With the art of a master craftsman, Nanzig has woven the rich and touching letters of two common soldiers who served in the 18th Wisconsin Infantry-Thomas J. Davis and Ransom J. Chase, coupled with Civil War era newspaper articles relative to the regiment-to produce a detailed look at this little known unit and, with detailed annotation, has compiled a history of service worthy of these veterans of Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga. -- Terrence J. Winschel, National Park Service, author of Triumph & Defeat and Vicksburg An outstanding and refreshing new social history of the life of a common soldier... The Badax Tigers is a must-read and worthy addition to the library of both the Civil War scholar and enthusiast alike. -- Dennis J. Ringle, U.S. Navy (retired) Twenty-nine year-old Private Thomas Jefferson Davis left a young bride of 18 after just two months of marriage when he marched off to war. His interesting correspondence provides a wonderful appreciation for the challenges of marital separation and how critically important were the receipt of letters... Editor Thomas Nanzig has compiled and skillfully annotated a valuable collection of soldier's letters. -- William M. Anderson, director, Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries Using dozens of well-written and detail-rich letters, Nanzig has constructed a documentary history of one unit that saw action throughout the war's Western Theater. But more than accounts of battles, these letters-many from a 29-year-old yeoman farmer-offer valuable insights on how northern soldiers viewed the South and the men who fought to defend it. -- Roger L. Rosentreter, Michigan State University and coauthor of Michigan's Early Military Forces This book is an excellent source for anyone studying Civil War daily life. Civil War Book Review The letters of Thomas Jefferson Davis reveal the ups, as well as downs, of service in the Western Theater. Remarkably readable, they document the real concerns of the yeoman soldier: providing for family back home and making it out of the war alive. -- Russell Horton, Wisconsin Veterans Museum
