1911 Book Review

"PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF THE WAR," by Capt. W.H. Morgan


Confederate Veteran, Volume 19, Page 592, 1911.


Capt. William H. Morgan,
Company C ("Clifton Grays"),
11th Virginia Infantry Regiment,
Army of Northern Virginia, CSA


In his "Personal Reminiscences of the War of 1861-65," Capt. W.H. Morgan, Company C, Eleventh Virginia Regiment, relates personal experiences in camp, in bivouac, on the march, on picket, on the skirmish line, in battle, and in prison, and at the same time gives in chronological order a history, not only of his old company, but of the Eleventh Regiement, Kemper's Brigade, and Pickett's Division as well, from the formation of these commands in 1861 to May 21, 1864, when the author was captured by reason of a "fool order," as he expresses it. He was one of the six hundred Confederate officers put under fire of Confederate batteries at Charleston, S.C., and fed on rotten corn meal and pickles for sixty-five days at Fort Pulaski.

Skirmishes and battles are graphically described. Many thrilling incidents are related. Prison life with its horrors is portrayed and the blame put on the Washington government.

A chapter on the conduct of the war censures forcefully those who deserve it. The wrongs and indignities heaped upon the South in reconstruction days are recounted, recent events are touched on, and a "peep into the future" is indulged in. The book should be of special interest to the survivors of the commands mentioned and to the sons and daughters of those who have passed away. The author gives due credit to the men who carried the guns, paying tribute to privates and officers alike. The rols of Companies A, C, E, G, and H of the Eleventh are given.

The Roanoake (Va.) Times says of the book: "It is a soldier's story of soldiers' life as it was. Making no large pretense to literary skill, Captain Morgan achieves the highest purpose of literature, telling a plain story in a plain, pleasant, graphic way so as to convey his thoughts and the fact distinctly and to hold the interest of his readers. He writes with the directness and simplicity of a soldier who did his duty . . . His talk is solder and war-time talk, plain, unvarnished, with no frills or concealments or smoothing over of rough places. He tells just what he saw and heard and felt. Therefore his writing is delightful and real and a valuable addition to the story of the war and the part that Virginia troops had in it. Captain Morgan will probably not write any more books, but he has done a distinct service to his State and community in writing this one."

The Richmond Times also commends the book highly.

Published by the J.P. Bell Company, Inc., Lynchburg, Va. Price, $1.15 postpaid. Only a limited edition. Order from the publishers or Capt. W.H. Morgan, Floyd, Va.

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