Holding the line
Subtitle: the Third Tennessee Infantry, 1861-1864
By: by Flavel C. Barber ; edited by Robert H. Ferrell.
Contributors: Ferrell, Robert H.
Publisher: Kent State University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Kent, Ohio
Language: eng
Number of pages: 281
Subjects: Barber, Flavel C., 1830-1864.; Confederate States of America. Army. Tennessee Infantry Regiment, 3rd.; Soldiers -- Tennessee -- Biography.; Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories.; Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives, Confederate.
Description: FLAVEL C. BARBER's memoir of his service with the Third Tennessee provides a rare contemporary history of a Confederate regiment.

Major Barber's imprisonment after the surrender of Fort Donelson spurred him to take pen in hand. What began as a way to "while away the tedious hours of imprisonment" on Johnson's island in Lake Erie became a poignant, candid, yet unsentimental account of the life of a soldier at war.

Of special value for Civil War scholars and buffs are Barber's vivid descriptions of battles, notably the siege of Fort Donelson and the Confederate victory at Chickasaw Bayou, in which he highlights the Third Tennessee's crucial role in defeating William T. Sherman.

. Robert H. Ferrell introduces Barber and details the formation of the regiment. A full regimental roster, a rarity among Confederate units, also is included.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 268-275) and index.