In May 1861; Virginian Thomas Henry Carter (1831–1908) raised an artillery battery and joined the Confederate army. Over the next four years; he rose steadily in rank from captain to colonel; placing him among the senior artillerists in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. During the war; Carter wrote more than 100 revealing letters to his wife; Susan; about his service. His interactions with prominent officers--including Lee; Jubal A. Early; John B. Gordon; Robert E. Rodes; and others--come to life in Carter's astute comments about their conduct and personalities. Combining insightful observations on military operations; particularly of the Battles of Antietam and Spotsylvania Court House and the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign; with revealing notes on the home front and the debate over the impressment and arming of slaves; Carter's letters are particularly interesting because his writing is not overly burdened by the rhetoric of the southern ruling class.Here; Graham Dozier offers the definitive edition of Carter's letters; meticulously transcribed and carefully annotated. This impressive collection provides a wealth of Carter's unvarnished opinions of the people and events that shaped his wartime experience; shedding new light on Lee's army and Confederate life in Virginia.
#944601 in Books 2016-01-25 2016-01-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; #File Name: 1467119202192 pages
Review
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. BRILLIANT!By BewilderedatmanIn a word: BRILLIANT! This book brought the Roma alive for me; and gave humanity to its valiant crew. I've studied the Roma myself for many years and even located the exact spot where she crashed; and located the pathetic marker commemorating the crash; the marker; which is in fact; no longer even located at the actual crash site; and even the marker; where it is now; is inaccessible to the public! I did not know the Virginia Attorney General in his eulogy on Feb 24; 1922 had promised a worthy; grand memorial. It is a travesty that the memorial was never built. A real shame. The Roma and her crew deserve a true memorial. Anyway; the book is wonderful and If you've any interest in Airships; or US Aviation history in general; this book belongs on your shelf. It's an easy read; and you really can't put it down once you start it. Big thumbs up!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. History buffs will not be disappointedBy Rich BishopThe Airship Roma Disaster in Hampton RoadsProving that local histories can be a rewarding read when researched well and presented in scholarly fashion. While making the US Navy a career for over 22 years and being stationed in the Hampton Roads area for many of them; I was pleasantly surprised when I happened upon Nancy E. Sheppard’s book. I was surfing through the books section on and; as usual; one of my surfing terms brought this interesting chapter of local history to my attention. I had never heard of the Roma disaster.Sheppard has placed quite a few black and white photos in the book. I like a book with pictures that illustrate the subject being presented. She has provided prose that color in the background of the story bringing the Roma tragedy and the people involved to life. Essential characters are given a thorough background which is an indication of the depth of research Nancy has provided and the care she has given in presenting the story.The Roma story starts in Italy when the United States military accepts it from the Italian military. Lighter-than-air aircraft were becoming an important segment of the country’s future defense plans. Roma was part of that future. In Italy the aircraft was disassembled and crated for shipping by ocean liner. Uncrating it in Hampton Roads was a carefully orchestrated evolution that was not without its own travails. Getting it into the air was another story in itself. In the end Roma and some of its crew flew into disaster and history.Nancy Sheppard has provided us with a look into the lives; the fortune and the misfortune of Roma and the airship program and those attached to it. I hope she continues writing and would be happy to see her bring to light other local histories. Any history buff will not be disappointed by reading this book.Nuts to Butts: Anecdotes from a Career in the US Navy0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Air Ship RomaBy AmazinggraceThis book was excellent. Not only for the history but for personal reasons as well. My Uncle; Irby Hevron; my dads only brother at age 19 was one of the young men that lost his life on the Air Ship Roma February 21; 1922. The Book was well researched and written. Thanks to the Author Nancy E. Sheppard for finding the importance to write this book in memory of the fourty five men on board.
