The Civil War experiences of General M. Jeff Thompson in 1861

Abstract

"Only the first year of Jeff Thompson's account of his Civil War experiences is included in this study. His reminiscences, however, run from January 1, 1861, to June 6, 1865, covering his military career in considerable detail. The year 1861 was selected for detailed study because by checking the accuracy of one section against the official record, the validity of the whole document can likely be determined. Also by close study of a part, an estimate can be made of the value of the whole document as an instrument of historical research. While Thompson's reminiscences check very well with the official records, they still contribute material which cannot be located in the official records. The official records concentrate on operations, orders, and correspondence but usually omit organization, discipline of troops, elections of officers, and "off the record" material of various types. The entire manuscript is divided into five parts, each covering a single year of the war. 1861 is the one best suited for a detailed study because it is the most self-contained unit, includes more material on the organization and administration of irregular Confederate troops, and is the year when Thompson was most active from a military standpoint... "--Page [1].