Reminiscences of a Rebel

Law studies give way to military service in Wayland Fuller Dunaway's account of the American Civil War. He begins with his arrival at the University of Virginia in 1860, then describes the political excitement and personal influences that led him to enlist. Writing as a former Confederate captain, he combines memories of his own service with notes on his brigade and judgments about commanders.

The narrative moves between improvised preparations, river travel and battlefield encounters. In the fighting near Chancellor's tavern, Dunaway recalls advancing toward rifle pits, watching Federal troops withdraw and seeing a young boy work at a Confederate gun. His preface presents these recollections as material for future historians as well as fellow veterans. Readers interested in personal accounts of the conflict will find a participant's perspective, shaped by his loyalty to Virginia and his later reflections on youthful enthusiasm.