Sam Watkins
Sam Watkins | |
---|---|
Sam Watkins in 1861 | |
Born |
Samuel Rush Watkins June 26, 1839 Maury County, Tennessee |
Died |
July 20, 1901 62) Maury County, Tennessee | (aged
Resting place |
Zion Presbyterian Church Maury County, Tennessee 35°35′56″N 87°8′42″W / 35.59889°N 87.14500°W |
Pen name | Sam. R. Watkins |
Occupation | Clerk, soldier, farmer |
Alma mater | Jackson College |
Period | 1881-1900 |
Notable work | "Co. Aytch" |
Years active | 1881-1882 |
Spouse |
Virginia Mayes (m. 1865–1901) |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Confederate States |
Service/branch | Confederate States Army |
Years of service | 1861-1865 |
Rank | Private |
Unit | Company H, First Tennessee Regiment |
Battles/wars |
Samuel 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.[1][2]
Life
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.[3] When he died at sixty-two, Watkins was buried with full military honors.[1]
"Co. Aytch"
In 1881, with a "house full of young 'rebels' clustering about my elbows," Watkins began to chronicle his experiences in the First Tennessee Regiment. "Co. Aytch" is considered to be one of the greatest memoirs ever written by a soldier of the field.[3] Originally published as a serial newspaper column from 1881 to 1882 in The Columbia (Tennessee) Herald, his stories were collected and printed in book form in 1882.[1][2][4] The charming prose captures the experience of the common private soldier, from the hardships of camp life to the horrors of battle, the camaraderie of a unit to the loss of a brother, the pride in one's state to the devastation of defeat.[3]
Legacy
Camp No. 29 (established 1986) of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Columbia, Tennessee, is named after him.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Watkins, Sam (2015) [1st pub. Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House:1882]. Furman, Katherine, ed. Co. "Aytch": The First Tennessee Regiment or a Side Show to the Big Show (Complete Illustrated ed.). Minneapolis, Minn.: Zenith Press. Back cover. ISBN 978-0-7603-4775-1. OCLC 928999663.
- 1 2 Leigh, Phil (March 15, 2013). "Private Watkins's War". The New York Times. Disunion. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Watkins, Sam (2015) [1st pub. Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House:1882]. Furman, Katherine, ed. Co. "Aytch": The First Tennessee Regiment or a Side Show to the Big Show (Complete Illustrated ed.). Minneapolis, Minn.: Zenith Press. Front cover. ISBN 978-0-7603-4775-1. OCLC 928999663.
- ↑ Watkins, Sam. R. (1882). 1861 vs. 1882. "Co. Aytch," Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment; or, A Side Show to the Big Show. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House. LCCN 02017896.
Further reading
- "Biographies: Sam Watkins". The Civil War. PBS. 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- "Recollections of the Battle of Perryville". Civil War Trust. 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
External links
- Sam Watkins at Find a Grave
- Samuel R. Watkins Camp No. 29, Sons of Confederate Veterans
- Works by or about Sam Watkins at Internet Archive
- Works by Sam Watkins at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Works by Sam Watkins at Project Gutenberg