As It Was: Reminiscences of a Soldier of the Third Texas Cavalry and the Nineteenth Louisiana Infantry [Hardcover]

Douglas John Cater (Author), T. Michael Parrish (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1981

Cater's reminiscences of his Civil War experiences, simply titled As It Was, comprises a superbly detailed and colorful description of a soldier's life in the ranks of the Third Texas Cavalry and the Nineteenth Louisiana Infantry. In the early chapters of As It Was, Cater describes his youthful experiences, including his family life, education, hunting, and other pleasant pastimes, plantation activities and relationships with slaves, as well as social conditions. These chapters are valuable for their honest views of life in the late antebellum northwestern Louisiana and northeastern Texas. In early May 1861 a wealthy Rusk County planter, Richard H. Cumby, began recruiting a company of volunteers to serve as cavalrymen. More than one hundred men, including Douglas Cater, answered the call. Representing the cream of Rusk County's young male population, they would be designated as Company B of Col. Elkanah Greer's Third Texas Cavalry, formed the following month in Dallas. Cater served with the Third Texas Cavalry in the Battle of Wilson's Creek and Elkhorn Tavern. In June 1862, Douglas Cater transferred to the Nineteenth Louisiana Infantry to be with his brother Rufus, and remained with that unit until the end of the war. He participated in the Battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Franklin, and Nashville.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

T. MICHAEL PARRISH is the co-author of Confederate Imprints, a bibliography of Southern publications from secession to surrender, and a specialist in rare books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: State House Press (January 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938349473
• ISBN-13: 978-0938349471
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,971,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars Personal Civil War Book, February 25, 2011

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Smith, T - See all my reviews

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This review is from: As It Was: Reminiscences of a Soldier of the Third Texas Cavalry and the Nineteenth Louisiana Infantry (Paperback)

This was a very personal glimpse of Douglas John Carter's involvement in the Civil War. You can tell this man was a Christian and no mean words about anyone in the book. God certainly was watching over him as he was near death in the river and with an illness.