Kershaw's Brigade - volume 1 - South Carolina's Regiments in the American Civil War - Manassas, Seven Pines, Sharpsburg (Antietam), Fredricksburg, ... Chattanooga, Fort Sanders & Bean Station. Paperback – September 18, 2006

This excellent book about the history of Kershaw's South Carolina Brigade was written by one of it's soldiers D. Augustus Dickert. Originally published in 1899, the author tells the history of not only the history of the brigade but his own views on why South Carolina seceeded from the Union in 1860. The author tells the fascinating history of the officers of the brigade beginning with it's commanding General Joseph Kershaw and then tells a brief biography of the higher ranked officers of the brigade. The author was a member of the 3rd South Carolina Infantry Regiment and he tells about the beginning battles of the Civil War up to 1863 in this first of two volumes he wrote about the brigade. His recollections of the battles he was in is highlighted with great prose and descriptions. Mr. Dickert who ran away at 15 years of age to join the regiment was a Captain in his regiment when it surrendered four years later in 1865. The author describes the regiment in the battles of 1st Manassas (Bull Run), Seven Pines, Sharpsburg (Antietam), Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Fort Sanders and Bean Station. This first volume ends in year 1863 and the second volume is about the battles from 1864 to the brigades surrender at Appomattax Court House in 1865.This first volume is a great read and the author describes the experiences of the regiment in a fascinating prose. This is a hard fighting brigade and was able to inflict serious damage to the Army of the Potomac in every battle on the eastern theatre of the Civil War. During the battle of Gettsyburg on July 2, 1863 during the afternoon the soldiers of Kershaw’s Brigade made an unsuccessful attempt to silence the cannon along the Wheatfield Road. The 3rd and 7th Regiments continued straight across the Rose Farm to the Stony Hill. A Federal counterattack by General John Caldwell's division forced the 3rd and 7th back as well as the 15th which had come up on the far right. The timely arrival of General Wofford Brigade on the Wheatfield Road picked up the 2nd and possibly some of the 8th as they advanced all the way to the base of Little Round Top. Some of Wofford's men actually went up the slope before another Union counter thrust pushed them back to the Rose Farm. It had been a phenomenal day for the South Carolinians.General James Longstreet described the actions of his corps of which Kershaw's Brigade belonged as the best four hours of fighting during the war. The brigade suffered 650 casualties, their longest casualty list of the war including Colonel William DeSaussure of the 15th South CarolinaAfter Gettysburg, Kershaw's Brigade went to the western theatre of the war along with Longstreet's Corps and participated in the bloody battle of Chickamauga, then Chattanooga.This beginning volume is an OUTSTANDING history of the brigade as told by one of its veterans. Mr. Dickert did an amazing job of describing the early years of the Civil War. I am sure that part 2 of this history is just as fascinating to read and tell the hard fighting and brave history of the famous South Carolinian Kershaw's Brigade. This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book that is essential in any Civil War buff, enthusiasts, student, and scholars library, particularly the history of the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate Military History, the Civil War in the eastern and western theatre, and the history of the battles fought during the Civil War..

book has no list of sources......i.e..... footnotes (references) kind of a let down !