Co. Aytch

The Classic Memoir of the Civil War by a Confederate Soldier

By: Sam R. Watkins

Narrated by: Pat Bottino

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Early in May 1861, 21-year-old Sam R. Watkins of Columbia, Tennessee, joined the First Tennessee Regiment. He fought in all of its major battles, from Shiloh to Nashville. Twenty years later, with a "house full of young 'rebels' clustering around my knees and bumping about my elbows," he wrote the remarkable account of "Co. Aytch," its common foot soldiers, its commanders, its Yankee enemies, its victories and defeats, and its ultimate surrender on April 26, 1865.

Co. Aytch is the work of a natural storyteller who balances the horror of war with his irrepressible sense of humor and his sharp eye for the lighter side of battle. Among Civil War memoirs, it stands as a living testament to one man's enduring humanity, courage, and wisdom in the midst of death and destruction.

©2003 Sam R. Watkins (P)1995 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Anyone who wishes to hear a Southern view of why they fought should hear Watkins....[T]his work is moving and always fascinating because it is a great text penned by a man who has seen the spectrum of human cruelty, horror, and kindness." ( AudioFile)

Best telling of soldiers experience

I have read Co. Aytch at least 25+ times over my many years. I have visited ole Sam’s grave and laid flowers to appreciate his well-told experiences during the war between the states.

A very good first person account of the Civil War

Would you listen to Co. Aytch again? Why?

Yes, because it is the best book of its kind I have listened to.

What other book might you compare Co. Aytch to and why?

There are one other books to compare it to.

What does Pat Bottino bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He captured the emotion of the War both the good and the bad.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, the entire book was very moving.

Any additional comments?

This is the first Civil War account that have either read or listened to that told the how the foot solider felt about the Generals that commanded them. That in itself makes this a one of a kind book.

Long-time primary source on the war

An interesting mix of lost cause stories told by a former rebel, now reconstructed and loyal. First-person vignettes told in homely language. Why did it take me so long to read (listen to) Sam Watkins’ memoir?

Well-read throughout. Recommended. Thanks to Audible for making this volume available free of charge.

Enjoyable, but, the narrator...

The narrator does an okay job. He does read with emotion, but is too ... exacting in his enunciation, and reads somewhat ... dryly? Not sure how to phrase it. It comes across as someone carefully reading something, as opposed to listening to someone tell their story, which is a shame.

The stories are his experiences, and they are at times humorous, and sometimes chilling. One story in particular is very haunting. His language at times, especially in the closing, is so very beautiful and moving. It's absolute poetry.

I read it to find out what the average soldier experienced, and what he was fighting for. In the light of how on fire our country is, I thought it a timely read. Now, I want to find a similar read from the Union side. Looking at everything, I wonder if we are headed for some kind of calamity as before (read Lincoln's address to the Young Men's Lyceum -- it sounds very much like it was written today) and wonder if all that suffering and death was for nothing if we can't peacefully find our way forward.

All in all, perhaps a book better read than listened to and, yet, still an enjoyable listen. It's just not as enjoyable as it could have been.

good listen

not boring to listen to
good to listen to a southerns experience in the war

The Civil War According to a Regular Guy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it's like listening to a guy you know tell a story. He talks about everyday stuff that you won't hear about in the history books. Like the time they had to destroy a big cache of food, and each took a slab of bacon and stuck it on their bayonet to carry with theme.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Co. Aytch?

Noting stood out, all good.

What three words best describe Pat Bottino’s performance?

Regular Nothing Special

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just found it interesting.

Any additional comments?

Nope. Listen to it - pretty interesting.

God Bless Sam Watkins. an amazing book

any one who wants to research the civil war should take this as a core study.

Excellent civil war history as live by a Rebel infantryman who survived the entire Civil War

This civil war infantryman’s personal stories provide the reader an in-site to war not offered by traditional civil war historians.

Good storytelling

This is an interesting tour through the Western Theater of the War Between the States from the view of a 1st Tennesse infantryman. Apparently the author has a superior guardian angel because he is in the thick of it from start to finish. Assuming it's true it's an amazing accomplishment. When you hear the descriptions of the thick minie balls and the grape shot booming it makes you wonder what these people were doing. These people were CRAZY - all of them - blue coats and Johnny Reb. After awhile I began to gain a deeper understanding of the pace of the war, the automatation of the war machine of the Yankees, and the degree of "regimentation" that was instituted on both sides. I found the first hand accounts of the Confederate defense from Chattanooga to Atlanta very insightful. He got me doing some arm chair generaling and thinking of better ways to deal with the Blue Coat armies moving South out of Chattanooga. Personally I think the war was over in 1862 when the Federals took full control of the Mississippi - but revisiting these campaigns on such an "on the ground" view makes me ponder what may have been salvaged if handled a bit more dynamically. This narrative also helps to illuminate the "mass" nature of the Yankee hoarde; for me Cold Harbor is no longer some example of extreme slaughter but is what became the measure of what the North was willing to use up. Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, the Bloody Angle, the Kennesaw campaigns saw the Blue Coats march over and over to their deaths in doomed or very expensive assaults. Now I am suspicious of the "offical" 600,000 killed in this war - I now believe it to be LOTS more. I may have to go look into how those numbers were established - I'm curious now.

A Wonderful Book

Any additional comments?

I had read this years ago and recently stumbled across it in Audible and bought it and I am glad I did. The book itself is outstanding. Watkins is a gifted writer who is able to describe both the horror and humor of war through the eyes of a private. Most history narratives of battles and war are told by Generals and their staff - so this book is really different. The only slight downside to this was that the narrator was a little too dour and wasn't able to capture how funny some of the things that occur during the course of a war are. Well worth the credit