Lee And Jackson's Bloody Twelfth: The Letters Of Irby Goodwin Scott, First Lieutenant, Company G, Putnam Light Infantry, Twelfth Georgia Volunteer Infantry (voices Of The Civil War)

Offering a fascinating look at an ordinary soldier''s struggle to survive not only the horrors of combat but also the unrelenting hardship of camp life, "Lee and Jackson''s Bloody Twelfth" brings together for the first time the extant correspondence of Confederate lieutenant Irby Goodwin Scott, who served in the hard-fighting Twelfth Georgia Infantry. The collection begins with Scott''s first letter home from Richmond, Virginia, in June 1861, and ends with his last letter to his father in February 1865. Scott miraculously completed the journey from na-ve recruit to hardened veteran while seeing action in many of the Eastern Theater''s most important campaigns: the Shenandoah Valley, the Peninsula, Second Manassas, and Gettysburg. His writings brim with vivid descriptions of the men''s activities in camp, on the march, and in battle. Particularly revelatory are the details the letters provide about the relationship between Scott and his two African American body servants, whom he wrote about with great affection. And in addition to maps, photographs, and a roster of Scott''s unit, the book also features an insightful introduction by editor Johnnie Perry Pearson, who highlights the key themes found throughout the correspondence. By illuminating in depth how one young Confederate stood up to the physical and emotional duress of war, the book stands as a poignant tribute to the ways in which all ordinary Civil War soldiers, whether fighting for the South or the North, sacrificed, suffered, and endured. Johnnie Perry Pearson is a retired state service officer formerly with the North Carolina Division of Veteran Affairs. He served as an infantry platoon sergeant during the Vietnam War and lives in Hickory, North Carolina. a a Offering a fascinating look at an ordinary soldier's struggle to survive not only the horrors of combat but also the unrelenting hardship of camp life, Lee and Jackson's Bloody Twelfth brings together for the first time the extant correspondence of Confederate lieutenant Irby Goodwin Scott, who served in the hard-fighting Twelfth Georgia Infantry. The collection begins with Scott's first letter home from Richmond, Virginia, in June 1861, and ends with his last letter to his father in February 1865. Scott miraculously completed the journey from naïve recruit to hardened veteran while seeing action in many of the Eastern Theater's most important campaigns: the Shenandoah Valley, the Peninsula, Second Manassas, and Gettysburg. His writings brim with vivid descriptions of the men's activities in camp, on the march, and in battle. Particularly revelatory are the details the letters provide about the relationship between Scott and his two African American body servants, whom he wrote about with great affection. And in addition to maps, photographs, and a roster of Scott's unit, the book also features an insightful introduction by editor Johnnie Perry Pearson, who highlights the key themes found throughout the correspondence. By illuminating in depth how one young Confederate stood up to the physical and emotional duress of war, the book stands as a poignant tribute to the ways in which all ordinary Civil War soldiers, whether fighting for the South or the North, sacrificed, suffered, and endured. Johnnie Perry Pearson is a retired state service officer formerly with the North Carolina Division of Veteran Affairs. He served as an infantry platoon sergeant during the Vietnam War and lives in Hickory, North Carolina. The Irby Goodwin Scott letters will appeal to scholars and Civil War enthusiasts who have an interest in Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Army and Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Scott wrote frankly and intelligently about the aspects of the common soldier. The company roster will be most valuable because of the additional material included from the Scott letters and other primary sources. This roster will also provide a thumbnail image of a group of men from the black belt of the Deep South. Serving in the major campaigns in Virginia, Scott began his field service in the northwestern section of Virginia, a campaign where little is written. It was during this service that his letters provide vivid descriptions of the hardships and suffering he and the men endured during the winter of 1861 –1862 in a harsh mountain environment. Throughout Scott’s service, 1861-1865, his letters are filled with the vivid descriptions of the happenings of the men in camp, on the march and in battle. Irby Scott’s letters reveal the relationship between a Confederate soldier and his body servant. Initially no body servant accompanied Irby to the army. His early letters, while in the mountains of Virginia, reveal the valuable service body servants provided sick men in the company and suffered alongside the men. It was only after Scott’s election to the officer ranks that he felt it necessary for a body servant to come to the army. His letters will be of valuable to anyone interested in the subject of African-Americans who accompanied a Confederate soldier into the army. Offering A Fascinating Look At An Ordinary Soldier's Struggle To Survive Not Only The Horrors Of Combat But Also The Unrelenting Hardship Of Camp Life, Lee And Jackson's Bloody Twelfth Brings Together For The First Time The Extant Correspondence Of Confederate Lieutenant Irby Goodwin Scott, Who Served In The Hard-fighting Twelfth Georgia Infantry. The Collection Begins With Scott's First Letter Home From Richmond, Virginia, In June 1861, And Ends With His Last Letter To His Father In February 1865. Scott Miraculously Completed The Journey From Naive Recruit To Hardened Veteran While Seeing Action In Many Of The Eastern Theater's Most Important Campaigns: The Shenandoah Valley, The Peninsula, Second Manassas, And Gettysburg--publisher's Description. Seat Of War -- Mountains Of Northwestern Virginia -- Camp On The Greenbrier River -- Cannon Fire On The Greenbrier -- Camp Allegheny -- 1862 Valley Campaign -- Seven Days To Cedar Mountain -- Fredericksburg Front -- Second Northern Campaign -- Rapidan Front -- Detached Duty -- 1864 Overland Campaign -- Final Word Home -- Appendix : Roster Of The Company G, Putnam Light Infantry, Twelfth Georgia Infantry Regiment. Edited By Johnnie Perry Pearson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.