An eyewitness account of the American Civil War, never before published in its entirety. Told from the first person perspective of Lt. Col. John Withers, an Assistant Adjutant General in the James Buchanan administration, and later in the Jefferson Davis administration for the Confederacy, this civil war diary encompasses over two years in Withers' life, from October 1860 - December 1862. Because of the nature of his job, Lt. Col. Withers was closely acquainted with many of the notable figures of Civil War history. His friend, Ed. A Palfrey, later wrote, "his relations with the President and Secretary of War were of an intimate character, as was necessarily the case from the position he held." Lt. Col. Withers' family was from the south. When Withers received a letter from his aunt, Susanna Withers Clay (wife of Clement Comer Clay, 8th Governor of Alabama), urging him to resign his commission in the U.S. Army and come south to join the Confederate cause, Withers did so. He joined the Confederate Army in March, 1861. While stationed in the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia, Lt. Col. Withers recorded civil war events as they happened, including the Seven Days Battles, and other battles that took place during the early part of the "War Between the States." He also wrote of the more personal aspects of his life, such as the agony of his wife's illness and his young son's death. Withers wrote of the profound and the mundane, and even, on occasion, the slightly bizarre human behavior that he witnessed. His diary provides a unique, first person account of life during the American Civil War. His is a rich story, and worthy to be told. Handwritten diary images are included. (Print edition only.)
Eyewitness accounts of the American Civil War, told through the viewpoints of a Confederate husband and wife. Providing a unique perspective on the American Civil War, this book weaves together the diaries of Lt. Col. John Withers, an Assistant Adjutant General for Jefferson Davis, and his wife, Anita Dwyer Withers. Reports of battles fought meld with domestic life in these journals, creating a multi-dimensional picture of the Withers' lives together during the "War Between the States." Jointly, their diaries encompass the entire length of the Civil War; from May 1860 - September 1865. A West Point graduate, John Withers served as an officer in the U.S. Army. Anita Dwyer Withers was the daughter of a distinguished citizen of San Antonio, Texas. In September 1860, Withers was ordered to Washington, D.C., and assigned duty as an Assistant in the Adjutant-General's office. As Anita was very close to her family in Texas, she was deeply troubled by the move. She wrote, "I regret it mightily." In Washington, John served under General Samuel Cooper's command until March, 1861, when he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and came south to join the Confederate cause. Because of the nature of his job in the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Lt. Col. Withers and his wife were closely acquainted with many of the notable figures of Civil War history, including Jefferson Davis, his wife, Varina Davis, and the Secretary of War. John and Anita recorded Civil War events as they happened, including the Seven Days Battles. Each also wrote of the more personal aspects of their lives, such as Anita's near fatal illness and the agony of their young son's death. Lt. Col. John Withers and Anita were ordinary people living in extraordinary times. Their story is timeless, and well worth being remembered.
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