Red Badge of Courage". The two works - the former an extroverted memoir and the latter introspective fiction - convey strongly the private's nearly constant condition of not knowing the big picture of an army's movements - a knowledge reserved for generals and for historians. The two works also offer scenes of battle which bring the reader into the action through judicious choice of descriptive detail. Watkins writes: "We were charging through an old citizen's yard, when a big yellow cur dog ran out and commenced snapping at the soldiers' legs - they kicking at him to keep him off. The next morning he was lying near the same place, but he was a dead dog." Elsewhere Watkins writes: "The sun was poised above us, a great red ball sinking slowly in the west, yet the scene of battle and carnage continued", which recalls a famous, and stronger, concluding sentence from a battle scene in "The Red Badge of Courage": "The red sun was pasted onto the sky like a wafer." It is difficult to know, finally, what to make of Sam R. Watkins. His judgements of his contemporaries are trapped in contradiction by the values of his region and era. His acceptance of the south's aristocractic ethos causes him to retreat repeatedly from his own trenchant, plainspoken criticisms of this or that general's performance; and yet the criticisms, once stated, do remain. Likewise, Watkin's patriotic and religious convictions mix with his stright-talking nature to produce contradictory opinions. All any incompetant soldier need do to be rehabilitated in Sam Watkins's eyes is to get killed in battle for his country. This triggers an immediate suspension of criticism and lengthy sentences of praise, with flowery references to reunions to come in the blessed hereafter. Watkins's most troubling conflict, however, is between his graphic depictions of the senseless brutality of the war - which of themselves amount to an argument for pacificism - and of his refusal to finally reject war either generally or in this instance. He of all human beings has seen enough to take the shine off chivalry - but he will not give it up. Sam Watkins stays true to the cheers of the ladies and of the preachers who sent him and his friends off to war in 1861. Watkins's social background triumphs over his own moral sense; and so, in the end, we get not a moral document but a wonderfully colorful description. "The tale is told. The world moves on, the sun shines as brightly as before, the flowers bloom as beautifully, the birds sing their carols as sweetly, the trees nod and bow their leafy tops as if slumbering in the breeze, the gentle winds fan our brow and kiss our cheek as they pass by, the pale moon sheds her silvery sheen, the blue dome of the sky sparkles with the trembling stars that twinkle and shine and make night beautiful, and the scene melts and gradually disappears forever."

Co. Aytch Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side Show of the Big Show

Average customer rating:

The complete story of one Confederate's service.

Co. Aytch Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side Show of the Big Show
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: Hard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1406948322
Release Date: 2006-11-03

Customer Reviews:

The complete story of one Confederate's service........1999-09-21

If you've ever wondered what it was like to be a soldier in the Civil War, get this book. I recommend it whether your sympathies are Union or Confederate, whether you are new to studying the War or a lifelong buff. Sam Watkins tells the reader of all the excitement, tedium, bravery, fear, humor, and horror of a soldier's life in wartime. He is an excellent storyteller, with a style on a par with Mark Twain. I only regret that he wrote 20 years after the War, and his memory was better in recalling some events than others. But he recalls more than enough to give a complete picture. He was, of course, a staunch Confederate, but does not dwell much on politics. He judges senior officers on their individual merits as he saw them, and his opinions of them run the gamut from near worship of his regimental commander to contempt for Braxton Bragg. The book is a valuable soldier's-eye history of the Army of Tennessee, and portions of it are the only surviving first-hand accounts of the events recounted. The details of daily Army life will be of particular interest to re-enactors.

Co. Aytch: Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side S

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Co. Aytch: Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side S
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Secession may have been wrong in the abstract, and has been tried and settled by the arbitrament of the sword and bayonet, but I am as firm in my convictions today of the right of secession as I was in 1861. The South is our country, the North is the country of those who live there. We are an agricultural people; they are a manufacturing people.

Co Aytch (Civil War Heritage Ser : No 6)

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Co Aytch (Civil War Heritage Ser : No 6)
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: Morningside Bookshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0890290679

"CO AYTCH" A Confederate Soldier's Memoirs

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"CO AYTCH" A Confederate Soldier's Memoirs
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: MacMillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HECVS8

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"Co Aytch": A Confederate Soldier's Memoirs
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W5YUYU

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Co. Aytch : A SIDE OF THE BIG SHOW
Paul Watkins (INTRO BY ROY P. BASLER)
Manufacturer: COLLIER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF8KWG

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Co. Aytch First Tennessee Regiment
Sam R. Watkins
Manufacturer: Providence House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Product Description

The classic Co. Aytch has reigned as one of the most memorable and honest depictions of the American Civil War since its original publication in 1882. Sam R. Watkins's first-hand account of life as a Confederate soldier eloquently captured the realities of war, the humor and pathos of soldiering, and the tragic, historic events in which he participated. Although there have been dozens of versions of Co. Aytch published, this is the first with new material and revisions by Sam Watkins himself. Intending to republish after his first edition sold out, Watkins edited and revised Co. Aytch adding a new perspective that only came with time. He died before accomplishing his goal. Now more than one hundred years later, Watkins's great granddaughter, Ruth Hill Fulton McAllister is fulfilling Watkins s dream. Using his yellowed, aged, and pencil-marked copy handed down through different family members, McAllister has crafted a masterpiece that combines the ageless text with Sam Watkins's intended revisions.

