The Civil War Memoirs of Captain William J. Seymour: Reminiscences of a Louisiana Tiger

by Terry L. Jones

Overview

A Confederate captain from the 1st Louisiana Brigade uses his skill as a newspaper editor to recount his experiences during the U.S. Civil War.

Like many other soldiers who fought in the Civil War, New Orleans newspaper editor William J. Seymour left behind an account of his wartime experiences. It is the only memoir by any field or staff officer of the famous 1st Louisiana Brigade (Hays’ Brigade) in the Army of Northern Virginia. Long out of print, The Civil War Memoirs of Captain William J. Seymour: Reminiscences of a Louisiana Tiger is available once more in this updated and completely revised edition by award-winning author Terry L. Jones.

Seymour’s invaluable narrative begins with his service as a volunteer aide to Confederate Gen. Johnson K. Duncan during the 1862 New Orleans campaign. Utilizing his journalistic background and eye for detail, Seymour recalls the siege of Fort Jackson (the only Southern soldier’s account except for official reports), the bickering and confusion among Confederate officers, and the subsequent mutiny and surrender of the fort’s defenders. Jailed after the fall of New Orleans for violating Maj. Gen. Ben Butler’s censorship order, Seymour was eventually released and joined General Hays’ staff in Virginia.

Seymour’s memoirs cover his experiences in the army of Northern Virginia, including the campaigns of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, and Shenandoah Valley, ending with the Battle of Cedar Creek in 1864. His pen recounts the activities of the Louisiana Brigade while offering a critical analysis of the tactics and strategies employed by the army.

A perceptive and articulate officer, Seymour left behind an invaluable account of the Civil War’s drudgery and horror, pomp and glory. Terry L. Jones’ spare and judicious editing enhances Seymour’s memoirs to create an indispensable resource for Civil War historians and enthusiasts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940669915
Publisher:	Savas Beatie
Publication date:	01/04/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Terry L. Jones, a native of Winn Parish, Louisiana, received his Ph.D. in history at Texas A&M University and is professor emeritus of history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He has published eight books on the Civil War, two of which were History Book Club selections. Among Jones’ publications are Campbell Brown’s Civil War: With Ewell and the Army of Northern Virginia (2001), Historical Dictionary of the Civil War (2 vols., 2011), and Lee’s Tigers Revisited: The Louisiana Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia (2017). Jones has also written numerous articles for various publications, including the New York Times and BBC History Magazine, and is an award-winning outdoor writer. He and his wife, Carol, have two daughters, Laura and Amie.

Editorial Reviews

Seymour, a New Orleans newspaper editor, served as an aide to Brigadier General Harry T. Hays, commander of the 1st Louisiana Brigade of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, from early 1863 to late 1864. Seymour's staff officer perspective provides glimpses of the Con federate command system, scenes of camp life, and key battles in the East. He writes with the journalist's eye for detail albeit also with a matter-of-fact tone. His account of the battle at Fort Jackson below New Orleans is the only known Confederate first-person account of this bat tle. Astutely edited and copiously explicated, Seymour's memoirs, based on his private contemporary journal, are a key primary source for scholars and buffs alike. For research and specialized libraries.-- Thomas E. Schott, Office of History, 17th Air Force, Sembach, Germany

Library Journal

The memoirs--based on a diary--of a newspaper editor who served as a Confederate officer. Among other distinctions, his is the only known narrative of length by a Confederate at Fort Jackson (aside from official reports) or by any field or staff officer in the famed 1st Louisiana Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

It is a significant source and a readable narrative. Jones deserves credit for making it more widely available.

Richard J. Sommers

The intelligence and insight of this work come from a genuine aura of immediacy that few such accounts possess. It will stand as an indispensable primary source in Confederate military history.

T. Michael Parrish

With an eye for events and details, Seymour was able to capture on paper the big events and little incidents. This is a work that any student of Lee’s army will want to have.

James I. Robertson Jr.

Editor, Terry L. Jones has done a superb job editing the text and providing additional notes to Seymour’s account. The maps by Hal Jespersen compliment the text, as does the bibliography. …a welcomed addition to the Army of Northern Virginia bookshelf.

Emerging Civil War