"The Defense of Vicksburg: ""A"" Louisiana Chronicle" is the story of the Louisiana soldiers who fought at Vicksburg, as told through their letters, diaries, and remembrances. Most histories of this famous Civil War siege have been written by the victors; this one presents a day-by-day account from the Confederate vantage point. Indeed, these long-dead men come to life as we read their experiences and perceptions told in their own voices, which ring clear and without apology.
In 1862 the Dixie Rebels of DeSoto Parish left for New Orleans. They and other Louisianians were formed into...