Description
Book SynopsisA history of the Badax Tigers chronicles the experiences of Company C of the 18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the entire Civil War. The author's letters provide a complete picture of a typical Federal volunteer company in the Civil War and are supplemented by newspaper articles and letters of other soldiers.
Trade ReviewWith the art of a master craftsman, Nanzig has woven the rich and touching letters of two common soldiers who served in the 18th Wisconsin Infantry—Thomas J. Davis and Ransom J. Chase, coupled with Civil War era newspaper articles relative to the regiment—to produce a detailed look at this little known unit and, with detailed annotation, has compiled a history of service worthy of these veterans of Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga. -- Terrence J. Winschel, historian, Vicksburg National Military Park, author of Triumph and Defeat, Vicksburg: Fall of the Confederate Gibraltar, and Vicksburg Is the Key
An outstanding and refreshing new social history of the life of a common soldier. . . . The Badax Tigers is a must-read and worthy addition to the library of both the Civil War scholar and enthusiast alike. -- Dennis J. Ringle, U.S. Navy (retired)
Twenty-nine year-old Private Thomas Jefferson Davis left a young bride of 18 after just two months of marriage when he marched off to war. His interesting correspondence provides a wonderful appreciation for the challenges of marital separation and how critically important were the receipt of letters. . . . Editor Thomas Nanzig has compiled and skillfully annotated a valuable collection of soldier's letters. -- William M. Anderson, Professor of Music Education Emeritus and Founding Director, Center for the Study of World Musics, Kent State University
Using dozens of well-written and detail-rich letters, Nanzig has constructed a documentary history of one unit that saw action throughout the war's Western Theater. But more than accounts of battles, these letters—many from a 29-year-old yeoman farmer—offer valuable insights on how northern soldiers viewed the South and the men who fought to defend it. -- Roger L. Rosentreter, Michigan State University and coauthor of Michigan's Early Military Forces
This book is an excellent source for anyone studying Civil War daily life. * Civil War Book Review *
The letters of Thomas Jefferson Davis reveal the ups, as well as downs, of service in the Western Theater. Remarkably readable, they document the real concerns of the yeoman soldier: providing for family back home and making it out of the war alive. -- Russell Horton, Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: They Had About Become Bare-Assed Tigers Chapter 2: Events of No Ordinary Character Chapter 3: We Live As Woodchucks Chapter 4: The Sound Was Anything But Musical Chapter 5: The Canal That General Butler Commenced Chapter 6: Closed Up Snugly Around Vicksburg Chapter 7: They Have Kept Us Jogging Pretty Good Chapter 8: An Open Confession Is Good for the Soul Chapter 9: Sherman Is Slowly Driving the Rebs Chapter 10: We Dosed Them with Blue Pills Chapter 11: The News Is Glorious and the Future Is Bright Chapter 12: I Will Never Be a Military Dog Postscript Bibliography 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regimental Statistics 18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Organizational Chart: 1862–1865 Roster of Company C, 18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Badax Tigers Statistics
