Duty Bound: The Hyatt Brothers and Confederates of the Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A. by Van Hawkins (Arkansas State University Press, 2011, 158 pages) is the letters from three brothers of Company C of the Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment to their parents. The three brothers, Benjamin, Elijah, and Robert enlisted in the Third Arkansas in 1861 and described their life as a Confederate Infantry Soldier in the regiment. The brothers wrote a total of 70 letters home addressed to their parents and gave a valuable view of day-to-day existence in the regiment in addition to the chaotic and gruesome battles they participated in. Benjamins (Ben) letters display an intense passion for the cause he believed in, he also has great detail and insight into the various important leaders he fought under in the Army of Northern Virginia. These are important letters in Civil War history because the Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment is the only regiment from Arkansas who fought in the Army of Northern Virginia under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee. Also included in this great read are letters from other soldiers in the regiment. The letters date from 1860 to 1865 and begin while Ben was attending law school at what would become the University of Mississippi. Ben would describe the camp life and the battles he fought in until his death at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. Elijahs letters started on August 9, 1861 to September 14, 1862, just three days before he died in the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) where he received mortal wounds. Thomas would be wounded at the Battle of Mufressboro in 1862, and after his recovery, he would be captured at the Battle of Jonesboro and would remain a POW until his parole in June of 1865. Throughout the book, the author gives the history of the regiment as they fought in the ANV. He gives a brief but excellent history of the various battles the Third Arkansas Infantry fought in under the great command of Colonel Van Manning. Mr. Hawkins also gives excerpts of the letters the Hyatt brothers wrote, great photographs of the various documents from the Ordinance of Secession that Arkansas delivered, photographs of the officers of the regiment, after battle photos, illustrations of the time, and also good endnotes. At the end of the book is a muster of Company C of the Third Arkansas and a brief history of the soldiers of Company C. This is a valuable book due to the scarcity of published material of the Third Arkansas Infantry. There is only one other book that I know of that is solely about the Third Arkansas and that is Calvin L.Colliers classic book They Do To Tie To!: The Story of The Third Arkansas Infantry C.S.A., which was published in 1959. The Third Arkansas Infantry as a part of the famous Hoods Texas Brigade was known for their bravery and tenacity in battle. During the Battle of Gettysburg, the Third Arkansas with their brother regiment, the First Texas Infantry helped take Devils Den in the late afternoon of July 2nd, 1863 with many casualties. At Gettysburg and other battles, the Third Arkansas fought fiercely and with the other Texas Regiments were part of General Robert E. Lees shock troops which he would send in charging first into the Union lines to break up their infantry lines. There is not nearly as much published history about the Third Arkansas Infantry as compared to other Confederate Regiments in the Army of Northern Virginia, and this great read helps add to the history of the brave regiment from Arkansas that fought in the Army of Northern Virginia. It is a great all around read and history, from the letters of the Hyatt Brothers, the letters of other soldiers of Company C. The book has excellent photos that help enhance the history of the regiment, and as stated good footnotes and the muster of the men of Company C of The Third Arkansas Infantry. The author of Duty Bound, Van Hawkins did excellent research, editing, and overall fascinating history of the Third Arkansas and it is highly recommended to any Civil War scholar, student, and enthusiast who is interested in Arkansas Civil War History, Army of Northern Virginia History, Confederate Military History, and history of Hoods Texas Brigade during the Civil War. Again, this is a great read that I highly recommend!
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 02:42:25 +0000
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