Co. Aytch

A Confederate private’s memoir of the First Tennessee Regiment, written twenty years after the war — Shiloh, Chickamauga, Franklin — from the ranks rather than the staff tent.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the “best history book” thread. A primary source that reads like a book, and the one most often used to show what the war looked like at eye level.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @typesfast asking “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” (June 5, 2025). The full recovered list lives on What’s the best history book… (tweet).

Connections

• What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• Civil War — the subject.