The Tiger Rifles: The Making of a Louisiana Legend

by Michael Dan Jones

Overview

A history of Company B, 1st Special Battalion (Wheat's) Louisiana Volunteers in the War Between the States. The Tiger Rifles, Company B, of Wheat's Battalion became famous because of their flashy Zouave uniforms, their famous battalion commander, Major Roberdeau Wheat, and their heroics at First Battle of Manassas. Their nickname, Tigers, became attached, first to the battalion, and then to all Louisiana troops serving in the Army of Northern Virginia. The book tries to separate fact from myth with regards to the Tigers. The men became so notorious for their antics in camp, they got blamed for a lot of things they didn't do, although they did plenty on their own to deserve their reputation. Also examined is the possible real identity of their company commander, Captain Alexander White. His name is an alias but as far as is known, his real identity has been a mystery. The book focuses tightly on the men of the Tiger Rifles and brings them to life as much as the limited resources allows.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781463554743
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	07/14/2011
Pages:	206
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

A Louisiana resident, the author, Michael Dan Jones, is a Vietnam War veteran and an avid student of military history, particularly the War for Southern Independence. He is also a veteran living history re-enactor who took part in the 125th anniversary reenactment of the First Battle of Manassas as a member of the Tiger Rifles re-enactment unit. Jones is a retired newspaperman and has written articles for prominent historical magazines. He is a 1974 cum laude graduate of the University of Houston and a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Company of Military Historians, the Sons of the American Revolution, and Descendants of Mexican War Veterans and the Military Order of the Stars and Bars.
Jones is the recipient of the Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal from the United Daughters of the Confederacy for a series of articles he wrote on the Battle of Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana. Other notable awards he has received are the Distinguished Service Medal and the Commander-In-Chief's Award, both from the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from his local SCV camp, Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390.
Jones co-authored "Lee's Foreign Legion: A History of the 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment," with Thomas Walter Brooks. The Southwest Louisiana Historical Association has published a series of books by Jones, which are compilations of his newspaper articles he wrote on the history of the area, "Southwest Louisiana in the War Between the States," "Southwest Louisianians Defend the Nation," and "Adventures in Old Calcasieu."
Michael Dan Jones is currently working on a series of histories about Louisiana Confederate military units in the War for Southern Independence.