Chaplain Davis and Hood's Texas Brigade

Book excerpt: Presbyterian minister Nicholas A. Davis joined the Fourth Regiment of Texas Volunteers as chaplain in 1861. Soon after, the unit moved to Virginia, where they fought in the Seven Days Campaign, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg. Rev. Davis wrote his memoir two years into battle, drawing upon keen observational skills and a diary he kept faithfully. He delves deeply into little known topics such as religion in the field, the duties of army chaplains, the appalling condition of wounded men, and war-time Richmond. First published in 1863 and expanded by historian Donald E. Everett in 1962, this present volume has won acclaim from both scholars and history buffs.