Getting used to being shot at
Subtitle: the Spence family Civil War letters
By: edited by Mark K. Christ.
Contributors: Spence, Thomas F., d. 1864.; Christ, Mark K.
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Fayetteville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 228
Subjects: Spence, Alexander E., d. 1864 -- Correspondence.; Spence, Thomas F., d. 1864 -- Correspondence.; Spence family -- Correspondence.; Confederate States of America. Army. Arkansas Infantry Regiment, 1st.; Confederate States of America. Army. Arkansas Mounted Rifles, 2nd.; Soldiers -- Confederate States of America -- Correspondence.; Arkansas -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives, Confederate.; Arkadelphia (Ark.) -- Biography.
Genres: Correspondence.; Personal narratives.; Personal narratives, Confederate.; Biography.
Description: "The Spences were a wealthy family who owned land, slaves, and the main hotel in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. With their successful careers and extensive property, they were among Clark County's most prominent families when the shadow of secession fell across Arkansas. Four years later, Arkadelphia would be ravaged by war, and brothers Tom and Alex Spence would lie in soldier's graves, far from home.".

"Mark Christ has assembled the Spence brother's powerful letters from a collection in Arkansas's Old State House Museum, weaving in other letters from their extended family and friends. He provides brief but thorough introductions to each chapter as well as photographs.".

"The Spences' letters bear witness to the Civil War of the common soldiers and junior officers of the Army of Tennessee. Alex Spence saw action at Shiloh and most of the other major engagements of that army, while his brother Tom fought in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. They also marched literally thousands of miles, spent weeks in camp, and relied on infrequent travelers to carry precious letters to and from home.

They detailed to their family not only the many battles in which they served, but the hardships of campaigning, the pride of serving in battle-proven units, and the pain of losing comrades to bullets and disease. The story moves chronologically from the outset of war to the final letter from Alex's grieving fiancee."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-218) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Chapter 1: "The ball I expect will open before long":; title: The First Arkansas in Virginia; title: Chapter 2: "We had a very hard Fight": The Second Arkansas; title: Mounted Rifles in the Trans-Mississippi; title: Chapter 3: "Until endurance ceased to be a virtue ":; title: Shiloh and Corinth; title: Chapter 4: "Two faces we shall never meet up with again ":; title: Kentucky and Murfreesboro; title: Chapter 5: "We gained a great Victory at Chickamauga ":; title: Tullahoma to Ringgold Gap; title: Chapter 6: "There has been some hard fighting":; title: The Atlanta Campaign; title: Chapter 7: "Now I shall have something to live for .": Franklin; title: Epilogue: "Many painful reminiscences are connected"; title: Appendix 1: The Poison Spring Letter; title: Appendix 2: Thomas Spence's Eulogy; title: Appendix 3: Solomon's Spence's Obituary; title: Appendix 4: The Places They Fought; title: Notes; title: Bibliography; title: Index.