Born in Maury County, Tennessee, in 1843, James Harmon was the eldest of three children whose family's roots traced back to their grandfather's service in the War of 1812. After moving to Florence, Alabama, Harmon helped in his family's furniture business until leaving for school at LaGrange Military Academy.
Things changed abruptly for Harmon in the years 1860-61, as political divisions tore the nation apart. Though yearning for an education, Harmon found his school closed and did the patriotic thing to do at the time: enlist in the 35th Alabama Infantry. As a Confederate soldier, he became a witness to the triumphs-and horrors-of the American Civil War.
Nearly six decades after the war's end, as a 79-year-old dentist living in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Harmon responded to a questionnaire sent by Gustavus W. Dyer, a professor at Vanderbilt University, which sought to preserve the memories of surviving Civil War soldiers.
In his response, Harmon went beyond the questionnaire, pouring his heart into a 71-page handwritten autobiography. In its pages, he vividly recounted the intense excitement of those early war days, the calls for volunteers, and the rush to organize regiments destined for war. Bright anticipations turned to harsh realities as friends and comrades were lost in the ravages of conflict.
"A Narrative from an Old Confederate," as Harmon titled his work, is not just a historical account; it is a visceral journey into the heart of a soldier, revealing the resilience of the human spirit amid the chaos of battle. For any student of American history seeking an intimate and authentic perspective on the Civil War, Harmon's stirring memoir is a fascinating-though relatively short-read.
