Company Aytch; Or, a Side Show of the Big Show is the personal memoir of American Civil War veteran Samuel "Sam" Rush Watkins. Often heralded as one of the most reliable and informative primary sources on the Civil War, Watkins describes his experiences during his service as an infantryman in the Confederate Army. In the early days of the war, Watkins enlisted in the Tennessee Infantry and served through the duration of the conflict, participating in many battles, including ones in Atlanta, Jonesboro, and Nashville. Profoundly, Watkins was one of only sixty-five men from the First Tennessee infantry, which recruited over three thousand men, to survive the war. Widely studied by Civil War historians, Company Aytch is valued for its portrayal of the experience of the common soldier.

This classic Civil War biography consists of a Confederate soldier's memoirs.

Co. Aytch, Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment By Samuel R. Watkins

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A classic Civil War memoir, 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. It is a testament to one man’s enduring humanity, courage, and wisdom in the midst of death and destruction. 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—a memoir of a humble soldier fighting in the American Civil War, replete with tales of the common foot soldiers, commanders, Yankee enemies, victories, defeats, and the South’s ultimate surrender on April 26, 1865.

'Co. Aytch' - Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment ,or, A Side Show of the Big ShowSam R. WatkinsSamuel Rush "Sam" Watkins (June 26, 1839 - July 20, 1901) was an American writer and humorist. He fought through the entire Civil War and saw action in many major battles. Today, he is best known for his enduring memoir, "Co. Aytch," which recounts his life as a soldier in the Confederate States Army.In May 1861, twenty-one year old Sam Watkins of Maury County, Tennessee, rushed to join the army when his state left the Union. He became part of Company H (or Co. "Aytch," as he called it), First Tennessee Regiment, and would fight from Shiloh to Nashville and was one of only seven men who remained in the company when it was surrendered to Major-General W. T. Sherman in North Carolina, April 1865.When he died at sixty-two, Watkins was buried with full military honors....