This new edition incorporates actual images of Watkins's handwritten additions, all his desired editorial changes, and more than forty images. Desiring to be true to both her ancestor's wishes and the sanctity of his classic memoir, McAllister skillfully included Watkins's additions and artfully indicated what he would have omitted, leaving the original text intact. The result is a rich, expanded, director's cut version of Co. Aytch, sure to fascinate historians, Civil War enthusiasts, and new readers alike.

Customer Reviews:

A brilliantly conceived and constructed book.......2004-07-22

Witnessing my mother?s abilities and personality whither away from Alzheimer?s has been difficult. Comfort and advice from friends, family and the medical community has helped, and so has reading Brenda Avadian?s brilliantly conceived and constructed book, Finding the Joy in Alzheimer?s. Discovering what others have experienced and learned in similar circumstances-?particularly the heartfelt reflections of joy?-has enabled me to see my mother and her disease in a new, brighter light. Highly recommended.

Well, it's about time.......2003-03-25

I was so thrilled to see a collection of experiences from other people, similar to mine. My Dad suffered from Alzheimers and I felt like a freak for having reflected on the illness with a smile. For me, this horrific disease showed me a man that I never knew growing up. All of his barriers were broken down and I got to know, not only who my Dad was, but who I was. I have such a joy from knowing this that it is hard for me to be bitter about that which stole my father, for at the same time, it allowed me to know the father I never knew before.

It is stories like this that the author has compiled here. Many humorous, many touching, all showing a connection where many think none could be found. Yes, there is a time when the people we know and love so dearly are robbed from us by this devastating disease, but through the process there are many joyous times to be had.

Read this book and you'll understand

Unfamiliar Territory.......2002-06-20

I'm an older (born 12/12/1952) Internet user, so--in spite of all of those reassuring, little, gold padlocks shown at the bottom of ordering pages at online stores--I still wasn't ready to put my main credit card or checking account information out in Cyberspace. So, I came up with a doable solution, creating an account for just this very purpose.

If purchasing this book wasn't actually my FIRST venture into the unfamiliar territory of online shopping (and I'm almost 100% sure that it was), it came pretty close.

Venturing out into this unfamiliar territory has had more positives than negatives for me--but there's that unfamiliar territory that is among the worst nightmares of both patients and caregivers: dealing with Alzheimer's Disease.

I had been reading the online letters that Debbie Center had been writing to a mother who would never again have the comprehension to read them--so, these letters were more for Debbie than her mother. And more for helping others who might read those letters to cope should something like this happen in their families.

One day, in an IM conversation, Debbie shared her sadness with me that her mother was rapidly going downhill, and she felt helpless to stop it from happening--yet, she also had the great news that she would have a part in this book.

And that's the thread running through this book: the moments of joy found within the Alzheimer's experience.

The people who have contributed to this book are people who mourn the slipping away of those people--generally, parents and spouses--who were once so vibrant and alert.

Yet, these same people have learned to find joy and comfort in some of the simple things of life, such as unexpected smiles, words, and laughter from their loved ones.

In one case, a family--who had gotten out of contact due to distance and schedules--began a tradition of having annual family reunions due to wanting to get everybody together while the matriarch of the family could still recognize and enjoy them.

Open this book and share the lives of those in this difficult and unfamiliar territory--and share those special moments of joy that make it all worthwhile!!!

Filled with touches of wry humor.......2002-04-10

Finding The Joy In Alzheimer's: Caregivers Share The Joyful Times by Brenda Avadian is a comforting, spiritually healing book filled with touches of wry humor and a serious understanding of the difficulties of Alzheimer's, and how important it is to find and treasure wondrous moments when caring for someone afflicted with this debilitating neurological disease. Finding The Joy In Alzheimer's is not intended to be a source of advice about the legal, physical, or medical difficulties of Alzheimer's disease; rather it was written to bolster the souls and spirits of those charged with caregiving responsibilities for loved ones suffering from the ravages of Alzheimers. As such, it emphatically succeeds in its mission and intention.

So Many Joys...They are countless!.......2001-10-30

(...) The stories and poems are so sweet and heartwarming. When you get so deeply involved in this disease, you tend to become isolated; you think you are the only one who is going through this. Ms. Avadian's selection of stories gives the reader a lighthearted look into the trials and tribulations of caregiving, all the while letting the readers see what they are experiencing is no different from what they are reading. From the poem "CareGiver," to the stories of "I've got rocks in my head," or "Do you take...in sickness and in health...I do," or "Ice cream never tasted so good," and yes even "Family of Friends," the reader immediately feels love and support. With all the technical/clinical books that are available on Alzheimer's, it is absolutely refreshingly wonderful to have humor to help heal the caregiver's heart!

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