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A True History of Co. I, 49th Regiment, North Carolina Troops (Army of Northern Virginia)

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In 1893, William A. Day's A True History of Company I was published by the Enterprise Job Office, a commercial printing arm of the Newton, N.C. newspaper The Newton Enterprise. The pamphlet was apparently printed in a limited press run and, over the years, it has become forgotten testament to the 49th North Carolina. Billy Day joined the 49th North Carolina at age 18. The regiment's initial colonel was Stephen Ramseur. By May 1862 the unit became part of Ransom's Brigade. The 49th North Carolina saw action at Malvern Hill and Antietam in 1862. It was then transferred to the North Carolina/southern Virginia region where it saw action in the battles of Boone's Mill, Gum Swamp, and New Bern. In May of 1864, the regiment returned to Petersburg and participated in the defense of the Confederate lines. Perhaps the best portion of the book describes the siege--the life in the trenches and the crucial battle of the Crater are particularly detailed. Day was captured at Five Forks and was incarcerated at Point Lookout, Maryland until June 1865. Day wrote this book with the purpose of keeping alive for fellow veterans the memories of the war. He succeeded not only in doing this. He also provided subsequent generations a vivid view of the war from a private's viewpoint.

As a reenactor serving with the 49th Regiment of North Carolina Troops, reactivated, I found it necessary to do research about the unit. This book serves as the main go-to source for those participating in the unit, and for those interested in reading about the war from those who participated. While some of the passages are erroneous, it is an overall fascinating look at the war from a Private in Company I of the 49th North Carolina. Of particular importance is the writer's recollections of the battles of Drewry's Bluff and the Crater, and of the unit's near-decimation at the Battle of Five Forks. A great read for students of Civil War history!
Grade: A