四色AV

Published January 4, 2018

Louisiana State University Press has released a new Civil War book by Dr. Terry L. Jones, professor emeritus of history at the University of Louisiana Monroe.

"Lee鈥檚 Tigers Revisited: The Louisiana Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia" is a greatly expanded edition of "Lee鈥檚 Tigers," Jones鈥� first book that was published in 1987. It was a History Book Club selection and won the General L. Kemper Williams Prize, an award that recognizes the best book published on Louisiana History each year.

"Lee鈥檚 Tigers Revisited" is a history of the approximately 12,000 Louisiana infantrymen who fought in Robert E. Lee鈥檚 Army of Northern Virginia. Sometimes derided as the 鈥渨harf rats from New Orleans鈥� and the 鈥渓owest scrappings of the Mississippi,鈥� the Louisiana Tigers earned a reputation for being drunken and riotous in camp, but courageous and dependable on the battlefield. To honor them, LSU adopted the Tiger nickname for its football team at the turn of the 20th century, and the Louisiana National Guard鈥檚 256th Infantry Brigade is known today as the Tiger Brigade.听

Louisiana鈥檚 soldiers, some of whom wore colorful French Zouave uniforms, reflected the state鈥檚 multicultural society, with some regiments consisting of French-speaking Creoles and others being dominated by European immigrants. The Tigers played a key role in numerous battles, such as resisting the initial Union onslaught at First Manassas, making possible Stonewall Jackson鈥檚 famous Valley Campaign, holding the line at Second Manassas by throwing rocks when they ran out of ammunition, temporarily breaking the Union line at Gettysburg, containing the Union breakthrough at Spotsylvania鈥檚 Bloody Angle, and leading Lee鈥檚 attempted breakout of Petersburg at Fort Stedman.

The Tigers achieved equal notoriety for their outrageous behavior off the battlefield, so much so that sources suggest that no general wanted them in his command. Casualties were so heavy that fewer than four hundred Louisiana Tigers were still on duty when Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

"Lee鈥檚 Tigers Revisited" incorporates new material Jones has collected over the years and is being released to commemorate the book鈥檚 original publication听30 years ago. It uses letters, diaries, memoirs, newspaper articles, and muster rolls to provide a detailed account of the origins, enrollments, casualties, and desertion rates of the Louisiana Tigers. Numerous maps that were commissioned for this edition show the Tigers鈥� positions on key battlefields. By utilizing first-person accounts and official records, Jones provides the definitive study of the Louisiana Tigers and their harrowing experiences in the Civil War.

Jones is a native of Winn Parish and taught history at 四色AV for听25 years. He is the author or editor of eight other books, including "Louisiana in the Civil War: Essays for the Sesquicentennial," "Campbell Brown鈥檚 Civil War," and "The Louisiana Journey."