Review Of Company Aytch: Or The Side Show Of The Big Show

Company Aytch: Or the Side Show of the Big Show is considered one of the finest memoirs written about the American Civil War. It offers a closer look at the daily life of a Confederate Army soldier and how he viewed the war. Company Aytch is considered a primary historical source, a source that was created at the time of an historical event or by someone who had firsthand knowledge of the event, and as with any historical source either primary or secondary, there are strengths and weaknesses whether it be historical accuracy, writing style, or lack of details. Company Aytch is a very well-done primary historical source as everything is seen through the eyes of Samuel Rush Watkins, the author who was a Private in the Confederate Army. Watkins

Company Aytch summarizes the war through the eyes of a mere foot soldier, who really cannot change the outcome of the war, whether he dies or not. The book opens with Watkins describing why he writes and what he sees before the war, which is two very distinct groups, one campaigning for recognition of the North and the South, and the other wishing to be one and undivided. He describes himself as mistakenly being a part of the former and wishes against it as he writes Company Aytch but contradicts it by saying the South is right for seceding and will always be right (3-7). Throughout the book, Watkins shares the horrors of war and is one of the few authors to really describe the violence that is war. To really inform the reader of the tragedy of war, Watkins describes his day-to-day life with the struggle of finding adequate food, clothing and often having to witness friends die, whether it be from a Union soldier or an execution of a Confederate among Confederates. War is viewed much differently from the

Company Aytch is not written at the time of the event but was Watkins’s first-hand experiences. A common criticism is that it is written 20 years after the event and the historical accuracy of what he says is not completely accurate. Strengths are the personal feel and the details about daily life that is often forgotten when writing a textbook. Another strength was the in-depth discussion on details often seen as less important by a textbook. Company Aytch is lauded as one of the best primary sources and deserves that praise. The historical accuracy can be better as when writing it Watkins is an old veteran whose memory is starting to fade. Watkins is not very bright when compared to Grant and Lee. Another weakness of Company Aytch was him confusing names and certain facts. Depending on the audience, Company Aytch’s informality can be a weakness whereas some consider it a major strength as it shows his humanity and the way he was raised. Another strength is his continual insistence on not taking what he says as history. This allows the reader to understand him better and really dispels the major criticism of historical accuracy. It also allows him a margin of error so the reader knows not every detail will be exactly how it happened. Overall, Company Aytch is a well-done book and as a primary source, there is not one about the